Bad Treatments over Women

Fall gently, snowflakes Cover me with white Cold icy kisses and Let me rest tonight. lines 23-26 in poem D In the last lines of this poem, a series of natural images, such as sun, rain, sky, mountain, ocean, leaf, stone, star, and moon are put in the poem to give the spirit to the woman to run her life in doing and facing her routine works as a housewife. Maya Angelou certainly uses these natural images to regain the woman’s strength to enable her to handle the difficult and unpleasant conditions in her life. Sun, rain, curving sky Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone Star shine, moon glow Youre all that I can call my own. lines 27-30 in poem D

4.2 Bad Treatments over Women

Feminism also deals with bad treatments over women which often occur in a patriarchal society. In this case, bad treatments usually deal with oppression of women as well as rape or other forms of sexual harassment. James 2000:576 argues, “feminism is grounded on the belief that women are oppressed or disadvantaged by comparison with men, and that their oppression is in some way illegitimate or unjustified”. Finally, women have been unjustly held back from achieving full equality for much of human history in many societies around the Universitas Sumatera Utara world. They have even had to feel bad treatments that are committed to them by men. And that is what Maya Angelou has ever experienced in her life. In poem B, the first person speaker, who is according to this thesis’ analysis is a woman, presents her history which is full of bad treatments, such as being oppressed by her society. The first three lines in this poem show the speaker has ever been treated in really bad ways by ‘you’ which refers to the men. She is subject to bitter and twisted lies. She is also trampled in the dirt. In other words, it can be said that men have treated the speaker in improper ways. And what she has experienced is an unforgettable history that may become ‘a past pain’ for her. You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt lines 1-3 in poem B In lines 21-23, it can be seen that the men mock the speaker with their hurting words. Using ‘You may cut me with your eyes’, the speaker wants to convey that they also underestimate her because in their points of view, she is nothing and only a second-class human who has lower position. Overall, it is clear that the men really hate the speaker. They think that she is only a weak creature who cannot do anything at all. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, lines 21-23 in poem B Universitas Sumatera Utara The next poem which is also related to bad treatments over a woman is poem C. In lines 1-2 of poem, the first person speaker, who is according to this thesis’ analysis is a woman, is regarded as a weak person by men. Freedman 2001:10 argues, “whereas women have been seen as closer to nature, men have been perceived as closer to culture, more suited for public roles and political association. For this reason, women have been relegated to a secondary status in society, often confined to roles in the home rather than able to accede to powerful public positions”. Thus, it is obvious that the two lines of this poem show how the speaker is placed as a second-class human in society. Her rights are absolutely restricted by the power of patriarchal culture. These two lines also show that the men underestimate the speaker for she will never be able to improve. You declare you see me dimly through a glass which will not shine. lines 1-2 in poem C The men also stay deaf and blind to anything that the speaker says or does. They do not care at all. And this is reflected in lines 5-8 of this poem: You do own to hear me faintly as a whisper out of range, lines 5-8 in poem C The men then mock the speaker. They think that she is a wanton woman because she flies ‘from man to man’. They only regard her as ‘a shadow’ which is useless at all. But the speaker does not like the way they think. Therefore, she is now sure that the men will never understand what she feels. They just can tease Universitas Sumatera Utara and underestimate her because in their points of view, she is a only weak woman. And this is pictured in lines 11-14 of this poem: You announce my ways are wanton, that I fly from man to man, but if I’m just a shadow to you, could you ever understand? lines 11-14 in poem C In line 15 of poem C, ‘we’ refers to other women who are now living together in the same society with the speaker. They are living in a patriarchal society. Using ‘We have lived a painful history, we know the shameful past,’ in lines 15-16, the speaker wants to convey how she and those women have ever experienced a painful history that becomes an unforgettable pain for them. They have also ever had a shameful past because of getting bad treatments committed by men, such as oppression, sexual harassment, rape, and so on. We have lived a painful history, we know the shameful past, lines 15-16 in poem C The speaker wants the men to open their eyes widely to see what they have done to her. She wants them to open their ears to hear what she wants to convey to them. The speaker also experiences how the men’s superiority, domination, and bad treatments have really made her despair and cry for freedom. Her face is full of tears because of being unable to control herself not to cry. And this is displayed in lines 21-24 of this poem: Universitas Sumatera Utara Take the blinders from your vision, take the padding from your ears, and confess you’ve heard me crying, and admit you’ve seen my tears. lines 21-24 in poem in poem C Poem E is the next poem which is related to bad treatment over a woman. In this case, the bad trearment that is committed to her deals with rape. Rape is an action that humiliates a woman’s dignity. But in a patriarchal society, rape must be recognized and understood as an important pillar of patriarchy. This is what Maya Angelou strongly crticizes. Through this poem, she really fights against rape. Maya Angelou’s inspiration to write this poem was based on her and also other women’s real experiences. Angelou herself was ever raped by her mother’s boyfriend when she was eight years old. And through this poem, Angelou then presents the appearance of how a young girl’s first sexual