A woman`s struggle against patriarchy in Kate Chopin`s The Awakening : A Feminist Perspective.
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ABSTRACT
DONA WINDASARI SEPTIANA. A Woman’s Struggle against Patriarchy in
Kate Chopin’s The Awakening: A Feminist Perspective. Yogyakarta: Department
of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2014.
Feminism in a literary work focuses on the equality between women and men,
that they should be partner in life. Feminism shows the struggle of women to get the
freedom, equality, and the better social positions in the society. This thesis also uses
Feminist approach. This thesis is aimed to reveal the struggle against patriarchy
through the characterization of Edna Pontellier. Edna is a wife who is dominated by
her husband, Leonce Pontellier. Because of that, she dares to release herself from her
husband’s domination.
There are three problems formulation in this thesis. First, is to show the
characters of Edna and Leonce Pontellier that are portrayed in the novel. Second, is to
show the form of oppression that Leonce Pontellier did to Edna as his own wife. The
third is to show Edna Pontellier’s reactions toward her husband which reflect the
struggle against patriarchy.
This thesis is a library research. The writer finds all o data and other supported
references from books and the internet sources. The feminist approach is used in this
thesis in order to reveal the woman’s struggle against patriarchy through the major
character.
There are three points that can be concluded. First, Edna Pontellier is
submissive wife. Meanwhile, Leonce Pontellier is a domineering husband. He often
forces Edna to obey his will. After the rebellion happens, Edna becomes a brave,
expressive, and independent woman, while Leonce becomes subdued. The second,
Edna becomes Leonce object to be oppressed. He only allows Edna to be aware of the
house conditions, the children, the image of the family because they are rich, and the
last is to please Leonce’s feeling. The third, seeing the oppression that she gets, Edna
does some rebellion in order to free herself from the patriarchal culture that make her
remain silent. She starts to refuse Leonce’s command. She believes that if she moves
from her old house, earns her own money, and gets better education on painting, then
she can stand alone without depending on her husband. Edna Pontellier wants to be
recognized better as an independent human being who has her own rights.
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ABSTRAK
DONA WINDASARI SEPTIANA. A Woman’s Struggle against Patriarchy in
Kate Chopin’s The Awakening: A Feminist Perspective. Yogyakarta: Jurusan
Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2014.
Feminisme dalam karya sastra berfokus pada keseimbangan antara wanita dan
pria, bahwa mereka seharusnya menjadi teman yang sederajat dalam hidup.
Feminisme menunjukkan perjuangan wanita untuk mendapatkan kebebasan,
keseimbangan, dan posisi sosial yang lebih baik di masyarakat. Skripsi ini juga
menggunakan pendekatan feminis. Skripsi ini ditujukan untuk mengungkapkan
perjuangan melawan budaya patriarki melalui penokohan Edna Pontellier. Edna
adalah seorang istri yang dikuasai oleh suaminya, Leonce Pontellier. Dan karena
itulah, ia berani untuk melepaskan dirinya dari dominasi suaminya.
Terdapat tiga rumusan masalah dalam skripsi ini. Pertama adalah untuk
menunjukkan penokohan Edna Pontellier dan Leonce Pontellier yang digambarkan di
dalam novel. Kedua adalah untuk menunjukkan bentuk-bentuk tekanan yang
dilakukan oleh Leonce Pontellier terhadap istrinya, Edna Pontellier. Ketiga adalah
untuk menunjukkan reaksi Edna Pontellier terhadap perilaku suaminya yang
mencerminkan perjuangan melawan budaya patriarki.
Skripsi ini menggunakan metode penelitian pustaka. Penulis mengumpulkan
semua data dan referensi pendukung lainnya dari buku-buku dan sumber-sumber
internet. Pendekatan feminis dipakai dalam skripsi ini untuk mengungkapkan gagasan
perjuangan wanita melawan patriarki melalui tokoh utamanya.
