Portrayal of The Woman Protagonist Through Feminism in Susan Sontag's 'In America'.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... i TABLE OF CONTENTS ……….... ABSTRACT ………... CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study ……….………….… Statement of the Problem ………...… Purpose of the Study ………..
ii iii
1 3 3 Method of Research ………...… 4 Organization of the Thesis ……….
CHAPTER TWO: PORTRAYAL OF THE WOMAN PROTAGONIST THROUGH FEMINISM IN SUSAN SONTAG'S
4
IN AMERICA………..………... 5
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ... BIBLIOGRAPHY ………...……….… APPENDICES:
Synopsis of In America....….……… Biography of Susan Sontag………...….…
17 20
23 24
(2)
ABSTRACT
In America adalah sebuah novel karangan Susan Sontag yang terinspirasi oleh seorang artis terkenal Polandia; Helena Modrzejewska dan yang mendapatkan National Book Award pada tahun 2000. Novel ini mengisahkan tentang perempuan dengan karakter yang luar biasa bernama Maryna Zalezowska.
Maryna adalah seorang yang mandiri, kuat dan memiliki pendirian yang teguh. Hal ini terlihat dari caranya memutuskan untuk pindah ke Amerika dengan tujuan untuk dapat memperbarui hidupnya. Ia menjadi tulang punggung keluarga dan tetap bekerja keras walaupun keadaan di Anaheim tidak sesuai dengan yang diharapkannya. Ia tidak menyerah dan terus berjuang hingga akhirnya ia mencapai kesuksesan bahkan suaminya justru bergantung pada Maryna.
Tujuan Susan Sontag adalah menentang pandangan masyarakat khususnya masyarakat patrialkal yang melihat perempuan sebagai seorang yang harus mau diatur dan bergantung pada laki-laki. Tentu saja karakter Maryna membuktikan bahwa perempuan juga seorang manusia yang ingin memiliki kehendak bebas untuk menentukan segala sesuatu untuk dirinya tanpa harus diatur oleh laki-laki. Oleh karena itu saya menggunakan pendekatan feminisme dari Simone de Beauvoir yang mengatakan bahwa perempuan harus melihat dirinya sebagai sosok yang dapat berdiri sendiri dan menolak konstruksi masyarakat bahwa laki-laki adalah subyek dan perempuan adalah “yang Lain”.
(3)
APPENDICES
SYNOPSIS OF IN AMERICA
The novel was inspired by the emigration to America in 1876 of Helena Modrzejewska, Poland's most celebrated actress. This novel begins in "Chapter Zero" being the first person narrative who finds herself into a party in the private dining room of a hotel.
The story is about Maryna Zalezowska, a much beloved Polish actress. While at the peak of her career, together with her husband Bogdan, her son Piotr, and an entourage of friends and followers, she emigrate to America in 1876 to find a “utopian” commune. She is not sure if she can explain why she feels so strongly about this, as an actress she just wants to renew her life in America.
Landing in New York, the group spends a brief period living in Hoboken, visiting the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia and exploring New York City before embarking on a voyage to the West. After a brief sojourn in San Francisco, they move down the coast to Southern California, where they establish a small settlement in Anaheim. Maryna, the leader of her group, build vineyard and farm in Anaheim, a little Brook Farm of Polish emigrants in the Wild West.
Life is hard, however, and the utopian dream soon fails. Her friends, one by one start to leave her and come back to Poland. Because of this, she is very sad and desperate but she has determination and still struggles to sustain her life in America,
(4)
no matter how big the problem that she will face. At one time in her life, she feels that her hard work is useless because her vineyard does not give satisfying result. Eventually, her friend, Ryszard advices her to return to the theatre again. In the beginning, she refuses it; in America she wants to renew her life, and to forget her past life as an actress. But the money condition forces her to do something else and she knows that her great ability is in the theatre world. Thus, she goes to San Francisco and begins prepare herself to join an audition in Booth’s Theatre by hiring a tutor named Miss Collingridge to improve her English language. Her husband, Bogdan, remains at the Anaheim settlement until it can be sold. Then, Maryna succeeds in the first performance, and she tells her family to rejoin with her in San Francisco, where she becomes an overnight theatrical sensation, her Polish stardom now is burning brightly in America.
She changes her name to Marina Zalenska. Then, she travels to Virginia City, eventually, New York City and attracts fans and admirers wherever she goes. Her life becomes a super star, exhaustive tour around the world, performing with her own repertory company and making stage appearances with the Edwin Booth, the most renowned actor of that time.
