Method of the Study

“I will sell the house anyway,” he flung at her one night. “I’m putting it up for sale. There will be a way to make you sign.” Olsen, 1976: 78 David tells Eva that he is going to sell the house . Rather than telling Eva in advance and discussing it together, he just tells Eva that the house is up for sale . From here , it can be seen that David does not consider Eva’s opinion and feeling. This act also shows that David sees Eva, who is a woman, as a second-class citizen . He does not appreciate Eva or sees her as a person. It shares the similar thought that men are considered superior compared to women . Such understanding is very common at that time . When Eva tries to voice her disagreement, David’s reaction is no different. “You cannot sell the house” “I will. We are going to the Haven. Then you would not hear the television when you don’t want to. I could sit in the social room and watch. You could lock yourself up and smell your unpleasantness in a room by yourself – for who would want to come near you?” “No, no selling.” A whisper now. Olsen, 1976: 78 This is the occasion where Eva’s opinions are being ignored by David. From this part, it is indicated that he does not give Eva any room to voice her opinion and she is left without any other choice . David’s reaction with harsh words also does not show any respect to Eva as his wife . There is a hint of gender inequality addressed towards Eva as a woman. She is oppressed and she has no choice but to listen to her husband. More than that, she is not even allowed to go out of the house ever since they are married in the first place . As mentioned earlier that being an ideal woman includes taking care of her husband and her children above all else as a sole purpose of living, women also have limited access to actually go out and socialize. The same situation is also experienced by Eva as a woman. David, the man, forbids Eva from leaving home as she has to take care of the family. However, he can go out and have meetings with his lodge, playing cards as the men are allowed to go out whenever they are pleased. The following is one of the proofs that David forbids Eva from going out. “A reading circle. Chekov they read that you like, and Peretz. Cultured people at Haven that you would enjoy.” “Enjoy” She tasted the word. “Now, when it pleases you, you find a reading circle for me. And forty years ago when the children were morsels and there was a Circle, did you stay home once so I could go? Even once? You trained me well. I do not need others to enjoy. Others” Her voice trembled. Olsen, 1976: 75 David tries to convince Eva to move in to Haven by telling her that there is a reading club, addressed as a circle, in Haven. Eva likes to read and the reading club discusses the books that she likes. However, Eva gets mad when she hears David’s offer. She claims that only now David acknowledges Eva’s fond of reading. Other than showing the grammatical errors in their conversation as Russians, the conversation also shows that there used to be a reading circle that Eva wants to join, but she cannot do so as she has to take care of the children and David never helps. Eventually, Eva becomes more comfortable being alone and the house has become her comfort zone. The proof can be seen from the following. “And her social duty for she will not o out to luncheons or meetings the boxes of old clothes left with her, as with a life practised eye of finding what is still wearable within the worn again the magnifyingglass superimposed on the heavy glasses she scans and sorts – this for rag or rummage, that for mending and cleaning, and this for sending away.” Olsen, 1976: 77 Researcher notes that Eva does not go to luncheons or meetings to socialize. Instead, she is scanning and sorting the old clothes as a form of socializing. She sees her daily routines as duties she has to finish rather than a call of heart. As she sorts, it is seen that such duty requires a skill which gets better as the time goes by. It implies that she has been doing this for a relatively long time and she is used to it already. In relation to David’s action of purposely not acknowledging Eva’s interest of reading in the past, a similar act is also done by David. As a man in the house, David pretends not to hear what Eva says. This kind of situation also shows the impact of the traditional thought that men are considered as superior figures compared to women. Men do not listen to anyone but himself, just like how David sells the house without minding Eva’s opinion. “You are the one who always used to say: better mankind born without mouths and stomach than always to worry for money to buy, to shop, to fix, to cook, to wash, to clean.” “How cleverly you hid that you heard. I said it then because eighteen hours a day I ran. And you never scraped a carrot or knew a dish towel sops.” Olsen, 1976: 74 This part happens on one of the many times when David convinces Eva to move in to Haven. This part shows that Eva’s words are being ignored by David while he actually can hear them all clearly. However, this part also conveys more meaning than what it seems. Other than showing David’s ignorance, Eva’s reply actually reveals the unspoken rules of the patriarchal society. There is a structure in the society in relation to gender. Men have privilege as they are the dominant ones at that time, and it is not the only time David shows the said privilege.