IRANIAN WOMEN’S POSITION IN THE SOCIETY REVEALED IN YASMIN CROWTHER’S THE SAFFRON KITCHEN A Thesis Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidilkan Degree in English Language Education
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IRANIAN WOMEN’S POSITION IN THE SOCIETY REVEALED
IN YASMIN CROWTHER’S THE SAFFRON KITCHEN A Thesis Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidilkan Degree in English Language Education
By Agustinus Wahyu Wasono Putro
Student Number: 051214030
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2010
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IRANIAN WOMEN’S POSITION IN THE SOCIETY REVEALED
IN YASMIN CROWTHER’S THE SAFFRON KITCHEN A Thesis Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidilkan Degree in English Language Education
By Agustinus Wahyu Wasono Putro
Student Number: 051214030
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2010
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ABSTRACT
Putro, Agustinus Wahyu Wasono. 2010. Iranian Women’s Position in the
Society Revealed in Yasmin Crowther’s The Saffron Kitchen. Yogyakarta:
Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Department of Language and Arts Education, English Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.
This thesis discusses Yasmin Crowther’s novel, The Saffron Kitchen. The reason in writing this thesis comes from my curiosity to know more deeply about women in Iran, as revealed in The Saffron Kitchen. There are two problems that become the focus of this thesis: (1) How is the major character, Maryam, portrayed, and (2) How are women’s positions in Iranian society reflected through the major character. Based on those problems, this thesis aims to describe the major character of the novel and to analyze Yasmin Crowther’s description about women’s position in Iran as revealed in the novel.
The method that I used in this study is library study. The Socio-cultural approach is used to analyze the data. The primary data of this thesis were taken from The Saffron Kitchen novel. Whereas, the secondary data used to answer the research questions were taken from relevant and supporting references and also from internet sources. Quotations and statements from certain experts were also used to clarify some important ideas.
Based on the result of the analysis, there are two conclusions to be drawn. First, Maryam Mazar is portrayed as an introvert, determined, tough, and independent woman. Second, Iranian women’s position are reflected in two aspects, women’s position in the family and women’s position in the society. Iranian women’s positions in the family are being subordinate, having no authority, having minimal right and being protected from outside influences.
Next, Iranian women’s position in the society is divided into two areas, education and laws. In education field, girls should sit behind men at school. In laws, women’s life is considered as half men’s life. Maryam Mazar represented Iranian women who tried to raise their position in the society.
Finally, I proposed suggestions for future researchers who are interested in analyzing this novel further. There are still many topics which can be discussed. I also suggest them to use the novel, The Saffron Kitchen to teach English, especially for Intensive Reading I for English Education Study Program students.
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ABSTRAK
Putro, Agustinus Wahyu Wasono. 2010. Iranian Women’s Position in the
Society Revealed in Yasmin Crowther’s The Saffron Kitchen. Yogyakarta:
Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Skrispi ini membahas sebuah novel karya Yasmin Crowther, The Saffron Kitchen. Alasan penulisan skripsi ini bermula dari rasa keingintahuan saya untuk memahami lebih dalam mengenai wanita di Negara Iran, yang tersampaikan melalui karakter utama dalam novel The Saffron Kitchen. Dua permasalahan menjadi pokok permasalahan dalam skripsi ini, yaitu: (1) Bagaimanakah Maryam sebagai tokoh utama digambarkan dan (2) Bagaimanakah posisi wanita dalam kehidupan sosial di Negara Iran digambarkan melalui karakter utama dalam novel.
Berdasarkan masalah – masalah tersebut, skripsi ini bertujuan unutk mendeskripsikan karakter utama dalam novel dan juga untuk menganalisa bagaimana Yasmin Crowther mendeskripsikan posisi wanita di Negara Iran melalui novel. Untuk mencapai tujuan dari studi ini, metode yang saya gunakan adalah studi pustaka. Untuk menganalisa data yang ada digunakan pendekatan Socio- cultural. Data utama dari studi ini diambil dari novel The Saffron Kitchen .Sementara itu, data penunjang yang digunakan untuk menjawab permasalahan di atas diambil dari beberapa referensi yang berhubungan dan mendukung dan juga dari akses internet. Kutipan dan kalimat dari beberapa ahli juga disertakan untuk memperjelas beberapa gagasan yang penting.
