Background of the Study
breadwinner, while female is positioned in the domestic sphere including nurturing the children
For the domestic sphere and mothering activity, Andrea O‟ Reilly argues that patriarchal motherhood is a kind of repressive act for mother‟s own selfhood
because it gives no power for mothers to arrange their own mothering activity.
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It restrains women‟s authority to determine their own mothering. Because of the
restraining toward mothering activity, patriarchal motherhood can be seen as an oppressive act for women because it pressures, regulates, and dominates women
and their mothering. The restraining of mothering then affects the mothering practice in which
mother will spend most of the day to take care of her daughter without involving the father and other family members. As a consequence, both mother and her
daughter are less involved in community or social practice. Portia is Bowen‟s character who becomes the victim of patriarchal motherhood because her mother
does not introduce or help her to socialize or recognize others‟ existence earlier in her life. It constructs Portia‟s identity as the dependent, submissive and passive
subject. Bowen seems to emphasize that patriarchal motherhood does not produce
a secure attachment between the mother and her daughter because the close relationship between them has shaped symbiotic relation that binds Portias ability
to leave mothers side. It is explained by Jasmine Lee Cori that secure individual who gets a secure attachment from their mother will note themselves as strong,
12
Andrea O‟Reilly. Feminist Mothering, ed. NY: State University of New York Press, 2008, p.
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competent, valuable, lovable, and special.
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However, Portia is described differently where she sees nothing special about herself and her family.
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Bowen challenges patriarchal motherhood that creates sexist childrearing where a girl is
unconsciously constructed by the mother to be a feminine figure that is commonly characterized as the dependent and passive subject.
To help the daughter leave the dependent relationship with the mother, more involvements from a father or other relatives in childrearing practice should
be made. It can help the mother to have more quality times for themselves outside the house, and it will also help the daughter to recognize and know other people‟s
existence through sharing the childrearing practice with other relatives. The Death of the Heart is Bowens evidence about the negativity of patriarchal motherhood
where restraining toward mothering practice will affect the development of the daughters identity. By being a „good mother for Portia, Irene bears and protects
Portia with all of her loves and instructions without being interfered by other relatives. Bowen describes patriarchal motherhood as the cause of imposition of
the mothers desire to her daughter which later makes them as the imaginary unity or oneness. The consequence for Irenes mothering practice is that Portia becomes
closed figure to mother and has clumsiness to build the relationship with other people.
Moreover, the daughter who does not have enough experience to interact with other people will face difficulty in her first interaction with others. The
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Jasmine Lee Cori. The Emotionally Absent Mother: A Guide to Self- Healing and Getting The Love You Missed. NY: The Experiment, 2010, p. 41
14
Elizabeth Bowen. The Death of The Heart. NY: Anchor Books A Division of Random House, Inc, 2000, p. 52 All subsequent references to this novel, abbreviated The, will be used in this
thesis with pagination only.
inadequate experience in interacting with other people limits the daughter‟s knowledge toward other people‟s characters and needs. When Portia starts to
recognize others‟ existence with their different needs and characters, she realizes her own lacking identity. Knowing herself as the lacking subject will stimulate the
daughters need to complete her self-knowledge in order to be recognized and accepted as the part of a community or society. The daughters status as the
lacking subject and also the seeking for maternal forms are two related things that influence her shift to the symbolic father. Since self-identification to the mother is
ineffective to preserve the daughters knowledge of life, a shift to the symbolic father is initially regarded as the solution for the motherings problem.
Initially, symbolic father is seen as the solution for mother-daughter attachment because it provides knowledge of identity for the daughter. Unity with
the same sex parent, that is the mother, is argued by Mikkel Borch- Jacobsen and Douglas Brick as the „male identification for the daughter.
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This argument reflects that attachment to same- sex parent represents the metaphorical masculine
identity for the daughter. Thus to complete her feminine identity, a shift to different sex parent, a symbolic father, must be made.
Therefore, knowledge of identity provided by the symbolic father is dangerous for the daughter because it leads to the formation of feminine gender
identity. It is explained by Bowen in her novel that symbolic father, who is represented by society, demands Portia to be a mature woman. Symbolic father
restraints Portias self-freedom because she has to obey all of the feminine rules
15
Mikkel Borch-Jacobsen and Douglas Brick. “The Oedipus Problem in Freud and Lacan”.
