The Oppressions from Tristan.

respect Inge as his lover. Moreover when Paul finds out Inge and his friend, Michael are sleeping together, Paul feels betrayed and angry. “You were unfaithful to me,” I defend myself. Tears of confusion erupt. “Yes, but you’re a woman,” he spits out.p.86 Inge tries to defend her self, but Paul could not accept it. In his opinion he thinks that as a man he could do everything he wants, including to be unfaithful and has another lover but not with Inge. Since Inge is a woman, she has to be submissive, follow the game that is Paul’s and never do something that is out of rules. Here, Paul gives Inge psychological oppression by trying to show her weakness as a woman. Moreover, Paul also a typical of irresponsible man, this could be seen when Inge is pregnant; no body either Paul or Michael wants to take the responsibilities. What they want only to get satisfaction but not to take the responsibilities towards it. The circumstances that Inge has been through somehow has stronger her dignity as a woman who lives in male-dominated world.

3. The Oppressions from Tristan.

Tristan is the man who gives the greatest threat towards Inge. Tristan is in a way a mirror image of Inge. Tristan is also the only man whom Inge loves. She feels as if she finally finds her love and she has a hope to have a brighter future with the man whom she loves. They were old friends who kept in touch although Inge had married David. Until finally, destiny unites them again, Inge works in PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI Glass factory; she never knows that the factory belongs to Tristan. From the first time they met, Tristan already fell in love with Inge, he kept on contacting Inge, therefore finding out Inge works in his company, he feels happy and in a way, he does not let the woman whom he loves to work. He asks Inge to quit from work and live with him in his house. His action could be said as the reflection of patriarchal society that said women’s duties are at home, while men are outside. Although Tristan loves Inge very much, he starts to give limitation in Inge’s life. This could be seen when Inge wants to meet her daughters, Tristan protests, he thinks that if Inge meets her daughter she will meet and do something with David. Tristan’s limitation towards Inge could be seen as the psychological oppression since he does not respect Inge’s rights as a mother to meet her own daughters. Despite Tristan’s jealousy, Inge keeps on going to meet her daughter. “You can’t leave me, not even for a day,” Tristan says. “I love my children. I love you too. It’s a different sort of love though. Can’t you see that? I’m separated from my children because of you.” “Your children are David’s brood. When you touch them you touch him.”p.170 Inge loves Tristan, but as a mother of two daughters, she feels that she has the responsibilities towards them. However, Tristan is a possessive man who wants to own Inge fully, and will never want to share Inge’s compassion with anybody else, even her own daughters. Moreover, Tristan’s psychological oppression towards Inge could be seen from Tristan’s thought about Inge. Somehow, inside his heart Tristan loves Inge, but he could not accept Inge as the way she is, he could not accept Inge’s past. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI “You’re the one I love, yet you are important. You have been used by other men. You’re damaged goods.”p.174 The love between Inge and Tristan is destructive to Inge as she is influenced by Tristan’s personality. Tristan’s jealousy becomes worst when he asks Inge about all the men in Inge’s life. He wants to know all of the stories about the men who ever made love with Inge. While telling the stories about the men in her life, Tristan always pretends as if he is Inge, as he is the one who makes love with Inge’s stepfather, David, Paul and Tugl. “David, Paul, Tugl, your stepfather. They were all standing at the end of the bed, mocking me. When they finished mocking me, they started making love to me too. Will you share them with me Inge? We are one, aren’t we? Your body is my body and your men are my men.”p.175 The situation goes for weeks. Tristan gives big psychological oppressions towards Inge that influences Inge’s personality. The fragile Tristan always regards as if he is Inge when they are making love, but when they finish making love he always feels as if he is betrayed by Inge. Until one day Tristan has prejudice to Inge, he thinks that Inge has another lover. In fact Inge does not have any lover except Tristan. In the other hand Inge does not want to hurt Tristan, but she does not want to lie for something she has not done. Her love to Tristan makes her sets up a lie to Tristan, that she has another lover, so that Tristan would not be hurt. Hearing Inge has another lover, Tristan feels excited to hear the story and he turns on to