"Ja ta tundis himu rääkida". Aino Kallas, Maie Merits ja naiste hääl
„And She Felt the Desire to Speak”. Aino Kallas, Maie Merits, and the Female Voice

Summary/Abstract: The article focuses on issues of the female voice within the Western literary tradition through analyzing the short story „White Ship” by Aino Kallas. The previous analyses of Kallas’ short story have usually dealt with intertextual relationships between the story and the Bible. The article argues that intertextual analysis can often be reductive and for this reason the strong emphasis on the voice and speaking present in Kallas’ short story have gone unnoticed. The article analyzes the theme of the female voice and her right to speak on three levels. Firstly, the short story reflects the personal history of Kallas who, as an author, was seeking a voice of her own. Secondly, the short story concentrates on a cultural figure, a speaking woman, and on the consequences this figure has for her own community. Thirdly, the short story is analyzed within a wider context of the Western literary tradition, where the female voice (and a speaking woman) is usually interpreted as a symbol of disastrous power. According to this tradition an ideal woman is beautiful but mute. The article shows in how many and in how complex ways the „White Ship” by Aino Kallas manages to challenge the traditional view.

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