Critical Inquiry 20.2 Winter, 1994: p. 273. JSTOR. Web. 6 Apr. 2016
from society. Symbolic father found in this novel represents social law and patriarchal culture that constitute feminine gender identity for Portia. Symbolic
father also forbids re-attachment to maternal forms. It is narrated by Bowen that Portias relatives forbid her to be a childish figure. Portias relatives reject childish
manner being spoiled and restrain Portias pleasure. Society in this novel is described as an image of a selfish and modern community which cannot fulfill
Portias demand for familial bonding. The selfish character from Portias relatives cannot help Portia to feel maternal attachment or mothers love in life. The
forbidden pleasure from society triggers conflict in Portias mind where she finally questions other peoples interest in her life.
The absence of nurturance and attention from society stimulates Portias retreat from all of the social orders. The forbidden pleasure and the inability of
society to provide familial bonding or the sense of love represent symbolic father as the lacking subject. Instead of helping the daughter to complete her self-
identity, the symbolic father actually limits her self-freedom. Symbolic father imposes feminine rules that must be obeyed by a girl in order to be accepted as the
mature woman in society. The limitation to Portias pleasure then triggers her desire to return to
maternal attachment. This desire is materialized through constructing female friendship with Matchett and Mrs. Heccomb. Since these two figures are able to
preserve nurturance for Portia, then she becomes dependent on them. Moreover, knowledge and experience of social oppression from those female friends make
them as the dominant subject for Portia. They help Portia out from male threat by PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
controlling and deciding Portias action; for what she can do and what she cannot do. Even though female friends seem to help Portia resist the social oppression
through their prohibition toward Portias relation with the male, it restrains Portias ability to develop her self-development to socialize with others. This study notes
that the return to maternal attachment through female friendship constructs female domination to other womens identity. It may release the desire for pleasure and
maternal attachment, but in fact, it oppresses Portias self-freedom. Thus, to subvert the concept of the patriarchal system that sets Portias
feminine gender identity, Bowen represents a power of sisterhood. Acknowledgment of individual identity and self-freedom are actually important in
order to avoid the oppression of other people. To get the acknowledgment of individual identity, differences of identity between individuality must be clearly
stated. The differences of identity can be achieved through inter-subjective dialogue. Further, inter-subjective dialogue should evoke constructive critiques
and sheer disruption so that it can help Portia to be aware of her own ability and deficiency. Through dialogue between women, they know each others interests
and demands. Sisterhood helps the emergence of inter-subjective dialogue that eliminates the imaginary desire for unity with other people.
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So, instead of being adhered to other peoples conviction and demands, sisterhood helps the women
involve in constructive dialogue, to share experience and burden, and allows the women to be the speaking subject instead of the object of speaking. Sisterhood in
this novel shows how female friendship becomes the effective way to help Portia
16
Kirsten Campbell. Jacques Lacan and Feminist Epistemology. London NY: Routledge, 2004, p. 104
recognize her self-subjectivity, become speaking subject, resist the social construction of womanhood.
The problem of social construction of womanhood represented in this novel helps this study to learn and to reveal more about the effect of cultural
practice from patriarchal mothering and social law toward the construction of feminine gender identi
ty. Understanding Bowen‟s work about patriarchal mothering and social oppression can raise awareness toward the negativity of
patriarchal culture which has set feminine gender model for woman. The cultural practice of feminine gender model limits the ability of Portia to develop her
competence and freedom to express her manner and opinion, or to be the speaking subject.
Overall, the concept of female friendship proposed in this study is a response toward the patriarchal concept that has restrained the development of
womans self- identity and constructed „woman definition. Sisterhood helps the
woman to deconstruct the definition of being a „woman by rejecting the feminine stereotype, such as being passive and subjugated one. Proposing the discussion of
sisterhood in this study is valuable to describe how female friends help Portia to get her autonomy. The inter-subjective dialogue between women helps them to be
aware and critical toward their own competency and oppression.