object as you began to develop and function more independently. . . . If something interfered with that development
—if Mommy had to go to the hospital for a long stay
—your ability to function independently may have been delayed.
114
The previous statement can be related to Portias condition in which strong bond
relation with Irene stimulates her desire to keep in touch with Irene. Irene has become the best companion for Portia, and when she loses Irene, it will evoke the
emergence of insecure attachment. Cori explains that the insecurity of attachment to mother‟s figure can be associated with emotional rigidity, difficulty in social
relationships, impairments in attention, difficulty in understanding the minds of others, and risk in the face of stressful situations.
115
Insecure attachment describes the inability to adapt and socialize self with new surrounding and people‟s
characters. Portia faces this insecure attachment in which she is unable to make herself convenient with new surrounding and people.
The forbidden pleasure makes Portia no longer see other people as effective figures who can accomplish her needs for love. Lacan asserts that the
forbidden pleasure will raise a question, such as: why should I desire anyone of associated signifier?.
116
The forbidden pleasure stimulates Portias awareness toward other peoples interest in her. After sometimes, Portia feels uncomfortable
with Anna‟s manipulation. Anna‟s effort to show her attention to Portia actually bothers Portia‟s private life. Portia feels so terrible while Anna checks her room
when she is not in. For her, it is a kind of infraction for her private life:‟ But she always says it‟s my room…Has she touched things?‟ The, 17
114
Cori, p. 41-42
115
Cori, p. 42
116
Easthope, p. 94
So, from the situation above, it becomes clear that symbolic father cannot fulfill Portias desire of love and attention since Portia herself cannot deal with the
forbidden pleasure. Her return toward maternal attachment proves the failure of the symbolic father to complete Portias needs for nurturance. Symbolic father
may release Portia from her lacking knowledge and experience of social life and peoples characters, but not from her strong dependency and desire toward
maternal attachment. To conclude, the symbolic father cannot still be considered as an effective self-identification to Portia because it constructs feminine gender
identity for her and oppresses her self-freedom. After all, this study underlines that both self-identification to mother and
symbolic father fail to preserve Portias self-freedom. Portias retreat and searching of autonomy from the social construction of womanhood are caused by
the oppression and limitation of Portias desire toward maternal attachment. The retreat from the social construction of womanhood will lead this study to the next
discussion of Portias return to maternal attachment, in order to the sense of mothers love and attention, through female relationship or sisterhood. The notion
of sisterhood will help Portia reveal her oppressive character, raise awareness toward social oppression, and finally resists the social construction of womanhood
itself. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
82
CHAPTER IV SISTERHOOD AS RESISTANCE TOWARD THE SOCIAL
CONSTRUCTION OF WOMANHOOD
During the self-identification to the symbolic father, Portia cannot get access to her self-freedom. Entering social life constructs a feminine gender
identity for her. Portia is trapped into the social construction of womanhood that limits her self-freedom to express her manner or to behave in her own way. To
escape from the symbolic father, Portia returns to maternal attachment in order to find pleasure. Therefore, it is found that returning to maternal attachment leads
her into female domination which later oppresses her self-freedom. Thus, to resist the social construction of womanhood and dependency to
other women, Portia must find another self-identification that can provide autonomy for her. This chapter examines how sisterhood helps Portia to transform
her identity from a silent, submitted and obedient girl into a brave and independent girl. This chapter highlights a notion of female bonding or sisterhood
as a means for emotional support to Portia‟s fragile identity. The role of female friends is to provide nurturance and to motivate the awakening of Portia‟s self-
autonomy. This chapter will be divided into two sub-chapters; female friendship as a
transitional phase toward Portias self-independency, and sisterhood as the reconstruction of Portias identity. Firstly, female friendship as a transitional phase
toward Portias self-independency discusses Portias transition from symbolic father to female companions. At first, this relation is regarded as self- liberation
from the symbolic law. Female friends help Portia to revisit her childhood PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
memory and to re-experience mothers nurturance as well. In truth, Portia is actually trapped into bond relation with other women. Secondly, sisterhood as the
reconstruction of Portias identity discusses inter-subjective dialogue between women which will help the emergence of Portias awareness toward her self-
ability and deficiency through sheer disruption and constructive critiques. Sheer disruption and critiques help Portia to inspect her own self; to recognize the
negative effect of her ego-ideal, so that she can resist the social construction of womanhood and dependency on mothers desire.
4.1 Female Friendship as a Transitional Phase toward Portia’s Self- Independency
Initially, the first significant point that makes female friendship especially substituted mother, effective to preserve Portias self-identity is that it exhilarates
Portias pleasure for the sense of mothers love. Attention and nurturance from female friends portray female friendship as a media to help a young girl survive in
mother-daughters separation. Being different from the shift to the symbolic father, relationship with other women gives more contribution to Portias pursuit
for mothers love. Symbolic father represents the acquisition of sexed subjectivity, the process to which women are subjected to the inter-subjective dominance of
men.
117
In contrast to the symbolic father, female friendship gives chance for sharing experiences, getting protection and nurturance, and changing perspective
about her old conviction. Bonding with other women is initially seen as a means
117
Murray, p. 9
to resist and change individual liberation from the construction of gender identity.
118
It is explained in the previous chapter that symbolic father does not allow Portia to revisit mothers realm. Portia is not allowed to recall her childhood
memory and to behave in a childish manner. People in Windsor Terrace oppress Portias self-freedom and pleasure. However, a daughter needs not separate from
mothers emotionally to be autonomous.
