Approach of the Study

has two children. Yet she is not happy and feels lost in her own family and house. Thus she leaves her family and continues her adventurous love story. Besides having relationships with men, Lillian also builds relationships with women. She is depicted as a bisexual woman who is very adventurous with her love life. There are several women becoming Lillian’s affairs named Djuna, Helen, and Sabina. Djuna is firstly presented as Lillian’s besfriend who is developed later becoming one of Lillian’s lovers. They build a relationship because of the equal power in between. Lillian and Djuna share equal affection and support each other with no one side dominancy. As a woman, Lillian is very attractive. She owns the charm which can make her surroundings admires her beauty and personality. One of the women who is attracted with Lillian’s personality is Helen. In Ladders to Fire, Helen is firstly presented as one of Jay’s affairs who later also becoming Lillian’s affair. She is married and has two children, yet Helen decides to leave her family because she wants to pursue her passion of living in freedom. Both Lillian and Helen admire each other for being very passionate of their dreams. The mutual attraction of being courage and passionate between them can successfully build a relationship. Another woman who is attracted with Lillian’s charm named Sabina. As well as Helen who is firsly presented as one of Jay’s lovers, so does Sabina. When Lillian finds out that Jay has an affair with Sabina, she feels attracted with Sabina instead. In the novel, Sabina is characterized as an artist who is attractive and has mysterious personal life. Hence, Lillian is curios to know what lies behind Sabina’s mysterious characteristic. Both of them turn out having mutual PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI attraction. Sabina is also attracted with Lillian’s personality and power. Lillian and Sabina admit hating and regard men as an obstacle in women’s freedom.

a. Lillian’s Characteristics as Seen from Her Relationship with Men

Lillian’s powerful characteristic is obviously shown in her relationships with men. The word powerful is defined as the ability to control or influence people or things. Lillian is often positioned both as a husband and a mother by her lovers. In her relationship with a man named Gerard, Lillian is the one who takes initiative and makes decision. Gerard is presented as a passive man who always hands over his will to Lillian. She fell in love with an extinct volcano. Her strength and fire were aroused. Her strength flowed around his stillness, encircled his silence, encompassed his quiteness 1995:7. The moment she sat near him he recaptured his quality of a mirage: paleness, otherworldliness, obliqueness. He appropriated woman’s armor and defences , and she took the man’s. 1995: 8. Lillian realizes that Gerard always becomes dependent and can not fulfill her need of an equal life companion. Thus she ends her relationship. To preserve this fatal secret: you, Lillian, are too strong; you, Gerard, are not strong enough which would destroy them, Gerard like a woman wove false pretexts. The false pretext did not deceive Lillian 1995: 12. It significantly shows the fact that Lillian is the superior of her relationship. Besides, Lillian also has a relationship with a man named Jay, a bohemian artist. As an artist, Jay does not want any obligation in their relationship such as working to supply their daily needs. Jay admits that he will not work because he can not bear repetition and the atmosphere in the office or the regular hours. Therefore PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI