Revealing consequences of practicing liberal feminist ideas as experienced by the main character Noe Ito in Harumi Setouchi`s Beauty in Disarray - USD Repository
REVEALING CONSEQUENCES OF PRACTICING LIBERAL
FEMINIST IDEAS AS EXPERIENCED BY THE MAIN
CHARACTER NOE ITO IN HARUMI SETOUCHI’S BEAUTY
IN DISARRAY
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
DESY PRAMUSIWI
Student Number: 054214084
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
REVEALING CONSEQUENCES OF PRACTICING LIBERAL
FEMINIST IDEAS AS EXPERIENCED BY THE MAIN
CHARACTER NOE ITO IN HARUMI SETOUCHI’S BEAUTY
IN DISARRAY
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
DESY PRAMUSIWI
Student Number: 054214084
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
I nt el l i genc e pl us Char ac t er , That i s t he Goal of Tr ue Educ at i on (Dr. Martin Luther king)
None but Us c a n Cha ng e Our De stiny
(Anonym)
Don’t be Afraid (Pope John Paul II)
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gÉ ã{ÉÅ |à Åtç yâÇvà|ÉÇ
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, my gigantic expression goes to Jesus Christ and Mother Mary for their never ending blessing and guidance throughout my whole life, and especially during the years I spent in finishing my study. I would like to thank to the writer’s advisor, Modesta Luluk Artika Windrasti, S.S. for the advice and guidance which had helped me in the process of writing my thesis. I also would like to thank my co-advisor, Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum., for giving me a precise correction and suggestion to complete my thesis. I thank my thesis examiner, Adventina Putranti, S.S., M.Hum, for her questions and useful suggestions to enrich my thesis.
My gratitude expression for Sanata Dharma University, a place where I can develop my intellectuality, a springboard how to be a real human through the people I have met there. All the lecturers of the Department of English Letters of Sanata Dharma University deserve my thankful expression since they had given me knowledge when I was still a student. I say ‘thank you’ to the secretariat officer, Mbak Ninik, since she had helped me do all the administration process patiently and friendly.
I would also thank Jhoni Frederikus for his help in searching the source- books from websites since hardly could I find them in the library. The books are very useful. I also thank Mbak Sari for the discussion and the books she lent. I realize that without those books, it is hard for me to finish her thesis.
My best gratitude goes to my friends in “Komunitas Tari Bali Sekar every move and every step I take. For all of my friends in 2005, I say ‘thank you’ for their friendship.
I would also thank Efrida Ita (Lori) and Ratri Nugraheni. I say ‘thank you’ for their supports, friendship and all of the experiences that we have done.
I would never forget my best friends, Septiana Ratna Dewi (Brind), Norie Paramitha (Oie), and Nila Sukmaning Rahayu (Ella). I say ‘thank you’ for their supports, their shoulders when I am crying, and having problems. I feel very grateful for the moment that I have shared together.
My gigantic gratitude goes to my soul mate, Wahyu Adi “Putra” Ginting, who has played some roles in my life: he is a ‘brother’ who gives guidance and advice to make decisions in my life, a ‘teacher’ who helps read my thesis, give sharp yet constructive comments, and edit my thesis, an ‘intellectual mate’ in discussing everything, and the ‘darling’ whom I hope to spend more time with.
Lastly, to my brothers: Eko Prasetyo, Dwi Indarjo, and Tri Yuliadi Budianta, I say ‘thank you’ for their supports and their funds so that I can continue and finish my study here. Finally, I give my gratitude and affection to my mother M.X Sukarni, and my father F.X Suradja, to whom this thesis is dedicated.
DESY PRAMUSIWI
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE…………………………………………………………… i APPROVAL PAGE …………………………………………………… iiACCEPTANCE PAGE……………………………………………..….. iii
Lembar Pernyataan Persetujuan Publikasi Karya Ilmiah .................. iv MOTTO PAGE………………………………………………………… v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………… viiTABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………… ix
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………….. xi
ABSTRAK …………………………………………………………… xii
25 B. Approach of the Study…………………………………………..
49 3. Intellectuality Development ………………………………..