Berdasarkan hasil analisa, ada dua hal yang dapat disimpulkan. Pertama, Maryam Mazar digambarkan sebagai seorang wanita yang tertutup, keras, tegar, dan teguh. Kedua, posisi wanita di Iran digambarkan dalam dua aspek, posisi di keluarga dan posisi di masyarakat. Posisi wanita di keluarga adalah seorang bawahan, tidak memiliki kekuasaan, memiliki sedikit hak, dan dilindungi dari pengaruh luar. Selanjutnya, posisi wanita Iran di masyarakat dibagi dalam dua area, pendidikan dan hukum. Dalam bidang pendidikan, wanita harus duduk di belakang pria. Dalam hukum, harga nyawa wanita dianggap setengah dari pria. Maryam Mazar mewakili wanita-wanita Iran yang ingin berusaha memperbaiki posisi mereka di masyarakat.
Akhirnya, saya menawarkan saran – saran untuk para peneliti berikutnya. Masih ada banyak topik yang bisa dibahas. Saya juga menyarankan untuk menggunakan The Saffron Kitchen untuk mengajar Intensive Reading I. vii
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to express my greatest gratitude to Jesus Christ and Mother Mary who have blessed and guided me. My thesis would not be finished on time without their blessing and guidance from the beginning until the end of my thesis.
I would also express my deepest gratitude to my sponsor, Henny Herawati, S.Pd., M.Hum, who had supported and given me advice. I thank her for spending her time to read and check my thesis. I am really grateful for her patience and encouragement from the beginning until the end of my thesis accomplishment. I would also thank all PBI lecturers for guiding and sharing their knowledge during my study in Sanata Dharma. I would like to thank all staffs of USD especially for Mbak Dani and Mbak Tari.
My deepest and endless gratitude goes to my beloved parents, Antonious Sukandi and Anastasia Sri, thank them for their encouragement, prayer, and eternal love. To my beloved brother and sister, Al. Joko Susanto and Bernadeta Dwi, thank them for their support and laughter which always accompany my sorrow. I also thank my beloved Tyas Maharsi, who always encourages me to accomplish my thesis.
I would like to thank my friends in Geng Mawot: Fidel, Andre, Ezra, Bondan for giving me many experiences in facing problems and also their friendship. Then for my beloved friends: Prita (Kimi), Bobi, Pepy, Indri, Eska, viii
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Djanu, Dhamet, Mega, Devi, Esti, Bayu, Endru, Eva, Dion, Wuri, Septi, Tunjung, I am so thankful for their laughter and tears we have shared together. For all PBI 2005, I would like to present my greatest thanks to all of them.
I would also thank all my friends in PSM Cantus Firmus, Mudika Kelor, LLC Kanisius, and Karimuni Choir, thank them for their friendship, support, and prayers. Last but not least, I would like to thank everyone, whom I have not mentioned, for the help and support in finishing my thesis.
Agustinus Wahyu Wasono Putro
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE PAGE…………………………………………………………………… i APPROVAL PAGES…………………………………………………………… ii
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY……………………………….. iv
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAHUNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS………………………......................... v
ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………………… vi
ABSTRAK ……………………………………………………………………… vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…….……………………………………………... viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................................................................... x
LIST OF APPENDICES………………………………………………………. xii
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study..…………………………………… 1
1.2 Objectives of the Study.……………………………………… 3
1.3 Problem Formulation…………………………………………. 4
1.4
4 Benefits of the Study..………………………………………..
1.5 Definition of Terms………………………………………….. 5
CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Review of Related Theories………………………………….. 6
2.1.1
6 Character and Characterization.....………………..…..
2.1.2
9 Theory of Critical Approach….…………………..…..
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2.2 Century…………. 11 Women’s Position in Iran in the Late 20
2.2.1 Positions in the Family……………………………….. 11
2.2.3 Positions in the Society……………………………….. 14
2.3 Theoretical Framework………………………………………. 16 x
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3.1
17 Object of the Study………………………………………….
3.2
18 Approach of the Study..…………………………………….
3.3
18 Method of the Study………………………………………..
CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS
4.1
20 Characterization of Maryam Mazar………………….……....
4.1.1. Introvert………….…………………………………...
21 4.1.2. Determined……………………………......................
