Noi and Ghan Gender Schema as a Result of External Factor

33 get the scholarship, will always make the family proud and she will support it no matter what. Dawan‟s grandmother shows that she is really proud of Dawan‟s achievement of getting the scholarship eventhough Dawan‟s father shows the opposite response. She encourages Dawan to talk to her father again and find some supports so that Dawan‟s father can change his mind about boys and girls should have the equal chance to get more education in the city. The old woman grunted, and squeezed Dawan‟s hand firmly. “Now don‟t you start being scared all the time too, child Your mother‟s bad enough...let‟s not have two rabbits in the house Besides, what is there to be afraid of?” p. 102. This time, Dawan‟s grandmother shows that a girl should not just follow what is commanded to her and what people say. She convinces Dawan that she does not need to be afraid of achieving something that she believes. Dawan should be brave to fight for her right to get better education and make changes to her village by studying more knowledge in the c ity. Dawan‟s grandmother says „rabbit‟ which refers to girls or women who are seen as inferior gender that do not even have chance to speak up their mind. She does not want Dawan to grow up to be a common girl in the village who cannot even dare to struggle for their own improvements. In a voice slow and heavy with age, the old woman said, “You have a long life ahead of you yet, child, and this is just the first step. If you‟re this timid now how on earth are you going to face all the struggle still before you? Gather yourself together, and face the world out there with clear bold eyes. You hear me?” p. 116. Grandmother is a supportive character who always sees the positivity in everything. For her, a girl, especially Dawan, still has a long journey of life. 34 Eventhough someone is a girl, it does not mean she has to stop walking when superior people say they have to stop. Girls have their right to get a better life and be given the same chance to make changes . Dawan‟s grandmother wants to show that going to the City is only the beginning of Dawan‟s responsibility towards her life. A girl should be brave and independent so that she can face all of the obstacles and problems that may appear later. Moreover, it is possible for a girl to take a risk and learn on how to improve themselves, just like what the boys do.

g. Bao

Bao is Vichai‟s sister who sells lotus buds and caged sparrows every morning in the market. Vichai is Dawan‟s classmate at the school. Dawan has just met Bao in the market when she wants to buy lotus bud for the old monk but the only person who wants to sell it in ten pennies is only Bao. Bao nodded excitedly. Taking a deep breath, she blurred out, “We girls have always had to stand aside and let our brothers do all the challenging things. And when we become wives, we‟ll have to stand aside for our husbands. And when we‟re mothers, we‟ll stand aside for our children.” p. 78-79. Bao states a gender schema that refers to girls‟ roles in their society. Girls are described as figures who are only created to accompany boys in their life. Girls are not created to stand in their own feet and be independent. Girls should let boys do challenging things because girls are considered as weak and dependent people. It can be seen from the statement that Bao wants to point out how girls are not even trusted to do many things boys do. Girls and women are there in the 35 society to follow men and obey what men say to them. Women rely too much on men and cannot decide their own path in life. However, Bao adds a statement: “You‟ve earned your chance for flying to a bigger world, to pursue your own ideals. Don‟t yield to your brother now. You have to push forward and struggle if you want to be free, and equal to your broth er.” p. 79. This statement means Dawan has to fight for her right to get a better education. She has been given chance to learn more knowledge in the City, which not many of girls from the village may get. „Flying‟ does not mean literally flying like a bird does. If the cage door is already opened, someone is free to fly. Dawan‟s door is opened because she has given chance to get the scholarship. It means, she should not be afraid to fly because she has been free now to improve herself. It is now her responsibility to push herself and struggle for her right to be equal to her brother and use the chance to be useful for her life, her family, and her village.

2. Gender Schema as a Result of Internal Factor

The internal factor appears in Dawan‟s herself. At the beginning, she becomes a pessimistic girl who cannot see a chance for her to go to the city. After she knows that she is the winner of the scholarship, she becomes an optimistic girl who wants to fight for her right to get better education.