feminism point of view. The first objective is to find out the characterization of Emma and Firdaus by analyzing the way they behave and the way they
think in the stories. The second objective is to understand the character of Emma and Firdaus from the feminism point of view.
D. Definition of terms
There is a definition of terms used in this study.This study uses the term feminism to analyze this study. To avoid misunderstanding, the writer
uses the definition of feminism by Maggie Humm :
According to Humm, Feminism is a belief that women have equal rights and sexist domination should be removed.
Humm,1992 : 1
6
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW
This chapter contains all reviews of related literature used in this study. It discusses related studies, related theories, and theoretical
framework. In the related studies, the writer presents studies that related to the topic of this study. In the related theories, the writer presents theories
that related to the problem formulation. They are theory of character and
characterization and also theory of feminism. Meanwhile, in the theoretical
framework review some theories that used in this study.
A. Review of related studies
Woman has always become an interesting topic to be discussed. On one side, women have enchantment which can make men get infatuated. But
on the other side, women are assumed as weak persons. Because of this weakness, it makes men exploit their beauty.
Aristoteles said that the female is a female by virtue of a certain lack of qualities, while St. Thomas said that women to be an “imperfect man”, an
“incidental being”. Humm, 1992:xxii From quotation above, the writer can notice that woman are assumed to be weaker than man and it makes man
feels superior. This superiority makes man do violence toward woman. Violence which is caused by this gender bias is called as “Gender-related-
violence”. Fakih,1996:17
In “Woman at Point Zero”, the main character, Firdaus often gets violence. The most painful violence is from Sheikh Mahmoud, her husband.
Sheikh Mahmoud likes to beat her and this becomes his habbit. Another kind of violence that Firdaus experience is prostitution. In
“Woman at Point Zero” , Firdaus becomes prostitute. Life which really hard makes her choose this situation. First, Sharifa who persuade her to do this
job and then Firdaus herself who choose become a prostitutes because of her dissapointment to all of man whom she met.
Another violence can be seen in novel “Madame Bovary” in the character of Emma. The form of violence which she experience is rape.
Rudolphe likes Emma at the first sight, although she has a husband. It makes him tease her and then rape her in a hill. 162
The example of gender inequalities above makes feminism appear. Feminism appear because of the gender prejudice that women are seen as
secondary people. Women are assumed to be different from men universally. It is not only from the biological criteria, but also from
socioculture criteria. Susilastuti, 1993:29-30.
It reflects on the character of Firdaus in “Woman at Point Zero”. Feminism that appears in the story is also influenced by the socioculture.
The culture in Egypt contributes on how Firdaus reacts to her problems in her life.
Egypt, where Firdaus lives, is a city that most of the citizens are Moslem. This situation influences how Firdaus react to her problem.
According norm in Moslem society, if a girl wants to marry, there should be permission from her father. A father may marry off her daughter with a man
even she does not love at all. Nurhayati,2012:XIV. It can be seen in Firdaus life. Firdaus as a girl in Egypt, which her
father has died, then she is under controlled by her uncle. She is very submissive to him. When her uncle wants to marry off her with Sheikh
Mahmoud, Firdaus accepts that marriage although she does not like him at all.
Khalid Abou Fadl as a Moslem thinker said that although the society praise women role as a mother, women are portrayed as ones who are
imperfect and disobedient. So a wife should serve and be controlled by her husband. As a child, a girl is controlled by her father and as a society
member a girl is under controlled by all men. Fadl,2005:308. Firdaus also experience this. She is controlled by her husband,
Sheikh Mahmoud. She is unhappy with her marriage. Firdaus often gets physical abuse from her husband but she just silents and accepts that bad
treatment. She tries to complain to her uncle but it is useless. ”Her uncle said that all husband beat their wives and my uncle’s
wife said that her husband often beat her. I was said a respected Sheikh, well versed in the teachings of religion, and, he, therefore
could not possibly be in the habit of beating his wife. She replied that it was precisely men well versed in their religion who beat their
wives.The percepts of religion permitted such punishment. A virtous woman was not supposed to complain about her husband. Her duty
was perfect obedience.”Pp.46-47
