A Description Of Gender Found In John Mellington’s Play Riders To The Sea

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A DESCRIPTION OF GENDER FOUND IN JOHN MELLINGTON’S PLAY RIDERS TO THE SEA

A PAPER

WRITTEN BY

HANNI ANGELIA S REG. NO: 122202073

DIPLOMA –III ENGLISH STUDY PROGRAM FACULTY OF CULTURE STUDY

UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA MEDAN

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It has been proved by

Supervisor,

NIP. 196302161989031003

Drs. Parlindungan Purba, M.Hum.

Submitted to Faculty of Culture Studies, University of Sumatera Utara In partial fulfillment of the requirements for DIPLOMA (D-III) in English

Approved by

Head of Diploma III English Study Program,

NIP. 19521126198112 1 001 Dr. Matius C.A. Sembiring, M.A.

Approved by the Diploma III English Study Program Faculty of Culture Studies, University of Sumatera Utara As a Paper for the Diploma (D-III) Examination

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Accepted by the Board of Examiners in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the D-III Examination of the Diploma III English Study Program, Faculty of Culture Studies, University of Sumatera Utara.

The examination is held on July 2015

Faculty of Culture Studies, University of Sumatera Utara Dean,

NIP. 19511013197603 1 001 Dr. Syahron Lubis, M.A.

Board of Examiners Signature

1. Dr. Matius C.A. Sembiring, M.A. (Head of ESP) 2. Drs. Parlindungan Purba, M.Hum. (Supervisor) 3. Dr. Masdian Lubis, M.Hum. (Reader)

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AUTHOR’S DECLARATION

I am, HANNI ANGELIA S declare that I am the sole author of this paper. Except where the reference is made in the text of this paper, this paper contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a paper by which I have qualified for or awarded another degree.

No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text of this paper. This paper has not been submitted for the award of another degree in any tertiary education.

Signed : ...

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COPYRIGHT DECLARATION

Name : Hanni Angelia S

Title of Paper : A Description of Gender Found in John Mellington’s Play Riders to the Sea

Qualification : D-III / Ahli Madya

Study Program : English

I am willing that my paper should be available for reproduction at the direction of the Librarian of the Diploma III English Department Faculty of Letters USU on the understanding that users are made aware of their obligation under law of the Republic of Indonesia.

Signed : ...

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iii ABSTRACT

The paper entitled A Description of Gender Found in John Mellington’s play Riders to the sea. The paper discusses about gender in John Mellington’s play. There are three kind of gender issues portrayed. They are gender role, gender stratification, and gender equality. Gender issue happens because of cultural perspective under the patriarchal system. The system places man’s dominance over woman. Man is supposed to be stronger than woman in social role. The difference position has resulted stratification that limits woman’s role. In order to accept woman’s position the treatment of equality is needed for giving opportunity to woman to have fair role socially and culturally. The method applied is known as descriptive qualitative.

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iv ABSTRAK

Judul tugas akhir ini adalah A Description of Gender Found in John Mellington’s Play , Riders to the Sea. Drama Riders to the Sea ditulis oleh John Mellington. Penulis membahas tentang jender yang ada di dalam drama tersebut. Ada 3 jenis jender yaitu; peran gender, gender stratifikasi dan kesetaraan gender. Perbedaan gender terjadi karena perbedaan budaya akibat sistem patriarkal. Sistem ini meyakini bahwa peran wanita berbeda dengan laki-laki. Perbedaan persepsi ini menghasilkan tindakan diskriminatif yang merendahkan derajat kaum perempuan. Tuntutan kesetaraan gender dimaksudkan untuk memberi ruang dan tempat bagi kaum perempuan setara dengan laki-laki. Penggambaran analisis gender dalam paper ini menggunakan metode deskriptif kualitatif.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First of all, the writer wants to thank the Lord Almighty for His blessings and grace, the writer can complete this paper well entitled A Description Of Gender Found In John Mellington’s Play Riders to the Sea. In completing this thesis, the writer also received help and guidance from many people. The writer would like to thank to her beloved parents for their moral and material supports to the writer.

Specifically, the writer would like to thank to her head of Diploma-III Bahasa Inggris Dr. Matius C.A. Sembiring, M.A, Dr. Parlindungan Purba, M.Hum as her supervisor and the last Dr. Masdiana Lubis, M. Hum as her reader who always supports her and give so many guidance and advices to the writer in completing this thesis.

Medan, July 2015

The writer,

Hanni Angelia S

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

AUTHOR’SDECLARATION ... i

COPYRIGHT DECLARATION ...………... ii

ABSTRACT ..……….………... iii

ABSTRAK ...………... iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....………...……… v

TABLE OF CONTENTS ...………... vi

1. INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background of the Study …………...…...………... 1

1.2 Problem of the study .………...………...……...………. 2

1.3 Scope of the Study ....………...…...……… 3

1.4 Purposes of the Study ... 3

1.5 The Method of Study ………...…... 3

1.5.1 Chart of Method of Research ... 5

2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 6 2.1 Literature ………...…...………... 6

2.2 Play ...…...……... 7

2.3 Gender ... 8

2.4 Gender Equality ... 11

3. ANALYSIS OF GENDER 15

3.1 Gender Role .………...………... 15

3.2 Gender Stratification .………... 17

3.3 Gender Equality ... 19

4. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 24

4.1 Conclusions ... 24

4.2 Suggestions ... 25

REFERENCES ... 26

APPENDICES ………...………….……... 27

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iii ABSTRACT

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iv ABSTRAK

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Literature is a term used to describe written or spoken material. Broadly speaking, “literature” used to describe anything from creative writing to more technical or scientific works, but the term is most commonly used to refer to works of the creative imagination, including works or poetry, drama, fiction and non-fiction. Taylor (1981:1) states, “Literature, like the other arts, is essentially an imaginative act of the writer’s imagination in selecting, ordering, and interpreting life-experience”.