Terdapat tiga hal yang dapat disimpulkan. Pertama, Edna Pontellier adalah
seorang wanita yang selalu pasrah. Sementara itu Leonce Pontellier adalah seorang
suami yang sangat mendominasi. Ia seringkali memaksa Edna untuk melakukan
keinginannya. Setelah pemberontakan terjadi, Edna menjadi seorang wanita yang
berani, ekspresif, dan mandiri, sementara Leonce menjadi laki-laki yang takluk
terhadap kemauan istrinya. Kedua, Edna menjadi objek Leonce untuk didominasi.
Leonce hanya memperbolehkan Edna untuk memperhatikan keadaan rumahnya,
anak-anaknya, harga diri keluarganya dan untuk menyenangkan hatinya. Ketiga,
melihat dominasi yang didapatnya, Edna melakukan pemberontakan untuk
melepaskan dirinya dari budaya patriarki yang membuatnya menjadi bisu. Edna mulai
menolak perintah Leonce dalam rumah tangga. Ia percaya bahwa dengan keluar dari
rumah lamanya, dapat menghasilkan uang sendiri, dan memiliki pendidikan yang
lebih baik dalam melukis, maka ia akan bisa mandiri tanpa bergantung pada
suaminya. Edna Pontellier ingin agar dirinya dihargai lebih baik sebagai manusia
yang mandiri yang memiliki hak-haknya.
xii
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A WOMAN’S STRUGGLE AGAINST PATRIARCHY IN KATE
CHOPIN’S THE AWAKENING: A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
Dona Windasari Septiana
Student Number: 104214034
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2015
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A WOMAN’S STRUGGLE AGAINST PATRIARCHY IN KATE
CHOPIN’S THE AWAKENING: A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
Dona Windasari Septiana
Student Number: 104214034
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2015
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If you have dreams
but they do not worry you;
it means
they are not big enough for you.
Make a history in your life,
not just a story.
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Dedicated To
Jesus Christ in Heaven
as The Owner of All Science
And for those who need this research as a reference
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all I dedicate my greatest gratitude to Jesus Christ for His love and
miracle, so that I can accomplish my thesis. I thank Him for being like my best friend
that patiently accompany me in every step that I make in my whole life. I owe Him
more than I can pay.
I would like to thank my parents, Dody Herkusmanto and Nugrah Rina Artati
that always give me support for the struggle to finance my study. I know that their
prayer is always for me to accomplish this thesis as one of my responsibilities. I also
would like to say thanks to my sister and brother, Dona Sandradewi and Immanuel
Richardo, for the time to cheer me up when I got bored.
I believe that I would never accomplish my thesis without the help from
others. In this occasion, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Ms. Sri
Mulyani Ph. D. and Ms. Dewi Widyastuti S.Pd., M. Hum for all the advice, attention,
and patience throughout the process of writing this thesis. I also thank my closest
friends Dwi Ratnasari Lewi and Jeanne Maria Pingkan who struggle with me. I
thanked them for all of the meaningful stories that we shared. I am thankful also for
my friends in B class 2010 and for all people whose name I cannot mention one by
one, I am thankful for the help, support, and prayer, during the completion of my
thesis. May God bless them all.
Dona Windasari Septiana
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE……………………………………………………………………… i
APPROVAL PAGE……………………………………………………………….. ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE…………………………………………………………… iii
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY…………………………………………….. vi
LEMBAR PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH…...………….... v
MOTTO PAGE……………………………………………………………………. vi
DEDICATION PAGE…………………………………………………………….. vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………… viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………. ix
ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………. xi
ABSTRAK…………………………………………………………………………. xii
CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION……………………………………………….. 1
A. Background of The Study……………………………………
1
B. Problem Formulation………………………………………...
4
C. Objectives of The Study……………………………………...
4
D. Definitions of Terms………………………………………….
5
CHAPTER II : REVIEW OF LITERATURE………………………………...