45 2. Education Development………………………………….....
45 1. Patriarchal System ……………...………………………….
3. Courageous……….……………………………………….... 38 B. B. Noe Ito’s Background of Feminist Ideas...…………………..
2. Critical…………………………………………………….... 35
1. Intelligent…............................................................................ 30
30
27 CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS………………………………………….. 30 A. The Characterization of Noe Ito………………………………...
26 C. Method of the Study……………………………………….……
24 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY………………………………….. 25 A. Object of the Study……………………………………………...
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION …………………………………… 1 A. Background of the Study ………………………………………..
21 E. Theoretical Framework …………………………………………
18 D. Review on Women Movement in Japan ………………………..
C. Review of Patriarchal Society in Japan in the Taisho Era (1912-1926) ……………………………………………………..
2. Theory of Liberal Feminism…............................…………… 15
12
12 1. Theory of Character and Characterization…………………..
A. Review of Related Studies……………………………………..... 8 B. Review of Related Theories……………………………………..
6 CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ………………………..... 8
C. Objectives of the Study …………………………………………. 5 D. Definition of Terms ……………………………………………..
1 B. Problem Formulation …………………………………………… 5
51
2. Refusing Domestic Chores…...……………………………… 59
3. Developing Female Writers…………………………………. 61
4. Criticizing the Subordination of Women…………......... …… 62
5. Declaring Herself as ‘New Woman’ of Seito……………….. 64
6. Influencing Women’s Liberation……………………………. 66
D. The Consequences that Noe Ito and her Families Had as the Result of Practicing Feminist Ideas ………………………… 69 1. Humiliation ……………………………………………...….
69 2. Disharmonious Relationship ……………….……………….
73
3. Poverty ……………………………………………………… 75
4. Murder ………………………………………………………
76 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION …….…………………………………. 79
BIBLIOGRAPHY …………………………………………………….. 84 APPENDICES ………………………………………………………….. 86
Appendix 1 Summary of “Beauty in Disarray”………………. 86 Appendix 2 Review on the Biographical Background of Harumi Setouchi ………………………………………………… 89
ABSTRACT
DESY PRAMUSIWI. Revealing Consequences of Practicing Liberal Feminist
Ideas as Experienced by the Main Character Noe Ito in Harumi Setouchi’s
Beauty in Disarray . Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of
Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2009.The Taisho era (1912 - 1926) in Japan was a period of the socio-liberal turbulence and radical change. Almost all of radical movements were done by the socialists, anarchists, and feminists. They demanded changes in governance system, from feudal into democratic one, and also changes in the social order of the society. They got much opposition from the government. Many of them ended up being murdered because of their actions. Based on this background, this research tries to reveal the life of one of the feminists living in that era, Noe Ito, in Harumi Setouchi’s Beauty in Disarray. The complex life of Noe Ito – beginning from the development of her way of thinking and her characterization, the liberal feminism ideology she practiced, her involvement in the huge movements in Japan, and the consequences as the result of her actions – are very interesting to be discussed.
There are four problems formulated in this research. The first problem is how Noe’s characteristics are described in the novel. The second one is how Noe Ito got the idea of feminism and the background of her learning feminist thoughts perceived from her experiences and the education she got from her closed influential people. The result of the analysis of the second problem will be used to answer the third problem: how the ideology of liberal feminism was practiced in Noe Ito’s everyday life through her way of thinking and her attitude. The fourth problem is revealing what kind of consequences Noe experienced and her family as the result of practicing the ideology of liberal feminism.
The writer used feminism approach to surge those problems above. In addition, the theory of character and characterization, theory of liberal feminism, background patriarchal society in Taisho era, and review on women movement in Japan were needed in this research. Meanwhile, the method used was library research.