One of the most phenomenal literary works is play. A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. According to Wikipedia (the free Encyclopedia, internet research), plays are performed at a variety of levels, from Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theater, to Community theatre, as well as University or school productions.

Play is general and the subject of tragedy, comedy, and also social problems. One of the social issues that are often discussed in a play is gender equality. Some of plays that discuss gender issues are The Glass Menagerie, My Antonia and Riders to the Sea.

In this paper, the writer wants to discuss about the gender equality in John Mellington’s Riders to the Sea. This drama was written in 1904, and performed in a play on February 25th 1904. The play is centered on the theme of family starting with the mother of Cathleen and Nora, who is proud of her son, Bartley, rather than her daughters. After her son death, the mother (Maurya) feels so depress. But

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finally, her daughters successfully make her proud. This play raises questions of duty and responsibility to your other family members, and for the most part in gender specific roles.

Gender is a social construction with important consequences in everybody life. Social role theory proposes that the social structure is the underlying force for the gender differences. Social role theory proposes that the sex-differentiated behavior is driven by the division of labor between two sexes within a society. Division of labor creates gender roles, which in turn, lead to gendered social behavior.

Gender equality is the state in which access to rights or opportunities is unaffected by gender. It refers to the equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities women and men and girls and boys. Gender equality is not a woman’s issue but should concern and fully men as well as women. Equality between women and men is seen both as a human rights issue and as a precondition for, and indicator of, sustainable people – centered development.

Based on the description above, the writer feels interested to make a paper entitled A Description of Gender Found in John Mellington’s Play Riders to the Sea_.

1.2 Problems of the Study

1. What is gender role issue found in John Mellington’s play Riders to the Sea?

2. What is gender stratification issue found in John Mellington’s play Riders to the Sea?

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3. What is gender equality issue found in John Mellington’s play Riders to the Sea?

1.3 Scope of the Study

The scope of this paper is gender role, gender stratification and gender equality. The portrayal of the gender issues is based on interpretation of the text in the form of selected quotations.

1.4 The Purposes of Study The purpose of the study are :

1. To explain gender role as expressed in John Mellington’s play Riders to the Sea.

2. To describe gender stratification in John Mellington’s play Riders to the Sea.

3. To describe gender equality in John Mellington’s play Riders to the Sea.

1.5 Method of the Study

Since this research is focused on documented data, the research is better known as library research. The writer will use the method of descriptive qualitative. According to Gall (1996:28), descriptive qualitative research is used to describe the situation or phenomenon being studied, and to conduct the aim of description and researches may follow-up with examinations of the observation and implications. The method of analysis is descriptive qualitative in terms of describing the intrinsic elements as portrayed in the play Riders to the sea by John Mellington. The writer collects some data to support the analysis, finding the related data to the research then narrowing the collecting data of the library

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research to the main data source which is the playscript of Riders to the Sea. Besides, the writer also uses internet to search more information to support this paper.

The writer of this paper will follow some procedures of the analysis. The writer has two steps in writing this paper. First, the writer reads the script repeatedly to make her understand about the story. And then, the writer will collect all the key words and data and do the analysis. Then, the writer to find out the meaning of gender equality and make the description in the play Riders to the Sea by John Mellington’s. The last, the writer will browse data from internet to look for the compliment sources and also to know the biography of the writer, and then the writer make interpretation and analysis before coming to the conclusions about it.

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5 1.5.1 Chart of the Method of Research

To make the readers understand about it, the writer makes a chart of the method of the study. Look at the chart below:

RESULT

Sources of data

1. Drama Riders to the Sea by John Mellington

2. Some books: literary book 3. Internet

Read the drama text, classified the data and analyze.

Researcher

Conclusion

Method:

Descriptive Qualitatif

Select the text –

Interpreting - Analyzing

The quotations that selected are data

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2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Literature

Literature is a term used to describe written or spoken material. Broadly speaking, “literature” is used to describe anything from creative writing to more technical or scientific works, but the term is most commonly used to refer to works of the creative imagination, including works of poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction. The word “literature” has different meanings depending on who is using it and in what context. It could be applied broadly to mean any symbolic record, encompassing everything from images and sculptures to letters. In a more narrow sense the term could mean only text composed of letters, or other examples of symbolic written languagwe. An even more narrow interpretation is that text have a physical form, such as on paper or some other portable form, to te exclusion of inscriptions or digital media.

