Both novels; women are not portrayed the same way as men. They are only referred to when it comes to their relationship to the main male characters, i. e. the prolonging of the presentation of the male perspective.
The Bechdel test decides whether the media is gender neutral or not and is made with the cinematic medium in mind, but can easily be applied in literature as well. It is used to raise the gender perspective in a simple yet very effective way.
The Bechdel test consists in three criterias:
1. It has to have at least two (named) women in it.
2. They talk to each other.
3. The conversation does not involve men.
Both Silverfin and “Ondskan” fail the test. Hence none of them would be a good choice in a classroom with both boys and girls.
I think “Ondskan” is a better choice in a gender perspective since it questions the macho norm and shows examples of emotional and philosophical values. Individuals lower in hierarchy are focused upon and their suffering due to subordination is obvious.
In contrast, Silverfin projects the glamourous side of reaching the top of the pyramidial structure. Loosers are out of interest, winners take it all.
Hi! After reading your text I agree in some parts how the women are portrayed.In "Ondskan" it is obvious but in "Silverfin" I don't agree with you. Yes: they have not a main character,they are mention briefly. However Higson has given Aunt Charmain modern skills, Wilder Lawless is also a modern girl. Both can take care of themselves. I wouldn't put these books in same genre. On the one hand these books are not written and addressed to the same readers but on the other hand the books can be used when you discuss the issues you mentioned.
SvaraRaderaIng-Marie, I aslo made a parallel to "Ondskan" when I read "Silverfin" and I started thinking about what you wrote in your last two paragraphs. I think, that if you only read the book about James Bond and do not question the things that are written, the reader might not see the subtle hints about how it is not glamourous to reach the top and how it is not easy to be a boy who does not live up to your father´s standards. "Losers are out of interest" is a value brought forth by Lord Hellebore who thinks that it is ok to walk over dead bodies to reach the top, and also sees nothing wrong in cheating, by giving his son pills to be able to perform better. So, yes, the book does focus on a macho norm but I do think it questions it. This is also where we as teachers have to help our students to see this, through discussions in the classroom.
SvaraRaderaWhy is the book not a good choice in a classroom with both boys and girls? Does it matter? I think one has to make well thaught through choices of books of different typpes in the classroom. Next choice might be a novel by Jane Austen, Helen Fielding or someone else seeing the world through a woman's perspective.
SvaraRaderaThe winner takes it all, is that not what our society looks like? There are still the upper-, middle- and working class in Britain, and in Sweden so why should one not be able to read and discuss reality!
The action story is of course not very likely to happen, but life around it is quite real, even today and maybe more so.
Sure the winner takes it all but in SilverFin as well as in Ondskan you can see that it should be made in a fair way, not by cheating or bullying. George didn't win although he took the pills his father gave him, and he also realizes how wrong it was and doesn't want to take them anymore. In one way even his father realizes that not even the pills will make his son a winner. But in the end George defeats his father, with help from Bond of course. In Ondskan Erik tries to defeat cheating and evilness in his own way, both by fighting and not. He doesn't aprove of the way he and other students are being treated and doesn't see the older boys as superior since they don't rule in a fair way.
SvaraRaderaI agree that there are paralells between Ondskan and Silverfin - especillay during the time James spend att Eton. The lack of women is also a similarity, although I can agree a bit with Mona - the women in Silverfin are given a few more positive qualities than in Ondskan. But they are not given enough space in this story. I could be much better if for example the charachter Wilder Lawless was bigger and more complex.
SvaraRaderaThe end in Ondskan (the book) and the end in Silverfin has some similar points but there is a big difference - Erik is not really a hero. I listened to Jan Guillou - the author of Ondskan, and he said that he was a bit disappointed with the movie version - because Erik is portrayed as a hero and in the book he is not.
James Bond in Silverfin - he is with no doubt descried as a hero.