The result of all the analyses after answering those four formulated problems above showed that Noe’s intellectuality, one of her characteristics, made her easier in comprehending feminist ideas as well as being responsive about women’s problem in her society. Noe’s critical attitude was shown through her attitudes, for examples, her criticism toward the arranged marriage system, subordination of women, and the old-fashioned idea which positioned women just in the whirlpool of domestic jobs. Her courageous characteristic, supported by feminism thought, was reflected in her actions: balking the arranged marriage, declaring herself as New Woman, and influencing women’s liberation. The culmination of Noe’s life, after the sequence of the consequences – humiliation,
ABSTRAK
DESY PRAMUSIWI. Revealing Consequences of Practicing Liberal Feminist
Ideas as Experienced by the Main Character Noe Ito in Harumi Setouchi’s
Beauty in Disarray . Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra,
Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2009.Era Taisho (1912-1926) merupakan suatu masa terjadinya pergolakan sosial liberal serta perubahan radikal di Jepang. Hampir seluruh dari pergerakan radikal ini dilakukan oleh kaum sosialis, anarkis, dan feminis. Mereka menuntut perubahan sistem pemerintahan, yang feudal, menuju yang demokratis dan juga perubahan dalam tatanan masyarakatnya. Tidak sedikit dari tindakan mereka ini yang mendapat perlawanan dari pemerintah. Banyak dari mereka yang mati dibunuh karena aksi mereka. Berdasarkan latar belakang tersebut, penelitian ini mencoba mengungkapkan kisah salah seorang tokoh feminis yang hidup di masa itu, Noe Ito, dalam novel Beauty in Disarray karya Harumi Setouchi. Hidup Noe Ito yang sangat kompleks – mulai dari perkembangan pola pikir dan karakternya, ideologi feminisme liberal yang dipraktikkannya, keterlibatannya dalam pergerakan-pergerakan besar di Jepang, dan konsekuensi dari tindakan- tindakannya itu – sangat menarik untuk dikaji.
Terdapat empat rumusan masalah dalam skripsi ini. Pertama, bagaimana karakter Noe Ito dideskripsikan dalam cerita. Kedua, bagaimana Noe Ito mendapatkan pemikiran feminisme, serta latar belakang Noe mempelajari pemikiran feminisme itu ditinjau dari pengalaman-pengalaman serta didikan dari orang-orang terdekatnya. Hasil dari analisis kedua ini digunakan untuk menjawab masalah ketiga, yaitu: bagaimana ideologi feminisme liberal dipraktikkan dalam kehidupan Noe sehari-hari lewat pemikiran dan tindak-tanduknya. Keempat, menguak konsekuensi apa saja yang dialami oleh Noe dan keluarganya, sebagai akibat dari praktik ideologi feminisme liberal itu.
Penulis menggunakan pendekatan feminis liberal untuk membedah permasalahan-permasalahan di atas. Selain itu, teori tokoh dan penokohan, teori feminisme liberal, latar belakang masyarakat patriarki di era Taisho, serta tinjauan mengenai pergerakan wanita di Jepang dibutuhkan dalam analisis ini. Sementara itu, metode yang digunakan adalah studi pustaka. Hasil dari analisis di atas menunjukkan bahwa kecerdasan Noe, yang merupakan salah satu karakteristiknya, membuat ia dengan mudah mendalami ideologi feminisme serta tanggap dalam permasalahan perempuan di masyarakatnya. Sifat kritis Noe ditunjukkan dalam tindakan-tindakannya, seperti kritiknya terhadap sistem perjodohan, pelecehan perempuan, dan pemahaman kuno bahwa perempuan ditakdirkan untuk berkubang dalam pekerjaan rumah tangga. Sifatnya yang pemberani, ditempa oleh pemikiran feminis, tercermin dalam tindakannya menolak perjodohan, menyatakan diri sebagai Perempuan Baru, dan ikut serta dalam pergerakan perempuan. Puncak dari rangkaian hidup Noe, setelah rentetan hubungan, adalah pembunuhan atas dirinya. Semua itu merupakan konsekuensi yang harus ia dan keluarganya tanggung.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study Modernization, a concept that revolved for the first time in the West, has
given so much influence to the world; and it has spread ubiquitously and systematically from country to country. Modernization does not only effect the development of science and technology but also ideologies. Western thoughts, among which are Marxism, Socialism, Anarchism, and Feminism, have developed so significantly, breaking through western their socio-geo-cultural contexts, that they also exist in the eastern countries. These western ideologies are learned through the organization of formal education, whose systems are basically adopted from the West. Western thoughts urge their intervention in the eastern people’s way of thinking. Nevertheless, it is quite confusing to judge which side starts the case: whether it is the West deliberately exerting the ideologies, or the East adopting them.