BIOGRAPHY OF SUSAN SONTAG
Susan Sontag was a highly respected American essayist, novelist,
intellectual, and activist, known for her brilliant thinking in her analyses of contemporary culture. Susan, originally named Susan Rosenblatt, was born in New York City in January 16, 1933. Sontag’s father is Jack Rosenblatt. Her mother, Mildred Jacobsen, married Nathan Sontag seven years later. Sontag grew up in Arizona and, later, in Los Angeles, where she graduated from North Hollywood High
(5)
School at the age of 15. She began her undergraduate studies at University of Chicago, where she graduated with a B.A. At 17, Sontag married Philip Rieff, they divorced in 1958. The couple had a son, David Rieff. Then, Sontag moved to Boston and continued her studies at Harvard, where she got a Ph.D. In 1957, Sontag studied at the University of Paris. She worked as a lecturer in philosophy at the City College of New York and Sarah Lawrence. In 1960 she was a writer-in-residence for one year at Rutgers. In the 1960s Sontag’s connection with the Partisan Review brought her in close contact with the ‘New York intellectuals’.
On Photography, she received the National Book Critic’s Award for
Criticism in 1977. She has also won the George Polk Memorial Award, National Institutes and America Academy Award for Literature and the Brandeis Creative Arts Award. Sontag’s In America received the National Book Award in 2000. Sontag died in New York City on December 28, 2004, aged 71, from complication of myelodysplastic syndrome evolving into acute myelogenous leukemia. She is buried in Montparnasse cemetery, France.
Source: “Susan Sontag”. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 26 March 2007. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan Sontag>
(6)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
I
.
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDYIn patriarchal society, the position of men is superior to women, it is because culture plays a dominant part in creating inequality between men and women. “The superior position is reserved for men and thus it is in favor of the interests of men” (Guerin 182). Such culture is sexist because it places women in an inferior level in all aspects of life.
I have chosen a novel dealing with the issue mentioned above, In America by Susan Sontag. The novel, which was written in 20th Century, is a bold and brilliant novel because through it, Susan Sontag achieves the National Book Award in 2000. Moreover, Library Journal claims that “Sontag uses dense, elegant language, inventive dialogue, impassioned monologue, and diary entries to lure the reader more deeply into the fascinating historical journey of a powerful actress…Sontag triumphs once again with her gift for turning history into riveting fiction” (qtd. in Sontag). Even though Susan Sontag has written many books, I choose this particular one because as a woman I want to know more about feminism value, which is an attempt from women to struggle in their lives without being controlled by men. In addition,
(7)
when I read this novel I find out that the novel is really contradictory and it opposes women stereotypes, which are weak, submissive and dominated by men.
As a fiction writer, Susan Sontag achieves many awards for her novels and as an activist, she gives some contributions to the world of literature. “A human rights activist for more than two decades, Ms. Sontag served from 1987 to 1989 as president of the American Center of PEN, the international writers' organization dedicated to freedom of expression and the advancement of literature, from which platform she led a number of campaigns on behalf of persecuted and imprisoned writers” (Susan Sontag).
In this thesis, I would like to analyze the character, specifically the protagonist. I am personally interested in analyzing the protagonist because as a central character, she has the true potential as a woman in her society. Definitely, the author has a particular motivation in creating the protagonist. In In America the protagonist of the story is Maryna Zalezowska. She is portrayed as an independent wife who becomes the breadwinner and determines almost everything in her family; many people around her adore her, still she only counts on herself. Furthermore, In America is about “Maryna’s decision to exchange the rustic simplicities of her failed utopia to return to the luxurious life of an actress -- with as few regrets as she expended in her decision to leave Poland for the United States with her family…” (Kakutani).
Since this novel tells about woman’s life and struggle within her society, I think it is suitable to use feminism approach. According to Sharon Spencer in Feminist Criticism and Literature, the concept of feminism is “the attempt to eliminate marginalization of women in all places; the subordination of women; the oppression of women physically and psychologically…and the stereotype which
(8)
defames the image of women” (qtd. in Bressler). This can be seen through the struggle and independency of the protagonist as an individual. The protagonist in this novel deals a lot with making choice as a woman. Thus, in analyzing this novel, I think it is suitable to use feminism theory, specifically, the existentialist feminism by Simone de Beauvoir. Simone said that “female is not male, she becomes ‘the Other’, an object whose existence is defined by the male, who is dominant in society… Women should see themselves as autonomous beings and must reject the societal construct that men are the subject or absolute and that women are the Other” (Bressler 182). Accordingly, women should stand by themselves and do not depend on men. They must make their own decision by or for themselves.
II. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The problems are stated as follow:
1. How does the author portray the woman protagonist? 2. How is the portrayal of the protagonist related to feminism? 3. What is the purpose of the author in creating such character?
III. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Based on the statement of the problems above, this study is done:
1. to show how the author portrays the woman protagonist in In America. 2. to show how the portrayal of the protagonist related to feminism. 3. to show how the purpose of the author in creating such character.
(9)
VI. METHOD OF RESEARCH
For this thesis I use library research, by first reading In America as the primary text. I also read and collect some data that are taken from books and the Internet. After that, I analyze the female protagonist in the book using feminism approach and finally I draw a conclusion.
V. THE ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
This thesis contains three chapters. The first chapter is the Introduction, which consists of the Background of the Study, Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study, Method of Research, and the Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two is the discussion of the protagonist in In America. The last chapter is the Conclusion. The thesis ends with the Bibliography and the Appendices, which contain the Synopsis of the Novel and the Biography of the Author.
(10)
CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
After analyzing Susan Sontag’s In America, I would like to draw some conclusions. The protagonist of the novel, Maryna Zalezowska, is an independent woman who decides everything herself, she bravely takes actions without depending on others. She establishes it by leaving Poland while she is at the peak of her career because she wants to renew her life and find utopian commune. Her husband, Bogdan, comes with her and she becomes the leader of her group when they are in America. She decides everything for the group and they obey her. As a woman, she shows her capability in becoming a leader that mostly intended for men.
Unfortunately, the condition in America is not like what they have expected, life is hard, one by one her friends, leave her and return to Poland, but Maryna as a tough woman does not give up. She works hard to earn some money and can accept all the consequences of her decision in order to sustain her life in America. With her determination, she knows what to do during the hard time. As she realizes that her great ability is in theatre, she prepares herself to join Booth’s theatre and determines to become a great actress. It is hard to become a great actress because the society underestimates her but she still struggles to get her dream. Without giving up, she thinks about her roles in the drama that she is preparing and hires a tutor to improve her English language. Then, she succeeds in her first performance and
(11)
becomes popular until the end of the story. From her achievement, she can send money for her helpless husband at Anaheim and this makes her husband’s life depend on her.
Through the characteristics of Maryna, Susan Sontag as a feminist wants to prove that woman is an incredible being. The protagonist becomes independent in deciding everything by herself, she is tough in facing all the problems and learning to solve it, she also insists on keeping her will. What makes her survives is her vision; a dream that she wants to get a better future and a new life in America. Despite the unpleasant condition and the society in San Francisco, she still keeps her commitment to stay. Until the end of the story, her characteristics do not change; moreover, she gains success, which she never gets in Poland. Her characteristics are related to Beauvoir’s theory that women must see themselves as a subject, thus they must stand by themselves and do not depend on men in making a decision.
Through the analysis of In America, I learn that there is no permanent subject and that the position of men and women is socially constructed. In patriarchal society, which is in favour of men, men are seen as the subject. Accordingly, women are considered the object to make the binary opposition. Women are put in such position that they cannot become a free being, that their lives are dependent on and controlled by men. Moreover, women are often considered the weaker sex and the less brave. However, the characteristics of Sontag’s protagonist, Maryna, oppose the social construction. Susan Sontag is capable in creating a woman that show us, the readers, that women are not weak beings who are incapable of making any decisions and are dependent on men. Maryna can handle all the problems that come into her life without being controlled by men. Hence, it makes me realize that it is not proper
(12)
to see women as object and men as subject. Women and men are human beings that have equal freedom.
I find that this novel is fascinating because it tells about the struggle and independence of a woman in life. Accordingly, it is certain that Susan Sontag wants to reveal her thoughts about feminism by creating this character.
In creating the protagonist in her novel, Susan Sontag is inspired by Helena Modrzejewska, a Poland great actress who immigrated to California to find utopian commune. When the utopian experiment failed, she returned to the stage. During her career, she had a reputation as the leading female interpreter, she was often invited to speak in a women’s conference and gave support for charity activities. No wonder, Sontag can succeed in portraying the protagonist of Maryna, who represents woman that has great characteristics in patriarchal society. I conclude that Susan Sontag has succeeded in delivering her points of view about feminism and the women’s position in society through this novel.