hear that story. This thing goes on for weeks. Tristan has a fragile personality and because he loves Inge so much, his love somehow can easily turns to hate. It happens when Tristan hears PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI that Inge has another lover and feels jealous so that he wants to take advantages by making Inge as his prostitute. “Really, one could say you were a whore. You didn’t love the other men you were with, did you? You fucked with them to get something out of them. How can I ever really trust you? You’re anything to anyone. I’m sure you’re selling your self behind my back. You can’t fool me. You’d better let me take part in your prostitution or you’re out on your ear. Tristan begins on another occasion. p.177 By doing so, Tristan gives sexual and psychological oppressions. He oppresses Inge to do something that she does not want to do and makes her as sexual object for others so that he could get money from it. Inge could not reject Tristan’s will since she is afraid of losing Tristan and in a way she has lost the sense of being Inge. She could not recognize who Inge is. At that time in her own mind, Inge almost ceases to exist. “Tristan dresses me for the customer I say is coming at 2 p.m. My skirt is red and frilled, my blouse is white and frilled, my underwear is lacy and expensive. My scent is “Passion”. I recognize myself as a female teenage of Tristan. Tristan hides in the second bedroom, listens at the door. I let my phantom lover in, speak to him as we pass Tristan’s door. Eagerly he tears off my clothes. Noisily we roll on the bed. There is a shriek or two of pleasure. My customer has paid me 50 for half an hour. I name him Martin. Imagine his shape and sex. I let Martin out of the door and take the 50 out of my bag to share with Tristan. Our spoils, our bounty, I feel dirty. p.178 After Inge satisfies her customer, Tristan who spies on the next door will feel proud, excited and turns on her. They could make love for a long time. Tristan somehow is mentally ill. His love to Inge has ruined their relationship. He could not accept Inge with all of her past. He always regards Inge as something dirty, unclean, whore and the thought makes Tristan hurts deeply. As time goes by, both of them become fragile constructions. Both of them could not recognize theirselves. Inside her heart Inge wants to be free from it, from all of the sexual and psychological oppressions that she got from the man whom she loves. Finally, she breaks free, she could confront and recognize herself. She decides to leave Tristan and live her own life. C. The Values of Feminism as Revealed by Inge . As stated before, according to Zillah Einstein in her book “The Sexual Politics of The New Right: Understanding the Crisis of Liberalism” liberalism as an ideology has promised certain crucial values, such as equality, independence and individual anatomy, freedom of choice, equality, opportunity of career and so on 1982: 189. These values are important for the achievement of feminist’ goal, to restructure the patriarchal system and get the equality in all fields. Humm also states that the urgent desire that feminists want is equal rights and also equal opportunities 1992:2. Moreover, Humm emphasizes the crucial issue about liberal feminism that talks about the values: “Liberal feminism aims to achieve equal legal, political and social rights for women. It wishes to bring women equally into all public institutions and to extend the creation of knowledge so that women’s issues can no longer be ignored 1992:181” Due to the issue above, it is not surprising then why feminist movement is still heard until today, because the continuant social inequality, exploitation and oppression towards women still exist in this patriarchal society. Madsen stated that liberal emphasis on the individual and stresses the importance of the individual which are protected by guaranteed rights, economic justice and equality of opportunity 2000:35. It is supported by Stanton that is talking about women’s rights. The rights of the individual are natural rights which the individual brings into the world of birth, these rights cannot be taken away because they are constitute of the individual, therefore women’s rights have to be appreciated as men 2000:39. As being told by many feminists to appreciate the fundamental rights as a human being and as a woman, Inge, in this novel struggles for her rights as a woman. Inge can be said as a real feminist since she is conscious and tries to break free from the power of symbolic misrepresentation of women. Inge reflects the values of feminism through her characteristics as a woman who lives in patriarchal society, her way of thinking and the way she is struggling against the patriarchal society where she lives. The values found throughout Inge’s characteristics are: 1. Freedom of Choice . According to Einstein, the