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hard” p. 322. Patrick also gives her advice to take a rest when Jess tells him that she
plans to carry other lines in order to make a good profit. “Don’t be over-taxing yourself. You work too hard as it is,’ Patrick said solitously” p. 339.
Edward also suggests her to take a holiday when he sees Jess looks so exhausted, no energy at all. In her bad condition, Jess is still thinking about her
business. ‘Oh, I couldn’t go away’ Jess cried in alarm.
‘You should rest, Jess,’ Edward was firm. ‘But the business?’ Jess pressed. ‘I’ve worked so hard, so I
couldn’t just let it go….’ p. 356 .
4. 2 Feminism Revealed through Jessica Brennan’s Character
In the novel, the society at that time holds the concept of patriarchal family. Patriarchal is a rule in society that sees men as the one to hold the power
of the house and the whole family, and women’s position is as the subordination. They are considered they always depend on the men.
At that time, every woman must have proper behavior and duties according to the society’s expectation. They are supposed to be good mothers and
only do the domestic jobs. They are also not allowed to work outside the home to support themselves.
There are many aspects in determining feminism or someone who is categorized as a feminist. In this analysis, I would like to focus on Jessica
Brennan’s characters and attitudes which reflects the practices of feminism. In this novel, the main character, Jessica Brennan, shows the different images of
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what the society’s views and expectation on women. Women usually stay at home doing the housework and taking care of the children. They depend on men
husbands and or sons. But it does not happen to Jessica when she has lost her family and becomes alone. She tries to get a job in order to earn some mone y. It is
hard to find a job for a woman. She does not experience in work before and the job is not suitable for a woman. Jessica is a confident person. With her
confidence, she is sure she will get a job. Although she is doubt with her first job interview, she still tries to be confident. She believes she can pass the interview.
… Fleetingly she thought of that interview. It had been no more than a cursory inspection and her lack of experience had very
obviously been taken into account. She had definitely not been suitable. Still, she managed to appear cheerful and confident….
p. 118.
Jessica dares to take the risk in the first time she starts her business. She does not have knowledge about the world of business at all, especially for buying
and selling feathers. But she feels very confident in carrying out the business. “….At first time she was hesitant but when she realized that she obtained her first
purchase for the sum of six shillings, less than she had budgeted for, she became more confident” p. 176.
It is rare and strange to find a woman who is as confident as Jessica. Her confidence has been sharpened by her past experience. She becomes more and
more confident with all her efforts and achievements. “… She’d achieved so much and virtually on her own. These days she was very confident and her past
experiences seemed only to have increased her self-assure and independence” p. 202.
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Edward, the man who admires and supports all of her efforts, sees that Jessica is different from other women. He sees her as a confident woman.
That makes him afraid to declare his feelings. “….But she was so full of life, spirit and self-confidence, would she find him too dull?....” p. 262 .
In finding a job, Jess always thinks optimistic although it is har d to get a job for her. Her mother has reminded her that it is not an easy thing to propose a
work in men’s world. She does not care with her mother’s advice. She is so stubborn. “And Patrick and I will both get jobs. I don’t care what I do as long as it
brings in some money’ Jess interrupted. ” p. 49. With her courage, she tries hard to get a job. She is optimist that she will
get a job as soon as possible. She wants to earn some money. She does not want just to stay at home and hope the fortune will come without any efforts. She wants
to help her mother. ….All night I’ve been thinking of what I can do in the way of
work. I’m not formally trained for anything, but my English is good, and so is my arithmetic. Maybe I could get a job as a
book-keeper or a clerk.” ‘Those are men’s jobs, Jess. No one would employ you.’ Jess
became impatient. ‘There must be something I can do.’ p. 47 Her stubbornness leads her to be independent. She hardly forgives her
uncle. She blames her uncle because he has mortgaged the house and they cannot pay the debt. That makes her refuse to live in one roof with her uncle. She
determines to live alone although she has to live in a stable with a horse. ‘She’s so pig-headed you’ll do nothing with her, Jo,’ Tom said
grimly. ‘Look at the way she rejects all my apologies and all our efforts to be reconciled. She wouldn’t let us help her when
she needed it.’ p. 247
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She has refused her aunt’s offering to stay in her house and live with her family after she lost everything, her parents, her house and her brother has left
her. Jess persuades her aunt that she will be fine. She can take care of herself. Jess wants to be independent. “Really, I am. Oh, Aunt Jo, this is something I have to
do. I have to make my own way in the world, ….” p. 119. When Jess starts her own business, Edward offers to give the capital and
she does not need to pay it back. Jess refuses it. She wants to lend it and will pay it back when she has earned some money. From that reason, Edward sees that Jess
is too indepe ndent as a woman. She looked up at him hopefully. ‘No, Edward, I’d like you to
lend it to me. I won’t need much really and I would pay you back, every penny and with interest….’ Oh, please let him
agree. She couldn’t let him just give her the money. That would never do p. 166 .