119
The close emotional feeling with mother then allows Portia to construct close relation with other women as the
substitute for Irene‟s figure. It is inferred from the novel that Portia loses her self- freedom in Windsor Terrace. During the oppression from her relatives, the figures
who can help Portia to get the sense of pleasure for maternal forms are female friends, Matchett and Mrs. Heccomb. In relation with them, Portia finds the sense
of mother‟s love through their nurturance and attention to her. In The Death of the Heart, Portia is depicted by Bowen as the figure who
still seeks love and attention, even after her mothers death. The continuity for a sense of love exists in womens development of identity, as it is explained by
Nancy Chodorow that women will try to fulfill their need to be loved and to re- experience the sense of dual unity they had with their mother.
120
Irenes death becomes one significant reason for Portia to seek mothers love in other womens
figure. Portia builds close relationships with other women to reduce the grief for mothers separation. Female bonding with other women is seen as Portias effort to
118
Hooks, p. 34
119
O‟ Reilly, p. 163
120
Nancy Chodorow. J. The Reproduction of Mothering: Psychoanalysis and the Sociology of Gender. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978, p. 133
fulfill her needs of love, as it is argued by Chodorow that one way women fulfill the needs of love and emotional gratification is through the creation and
maintenance of important personal relations with other women.
121
In her relationship with other women, Portia gets nurturance and attention. With Matchett, for instance, Matchetts position as a housemaid in Quaynes house
gives a chance for transferring love and attention to Portia. They become closer since Matchett always comes to Portias room to check and manage Portias needs
before she goes to bed. Personal relation with Matchett represents the way of recreating the mother-daughter bond. Matchett provides holding environment for
Portia. She accompanies Portia in Thomas house while Thomas and Anna do not have much time for Portia, as it is inferred below:
Portia stopped wincing and said: “Where‟s Anna?” “That Mr. Miller called, and they went out.”
“Then can I have tea with you?” “She left word they‟d be in at half-past four.”
“O-oh,” said Portia, “That‟s no good, then. Do you think she‟ll ever be out?”
Matchett, impassively not replying, stooped to pick up one of Portias wooly gloves. Mind and take these up, she said. … The, 16
Matchett takes care of Portia‟s needs and this treatment helps Portia to feel mother‟s nurturance and caring:
Matchett looked on in silence, then said: “That‟s the way to give yourself chilblains. Those want rubbing
—here, give me” She came over, took Portia‟s hands and chafed them, her big bones grinding on
Portia‟s painfully. “Quiet,” she said. “Don‟t keep pulling away like that. I never saw a girl so tender to cold.” The, 16
121
Chodorow, p. 200
Quality time with Matchett makes Portia afraid to separate from the maternal embrace. The close emotional feeling between them makes Portia dependent to
Matchetts presence, as it is described below: … Now you put it out of your head, like a good girl, and go right off to
sleep.” She shifted her weight from her hand, groped over Portia, found her wet wrists,
uncrossed them. “Goodness,” she said, “whatever good does that do?” All the same, the question was partly rhetorical: Matchett
felt that something had been appeased. … Then this stopped and she suggested: “Like me to turn your pillow?”
“No,” said Portia unexpectedly quickly, then added: “But don‟t go.” The, 53
Besides Matchett, Portia also constructs substituted maternal relation with
Mrs. Heccomb. Mrs. Heccomb was Annas governess. Portia meets Mrs. Heccomb in Waikiki, a seaside place where Anna sends her for a holiday. Portia
likes Mrs. Heccomb because her attention reminds Portia about Irenes figure. Portia meets Mrs. Heccomb in Waikiki, a seaside place where Anna sends Portia
for a vacation. At their first meeting, Mrs. Heccomb willingly expresses her attention and care for Portia who has been away from the house for the first time.
This attention reminds Portia of Irenes attention to her: “Oh?”
“To say you‟ve arrived safely.” “I‟m sure she won‟t be worried.”
Mrs. Heccomb looked distressed. “But you have never been away from her before. One would not like her to go abroad with anything on her
mind. …. “After all,” she said, “that will bring us back where we started. So we can go back the shorter way, after all.”
Portia saw that all this must be in he r honor. … But Irene would have
been happy with Mrs.Heccomb, and would have entered into her hopes and fears. … The, 88
Mrs. Heccomb‟s personality helps Portia return to her childhood memory. Mrs. Heccomb‟s existence helps Portia decrease her fear toward new surrounding in
Waikiki. Portia feels safe because Mrs. Heccomb is always by her side when she has a nightmare, as it is seen from one scene below:
“Did you have a dream? Would you like me to stay a little?” “Oh no, thank you.”
“Then sleep with no dreams, like a good girl. Remember, you can always rap on the wall.”
Mrs. Heccomb slipped out, closing the door by inches. … The, 94 Mrs.Heccombs protection also decreases Portias panic toward the new
condition. As Portia is a new resident in resident in Waikiki, she feels afraid of the wave splash, as it is seen from this quotation below:
Mrs. Heccomb had said she hoped she would not be lonely. “I sleep just next door: you need only tap on the wall. We are all very near together in this
house. Do you like hearing the sea?”
“It sounds very near.” “It‟s high tide. But it won‟t come any nearer.”
“Won‟t it?” “No, I promise, dear, that it won‟t. You‟re not afraid of the sea?”
“Oh, no.” The, 93 Mrs. Heccombs sincerity represents her maternal figure. She becomes a substitute
for maternal forms and provides nurturance for Portia. Portia feels safe with Mrs. Heccombs accompany. Mrs. Heccombs warmth, support, care, love, and
attention maintain the formation of a close interpersonal relationship among women. Matchett and Mrs. Heccombs nurturing and caring stimulates the
emergence of a secure relationship. Their nurturance makes Portia feel as a valuable and lovable one. Secure attachment helps Portia to defeat her fear of not
being loved by others. Furthermore, female bonding helps Portia to escape from the male
definition of being a woman. Portia is considered as a mature woman if she can leave her childish manner and emotional condition. The bond between mother and
