Emily Klinger

English 3372

Dejah Thoris: A Failed Attempt to Disguise Feminism

In The by Edgar Rice , is a strong female character. And why shouldn’t she be, the book is named after her. That said, Dejah can appear to be a confusing character. This confusion stems from the attempt of the narrator, John Carter, to equate her to an earthly damsel. Dejah Thoris possess many masculine qualities—such as knowledge of politics, science, and battle strategy as well as courage and respect—that are not seen in stereotypical earthly women. Though John tries to make Dejah appear as a helpless damsel figure, these masculine identity traits allow Dejah to be fearless in battle, a smart politician, a much needed companion, and honorable leader. John attempts to hide Dejah’s feminist role; however, his contradictory character descriptions make it impossible for him to hide Dejah’s strengths and masculine traits.

Though John believes that Dejah is a damsel who is in need of his assistance, Dejah is a companion to John when he needs one in his first instance of captivity. John Carter immediately assumes that Dejah Thoris needs his protection when she signals him: “I realized that I had not answered her signal, and ignorant as I was of customs, I intuitively felt that she had made an appeal for succor and protection which my unfortunate ignorance had prevented me from answering” (Burroughs 50). This assumption is John’s earth bred chivalry speaking because he does not actually know that protection is what she desires of him. If Dejah was a man would John immediately believe that the signal would be for protection, possibly but probably not. In this life or death situation it could be for protection, that option is not ruled out, but it could also be for a moment of companionship in captivity. Later in the novel we see John reach out to Kantos Kan in captivity for companionship. The two men learn of one another and immediately desire companionship in their dark prison but the thought never crosses John’s mind that Kantos Kan has any intention to protect him. They are looking for mutual sympathy and understanding, which as a captive in a society of strange brutes who intend to kill you could provide a sense of comfort as it does for John in the dungeon: “By the dim light of the torch I saw that he was a red Martian and I could scarcely await the departure of his guards to address him” (Burroughs 129). Her actions do not actually indicate that she needs protection; she just makes a gesture in search of response. And later Dejah does not immediately ask John for protection but curiously asks him where he is from and why he did not respond sooner. Much like Kantos Kan, she is curious about the other captive. She is does not fear her captives enough rely on this man just yet.

John paints Dejah as a helpless female after the moments where she displays a masculine trait. After Dejah is struck before the Thark chieftains, John says “The poor child shrank against me and I felt her two little hands fold tightly over my arm” (Burroughs 66). Calling her a child and indicating her smallness makes Dejah appear innocent and in need of protection. This would be okay if Dejah was a normal damsel; however, six pages before this scene John reveals that she delivered a pleading but very political offer to accept the Green as allies of the Red

Martians in a “modulated voice” (Burroughs 60). Her modulated, calm voice implies that she is unafraid of her Green Martians captors, or is at least courageous enough to not show her fear.

Furthermore, a scared, innocent damsel would not have enough wits about her to try to make political alliances with her captors; however, a masculine war figure would. And on a warring planet where crying is completely uncommon, one can assume that showing fear is thought of as a weakness. Therefore, it makes no sense why a woman who is capable, and as noted later proud, would “cower” into the arms of a man, savior or not.

Dejah never seems fazed by the war and battle that constantly occurs around her. While in Zodanga, Dejah is unaffected by a battle that occurs just outside of her quarters: “The noise brought Dejah Thoris to the door of her apartment, and there she stood throughout the conflict with Sola at her back peering over her shoulder. Her face was set and emotionless …”

(Burroughs 157). While standing in the doorway of her room watching a battle to the death she shows no signs of emotion. It never says she cowers or backs away, though after a while she does get bored. If she were a true damsel she would either hide in her room or watch intently, for the battle could only be over her and what could be more flattering. The reason Dejah is so unaffected is because war is so common on her Planet that she has constantly been exposed to it.

She may have even been in a few fights herself. The novel states that Green Martian women not only train the young for battle and make the ammunition but also: “In time of actual warfare they form a part of the reserves, and when the necessity arises, fight with even greater intelligence and ferocity than the men” (Burroughs 52). Though this is about the Green Martian women, one can only assume that on a planet of war all individuals are trained for battle. Dejah seems to know about battle herself and actually jumps in a few.