Jessica can face good and bad condition alone. She looks so strong when the tragedy happens. Both her parents died in a matter of days, the family business
is in ruins, the house has been mortgaged by her uncle, and the only brother has left her alone. She feels desperate for a while but with her strength she begins her
new life and never gives up. “As I told you after we heard the news, it’s very strange but I do feel calm. I know it’s what she would have wanted me to be. I’m
alone now and I’ll manage” p. 107. Jess wants to start her business in buying and selling the feathers for
decoration but she does not know how to get the capital. She is almost desperate because she does not have the money to buy the feathers.
… Where should she get the money to buy anything? She had
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no money even for food. But she was determined not to give in. Mam had shown her away out. Tomorrow she would go and ask
in the milliners’ shops and something, something would turn up. She’d find some way of getting the money…. p. 141.
By her hard work, Jess can earn some money. She starts her own
business. Her business grows rapidly in a short time. Many people are surprised with what Jess has done.
…. He didn’t think his sister had marriage on her mind at the moment, she was too involved in her business. The fact that she
had been so successful had surprised him. She’d had no training or experience and yet somehow she’d done it…. p. 236.
Jessica always does the best for her customer. She will do what the
customer wants. She is always busy with her business although she is in a bad condition.
‘Oh, I couldn’t go away’ Jess cried in alarm. ‘You should rest, Jess,’ Edward was firm.
‘But the business?’ Jess pressed. ‘I’ve worked so hard, so I couldn’t just let it go….’ p. 356 .
She brings herself in to the men’s world. Now, she owns a company and
she becomes the leader. “She was very proud of her achievements. In just a year her business had gone from strength to strength. It had been hard work….” p.
201. From what Jessica has been through, her character, action and thought
reflect feminism. The tragedy has influenced her emotion so much; but, because of that, she becomes strong. As Montagu says it is true that women are more
emotionally than men but they have good ability in handling and expressing their feelings. It concludes that women are more realistic than men Montagu, 1953:
83. Montagu also says that women are better than men in handling the bad
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condition they face in their life 1953: 84. Another comment is that women know what is good and bad in the way they use their feelings of superiority for good
deeds. So, we can say that Jessica is a realistic woman who can control her feelings effectively and use her power for good purposes. In the novel, Jessica has
shown that she can control her emotion. Sometimes she becomes easy of being desperate but she can manage her despair. She has purpose in her life which is
earning some money by developing her ability in leading the company. Jessica’s feminism also can be seen from the other characters opinion
about what she has done. In the novel, the society views that women do a business are something strange. It becomes something unusual, like what Edward Dempsey
thinks about Jessica’s mother when they are talking about the family business. ‘He owns the line, doesn’t he?’
‘In partnership with my mother and, since last year, Uncle Tom.’
‘How many ships are there?’ ‘Three and a forth is being built across the water at Cammell
Laird’s shipyard.’ He nodded, impressed and a little surprised that a woman was a
partner in the business. It was unusual. p. 14
From Edward’s reaction is shown that usually men do the business not the women. It is a big surprised Jess’ mother becomes her father’s partnership in
managing the line. Many women depend on their men husbands and sons who become the breadwinner of the family. The women just stay at home doing the
housework and taking care of their children. It also can be seen when Jess starts her own business. She rents a room
in Hunter’s Yard from a man name Mr. Harry Cartwright. He does not believe that Jess will do a business. It is strange for a woman doing a business.