Literature is a body of written works related by subject-matter (e.g. the literature of computing), by language or place of origin (e.g. Russian literature), or by prevailing cultural standards of merit. In this last sense, ‘literature’ is taken to include oral, dramatic, and broadcast compositions that may not have been published in written form but which have been (or deserve to be) preserved. Since the 19th century, the broader sense of literature as a totality of written or printed works has given way to more exclusive definitions based on criteria of imaginative, creative, or artistic value, usually related to a work’s absence of factual or practical reference. Until the mid-20th century, many kinds of non-fictional writing in philosophy, history, biography, criticism, topography, science, and politics were counted as literature; implicit in this broader usage is a

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definition of literature as that body of works which, deserves to be preserved as part of the current reproduction of meanings within a given culture. This sense seems more tenable than the later attempts to divide literature as creative, imaginative, fictional, or non-practical from factual writings or practically effective works of propaganda, rhetoric, or didactic writing.

According to Simon and Delyse Ryan in Wikipedia, literature is a road that is much travelled, though the point of arrival, if ever reached, is seldom satisfactory. Most attempted definitions are broad and vague, and they inevitably change overtime. In fact, the only thing that is certain about defining literature is that the definition will change. Concepts of what is literature change over time as well.

2.2 Play

Play is a literature composition that tells a story, usually of human conflict, by means of dialogue and action, to be performed by actors; play; now often specif, any play that is not a comedy. Not only that, a play is also a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. A play or drama offers another classical literary form that has continued to revolve over the years. During the 18th and 19th centuries, opera developed as a combination of poetry, drama, and music. Nearly all drama took verse form until comparatively recently. A play is something to act out or do a performance. And drama is now commonly used to refer to a genre of film or television which is more serious than comedy.

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An older meaning of ‘drama’ was the spesific mode of fiction represented in performance. Drama is often combined with music and dance: the drama in opera is generally sung throughout; musicals generally include both spoken dialogue and songs; and some forms of drama have incidental music or musical accompaniment underscoring the dialogue. And drama is similar to it, its not acting out from something, but doing a play is drama.

2.3 Gender

Gender is often associated with gender (sex), whereas gender is different from sex. Gender is often understood as a gift from God or kodrat Ilahi, whereas gender is not solely so. In terminology, ‘gender’ can be defined as the cultural expectations of men and women (Lips, 1993: 4). Another definition of gender put forward by Elaine Showalter. According to him ‘gender’ is a distinction of men and women seen from the socio-cultural construction (Showalter, 1989: 3). Gender can also be used as an analytical concept that can be used to describe something (Umar, 1999: 9).

Of some of the definitions of the above can be understood that gender is a trait that is used as the basis for identifying the differences between men and women in terms of social conditions and Cultural Studies, values and behavior, mentality and emotions, as well as factors other nonbiologis. In general, sex is used to identify the differences in male and female anatomy in terms of biological, gender was more concentrated to the social, cultural, and other aspects nonbiologis. If the sex studies more emphasis on the development aspects of biological and shemical composition of the body of a male and female, then

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gender studies more emphasis on development aspects of a person’s masculinity and feminity.

History of gender differences between a man occurs through a very lengthy process and is formed by several reasons, such as socio-cultural conditions, religious condition of statehood. With this long process, the gender defference is often considered to be a provision ultimately God is as if the natural or biological nature can not be changed anymore. This is exactly what causes the onset of gender inequality in the society.

Gender has a significant position in one’s life and can determine the life experience that will be gone. Gender can determine a person’s access to education, work, and other public sectors. Gender can also determine the health, life ecpectancy, and a person’s freedom of movement. Clearly, gender will determine sexuality, relationships, and ability to make decisions and act autonomously. Finally, gender determines a person who many will be what it will be.

Gender is a social construction with important consequences in everybody life. Gender is constructed both socially through social interactions as well as biologically through chromosomes, brain structure, and hormonal differences. Gender refers to the social, psychological, and cultural attributes of masculinity and femininity that are based on the above biological distinctions. Gender pertains to the socially learned patterns of behaviour and the psychological or emotional expression or attitudes that distinguish males from females. Ideas about masculinity and feminity are culturally derived and pattern the ways in which males and females are treated from birth onward. Gender is an important factor in

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shaping people’s self image and social identities. Gender is learned through the socializations process and thus is and achieved status.

Scott (1990:535) states that gender, which is defined as a social construction rather than an essential biological trait, comes in many forms: in languages that assign genders to nouns and pronouns; in what sociologist describe as “sex roles,” which divide and limit what persons of one sex or the other can do in private and public spheres; in efforts to recuperate the culture or traditions of women, as neglected and marginal when compared to those of gender.

Gender roles are sets of societal norms dictating what types of behaviours are generally considered acceptable, appropriate or desirable for a person based on their actual or perceived sex. These are usually centered around masculinity, although there are myriad exceptions and variations. The spesifics regarding these gendered expectations may vary substantially among cultures, write other characteristics may be common throughout a range of cultures.

There is ongoing debate as what extent gender roles and their variations are biologically determined, and to what extent they are socially constructed. Gender roles may be a means through which one may express their gender identity, but they may also be employed as a means of exerting social control, and individuals may experience negative social consequencesfor violating them.Vario us groups have led efforts to change aspects of prevailing gender roles that they believe are oppressive or inaccurate, most notably the feminist movement.

The terms was first coined by John Money in 1955 during the course of his study of intersex individuals to describe the manners in which these individuals

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express their status as a male or female, in a situation where no clear biological assignment exists.

