The influence of culture in woman inferiority as seen in lavryle spencer`s November of the heart and Pramoedya Ananta Toer`s the girl from the coast : a comparative study - USD Repository
THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE IN WOMAN INFERIORITY AS
SEEN IN LAVYRLE SPENCER’SNOVEMBER OF THE HEART
AND PRAMOEDYA ANANTA TOER’S THE GIRL FROM
THE COAST: A COMPARATIVE STUDY
A Thesis
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
ALENE ROSABEL U.
031214009
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY
I honestly declare that the thesis I wrote does not contain the works or part of the works of other people, except those which were cited in the quotations and the bibliography, as a scientific paper should.
Yogyakarta, March 11, 2008 The writer
Alene Rosabel Ulrikayanti
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma: Nama : Alene Rosabel Ulrikayanti Nomor Mahasiswa : 031214009
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul: THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE IN WOMEN INFERIORITY AS SEEN IN LAVYRLE SPENCER’S NOVEMBER OF THE HEART AND PRAMOEDYA ANANTA TOER’S THE GIRL FROM THE COAST: A COMPARATIVE STUDY beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, menditribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin kepada saya atau memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya, Dibuat di Yogyakarta Pada tanggal : 11 Maret 2008 Yang menyatakan
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all I would like to express my thank to Jesus Christ. He is not only the one who saves me, but He is a loyal and great companion. He gives me strength, He stays on my side, and gives me tremendous bless that I can stand up once again and again. His helpful hands support me that I can finally finish this thesis.
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my major sponsor Dr.
Wigati Yektiningtyas Modouw, M. Hum., for her patient, motherly
understanding, and her motivating guidance in helping me finish this thesis. I will not forget those great moments we share together. My deepest gratitude also goes to my co-sponsor Drs. Concilianus L. Mbato, M.A.. He assists me on my every page of this thesis. He is unbelievably efficient, and critical, and I am honored to be one of his students.
I would also like to express my great thanks to all lecturers for their great contribution in my development, their honest and critical sharing, and unforgettable memories. I would like to express my thanks to all staff in the secretariat, especially Mbak Tari and Mbak Dani for supporting me since my very first day in this campus. I also thank to all the librarians who are always willing to help me, and provide students’ needs in the library services.
My special thanks go to my father Bambang Poediyanto. He is my hero about respect for individua l difference from him. My special thanks also go to my beautiful mother Priscilla Susi Siti Maryati, who has become my loyal bestfriend. Nothing in this world can replace her and her great love and caring. My greatest debt is to them, whose influence in this thesis was indirect but profound. To my gorgeous sisters Gabey and Aggie who has become a light on my night. No one can make me as happy, as sad, as proud, as confuse as they do.
My sincerest thanks go to my best friends , Paulina Gupta, who is the best friend ever. She never judges me but encourages me with multiple perspectives on any problems. She stays on my side during the hard days, and I promise I will pay that someday somehow. My sincerest thanks also go to my closest friends Nina Indarjo, Viana Rolos, Yani Bali, Chichil, Ari (Cret), and
Aryo (UGM). I found precious friendship, honesty, and respect and share the
greatest feeling of friendship with them.My deep gratitude and admiration are addressed to my favorite lecturer
Drs. Petrus Garanim Purba, M.Pd. I found a figure of strong and loving man
from him. He assists me during my study on this university, and during crucial parts of my development. He is more than just a lecturer; he is a grandfather of mine who is always willing to provide me with chances for sharing and learning. The only thing I want to do before I leave this university is to attend his class again and enjoy his magnificent behavior, which is now impossible.
I also thank to my precious friend of PBI: Rizta, Dame, Monic, Daniel,
Tante-Tante Tua ‘02, Lady Dee and Siddha ’04 for crazy critical ideas in this
thesis, Mas Yudi ’00, Haris 04, Mas Punto ‘00 and all of them I cannot mention one by one. You guys give me a lot.
My great appreciation, finally, goes to my greatest friend, my boyfriend,
Batista Ismoyo “beibi” Sedjati. Thanks for supporting words, inspiring
encouragement, and splendid love. He is all that suits me. He is the one I want to have in this life, beside my own Grand Piano, of course, and he is the answer of my prayer.
Alene Rosabel
TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE .................................................................................................
