are making love, many of them ask Firdaus whether she feels pleasure or not and anytime they ask that kind of question, she always answers yes. It makes her think
that men are able to make love with every woman they want if they have enough money.
Firdaus leaves Sharifa’s apartment. She tries to live normally as other women do. She looks for a job here and there. Finally, she gets it and she works in
an office. There, she meets a man who makes her feel disappointed. It makes her remember her experiences with men before, by which no one of them treat her
well. She learns a lot from it and then she remembers when Sharifa tells her that a man does not know a woman’s value. That is why she herself is the only one who
determines her value. Since Firdaus has had many bad experiences with men and then she concludes that they are unable to be loved, she decides to be a high class
prostitutes like Sharifa. It seems like revenge from her trauma with men because by being a prostitute she is able to do anything to men.
Firdaus has a wealthy life since she works as a prostitute. She has a much better life. On the top of her career as a prostitute, many people fight over her.
Men fight over the pleasure they want to get from her and others fight over other things. Unfortunately, there is a man who comes and forces her to accept him as
her pimp. He knows that Firdaus is a famous and expensive prostitute. She refuses the pimp. She realizes that the pimp is going to control her life and her money.
The pimp tells her many reasons why it is necessary to have a pimp, but she does not believe him. The pimp tries to make her believe until she accepts him. Based
on her experiences with men, she keeps refusing him. Without any fear, she kills
him very cruelly. She tells it to a man who actually is a prince. First, he does not believe because Firdaus looks very gentle and it seems impossible for her to kill a
man. However, she makes him believe it. The prince is very scared and then calls the police and immediately she is sent to prison and charged to be executed.
Although she can pay for a lawyer to assist her and even send a letter to the president to release her from the prison, she rejects to do that. She thinks that
being executed for killing a pimp is better than being men’s servant. Based on her experiences, she knows that men’s authority is quite difficult to be removed. She
wants to assist women’s rights but she has no power to do that. Killing a pimp is one way of getting revenge.
Fidaus’ bad experiences with men make her have a different way in seeing men. She thinks that men should not do just as they like. Men and women have
the same rights and opportunities in the society. Besides, there are norms and values which they have to consider.
However, Firdaus also thinks that men should not treat women unfairly because women have an important role in the society, such as taking care of the
household and giving birth. On the other hand, men have to support the family’s needs, not only material but also immaterial. Therefore, men and women should
support each other. The focus of the analysis of this study is on the influence of Firdaus’
experiences with men and the way she sees men. Psychologically, it is interesting to find out what kind of experiences she has with men which change her way in
seeing them.
1.2 Problem Formulation
There are two main questions that this study deals with. They are as follows. 1. How is Firdaus described in the novel?
2. How can the experiences with men influence Firdaus’ way in seeing men?
1.3 Objectives of the Study
There are two purposes of this study. First is to describe Firdaus’ character as the major character in the story. Second is to find out what kind of experiences
that she has which influence her way in seeing men. Those two purposes which are stated in the problem formulation helps to analyze the story of the novel
Woman at Point Zero. Besides, it can be employed as the inspiration for people to fight against unfair treatment which usually happens between man and woman.
1.4 Benefits of the Study
This novel is very touching and interesting to read because the readers are able to know the situation and condition of Egypt without having to go there. The
readers are also able to know the social environment of Egypt in the past time, such as gender discrimination, feminism, revolt, abuse, oppression, culture, and
many more. This study will give many contributions and benefits to many people at all levels. It can be useful for people in general, students and especially students
in English language study program PBI, and of course the researcher as the writer of this study. People can take values and knowledge from this novel about
bad experiences which influence someone’s life. Not only that, people can also learn how to live and be an optimistic person. On the other hand, if they find
almost the same experience happening in their society, this novel and study might give them inspiration to find the solutions.
Students, especially PBI students, are a number of people who are very lucky. They can use this study as their reference in writing their thesis, research,
or other studies. While for the researcher, the novel “Woman at Point Zero” is one of my masterpieces.
1.5 Definition of Terms 1.5.1
Character
Abrams 1981 states that “characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed
with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say – dialogue and by what they do- the action” p. 20. The same idea is also shown by
Abcarian and Klotz 1998, who explain that “character is revealed by what persons do, say, and by what the other characters say or reveal” p. 21. Therefore,
the term character in this study refers to the character and behavior in the novel.
1.5.2 Characterization
According to Wiehaardt 2009 characterization is the method used by a writer to develop a character. The method includes: showing the character’s
appearance, displaying the character’s actions, revealing the character’s thoughts, letting the character speak, and getting the reactions of others. Additionally,
Rohnberger and Wood, Jr. 2003 defines “characterization as an author’s creative process in creating a character which consists of describing the character’s
physical appearances, style, manner, thought, action and other’s opinion about her” p. 231. Therefore, the readers are able to conclude the characterization of
each character in the novel by themselves considering the signs or methods giving by the writer.
1.5.3 Experience
According to Shahan 1990 “experience is a general concept comprises knowledge of or skill in or observation of some things or some events gained
through involvement in or exposure to that thing or event” p. 1. In this study, experience can be described as moments or events which happen during Firdaus’
life which change her mind in seeing men.
1.5.4 Perception
McLeod 2007 states that “perception may be defined as the process by which an individual selects, organizes and interprets stimuli into a meaningful and
coherent picture of the environment in which he lives” p. 1. It is a complex cognitive process and differs from one individual to another, depending on the
needs, values and expectations of the individual.
1.5.5 Egyptian
According to Sharabi 1962 “Egyptian is a member of an indigenous non- Semitic people who established an advanced civilization in Egypt that flourished
from the late fourth millennium BC” p. 208. Thus, the Egyptians are people who live in Egypt.
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter consists of four parts. The first part discusses some theories which support the analysis. They are theories of character, characterization,
experience, Egyptian, and trauma. The second part discusses the cultural background in Egypt. The third part presents some studies done by the former
researchers. The fourth part is the theoretical framework. It describes how the theories are applied in the analysis.
2.1 Review of Related Studies
There are four researchers who have discussed the same novel Woman at Point Zero. The first researcher is Ong Yoelia 2004 who focuses on the
feminism aspect in Egypt which influences the major character in the novel. She digs out more about feminism and makes a relation to the reasons why the major
character does not refuse the death sentence. The second is Riska Pareka 2008 who focuses on motivation of the major character in becoming a prostitute in
Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el Saadawi compared to Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho. She tries to compare and find the same reasons which support the major
character in two novels to be a prostitute, not to be an obedient wife or other jobs. The third is Rigen Pratitisari 2004 who focuses on Firdaus’ motivation in
becoming a prostitute. Actually, the point of this study is almost the same as Riska Pareka’s study. Thing that makes it different is that Rigen does not compare with
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