And gender is an important are of study in many disciplines, such as literary theory, drama studies, film theory, performance theory, contemporary art history, anthropology, sociology, psychology and psychoanalysis. These disciplines sometimes differ in their ap is aproaches to how and why they study gender. For instance in anthropology, sociology and psychology, gender is often studied as practice, whereas in cultural studies representations of gender are more often examined. Gender studies also a discipline in itself, an interdisciplinary are of study that incorporates methods and approaches from a wide range of disciplines.

2.4 Gender Equality

Gender equality is achieved when women and men enjoy the same rights and opportunities cross all sectors of society, including economic participation and decision-making, and when the different behaviors, aspirations and needs of women and men are equally valued and favored. From Wikipedia, gender equality is measured by looking at the representation of men and of women in a range of roles. A number of international comparative gender equality indices have been prepared and these offer a way to compare Ireland’s achievements with those of other countries. Each index looks at a distinct list of parameters and the choice of parameters affects `the outcome for each country. Gender equality and women’s empowerment are human rights that lie at the heart of development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Despite the progress that has been made, six out of ten of world’s peorest people are still women and girls, less

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than 16 percent of the world’s parliamentarians are women, two thirds of all children shut outside the school gates are girls and, both in times of armed conflict and behind closed doors at home, women are still systematically subjected to violence. Rossi (1964: 261) states that:

The traditional conception of masculine and feminine are inappropriate to the kind of world we can live in during the second half of the twentieth century. An androgynous conception of sex role means that each sex will cultivate some of the characteristics usually associated with the other in traditional sex role difinition.

Rossi proposed that boys in socialized to be tender and expressive so they will later feel free express these equalities in their social relationships. He also recommends that girls be inculcated with achievement need, workmanship, and assertiveness so they will feel free to express these equalities in their adult life. This socialization strategy is assumed to ultimately enable both men and women to develop the full range of human equalities regardless of their gender. The movement towards gender equality, especially in Western countries, began with the suffragette movement of the late- 19th century. Then there was a change in relation to a woman’s property rights in marriage. This situation has begun to change in recent years. As more and more woman have entered the job market, husbands have begun to share responsibilities of home with their wives. It is also easy for a working wife to feel responsible for any problems her children might have. Whereas she may feel guilty for not staying at home, her husband is likely to assume that it is normal, and he will be take care their home.

For example, like a construction laborers. With the rise of economics that exist in Indonesia whatsoever should be done every human being, including

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working women have participated in the building to be porters. That is what a woman can do to meet the needs of his family and himself.

Gender equality began to influence society since the 15th century. On the European continent it started to effect society in 1602. In America, it is beginning to happen in 1774. Meanwhile, in Asia, it started in the latest of 19th century. In Indonesia, gender equality began to be known since the emancipation of women pioneered by RA. Kartini, in 1899.

There are also countries that have a history of a high level of gender equality in certain areas of life, but not in other aremas. An example is Finland which has offered very high opportinities to women in public/professional life, but has had a weak legal approach to the issue of violence against women, with the situation in this country having been called a paradox.

Gender equality is a achieved when people are able to access and enjoy the same rewards, resources and opportunities regardless of whether they are a woman or a man. Many countries worldwide, including Australia, have made significant progress towards gender equality in recent decades, particularly in areas such as education. However, women continue to earn less than men, are less likely to advance their careers as far as men, and are more likely to spend their final years in poverty. At the same time, some men find it more difficult to access family-friendly pilicies or flexible working arrangements than women.

The aim of gender equality in the workplace is to achieve broadly equal outcomes for women and men, not exactly the same outcome for all individuals.

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14 To achieve this requires:

• Workplaces to provide equal remuneration for women and men for work of equal or comparable value.

• The removal of barriers to the full and equal participation of women in the workforce.

• Full and genuine access to all occupations and industries, including to leadership roles for women and men.

• Elimination of discrimination on the basis of gender particularly in relation to family and caring responsibilities for both women and men. Achieving gender equality is important for workplaces not only because it is ‘fair’ and ‘the right thing to do’, it is also vitally impotant to the bottom line of a business and to the productivity of our nation.

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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

Gender stratification also is linked to descent and residence. Women’s status in matrilineal societies tends to be high because descent-group membership, political succession, land allocation, and overall social identity come through female links. Although, there are no matriarchies, women in many societies wield power and make decisions. Scarcity of resources promotes intervillage warfare, patriliny, and patrilocality. The localization of related males is adaptive for military solidarity. Men may use their warrior role to symbolize and reinforce the social devaluation and oppresion of women. Gender stratification refers to the unequal distribution of wealth, power, and privilege between the sexes.

Specially, gender strafication refers to the differential ability of men and women to access society’s resources and to receive its privileges. As gender

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stratification increases, so does the level of gender inequality, refelecting greater differences between men’s and women’s access to power. Because historically men have garnered greater social power, gender inequality has systematically disadvantaged women.

Bartley (getting his purse and tobacco): I’ll have half an hour to go down and you will see me coming again, in two days, or I three days, or maybe in four days if the wind is bad. Maura (turning round to the fire, and putting her shawl over her head): Is not it hard and cruel man, won’t hear a word from an old woman, and she holding him from the sea?

Cathleen:It is the life of a young man to be going on the sea, and who would listen to an old woman with one thing andshe saying it over?

Bartley (taking the halter): I must go now quickly, I will ride on the red mare, and the grey pony will run behind me. . .