23
2.1.3. Tough…………………………………………………
26
4.1.4. Independent…………………..………………………
30
4.2 Iranian Women’s Position Revealed in The Saffron Kitchen……………………….............................................
32
4.2.1 Women’s Position in the Family……………..……… 33
4.2.1.1.Being Subordinate…….………………………
34 4.2.1.2. Having no Authority………………………….
36
4.2.1.3. Having Minimal Right…………………………
37 4.2.1.4 Being Protected from Outside Influences…….
38
4.2.2
39 Women’s Position in the Society…………………… 4.2.2.1.
39 Education……………………………………..
4.2.2.2. Laws…………………………………………... 40
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 5.1. Conclusions….……………………………………………… 43 5.2. Suggestions………………………………………………..... 46 5.2.1.
46 Suggestions for Future Researchers………………..
5.2.2.
47 Suggestions for English Teacher……………………
REFERENCES………………………………………………………………….. 49 APPENDICES………………………………………………………………....... 51
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LIST OF APPENDICES
xii
Page Appendix 1 Summary of The Saffron Kitchen ..…...………………....... 51 Appendix 2 Lesson Plan ….…………………......……………………… 52 Appendix 3 Learning Material ..………………………….…………..… 56 Appendix 4 The Saffron Kitchen pp. 56-65..…………………………... 59
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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This chapter consists of five parts, they are background of the study,
problem formulation, objectives of the study, benefits of the study, and definition of terms. The background of the study gives the explanation about the topic of this study. The objectives of the study state my purposes of writing this thesis. The problem formulation consists of two questions, which explain the problems that are analyzed in this study. Benefit of the study gives explanation of who will get the benefit of the study. The last part is definition of terms which explains some terms that are used in this study.
1.1 Background of the Study
The work of literature is the reflection of human life. Through the work of literature we can feel the beauty and the bitterness of life. While, in making a good story, the society becomes an important background. The society can give an important effect in the composition, as Langland (5-6) has said in her book, Society and the Novel, that the condition in the real world can be applied in the pattern of art. If we go further, we will realize that literature can give us so many things other than enjoying reading. The work of literature can give us the issues that become topic of discussion recently.
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2 Women have become an interesting subject to discuss, woman is one of the issues that become the most popular topic in this world. The issues of sexual harassment, women’s role in politics and economy, female workers, and many others are now becoming one of the main concerns for most countries in this world. Indonesia is also one of the countries which have the same issues. Women are used to be seen as someone who always stays behind men. Javanese might say “konco wingking”, which may give the impression that women seem to have a lower status than men. Up to now, this still occurs in our surrounding. While Montagu (23) proposed that women have been conditioned to believe that they are inferior to men, and they have assumed that what everyone believes is a fact of nature, therefore she states that “Women’s place is in the home”. She also mentioned that in most of the cultures of which we have any knowledge, women are considered to be a sort of lower being, a creature human enough, but not quite so human as the male; certainly not as wise, nor as intelligent, and lacking in most of the capacities and abilities with which the male is so plentifully endowed (27). This statement really shows that women have lower status than men.
Some women have tried to raise women’s status by struggling to raise women’s status. Related to these issues, one of the novels written by Yasmin Crowther also mainly discussed about women. The major character, Maryam, is an Iranian who tried to get her freedom by revealing her past, which has gone in Iran. She is an Anglo-Iranian mother who used to live in Iran. However, since Maryam has done something wrong, she decided to go back to Iran and tried to find out her lost memories. From her journey back to Iran, she found that her
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3 wound was healed in her hometown. She felt the atmosphere of Iran which reminded her about the past, where she could feel the freedom of living.
This novel was written by an Iranian writer, Yasmin Crowther, who lives in England. Moreover, she also has an Iranian mother. Consequently, the situation and condition of the story really reflected the real condition of Iran. After reading her novel, I realized that there are differences in seeing men and women, especially in Iran. By analyzing the novel I would like to know women’s position
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in Iran, especially in the latest 20 century, when the story took place. According to Hughes (22), in this period of time, Iranian women have organized and fought for human and political rights. Women in Iran want equality, respect and the right to participate in all social, political and economic activities. They want to live their lives productively and with dignity.
