Description of Dawan The influence of gender schema towards Dawan`s mind development in Min Fong Ho`s sing to the dawn
25 “ If you‟d won, of course it‟d be different,” the father answered. “You‟re a
boy, and more schooling would have been useful for you.” He paused, then added wi
stfully, “And useful for me too. Why, you could come back and help me to...” p. 55.
This statement goes to Kwai when the whole family of Dawan are eating dinner together. Dawan‟s father shows his disappointment towards the result. For
him, it will be useful if the winner of the scholarship is Kwai, instead of Dawan. Kwai is seen as someone that can bring the change to the family‟s fate. Dawan‟s
father hopes that Kwai can bring a better situation for the whole family if he gets the scholarship and goes to the city. He creates a schema that a boy will always be
useful for the family instead of a girl because a boy is still seen as a superior. If a boy gets a better education, there will be a better life for the family, while a girl
who gets a better education is believed as something useless. “But what right does your sister have? She‟s only a girl,” the peasant
retorted roughly p. 103.
This statement appears right after Dawan‟s father is angry because he finally knows that Kwai places at the second rank and Kwai does not tell him
about that. In addition, he keeps forcing Kwai to take Dawan‟s chance because he thinks he has a power to forbid Dawan to go to the city. He knows that Kwai will
go to the city if Dawan cannot take the scholarship because he places at the second rank. Dawan‟s father still thinks that Dawan has no right to get better
education because a girl should not be smart and will always end up staying at home. For the society, a boy should be given more chance rather than a girl
because he can bring the change and be more useful. Dawan hesitated, then retorted with a defiant, “Well, why not?”
26 “Why not” the big farmer shouted at her, “Damn it, I‟ll tell you
why not” Dawan could see the veins on his neck as he shouted. “Because you‟re only a girl, because there‟s nothing you can do, even with a fancy
education, because...” p. 105. Dawan‟s father still insists that Dawan has taken his brother chance to get
the scholarship. He states that Dawan forces her brother to let her go to the City and get a better education while the fact is that she is only a girl. So, when Dawan
asks the reason behind her father‟s rejection, her father states that a girl cannot do anything even if she gets more education rather than a boy. A girl is seen as a
useless person and cannot do great things to bring the change for the family.