The blessing on God on you—he goes out— (Riders to the Sea, 1904:42)

Based on the example above, it can be found that Bartley as a young man has a higher power level than Maurya, his mother. Obviously, however Maurya prohibit Bartley away, Bartley still remain ignored. And Maurya also in the end did not make this Bartley’s attitude.

For Bartley is a man, Maurya concerns rejection of the attitude is not considered wrong by society on the story. Despite the fact Maurya is a mother, and Bartley is the son, status of mothers and children not becoming more important things in the community, but the gender differences between them.

Gender gaps what are very often happen are those men often governing women as they wish. Men like to send or give orders to the woman, even though it is between husband and wife, brother and women, or among friends.

Nora —looking out— He is coming now and he in hurry. Bartley (coming in and looking round the room;

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speaking sadly): Where is the bit of new rope, Cathleen, was bought in Connemara?

Cathleen (coming down): Give it to him, Nora, It is on a nail by the white boards. I hung it up this morning for the pig with the black feet was eating it.

Nora (giving him a rope): Is that it, Bartley? —Bartley takes the rope—

(Riders to the Sea, 1904:41)

Cathleen: There is a cake baking at the fire for a short space—throwing down turf— Bartley will want it when the tide turns if he goes to Connemara—Nora picks up the turf and puts it round the pot—oven—

(Riders to the Sea, 1904:40)

Through these dialogues, it is clear that Bartley likes to give orders to her mother, especially his sister. Bartley, who was the only man in their family, felt more powerful than his sister.

However, the gender stratification that occurs in families sometimes is caused by Maurya, Maurya herself, as the following example;

Bartley (working at the halter, to Cathleen): Let you go down each day, and see the sheep are not jumping in on the rye, and there is a good price going.

Maurya: How would the like of her get a good price for a pig?

(Riders to the Sea, 1904:42)

Maurya’s attitude illustrates disbelief on Cathleen, her own daughter. She was not sure Cathleen can do the job just because Bartley said that Cathleen is a woman.

3.3 Gender Equality

Gender equality refers to the equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men and girls and boy. Gender equality is a condition where all people (both men and women) are free to develop their personal abilities

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and make choices without being restricted by stereotypes, rigid gender roles. This does not mean that women and men should always be the same, but the rights, responsibilities and opportunities are not affected by whether they are born male or female (UNESCO, 2002).

Gender equality is the absence of discrimination based on sex of a person in obtaining opportunities and the allocation of resources, benefits or in accessing services.

Seen in the drama Riders to the Sea, where girls Maurya’s is Cathleen and Nora want to be treated equally with Bartley. Both feel like not considered by the Maurya, because Maurya just looked at Bartley and considers her son could do anything beyond his daughter. After Maurya know the news that Bartley has gone, she was very sad as if the world has ended. And he thinks that nothing can replace Bartley. Meanwhile she also has two daughters. She ignored Cathleen and Nora. And finally Cathleen and Nora ask the same rights to Bartley and both want Maurya to treat them equally with Bartley.

Cathleen (trying to open the bundle): Give me a knife, Nora, the string’s perished with the salt water, and there is a black knot on it you would not loosen in a week. Nora (giving her a knife): I have heard tell it was a long way to Donegal,

Cathleen (cutting the string):It is surely. There was a man I here a while ago—the man sold us that knife— and he said if you set off walking from the rocks beyond it would be in nine days you would be in Donegal.

Nora: And what time would a man take and he floating . . . ? (Cathleen opens the bundle and takes out a bit of a shirt and stocking. They look at them eagerly).

Cathleen (in a low voice): The Lord spare us, Nora! Is not it a queer hard thing to say if it is his they are surely?

Nora: I will get his shirt off the hook, the way we can put the one flannel on the other (she looks through some

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clothes hanging in the corner). It is not with them, Cathleen, and where will it be?

Cathleen: I’m thinking Bartley put it on him in the morning, for his own shirt was heavy with the salt in it—pointing to the corner—there is a bit of a sleeve was of the same stuff. Give me that and it will do.

(Riders to the Sea, 1904:45)

Based on the dialogues above, it can be seen that Cathleen is trying to do the best for his family. Cathleen does something that can improve the condition of his family. Although, initially unsure Nora and Cathleen. However, in the end Nora also wants to help. Both girls want to prove to their mother that they could also be relied on in the family.

Another situation is when Cathleen shows her jealousy to Maurya indirectly;

Maurya (crying out as he is in the doorway): He is gone now, God spare us, and we will not see him again. He is gone now, and when the black night is in it, I will have no son living in the world.

Cathleen: Why would not you give him your blessing and he looking back in the door? Is not it sorrow enough is on everyone in this house without your sending him out with an unlucky word behind him, and a hard word in his car?

(Riders to the Sea, 1904:44)

At first glance, looks Cathleen wants Maurya said goodbye and dispatched Bartley with the full blessing and a happy smile. However, indirectly, Cathleen shows jealousy. She was jealous because Maurya dote Bartley. He also wants to see it Maurya . He wants Maurya also rely Cathleen in everyday life. Cathleen want status is considered equal to Bartley and not be discriminated because of gender issues.

Bartley (to Cathleen): If the west wind holds with the last bit of the moon, let you and Nora get up weed

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enough for another stack for the kelp. . . . It is hard set we will be from this day, with no one in it but one man to work.

