79 aunts for social interaction, and this could possibly have contributed to
Rachel’s lesbian behavior. Having lesbian models in her family life can be the main factor in affecting her sexual orientation.
6. Becoming a Lesbian to Explore and Experience New Sexual Practices
Another depiction of reason for becoming a lesbian in the story is that the lesbian character would like to experience the homosexual world by being a
lesbian. In the beginning, she is not a lesbian. She wants to try another sexual relationship outside of a heterosexual relationship. Sullivan explains that Judith
Butler believes that there can be no kind of claim to any essential gender. It is all “performative”, slippery, and unfixed. She denies any fixed categories in gender
and sexuality.
107
This sexuality issue which is believed by Judith Butler is personified in one of English language short story which shows that sexuality is
not something fixed. In an English language short story entitles “Serious”, the lesbian character
meets a Greek woman who is actually bisexual. As it is portrayed in the story, the process for being a lesbian happens more accidentally. The lesbian character had
the normal mainstream heterosexual. She plans for her future before her life changed because of an accidental encounter.
“You see, learning from the WASPs, I created a plan for my future. It was really quite simple: good grades, good college,
good career, good marriage, good kids, good retirement, good grandchildren, good death—a simple recipe for a good life. And
everything was going quite well. I achieved high marks in school, was accepted to a good college, and even graduated Phi
107
Sullivan, N, A Critical Introduction to Queer Theory, Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh Press, 2003
80 Beta Kappa. But then, well, it happened rather accidentally. S,
108
The main character in this story portrays a woman, who later becomes a lesbian after her meeting with a Greek woman. The Greek woman expresses her
feelings to the narrator saying that she is bisexual and attracted to her. “Well, the Greek said, “I don’t want this to affect our friendship, but as a bisexual woman, I
find you very attractive.” Then I character responded; “I’m very flattered, but I’m not that way”. S, 108 After this dialogue, the narrator secretly questions herself
if she might be indeed a lesbian. Sine she never experiences homosexual relationship, she wants to try this. It is very likely that she wants to fell what a
new and peculiar sexual experience would feel like. So, the next day, she tells the Greek that she has changed her mind and wants to have relationship with her.
But secretly, I was thinking I might be that way, and I knew a Deadhead who once told me to try everything twice because
the first time might just be a bad trip. And I hadn’t even tried this once. So, the next day, I told the Greek I had changed my
mind, and she literally blew my mind. I was shattered, reconfigured, and reborn. I was gay, but she was only bisexual,
and she left me for a man within six months.” S, 108
After having a relationship with that bisexual Greek woman, she finally came to a conclusion that she is a lesbian. “I was shattered, reconfigured, and
reborn. I was gay...”S, 108. But, because her lesbian partner is a bisexual, she is often left by her to fulfill her other sexual desires to a man. Then, she stops this
relationship but she later changes her mind and turns back to her early mainstream. Then the narrator decides to get married to a man. Nevertheless, this
marriage is not a happy marriage life as she dreams about. Therefore, she gets
81 divorced. She again starts a new relationship with another lesbian woman and
they live happily and peacefully. The English language short story above gives another depiction that being
homosexual is not happening because of a particular reason or factor. Homosexuality is portrayed as an alternative lifestyle which everybody can try,
explore and choose to live in. It is another sexual practice which people can explore. That is like what Butler believes that sexuality is not something fixed. It
is slippery. There is no fixed categorization for sexual identity. Thus, for some people they can easily chance their sexual orientation or practice. Either from
homosexual to heterosexual or from heterosexual to homosexual as depicted in the English language short story above. In which in the Indonesian language short
story, this issue is not found.
7. Becoming a Lesbian because of Unhappy and Unharmonious Marriage Life
