Background of the Study

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A. Review of Related Studies

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is one of the best works of Lisa See. Some critics have elaborated their ideas, critics, and comments to show how interesting this novel is to be analyzed. One of the studies that have been done is by Nofiatun Titi Lestari, a student of English Education Study Program of Ahmad Dahlan University in 2007, through her thesis entitled Socio Cultural Study on Chinese Women in the 19 th Century as Reflected in Lisa See’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Lestari is interested in finding the socio cultural on Chinese women on the 19 th century through the novel. After doing her research, Lestari finds that there are recurrent socio cultural in Chinese women in the 19 th century, which are procreation and sexual life, ideological factors, legal status, property relation, foot binding, friendship, marriage, young girl, daughter in law, wife, concubines, mother, and the widow. Another study is by Agatha Piscesia Paskalin, a student of English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University in 2011, through her thesis entitled Male Domination in Footbinding and Secret Writing of Nineteenth-Century Chinese Women as seen in Lisa See’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. After doing her research, Paskalin finds that male dominance is clearly associated with the 5 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI practices of foot binding and secret writing. Women in China have to do foot binding in order to get a better life and they do the secret writing because they do not get the same opportunities as men to get education. Paskalin states that Footbinding was an obligation for Chinese women because it could bring them to the life’s perfection. Footbinding dealt with being marriageable and the improvement of social status and the bright future as well. Furthermore, the bound feet became sexual fetish for men to achieve sexual pleasure. Then, the ideal that Chinese women were not allowed being outside the house caused them to be very far from having equal opportunities with men. Their right to education was not recognized. To escape from this situation, they wrote nu shu to communicate with their friends and their natal families and to express their feelings and creativities. Paskalin, 2011: viii This study uses the same object which is Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See but focuses on the friendship between Lily and Snow Flower. Thus, this study complements what Lestari and Paskalin did not deeply discuss, i.e. the female friendship. This study analyzes more deeply about how the friendship between Lily and Snow Flower can make way for their survival under the oppressive patriarchal culture.

B. Review of Related Theories

To answer the problems in the problem formulation, the researcher uses three theories that are needed as the foundation to solve the problem. The first theory is theory of characters. The second is patriarchal culture. The last is theory of feminism.

1. Theory of Characters

In literary work, the characters are one of the most important elements because they drive the story as a whole. As stated by M. H. Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms, Characters are the persons, in a dramatic or narrative work, endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say–the dialogue–and what they do–the action Abrams, 1971: 21. Through these characters, through what they say and what they act, the researcher is able to find out their life that they are in difficult conditions.

2. Theory of Patriarchy and Patriarchy in China

There are many writers who are interested in discussing about patriarchy. Madsen said in Feminist Theory and Literary Practice Patriarchy is a cultural ideological system that privileges men and all things masculine, and a political system that places power in the hands of men and thus serves male interests at the expense of women 2000: xiii. Based on the quotation, Madsen argues that men, through these privileges, can get more benefits and better life than women. Moreover, men feel that they are superior because they have power to control women. Since this study is about Chinese patriarchal culture, the theory is focused on the patriarchy in China. This study explains more deeply about the practices of patriarchy in China. Chinese culture has long been shaped by Confucianism as their