Maurya: It is hard set we will be surely the day you are drowned with the rest what way will I live and the girls with me and I an old woman looking for the grave— Bartley lays down the halter; takes off his coat and puts on a newer one of the same flannel—

(Riders to the Sea,1904:42).

Bartley had a similar feeling with Cathleen. Indirectly, in the words of Cathleen above Bartley, Bartley expressed a desire that Cathleen and Nora also can to do work and help supplement the needs of the house after he went to sea.

Maurya seemed unsure to her daughters. However, Bartley still allowed and ordered Cathleen and Nora to do homework. Bartley confident because the two sisters can he rely on while Bartley left the house.

Cathleen (slowly and clearly): An old woman will be soon tired with anything she will do, and is not it nine days herself is after crying and keening and making great sorrow in the house?

Maura (puts the empty cup mouth-downwards on the table and lays her hands together on Bartley’s feet). They are all together this time, and the end is come . . . May the Almighty God have mercy on Bartley’s soul and Micheal’s soul, and on the souls of Sheamus and Patch, and Stephen and Shawn . . . (bending her head)— and may. He have mercy on my soul, Nora, and on the soul of every one is left living in the world—she pauses, and the keen rises little more loudly from women, then sinks away—

Maurya (continuing): Michael has a clean burial in the far north by the grace of the Almighty God . . . Bartley will have a fine coffin out of the white boards, and a deep grave surely . . . What more can we want than that? No man at all can be living for ever, and we must be satisfied—she kneels down again, and the curtain falls slowly—

(Riders to the Sea, 1904:54)

Here it is clear that in the end Maurya accept her son’s death. She decided to end his grief. Maurya re-arrange his life along with Cathleen and Nora, his two

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daughters are very fond of her daughter. Maurya also in the end trying learn to accept equality of boys and girls. Maurya began to believe that his daughter can do the same with her son who had died.

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4. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

5.1 Conclusions

In John Mellington’s play Riders to the Sea, can be found three gender issues; they are gender roles,gender stratification and gender equality. Gender phenomena happen because of cultural dominance of patriarchal system. Man is supposed to have more quality compared to woman. Gender role specifies the role of woman is domestic in terms of looking after children and cleaning the house. Gender stratification emphasizes the limited power of woman. Gender equality is echoing the voice of fair treatment that all man is equal in front of God.

In the play, the portrait of women are clearly stated that Nora, Cathleen and Maurya are all busy organising home matters. The man, represented by Bartley, is going outside to earn living. The portrait of cultural product in terms of history has been clearly found in the play. Man goes hunting to earn living and woman is waiting at home. This perspective takes place because of patriarchal system that places man is more powerful than woman.

The fact the deconstructive picture happens that woman can be stronger than man. Cathleen makes cake at home implies that woman may work too. Thus, equality can be given to woman because woman can do what the man can. The demand of equality results woman role in order to hinder stratification of different treatment experienced by woman. Finally, it is true that man and woman are perfect couple that can work together in running the life as the way it is.

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25 5.2 Suggestions

Literature reflects life is a clue to know what happens with us. It can be applied as mirror of our faces and our ideas to the world where we are living. The play Riders to the Sea is a good example to lead us understanding gender gap between woman and man. It gives us insights about what happens in the middle of our life. In refernece to this, the study of this paper is only a part from many possible things can be analysed. This study is hoped to encourage students of English Diploma USU to do more than what has been done here in the paper. May this study can be used as reference for further study in this department.

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REFERENCES

Benson, Eugene. 1983. J. M. Synge..: Hongkong: Grove Press Inc.

Gall, M.D. 1996. Educational Research: An Introduction. London: Longman. Johnson, D. 1965. J. M. Synge. New York: Columbia University Press.

Koentjaraningrat. 1980. Manusia dan Kebudayaan di Indonesia. Jakarta:Djambatan.

Kurath, Hans. 1972. Studies in Area Linguistics. Bloomington: Indiana Univ. Press.

Lips, Hilary M. 1993. Sex and Gender: An Introduction. London: Myfield Publishing Company.

Mellington, John. 1904. Riders to the Sea. New York: Columbia University Press. Montgomery, Martin. 1990. An Introduction to Language and Society. London:

Penguin books.

Sembiring, Matius C.A. 2014. Kompiklasi Bahan Kuliah: Metode Penelitian. Medan: Unpublished

Showalter, Elaine. 1989. Speaking of Gender. New York : Routledge.

Sudaryanto. 1993. Metode dan Aneka Teknik Analisis Bahasa Yogyakarta: Wacana University Press.

Surachmad, Winarno. 1982. Pengantar Penelitian Ilmiah. Bandung: Tarsito. Suryabrata, Sumadi. 2002. Metodologi Penelitian. Jakarta: Raja Grafindo Persada. Tarigan, H.G. 1984. Psikolinguistik. Bandung: Angkasa.

Taylor, Richard. 1981. Understanding the Elements of Literature. London: MacMillan International College Edition.

Umar, Nassarudin. 1999. Argumen Kesetaraan Jender: Perspektif Al-Qur’an. Jakarta: Paramadina. Cetakan I.