Therefore, this study mainly analyzes how Iranian society perceives women in their society, which includes women’s positions in the family and in the society that is reflected through the major character of the novel, Maryam.
1.2 Objectives of the Study
This study is conducted in order to achieve several objectives. First, this study is conducted to portray the major character, Maryam. Besides, this study is also conducted to find out the women’s position in Iran as reflected by the major character.
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1.3 Problem Formulation
Based on the discussion above, I will formulate two problems that will be discussed in this study.
1. How is the major character, Maryam, portrayed in Yasmin Crowther’s The Saffron Kitchen?
2. How are women’s positions in Iranian society reflected through Maryam, the major character of The Saffron Kitchen?
1.4 Benefits of the Study
In general, this study aims to enrich the knowledge of literary study and give more references about the position of women in this world, especially in Iran.
I expect that this study can give useful contribution to other researchers who conduct a study on women’s position in other countries. I hope this study can provide new perspective on the women’s position in this world and can add new perspective on how to treat women. By reading the novel itself, we can get pleasure and also understanding of human life that later can enrich our knowledge.
This study may also provide the information on Yasmin Crowther and her novel The Saffron Kitchen, and offer some information about the position of women in Iran and its relation with women’s role.
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1.5 Definitions of Terms There is term that needs to be explained in this thesis. It is position.
1.5.1 Position
The first term is position. The novel is a story about women’s life which is related to women’s position. According to Oxford American Dictionary and Thesaurus, position means (1) a place occupied by a person or thing (2) a person situation in relation to others (3) rank or status: high social standing (1161).
Related to this study, a position means an individual status and social standing that is given by the society, in this case the individual status and social standing of women in Iran.
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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter explains some theories that are related to this study. It
consists of three main parts. The first is review of related theories, followed by the socio-cultural reviews as the second part and the third part is theoretical framework. In the theoretical review, I give a brief explanation of the theories that support my study. Socio-Cultural reviews explain about women’s role in Iran in
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the late 20 century. Theoretical framework gives a brief summary about the theories that is used in my study.
2.1. Review of Related Theories
This part consists of two main theories that are used in this study. The first one is theory of character and characterization which becomes the basis of the study to portray the major characters in this study. The second theory is theory of approach that is used to reveal the society perceive women on their surroundings.
2.1.1. Character and Characterization
Abrams in his book A Glossary of Literary Terms defines characters as the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work who are interpreted by the readers as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say (dialog) and what they do (action). Meanwhile, the main character is the most important person in the story. It can be the center of the
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story. Usually the acts of the story are focused on this character from the beginning to the ending parts (20).
Furthermore, Abrams states that as people presented in the story, characters have the same characteristics as real human beings. They have temperament and moral nature. Their temperament will be the basis of their speeches and actions. In the story, characters may remain constant or stable or may undergo a radical change through its development or as result of an extreme crisis in the story itself (20).
In An Introduction to Fiction, Stanton states (23) that characters are the individuals who appear in the story and these individuals are resulted from mixture of interests, desires, emotions, and moral principles. He also divides a character into two: central character and minor character. A central character is a character who dominates the whole story and is presented frequently to develop. The minor character is presented to explain and to help other characters, especially the major character. While, Jacobs, in Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and Writing (501), states that character is an extended verbal representation of human being, the inner self that determines thought, speech and behavior. A character is then a person in the literary work.
Murphy in his book Understanding Unseen points out nine ways in which an author attempts to present the character in the story understandable and feel like the characters are alive for the readers (161-173). They are from the personal description, the way in which the character is seen by others, the character’s speech, his past life, the conversation of others, the figure’s reactions, direct
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comments given by the author, the character’s thought and mannerism. The explanation of each point given as follows: It is about personal description. It is the way that the author describes the physical appearance or attributes of the characters. It includes their clothes, accessories, face, skin, eyes, and look.
The first is by seeing a character as seen by another. The author describes a character through the eyes and opinion of other characters and the readers will get such reflected image of the character. The second point is the speech. The readers have an insight about one’s character through his or her conversation with the other character, in which the readers are eventually able to uncover his or her opinion or view. The next point is by identifying the past life of the character.
The author describes or tells the past life of a character. This information, in turn, helps the readers to know and understand the events that have helped to shape the character.