A. Review on Related Studies…………………………………...
B. Review on Related Theories………………………………….
1. Theory of Character and Characterization………………
2. Theory of Patriarchy……………………………………...
3. Theory of Feminism……………………………………...
C. Theoretical Framework……………………………………….
7
7
9
9
10
13
15
CHAPTER III : METHODOLOGY…………………………………………….. 17
A. Object of Study……………………………………………….. 17
B. Approach of The Study………………………………………. 19
C. Method of The Study…………………………………………. 19
CHAPTER IV : ANALYSIS……………………………………………………… 21
A. The Characterization of Edna and Leonce Pontellier………... 21
1. Edna Pontellier as a Submissive Woman and Wife……..... 22
2. Edna Pontellier as a Rebellious Wife and Mother……….. 27
3. Leonce Pontellier as a Domineering Husband…………… 33
4. Leonce Pontellier as a Subdued Husband……………...... 35
B. Men’s Domination Depicted through Leonce Pontellier…… 38
C. The Struggle against Patriarchy……………………………... 45
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CHAPTER V : CONCLUSION………………………………………………… 56
BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………. 58
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ABSTRACT
DONA WINDASARI SEPTIANA. A Woman’s Struggle against Patriarchy in
Kate Chopin’s The Awakening: A Feminist Perspective. Yogyakarta: Department
of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2014.
Feminism in a literary work focuses on the equality between women and men,
that they should be partner in life. Feminism shows the struggle of women to get the
freedom, equality, and the better social positions in the society. This thesis also uses
Feminist approach. This thesis aimed to reveal the struggle against patriarchy through
the characterization of Edna Pontellier. Edna is a wife who is dominated by her
husband, Leonce Pontellier. Because of that, she dares to release herself from her
husband’s domination.
There are three problems formulation in this thesis. First, is to show the
characters of Edna and Leonce Pontellier that are portrayed in the novel. Second, is to
show the form of oppression that Leonce Pontellier did to Edna as his own wife. The
third is to show Edna Pontellier’s reactions toward her husband which reflect the
struggle against patriarchy.
This thesis is a library research. The writer finds all o data and other supported
references from books and the internet sources. The feminist approach is used in this
thesis in order to reveal the woman’s struggle against patriarchy through the major
character.
There are three points that can be concluded. First, Edna Pontellier is
submissive wife. Meanwhile, Leonce Pontellier is a domineering husband. He often
forces Edna to obey his will. After the rebellion happens, Edna becomes a brave,
expressive, and independent woman, while Leonce becomes subdued. The second,
Edna becomes Leonce object to be oppressed. He only allows Edna to be aware of the
house conditions, the children, the image of the family because they are rich, and the
last is to please Leonce’s feeling. The third, seeing the oppression that she gets, Edna
does some rebellion in order to free herself from the patriarchal culture that make her
remain silent. She starts to refuse Leonce’s command. She believes that if she moves
from her old house, earns her own money, and gets better education on painting, then
she can stand alone without depending on her husband. Edna Pontellier wants to be
recognized better as an independent human being who has her own rights.
xi
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ABSTRAK
DONA WINDASARI SEPTIANA. A Woman’s Struggle against Patriarchy in
Kate Chopin’s The Awakening: A Feminist Perspective. Yogyakarta: Jurusan
Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2014.
Feminisme dalam karya sastra berfokus pada keseimbangan antara wanita dan
pria, bahwa mereka seharusnya menjadi teman yang sederajat dalam hidup.
Feminisme menunjukkan perjuangan wanita untuk mendapatkan kebebasan,
keseimbangan, dan posisi sosial yang lebih baik di masyarakat. Skripsi ini juga
menggunakan pendekatan feminis. Skripsi ini ditujukan untuk mengungkapkan
perjuangan melawan budaya patriarki melalui penokohan Edna Pontellier. Edna
adalah seorang istri yang dikuasai oleh suaminya, Leonce Pontellier. Dan karena
itulah, ia berani untuk melepaskan dirinya dari dominasi suaminya.
