25
3. Marxist Feminism
In Marxist feminism, womens underdevelopment is not caused by the deliberately of individual movement but by social, political, and economical fabric of a
society. It is possible for women to get their freedom in life if they still live in patriarchal society.
One of the Marxist feminist, Friedrich Engels, in the origin family, private property and the state1972, said that there is a relationship between the operation to
women in patriarchal society and the operation done by the bourgeois to the proletarian, within the family he is the bourgeois and the wife represents the Proletarian
.
23
4. Radical Feminism
Radical feminism provide an important foundation for the rest of “feminism flavors” seen by many as the “undesirable” element of feminism, radical feminism is
actually the most greatest ideas for many of the ideas arising from feminism, ideas with get shaped and pounded out in various ways by other branches of feminism.
This term refers to the feminist movement that spring out of the civil right and peace
movement in 1967-1968. The reason this group gets the “Radical” label is that they view the oppression of women as the most fundamental form of oppression, one that
cuts across boundaries of race, culture, and economic class. This is movement intent on
23
.sunardjati djajanegara, sebuah pengantar kritik sastra, Jakarta, gramedia pustaka utama,2000,p.3
26 social change. The best history of this movement is a book called daring to be bad, by
Echols, another’s excellent book is simply titled radical feminism and known as radical feminist.
24
E . Feminism as the Research Theory
Three of the most important theories in which patriarchy is a central concept are those commonly labeled as radical feminism, Marxist feminism, and dual systems
theory; in radical feminism analyses, patriarchy is regarded as the primary and fundamental social division in society, in some radical feminist analyses, the institution
of the family is identified as a key means trough which mens domination is achieved. Millet, 1977.
In other feminism analyses, it is masculine control over womens bodies trough sexuality or male violence in the form of rape that is regarded as being of central
importance Rich 1980; Brown miller 1976. Feminism is a feminism that views womens operation as basic system of power
upon which human relationship in society is arranged.
25
That why feminism movement focused on the roots problem of womens oppression. Feminism saw that, reformation
system trough laws way has effort by liberal feminism; a womans still oppressed.
26
24
Jane Jonhson Lewis, Radical Feminism, From hhtp;en.wikipedia.orgwikiRadical Feminism.Retrieved, January 6, 2008.
25
Mansoeur Fakih,Analisis Gender dan Trnformasi total, Jakarta; Pustaka Pelajar,1996,p.84
26
Jane jonhson
lewis, radical
feminisme,from http:en.wikipedia.orgwikiradical
feminism,retrieved january 27.2008.
27 Feminism stated that the womens oppression derived from placement of women into
an inferior class compared with men class by using basic of gender. Feminism theory focuses on raping and difference of sexual and the important
focuses on the violation as problems that felt by women, that’s why the radical feminist take big issues, that are accuses family institution and patriarchal system which are
considered can make women harm. It is mens violence against women that has especially been the concern of
feminist researcher conceptualized as abroad range of mens harmful behavior toward women, including rape, domestic violence, and sexual harassment, violence has
identified as a key mechanism in the subordination of women by men.
27
Violence against women is not a new thing for centuries, women are treated rudely and they had been considered as useless and inferior being by their family and
society. Violence against women is also manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women, which have led to domination over and
discrimination against women by men. That violence against women is the crucial social mechanism by which women are forced into subordinate position compared with
men.
28
27
Jane pilcher and Imelda whelehan, op, cit .p.173
28
Gadis Arivia, filsafat berperspektif feminis. Jakarta; yayasan jurnal perempuan,2003.p.87
28 Violence against women occurs not only physically but also sexual and
physiologically within family, there are four types of physical violence, physical assault, trafficking, infanticide of females baby, and harmful traditional practices.
29
The sexual aggression also happens to children or young girl, they are forgotten through the process known as infantile amnesia. The human memory has a natural
capacity to forget what it whishes to forgets, especially if related to painful incident or accompanied by a feeling of guilt or regret, this is particularly true of certain
happenings that have occurred in childhood, in which have not been discovered by anyone. But this amnesia is never complete in most cases since something of it remains
buried in the subconscious, and may come to the surface for one reason or another, or during a mental of moral crisis.
30
The changing of womens condition and position has to start from the individual herself. As has been done by many authors concerning about womens inferiority. They
try to help and change women condition through their work. They write the story related to the story of women that occur in the certain era. Then they will insert the
moral massage and also they will give the way how to struggle against men.
29
Nawal, al Saadawi, Perempuan dalam Budaya Patriarki, Yogya, Pustaka Pelajar, 2001,p.29
30
Ibid, p.84
29
CHAPTER III Re se a rc h Findings
A. Data Description
In this chapter, the writer discusses the character of Laila as the major character in the novel a thousand splendid suns, and then the writer analyzes the character of
Laila viewed from feminism theory. Here are the expressions and notes from the novel that support in describing
Laila’s characteristic. As the writer explained before in theoretical framework that character is an
important element that will develop the story that carries out the events of fiction story events become a story
31
. The character refers to the person or player of the story, character are divided into two types there are mainmajor character and minor
character. Major character is a character that always appears and dominated every part of the story. That is character often told in a story. Minor character is character
that only appears in one event. Appearance of minor character in the entire story is not significant and it appears only when there is connection with major character,
either directly or indirectly
32
.
31
Adip Sofia Sugihastuti,. Feminisme dan Sastra,” menguak citra perempuan dalam layar terkembang” Bandung; Katarsih, 2003p.69