The Heathen.

               The Heathen

                                          Jack London

Introduction:-

                              Jack London, The writer of this short story is an American author, Journalist and social activities. He has contributed many well- Known works to the literature. The Story of “The Heathen” deals with the relation of two different colored persons who belong to different classes.

The Title Heathen:-

                                   While reading this story we can clearly sense that the narrative pattern is the mixture of past and present. At the very same time it is very difficult to go in a smooth way because there are many complications in understanding the hidden part. The narrator named Charley has directly dedicated this story to his mate cum friend Otoo, A Negro Man when the story begins; the narrator confesses his gratitude towards Otoo. Otoo meets him in a hurricane and in that hurricane he shares his hatch cover with Otoo to his greatness, Otoo dedicate whole life even death to Charley. This is how the story presents the voyages of these two characters as they have been living together for last 17 years. Their relationship is based their emotions rather than the mentality of master and slave.

                                   The meaning of Heathen is the person  who does not belong to any fix or particular class and community and the story reveals that Otoo is considered to be the heathen because he does not belong to the oppress class , his island called Borabora.Thou he is from the African American class. The African people are suppressed by the Whites and The Blacks are dragged to their class. The struggle does not end here because after being a part of black Christians they are considered as the Slaves in this way, the story demonstrate the idea of Master – Slave relationship. The Whites believes that the blacks are born to be merely Slave and that is why they are forced to be African Christians and this custom Otoo remain different from them and thus he become the Heathen of that community.

                                        Jack has indirectly even his views over how society creates in justice to the people if Otoo does not belong to his Christians community than society also does not belong to religion named HUMANITY. Society is the main problem which does not led their life’s the way they want to the world contains only one religion which is as above and that is why society differs from those who genial care for humans.

                                             No Doubt, This story also present the theme of color decimation as the two characters fit with set rules and regulation of society. It shows not humanity to those who are black or rather not capable to fit in the form. He directly asks a question:

         ‘Who is the problem? Society or The Black?’

                                     This is called society is made of the white Christians who try to over shadow the identity of the blacks by suppression them or making them their servants.

                             Discussing about Otoo nature or behavior towards Charley he is a man of honesty which is the superior to all. His friendship is deep and genning which does not contained any custom, Religion, Culture or Even a Color because it is beyond all and interesting custom of one of the island and exchange of the name as Charley becomes Otoo and Otoo becomes Charley which clearly shows that if the people have no problem with Color than why the society carries a problem in that Otoo, A person who owns life’s to Charley dedicates his soul to his master.

Conclusion:-

                       To sum up we can say that God has made no difference in human being but the society. It is not fair to marginalized one who speaks the right and who is the follower of honesty and humanity thus in real sense society is the Heathen which fails to study the law of nature which believes in equality.