leaves. Realizing that her father is the oppressor, Beauty understands the way she can gain her freedom is by leaving the house.
As a female child, the decision to leave the house is not an easy decision to do. When many of her friends live happily with their loving parents, Beauty who lives in
a rich family should suffer from discrimination. She has to receive threats and insults from her father. In her age, where she still needs guidance and love from both of her
parents, Beauty have to leave the house and her father. ‘I don’t care where you end up,’ said Mum.
‘Don’t worry, I’d sooner live in a pigsty than one of your Happy Homes. Goodbye
.’ ‘Goodbye, Dad,’ I whispered. Dad was still shaking his head, looking
utterly baffled, as we walked out of the house. Wilson, 2016: 189
The datum above shows that Beauty determinedly wants to leave the house. She says
goodbye to her father who is still confused with what Beauty does. At the end, Beauty and her mother step out from the house and leave her father. Beauty’s action
indicates that she already gains her consciousness towards her problems. She struggles by choosing to leave her house because she realizes her house is the source
of all of the oppressions. Women can do many forms of struggle to free themselves from discrimination because women also have the rights to be treated equally.
b. Making Decisions
Patriarchal society treats women by giving unfair treatments to them. Men create certain kinds of rule that should be obeyed by women, one of them is
preventing women to make decision because men see women are not capable of
having independent thinking. In a patriarchal society, men are seen as intelligent and capable. Therefore, they have the role to make decision for themselves and also for
women. This condition prevents women to be independent because women should wait and obey for every decision made by men because they are not allowed to make
their own decisions. If women disobey and make decision by their own, there will be several consequences including violence or threats that they will receive.
Beauty used to be a female child who is obedient and passive. She always waits her father’s instruction or command to decide something. She does not have
chance to make decision by her own. After she and her mother leave the house, she should be independent. She does not have a father figure that will tell her everything
that she should do. It means that she should make decision by her own. At the first time she should make a decision, it makes her feel afraid. It is such a big decision,
because they should decide between go back to her father or continue her decision to leave her father. This condition is presented in the datum below.
I thought hard. I was nearly crying too. It was so frightening having to make decisions. Dad had always told both of us what to do
. Should we go back to Dad? If we went down on
our knees and said sorry enough times he’d
welcome us back with open arms. But then I thought of those arms swinging through the air and smashing all those cookies Mum had made so lovingly. I
thought of his hands unlatching Birthday’s hutch and shooing him out into the garden.
‘We’re not going back. We’re going forward,’ I said. Wilson,
2016: 192 The datum above explains that Beauty has an inner conflict when she should make an
important decision for her and her mother. After leaving the house, both Beauty and her mother feel confused about the things that they should do. They used to obey and
follow what her father says. Therefore, when Beauty faces the condition she should decide whether she should go back or continue her decision, she feels frightened. She
thinks about her condition very hard and it makes her almost cry Wilson, 2016: 192. Then, she remembers everything that her father has done towards her and her mother.
It makes her feel sure with her decision and says to her mother that they will not go back. She chooses to keep going and leave the house.
After Beauty and her mother leave the house, they feel confused because they do not have any destination to go. Her mother feels mixed up and cannot think clearly
what they should do. Beauty, who is still a child, uses her intelligence and logic to think about a destination. Then, she makes a decision for the place where they can go.
‘So have you thought where we can go?’ ‘I’ve thought and thought and thought, but I haven’t come up with anything
j ust yet,’ said Mum.
‘I think I know where we can go’
‘Where, darling?’
‘The seaside’
‘But we don’t know anyone at the seaside, do we?’
‘It doesn’t matter, does it? We could pretend we’re going on holiday. We haven’t had a holiday for ages. We’ve got a bit of money. Let’s just go to
the seaside and paddle and sunbathe and it’ll all feel easy and normal. We’ll just be like everyone else, on our holiday.’
I was cuddled up so close to Mum I could feel her heart beating fast.
‘OK,’ she said. ‘That’s what we’ll do. For tomorrow, anyway. Well done, Beauty, it’s a great idea.’ Wilson, 2016: 208-209
The datum above shows Beauty’s ability in making decision. She suggests to her mother that they should go to the seaside. She explains her reason and plan in
choosing that place. They can pretend that they are on a holiday and spend the time
they have to play on the beach. Her mother likes her decision and she agrees to follow her decision.
Beauty’s struggles on making decision shows that Beauty does not want to go back to her father. Even though she is frightened and confused to make decision, she
gathers her courage to do it. She even takes the role of her father, who is an adult, to make a decision. Her mother who is actually more mature and has more experiences
cannot do what Beauty does. Beauty’s character depicts the quality of a female child who is smart and capable just like men. As a child, she has an adult thought and
ability to make such a great decision for her life and also her mother’s life. Beauty often takes the responsibility of her mother to make decision for their lives after
leaving the house. When her mother feels confused and doubt about their condition, Beauty has confidence to make a decision for them.
‘What about breakfasts?’ said Mike. ‘I’m going to need a hand in the kitchen now the summer season’s starting up,
and I usually employ a student to come in and do chambermaiding. It’s a bit of a boring job but you’d be finished and free by lunch time. You don’t fancy
trying it for a few w eeks?’
Mum looked stunned. She just stared at Mike, not saying a word. So I answered for her.
‘Yes, please’ I said. Wilson, 2016: 247
The quotation above signifies that Beauty takes the opportunity to make an important decision for her mother. When Mike offers a job for her mother, she cannot answer
him because she feels surprised and confused. Then, Beauty deliberately answers for her mother that she will take the job. Her decision changes their lives and her life
becomes better. It makes her mother have a job that means she can gain money for
their lives. They do not need to worry about their life anymore even though her father does not support them. As a result, they can live independently by their own.
Besides making decision for her mother, Beauty also makes decision for herself. When she lives with her father, Beauty should obey his command or rule.
One of the rules is to keep her hair long to look feminine. However, Beauty dislikes it and she wants to change her hairstyle. After she leaves her father, she makes a
decision to cut off her hair.
‘Mum . . . Can I have it all cut off?’ ‘What? You want a crew cut? Are you mad?’ said Mum.
‘No, I’d like it just ordinary short. So I don’t have to bother with stupid bows and slides and stuff. They always fall off anyway. Oh please, Mum.’
‘But your dad won’t let you—’ Mum stopped herself.
‘We’re not with Dad. We’re just us – and you don’t really mind if I get my hair cut, do you?’
‘All right. If that’s what you want.’ Wilson, 2016: 276-277 The datum above shows that Beauty asks her mother to cut her long hair. At first, her
mother dislikes her decision, she is afraid her father would be angry. However, Beauty gives reasonable reason that she needs to cut her hair short to make her feel
comfortable. She also explains that they do not live with her father anymore and she should not be worried about him. The decision that she made to cut her hair short has
a good impact towards her because she is able to independently make a decision and do something that she really wants. Her decision brings a new spirit and new image to
her life. She says that this change makes her feel more confident. “I wondered if I really was a new person now. Maybe this was the start of a whole new me.
Cookie, cool and confident . . .” Wilson, 2016: 278. The decisions that Beauty
made, proves that female child has ability to think logically and rationally to change her condition. Beauty becomes a female child who is not dependent anymore because
she can overcome all of her problems by her own and she is able to make decisions for both, herself and her mother.
c. Expressing Her Opinion