(13)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Texts:
Sontag, Susan. In America. New York: Picador, 2000.
Book:
Bressler, Charles. Literary Criticism: An Introduction to theory and Practice. Second Edition. New Jersey, 1999.
Charvet, John. Modern Ideologies: Feminism. London: J.M Dent & Sons Ltd, 1982.
de Beauvoir, Simone. The Second Sex. Pustaka Promethea, 2003.
Guerin, Wilfred. (ed). A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. Third Edition. New York, 1992.
Tong, Rosemarie Putnam. Feminist Thought. Bandung: Jalasutra, 2004.
Internet Sources:
Bebel, August. The Legal Status of Women. “Women and Socialism”. Trans. Stern, Meta L. Socialist Literature Co., 15 Spruce Street, New York. 9 October 2008. <http://www.marxists.org/archive/bebel/1879/woman socialism/ch15.htm>
(14)
Blunden, Andy. “The second sex 25 years later”. Marxistts.org. 11 November 2008. <http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/ethics/de-beauvoir/1976/interview.htm>
Cathcart, Michael. “Interview with Susan Sontag”. Art today.com. 11 March 2008. <http://www.abc.net.au/m/arts/atoday/stories/s133826.htm>
“Feminism in Literature”. Scribd.com. 23 January 2009. <http://www.scribd.com/doc/3510816/Feminism-in-Literature>
“In America”. Mostly Fiction.com. 19 February 2008. <http://mostlyfiction.com/west/sontag.htm>
Kakutani, Michiko. “ In America’ by Susan Sontag”. Post-gazette.com. 22 February 2008.
<http://www.post.gazette.com/books/reviews/20000507review487.asp> Musset, Shannon. “Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986)”. Iep.utm.edu. 5 April
2008. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/b/beauvoir.htm> “Simone de Beauvoir”. Tameri.com. 27 March 2008.
<http://www.tameri.com/csw/exist/beauvoir.shtml>
“Simone de Beauvoir”. Wikimedia.com. 26 February 2008. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/simone_de_beauvoir>
“Simone de Beauvoir biography”. Thecry.com. 1 April 2008. <http://www.thecry.com/existentialism/debeauvoir/beauvbio.html>
Simons, Margaret A. “Is The Second Sex Beauvoir’s Application of Sartrean
Existentialism?”. bu.edu. 15 November 2008. <http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Gend/GendSimo.htm>
“Susan Sontag”. Susan Sontag.com. Susan Sontag Official. 11 March 2008. <http://www.Susan Sontag.com/biography.htm>
(15)
“Susan Sontag Wins National Book Award for ‘In America’ ”. CNN.com. 22 February 2008.
<http:\\archives.CNN.com/2000/books/news/11/16/nationalbook.awards.ap/in dex.html>
(1)
CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
After analyzing Susan Sontag’s In America, I would like to draw some conclusions. The protagonist of the novel, Maryna Zalezowska, is an independent woman who decides everything herself, she bravely takes actions without depending on others. She establishes it by leaving Poland while she is at the peak of her career because she wants to renew her life and find utopian commune. Her husband, Bogdan, comes with her and she becomes the leader of her group when they are in America. She decides everything for the group and they obey her. As a woman, she shows her capability in becoming a leader that mostly intended for men.
Unfortunately, the condition in America is not like what they have expected, life is hard, one by one her friends, leave her and return to Poland, but Maryna as a tough woman does not give up. She works hard to earn some money and can accept all the consequences of her decision in order to sustain her life in America. With her determination, she knows what to do during the hard time. As she realizes that her great ability is in theatre, she prepares herself to join Booth’s theatre and determines to become a great actress. It is hard to become a great actress because the society underestimates her but she still struggles to get her dream. Without giving up, she thinks about her roles in the drama that she is preparing and hires a tutor to
(2)
becomes popular until the end of the story. From her achievement, she can send money for her helpless husband at Anaheim and this makes her husband’s life depend on her.