One of the western ideologies which are very influential to other countries is Feminism. It might be fair to call Feminism (this specific term) a cultural product of Western idea. This idea was popularized by the European women in 1890s, beginning from France, who wanted to have the same political right as men (Beasley, 1999: xiii). In its break-through, the idea had been so much developed that this jargon is also used by women to refer to their very urgent
In Indonesia, especially in R.A Kartini era, Feminism gave influences through the formal education, which came and was held by the Dutch. R.A.
Kartini, who had been ‘enlightened’ via education from West, a place she adored so much, was influenced by the Dutch feminist discourses. She appeared as the iconic figure, struggling for equity between women and men. For those reason, Dr. Joost Cote, in Gadis Arivia’s Feminisme: Sebuah Kata Hati, stated that Kartini was a feminist (2005: 44). To add, Arivia stated that Kartini was a liberal feminist because of her unique human idea: to be autonomous and free in making her own decision based on her rationalities (2005: 47). In the spatial and temporal context of Kartini, what she was doing can be classified as an effort to enhance a change, so to speak a radical shift, to the very tradition inherited from generation to generation.
Likewise, in another Asian country, Japan, Feminism also became a part of the rolling wheel of radical shift. It began in Taisho Era (1912-1926), which is mentioned to be the period of radical change. One of the changes was in terms of thoughts. It was marked by the fact that the development of western thoughts, such as Anarchism, Feminism, and Socialism, had already intruded and spread along the nation. As for the significance of Feminism in Japan, it had overtaken the Chinese classical thought applied as tradition in Japan: Confucianism, which an ism that was combined with the long feudalism to restrict the freedom of women and put them into subordination of men (Reischauer, 1977: 205). As the result, western influences were being adopted by the Japanese intellectuality. The
As for the development of an ideology, it is always common to have it changed contextually from time to time. Let us take Feminism in Japan as an example. Feminism in the years of Taisho era was different to that after the First or the Second World War. Since the idea is adopted, therefore Feminism develops differently; western Feminism, in the practice, is different from Asian one. Subsequently, Asian Feminisms are different one to another since they are applied in the context of a different culture. Ueno Chizuko, a feminist from Japan, stated that
Asian women do have significant power, although it is not a form of power recognized by non-Asian feminist. I think that we need a far greater sensitivity to cultural differences. It is possible for Asian women to develop a Feminism that is the product of their own cultural context and meaningful to them (Buckley, 1979: 278).
Here, Ueno Chizuko, a contemporary Japanese feminist, is aware of cultural contexts as a feature of constructing an ‘imported’ ideology to be a more practically meaningful product.
Discussing feminism in Japan, one should not put aside one important figure: Noe Ito. Harumi Setouchi’s Beauty in Disarray (1993) reveals the life of Noe Ito as the influential woman of her time (Taisho Era). As depicted in the novel, Noe’s involvement and rebellion in sexual politics, socialism, and anarchism against the old-fashioned tradition of Japan and the government could be seen through her writing, attitude, and behavior. Noe Ito lived at the time when the western ideologies were learned and adopted for the first time. Considering this fact, at the same time trying to compare it to the idea suggested by Ueno contextualized to Japanese culture. Western ideology, to a broad extent, is very contrast to Japanese ideology. As the result, Noe Ito’s idea of feminism was quite different if it was compared to the idea of contemporary Japanese feminism.