2.1.2 Theory of Characterization .............................. i ii iii iv v vi vii x xiv
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9
8
6
5
5
5
1
1
2.1.1 Theory of Character .........................................
APPROVAL PAGE ....................................................................................... BOARD OF EXAMINERS ...........................................................................
2.1 Theoretical Review ......................................................
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ..........................
1.5 Definition of Terms .....................................................
1.4 Benefits of the Study ...................................................
1.3 Problem Formulation ...................................................
1.2 The Aim of the Study ..................................................
1.1 Background of the Study .............................................
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ........................................... DEDICATION PAGE ................................................................................... STATEMENT OF PUBLICITY .................................................................. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................. TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................. ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................
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2.1.4 Feminist Literary Criticism ..............................
18
37
32
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29
28
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27
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2.2 Review on American and Javanese Culture ................
4.1.2 Doing Interests .................................................
4.1.1 Making Decision and Choices .........................
4.1 Women Inferiority in the life of Lorna and Mas Nganten ........................................................................
CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS .............................................................................
3.3 Research Procedure .....................................................
3.2 The Approach ..............................................................
3.1 Subject Matter ..............................................................
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY ................................................................
2.4 Theoretical Framework ................................................
2.3.2 Criticism on Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s Novel The Girl from the Coast ...................................
2.3.1 Criticism on LaVyrle Spencer’s Novel November of the Heart .....................................
2.3 Criticism on Literary Work .........................................
2.2.2 Review on Javanese Culture in the Late of Nineteenth Century ..........................................
2.2.1 Review on American Culture in the Late of Nineteenth Century ..........................................
48
4.2 The Influence of Culture toward Lorna’s and Mas Nganten’s Inferiority ...................................................
68 4.2.1 Patriarchy .........................................................
68 4.2.2 Religion ............................................................
77 CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................
86 5.1 Conclusions ..................................................................
86 5.2 Suggestions ..................................................................
87 5.2.1 Suggestions for Future Researchers .................
88 5.2.2 Suggestions for English Teachers ....................
89
5.2.2.1 The Teaching Learning Activity in Prose II Class Using November of the Heart ............................................
90
5.2.2.2 The Teaching- Learning Activity in Prose II Class Using The Girl from the Coast ...........................................
90 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..........................................................................................
92 APPENDICES ................................................................................................
95 APPENDIX 1 Portrait of LaVyrle Spencer ...............................................
96 APPENDIX 2 Portrait of Pramoedya Ananta Toer ...................................
97 APPENDIX 3 Summary of November of the Heart ..................................
98 APPENDIX 4 Summary of The Girl from the Coast ................................ 100
APPENDIX 6 Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s Biography ............................... 104 APPENDIX 7 LaVyrle Spencer’s Novels ................................................. 106 APPENDIX 8 Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s Novels ..................................... 107 APPENDIX 9 The Implementation of Teaching Prose II Using Some
Parts of the Novel November of the Heart for the Fourth Semester Students of English Language Education Study Program .............................................................................. 108
APPENDIX 10 The Implementation of Teaching Prose II Using Some Parts of the Novel The Girl from the Coast for the Fourth Semester Students of English Language Education Study Program .............................................................................. 112
APPENDIX 11 Material to Teach Prose II class Using November of the .................................................................................. 115
Heart
APPENDIX 12 Material to Teach Prose II class Using The Girl from the
Coast .................................................................................. 127
ABSTRACT
Ulrikayanti, Alene R. 2008. The Influence of Culture in Women Inferiority as
seen in LaVyrle Spencer’s November of the Heart and Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s
The Girl from the Coast: A Comparative Study. Yogyakarta: English Language
Education Study Program. Department of Language and Arts Education.
Faculty of Teachers Training and Education. Sanata Dharma University.This study is about Lorna’s and Mas Nganten’s inferiority which is influenced by culture as they experience in the novels November of the Heart (1994) and The Girl from the Coast (2002). It is interesting to discuss women inferiority because it provokes us to learn about societies and their cultures. During the late of nineteenth century, women are treated as inferior. Each society may have different treatment. This differentiation is affected by their cultures. These cultures will influence women inferiority and the development.
This study will discuss two problems. They are how Lorna’s and Mas Nganten’s inferiority reveals in the nove ls, and how culture influences their inferiority. This study is aimed to answer the problems mentioned.
