Bell Hooks states that women need to have the experience of working through hostility to arrive at understanding and solidarity.
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She believes that women have been constructed under the sexist environment which restrains their
chance and ability to resist the social construction of womanhood. She also claims that avoiding confrontation makes women away from revolutionary change and
transformation both individually and collectively.
94
From Hooks view, it can be noted that hostility and the evocation of differences lead to positive improvement.
According to Hooks, solidarity is a form of support for the weakness structure of womens identity.
95
She reveals woman as the victim of social construction who is helpless and powerless, and also needs support from someone who understands
and experiences the same burden, which is the sister. Overall, women must avoid the fear of differences and develop the sense
of solidarity. Different experiences actually reflect that people have different needs, and by understanding others needs the subject may place herself in the
appropriate position, whether to follow the others virtue or to resist its badness. Robin Morgan also argues that woman should develop self- defense, physical
strength, and the ability to work collectively, to teach and share an idea for each other.
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Thus, sisterhood allows the women to build bond relation within the differences, to provide nurturance as well as autonomy for the woman.
The explanation above represents the power of sisterhood to help the daughter keep her subjectivity from the social construction of womanhood. By
93
Hooks, p. 66
94
Hooks, p. 66
95
Hooks, p. 64
96
Robin Morgan. Sisterhood is Powerful. ed.. NY: Vintage Books, 1970, p. 492
having the relationship with female friends, the daughter can have the freedom to uncover her feeling and burden through nurturance and attention given by the
other women. The inter-subjective dialogue between them whether it is in form of kind dialogue or critique also maintains the daughters awareness toward her
self-ability and deficiency. The evocation of differences between women does not make sisterhood as the trigger for womans struggle but help them work
cooperatively and resist the social construction of womanhood through solidarity. To sum up, using Lacan‟s concept of symbolic identification and
horizontal ties, and other supporting concept for female empowerment from some theorists; Campbell, Hooks, Cori and Morgan, this study will represent sisterhood
as an effective way for the daughter to fulfill her needs for mothers love as well as to get her autonomy. Sisterhood becomes the means to challenge and subvert
the primary and secondary identification to mother and symbolic father. It helps the daughter resist the social construction of womanhood through inter-subjective
dialogue that allows the exchange of idea and information, constructs equality between the subjects, and significantly constructs woman as the speaking subject.
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CHAPTER III PROBLEMATIZING
PORTIA’S SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF WOMANHOOD
This chapter problematizes the social construction of womanhood which is constructed from Portias identification to the mother and symbolic father. This
third chapter is going to answer the first research question on how Portia‟s self-
identification to the mother and symbolic father society have limited her self- freedom, constructed feminine gender identity for her, and triggered resistance
and retreat from relationship with other people. The discussion firstly focuses on how patriarchal motherhood constructs Portias lacking subject toward social life.
This part explains how patriarchal motherhood affects the mothering process, forms mother-daughters unity and symbiotic relationship. The second discussion
focuses on the social construction of womanhood and the forbidden pleasure which later evokes Portias retreat from the relationship with symbolic father or
society. This second part explains the lacking subjectivity of symbolic father that restrains Portias pleasure toward maternal forms which later stimulates her desire
to return to maternal attachment.
3.1 Portia’s dependency toward mother’s figure during the process of patriarchal mothering
The discussion in this first sub-chapter presents an argument that the construction of Portia‟s earliest identity is influenced by the imposition of the
mother‟s desire. There are three main ideas discussed in this chapter; Irenes PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
patriarchal mothering , the effect of Irene‟s oppressive experience for the
mothering process, and the imposition of Irene‟s desire to Portia‟s life. The first main idea explains how Irene‟s desire is strongly constructed and
affected by patriarchal culture. Living in patriarchal society, Irene‟s role as a mother is constituted as a primary nurturer for Portia. Bowen represents a model
of patriarchal culture in Portia‟s family where nurturance becomes Irene‟s primary task. The second main idea discusses Irene‟s oppressive experience from her
relatives that affects the nurturing for her daughter. To avoid the repetition of the oppression for Portia, Irene keeps Portia away from socialization process with
others. When mothering activity becomes Irene‟s main responsibility, she appears as the only subject
mirrored by Portia and becomes the object of Portia‟s desire. All things are managed and controlled by Irene, and it limits Portia‟s chance to
recognize others and social life. The third main idea discusses how Portia‟s dependency to mother‟s desire then constructs her identity as a lacking subject
who does not have much knowledge and experience of social relation and order. It
is significantly seen from Portia‟s character as the 16 years old girl who still shows her immaturity and childish manner.
3.1.1 Irene’s Patriarchal Mothering
Irene‟s responsibility in childrearing practice has begun even before her husband‟s death. She always takes care of Portia‟s needs. In Portias family, father
is the head of the family and he is not supposed to be involved in childs nurturance. Responsibility in childrearing practice constructs Irenes desire to give
the best life for Portia. It can be seen from her need for a private house. Irenes PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
need for a private house represents her desire to live peacefully with Portia. Being different from Irene, her husband Mr. Quayne has neglected his familys needs,
as Portia says: It was mother wanted a house, but father never would. The, 52.
