Brave The Description of Firdaus

become the cruelest men than the others. Both of them hit her hardly. Bayoumi is her hideous husband. He hits her until her face and her body become swollen and bruised. He even hits her until the blood runs from her nose and ear pp. 46-47. On the other hand, Bayoumi does the same thing. Unfortunately, he is the only person who slaps her hardest p. 52. However, it leads her to hate men and that hatred leads her into being revengeful to men. Mental experience that is meant here is about the combination of thought, perception, memory, emotion, willingness and imagination on men‟s authority. The way men treat Firdaus creates a negative perception about them. What she has in her mind is that man is an abuser, an oppressor, a rapist, a corruptor, and many more. Emotional feeling that can be said as her revenge to men cannot be transferred since she is afraid of men. Nevertheless, later she transfers it when she kills a pimp. The other experience which she has is social experience. It is related to the society. The society where she lives considers that women are men‟s slaves. Men are higher than women. Therefore, women have to do what the men say. In a certain time, it is contradicted the fact which she does not want to do that. She is smart enough; even she gets an appreciation when she graduates in secondary school. She wishes she could have a better life by having that certificate from school and good marks. She wishes she gets a proper job and works in an office. It makes her think optimistically about her life in the future where there is nobody controls her life anymore. Firdaus sees men as an abuser, an oppressor, a rapist, and a corruptor. This perception imprinted since they treat her badly. McLeod 2007 says that there are three kinds of characteristics which influence someone‟s perception p. 20. In this case, Firdaus belongs to the first characteristic that is characteristic of perceiver. This point consists of attitudes, motives, interests, experiences, and expectation. In Firdaus‟ life, men dominate those five things. They have an important role in her life. They show bad attitudes which make her hate them so much. As the result, she is revengeful to men for what they have done. They also create bad motives which make her decide to be a prostitute. They create bad experience and expectation which make her feel nothing and have no idea about life and love. Therefore, when she is sentenced to death, she prefers to die than live under men‟s control and authority. Firdaus‟ characteristics are like a shield to face the problems. At school, she belongs to a smart student, proved by a secondary certificate that she has p. 34. This smartness is not only seen from her academic, but also from her attitude in facing difficulties. One of the real examples is when she is caged in Bayoumi‟s house. She is smart asks neighbour to call a carpenter to open the door. “Instead, I asked her to bring a carpenter” p. 54. On the contrary, if she is not smart she might not ask the neighbour to call the carpenter. That is the simple proof of her smartness. She is also independent. Related to her experiences, this characteristic brings a big influence. She shows that she can live without men. Since she thinks that marriage is the system built on the cruelest suffering for women p. 94, she does not marry. As a matter of fact, she can live independently although as a prostitute. Firdaus is optimistic but revengeful. She always seeing every chance in life. It shows when she tries to get a job in an office. Another example is when she is hurt by men. After being abuse, she goes without destiny. However, she is optimistic to find a better place. Moreover, she has a secondary certificate. Unfortunately, when she works in an office, a man she loves hurts her. It adds her hatred to men getting bigger. Thus, she is revengeful to every man. They dominate many things that women cannot get their right. They concern on their own needs and how to be richer and richer pp. 26-27. It makes her become a prostitute again to get the freedom as a woman pp. 94-97. The other of Firdaus‟ characteristic that influence her way in seeing man is her bravery. In the end of the story, she is sent to a prison for killing a pimp. It starts from her experiences which she is being raped, abuse, and oppressed by men. She revenges to what they have done. Finally, it makes her brave enough to kill a man. Thus, her characteristics bring a big contribution for her influence in seeing men. Formerly, she accepts the rule that men are higher than women and that women have to be obedience to men especially a husband. However, she breaks the rule.

4.2.1 Firdaus’ Experiences with Men

During her life, Firdaus has many experiences with men some of which are about sexual abuses and violence. When she is child, she often sees her father hits her mother. Additionally, a son and a daughter are treated differently by their parents. However, being abused by men brings her into a point zero which is the lowest part in her life. There are some men who stated in the story. They are as follow.