John assumes that Dejah is a damsel in distress because she is constantly captured; however, there are two problems with this idea: one, John also keeps getting captured and two,

Dejah saves John Carter at the risk of her own life more than once. The first time Dejah jumps in to save John is when he is fighting for his life with Zad: “As I looked, Dejah Thoris turned upon

Sarkoja with the fury of a young Tigress and struck something from her upraised hand”

(Burroughs 94). Dejah comes to John’s rescue by eliminating the distraction of the mirror from his battle and in turn starts a battle of her own. Sarkoja pulls out a knife and attempts to stab

Dejah, but Sola intervenes. Realizing that Sarkoja does not like John or Dejah, the princess must have known that attacking Sarkoja, a brutal Thark, would elicit a fighting response. By saving

John Carter, Dejah put her own life at risk. Most Damsels are entirely helpless but Dejah is not, she is noble and bravely puts her own life in danger for that of John Carter, much like Tars

Tarkas and Kantos Kan do throughout the book. The second time Dejah saves John’s life is during the battle of Zodanga where he recalls “As we circled upon the broad platform I saw Sab

Than rushing up the steps to aid his father, but, as he raised his hand to strike, Dejah Thoris sprang before him…” (Burroughs 180). Again, in the midst of battle, Dejah places herself in harm’s way to save John Carter, yet he glances over it to get back to his own fight. Only a heroic character would risk their life to save a friend. And just a few short paragraphs later comes to John’s aid. However, unlike Dejah, Tars gets much more praise for his actions. Dejah was in more immediate danger than Tars could have been, putting herself between John and a falling blade with no known weapons or plans to fight back. However, this is where her heroinism stops for she is never given a chance to prove herself for John, the biased male narrator, because he limits Dejah to the damsel parameters.

Dejah is also portrayed as a respected warrior with the understanding of battle. During the battle of Zodanga the Zodangans believe that Dejah instigated the encounter: “as they advanced there were cries of ‘the woman! The woman! Strike her down; it is her plot! Kill her!

Kill her!” (180). The men of Mars have no trouble blaming Dejah, even giving her credit for such a sneaky battle strategy. After this line, the battle description includes only John protecting her or John’s perceptions of others fighting. Dejah is merely described as being behind John; however, he never got her to the proper place to protect herself. The vantage point they are at may or may not require the princess to fight for herself. But John focuses solely on the accomplishments of Tars Tarkas and himself during this battle, only mentioning Dejah after it is over. Considering earlier in the novel it says the Green Martian women fight and that Dejah

Thoris has more than once volunteered for a fight to save John Carter it would make sense that she would fight for her life. In this passage John chooses to exclude this detail, allowing readers to believe that she is not a part of the battle. However, the next scene proves that John trusts

Dejah Thoris to handle an army, so it makes sense that she may have fought here.

John leaves Dejah in charge of the battle of Zodanga, indicating that she has as much, if not more, skill in battle than the general Tars Tarkas. John says “Leaving Dejah in charge of Tars

Tarkas I took a dozen warriors and hastened to the dungeons beneath the palace” (181). If the sentence said ‘leaving Dejah in the charge of Tars Tarkas” then it would indicate that Tars

Tarkas was to look after Dejah; however, the way the sentence is worded indicates that Dejah, the woman who—according to John’s descriptions—was hiding moments ago behind him for protection, is left ‘in charge’ of the Green Martian chief and a general of the army. This does not make sense unless Dejah actually has the ability to handle the duties of general while John is gone; indicating that she could handle the charge of an entire army at her disposal if something goes wrong. As the princess of the planet of war, it is no surprise that she could handle this situation. But this indicates that less than a page ago John was protecting someone who could have taken care of herself.

Dejah is an honorable, Red Martian warrior and displays this when she interacts with

John. John makes many of the interactions between himself and Dejah appear romantic to the reader; however, some of these actions actually appear to be more part of Dejah’s pure bred honor than of love. For example Dejah treats John like any other Red Martian would treat a companion: “… for on my approach the look of pitiful hopelessness left her sweet countenance to be replaces by a smile of joyful welcome, as she placed her little right hand upon my left shoulder in true Red Martian salute” (Burroughs 82). This interaction is exactly how any Red

Martian would greet another, and later in the novel readers see Kantos Kan do the exact same thing. Though she may be in love with John, her Martian respect comes first, which is almost chivalrous, a normally accepted male characteristic. Later Dejah treats John first as a subject of the Red Martians, giving praise to his actions as a King from the thrown would after any grand deed in battle: “Was there ever such a man…I know that Barsoom has never before seen your like. Can it be that all Earth men are as you? Alone, a stranger, hunted, threatened, persecuted, you have done in a few short months what in all past ages of Barsoom no man has ever done: joined together the hordes of the sea bottoms and brought them to fight as allies of the Red

Martian people ” (Burroughs 182). Sitting on a thrown delivering it, could almost appear as though Dejah were knighting or accepting John into court. However, Dejah always seems to have a respectful approach to John and doesn’t jump into emotion prematurely.

Dejah Thoris is a strong female character who is constantly being sidelined for the action of the narrator, John Carter. This may be because Dejah threatens John’s masculinity but it also may just be because John is constantly trying to find ways to make Dejah fit into the stereotypical female role in his epic tale. Whatever the case, he left many indications that proved that though John may not always want Dejah to be a strong female, he cannot fully contain her personality.