Mr. Quayne is so impulsive to his family life. He brings Irene and Portia to the south of France, which seems to him the right place to live in, and rents back
rooms in dark flats in villas with no view. The, 14. He does not care about Portia‟s physical and emotional development. This situation can be seen from
Anna‟s description on how Mr. Quayne brings his family live in such a gloomy place:
… Well, they stayed round about there, and almost never came home. Thomas was sent by his mother to visit them three or four times, but I
think they all found it terribly lowering. Mr. Quayne and Irene and Portia always had the back rooms in hotels, or dark flats in villas with
no view. Mr. Quayne never got used to the chill at sunset: Thomas
saw he would die of this, and he did. … The, 14
The back rooms and dark surrounding represent the bad space and environment provided by Mr. Quayne. It is such kind of isolated place which
limits Portia chance to get good environment and to socialize with other people, as it is inferred in Anna‟s statement about Mr. Quayne‟s avowal letter below:
… We had no idea, till we got that letter of his, that he‟d been breaking his heart, all those years abroad, about what Portia was
missing —or, what he thought she was missing. He had felt, he said in
the letter, that, because of being his daughter and from becoming his daughter in the way that she had, Portia had grown up exiled not only
from her own country but from normal, cheerful family life. … The, 11
Thus, for his inattention to family needs, Irene takes the position as the one who saves her family life, especially for Portia. She becomes responsible for her
daughters self-development. She gives love, attention, and protection to Portia which then constructs the notion of mother-daughters bond relationship.
Mother- daughter‟s bond relationship constructs intimacy between Irene
and Portia. Their intimacy makes Irene become the primary responder for Portia‟s physical and emotional needs. Irene‟s existence and her intense response to
Portia‟s needs build secure attachment between them. It is explained by Cori that as a secure individual, a person will perceive herself as a strong, competent,
valuable, lovable, and special one.
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Irene helps Portia to build her self-confidence so that Portia possesses self-freedom to express her feeling and manner in her own
way. Besides the fact that Portia and Irene have built strong intimacy, bond
relation with Irene also makes Portia inherit her mother‟s characters and manners. Ellie Ragland-Sullivan proposes that mother becomes the center of identity for her
daughter by serving as the mirror form which will be mimetically identified by the daughter.
98
Strong power relation between the subject and its image in mirror stage constructs unity.
99
Imaginary unity then builds Portia‟s assumption of Irene‟s image as hers. It makes Portia imitate Irene‟s manner and desire. In other
words, mirror stage constructs similarity between Portia and Irene. Anna, Portia‟s sister in law, notices Portia‟s similarity to Irene. In her opinion, Portia is just like
Irene. Although Irene looks like an ordinary person, she is actually a brave woman.
97
Cori, p. 41
98
Ragland- Sullivan, p. 8
99
Yanis Stavrakakis. Lacan and the political. NY: Routledge. 1999, p. 18
It is explained by Anna that Irene is a kind of brave woman. With her bravery, she gets the job easily in a flower shop. The, 12. It is the same as Portia
who is brave enough to secretly observe an d criticize people‟s life in Windsor
Terrace. Portia‟s bravery is seen from her secret diary. Anna finds Portia‟s diary which reveals Portia‟s story of her daily activities, relation with people, and her
opinion about other people‟s characteristics. The content of the diary evokes Anna‟s awareness of Portia‟s boldness or bravery. Portia‟s secret writing frightens
Anna, as she says “… I cannot stand being watched. She watches us.” The, 24. For Anna, the diary reflects Portia‟s hidden character. She is not innocent as she
looks. By her deceitful character, Portia resembles her mother. Anna describes
how Irene, the one who looks innocent, successfully commits adultery with Mr. Quayne as below:
… His wife was much too nice to have pretty ways, but I daresay Irene had plenty
—if that is how you like them. I‟ve no doubt she made the most fussy capitulations; she would make him feel she had never fallen
before —and I should think it‟s likely she never had. She would not be
everyone‟s money. You may be sure that she let Mr. Quayne know that her little life was from now on entirely in his hands. … The, 12
Irenes innocence, according to Anna, seems to deceive Mr. Quayne. With her kindness, Irene makes Mr. Quayne trust her so that she can be finally dependent
on him. As the same with Portia, her innocence makes Thomas and Anna trust her tranquil character. For Thomas, Portia is an obedient girl, as it is noted from his
conversation about Portias sleeping habit below: “Did I hear you say we‟d got to go to a movie?”
“Yes, you did.” “Why—now, Anna, why? We haven‟t stayed still for weeks.”
Anna, touching her pearls with an undecided hand, said: “We can‟t all just sit around.”
“I don‟t see why not.” “We can‟t all three sit around. It gets me down. You don‟t seem to
know what it‟s like.”
“But she goes to bed at ten.” The, 24 Thomas considers Portia as the obedient girl because she always shows her good
manner to Thomas. Anna who finds the diary is suspicious to Portia‟s real characters, as she says:
“Well, it never is ten, as you know. I cannot stand being watched. She watches us.”
“I cannot see why she should.” “I partly see. Anyhow, she makes us not alone.” The, 24
For Anna, Portia is quite tricky because she can make people pity her. Similar to Irene, Portia is successful to create a problem in Quaynes family because of her
sly and innocent characters. In addition, Irenes similarity to Portia is also reflected from St. Quentins
statement: How very unlike Thomas The, 10 St. Quentin is a familys friend of Thomas and Anna. He usually visits and spends his time with Thomas and
Anna in Windsor Terrace. In one conversation with Anna, she tells him about Portias secret diary. The content of diary changes St. Quentins perspective about
Portias character, as it is reflected from his conversation with Anna below: “She said more about your being always polite. She does not seem to
think you are a snake in the grass, though she sees a good deal of grass for a snake to be in. There does not seem to be a single thing that she
misses, and there‟s certainly not a thing that she does not mis- construct. … The, 9