experience is emotionally dismantled. It is really amazing to see how Maya Angelou goes into details of the rape through this poem E. Lines 1-6 of the poem show the maturity of the young girl being talked about within this poem. She starts showing her interest in men. She always watches behind the curtains. She also likes seeing the men walking in the street. Universitas Sumatera Utara When I was young, I used to Watch behind the curtains As men walked up and down the street. Wino men, old men. Young men sharp as mustard. See them. Men are always Going somewhere. lines 1-6 in poem E It is also startling that the rape is committed by more than one man. The men realize that the young girl, who is only fifteen years old, is watching them. ‘Starving for them’ shows that the girl actually wants to have a man who can give her protection, love, and affection in her lonely life. She then stares at those men’s shoulders. And the men show their brashness by staring at her breasts. This is reflected in lines 7-14 of this poem: They knew I was there. Fifteen Years old and starving for them. Under my window, they would pauses, Their shoulders high like the Breasts of a young girl, Jacket tails slapping over Those behinds, Men. lines 7-14 in poem E One day, those men come and show the young girl how they care to her. Finally, the girl feels that they can protect her and give her love and affection. A metaphor ‘as if you were the last raw egg in the world’ also symbolizes that the young girl feels like she is the most special girl in the world. And this is pictured in lines 15-17 of this poem: Universitas Sumatera Utara One day they hold you in the Palms of their hands, gentle, as if you Were the last raw egg in the world. lines 15-17 in poem E Unfortunately, those men just want to have sex with the young girl. They just want her body. They aggressively pressurise her to engage in a sexual intercourse. Finally, she is raped. For the first time, she thinks that it is nice. After that, she feels hurt. However, she still smiles although she actually feels fearful. So, it is clear that the young girl is really innocent. She is only a victim of those men’s barbarousness. And this is displayed in lines 17-24 of this poem: Then They tighten up. Just a little. The First squeeze is nice. A quick hug. Soft into your defenselessness. A little More. The hurt begins. Wrench out a Smile that slides around the fear. lines 17-24 in poem E The young girl feels her ‘juice’, which is believed to be her blood, coming out. In other words, she has just lost her virginity because of those men’s degenerate actions. And the ‘juice’ lands on the men’s shoes. Obviously, it will not lie on the shoes if they rape the girl in a normal way. It is really true that they are raping her standing which emphasizes even more how badly she is raped. And this is reflected in lines 24-31 of this poem: Universitas Sumatera Utara When the Air disappears, Your mind pops, exploding fiercely, briefly, Like the head of a kitchen match. Shattered. It is your juice That runs down their legs. Staining their shoes. When the earth rights itself again, And taste tries to return to the tongue, lines 24-31 in poem E In lines 32-33 of this poem, the young girl’s soul is then deeply damaged. Therefore, she feels there is ‘no keys’ that can open her up. She will never forget how she has ever been raped in a very bad way by those degenerate men. Besides that, she can never get her virginity back and she hates herself for it. Your body has slammed shut. Forever. No keys exist. lines 32-33 in poem E Finally, Maya Angelou certainly dedicates this poem to warn all women that they should be very cautious when it comes to dealing with men. She also wants to show how men can commit bad treatments over them, especially through rape. And rape absolutely causes women to feel traumatized. Poem F is the last poem which is related to bad treatment over a woman. It is a short poem which consists of only two stanzas. This poem’s idea is still the same with the idea of poem E. It talks about rape. Maya Angelou ever became a victim of rape when she was young. But she does not clearly explain how bad she was actually raped. She does not want anyone to know about her shameful past which deals with rape. But poem E and F Universitas Sumatera Utara lead the readers to start thinking that the rape she ever experienced is the thing that she will never forget. If the woman is raped in a very bad way in poem E, the rapist in poem F commits his action in a soft way. In lines 1-4 of poem F, it is obvious that the man gently tries to ensure the woman to have a sexual intercourse with him. He does not force her at all. He tries to show how he really loves and cares to her. He then slowly touches the woman’s hair and smiles at the slope of her cheek. But the woman still does not realize that the man’s intention is just to have a sexual intercouse with her and get her virginity. Your hands easy weight, teasing the bees hived in my hair, your smile at the slope of my cheek. lines 1-4 in poem F When there is an opportunity, the man does not want to waste it at all. He then commits his ‘deed’, which refers to rape, to the woman. And this is reflected in lines 4-8 of this poem: On the occasion, you press above me, glowing, spouting readiness, mystery rapes my reason. lines 4-8 in poem F The last lines of poem F show how the woman is raped in a soft way by the man. ‘Your love lingers between my breasts’ shows that the woman has been hypnotized by the love and care that the man has given to her. She then pays back Universitas Sumatera Utara those love and care by easily giving her body to him. ‘I greedily consume your presence’ also indicates that the woman enjoys what the man commits to her. However, she still does not realize that she has been raped and trapped by the man’s pretence. One day, she will absolutely regret for what has happened to her. When you have withdrawn your self and the magic, when only the smell of your love lingers between my breasts, then, only then, can I greedily consume your presence. lines 9-15 in poem F Through this poem, Maya Angelou once again intends to warn all women to be very careful with men. Angelou believes that men have many tricks to trap women into the rape.

4.3 The Superiority of Men