Terdapat tiga rumusan masalah dalam skripsi ini. Pertama adalah untuk
menunjukkan penokohan Edna Pontellier dan Leonce Pontellier yang digambarkan di
dalam novel. Kedua adalah untuk menunjukkan bentuk-bentuk tekanan yang
dilakukan oleh Leonce Pontellier terhadap istrinya, Edna Pontellier. Ketiga adalah
untuk menunjukkan reaksi Edna Pontellier terhadap perilaku suaminya yang
mencerminkan perjuangan melawan budaya patriarki.
Skripsi ini menggunakan metode penelitian pustaka. Penulis mengumpulkan
semua data dan referensi pendukung lainnya dari buku-buku dan sumber-sumber
internet. Pendekatan feminis dipakai dalam skripsi ini untuk mengungkapkan gagasan
perjuangan wanita melawan patriarki melalui tokoh utamanya.
Terdapat tiga hal yang dapat disimpulkan. Pertama, Edna Pontellier adalah
seorang wanita yang selalu pasrah. Sementara itu Leonce Pontellier adalah seorang
suami yang sangat mendominasi. Ia seringkali memaksa Edna untuk melakukan
keinginannya. Setelah pemberontakan terjadi, Edna menjadi seorang wanita yang
berani, ekspresif, dan mandiri, sementara Leonce menjadi laki-laki yang takluk
terhadap kemauan istrinya. Kedua, Edna menjadi objek Leonce untuk didominasi.
Leonce hanya memperbolehkan Edna untuk memperhatikan keadaan rumahnya,
anak-anaknya, harga diri keluarganya dan untuk menyenangkan hatinya. Ketiga,
melihat dominasi yang didapatnya, Edna melakukan pemberontakan untuk
melepaskan dirinya dari budaya patriarki yang membuatnya menjadi bisu. Edna mulai
menolak perintah Leonce dalam rumah tangga. Ia percaya bahwa dengan keluar dari
rumah lamanya, dapat menghasilkan uang sendiri, dan memiliki pendidikan yang
lebih baik dalam melukis, maka ia akan bisa mandiri tanpa bergantung pada
suaminya. Edna Pontellier ingin agar dirinya dihargai lebih baik sebagai manusia
yang mandiri yang memiliki hak-haknya.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A.
Background of the Study
Patriarchy has become part of the society since long time ago. Even, it has
spread in old society of this world. In this system women are put into lower place
and are also considered as group who has less power and less opportunity than
men. Men are always dominating, make women seems having no chance in social
system to have an equal right to live. It is men that ruled over women, and since
all authority vested in men, women have no chance to make their own choices.
Bell Hooks in Understanding Patriarchy states
Patriarchy is a political-social system that insists that males are
inherently dominating, superior to everything and everyone
deemed weak, especially females, and endowed with the right to
dominate and rule over the weak and to maintain that dominance
through various forms of psychological terrorism and violence
(http://imaginenoborders.org/pdf/zines/UnderstandingPatriarchy.pdf).
According to the statement, patriarchal system make women suffer
because men dominating the social system, in which women seems to be the
weak. Men and women are put into different position and function. Women live
under men‟s rule and authority. Men work outside the house while women work
inside the house, take care of the children and the household. Men have
opportunity in politic-social system while women only have the domestic
opportunity.
1
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Patriarchy in social system is very difficult to be erased because men and
even women are forced to believe that they play a different role. The society has
taught them to become masculine or feminine, as we can see in Lois Tyson‟s
Using Critical Theory.
Feminism argues that while we may born female or male, we are
not born feminine or masculine. Rather it is society that decides
which behaviors are considered feminine, and therefore appropriate
only to females, and which behaviors are considered to masculine,
and therefore appropriate only to males (Tyson, 2011: 143).
The work of women and men is divided into different spheres. Women
then, become the oppressed. Of course, such circumstances are not a favorable
position for women in the society. They are removed from the society that make
them unable to make a choice as freely as men do.
Becoming aware of themselves as a whole individual makes women begin
to see greater function in society. The strong patriarchal system finally pushes
women to do rebellion in order to get the same right and the same position in
society with men. Women challenging themselves to be like men and they
demand to be allowed to participate in society.
