elaborated plays celebrating famous womens lives with all the women and children of the harem and occasionally the young men participate as members of
the production or members of the audience. These plays helped Mernissi to decide that singing, dancing and sensuality were part of the feminists lives and should
not be forgotten; sensuality was a refreshingly natural part of life throughout the story.
So, we can see that Fatima Mernissi wrote the memoir that about the cultural image of women in harem. She also described the best ways of her
mother, grandmother, aunts and cousins in delivering some feminist thoughts to her as a young generation. Those are life experiences that might have been
experienced by other women. According to brief explanation about memoir of Dreams of Trespass:
Tales of a Harem Girlhood above, the writer decides to analyze the feminism thoughts that appear in the story used feminist literary criticism theory. Finally,
the writer determines this research under the title
“Feminism Thoughts in Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatima Mernissi
”.
B. Focus of the Study
In this research, the writer focuses to analyze the feminism thoughts that appear through female characters in Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem
Girlhood based on feminist literary criticism theory.
C. Research Questions
Based on both of the background of study and the focus of study above, the writer makes research questions as:
1. What are feminism thoughts that appear in Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a
Harem Girlhood through the female characters? 2.
How do the female characters shape the feminism thoughts in Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood?
D. Objectives of the Study
The objectives of the study are to know the feminism thoughts in Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood and how the female characters shape the
feminism thoughts analyzed by feminist literary criticism theory.
E. Significances of the Study
The significances of the study are to give information and to contribute the feminist literary criticism to all readers. Later, the readers are expected to
recognize the feminism thoughts which are implied in Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatima Mernissi. Besides, the writer hopes that the result
of this research can enrich the treasure of literary works especially for student of English Letters Department, Adab and Humanities Faculty, State Islamic
University of Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.
F. Research Methodology
There are some elements applied in using research methodologies, they are:
1. Method of Research
This research analyzed by using qualitative research method. The writer is the main instrument who read a literary works carefully, such in this
case is novel. In addition, the research is descriptively which is raveled in words without numbers.
2. Data Analysis
In this research, the writer analyses the feminism thoughts which are reflected in Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood. The writer
applies the feminist literary criticism as theory in this research. Despitefully, to water down the procession of analyzing data and
supporting data accuracy, the writer applies some references such as books, journals, websites, and the other data that relates to the object of research.
3. Research Instrument
Instrument in this research is the writer herself by reading the memoir of Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatima Mernissi
carefully. Then, the writer makes the recording and the selection of data or the reduction of data. Namely, the irrelevant data of the research will be left and
the relevant data will be given an emphasizing underlinethickening to water down the writer for determining an indicator.
4. Unit of Data Analysis
Unit of data analysis in this research is Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatima Mernissi published by Wesley Addison Publishing
Company, 1994.
5. Time and Place of Research
This research started from January 2009 to June 2011 in State Islamic University of Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.
CHAPTER 2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS
A. Feminism Theory
Etymologically, feminism comes from word femme woman; it means a woman singular, struggling to get women rights plural as a social class.
9
According to Ratna, feminism aimed to make a balancing of interrelation of gender and it is movement conducted by women to refuse everything that
subordinated and margined by dominant culture either in political fields, economics, or other social life.
10
Recently, feminism is not only about women, but it is primarily the activity of giving them a voice, an access to power hitherto denied appears to
capture the spirit of both academic and politic pursuits. However, this apparently sample statement reveals multiple layers of complexity and contradiction. For
many women who indentify themselves as feminists, women’s access power is
achieved through action towards women’s right achievements in terms of women’s suffrage, legislation for rights within marriage and in relation to children
and employment. Some feminists define themselves through their lifestyles, which may involve seeking social change trough challenging patriarchal institutions, or
9
Kutha Ratna Nyoman, Teori, metode, dan Teknik Penelitian Sastra Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar, 2006, p. 184.
10
Ibid, p. 184.
living without immediate reference to men. For others feminism involves the development of scholarly critiques of accepted values and knowledge.
11
Further, feminism is essentially a reaction to, and product of patriarchal cultural and one of its significant roles has been to account
for women’s subordination. At the very least, f
eminism seeks to contextualize women’s lives and explain the constraints, attributed by some to biology within a social
framework. It may be that through such endeavors women’s beliefs about the way their lives should be may be emancipated from the constraints of patriarchal
culture.
12
Feminism, including in particular such notions as womens right to equality and their right to control their own lives, is, with respect to the Middle
Easts current civilization at any rate, an idea that do not arise indigenously, but that come to the Middle Eastern societies from outside. To predict and direct the
future of that idea, and therefore the future of women in the Middle East, an understanding of the development of feminism in the Middle East is crucial,
including its transformations transplanted to a Middle Eastern, predominantly Islamic environment, and its different interpretations in the locally different
cultures of the Middle East. It swiftly becomes apparent, in considering the history of feminism in the Middle East that two forces in particular within Middle
Eastern societies modify; hampering or aiding the progress of feminism. First there are attitudes within the particular society, and the cultures and the sub-
11
Paula Nicholson, Gender, Power, and Organization UK: Taylor Francis Ltd, 1996, p. 20- 21.
12
Ibid, p. 21.
cultures formulations, formal and informal, regarding women. Second and perhaps as important, are the societys attitudes and relationship to feminisms
civilization of origin, the Western world.
13
Moreover, feminism is an important concept that has advanced the social standing and the cultural viewpoint concerning women throughout the world.
Feminism encompasses the notion that women are equal to men and should be treated with respect, dignity and equal consideration. Young girls are especially
susceptible to societal standards of gender norms. It is important for them to develop self-confidence to be strong girls that grow into strong women.
14
There are many ways to deliver feminist thought, including through the access of education, politic, economy, social, culture, and literature. Before
feminism movement is more progressive, writing is an effective way to develop feminism thought. According to Cixous, writing is a privileged space for the
exploration of bisexual hierarchies. She believes that writing can be a place for an alternative economy.
15
Cixous adds, utterance is a very transgressive action for women, and the writing is a privileged space for transformation.
16
Cixous also uses the theater as a space to develop her critiques of the subjectivity forms and
13
Leila Ahmed, “Feminism and feminist movements in the Middle East, a preliminary
exploration: Turkey, Egypt, Algeria, Peoples Democratic Republic of Yemen ”, Women’s Studies
International Forum, Vol. 5, Issue 2, 1982, P. 153.
14
How to Teach Feminism to Young Girls, eHow Family, Accessed on March 5, 2011.
http:www.ehow.comhow_2127025_teach-feminism-young-girls.html.
15
Madan Sarup, Posstrukturalisme dan Posmodernisme: Sebuah Pengantar Kritis, Translator: Medhy Aginta Hidayat Yogyakarta: Jendela, 2007, p. 196.
16
Ibid, p.192.
representation that dominate the contemporary life. She believes that theater in the past treats women as objects consistently.
17
Thus, the focus needs to be put on the fact that the overwhelming majority of Arab women are illiterate. It means that these women are cut off from all the
developments that are taking place in the world because they cannot read or write. So, Arab women actually should play an important role in educational institutions,
which is extremely important to the women who have left the basic struggle for survival and have reached a higher standard of living.
B. Feminist Literary Criticism Theory