Using conversations of others in the novel is the other points. It is the way in which the author gives the readers clues about one’s character through the conversation of the others about him or her. The next point is the reactions which occur in the novel. By describing the reaction of a character to various situation or events, the author gives the readers clues to know his or her characters. Direct comments and thoughts are also considered as the points to reveal the characterization. Direct comments show that the author describes or comments on one’s character directly. While by seeing thoughts, we can identify that the author gives the readers direct knowledge of what a character is thinking about.
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The last point is Mannerism. It gives us explanation that the author portrays a character’s mannerism, habits, and idiosyncrasies, which may tell the readers his or her character. In Reading and Writing About Literature, Rohrberger and Woods (81) explain that characterization is the process by which an author creates character, the devices by which he/she makes the reader believe that a character is a particular type of a person he/she is.
2.1.2 Theory of Critical Approach
Reading a novel can make us know about life, human beings, and their development. When we read a novel, we cannot ignore the elements of the novel such as, characters, plot, setting, theme, dialogue, symbolism, language style and the other elements, which can guide the reader to know the real theme of the story.
That is why understanding these elements is very important.
Rohrberger and Woods (6-15) state that there are five critical approaches which can be implemented in analyzing the work of literature. We need to employ these approaches in order to have a reasonable point of view. It is because by using these approaches, we can understand better on how the literature is shaped and what the literature means. The first is formalist approach which is based on the total integrity of the work of art. It focuses on the aesthetical value. They concern on demonstrating the harmony’s involvement of all the parts to the whole and on pointing out how meaning is derived from structure and how matters of technique determined structure (6-7).
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The second is biographical approach, which has the main idea that a work of art is a reflection of the author personality. Therefore, readers need to know about the author’s life and development to understand the author’s writings. Biographical materials also provide useful facts that could put readers in a better position to understand and appreciate the literary objects (7-8).
The third approach is Sociocultural-Historical approach. Rohrberger and Woods (9) state, “Critics whose major interest is the Sociocultural-historical approach insist that the only way to locate the real work is in reference to the civilization that produced it”. It means that in order to analyze and understand a literary work we need to analyze and to understand the social background and the historical background when the literary works are produced. What happens in the society, in the time the literary work is produced, influence the understanding of the story. By knowing the Sociocultural-historical and historical background, the proponents will get the meaning of the story and can give the esthetical response to it.
The next approach is mythopoeic approach. This approach tries to discover certain recurrent patterns, to find expression in significant works of art. The universal recurrent patterns are found in first expression in ancient myths and folk rites of human thought that have meaning for all men (11-12).
The last is psychological approach which involves the efforts to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent pattern. This approach uses various theories of psychology in order to understand and explain the character’s personality in a
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story. The proponents of this approach believe that the behaviors of the characters in a story can be referred to the psychology of human being.
In this study, I would like to use the sociocultural-historical approach to analyze the women’s positions in Iran. However, the study will focus more on the socio-cultural background because this factor has more influences in finding the women’s positions in Iran.
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2.2. Women’s Position in Iran in the Late 20 Century
th This section presents the women’s position in Iran in the late 20 century.
This section is divided into two. They are position in the family and position in the society.
2.2.1. Position in the Family
Iran is an Islamic country which has similar culture with those other Islamic countries, that is why, primarily, most Iranians are Muslims. The New Encyclopædia Britannica also mentions that Iranian speak in Arabic and F
ārsī, the most important and most specifically Iranian language (862-863). In most cultures, women’s activities are primarily confined their role(s) as wife(s) and mother, family interactions is important for understanding the situation of a women. Hughes stated those women’s roles and duties to be child bearing and care taking, and providing comfort and satisfaction to husbands. However, Iranians also believe in subordinate position in the family. According to Fathi (5), the status of women in the family in Iran has a great extent been influenced by
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Islamic culture, but similarities in patterns of behavior are not always associated with similarity of religious belief. The relationship between men and women in Iran has also been influenced, especially in the present century, by western ideas and ways of life. A suitable accommodation between the western and native cultural elements has not yet been achieved in Iran.