The theory of character and characterization were used to understand Lorna’s and Mas Nganten’s characters and also to find out what actually happen to them. The feminist literary criticism is used to analyze the position of Lorna and Mas Nganten as women in the novel, and to criticize their inferiority. This criticism is used to answer the first and the second problem formulation. Since this study focuses on culture and women inferiority, it uses sociocultural- historical approach as the critical approach.
The results of this study show that Lorna and Mas Nganten are treated as inferior. They cannot make any decision, do their interest, and even cannot express their feelings and ideas. Patriarchy and religion, as their cultures, influences their inferiority. At the end of the novel, Lorna is succeed to make her own decision which means developing her inferiority. It is also influenced by her culture, American culture, which is more liberated and opened that provide chance for changes. Meanwhile, Mas Nganten remains inferior because Javanese culture is stricter and stronger.
ABSTRAK
Ulrikayanti, Alene R. 2008. The Influence of Culture in Women Inferiority as
seen in LaVyrle Spencer’s November of the Heart and Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s
The Girl from the Coast: A Comparative Study. Yogyakarta: English Language
Education Study Program. Department of Language and Arts Education.
Faculty of Teachers Training and Education. Sanata Dharma University.Studi ini berbicara mengenai inferioritas Lorna dan Mas Nganten yang dipengaruhi oleh budaya masyarakat mereka yang mereka alami di dalam novel
November of the Heart (1994) dan The Girl from the Coast (2002). Inferioritas
wanita merupakan suatu hal yang menarik untuk dibicarakan karena hal ini membuat kita belajar mengenai masyarakat dan budaya mereka. Pada akhir abad ke 19, wanita diperlakukan sebagai makhluk inferior. Setiap masyarakat memiliki perbedaan perlakuan terhadap hal tersebut. Perbedan tersebut dipengaruhi oleh budaya masyarakat itu sendiri. Budaya akan mempengaruhi inferioritas wanita dan perkembangannya.
Studi ini akan mendiskusikan dua permasalahan. Masalah-masalah tersebut adalah bagaimana inferioritas Lorna dan Mas Nganten digambarkan di dalam kedua novel tersebut, dan bagaiman budaya mempengaruhi inferioritas mereka.
Teori kesusasteraaan seperti teori tokoh dan penokohan digunakan untuk memahami karakter Lorna dan Mas Nganten dan untuk mencari tahu mengenai yang sebenarnya terjadi pada Lorna dan Mas Nganten. Selanjutnya, kritik sastra feminis digunakan untuk menganalisa posisi Lorna dan Mas Nganten sebagai wanita di dalam kedua novel tersebut, dan untuk mengkritisi inferioritas mereka. Kritik ini digunakan untuk menjawab permasalahan pertama dan kedua. Mengingat fokus dari studi ini adalah mengenai budaya dan inferioritas wanita, maka studi ini menggunakan pendekatan sosial budaya dan sejarah.
Hasil dari studi ini menunjukkan bahwa Lorna dan Mas Nganten diperlakukan sebagai makhluk inferior. Mereka tidak boleh membuat keputusan, tidak boleh melakukan semua hal yang mereka sukai, dan mereka juga tidak boleh mengungkapkan seluruh perasaan dan ide-ide mereka. Patriarkhi dan agama, sebagai budaya mereka, mempengaruhi inferioritas mereka. Pada akhir novel, Lorna digambarkan mampu membuat keputusannya sendiri dimana hal ini menunjukkan perkembangan atas inferioritasnya. Hal ini juga dipengaruhi oleh budaya Lorna, budaya Amerika, yang lebih bebas dan terbuka sehingga memungkinkan adanya perubahan. Sementara itu, Mas Nganten tetap inferior karena budaya masyarakat Jawa lebih ketat dan kuat.
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION This chapter is divided into five sections. The first section is Background
of the Study. This section explains the background knowledge of the study. It also explains why the novels were chosen as the primary data of this study. The second one is the Aim of the Study. This section mentions the main purpose of this study. The third section is Problem Formulation that contains questions to be answered as the focus of this study. Next, Benefits of the Study is discussed. It contains the advantages of this study. The fifth section is Definition of Terms. It explains the terms used in this study to enable the reader to understand this thesis better.
