described as a girl who has strong will both in the first and in the second half of the novel.
B. Presentation of Male Domination in The House on Mango Street
In this part of the analysis, the writer will show how male domination is presented throughout the story. There are many examples of male domination
toward women and girls in the story. According to Maggie Humm in The Dictionary of Feminist Theory, Male dominance is “a part of a system of dual or
multiple systems of dominance: capitalism, patriarchy, heterosexism, racism, imperialism” 1995: 69. The male domination that is presented in this novel is the
manifestation of patriarchal culture and the dominant form of the male domination is violence toward women and girls. Since the neighborhood in Mango Street is
Chicano neighborhood, the male domination that is portrayed in this novel contains Mexican norms and heritage.
Walby in the theory of patriarchy identifies patriarchy into two which are Private Patriarchy and Public Patriarchy 2004: 95. In this novel, the practice of
patriarchal culture is categorized into Private Patriarchy where women and girls are confined to the house hold sphere and have limited participation in public life,
whereas the violence toward women and girls is in the form of physical and sexual violence.
According to Philcher and Whelehan in the theory of violence, the violence against women conceptualizes a broad range of men’s harmful behavior
toward women including rape, domestic violence, and sexual harassment. They
state that violence toward women has been identified as a key mechanism in the subordination of women by men 2004: 173.
The male domination is obviously shown in the second half of the novel. It happens within the family life and in the neighborhood of Mango Street. From
some chapters in the second half of the novel, the writer will show the manifestation of male domination in the novel.
The neighborhood that is described in this novel is a kind of neighborhood where there is much violence happens toward women and girls. In this passage,
the writer will show the manifestation of male domination in the form of sexual violence. In the chapter “First Job” when Esperanza takes her job break time, she
is with an older oriental man in the lunch room. They have a nice chat before finally, he asks Esperanza to give a kiss to him because it is his birthday. “Then he
asked if I knew what day it was, and when I said I didn’t, he said it was his birthday and would I please give him a birthday kiss” 1991: 55.
It may be assumed that from the beginning the oriental man has intention to do something to Esperanza. The man pretends to say to Esperanza that it is his
birthday. By doing this lying, Esperanza is willing to kiss him. Esperanza kissed him in his cheek, but he grabs her hard and kisses her mouth. “I thought I would
because he was so old and just as I was about to put my lips on his cheek, he grabs my face with both hands and kisses me hard on the mouth and doesn’t let go”
1991: 55. It is one example of sexual violence toward girl. Knowing the situation
that he is older than Esperanza, the oriental man makes Esperanza believes in him.
Esperanza who is still adolescence does not know his intention. The other example of sexual violence that is faced by Esperanza can be seen in the chapter
“Red Clowns”. In this chapter, it is told that Esperanza goes to the carnivals with her friend, Sally. In the middle of the carnival place, Sally leaves Esperanza alone
and finally Esperanza is assaulted by a man. Sally Sally a hundred times. Why didn’t you hear me when I called? Why
didn’t you tell them to leave me alone? The one who grabbed me by the arm, he wouldn’t let me go. He said I love you, Spanish girl, I love you, and
pressed his sour mouth to mine 1991: 100
The examples of sexual violence above are manifestation of women subordination in this novel. Treated weaker than men, women are the object of
male domination. There will be more example of male domination that can be seen in other chapter in this novel. If the male domination that is discussed above
happens in the neighborhood, in the next passage the writer will show the male domination that happens within the family life.
In the chapter “Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut Papaya Juice on Tuesdays”, it is reflected an example of male domination that happens within the
family life. As mentioned in the previous analysis, Rafaela is a young married woman that is too scare to come out from her house because her husband forbids
her. “And then Rafaela, who is still young but getting old from leaning out the window so much, gets locked indoors because her husband is afraid Rafaela will
run away since she is too beautiful to look at” 1991: 79. According to the theory of patriarchy by Philcher and Whelehan, it is said
that patriarchy has been used by feminist writers to refer to masculine domination toward women. Masculinities that are associated with being a man is vary both
culturally and historically and between different groupings of men 2004: 82-83, 93. Since Rafaela’s husband is a Chicano, the male domination that he practices
in his family contains Mexican norms and heritage. As a Chicano, Rafaela’s husband practices the patriarchal culture of
Chicano social tribe. Chicano is a social tribe who embrace the pattern of Mexican heritage. In the Mexican family, men have authority toward women. They hold
power as a patriarchal agent and apply the norms and patterns of Mexican family. It is supported by Karen Anderson in her book entitled Changing Woman: A
History of Racial Ethnic Women in Modern America. In her book, she stated that “Within the Mexican family system, authority and prestige were allocated on the
basis of an ascribed agegender status with male authority over women receiving a strong ideological sanction” 1996: 93. It is the norms of Mexican heritage that
must be applied by men within the family. “Her husband is afraid Rafaela will run away since she is too beautiful to
look at” 1991: 79. The above quotation shows that the husband of Rafaela has sexual control over her. Feeling afraid, Rafaela’s husband uses his authority. It is
done by limiting his wife to come out from the house. Rafaela’s husband thinks that her beauty is a problem for him. By using his authority to limit her to come
out from the house, it is indicated that he has sexual control over her. It is also the norm of Mexican heritage that a man within the family has sexual control over
women and it determines his reputation as a man. It is supported by Karen Anderson in the same book who stated that “Men’s reputation were directly tied to
the sexual control of the women within their families” 1996: 93.
