The cultural tensions are incredibly high in A Dream of Polar Fog, for as our protagonist John becomes more and more accepting and immersed in the local culture around him, we are reminded that other Westerns with the damaging biases John first had remain. In the parable of the White Woman, Toko presents a story about killing your brother that can be read as an allegory towards the white men’s mistreatment of native populations and the white men’s inability to see the native populations as their fellow brothers.

The text asks for a parabolic reading. Right before telling the story John is surprised but catches himself, “Stunned, John was about to inform Toko it was nonsense, but then the absurdities of the Bible came to mind…” (104) This is a great moment of John stepping into the shoes of the native people and realizing their possible viewpoint of the white man’s culture. Through inhabiting another cultural viewpoint, John is able to see the similarities between the two culture and, instead of dismissing the other culture for being different, appreciate and learn from people unlike him. Because John is viewing the culture through his Christian lens, the text is asking us to also view the story of the White Woman through that similar lens which renders the story near a biblical parable.

The parable of the White Woman shows a man, out of greed, killing his whale brother who is different than him. This parable teaches the lesson of not killing your fellow kind even if they do not look like you or do not know them. It preaches a common connection between species regardless of greed or possible gain.

Keeping in mind the context of the Canadians and the native Arctic people, this story begins to show the terribleness of the mistreatment of fellow human beings. Just as the whales are the brothers of the Arctic people and should not be harmed or exploited, so are the seemingly different humans who have different languages and customs. The parable of the White Woman reminds to treat fellow humans kindly regardless of difference.

If I had more space, I would do further close readings on the great and dense parable.

Edit: Okay I finished more of the reading and have to add on, sorry for the length.

Of course Johns writing corroborates what is listed above, in that eh also feels that this parable like story is one that applies to humanity wider, and more specifically to race relations between the people.  Something that I am confused about is John’s specific species within this parable? A striking line within this section is when John’s sin is described to be equal of that of native people: “Within a few days, all of John’s exposed flesh became so tanned that in color it was hardly different from Toko’s skin” (92). It seems that John can oscillate between his two identities, in some instances he acts as the whale, and in others the human. I wonder how this mixed identity will play out, and what the further come of this in relations to both the natives and the white men. More so, I’m curious what other people think of the stakes and problems of Johns exploitations but also adoptions of this culture? Thoughts?