Hence, in the discussion of Noe Ito, the main character of Setouchi’s
Beauty in Disarray , one must not use contemporary Japanese feminism, which
has been culturally contextualized, as the point of view to see the feminist ideas depicted in the life of Noe. Instead, considering the fact that Noe lived in Taisho Era, an era when Liberal Feminism was developing in Japan, it would be more reasonable to use liberal feminism as the telescope to perceive feminist ideas practiced by Noe.
Reading the life of Noe Ito, one of the members of the first Japanese feminist movement, as narrated in Beauty in Disarray, one would be ‘distracted’ considering the consequences Noe had to bear as the result of practicing feminist ideas through her attitude, writing, and behavior. Related to this study, the writer decided to discuss consequences as the major problem. Consequences became one of the interesting topics in studying Beauty in Disarray since, in addition to the concept that every action or attitude always result in consequences, it is through consequences that the reader of this novel is able to see the dialectics happening when an established culture is challenged. In this case, Noe Ito was the ‘minor’ person; through her ideas she tried to rebel and against the ‘status quo’ (major), which is the Japanese old-fashioned tradition.
The writer realizes that the topic is worth to study, especially for someone women’s rights and freedom. Moreover, by examining kinds of consequences that the character Noe Ito bore as the results of her actions, readers will be able to become more critical in perceiving the phenomenon of a cultural dialogue taking place in a particular society. Lastly, this thesis tries to disclose the whole life of the character as a feminist, not only seeing her ideas, but also about the consequences for practicing their ‘idealism’ in the ‘real’ society.
B. Problem Formulation
To make the discussion clearer, as well as to limit the scope of the study, the writer has formulated four problems. They are listed as follows.
1. How is the character Noe Ito described in the story?
2. What are Noe Ito’s backgrounds of feminist ideas?
3. What are the ideas of feminism found in Noe Ito’s mind and attitude?
4. What are the consequences that Noe Ito and her families had as the result of practicing feminist ideas?
C. Objectives of the Study
The aim of the study is basically studying the life of the main character Noe Ito through answering the questions that have already stated in the problem formulation. The first objective is to describe the main character in order to have a clearer and deeper understanding about her and her significant roles through what she says, thinks, and does. The description of the main character reveals the characterization of the character supports the answer for the next problems. The second objective is to find out how the character got acquainted with feminist ideas, through clarifying the character’s backgrounds of the feminist ideas. The third objective is to find out the feminist ideas in the character attitudes, ways of thinking, and behaviors. The writer will attempt to see the feminist ideas practiced by the main character through her way of thinking, attitude and behavior in society, and writings. The three objectives above will be helpful to understand the consequences that the main character and her family endured by practicing feminist ideas in her life.
D. Definition of Terms
It is important to know the definition of the terms frequently used in this study in order to be able to understand its content, as well as to avoid misunderstandings to specific technical terms. Thence, the writer provides the definitions of prominent terminologies, which are taken from some reliable sources as described below:
1. Character
According to M.H Abrams, character is “the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say – the dialogue – and by what they do – the action” (1981: 20).
2. Feminism
Cited in Peter Barry’s Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and
Cultural Theory , Toril Moi explains the different concept of ‘feminist’, ‘female’,
and ‘feminine’. ‘Feminist’ means a political position; ‘female’ is a matter of biology; and ‘feminine’ is a set of culturally defined characteristics (2002: 122).
3. Liberal Feminism
The root of liberal feminism is the idea of liberalism. According to Rosemarie Putnam Tong, “the goal of liberal feminism is to create a just and compassionate society in which freedom flourishes, only in such a society can women as well as men thrive” (1998: 12).
4. Consequences
As stated in The New Grolier Webster International Dictionary of the
English Language , ‘consequence’ is derived from Latin word consequential,
which means “the effect, result, or outcome which follows any act, cause, principles, or series of action; an event or effect produced by some preceding act or cause,” (1973: 216).
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW This chapter consists of three basic points. The first point is the review on
related studies, including the comment and the interview, done by the people conducted for or related to the works of Harumi Setouchi. The second point is the review on related theories, describing the theories used as the ‘knife’ to surge the work. Mainly, there are two theories to be discussed here. The last point is the theoretical framework, which will explain the contribution of the theories in solving the problems formulated in this study.
