is a consumer of male- produced works. The second Humm, 1994: 7 is the issue of the invisibility of women writers has been addressed. It underlies the
consideration on the texts of neglected women, and women’s oral culture. The third Humm, 1994: 8, the feminist criticism confronts the problem of
the feminist reader by offering readers new methods and a fresh critical practice. Humm adds that the practice focuses on those techniques of
signification which are undervalued in traditional criticism. The fourth, Humm explains 1994: 8 that feminist criticism aims to make us act as
feminist readers by creating new writing and reading collectives. Using this criticism, I am able to analyze the two novels deeper. The
criticism enables us to find values under the issue of gender, and also to find the role played by women in the society during the period of time which also
shows us the civilization and tradition of society.
2.2 Review on American and Javanese Culture
This section presents the cultural background of the two areas of the two novels. This section is divided into two. They are review on American
culture and review on Javanese culture.
2.2.1 Review on American Culture in the Late of 19
th
Century
During the late nineteenth century, America was dominated by the rise of highly developed industrial and capitalist society Hinsley, 1967: 487.
There were people from British who decided to move to America and built enterprises that later gave great contributions to America economic growth.
As the enterprises get bigger, there were migrants who decided to come to America to work on those enterprises. Hinsley 1967:501 also states that in
this period, America economic growth was supported fully by the great wealth entrepreneur. They were asked to chary for the development of
America. The gap between the great wealth and ordinary businessman was so great that they were separated into classes. Hinsley 1967:505 mentions that
the businessmen began to enjoy their separate existence. This economic growth produced not only big enterprises, but also brought immigrants.
Immigrants were accepted in the society only as strangers and were put in lowest social class.
Women on that time already had education. Hinsley 1967: 197 states that in the period of time a class distinction cut across the sex distinction. For
worker girls, they may have the same education level with boys. Those girls went to the same school with boys and learnt the same things, even though
their maximum level of education was very low. Hinsley 1967:197 adds that for girls from the middle and upper
classes, the education was so poor and sex distinction meant everything. Girls were taught at home or in private school to learn everything about
household and or about art. They did not go to universities as man did. Along the period, there are many of women’s pioneer emerged to struggle for the
rights to have the same education as men had. According to Buckler 1983:860, encountering injustice, there is no wonder that some women
rebelled by the second half of the nineteenth century and began the long- PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
continuing fight for the equality of the sexes and the rights of women. Hinsley 1967:197-200 mentions certain names who struggle for justice for
women. They are Frances Mary Buss 1827-1894, Dorothea Beale -1906, Emily Davies, Anne Jemmima Clough, Professor Henry Sidgwick, and also
Maria Grey. Therefore, during the time, the equality of men and women starts to be developed.
2.2.2 Review on Javanese Culture in the Late of 19