According to the theory of patriarchy by Walby, the male domination that is reflected through Rafaela’s story is the manifestation of private patriarchy. She
is confined to the house hold sphere and she has limited access to the public life for example the restriction to go to work outside. Karen Anderson in the same
book quoted the statement of a Mexican printer in Chicago as follow “if our wives went to work, they would meet some other men and would go away with them; I
would not blame my wife, I would blame myself, because I have control of her” 1996: 104.
The same with Rafaela’s husband, the Mexican printer also has sexual control over his wife. As mentioned before, men’s reputation is tied to their sexual
control over women within their families. So, it is their responsibility to control and supervise women outside the house. That is why the Mexican printer will not
blame his wife but he will blame himself because he has the responsibility and sexual control over his wife. And so does happen to Rafaela’s husband. His
reputation is tied to the sexual control of her wife. He does not let his wife go outside in order to apply the norm within the family. He tries to keep his
reputation as the head of the family by preventing something happen to his wife such as run away with another man or having affair. It will influence his
reputation as a man who apply patriarchal pattern of Mexican heritage. Another example of the presence of male domination in this novel is
presented by the character Sally. In this passage, it is shown another example of male domination within the family life. In this novel, the chronicles of Sally is
told in some chapters. Throughout those chapters, the writer will show how she faces male domination in this novel.
In the chapter “Sally”, Sally is described as a beautiful and attractive girl. However, according to her father that practices the norm of the Chicano
patriarchal culture, he says that to be beautiful is trouble. “Her father says to be this beautiful is trouble” 1991: 81.
Furthermore, in the chapter “What Sally Said”, the presentation of male domination that is faced by Sally is obviously shown. In this chapter, it is told that
Sally often gets physical abuse from his father. “But Sally doesn’t tell about that time he hit her with his hands just like a dog, she said, like if I was an animal. He
thinks I’m going to run away like his sisters who made the family ashamed” 1991: 92.
The quotation above shows the physical violence toward girl. Having ashamed with the sister of Sally’s father that is run away from the house, Sally’s
father applies physical violence to Sally. It is another proof about the reflection of sexual control toward woman. As mentioned before, the reputation of Chicanos is
tied to the sexual control over women. Sally’s father tries to prevent the same thing that happens to his sister by doing physical violence to Sally. If the same
thing happens to Sally, it will influence his reputation as the head of the family who applies the Chicano patriarchal culture within the family.
Still in the same book, Karen Anderson states about another norm of Mexican heritage quoted as follow:
Ideally, a young girl was to be pious, obedient, and virginal until marriage, to chaste after marriage. To accomplish this, her family kept her close to
home whenever possible and male relatives supervised her when she was outside the house hold 1996: 93.
Besides having sexual control over women, men as a head of the family also have a responsibility to supervise their daughter when they are outside the
house. It is done to accomplish the norm that ideally a girl should be pious and virgin until marriage. It is also faced by Sally. In this novel, she is limited to go
outside from her house by her father. Sally was going to get permission to stay with us a little and one Thursday
she came finally with a sack full of clothes and a paper bag of sweetbread her mama send. And would’ve stayed too except when the dark came her
father, whose eyes were little from crying, knocked on the door and said please come back, this is the last time. And she said Daddy and went home
1991: 93.
In the chapter “Linoleum Roses”, it is told that Sally is married to a man. Even when she has married, she also faces the same situation. Sally’s husband
forbids her to go outside from her house except from his permission. “She sits at home because she is afraid to go outside without his permission. She looks at all
the things they own: the towels and the toaster, the alarm clock and the drapes” 1991: 102.
Sally is the same person as Rafaela who is afraid to come out from the house without the permission from their husband. Both of them are trapped by the
male domination within their family. They do not have courage and intention to come out from the male hegemony.
What Rafaela’s husband, Sally’s father and Sally’s husband do to them is the reflection of male domination within the family. Furthermore, Sally’s father
also uses physical violence to show the male domination. Women and girls in the
story are controlled by male superiority. It seems to be culturally conditioned because the male domination is the manifestation of the patriarchal culture.
As mentioned before, the male domination presented in this novel does not only happen within the family, but it also happens in the neighborhood. The male
domination that is experienced by Esperanza in the beginning of this analysis is also faced by Sally. In the chapter “The Monkey Garden”, Sally is assaulted by a
group of boys. They steal her key and they will return the key if Sally is willing to kiss them one by one. “One of the boys invented the rules. One of Tito’s friends
said you can’t get the keys back unless you kiss us and Sally pretended to be mad at first but said yes. It was that simple” 1991: 96.
By saying yes to the group of boys, it means that Sally does not have courage and intention to defend herself. She is willing to do what the group of
boys told to her. It can be seen that Sally just accepts the male domination that happens within the family; furthermore she also just accepts the male domination
that happens in the neighborhood without having intention to come out from the male domination.
From the analysis above, the writer may conclude that Mango Street is a kind of neighborhood that is not comfortable and safe for women and girls. In this
neighborhood, there are many examples that show male domination toward women and girls. The male domination happens within the family and in the
neighborhood of Mango Street. When it happens within the family life, the head of the family practices the male domination that contains the patriarchal culture.
Since it happens within the Chicano family life, the male domination in the family
life contains Mexican norms and heritage. Furthermore, the head of the family also uses physical violence. When the male domination happens in the
neighborhood, men use sexual violence. The male domination that is presented in this novel makes the women and
girls subordinated. They are the victims of patriarchal culture that allows men to have authority toward women and girls. Although many women and girls are
trapped in the male superiority, they do not have courage and intention to come out from the situation. Unlike the other female characters in the story, Esperanza
has an attitude toward the male domination that happens in the neighborhood. In the next analysis, the writer will show Esperanza’s response toward male
domination in this story that reflects feminism value.
C. Feminism Values Reflected through Esperanza’s Response toward Male
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