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27 APPENDICES

A. Biography of John Mellington

Jhon Mellington Synge was born on April 16, 1871 to a middle class Protestant family. He was educated at private schools in Dublin and studied piano, flute, violin, music theory and counterpoint at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. He was a talented student and attended Trinity College where he studied Irish and Hebrew. During this time Synge encountered the writings of Darwin and developed and interest in the Aran Islands. Reading Darwin coincided with a crisis of faith and Synge abandoned the Protestant religion of his upbringing.

Post college he went to Germany to pursue a career in music but found that he was too shy to perfotm so he quit and began pursuing writing. In 1894 Synge moved back to Ireland for a short time and then to Paris to study literature and language at the Sorbonne. In 1896, Synge visited Italy to study language before returning to Paris. Later that year he met William Butler Yeats who recognized his talent and encouraged him to live in the Aran Islands for a while and then return to Dublin to devote himself to creative work. Beginning in 1898, Synge spent five consecutive summers on the islands collecting stories and folklore. It was this same year that he wrote his first play When the Moon Hat Set.

Two years later, in 1900 he sent his play to the Irish Literature Theatre but it was rejected. He was though, piblished in the New Ireland Review with an account of his life on the islands. 1901 saw the construction of his second two plays, Riders to the Sea and Shadow of the Glen. The latter of which was his first paly to be performed on stage in Dublin. In 1904, Yeats and Lady Gregory found

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the Abbey Theatre and produce Riders to the Sea. Synge was appointed Literary advisor to the theatre and became one of the directors of the company.

In 1907 Synge’s book length journal The Aran Islands was published. It is slow paced reflection of life on the islands and reflects Synge’s belief that beneath the Catholicism of the islanders there were older pagan beliefs of the people’s ancestors. In the same year, Playboy of the Western World, perhaps Synge’s most well known play was produced at the Abbey and was met with an uproar from Irish Nationalists.March 24, 1909, at age 38, Synge died of Hodgkin’s disease leaving behind an important legacy as a key figure in the Irish Litarary Revival.

Other WorksThe Well of the Saints (1905), The Tinker’s Wedding (1908), Poems and Translations (1909), Deirdre of the Sorrows (completed by W.B. Yeats and Molly Allgood in (1910), In Wicklow and West Kerry (completed in 1912).

B. Summary of Riders to the Sea

After Nine days of constant grieving for her missing son, Michael, old Maurya is fallen into a restless sleep. Her daughter, Cathleen, is busy with house hold tasks, when another daughter, Nora, slips quietly in to the kitchen with a bundle given her by the young priest. It contains part of the clothes taken from the body of a drowned man far in the north. They have been sent to the family for identification, since the clothes may belong to her missing brother.The girls go to open the package but then decide to hide it in case their mother, who is waking up, should come in and see them crying Maurya enters.

After the sea had claimed the lives of her husband and four eldest sons, Maurya tries to discourage Bartley, her last living son, from going to Connemara

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to sell a horse, which was the trip Micheal took when he died. But Bartley insists that he will crossthe main land in spite of winds and high seas. Mad and aggravated at Bartley for not listening to her please, Maurya allows him to go, however, without her blessing. Cathleen and Nora persuade their mother to chase Bartley with the food they forgot togive him and to give him her blessing regardless of her fears. While she is gone the girls open the package.

Nora recognizes her own stitching in one of the socks, and immediately knows that the owner of the clothes was indeed her brother, Michael. Their only comfort isthe hope that his body has been given a good Christian burial where it was washed up. Maurya returns horrified with a vision she has seen of Michael riding on the horse behind Bartley. She claims that the vision proves that her fear of Bartley’s death is being realized.

When her daughters show Maurya the clothes her only response is that the boards she bought for Michael’s coffin will serve for Bartley instead. As Maurya speaks the neighboring women enter keening. The Men follow shortly, carrying the body of Bartley who has been knocked off a cliff into the waves by the horse he was intending to sell. The play closes on the note of Maurya’s accepting surrender to the sea, and to the course of life: “They’re all gone now and there isn’t anything mire the sea can do to me… No man at all can be living forever and we must be satisfied.”

C. The characteristics Riders to the Sea

A Bundle of Clothes : Cathleen finishes kneading a cake, puts it in the oven and sits down to a spinning wheel. Nora stealthily enters the kitchen, making sure that the mother is not in. She brings a bundle with a shirt and a plain stocking which

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were got off an unknown drowned man in Donegal, a place far north. They are to find out whether or not these clothes belong to their brother Michael who was lost at sea nine days before. They hear the mother moving about in the inner room and quickly hide the bundle in the turf-loft because they do not want to upset her. Maurya has been going to the sea the last nine days in case Michael’s body was washed up and she is nearly ‘getting her death… with crying and lamenting’. Bartley’s Departure: Maurya hopes that Bartley will be prevented from going with the horses to the Galway fair today. The weather is threatening and Maurya fears for him. The young priest fails to stop him but he believes that ‘the Almighty God won’t leave her destitute... with no son living’. Bartley hurriedly enters the kitchen to get ready for the trip. He gives Cathleen instructions as to what to do during his absence. Meanwhile his mother goes on talking, trying to persuade him not to go. Bartley must go the fair to sell the horses, but Maurya laments: ‘If it was a hundred horses, or a thousand horses you had itself, what is the price of a thousand horses against a son where there is one son only?’ Nobody seems to pay any attention to Maurya’s desperate pleads:

MAURYA: Isn’t it a hard and cruel man won’t hear a word from an old woman, and she holding him from the sea?