1.1 Background of the Study
Literature is a special work of art. Literature involves social phenomena, thoughts, feeling, attitude, and even the society itself in it. Literature is special in the way that it provides us with a very clear reflection of our living. So, by reading literature, we can understand about our selves`, about people around us, even about the society. Moreover, literature enables us to learn something about life without experiencing by our selves.
Hudson (1958: 10) states that literature is a vital record of what men have seen about life; what they have experienced of it, what they have thought, and felt interest. It is, thus, fundamentally dealing with an expression of life through the medium of language.
Literature is a means that provides us with chances to reflect. We can see life and its aspects very clearly, because literature lets us stand as observer; we don’t experience, but watch. In modern literature we have three major sections, namely fiction, poetry, and drama. According to Milligan (1983: 4), novel is classified as fiction that has a close relationship to human life. Novels convey reality. Novel tells us something just how it is.
A novel is a book that tells a story of life. De Laar (1963: 163) says that a novel is a work of art in so far as it introduces us into living world; in some respects resembling the world we live in, but with individuality of its own. Every novel may have different way and style of telling the story, but they tell the same thing; life.
“Woman inferiority” is always an interesting subject of discussion by many people in this world because this subject has a long and interesting history, and the changes on it involve many efforts from so many people in this world. Many authors had brought this issue into their writing. LaVyrle Spencer has an interesting way to tell a story through her novel. Her diction is always perfect and conveys the meaning clearly. The characters descriptions are also very clear and understandable. LaVyrle Spencer really knows how to make the readers understand, and even be involved in the story. Pramoedya Ananta Toer is also a misunderstanding, his controversial way enables the readers to explore more meaning and value concerning on woman inferiority. The strengths of both novelists become the reason why I choose their novel. These novels are exactly what this study is about.
When we discuss the issue of woman inferiority, especially in the middle age, we will include matters that influence the particular issue such as culture, politic situation, tradition, and life style on that age. Since it includes many matters, the practicality of the issue may vary, and it will be very challenging to find out how it differs among countries. That is the reason why I choose two novels that use two different countries as the setting. The differences among them make us know that one particular issue may vary in different setting of place and time.
(1994) tells us about the story of how woman in
November of the Heart
that age was treated strictly by man. This novel is about a young woman named Lorna Barnett who was born in a rich family. Lorna has the spirit of a modern woman. She is willing to learn many things and to try new things. But, culture and society never let her grow as she wishes. She must marry a man who is the choice of her father, while she is in love with another man. She may not do what man at that time can do. She may not make her own decision.
While, The Girl from the Coast tells us a story about a village girl who is trapped in a nobility life. She is engaged to a noble and must marry him. The girl a temporary wife before her husband marries to another woman from the same class to be the “real” wife. She is married in proxy manner where a dagger represents her husband to be. The interesting point of this novel is how this novel describes the situation when Indonesian woman were treated as inferior. It is clearly described how women had no right upon their own life. Their destiny is thoroughly arranged by men. Mas Nganten finds herself dumped when she is in love with her husband and having their baby.
Those two novels illustrate the issue on woman inferiority in different ways. They do not merely talk abut the issue, but the stories of those two novels pictures the clear situation, feeling, thought, even the effect of the practicality of the issue. Those two novels are exactly what this study is about.
Women nowadays have their own freedom and life. They may pursue any career they want to have. Women, now, may make their own decision for their life, and even they deserve the same appreciation and respects as man have. When we read those two novels, we find that there is a long history of woman freedom.
The process in achieving woman freedom is influenced by many things over times. This process happens everywhere, such as in western region and eastern region which have different cultures. I am interested to talk about the treatment as inferior toward women in past time, and compare the issue to investigate how culture influences it. Since Lorna and Mas Nganten come from different regions and cultures, although they receive the same treatment, they may have different
1.2 The Aim of the Study
The first objective of this study is to find out how women inferiority reveals in the life of Lorna and Mas Nganten. It tries to give a clear description of treatment toward woman in past time, both in western area and culture, and in eastern area and culture. The second objective is to find out whether different culture may result in different influence toward Lorna’s and Mas Nganten’s inferiority. It tries to give a clear description if western culture and society influence women inferiority differently from how eastern culture and society do.
1.3 Problem Formulation
Based on the aim of the study, the questions to be answered in this study can be formulated as fo llows:
1. How is woman inferiority revealed in the life of Lorna and Mas Nganten? 2.
How does culture influence Lorna’s and Mas Nganten’s inferiority?
