Role of women and men

C. The Idea of Feminism Reflected Through Roona and Bindia

The idea of feminism reflects through the major female character, Roona and Bindia. Bindia not only shows the awareness about gender equality but also refusal of male domination. Bindia awares that her life is suppressed by men domination in her life, she wants an equality in her life. Since she has an awareness of gender equality, she shows her refusal of male domination on the family by avoiding patriarchal culture in her country. Her perspective makes she decide avoid the patriarchal culture by move to America. On the other hand, Roona only has the awareness of gender equality but she has no courage to do the same thing as Bindia does. Roona’s awareness related to the theory by Maggie Humm, as stated in the book The Dictionary of Feminist Theory, “Feminism is the ideology of women’s since intrinsic in all it approaches is the belief that women suffer injustice because of their sex” Humm, 1990:74. Therefore, feminism is an idea that women and men are in an equal position, women can do what they want to do. Even though she has the awareness but she also has another consideration that she does not want to be alienated by the society. The specific description about the ideas of feminism through Roona and Bindia describe on the following descriptions.

1. The awareness that women and men should be equal

Roona has the awareness that she is suppressed by her husband, she realized that she has been treated as a slave by her husband, ROONA. I have to work so hard . . . I get up every morning at six o’clock, make breakfast for my husband, get children ready . . . take them to school, take the little girl to the babysitter’s. Work in the office the whole day, with the men who treat us like slaves – slaves, yes, now they call us “educated slaves” Sharif, 1992:271. She draws a conclusion of herself as an educated-slave, it means she has a good education but she still treated as a slave by her husband. Moreover, her husband does not give her a respect as a person who has big contribution in the family. She faces rough situation in her life, if she could she really want to leave her husband so she can have a freedom. She states in her conversation with Bindia, ROONA. I bring three thousand rupees home every month, more than he makes. He forgets that, but he never forgets the broken button on his shirt. And still I cannot leave him. Where am I going to stand in this society if I leave him? A divorced or unmarried woman has still no place in this damn country Sharif, 1992:271. Through her explanation, the idea feminism can be discovered, she wants to be live in an equal position. She actually wants her husband to appreciate what she has already made and she also want her husband to respect her not only to give orders and g ive many responsibilities on the household’s matter on her. In her explanation, she also states that she cannot do anything than struggle. Roona also shows struggle in patriarchal society and she has a different faith from other female characters, she is the one who struggle and face the reality in her life. She faces the reality without escaping from Pakistan in order to avoid the patriarchal practices. Roona agrees what Bindia has been decided. She supports Bindia to live and married with an American man, who usually has an objective perspective than man in Pakistan. She does not want Bindia to feel what she feels in Pakistan, the difficulties in relationship with men and almost no freedom in life. ROONA. You are better off in America. Even if it is hard there. Bindia, trust me it is much harder here. And American society . . . must be so free and different. So open. Just to be able to breathe. You could do anything you want. Be anything you want. Roona gives full support that Bindia married an American man, she feels glad that she made that decision. ROONA. Interrupts excitedly I am so glad that you got married, and especially to an American man. You should have done this a long time ago. The moment you went to America you should have married an American man - maybe we should have all married American men, then nobody would be able to treat us like second-rate citizens right in our country Sharif, 1992:274. Her dream about marrying an American man clearly shows that she does not want to be admitting as a weak person. She wants to get freedom and a better life than live and married with American man. Most of her words about gender equality are showing the idea of feminism in her thought. Bindia also shows the ideas of feminism through her comment about gender inequality in Pakistan. Her comment’s towards Deedi’s situation clearly shows her perspective, BINDIA. I hate his guts, too. He has ruined Deedi’s life . . . if this kind of situation happened in America . . . to an American woman, man she would kick his ass in one minute. Deedi should have left him a long time ago, That devil skunk of a husband. What does he do for living? Sharif, 1992:269. Her reaction shows that she wanted Deedi has the equal position in her life. She does not want Deedi is being suppressed by her husband and the society. It obviously revealed her awareness that women and men should be treated in the same position, there is no different rights among women and men. She assumes that Deedi’s husband is not a good husband and Deedi should not torture herself by standing on that situation. Indirectly, Bindia hopes Deedi could leave her husband. In this play, Bindia and Roona described as women live in a patriarchal culture and they cannot do anything to fight for their rights. However, both characters have the awareness of gender inequality that happens in life. Roona can accept her double burden in the family but she has no power to fight her rights, she must obey her husband. She still shows the perspective as an obedient wife. As well as Bindia, she expresses her protest about Deedi’s condition also her own condition through her words only, she cannot accept the unequal position of the women in Pakistan society.

2. Refusal on male domination in the family

Bindia is the one that refuse the male domination on the family. The reason she leaves Pakistan and moves to America not solely for a job only but also she wants to get freedom. She feels that she does not get any freedom in her own land. She states her statement when she has discussion with Roona about Deedi’s life, BINDIA. …But that was just a fantasy, and the desire to get Deedi to America and have her go through heart surgery, another fantasy . . . If I were only a practicing doctor in America. Just for Deedi’s sake. ROONA. Her husband never cared. BINDIA. I lived through this anguish for so long that I . . . felt exactly like Deedi: helpless, bewildered, alone. ROONA. I feel the same and I live right here in my own country… Sharif, 1992:271. Her movement to America shows her refusal on male domination that happened in her past. Bindia tells that she has been suffering of the situation like Deedi in a long time when she still lives in Pakistan. Bindia’s perspective that American life is better than Pakistan refers to Chaudry and Rahman explanation in the journal “The Impact of Gender Inequality in Education on Rural Poverty in Pakistan: An Empirical Analysi s”, that Pakistan women in Pakistan is not same as women in western countries. The status of women in Pakistan is somehow different from that of western countries. Gender is one of the organizing principles of Pakistans society. Home has been defined as a women legitimate ideological and physical space where she performs her procreative role as a mother and wife while a man dominates the world outside the home and performs his productive role as a breadwinner 2009:174. The explanation above clearly shows that Bindia wants freedom in her life also she does not want to be restricts by the patriarchal culture in Pakistan. She expresses her feeling about the life that she had before; helpless, confuses, and loneliness. Her statement shows that she is actually not happy to live in Pakistan, the writer found her reason to move to America through her statement above. In fact, Bindia gets what she wants, she treats in the equal position in her new society; she married an American man and her marriage is without arranged marriage that is a part of a Pakistan tradition. In this play, Bindia’s experience also shows that she realizes of her no- freedom condition while she lives in Pakistan. She fulfills her will to be in an equal position woman by leaves her homeland. Her leaving is an embodiment