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When people make a relationship without getting married, they will be punished. Maryam has already been punished when she has relationship with Ali. People
assume that they have done bad things together, sleeping in one bed and having sex. Although, Maryam persists that she does not do that, the society keeps
thinking that they do not follow the tradition. WFAFI also mentions that Iran does not provide protection for women
who have abusive husband. The government let them suffer and do nothing to this affair. Iranian believes that women should accept the fact that men are more
superior that women. Whereas, Maryam, as a woman who disagrees with the tradition, assumes that this is not fair for women. When she meets Bijan and his
mother, she feels sorry for them. ‘Where’s your father?’ asked Maryam.
‘He left when I was pregnant,’ the woman replied. ‘We’ve been fine without him, haven’t we, Bijan?
‘I look after my maman,’ He said, standing carefully and slowly carrying the cup of tea across the room. 178
From the quotation above, it is clearly stated that Bijan’s father leaves them. Bijan
and his mother have struggled without the man who should be protected and satisfied their needs. They realized they cannot do something for it because they
are in subordinate position where they will always lose. According to Hughes, women’s roles and duties to be child bearing and
care taking, and providing comfort and satisfaction to husbands. Moreover, one of men satisfaction is having child. Based on this reason, Iranian women also believe
in superstition, this can be seen from this quotation, “It’s superstition.” Maryam said. “The young girls come here from the village. They make these small cloth
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cradles, cloth babies and hang them here. It’s supposed to make them fertile” 224. Iranian women believe they can have a baby if they make cloth cradles and
hang it in a cave inside the sacred mountain. Iranian believes if women cannot accomplish their duties as a wife, they are considered completely useless and
worthless.
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CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS
This chapter is divided into two parts, the conclusion and suggestions. The first part contains the conclusions of what I analyzed in the previous chapter. It
contains answers of the formulated questions. The second part is divided into two parts; the first part contains some suggestions for future researchers that can
enrich the readers’ knowledge in understanding literary works, especially Yasmin Crowther’s novel, particularly The Saffron Kitchen. The second part contains
suggestion for the implementations of the novel, The Saffron Kitchen, in teaching English.
5.1. Conclusion
This part discusses the conclusion of the analysis in chapter 4. There are two conclusions based on the analysis of the problem. The first is about the
characterization of the major character, Maryam , and the second is how Maryam’s life reflects women’s position in Iran.
After analyzing the novel, The Saffron Kitchen, by Yasmin Crowther, I come to the conclusion. The major character in the novel, Maryam Mazar, is a
kind of introvert person. This makes Maryam become such a mysterious person, even for her husband, Edward. Moreover, Maryam is also a determined and tough
person. It is proven when Maryam keeps struggling to get her dream to be a nurse and refuses to follow her father’s will to marry someone she does not know yet,
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which finally leads her to a condition where her father does not acknowledge her as his daughter. However, as a tough person, Maryam keeps continuing her hard
life. Maryam is also an independent woman, since she does not want to be
influenced or controlled by someone or something. This leads her to a decision not to follow the tradition, because she assumes that the tradition is only good for
men. She assumes that women should have freedom as men, especially in deciding their own future.
There are two groups of women in Iran, the first was the group that follow the tradition and the second group was the group that tried to raise their position
in the society. Maryam’s characteristic represented some Iranian women who tried to raise their position in the society. These women were tend to be tough,
independent and combined with determined personality. The women’s position in Iran is shown through two aspects which are
reflected by the major character in the story. Those aspects are women’s position in the family and in the society. The status of women in the family in Iran has to a
great extent been influenced by Islamic culture, but similarities in patterns of behavior are not always associated with similarity of religious belief. Iranian
women’s position in the family is divided into 4 points, being subordinate, having authority, having minimal right, and being protected from outside influences. The
first is being subordinate, Iranian people perceives women as weak and do not have power. Iranian women should obey what the leader of the family says and
orders, especially in finding their husband. However, Maryam really disagrees