1.4 Benefits of the Study
There are benefits that we can obtain from this study for both readers and those who are interested in a literary work. By reading this study readers can understand more about the treatment on woman as inferior both in western and eastern areas. The other advantage is that the readers are able to reflect on how woman independence nowadays derives from a long and very struggle to be able to get or defend it. Moreover, this study can be such an enjoyment and pleasure.
This study also helps the reader to understand more about the novel, so that the readers are able to enjoy reading the novel.
1.5 Definition of Terms
In this study, some terms are used. In order to have a clear understanding of this study, I include the definition of some terms used in this thesis.
A Comparative Study
According to Levin (1966: viii), comparative literature already sets its discipline which has tended to focus its interest on interrelationships-traditions and move ments, the intellectual forces that find their logical termination in –ism – rather than on the contemplation of individual masterpieces. So, comparative study here means to compare two or more people or things. This study seeks for the interrelationships between two different society and culture, and seeks for the difference and similarities among them.
Woman Inferiority
According to Hornby (1987), inferiority is defined as feeling that you are not as good, important, etc. as other people. In this thesis, inferiority means feeling of having no control and right on your own life. Therefore, woman
The American and the Javanese
This study compares the practicality of a certain issue from two different areas. The areas are American and Java. The American area refers to Minnesota, which is the setting of place of the first novel, November of the Heart. While, the Javanese area refers to Rembang and the north coast of Central Java which is the setting of place of the second novel, The Girl from the Coast.
Culture
According to Geertz (1973:4), in Mirror for Man, Clyde Kluckhohn defines culture in 11 definitions. Four of them states that culture is the total way of life of people, the social legacy the individual acquires from his group, a way of thinking, feeling, and believing, and an abstraction of behaviour.
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter consists of two sections. The first section is the Theoretical Review. The second section is the criticism of LaVyrle Spencer
and her work November of the Heart, and Pramoedya Ananta Toer and his work The Girl from the Coast, and the theoretical framework.
The first section, that is the theoretical review, consists of two theories. Those theories are theory of literature, and the feminist literary criticism. The theory of literature itself consists of three parts. They are theory of character, theory of characterization, and the theory of critical approaches. The theory of character and characterization are used to find out the clear and detailed description of the characters in the two stories. It helps us to understand more about what happens to the two main characters in the stories. The theory of critical approaches are used to find the appropriate approach I am going to use in this study to analyze the two novels. This study uses sociocultural- historical approach. Rohrberger and Woods (1971: 12 – 13) state that this approach enables us to investigate the place and society. Using sociocultural- historical approach, I can analyze women inferiority in the two stories in deep. The feminist literary criticism is used to enrich the analysis by giving a keen analysis on the subject matter. work The Girl from the Coast. Most of the criticisms are stated by comparing the works with what happen in the real life, and also by considering the values that revealed through the work. I also include the context of the two novels to provide a clear background about the two novels.
2.1 Theoretical Review
This section presents theory of literature, and the feminist literary criticism. The first is the theory of literature. It is divided into two, namely theory of character and characterization, and theory of critical approaches. The second is the feminist literary criticism.
2.1.1 Theory of Characte r
In this thesis, I use the theory of character and characterization to help me to understand about women inferiority through the main characters of the two novels, Lorna and Mas Nganten. Women inferiority deals with society, culture and also historical background of the environment, that is why I mostly use the sociocultural- historical approach to analyze the novels. The theory of character and characterization itself can be used in the analysis, especially when I need to examine the subject matter through Lorna’s and Mas Nganten’s character. I apply this theory by relating the theory with their behaviour and actions. and disposition qualities that are expressed in the dialogues of the novel and the actions. Abrams also adds that characters are like human beings.
Characters have emotion, temperament, moral, and social values that become the basic motivation of his or her speech and actions. Characters can remain stable or can have some changes during the story. The events or experiences that characters have during the story can affect their thoughts, ideas, or judgements about life and their environment or society.
In the two novels, Lorna and Mas Nganten are also presented in dramatic and narrative way with dialogs and actions. Those dialogs and actions are means for Lorna and Mas Nganten to express their feeling. Through their dialogs and actions, we can understand more about their thoughts, idea, feeling, judgements and even social values. Their behaviour, as presented in the novels, also expresses their emotion and feeling, and even their moral values. Using this theory, I can analyze those behaviour, dialogs and actions, and get the fact beyond the issue of women inferiority.
