Gender spheres and gender roles
assumes physical powers to be the basic essence of man. She expects to get a good harvest as the farm work is done by a man, there will be a huge difference
among man’s work, woman and children’s work. Chizuko finds it hard and exhausting for a woman to do plowing alone, therefore she needs a man whom she
believes was born as a worker. CHIZUKO. I’ve been thinking ... ah, wondering how you would feel about
... what you think about staying on ... on this farm, I mean. With us.
she waits; Kaoru is silent
I mean, share profits ... a partnership. KAORU. I don’t have money, Chizuko-san.
CHIZUKO.
quickly
Oh, you pay nothing. I mean a joint venture. More or less. This farm is too much for a woman alone and I ...
Yamauchi, 1996 : 427
She thinks of Kaoru as a man who is physically stronger than woman and expects a better result from the work of a man. She assumes that it will be much
easier if there is a man who can help her run the farm. Chizuko expresses how actually she tired of her life, showing that she requires a partner to work,
somebody to share and to discuss many things. In addition, eventhough Chizuko Sakata seems to be a tough and independent woman, there is a moment when she
really need someone who is reliable during the hard times. In act two scene two, for instance, Chizuko asks Kaoru whether they should irrigate the farm p. 432, it
implies that Chizuko also sees man as a primary decision-maker, she feels like she has to ask for Kaoru’s consideration as if she cannot decide it by herself. From
this finding, it is obvious that Chizuko also perce ives ‘decision-maker’ is one of
male traits. Moreover, it also depicts her state that is still colonized by patriarchy even though she is now far away from Japan. She does not feel objected about that
and does not even think that she is being oppressed because she might get used to such culture since she was still in Japan.
Furthermore, it is also important to examine how Chizuko treats her sons and daughter in her her to perpetuate her native culture. Chizuko distinguishes the
chores between her sons and daughter which shows she admits the labor division that is very patriarchal.
CHIZUKO.
to Kaoru
My boys spent summer here —flooding, plowing,
getting ready for planting. It was hot. Hundred ten degrees. CHIZUKO.
to Ichiro
You and Tomu clean the tool shed. Aki, get blankets and sheets for Kawaguchi-san.
Yamauchi, 1996: 409 AKI. Then why do I have to go bed so early?
CHIZUKO. The boys have to go to bed early because they work on
Saturday. It’s not fair to them. Yamauchi, 1996: 436
The dialogue above shows that Chizuko is a woman who once lived in a
patriarchal society, therefore, her way of thinking is influenced by patriarchal culture as well. She perceives domestic sphere is a proper place for women while
the outside world is for men. Chizuko introduces her sons, Ichiro and Tomu to the role of men, it is a man’s nature to be a worker and they supposed to work harder
than woman out of their physical features. Meanwhile, Chizuko habituates Aki to do woman’s chores. She is told to take care household chores, for instance in this
play, Chizuko asks Aki to set a bed for Kaoru. Chizuko Sakata’s characteristic and
struggle support the idea of ‘constructedness’ in feminism. She proves that
actually gender identity is constructed from the way she differentiates the chores for her children. Chizuko reveals t
hat ‘constructedness’ is applicable on male
identity, that being masculine is also culturally constructed which indicates the equality between men and women. Her act depicts a feminist movement regardles
of she is aware of it or not because it is not her intention from the beginning to struggle for women’s right. But, in fact, her attitude shows that gender roles are
cultural product which become acceptable habitual acts in society.