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Mentally, Maud get more pressure from her uncle more then what she has experienced in Mental Hospital. She feels tortured because her uncle’s bans her from
doing everything she wants. She can’t release her biological passion to her husband. So, she releases it to her personal servant.
4.2.3 Environment Romantic Friendship
For many years, the intense and passionate friendships between women in the Victorian Era are unexplored as a form of female same-sex desire. However, many
exchanges among women in romantic friendships show that passion, love, intimacy, and quite likely sex do occur in these kinds of relationships. According to Carol Smith-
Rosenberg, romantic friendships ranged from the supportive love of sisters, through the enthusiasms of adolescent girls, to sensual avowals of love by mature womenSmith,
1975: 2. Often, women in romantic friendships would write ardent love letters to each other, express their devotion and admiration for one another. Girls’ play is cooperative
and most of them are indoor.M. Elly,2011:575 According to Elly, the difference of behavior for woman and man is not
genetically but socially and culturally. Society distinguishes treatment to girls and boys since the beginning of their development or child age. M.Elly, 2011:578
Another expression of female same-sex desire includes what Vicinus calls, the occasional lover of women. These “free women” choose a highly varied sexuality, one
that vacillated between women and men. Regularly, their appearance might signal an erotic interest in women, while at other times they might look for male when playing the
role of mistress, courtesan, or prostitute. However, they were also the first to be seen as a social problem by the vice and moral reformers, because of their gender deviance and
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their possible influence on male political leaders Vicinus 1993, 438. Taken together, these examples encompass a wide range of female same-sex desires, and should be seen
less as distinct types of women, but rather as embodying general themes from the 19th century. We cannot possibly detail or know all the articulations of same-sex desire
among women, but we can point to patterns and cultural scripts visible during this time. These women formed loving and passionate relationships with other women during a
period when their behavior was increasingly becoming pathologized. In a very real way, they are images of early lesbian desire, as well as highly courageous and often
unrecognized. A romantic friendship or passionate friendship is a very close but typically non-
sexualrelationship between friends, often involving a degree of physical closeness beyond that which is common in the contemporary Westernsocieties. It may include for
example holding hands, cuddling, hugging, kissing, and sharing a bed. Waters, in the fingersmith novel show that both of character who became a lesbian do that.
I dont know how long we lie, then. She sinks beside me, with her face against my hair. She slowly draws back her fingers.
My thigh is wet from where she has leaned and moved upon me. The feathers of the mattress have yielded beneath us, the
bed is close and high and hot. She puts back the blanket. The night is still deep, the room still black. Our breaths still
come fast, our hearts beat loud—faster, and louder, they seem to me, in the thickening silence; and the bed, the
room—the house—seem filled with echoes of our voices, our whispers and cries.
Waters, 2002: 363 Intercommunication in society greatly affects a persons character. In chapter
two, it has been explained that one of the causes of lesbianism love is environmental
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influences. The intended environment is the social environment in the social life. Ecologicalor environmentalfactorshave important role
causing femalehomosexualityorcalled lesbianism. It can be inferred that they generally do
notknowwhytheychoose to be alesbian. So it can besaid to bea statethat occurs inlesbianisnotof its own accord. In the novel fingersmith, there is a romantic relationship
between a lady with her personal servant. Sue and Maud are involved in lesbianism because of romantic friendship. Sue as Maud’s personal servant is very different from
the previous assistants.
When she puts up my nightgown and reaches between my legs, we both grow still. When her hand moves again, her
fingers no longer flutter: they have grown wet, and slide, and in sliding seem, like her lips as they rub upon mine, to
quicken and draw me, to gather me, out of the darkness, out of my natural shape.
Waters, 2002: 370
The citation above shows that Sue treats Maud gently and lovely. Maud also feels comfortable with Sue’s treatments ranging from little things like combing and
arranging her hair. Even with Maud’s personal life, Maud always shares her problem to Sue that there is no secret between them. Since her childhood, Maud was just living with
women only those nun guardians. She only felt comfortable when she was accompanied by the nurse aides. Instead Maud is so scared of interacting with men like his uncle.
Christopher lily, Maud’suncle, is the only man who lives with Maud. Christopher Lily’s hard behavior makes his nephew afraid of him. Maud will only speak necessary things to
her uncle, the rest she will try avoidinghim. Maud spends more time with Sue. They will
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feel alive only when together. Initially, their relationship is like siblings. But they feel possessing and loving each other like a couple of lovers.
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
After analyzing and creating the criticism, the researcher comes to this partwhich consists of conclusion and suggestion. The conclusion isdrawn based on the research
problem or the result of analysis. The suggestion is given for everyonewho is interested in this study and for the next researchers.
5.1 Conclusion