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She knocked loudly on the door and waited until it was opened by a small, rotund man in a collarless shirt and a very grubby
checked waistcoat and trousers. He mopped his forehead with a large red handkerchief. ‘Yes?’
‘I’ve come about the business premises to let.’ He looked at her suspiciously. ‘What business are yer in, girl?
I’ve never ‘eard of a decent woman being in business around ‘ere.’ p. 159-160
Knowing what the man says, Jess tries to persuade him that she really is making a business. She explains to him she will supply feathers to milliners and dress-
maker. She looked at him coldly, knowing exactly what he was
implying. ‘I supply feather trimmings to milliners and dressmaking establishments. A perfectly respectable business. I
need somewhere to keep my stock,’ she answered as briskly as she could. ‘Now, may I see the prem ises?’ p. 160
Jessica has broken that old thing that only men do the business. Jess can prove that as a woman she can do what men do.
Mrs. Maud Templeton, Jessica’s landlady, is amazed when Jess asks her permission to sit in the parlour and think about her future. It is unbelievable that a
young woman plans her future. “Mrs. Templeton, may I sit in the parlour, please? I need some time to think … plan my future,’ she asked, seeing her sitting behind
the desk in the hall” p. 157. She permits her but she is still wondering to herself. She thinks Jess is an unordinary woman. She is different from others.
… She seldom enquired into the lives of her paying guests, as she liked to refer to them – boarders was such a common
expression – but she couldn’t fathom this young girl at all. Miss Brennan was obviously been well brought up and, she
suspected, came from a moneyed background, and she was intrigued by the girl’s reference to ‘planning her future’, but she
wouldn’t ask … p. 158
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Jess tells Mrs. Templeton about the business she has made. Mrs. Templeton looks so proud the way she is making the business.
She had told the woman a little about her business venture which surprisingly had met with approval. Unlike so many of
her generation Maud Templeton was very much in favour of woman making their own way in the world, providing what
they did was honest and respectable. Hadn’t she done so herself? p. 183
Mrs. Templeton also admires Jessica’s efforts and hard work. She has made her own way by herself. “… in fact, the older woman admired Jess tremendously and
Jess was very good to her. These days the woman was far better and more stylishly dressed, courtesy of Jess….” p. 206. Doing business at that time is not
a woman’s world. Only men do this. According to Mrs. Templeton, it will be a hard job if a woman deals with it.“Maud Templeton digested this thoughtfully.
‘You know, Jessica, you have done very well indeed and it’s not easy, this being a man’s world” p. 220.
Women at that time only do the domestic jobs. They are not allowed to work outside the home. It is hard to find a job for a woman. If there is any job for
women, they will be employed in the lower grades of work and they will be paid a lower rate than men. It also happens to Jess when she tries to lo ok for a job. She
hardly gets it. She does not receive any replies at all from the companies. Finally she asks her landlady. There are some work for woman but they are dirty work
such as cleaning, washing, and scrubbing offices. ‘What other kind of work is there for women in this part of the
city?’ ‘What can yer do?’
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‘I can keep house and my writing is good, so is my arithmetic.’ ‘Well, yer won’t find many jobs that call for all that, not round
‘ere. Yer might get factory work in a rope works or feed factory or makin’ matches, things like that.’
Jess is a modern woman. She does not agree with arranged-marriage. She says that it is an old-fashioned. It is seen when her aunt makes an
arrangement for Patrick. “Jess smiled ruefully. ‘Aunt Jo, you can’t arrange marriages in this day and age” p. 288.
She thinks that everyone has their own freedom and right whether they want to get married or not. They have to choose their own soulmate and no one
can force them. Her modern thinking is also shown when she wants T illy to have her education well. She must get the best. A good education will lead her to good
future. ‘And how is Tilly’s education coming along?’
Jess grimaced. ‘She’s still not at all happy at being sent back to school, but I told her she would never make her way in the
world unless she had a decent education.’ p. 202
Those explanations above are the proof that Jessica is a feminist. Feminism is truly reflected through Jessica’s characters, attitudes, and thoughts. Jessica is a
stubborn, confident, optimist, independent, strong, and hard working woman. Being stubborn has made her being independent. She is able stand on her own
feet. Her independence leads her to be confident, optimist, strong, and hard working. She has developed her ability and she becomes a business and
successful woman.
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CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