Hughes stated that men were granted the power to make all family decisions, including the movement of women and custody of the children. "Your wife, who is your possession, is in fact, your slave," is the mullah’s legal view of women’s status. The misogyny of the mullahs made women the embodiment of sexual seduction and vice (22). To protect the sexual morality of society, women had to be covered and banned from engaging in "immodest" activity. Women must cover their hair and body except for their face and hands and they must not use cosmetics (23). The legal age at which girls can be married is 9 years (formerly 18 years). Polygamy is legal, with men permitted to have four wives and unlimited number of temporary wives. Women are not permitted to travel or acquire a passport without their husband’s written permission. A woman is not permitted to be in the company of a man who is not her husband or a male relative. Public activities are segregated. Women are not allowed to engage in sports in which they may be seen by men; or permitted to watch men’s sports in which men’s legs are not fully covered (23).
Furthermore, The New Encyclopædia Britannica mentions that the organizational principle of Iranian kinship is patriliny. This means several things: (1) Formal authority is vested in males. (2) Males are the primary property holders
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and property inheritors. (3) Membership in the kinship group is determined through males but not through females (863). Traditionally, the civil rights of women have been minimal, women as individuals are often not as completely passive and subordinate as it sometimes assumed. The influence of mothers on their son is reported to be profound and persistent; especially in choosing the brides for their son (864).
The head of the household-father and the husband- expects obedience and respects from other members of family. In return, he is obligated to support them and to satisfy their spiritual, social, and material needs. In practice, he is strict disciplinarian. <http://www.csis.org/mideast/0101current history.pdf> According to this, women’s position is under their husband. This is an example of subordinate position in Iran culture.
Women generally use the chador (veil) when in public and when males not related to them in the house. In the traditional view, an ideal society is one in which women are confined to the home, where they perform various domestic tasks associating with managing a household and rearing children. In Iran, the family is the basis of the social structure. The concept of the family is more private than in many other cultures. Female relatives must be protected from outside influences and are taken care of at all the times. It is inappropriate to ask questions about an Iranian’s wife or other female relatives because Iranians take their responsibilities to their family quite seriously. <http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/iran-country- profile.html>
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2.2.2. Positions in the Society
In the society, women also have the same position in the family as they also still stand behind men. Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution Iran became an Islamic Republic. During this era of Islamist rule, Iranian women lost many of the opportunities they had and faced more restrictions in most matters. One of the striking features of the revolution was the large scale participation of women from traditional backgrounds in demonstrations leading up to the overthrow of the monarchy. This could have been due to increase in the level of participation during the time of Shah, which led to the revolution as well. However since the culture of education for women had been established before revolution, families continued encouraging education for women and therefore a gap between women's demand and the society grew, for instance the society has been facing many educated women and less employment opportunities for them, which had led to a general dissatisfaction and frustration among women. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_women>. Hughes also finds out that Iranian women really want changes. Women demand more participation in social activities, such as education, sport, and laws (23). However these educated women do not enjoy the same right as men. Women testimony in the court is half a man.
Women's right to heir is half a man and so there are many other rules, laws and regulations suppressing women when it comes to basic rights.
According to Hughes, Iranian perceives women as inferior side and must be treated differently under the law (2). Hughes also points out a statement from Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who currently heads the powerful Council to
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Determine State Exigencies. He said that justice does not mean that all laws must be the same for men and women. The difference in the stature, vitality, voice, development, muscular quality, and physical strength of men and women shows that men are stronger and more capable in all fields (3). Iranian really believes that women must accept the reality of men dominating them, and the world must recognize the fact that men are superior.
In 2005, Women’s Forum Against Fundamentalism in Iran or WFAFI has distributed and compiled official laws against women in Iran. These laws are prohibiting women from the presidency, leadership, judgeship, and certain educational fields. This means that Iran constitution controls both the public and private lives and role of women. According to WFAFI, Iranian women are not free to choose or control various aspects of lives.
Some of the articles from Iran Constitution are article 115, which states the condition for the presidential candidates. The law states that, “The President must come from among the religious and political statesmen (rejal)." The word rejal literally means men of high achievement. Another article is article 209, which states that woman's life is valued only half as much as a man's life. A convicted man who has intentionally slain a woman is subject to execution only after the payment of "Deyeh" by the family of the victim. "Deyeh" is defined as a sum of money that the victim's family has to pay to the assailant's family for the physical damages, dismemberment, or death of the assailant. WFAFI also added that family courts in Iran do not provide women any protection from abusive husbands.
