After all, we can conclude that Confucianism has a greater influence to the development of women’s social roles. Confucianism restricts the women’s privilege
to move, think and choose their own rights because the regime sees women have no ability to do work as men do. At first the doctrine places women to be secondary
class. As Yu-fang’s grows older, the reader is able to see the traditional ideals of old
China collapse as new philosophies and ideas are developed. Yu-fang’s indirect voice and oppressed life is contrasted with her daughter De-hong’s opened and liberated
nature or life. The life of a mother and daughter are compared and used to describe the cultural changes that took place during the lifetime of Grandmother Yu-fang.
2. Communist Regime 1931-1951
Communist party
authorized most of China started from 1931. The situation of the country was dominantly taken by Communist regime. Edward states, “But the
important development of these years came with the May Fourth period and the revolutionary movement of the 1920s, which placed women’s liberation on the
national agenda. This period also brought an expansion in the political consciousness of women with social and ideological radicalisation in the Kuomintang, and the
recruitment of a new generation of women into the newly established Communist Party. During China’s long revolutionary years the state both promoted and negated
new roles for women ....“ 28.
Character that lived dominantly in this regime is De-hong. De-hong had lived when China was ruled by some colonists and parties. This situation had given
some impacts to the women’s social roles. There are many proofs that can be raised through finding women’s social roles in that era.
a Education for the Chinese girls under Japanese Government
1938, De-hong was sent in elementary school. At that time, education was tightly controlled by the Japanese. There was found discrimination toward local and
Japanese pupils. There was no proper education available, but they received it. It was not only the proof for discriminating between local and Japanese pupils. It was also
appear for Chinese pupil girls receiving different education. After several years, De- hong moved up into junior high school. Times had changed since De-hong’s youth,
and young women were no longer confined to the four walls of their home. It was socially acceptable for women to get a high school education. In addition, Moise
explained, “… The status of women rose; a small but increasing proportion of them obtained formal education, and the custom of foot-binding began to decline 50”. It
is seen that education is growing up and the existence of old custom disappears. Furthermore, Twitchett and Fairbank in Buck clearly reported, “Of the 87.000
persons surveyed …, 45.2 percent of the males and 2.2 percent of the females reported receiving some schooling. … 66 percent reported that the education they
received was in the traditional style 187”. From that report, it is clear that women in this era received a traditional style school which is still limited. High education in this
point means controlled and directed course. It is because a woman living in this era had to learn how to do housework and the appreciation of art. Women had received
some education materials that were differentiated between men and women. They have to learn informal materials that showed how women should learn. It means, they
are still controlled and limited in a broad learning. Supporting by those arguments and the education experience of De-hong, it
can be drawn that education that is had by pupils and Chinese girls still limited and controlled into the basic position of the women themselves. Then, it can be concluded
that Chinese women in this era still face limited struggle for their own education. The different master such as Japan as the colonizer makes the change of the function of
education itself to be broader but still limited for the women.
b Becoming Student Leader and Joining Communist Underground Member
In 1946, De-hong became student leader and joined Communist underground. Things had changed. Women in this era seem to be independent. They also can do
various activities. Edward clearly describes,
“ ... But the important development of these years came with the May Fourth period and the revolutionary movement of the 1920s, which placed women’s
liberation on the national agenda. This period also brought an expansion in the political consciousness of women with social and ideological radicalisation in
the Kuomintang, and the recruitment of a new generation of women into the newly established Communist Party. During China’s long revolutionary years
the state both promoted and negated new roles for women” 28.
It means that the conflict between Kuomintang and communist underlying the movement of women’s social roles. It shows that the recruitment of a new generation
of women into a communist party had influenced through their new roles as a party participant.
By participating in a communist party, De-hong reflects the women’s social roles at this era that women are still regarded as partial chance. It means that women
can participate into political party in a limited chance. Moreover, Edwards observes that these developments brought a new awareness of class to women activists who
hitherto had conceived of franchise rights as “equality between men and women of the educated and privileged classes. Yet the increasing awareness of class furthered
the development of the conception that women were unified as a group because of their collective disadvantage relative to men” 28. This addition makes it clear that
the equality between men and women of the educated and privileged class women had been raised through joining a communist party member.