other values of feminism is freedom of choice, and in the novel the character of Inge obviously reveals this value seen from her demands of freedom. One of her effort to get her freedom of choice is shown from her maturity when she is pregnant and prefers to keep the baby rather than to do the abortion offered by the doctor. “I can arrange an abortion for you,” Dr. Mauris says cautiously. I go tomato red. “No, of course I don’t want an abortion. I have a husband who loves me” I blurt out. What a lie. p.36 By telling a lie that Inge has a husband who loves her, she wants to get her freedom of choice as a woman who is pregnant and want to keep the baby. When she was pregnant she was still too young, in her twenties, but her maturity as a woman has proven that she can choose the right decision, to be responsible to what she has done. As a married woman who lives in patriarchal society, Inge is tied to the domestic sphere, nurture the children, maintain the household and also serve her husband, David. Somehow, as a woman, a mother and a wife she is playing her roles as maximal as she could do. Although from the society where she lives she gets oppression and is also being exploited by men, she always finds ways to search for her freedom. Until consciously she realizes that as a woman who has the same rights with men she has to strive for her rights, to be appreciated fully by others. It happens when she is seduced by Paul with the help of Lilith, she is being trapped to that situation. However, she does not regret it, since she finds something in her relationship with Paul. By experimenting different sexual partners Inge is trying to know who she is, where she belongs. Therefore when David, her husband knows that Inge is being unfaithful, he feels angry and betrayed, he asks Inge to go home with him. Until the police is coming and asking Inge whom she wants to be with, David her husband or Paul. “Which one of these gentlemen do you want to be with?” one of the policemen asks. No David, this bargain I cannot enter. “I’ll stay here, “I say finally. P.82-83 By using her freedom of choice to stay with Paul rather than go home with David, Inge has shown her demand of feminism value, that is freedom of choice. As a woman who consciously knows her rights as a woman, Inge wants to be appreciated by others, in this case by her own husband. By staying with Paul, actually Inge wants to know who she is deeply, to find what she wants in her life and to discover her self identity. In another case, her demand for freedom of choice could be seen when she is pregnant and she decides to terminate the babies. The main issue that comes up in liberal feminism is issue about reproductive and abortion. The term is often associated with the “pro-choice” position, which states that abortion should be a legal option for any pregnant woman. As a woman who got oppression from her surrounding that causes her got negative outcome that is pregnancy and has the unwanted babies, consciously Inge uses her rights as a woman to do the abortion. She did the abortion twice. The first time when she is pregnant the baby from Paul or Michael, but neither of them want to take the responsibilities. That is why she prefers to terminate the baby. “The abortionists clinic is opposite the law courts. I sit in the waiting room with six women. Studiously, we avoid each others eyes. I reassure myself my baby is only a small unformed piglet, its cells undifferentiated, not human yet. I tell myself the eyes would merely be sockets, the fingers and toes unripe bulbs, the head too large for the tiny curved body. I tell myself the small unformed bud inside is fatherless.”p.88 Somehow, Inge is the victim of the circumstances; the baby inside her womb is fatherless since no one wants to take the responsibility. Therefore she prefers to use her freedom of choice to do the abortion. The next abortion done by Inge, when she is pregnant the baby from the native man, Tugl in Papua New Guinea where she becomes one of the teacher. “The abortionists clinic lies just beyond the Queensland border. The operation is clinical, efficient. Only medical questions are asked. I wake from a dreamless chemical underworld to the muted hush of ocean upon shore. After the obligatory cup of tea sipped in a deck chair with a panoramic view of sky, cloud and sea, I head back up the coast. A miniature Tugl floats, sways on the out-tide on a ribbon of seaweed while I grind my feet into a hem of surf at the Gold Coast. Tugl and I knew little of each other, nevertheless life has its own purpose.”p.157 Inge commits to terminate Tugls baby, the native man. By experimenting different sexual partners, Inge try to discover who she is, where she belongs and what she wants in her life. By striving to achieve her rights as a woman, Inge has revealed one of the values of feminism that is the freedom of choice.

2. Equality