In this thesis, the writer discusses a novel from Kate Chopin, The
Awakening. The Awakening is the novel written in 1899. She wrote the novel in
the era where patriarchy took its part in the society system. In this era also,
feminist movement began to spread in America. Kate Chopin uses The Awakening
as one of her tools to share her view on the society and to share her own
experiences in life. Even though in the beginning the novel was banned because it
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was seen as a too bold-work in the era, but in the 20th century the novel can be
accepted well as one of the contributor of the woman struggle against patriarchy.
The Awakening tells a story about a couple of husband and wife, Leonce
and Edna Pontellier or usually called Mr. and Mrs. Pontellier in the novel. Chopin
uses Edna Pontellier as her woman major character to describe the woman‟s
struggle against patriarchy. She also uses Louisiana as the setting of the story as a
place where patriarchy became one of the social structures at that time.
Since the novel talks and shows women, patriarchy, and feminism, the
writer chooses to do research. The basic interest for the writer to have some
research from the novel is because the novel has an interesting topic about
women. Chopin can describe the female voice through the words she had been
chosen. The author gives the real image of women in society at that time. To be
more specific, the writer is interested in the way the woman major character, Edna
Pontellier, struggles to get her rights and her freedom as a woman.
In this research, the writer wants to reveal the struggle against patriarchy
through the character of Edna Pontellier who lives in patriarchal society. Her
husband who become the representation of patriarchy in society, oppress her in
her own household. The situation finally leads her to rebel to get the equal rights
with men.
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B.
4
Problem Formulation
1. How are the characters of Edna and Leonce Pontellier portrayed in the
novel?
2. What are the forms of oppression that Leonce Pontellier did to Edna as his
wife?
3. How do the reactions of Edna Pontellier toward her husband reflect the
struggle against patriarchy?
C.
Objectives of the Study
The purpose of doing the research is to answer the question in problem
formulation. First, in order to know the character and characterization of the major
characters, the writer starts the question with what are the characters of Edna and
Leonce Pontellier.
Second, is to know the forms of oppression that Leonce Pontellier did to
Edna. The question leads the writer to see how men oppress women in patriarchal
society.
Third, the writer tries to find the reaction of Edna Pontellier as a woman
who lives in patriarchal society. It is also to see the thought and the reaction of
Edna toward her husband, which finally symbolizes her rebellion against
patriarchy. The writer tries to show that Edna‟s characteristic and her husband
reflect the patriarchal society. Then the writer also tries to show that the reaction
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of Edna toward her husband oppression reflect the woman‟s struggle against
patriarchy.
D.
Definition of Terms
There are some words that need to be defined before the analysis is done
in order to make sure that there is no misinterpretation in the analysis chapter.
1.
Struggle
The definition of struggle according to Oxford Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary is the fight against someone or something to prevent bad or
difficult situation and result. It is also can be mean as the fight against the
subject or try to get away from them (Oxford, 2005: 1523).
Cambridge dictionary stated that struggle is to experience difficulty
and
make
a
very
great
effort
in
order
to
do
something
(http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/struggle).
2.
Patriarchy
According to Johnson, patriarchy is a male-dominated, maleidentified, and male-centered system. In patriarchy there are symbols and
ideas that make up a culture embodied by everything from the content of
everyday life. Above all patriarchal culture is about the core value of
control and domination in almost every area of human existence
(http://www.faculty.umb.edu/heike.schotten/readings/Johnson,%20Patriar
chy%20the%20System.pdf).
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Patriarchy is based on sexism. Patriarchy is a belief that women are
innately inferior to men. They are less intelligent, less rational, less
courageous, and so forth. Because of that, society with traditional gender
roles which cast men as decision-makers and women as their dutiful
followers, are right and natural (Tyson, 2011: 143).
3.
Feminism
According to Maggie Humm‟s Feminism A Reader, the definition
of feminism is the belief in sexual equality that combined with a
commitment to eradicate sexist domination and to transform society
(Humm, 1992: 1).
The word feminism is always related to the women‟s rebellion.