A. Review of Related Studies
Literary works are opened for responses from the readers. Many kinds of the readers’ response toward the literary works are bearing some criticisms.
Wellek and Warren describe that the decision in general has contained criticisms. The criticisms meant here can be in forms of appreciation, analysis, comment or judgment, and either objective or subjective suggestion (Wellek and Warren, 1995: 336). Since it is very hard even to find a single academic research like an essay or thesis analyzing Harumi Setouchi’s Beauty in Disarray, the writer serves the criticisms in the form of appreciation and comment taken from the experts, Sanford Goldstein and V.S. Naipaul, contained in publication of The Japan Journal .
The first criticism in the form of appreciation is administered by V.S. Naipaul for the writer Harumi Setouchi and her novel; and, in the form of comment, the one conducted by Sanford Goldstein. As stated in The Japan
Journal , V.S. Naipaul gave praises for Setouchi’s capability in her Buddhist
teaching and writing, especially in her novels: One of the subtlest Buddhist teachings," he said, "invites us to go 'farther' and 'beyond.' Setouchi Harumi, today Jakucho nun—that is to say, 'who listens to quietness'—with her changing writing, has accomplished it. In her novels we find the entire fluctuating world with its wonders and its miseries and 'the beyond': the land of soundless music... (http://www.japanjournal.jp/tjje/show_art.php?INDyear=06&INDmon=09& artid=2736659c52b077859498a05c6936779f)
V.S. Naipaul was a member of selection committee and also the one who became a former winner of the Nonino Prize, an award granted to Setouchi. His reason in choosing Beauty in Disarray to be awarded the Prize was because of its being a critical biographical life of Ito Noe. As stated in the journal, Noe Ito was a writer or a critic on women’s liberationist who turned into anarchist of the 1910s to 1920s with Sakae Osugi, an anarchist. The novel traces the lives of a person who was brutally killed by a military office during the chaos of the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923.
In addition, based on the title of the novel, Beauty in disarray, which was taken from Sakae Osugi’s words, “Beauty exists only in disharmony. Harmony is deceptive,” the committee revealed that Harumi Setouchi’s choice of words contains sentiment expressing the mood of the time when the Japanese people started to be awakened to the notion of ‘freedom’, in an age when militarism had
(http://www.japanjournal.jp/tjje/show_art.php?INDyear=06&INDmon=09&artid= 2736659c52b077859498a05c6936779f).
Finally, Naipaul appreciated the work by stating that “Beauty in Disarray is truly admirable for the dynamism of the characterizations and portraits of remarkable people who find in themselves the means to transform one ancient civilization in an extraordinary period…” (http://www.japanjournal.jp/tjje/show_art.php?INDyear=06&INDmon=09&artid= 2736659c52b077859498a05c6936779f).
The writer concludes Naipaul’s comment: that Harumi Setouchi has successfully created a portrait of remarkable character through the outstanding portrait of the people during Taisho period, such as Noe Ito, Haruko Hiratsuka, and Sakae Osugi, who gave a greater influence in their society at that time.
The second criticism is based on the interview with Sanford Goldstein, conducted by Patricia Prime which first appeared in three issues of the 2004 TSA Quarterly Newsletter. (http://www.tankasocietyofamerica.com/Interview%20Goldstein%20Part%20I.ht m). Sanford, a professor of English at Purdue University, showed that Harumi Setouchi’s Beauty in Disarray was a novel talking about women liberation and women movement in Japan.
I admire all the poets I translated. I became a part of them. I could feel Akiko’s feelings of liberation and Mokichi’s struggles in order to deepen tanka…I realized early that there was a woman’s liberation movement in Japan, so later when I learned of Harumi Setouchi’s work entitled Beauty in Disarray, I wanted to translate it.
(http://www.tankasocietyofamerica.com/Interview%20Goldstein%20Part%20I
Again, Sanford Goldstein also gave comment on Harumi Setouchi’s
Beauty in Disarray : “It’s a novel no one seems want to read, but it is a historical
novel of great importance in spite of the fact that no one in the West seems to know about it”.