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Moreover, Hughes also found that the top officials of the fundamentalist regime in Iran emphasize that it is sacred responsibility of a woman to serve her husband and take care of the households. The mullah supreme leader also declared that women first job is to be a wife and mother, he states that a woman is negative, primitive, and childish (1). Hughes also states the fundamentalists are denying the equality of women and men under the banner of Islam. Yet, fundamentalist also declared if women fail to comply their role as a wife and mother compel, they are compelling their men to commit sin outside the home.
2.3. Theoretical Framework
In this thesis, I formulate two problems to be answered. In the first problem, I try to find out the characteristics of the major character as portrayed in the novel. These characteristics of the major character are discovered through the theory of character and characterization. By using Abrams’s and Stanton’s, and Murphy’s theory on character and characterization, I focus on the information of the major character that can be found in the novel through personal description, conversations, thought, comment, reaction, and habit.
In the second question, I try to find out the women’s position in Iran as revealed in the novel. For answering this question, I employed Rohrberger and Woods theory that can explain the relationship between literature and the social and historical in the reality. Besides, the review of the women’s position in Iran on the late twentieth century is used as the source to compare the women’s position in Iran or in the reality and in the novel.
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CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY This chapter includes three sections. They are object of the study,
approach of the study, and method of the study. The first is object of the study which deals with the subject of study. Then, approach of the study which is concerned with the literature approaches. Next is method of the study which deals with the sources I will use in analyzing the study .It also deals with the steps and the process in completing the thesis.
3.1. Object of the Study
This thesis studies the novel The Saffron Kitchen. The novel is written by Yasmin Crowther, an Anglo-Iranian writer and this is her first novel. It was published by Abacus in Great Britain in 2007.
The story is about an Iranian mother named Maryam. This woman has conflicts in her own live which drive her to the new life. After the accident that finally killed her daughter’s baby, Maryam decids to leave her comfortable life and go back to Iran, which later makes her realize that her truly freedom is there.
This moment also made her daughter understand her mother in a way she never could before. Her daughter comes to accept that only by letting her mother go, she can finally get her mother back. This novel consists of 270 pages and it is divided into five chapters.
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3.2. Approach of the Study
The focus of this study is the women’s position in Iran as seen in the major character in The Saffron Kitchen novel written by Yasmin Crowther. The major character, Maryam Mazar is an example of Iranian which has different cultures background. Maryam is an example of a truly Iranian woman, while Sara, her daughter, has a cultural mix between Iran and England.
In order to reveal the women’s position in Iran, I applied socio-cultural approach. I used this approach in purpose to find out the social background of the story. The main idea of Socio-cultural approach is that the only way to locate the real work is in reference to the civilization that produces it. The social background gives influence in a literary work. That is why I chose the Socio-cultural approach as the base to analyze the study. The social conditions that are mentioned on the story can contribute a great support to my analysis on women’s position especially in Iran. How the society perceives about woman and where was the women’s position at the moment can be the basis of my study.
3.3 Method of the Study
In order to accomplish the objectives of my study, I also need reference books and note. There are many sources that I used in analyzing women’s position in Iran reflected through Maryam. The sources are basically divided into two parts. The first part is primary source that becomes the basis of my analysis about women’s position reflected through the major character, Maryam. The primary source used in my thesis is the novel, The Saffron Kitchen written by Yasmin
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19 Crowther. The second part is the secondary sources that become supporting sources in giving information for my study. They are books, articles from the internet and Encyclopedia. The books used are The Natural Superiority of Women by Ashley Montagu and Women, Race & Class by Angela Y. Davis. Complete information for those supporting sources can be found in the bibliography.
The study that was conducted was library study. However, in doing the analysis, there were other steps to be done. The first step was reading the novel thoroughly in order to understand the literary work deeper. Second, I brainstormed the main ideas that can be found in the novel. Next, I analyzed the characteristic of the major character by using the theory of character and characterization. Afterward, I tried to find out the women’s position in the novel by using the review of women’s position in Iran in the latest twentieth century. The last step was drawing conclusion based on the analysis.