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3. ANALYSIS OF GENDER
3.1 Gender Role
Gender term is always related to feminism that culturally offers different perspective between man and woman. Man is suppossed to be stronger and
rational than woman is. On the contrary, the woman is weak and an emotional creature that appears the differences ever be until now. The discussion of woman
and man will never come to an end when patriarchal system is still dominant.
The patriarchal system culturally has made the gap between the position of man and woman. The concept of such separation is basically affected by cultural
sense for man is “out home” species, while woman is “domestic” that cares the home and home works. Man is culturally accepted to earn life for family outside
home. Woman is waiting at home, raising the children and serving the husband. In the beginning of the play Riders to the sea, the role of women is
represented by the characters Nora, Cathleen, the girls, and Maurya, the mother are all at home. They are waiting for Bartley, the only son, to come home. Such a
portrayal emphasizes how woman role is surrounded by domestic matters. It can be seen from the dialogue below :
Nora: a young girl : where is she ? Cathleen a girl about twenty : she’s lying down, God
help her, and may be sleeping, if she is able. Riders to the sea, 1904:39
The dialogue above starts portraying the situation of a home, a home of a fisherman in the west coast of Ireland. Maurya is portrayed as an old woman
whose husband and six sons have died on the sea. The conflict begins when Michael, Bartley’s brother, has been drowned on the sea but the body has not been
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found yet. The only thing left is a shirt which is put inside the bundle. It troubles the family because the shirt is not enough to be proof for Michael’s death. Thus,
the death for Michael is still a mystery in which Nora and Cathleen are afraid to open it.
Nora : The young priest is after bringing them ... It’s a shirt and a plain stocking were got off a drowned man in Donegal.
Nora whispers we’re to find out if it’s Micheal’s they are, some time herself will be down looking by the sea.
Riders to the sea, 1904:39
It’s clearly seen how woman is not brave enough to decide directly about what has happened. Both Nora and Cathleen are full with consideration to open
the bundle if it belongs to their brother Michael. Their weak manner has directed their emotion to keep the fact as a secret. They are not playing with their logical
though the situation is quite urgent. It happens so because they think their mother has been old enough to hear the bad news. They are afraid if their mother finally
knows what has taken place to her son Michael. What has been shown from the context above is the portrait of woman
perspective as a weak creature. Woman is not transparant to look at complicated things rationally. They tend to put forward emotion in advance than rationality. It
is then leading the conflict of the family left unanswered. It does not suggest that woman brings conflict higher, but the response which is based on emotion is not
proper for understanding the fact. Culturally, the perspective of woman as a weak creature is under condition
of feminism which is contrast to masculinism. The latter refers to muscle that means full of strength’ the former is less muscle that refers to woman. Physcally,
woman can be strong too as a man is. Yet, cultural perception has directed the
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notion of woman as a weak person is based on different perspective. Area of home that belongs to woman seems not to use energy physically. But, hunting for
food that directs to man is full with strength and bravery. Woman is lack of such characteristic culturally.
Cathleen : There’s a cake baking at fire for a short space—throwing down turf—Bartley will want it when
the tide turns if he goes to Conemara.
Riders to the sea, 1904:40
The work of Cathleen in the play is to make cake for Bartley. Cathleen represents woman for all and Bartley represent man otherwise. He goes to the sea
for earning money and his sisters and mother are waiting at home. Sea is a symbol of place to fight for life with full risk. In addition, the risk is addressed to man
authority. In short, man is suppossed to be responsible on what is needed at home.
3.2 Gender Stratification
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