The rebellion itself is a term which describes the refusal to be oppressed
and it is a refusal to be treated with anything less than the full measure of
dignity and decency that one‟s humanity demand (Bartlet, 2004: 44).
Another definition comes from Rosalind Delmar, that feminism is
a belief that women are discriminated because of their sex, that they have
specific needs which remain negated and unsatisfied, and that the
satisfaction of these needs require changes in social, economic, and even
in
politic
fields
((http://www.sfu.ca/~decaste/
OISE/
page2/
files/DelmarFeminism.pdf.)
The key of feminism is about women‟s emancipation, women‟s
rebellion. Women rebel to get their freedom and equality. Women become
the feminist by refuse to be abused by men.
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CHAPTER II
REVIEW ON LITERATURE
In this chapter, the writer divides the section into three parts. The first part
is for review on related studies. The second part is for review on related theories.
The last part is for theoretical framework.
A.
Review on Related Studies
The Awakening is a novel that has lot of ideas about woman‟s struggle
against patriarchy. In this thesis, the writer analyses the novel with feminist
approach. The writer compares three other studies in order to get the basic or the
main position for this thesis. The first study comes from Kathleen M. Streater
entitled Adele Ratignolle: Kate Chopin's Feminist at Home in The Awakening.
Streater analyses the novel with the same approach with this thesis;
feminist approach. She compares the main character, Edna Pontellier with another
character, Adelle Ratignolle. The writer here agrees with Streater‟s ideas that
Edna, for the most part, uses silence to communicate with
Leonce…Edna has no language by which to express an authentic
feminine expression and thus she remains silent, and this
interpretation fits nicely with Edna‟s eventual rejection of all
patriarchal construction (http://www2.moundsviewschools.org/
moundsview/userfiles/baxleyb/feminist_at_home_-_chopin.pdf).
The
second
study
comes
from
Linda
Ayscue
Gupta
entitled
Deconstructionist and Feminist Analysis of The Awakening. The writer agrees
with Gupta‟s perspective about feminism.
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…. feminism as a movement encourages women to examine their
thoughts, feelings, and bodies and locate their voices not in
reaction to men but in individuated relationship to them (Gupta,
2009: 1)
Gupta sees feminism as a way out for women to show their true-self.
Feminism is used as a means for the movement of women who struggle to get
equality. Feminism is also seen as an approach which is appropriate in The
Awakening. Same as Gupta, the writer analyses this thesis which reflects the idea
of woman‟s struggle against patriarchy by using feminist approach.
The third study is Sarah Bommarito‟s Marriage, Motherhood, and
Reception in the Fiction of Chopin and Wharton. The statement from Bommarito
is supporting this thesis analysis. Here, the author wrote that Edna Pontellier is an
unconventional woman who finally rejects the influence and the control of men
and attempts to pursue her newly discovered passions and desire. Moreover,
Bommarito explains that Edna begins to feel a sense of containment and
entrapment, and that she soon wishes for more independence and a life of her own
in which she can do as she pleases (Bommarito, 2010: 16-17).
Different from previous studies, the writer in this thesis tries to analyze the
idea of feminism-that is a woman‟s struggle against patriarchy-revealed by the
woman major character in The Awakening. Streater in her research compares the
two women characters in the novel (Edna Pontellier and Adelle Ratignolle), while
in this thesis the writer only focuses on one woman major character, Edna
Pontellier. Streater analyses Edna and Adelle as the women character who did the
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rebellion, even though the idea of woman‟s struggle against patriarchy in Adelle
Ratignolle is not so much seen in the novel.
In Gupta‟s research, she is not only discusses about feminism. She also
relates it with the deconstructionist idea. The writer, in this thesis only focuses on
how feminist idea, especially in woman‟s struggle against patriarchy, is built
through the characterization of Edna Pontellier, because the main idea for the
whole story is about a struggle of woman.
Also in Bommarito‟s analysis, even though there are some quotations that
can help the writer to see better about Edna‟s struggle, but the writer decides to
limit the scope because Bommarito‟s analysis is too wide to be explained.