2.1.2 Theory of Characterization
In every novel, we will find that characters ‘live and ‘act’ in the stories. Therefore, to make the readers accept those characters as believable people, those characters must be presented very well. In this case, characterization is important. Characterization is a process in which characters are novels, November of The Heart and The Girl from The Coast, Spencer and Toer present their characters in the novel very lively and understandable for the reader through several ways, like speech, conversation of others, mannerism and direct thoughts. The theory of characterization is able to reveal a character’s description.
Murphy (1972: 161-173) states that there are nine ways which enable an author to present the character in the story understandably and lively for the readers. The nine ways are personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation of others, reaction, direct comment, thought, and mannerism.
1. Personal description The author can describe one’s appearance and clothes that he or she wears. A character’s character and personality can be seen through his and her appearance and clothes.
2. Characters as seen by another The author can describe a character’s character from another characters’ point of view and opinion. Another characters’ opinion on character can help the reader to understand the character more.
3. Speech The author can give us an insight into the character of certain person in the book from what the particular person says. Speech can be whenever this person speaks, has a conversation with other people, or gives an opinion.
4. Past life The author can invite the reader to know and learn something about a person’s background or past life. The author can provide the reader with clues about the events that have given some help in shaping the person’s character. The clues can be given through the author’s direct comment, through the person’s thoughts and feeling, through the person’s conversation, and also through another person in the story. A person’s past life also influences his or her ways of thinking and behaviour toward other people.
5. Conversation of others The author can provide the readers with clues about a person’s character through other people conversation and what they say about him or her. People talk about other people and all the thing they say may give a clue about the character of the particular person spoken about.
6. Reactions The author can provide the reader with clues about a person’s character through his or her way in reacting various situation or events he or she faces. A person’s reactions will show his or her character and personality.
7. Direct comment The author can describe a person’s character by giving an opinion or direct comment on the person directly. The author usually gives the comment
8. Thoughts The author can give the reader direct knowledge about a person’s thoughts. This is what an author cannot do in real life. The author can provide the reader with special device which plugged into the deepest thought of a person in the story, so that the reader knows what the particular person is thinking about, and what his or her opinion on certain things.
9. Mannerism The author sometimes describes a person’s mannerism, habits or idiosyncrasies. This description will provide the reader with clues about the person’s character. The author usually reveals both the positive and negative habits of the person to enable the reader to know more about the person’s character.
Character is one of internal aspects in a novel. The term character is used in two ways: (1) it designs the individual who appears in the story and (2) it refers to the mixture of interests, desires, emotions, and principles that make up each of these individuals. Through some of these ways, the author makes the reader aware of the personalities and the characters of certain person he wrote in his books.
2.1.3 The Theory of Critical Approaches
In this study, I need to employ one of the theories of critical explore more. By using an appropriate critical approach, I can understand more about what value is revealed in the novels and how literature is shaped.
Rohrberger and Woods in Reading and Writing about Literature (1971: 3) distinguish five critical approaches. Those approaches are the formalist approach, biographical approach, sociocultural - historical approach, mythopeic approach, and psychological approach.
In this thesis, I employ the sociocultural- historical approach. According to Rohrberger and Woods (1971: 9-10), sociocultural- historical approach insists that the only way to locate the real work is be in the reference to the civilization that produces it. It is needed to investigate the place or society, which reflects a created work. The historical critic examines either the work itself or the work in relation to other works by the same author or works of similar kind of subject matter by different authors in the same or in the different periods.
This approach brings us to analyze the two novels from the sociocultural- historical point of view. It enables us to investigate and examine the society or the place deeply. Society creates culture which becomes one of guidance, beside religion, on their life. Culture really affects the society, but it is not the only thing that affects them. What happens on that time also brings big influence to the society. Because the settings of time of these two novels are around 1800, we can call it history. Society, culture
2.1.4 Feminist Literary Criticism
In the novel November of the Heart and The Girl from the Coast, the influence of culture toward the main characters’ inferiority is very interesting to be analyzed because the influence reflects the power of society in controlling as well as destroying their own life. Culture is made by the society, to control themselves and their own life. Since this study is closely related to culture and women inferiority, it is necessary for me to use the feminist literary criticism. Feminist Literary Criticism is a theory that explains how women are placed in the novel. Humm states (1994: ix) that gender is the focus and the fundamental category of this criticism analysis. Feminist literary criticism gives a big contribution toward my study. It helps me in understanding how woman is characterized in the two novels. It also makes me understand the cultural background that influences the main characters’ inferiority better.