For conclusion, as a communist underground member as represented in De- hong’s life experience and the supporting arguments above, it can be drawn that
Communist regime allowed the women to show their new role as the party members. The equality between men and women of the educated and privileged class women
had been raised through joining a communist party member. However, women in this era are still regarded as partial chance. It means that women can participate into
political party in a limited chance.
c Revolutionary Marriage
Marriage in this era seems different from the previous era. De-hong could reject the marriage proposal easily. Things had changed as well as the marital life of
the women. The free ideology of the party had given a great impact to pitch upon some decisions; one of them is rejecting a marriage proposal. Parents agree with the
decision made by De-hong. Women in this case indicate that they are free to choose their own decision. There is a change and opportunities for women to get as many as
friends especially getting boyfriend. They have many ways to do. In 1949, she became deeply involved in the Communist Party after
marrying a young Communist. Different from her mother, she was involved in political decisions, worked outside the home, and raised her child, mainly by
nursemaids because she was so busy with her job in the Communist regime. She showed how China was changing, and women were becoming far more involved in
the society and in the political process. She also rejected the young man her family had picked out for her to marry, something her own mother could never have done.
Furthermore, McAleavy festinates, “… the communist legislators recognized that to all intents and purposes their task was the extirpation of “feudal” institutions.
Of these the most immediately obnoxious, as well as the easiest to deal with, was concubinage 359”. It means that communist regime has created rules to eradicate
old tradition, in this case means revolutionary marriage. There is a new rule relates with marriage system. It was free for women to decide their own spouse. They were
also given some facilitation through marriage problems.
Furthermore, female emancipation toward marriage custom was appeared. Twitchett and Fairbank reported, “… By the time of the New Culture movement of
1917-1921, this had become part of the rebellion of youth against family domination. Freedom of personal choice in marriage was still another innovation 27”. The
struggle to improve women’s social roles starts to appear. Marriage is one of the results.
From those arguments it can be concluded that marriage as portrayed in De- hong in is found to be evolved. It means that by the influence of communist
movement, marriage becomes one of the effects of the cultural reformation. Meaning to say, marriage as well as the other Chinese women’s social roles are evolving.
Communist regime has created rules to eradicate old tradition, in this case means revolutionary marriage. Marriage is seen as a commitment. Women were no longer as
a subject of parental decision. It leads the argument that women’s role is no longer placed to be secondary class but more evolving than that as a participant of the
communist party. For short, women have limited education and chance to join a party because regimes need women’s participation on military.
After analyzing, I can conclude the significance that I get from those characters’ lives. The title of the novel is Wild Swan. “Swans” is seen as the figure of
tenderness; meanwhile “Wild” is seen as something that can break the law. Yu-fang had always obeyed the rules as a daughter of China. Yu-fang is so-called “wild swan”
because she had broken the previous law by marrying a Manchu doctor. Whereas, it was not allowed for an exconcubine to have any relationship with men from different
ethnics. The same case happens in De-hong. She is the other “wild swan”. She is a reformist. She had joined a communist party and did some efforts to break the
existing law during Yu-fang’s era. Therefore, the meaning or significance of “Wild Swans” is tenderness that can break the law.
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CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS
This chapter consists of two parts, namely conclusions of the study and suggestions. The conclusions presents the answers to the formulated problems in
chapter one. The second part provides some suggestions for future researchers and teachers for teaching English using literary work.
A. Conclusion
The research has finally arrived at some important points as the final conclusion. In this undergraduate thesis, I propose two problems to be analyzed. The
first problem is the women’s social roles as represented on the two Chinese women in Jung Chang’s Wild Swans. The second problem is the influences of the regimes
authority to the women’s social roles as seen in the life of the three Chinese women in Jung Chang’s Wild Swans.
The analysis of this research is supported by some theories; they are the socio- cultural historical approach. The China’s regimes histories are also added to complete
this research. The influences of the regimes’ authorities are usually felt by the society and
the place. That is why the research scrutinizes the women’s social roles in different regimes in Jung Chang’s Wild Swans. It is a novel which indirectly describes the