CATHLEEN: It’s the life of a young man to be going on the sea, and who would listen to an old woman with one thing and she saying it over? Bartley leaves, blessing the family, but Maurya fails to return the blessing. Maurya’s Foreboding: Maurya declares that this was the last time that they saw Bartley alive. Cathleen does not heed Maurya’s superstitious prediction and reproaches the mother for letting Bartley go without his blessing. Cathleen realizes that they forgot to give

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Bartley his bread. She cuts it, rolls it in a cloth and sends Maurya with the bread after him so that she could say ‘God speed you’ and break the unlucky word. Maurya obeys but complains: ‘In the big world the old people do be leaving things after them for their sons and children, but in this place it is the young men do be leaving things behind for them that do be old. ’Michael’s Stocking: Cathleen and Nora wait a while until Maurya disappears from view. Then they quickly open the bundle with the clothes and examine it. They cannot tell at first whether or not they are Michael’s, but then Nora counts the stitches of the stocking and recognizes her own pattern. Michael has got ‘a clean burial by the grace of God’. Maurya can be heard coming. The girls hide the bundle because they do not want to add to Maurya’s misery as long as Bartley is on the sea. Maurya’s Vision: Maurya enters the kitchen, still holding the bundle with the bread. She does not look at the girls, neither does she say anything. She sits down on her stool at the fire place and starts keening softly. She does not answer the impatient questions of the girls, she only says that she saw a most fearful thing. Talking slowly, as a broken woman, she finally reveals that she saw Bartley riding the red mare, the grey pony behind him, and that she saw Michael himself in fine clothes on the pony. Bartley said ‘the blessing of God on you’, and she tried to returnthe blessing, but the words got choked in her throat, and she remained silent. Cathleen explains to Maurya that she could not have seen Michael because his body has been found in the far north. Maurya insists on what she saw. Drowned Sons: Maurya declares that Bartley will be lost and demands that Eamon be called in to make her a coffin out of the white boards because she will not outlive Bartley. She counts out the losses that she suffered at the sea. She lost her sons

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Stephen and Shawn in a great wind, their bodies were found and carried to the house on one plank. She lost her son Sheamus, her husband and her father-in-law in a dark night, their bodies were never found. She lost her son Patch who drowned when his curagh turned over, his body was carried to the house wrapped in a red sail from which water was dripping and leaving a track to the door. The men with the body were preceded byseveral women who came in, crossed themselves and did not say a word.

Bartley’s Body: Nora and Cathleen hear someone crying out by the seashore. Maurya continues her soliloquy without hearing anything. Several old women come in, cross themselves and kneel down without saying a word. Half in a dream, Maurya wonders whose body is going to follow, Patch’s or Michael’s? Cathleen says that it cannot be Michael’s and hands Maurya the bundle with Michael’s clothes. Several men come in, carrying Bartley’s body laid on a plank and covered with a piece of sail. The grey pony knocked him into the sea, and his body was washed out. The men kneel down, and so does Maurya and her daughters.

Fulfilment: The women keen softly in the background. Maurya takes the Holy Water, drops Michael’s clothes across Bartley’s feet and starts sprinkling the water over the body. She speaks as if she did not see the people around her: ‘They’re all gone now, and there isn’t anything more the sea can do to me’. She says that she certainly did pray for all her loved ones but admits that she welcomes the ‘great rest’ she will have now. Nora wonders how calmly the mother receives the death of her last son, but Cathleen explains: ‘An old woman will be soon tired with anything she will do, and isn’t it nine days herself is after

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crying and keening, and making great sorrow in the house’? Maurya, resigned, prays for the deceased and the living ones and concludes:

MAURYA: ‘Michael has a clean burial in the far north, by the grace of the Almighty God. Bartley will have a fine coffin out of the white boards, and a deep grave surely. What more can we want than that? No man at all can be living forever, and we must be satisfied’.

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the Abbey Theatre and produce Riders to the Sea. Synge was appointed Literary advisor to the theatre and became one of the directors of the company.

In 1907 Synge’s book length journal The Aran Islands was published. It is slow paced reflection of life on the islands and reflects Synge’s belief that beneath the Catholicism of the islanders there were older pagan beliefs of the people’s ancestors. In the same year, Playboy of the Western World, perhaps Synge’s most well known play was produced at the Abbey and was met with an uproar from Irish Nationalists.March 24, 1909, at age 38, Synge died of Hodgkin’s disease leaving behind an important legacy as a key figure in the Irish Litarary Revival.

Other WorksThe Well of the Saints (1905), The Tinker’s Wedding (1908), Poems and Translations (1909), Deirdre of the Sorrows (completed by W.B. Yeats and Molly Allgood in (1910), In Wicklow and West Kerry (completed in 1912).

B. Summary of Riders to the Sea

After the sea had claimed the lives of her husband and four eldest sons, Maurya tries to discourage Bartley, her last living son, from going to Connemara

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C. The characteristics Riders to the Sea

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MAURYA: Isn’t it a hard and cruel man won’t hear a word from an old woman, and she holding him from the sea?

(4)

(5)

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crying and keening, and making great sorrow in the house’? Maurya, resigned, prays for the deceased and the living ones and concludes:

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