Culture deals with society, because it is the society who creates culture. Culture represents society’s thought, idea, and also civilization level.
There are many other aspects that represent the society, such as ideologies, religion and traditions. Those aspects influence women as a part of the society. In here, the feminist literary criticism brings a great contribution in understanding the influences. According to Humm (1994: ix), feminist literary criticism attends to how those ideologies in society and its practices
Literary texts may tell a life phenomenon. The life phenomenon represents social ideologies, culture, traditions, and many other aspects through the story. In this study, the two novels, November of the Heart and
The Girl from the Coast , represent the culture of the societies throughout the
story. The feminist literary criticism helps me in understanding the cultural implications behind the story by showing how women behave, how they are treated, the social attitude and society tradition, patriarchal practices, and the mind concepts of the society.
Humm (1994: 2-3) explains that feminist literary criticism has developed in tandem with the women’s movement. It emerges from the situation of women who encounter injustice in the society. Humm (1994: 2) also underlines that Virginia Woolf’ A Room of One’s Own can be said as the first modern work of feminist criticism. The work is liberating and fluid autobiographical in its form, and a serious address to the social, literary and cultural aspects of female difference in its content. She explains that literature which is read with feminist eye has double instead of single perspective. Further, Humm explains that Woolf is succeed in providing the two perspectives. Woolf (Humm, 1994:2) shows that since women’s social reality, like men’s social reality, is shaped by gender, the representation of female experience in literary form is gendered. She also shows that the representation of women in literature, while not depicting innate
3) enables the readers to understand the ways in which we acquire a gender through language, and to perceive the role played by language in creating our subjectivities and our oppressions.
In her further explanations, Humm (1994: 4) tries to explain what feminist criticism is by mentioning three basic assumptions which are shared by feminist criticism based on the writing of many critics. The first assumption is that gender is constructed through language, and is visible to writing style; and style, therefore must represent the articulation of ideologies of gender. The second assumption is that there are sex related strategies. It underlies the fact that some writing is written by women, and how women wrote is how they were allowed to write. Therefore, the language may appear as not the real expression. It also underlies that men and women have different vocabularies and use their vocabularies in different kind of sentences. The third assumption is that the tradition of literary criticism uses masculine norms to exclude or undervalue women’s writing and scholarship.
According to Humm (1994: 7), Feminst Literary Criticism or, which is also called as feminist criticism, addresses four issues in literary texts. The first (Humm, 1994: 7) is the issue of a masculine literary history is addressed by re-examining male texts, noting their patriarchal assumptions and showing the way women in these texts are often represented according to prevailing 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.
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2.2.1 Century Review on American Culture in the Late of 19
During the late nineteenth century, America was dominated by the rise of highly developed industrial and capitalist society (Hinsley, 1967: 487). 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 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.
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2.2.2 Century Review on Javanese Culture in the Late of 19
Conley (1988:221) says that during this period, Java was still under the authority of the Dutch imperialist. There were many Javanese people who work for the Dutch as the administration workers. They were given with luxury and privilege. They later became a part of high class society which commonly named priyayi. People worked as farmer, fisherman, and employee of high class people. Those who were common people usually forced to work for the Dutch without any payment.
There were social classes that separate the Javanese (Budiman, 1990:67). Common people live to serve the upper classes people. Upper classes people may decide the lower people destiny, whether they are right or wrong, and whether they should live or die.
Keji mentions (1990:79) that arranged marriage was very common in this period of time. A man cannot marry a woman from lower class. If it choice. Polygamy was also common among the upper class society, and women did not have any rights to protest or deny it. Kenji (1990:105) adds that divorce happens very often as the effect of arranged marriage and polygamy. In this case, after the divorce, women can choose their own future husband.
During the time, men could have sufficient education as long as it was for the Dutch importance (Conley, 1990:561). Many men were sent to Dutch to attend universities. Only people and the son of upper class people who had the right. While women were taught at home by private teacher who would teach them how to read and write, read the Koran, and maybe to draw batik. This education was only for upper class women.