CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents background of the study, problem formulation, objectives of the study, benefits of the study, and the definition of terms. The
background of the study provides the information of the topic and the reasons that becomes the basis of writing this thesis. The problem formulation states the
problem or question of the study. The objectives of the study aim to answer the questions stated in the problem formulation. The benefits of the study explain the
advantages and importance of the study. Finally, the definition of terms provides an explanation of some important terms used in this study.
A. Background of the Study
There are five castes in India. They are: a the Brahmans, groups of priests, b the Kshatriyas, which consists of rulers, nobles, and fighter, c the
Vaishyas, who are common people and ordinary householders, d the Sudra, who are the servile classes drawn from the people of the country, and the last, e the
Untouchables. The caste system in India describes social rules and norm. The upper
caste members have the higher position in the society. The upper caste becomes the landlord and hires the lower caste. The upper caste plays the main role in the
society. The caste system is an unwritten law. People who are the members of each caste are the people who are affected by the law Hutton 2.
1 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
Every caste has its own rules. A member of the Brahmans is forbidden to eat and drink together with the member of the lower caste. They are also
forbidden to marry a member of another caste that is lower than them Hutton 2. Thus, the caste system in India influences the society in their daily life. If a person
belongs to Kshatriyas, he usually has the privilege in making rules. In his society if there is a person belonging to the lower caste, he will be the object to do things.
India also practices patriarchal society. In a patriarchal society man plays an important role in daily life. In this society, women will be considered violating
the law if they do what the men do. Women have few opportunities to get their rights. A husband can command his wife to do what he wants. Patriarchal society
gives opportunity for men to keep their “high” degree in the society Sholwater 3. In a patriarchal society, men consider women’s existence only as their helper not
their partner in life - a person to share with. It is stated by Madsen 18, that women are defined as others or ignored, often as invisible and silent. Women exist
only as insane and irrelevant. Montagu 27 states that in most culture in the world, women are
considered the second-class citizens, a human but not as enough and perfect as male. This statement shows that almost in some parts of this world, women are
considered as a human being but their in existence is far below men. Sexual differences between men and women sometimes become the basic of men’s
thought that their position is higher than women. Men consider that women are lower than them. Therefore, having equality where the society remains patriarchal
is difficult. Many rules are applied and sometimes some women become the victims of unfairness.
Some women are trying to protest the injustice through some ways. One of them is through literature. As stated by Rohreberger and Woods 10, literature
is a criticism of life that influences men in the society, and literature helps to express the values of life, restraints and human dignity. Those women are often
called as feminists. They try to express their ideas and feeling through literature. Feminism literary tries to show the value of women by promoting a revaluation of
the image of women in literature Madsen 16. They try to show the women’s values through verbal language, namely literature. The values are revealed
through the language they choose. The God of Small Things, a novel written by Arundhati Roy, is an
example of a novel that tells us about the influences of caste as well as patriarchal society on people especially women in India. This novel tells the story of one
fractured family from the southernmost tip of India. It is about an unhappy family but unhappy in its own way, and through flashbacks and flash forwards.
Rahel and Estha, two of the characters, are fraternal twins whose emotional connection
to one another is stronger than siblings. They are broken home children. Their parents divorce when they are three. Ammu, their mother, is a great mother who
struggles for achieving equality for herself and her children. Ammu, the twins mother, is a divorcee who flees from her husbands
alcoholism and impossible demands. She is a woman with a streak of wildness that makes the children senseful and dreadful. She tries to get the equality in her
society. All of her family are Christian Syrians but they still maintain the caste system. The caste system bans her from doing things. She tries to pursue her love
with an untouchable man. In fact, the caste system does not allow her to do this. She also struggles to find the right place for her children. As a widow, she
receives unfair treatment from the society. The society considers a divorced woman as a taboo and such action is against the law. Ammu tries to protest
against it. She wants to prove to the society that being a widow does not mean that a woman is weak.
The familys tragedy revolves around the visit of Chackos ex-wife and his daughter, Sophie Mol, to the family, sending them each great regret and pain.
Chako is Ammu’s brother. The forbidden love between Ammu and Velutha appears. Baby Kochama - Ammu’s aunt - blames Velutha for the thing he never
do. Baby Kochama does this to separate Ammu from Velutha apart and also to cover the tragedy of the family.
The writer chose the character of Ammu to be analyzed because her struggles for equality in which the society still maintained caste system and
patriarchal system. The caste system and patriarchal system in India place the women in inconvenient situation. There are some judgments about Ammu and her
existence as a widow. Her divorce and past memories motivate her to struggle for equality.
Another reason of choosing literature as the writer’s final study is in relation with teaching literature. Literary work is used not only for getting
pleasure but also can be used in teaching learning activities. the writer wants to PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
apply a kind of literature in language teaching. There are a lot of things to learn. It enriches our knowledge about other culture. It also makes us realize the equality
of human being; that we should maintain and keep others’ dignity without despising and underestimating them. Finally, the writer chose the struggle of
Ammu for equality as the topic of the study.
B. Problem Formulations