Moreover, as stated in the ‘Introduction’ of Harumi Setouchi’s Beauty in
Disarray by the novel’s translators Sanford Goldstein and Kazuji Ninomiya,
Beauty in Disarray points out the major issues about feminist movement through
the publication of the woman magazine, Seito and through the freedom of love shown by the complicated love triangle through the discourse of Japan in the Taisho era.
Beauty in Disarray takes one of its major subjects the development and
growth of Seito. Furthermore, at the very core of the feminist struggle during the Meiji and Taisho eras is the drama of several complicated love triangles, in addition to the anarchist and socialist movements of the time at that time. (Setouchi, 1993: 13)
In conclusion, this study is totally different from the criticisms that have already been discussed above. This study reviews the work of Harumi Setouchi’s
Beauty in Disarray , using liberal feminist point of view. This study tries to
comprehend the feminist ideas found in the main character through her attitude, behavior, writings and the society in perceiving this new idea. This study also tries to reveal the consequences borne by the character, as the result of practicing those feminist ideas. Since the foundation of the study is feminism, it can be said that this analysis is called feminist criticism.
B. Review of Related Theories
Basically, theories are needed as the tool to analyze the work or to become a basic thought of the analysis. There will be two main divided theories explained here. The first theory reviewed is theory of character and characterization. The second review is the theories of liberal feminism through the definitions some liberal feminists have attempted to postulate. For the additional information, the writer presents two important points: the first one is the review on patriarchal society and a review on women movement. The context of time and place for both are Taisho era and Japan.
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
Talking about the works of literature, such as drama, prose, or even poetry is not far from the persons who are described or talked about in the work. The readers usually call that person as the character(s). Cited in Mastering English
Literature by Richard Gill, there is an important distinction between Character
and Characterization. “A character is a person in a literary work”, while “characterization is the way in which a character is created” or in “the other word, characterization is a method and character the product” (1995: 127). Gill asserts that characters in books are not real people but figure, since characters have been specially created by the author. The author makes character’s personalities, selecting them and putting together so that the readers will react to him or her in way similar to how we do to real people.
In his book, Gill clarifies some aspects in studying the character. The first one is how the characters speak. The way the character speaks is through repeating certain words and phrases, using lots of illustrations, relying upon common sayings and proverbs, and saying a great deal or very little. The second point is how the characters think. Of course, when the characters are speaking, they are thinking. How the readers perceive a character’s thoughts is not merely related to what he or she is thinking but can also be acquainted with the manner of thoughts – how the character’s mind is made up, and how he or she approaches problems and challenges (Gill, 1995:127). Next is the appearance of the characters. It deals with the verbal picture of the characters, for example the female character is pretty and healthy, then the particular feature that makes her pretty (Gill, 1995, 129). Another point is how the character dresses. Here, clothes have several functions in novel; clothes as an expression of personality, clothes as an indication of social status, clothes as an indication to help create the atmosphere of a book, clothes as an essential element in the development of the plot. Next point is the social standing of characters. In general, class is a kind of rank: a rank established by wealth, social standing and culture. The class evident can be seen from the way the character dress, in employment, education, (sometimes) names, and so on. The other point is what the characters do. The way authors establish the character’ personality is through what a character is shown as acting or reacting.
Murphy in Understanding Unseens: an Introduction to English Poetry and an author can represent the characterization of characters in literary works, namely: 1. ‘Personal description’, the author can describe a character by using the appearance and clothes. The readers will get only a visible look of a character, like parts of the body of the character and the clothes he or she wears
2. ‘Character as seen by another’, the author can describe a character through the view, opinions, attitudes, and comments of other characters.
