Those are some of the ways in which the author makes the readers aware of the personalities and the characters of the people that the author writes about in
his or her books. Knowledge of these methods can help the students to get a better understanding and to appreciate literary works more.
3. Patriarchal Society
a. Definition
Hartmann states that there are four essential elements of patriarchy. They are heterosexual marriage, female childbearing and housework, woman’s
economic dependence on men, and the state and numerous institutions based on social relations among men such in unions, professions, universities, churches,
and armies 14-15. According to Andersen, patriarchy is institutionalized power relationships
that give men power over women 384. She also argues that patriarchy referring to radical feminism is a “sexual system of power in which the male possesses
superior power and economic privilege” and, they view patriarchy as an autonomous social, historical, and political force 356.
Patriarchal society is then defined as a society in which authority in the family is vested in males through whom descent and inheritance are traced. In its
secondary meaning patriarchal refers to a society that in modern times still has an incomplete social structure and retains archaic or traditional forms of hierarchical
family relations dominated by males, property relations, and economic life Gorsky 55.
b. The Characteristics of Patriarchal Society
Patriarchal society is more than a collection of people in which men and women participate. It is patriarchal society if it promotes male privilege by being
male dominated, male identified, and male centered. Besides those three characteristics that patriarchal society has in its existence, it is also organized
around an obsession with control as the fourth characteristic. It involves one of the oppression of women aspects as well Johnson 4.
1 Male Dominance
Johnson states that patriarchal society is male dominated in authority position of political, economic, legal, religious, educational, military, domestic
which are generally reserved by men 5. In this characteristic, people tend to underestimate a woman when she finds her way into such positions. In
conclusion, male dominance creates power differences between men and women. In other word, male dominance promotes the idea that men are superior to women
Johnson 6.
2 Male Identification
“Patriarchal societies are male identified in that core cultural ideas about what is considered good, desirable, preferable, or normal are associated with how
we think about men and masculinity Johnson 6”. This is the second character of patriarchal society that presents another aspect as well which is about the cultural
description of masculinity and the ideal man in terms. It closely resembles the core values of society as a whole including qualities such as control, strength,
competitiveness, toughness, coolness, under pressure, logic, forcefulness, decisiveness, rationality, autonomy, self-sufficiency, and control over any
emotion Johnson 7. Moreover, according to Johnson, male-identified qualities are associated with the work valued in patriarchal society such as in business,
politics, war, athletics, law, and medicine 7.
3 Male Centeredness
In addition to being male dominated and male identified, patriarchal society is male centered, which means that the focus of attention is primarily on
men and what they do Johnson 8. In this regard, women are portrayed as creatures who are fussing their support work of domestic labor, maintaining
loving relationships, taking care of children and providing services for men.
4 Obsession with Control
The fourth characteristic of patriarchal society is an obsession with control as a core value around which social life is organized. Johnson states that control is
an essential element of patriarchy 12. It means that men maintain privilege by controlling women and anyone else who might threaten it. In this characteristic
men are assumed and expected to be in control at all times, to be unemotional, to present themselves as invulnerable, autonomous, independent, strong, rational,
logical, dispassionate, knowledgeable, always right, and in command of every situation, especially those involving women Johnson 12. Women, in contrast,
are assumed and expected to be the opposite, especially in relation to men.
c. Victorian American Scene in Nineteenth Century
