A Shi ft to Symbolic Father and Its Negative Effect for Portia’s Self-

inter-subjective dialogue as a means for reconstructing Portias identity. Inter- subjective dialogue, which involves critiques and sheer disruption, differentiates the concept of sisterhood with the old concept of feminism. The old feminism emphasizes that women must love one another unconditionally, avoid conflict and minimize the disagreement. This concept will not be effective to give self- freedom for Portia because it can raise the new issue of Portias dependency and unity with other women. So, to make Portia aware of her own self-conviction and freedom, constructive critiques and sheer disruption must be evoked. To sum up, the previous studies have focused the analysis on Portia‟s immaturity and her inability to socialize herself with society. Warren, McDowell, Seward, and Corcoran focus their argument on the portrayal of innocent Portia and sentimental mother. Meanwhile, there is one issue that differentiates this study from those studies. This study observes the reason for being the sentimental mother itself. This study proposes the notion of patriarchal motherhood to give a view about how mother- daughter‟s unity is formed and how it affects the formation of Portia‟s characters. Patriarchal motherhood is seen as the oppressive act for women or mothers since they are positioned in private sphere and as the primary caregiver for their daughter. Oppression to mother‟s identity constructs mother- daughter‟s symbiotic relation. This issue of patriarchal motherhood will help the reader to understand more about the negativity of patriarchy that basically constructs the formation of gender identity, both for the mother and her daughter. Further, the impact of symbolic law toward the social construction of womanhood also becomes the focus of this study. Critiques from Daiches, PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI McDowell, and Chaffin help this study to subvert the role of symbolic law as the fulfillment for Portias identity. This study challenges the role of the symbolic father which is regarded as the complement figure for the daughters identity. Shifting her love to the symbolic father in order to get knowledge about social life actually harms the development of Portias self-identity. The imposition of feminine gender identity constructs a figure of submissive and obedient women under mens order. Moreover, the symbolic father that forbids pleasure or re- attachment to maternal forms becomes the main reason for Portias retreat. Females self which is defined based on mutual and reciprocal relation demands a response from the other, whether it is through care, love, and attention. Since those things are not preserved by the symbolic father or society, thus refusal or rejection to social order comes to the surface. Thus, to elaborate more about the notion of female subjectivity, this study focuses the analysis on the notion of female bond or sisterhood. Through constructive critique and sheer disruption, Portia can get her autonomy. She no longer becomes the silent subject who is oppressed by society but she finally appears as the one who resists the social construction of womanhood and establishes her self-freedom.

2.2 Review of Related Theories

In The Death of the Heart, the significant issue represented by Bowen is the social construction of womanhood. This novel highlights the failure of Portias self-identification to mother and symbolic father. This following sub-chapter will discuss three main related theories that support the analysis of the social construction of womanhood and resistance toward it. The first theory deliberates the issue of patriarchal motherhood which is seen as an oppressive act for a mother. Patriarchal motherhood exposes the notion of mother-daughters unity as the consequence for mothers primary role in childrearing practice. This theory discusses the effect of mother-daughters unity to the daughters self-development. The second theory represents the feminine identification in symbolic law. This theory will elaborate the problem of mother-daughters separation which evokes the emergence of ego and encourages the daughters movement to the symbolic father. Ego makes the daughter aware of her lacking identity, and it initiates her desire to complete her lacking self through establishing a relationship with other people. In a relationship with other people, the daughter must join fathers language, the universal one, which represents the law of culture. As the consequence of the daughters shift or movement to the symbolic father, she becomes the object of the social construction of womanhood. Symbolic father imposes feminine identification to her so that she will be accepted in society as a mature woman. Meanwhile, symbolic father forbids re-attachment to maternal form so that the daughter can repress her immature and childish character. Therefore, since the original desire of the daughter is the mother‟s love, thus the forbidden re- attachment constructs symbolic father as the lacking subject for the daughter. Thus to challenge patriarchal motherhood and symbolic father, this study proposes the third theory about sisterhood. There are two main ideas represented in this theory; female friends as a transitional phase to Portias self-independency, PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI and sisterhood as the reconstruction of Portias identity. Sisterhood evokes a self- autonomy through inter-subjective dialogue between women. The inter-subjective dialogue in sisterhood subverts the repetition of imaginary unity and dependency between women and helps the daughter to construct her self-identity without adhering to certain feminine rules or model.

2.2.1 Patriarchal Motherhood

According to Kate Millet, patriarchy refers to the male domination of women, whether it is of sex or age. 32 In other sides, motherhood is the patriarchal institution of motherhood that is male-defined and controlled. 33 From these two definitions, patriarchal motherhood is seen as an oppressive institution from male toward females identity, especially as the mother. Under the notion of patriarchal motherhood, the mothering process is centered on a mother. There is an expectation from society toward the mothers role in childrearing practice, in which the mother is responsible for the process of her childrens self- transformation or self-development. 34 For the social demand of womens primary nurturer, it can construct the symbiotic relationship between the mother and daughter and make them fall into imaginary unity. The following part discusses the construction of mother-daughters symbiotic relationship and its effect toward the daughters self-development. 32 Mary Murray. The Law of the Father? Patriarchy in the transition from feudalism to capitalism. NY: Routledge, 1995, p. 7 33 O‟ Reilly, p. 3 34 O‟ Reilly, p. 6