The readers will get a reflected image of the characters the author means 3. ‘Speech’, the author can describe a character by giving readers an insight into the characteristics through the way he or speaks and the language he or she uses. The reader enables to analyze from the sentences the character uses
4. ‘Past life’, the author can provide a clue to events that help to shape characteristics by giving the readers the character’s past life. This is quite helpful to analyze the motives that the character has when he has particular characteristic or does something special
5. ‘Conversation of others’, the author can provide a clue about a character thought the conversation of other people and what they say bout her or him. Readers will learn that what others say about a character may reveal what kind of characters she or he is
6. ‘Reaction’, the author can describe characteristics by showing how a character responds to various situations and events. The reaction may give a clue to what characteristics a character has
7. ‘Direct comment’, the author may give comments and descriptions on the characteristics of the character directly to readers. This becomes the best way for the readers to visualize the characteristics because they know what exactly the author wants to reveal
8. ‘Thought’, the author gives readers direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. There, she or he can tell readers what different people are thinking of. Such thing cannot be seen but can be represented through the speech and attitudes. The readers then are in privileged position; they have a secret listening device plugged in to the inmost thoughts of a character in a novel
9. ‘Mannerism’, the author can characterize a character through the mannerisms, habits or idiosyncrasies.
2. Theory of Liberal Feminism
According to Offen, as cited in Chris Beasley’s What is Feminism?, the term ‘feminism’ exists before the twentieth century, originating in France; and it only began to be employed in the 1890s (Beasley, 1999: xiii). In other words, it is a relatively ‘new’ term within the long history of western social and political theory. Still in the same book, Delmar considers that feminism exists only in the form of an intellectual tendency with or without the benefit of social movement (Beasley, 1999: xiii).
As the opening discussion about liberal feminism, Rosemary Putnam Tong clarifies that liberalism is the school of political thought from which liberal feminism has evolved (Tong, 1998: 10). The root of liberal feminism is to be focused on welfare liberalism. In fact, modern political goal is equality of opportunity that is most closely associated with liberal feminism. According to Tong, the overall goal of liberal feminism is “to create a just and compassionate society in which freedom flourishes”. She adds that “only in such a society can women as well as men thrive” (Tong, 1998: 12).
The main focus of liberal feminism in eighteen century was equality on education. One of the pioneers of liberal feminism at that time was Mary Wollstonecraft. She wrote about the condition of middle-class women in eighteen century, who sacrificed their health, liberty, and virtue for prestige, pleasure and power of their husband because they had married rich men (1998: 12). What it means by ‘lack of liberty’ here was that they were not permitted to make their own decisions; and they lacked virtue because they could not develop their ‘powers of reason’ since they had given a great premium on indulging self and gratifying others, especially men and children. As cited in Rosemarie Putnam tong’s book, Wollstonecraft stated that education was a tool to develop people’s rationalities and moral capacities so that they became full human potential (1998: 13). In other word, since they had equal chance to develop their rationalities and liberal feminist, in Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Right of Woman, that Wollstonecraft urged women to become autonomous decision makers through the academy. She decided well-educated women did not need to be economically self-sufficient or politically active in order to be autonomous (1998: 14). What Wollstonecraft mostly wanted for woman is personhood, meaning that woman is not the toy of men, or a mere means or an instrument for someone else’s happiness or perfection. Rather, she added that woman is an ‘end’, a rational agent whose dignity consists in having the capacity for self-determination (1998: 15).
The main focus of liberal feminism thought in the nineteenth century was the equal political rights and economic opportunities. Still in the same book as stated in Rosemarie Putnam Tong’s book, the pioneers of liberal feminists in nineteenth century here were John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor (Mill). Being different to rationalities explained by Wollstonecraft, Mill and Taylor conceived that rationality is not only morality, as autonomous decision making, but also prudence, as self-fulfillment or using one head to get what one wants (Tong, 1998:15). Mill stated, in “The Subjection of Women”, that “if women were recognized as fully rational and worthy of the same civil liberties and economic opportunities as men, society would reap benefits” (cited in Tong, 1998: 17). Taylor and Mill were mostly debating that taking care of the children should also be a part of the roles of a husband, and that a wife should also work outside home to assist the husband, not just to be a ‘servant’ of a husband, so that she will gain the same position, equal with man.