motherhood, which has set women‟s position as the obedient and subdued being toward men‟s demand and order. Thus for the reason, this study will analyze more
about the effect of patriarchal motherhood toward the emergence of mother- daughter‟s bond relationship which later affects the self-development of the
daughter.
2.1.2 A Shi ft to Symbolic Father and Its Negative Effect for Portia’s Self-
Freedom
In this second part of related studies, there are three critics, David Daiches, Alfred McDowell, and Bettany Chaffin who represent argument about the
negativity of symbolic realm or so cial life. These studies focus on Portia‟s life
after her mother‟s death. During the process of socialization with other, there are many problems encountered by the innocent Portia. David Daiches describes
Bowens characters as the figure who are betrayed by their sensibilities, by their personality as human beings.
24
Daiches‟ opinion leads this study to analyze the notion of ego-ideal. It is explained by Anthony Easthope that ego-ideal is a self-
desire that leads a subject to believe in her own fantasies, own importance, and her imagined control of the world around her.
25
This ego-ideal reveals a view that a daughter‟s fantasies about her self-ability to control all things make her have
mercy and sensibilities toward others‟ weakness and mistake. She also considers others as the good-
hearted one. This is dangerous for the daughter‟s self because it makes her become a submissive figure to others demand in social life.
24
David Daiches . “The Novels of Elizabeth Bowen”. The English Journal 38.6 Jun., 1949: p.
311. JSTOR. Web 15 Apr. 2015
25
Anthony Easthope. The Unconscious. London: Routledge, 2003 , p. 63
Besides that, this novel also challenges the failure of the symbolic father in preserving Portias autonomy. McDowells study represents symbolic father as the
lacking subject that cannot materialize Portias needs for maternal attachment and cannot provide self-autonomy for her. He argues that the failure in finding a
satisfying relationship with the other people is caused by the sense of emptiness from the discontinuity to meaningful past.
26
McDowell examines social condition which has lost its significant tradition and constructed competitiveness between
people. This study takes this argument to build more analysis to the negative side of symbolic father that maintains Portias retreat.
In addition, McDowell also criticizes the bad social condition found in the novel. He states that modern society is a community that offers no accepted
moral, so it makes people difficult to recognize the structure of tradition in living their life.
27
Looking back to Bowen‟s depiction of Portia‟s selfish relatives, those people reflect the figure of modern society; cold and selfish persons. McDowell‟s
argument helps this study to note the degeneration of morality from modern society.
In detail, McDowell states the degeneration of modern society as follows: Society in this novel, then, is London commercial society,
composed of dull, exhausted, and insecure people who share only competitiveness and hold no other values in common, people who feel
no connection with each other or with a significant past...
28
The argument maintains the negativity of society that cannot build a connection or familial bonding with Portia. Society is seen as a lacking subject that cannot
26
McDowell, p. 6
27
McDowell, p. 11
28
McDowell, p. 7
provide the model of nurturance and love needed by Portia. The dull condition of a modern family is also analyzed by Bettany Chaffin. She argues that London
home, Portias new place, becomes a cage to Portia where she has no privacy for her life.
29
She directs her argument to explain that Portia finds an uncomfortable situation in Thomas house because she loses her chance to express her feeling and
manner. Luce Irigaray states that women remain homeless in the symbolic order.
30
It underlines the failure of the symbolic father to provide enough nurturance and autonomy for the daughter.
The previous three critics help this study analyze more about the failure of the symbolic father to provide self-freedom and nurturance for the daughter. It is
to argue that the daughters desire for maternal attachment cannot be cut off. Further, it gives space to this study to analyze more about the social construction
of womanhood done by the symbolic father. The three critics have not focused their argument on the role of the symbolic father in imposing feminine gender
identity to Portia. It is found in this novel that society imposes feminine gender model to Portia in order to make her being accepted in social life. This imposition
of feminine gender model will construct feminine gender identity and will put the daughter into the second class or submissive position under the social order or
patriarchal culture.
29
Bethany Chafin. Created Spaces: Domestic Myth-Making In The Novels Of Elizabeth
Bowen.Dissertation: Wake Forest University Graduate School Of Arts And Sciences 2011: p. 29. wakespace.lib.wfu.edu. Web. 6 April. 2015
30
Luce Irigaray. An Ethics of Sexual Difference. NY: Cornell University Press, 1993, p. 98
2.1.3 The Role of Substituted Mother
As the solution for Portia‟s problem, Neil Corcoran has proposed the
notion of substituted mother which will help Portia to get back to the sense of maternal attachment. Neil Corcoran analyzes the figure of Matchett, a servant,
who helps Portia to return to her repressed desire, which is the maternal attachment. Corcoran mentions Matchett as the conceivable substituted mother for
Portia because of her relationship to the domestic sphere and her solid feeling.
31
He explains that Matchetts experience and knowledge about the Quaynes family and also her nurturance make her as the object of Portias desire. Meanwhile,
instead of explaining Portias freedom from the social construction of womanhood, Corcorans argument constitutes a notion about the emergence of
imaginary unity between Portia and Matchett. Corcorans point of view recounts the notion of imaginary unity where Portia will be trapped into unity and
dependence on maternal forms provided by Matchett. It reveals the reproduction of primary identification with the mother which restrains Portias ability to
construct her self-identity. Starting from Corcorans concept of a female bond between Portia and
Matchett, it gives new light in seeing deeply that the return to maternal attachment is seen as means of female domination to other womens identity. Experience and
knowledge from other women become their power in controlling other womens life. Thus, to help Portias escape from the oppression of identity both from
symbolic father and dependency to other women, this study proposes the notion of
31
Corcoran, p. 119
inter-subjective dialogue as a means for reconstructing Portias identity. Inter- subjective dialogue, which involves critiques and sheer disruption, differentiates
the concept of sisterhood with the old concept of feminism. The old feminism emphasizes that women must love one another unconditionally, avoid conflict and
minimize the disagreement. This concept will not be effective to give self- freedom for Portia because it can raise the new issue of Portias dependency and
unity with other women. So, to make Portia aware of her own self-conviction and freedom, constructive critiques and sheer disruption must be evoked.
To sum up, the previous studies have focused the analysis on Portia‟s immaturity and her inability to socialize herself with society. Warren, McDowell,
Seward, and Corcoran focus their argument on the portrayal of innocent Portia and sentimental mother. Meanwhile, there is one issue that differentiates this
study from those studies. This study observes the reason for being the sentimental mother itself. This study proposes the notion of patriarchal motherhood to give a
view about how mother- daughter‟s unity is formed and how it affects the
formation of Portia‟s characters. Patriarchal motherhood is seen as the oppressive act for women or mothers since they are positioned in private sphere and as the
primary caregiver for their daughter. Oppression to mother‟s identity constructs mother-
daughter‟s symbiotic relation. This issue of patriarchal motherhood will help the reader to understand more about the negativity of patriarchy that basically
constructs the formation of gender identity, both for the mother and her daughter. Further, the impact of symbolic law toward the social construction of
womanhood also becomes the focus of this study. Critiques from Daiches, PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