Through the characteristics of Maryna, Susan Sontag as a feminist wants to prove that woman is an incredible being. The protagonist becomes independent in deciding everything by herself, she is tough in facing all the problems and learning to solve it, she also insists on keeping her will. What makes her survives is her vision; a dream that she wants to get a better future and a new life in America. Despite the unpleasant condition and the society in San Francisco, she still keeps her commitment to stay. Until the end of the story, her characteristics do not change; moreover, she gains success, which she never gets in Poland. Her characteristics are related to Beauvoir’s theory that women must see themselves as a subject, thus they must stand by themselves and do not depend on men in making a decision.
Through the analysis of In America, I learn that there is no permanent subject and that the position of men and women is socially constructed. In patriarchal society, which is in favour of men, men are seen as the subject. Accordingly, women are considered the object to make the binary opposition. Women are put in such position that they cannot become a free being, that their lives are dependent on and controlled by men. Moreover, women are often considered the weaker sex and the less brave. However, the characteristics of Sontag’s protagonist, Maryna, oppose the social construction. Susan Sontag is capable in creating a woman that show us, the readers, that women are not weak beings who are incapable of making any decisions and are dependent on men. Maryna can handle all the problems that come into her life without being controlled by men. Hence, it makes me realize that it is not proper
(3)
to see women as object and men as subject. Women and men are human beings that have equal freedom.
I find that this novel is fascinating because it tells about the struggle and independence of a woman in life. Accordingly, it is certain that Susan Sontag wants to reveal her thoughts about feminism by creating this character.
In creating the protagonist in her novel, Susan Sontag is inspired by Helena Modrzejewska, a Poland great actress who immigrated to California to find utopian commune. When the utopian experiment failed, she returned to the stage. During her career, she had a reputation as the leading female interpreter, she was often invited to speak in a women’s conference and gave support for charity activities. No wonder, Sontag can succeed in portraying the protagonist of Maryna, who represents woman that has great characteristics in patriarchal society. I conclude that Susan Sontag has succeeded in delivering her points of view about feminism and the women’s position in society through this novel.
(4)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Texts:
Sontag, Susan. In America. New York: Picador, 2000.
Book:
Bressler, Charles. Literary Criticism: An Introduction to theory and Practice. Second Edition. New Jersey, 1999.
Charvet, John. Modern Ideologies: Feminism. London: J.M Dent & Sons Ltd, 1982.
de Beauvoir, Simone. The Second Sex. Pustaka Promethea, 2003.
Guerin, Wilfred. (ed). A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. Third Edition. New York, 1992.
Tong, Rosemarie Putnam. Feminist Thought. Bandung: Jalasutra, 2004.
Internet Sources:
Bebel, August. The Legal Status of Women. “Women and Socialism”. Trans. Stern, Meta L. Socialist Literature Co., 15 Spruce Street, New York. 9 October 2008. <http://www.marxists.org/archive/bebel/1879/woman socialism/ch15.htm>
(5)
Blunden, Andy. “The second sex 25 years later”. Marxistts.org. 11 November 2008. <http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/ethics/de-beauvoir/1976/interview.htm>
Cathcart, Michael. “Interview with Susan Sontag”. Art today.com. 11 March 2008. <http://www.abc.net.au/m/arts/atoday/stories/s133826.htm>
“Feminism in Literature”. Scribd.com. 23 January 2009. <http://www.scribd.com/doc/3510816/Feminism-in-Literature>
“In America”. Mostly Fiction.com. 19 February 2008. <http://mostlyfiction.com/west/sontag.htm>
Kakutani, Michiko. “ In America’ by Susan Sontag”. Post-gazette.com. 22 February 2008.
<http://www.post.gazette.com/books/reviews/20000507review487.asp> Musset, Shannon. “Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986)”. Iep.utm.edu. 5 April
2008. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/b/beauvoir.htm> “Simone de Beauvoir”. Tameri.com. 27 March 2008.
<http://www.tameri.com/csw/exist/beauvoir.shtml>
“Simone de Beauvoir”. Wikimedia.com. 26 February 2008. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/simone_de_beauvoir>
“Simone de Beauvoir biography”. Thecry.com. 1 April 2008. <http://www.thecry.com/existentialism/debeauvoir/beauvbio.html>
Simons, Margaret A. “Is The Second Sex Beauvoir’s Application of Sartrean
Existentialism?”. bu.edu. 15 November 2008. <http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Gend/GendSimo.htm>
(6)
“Susan Sontag Wins National Book Award for ‘In America’ ”. CNN.com. 22 February 2008.
<http:\\archives.CNN.com/2000/books/news/11/16/nationalbook.awards.ap/in dex.html>