Bommarito in her thesis relates Edna‟s life with Chopin‟s true-life. She also
compares Edna with Madame Ratignolle. Here, the writer chooses to analyze the
woman major character only-that is Edna Pontellier- who struggles to refuse any
patriarchal oppression.
B.
Review on Related Theories
1.
Theory of Character and Characterization
Character in a novel takes an important role. A character is the person
presented in a novel or literary work. Abrams stated that
Characters are the persons represented in a dramatic or narrative
work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with
particular moral, intellectual, and emotional qualities by inferences
from what the persons say and their distinctive ways of saying it—
the dialogue—and from what they do—the action (Abrams, 1999:
32-33).
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There are two types of characters according to Roberts and Jacobs that is
round and flat character. Round character is usually the major figures in the work
and is fully developed. This type of character is usually called the protagonist; the
center of attention to a story and moves against the antagonist. Flat character is
undistinguishable from other persons in a particular group. The flat character is
not individual but a representative. They are static, meaning that they do not
change or grow in their characteristic (Roberts and Jacobs, 1989: 145-146).
To make the character comes alive and become real, the writer uses a
method called characterization. Characterization is establishing the distinctive
characters in a narrative (Abrams, 1999: 33).
There are several ways to present information about characters:
1. What the characters themselves say and think.
Speeches may be accepted at face value to indicate the character of a
speaker.
2. What the characters do.
The action done in a story should be interpreted as a signs of
characters.
3. What other characters say about them.
Speaker in a story often talk about the other characters. If the speakers
are honest, their opinions could be accepted as accurate description of
other characters.
4. What the author says about them.
Sometimes the author in a story gives his or her authorial voice in
order to state a character (Roberts and Jacobs, 1989: 147-148).
2.
Theory of Patriarchy
The meaning of patriarchy is a system of social structures where men
dominate, oppress and exploit women. Women and men live together in the
condition where they ruled to be in a different position. Men in higher position;
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they are the ruler, and women in the lower one because they are the follower
(Walby, 1990: 20).
Patriarchy is a long history of injustice in the social status between men
and women. Unfortunately, women‟s position is under men‟s control. Lois Tyson
in Using Critical Theory states
A patriarchy is any society in which men hold all or most of the
power. Usually a patriarchy gives men power by promoting
traditional gender roles. Patriarchal men and women believe that
anyone who violates traditional gender roles is in some way
unnatural, unhealthy, or even immoral (Tyson, 2011: 141-142).
Women in this way, rather than believe to be put in the lower place, they
are forced and conditioned by the society to believe that they are weak. Since
early childhood, human being has been taught to play different role in the family.
Men are taught to do the public job while women are taught to do the domestic
one. The one who disobey the rule will be blamed by patriarchal society.
Patriarchy vested its authority in elder males or male. The father in the
family or the younger man makes decisions which control and rule the family‟s
work, purchases, and etc. In here, the mother or younger women have no choices
to make. There are no questions as to their nature is simply obedience
(Ehreinreich&English, 1992: 216).
Furthermore, Eisenstein in Contemporary Feminist Thought states
Instead of being openly coerced into accepting their secondary
status, women were conditioned into embracing it by the process of
sex-role stereotyping. From early childhood, women were trained
to accept a system which divided society into male and female
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spheres, with appropriate roles for each, and which allocated public
power exclusively to the male sphere (Eisenstein, 1984: 6).
By knowing that, then in patriarchy exists something called sex role. This
sex role differentiates women and men‟s function in society. Men or masculine
behavior is suited with the aggression, initiative, rationality, and objectivity, so
that they are given the job to be the leader; the breadwinner. Women or feminine
behavior is suited with passivity, emotionalism, and subjectivity, so that they are
given the job to be the follower; the house-keeper (Eisenstein, 1984: 10-11).
In patriarchy men are seen to be more important than women. They are
more valuable, more worthwhile, and more significant. Their feeling is important.
Women then, here just for men‟s pleasure and they are the assistance of men.
They should fulfill their natural “feminine” functions. In patriarchy, women are
different with men and they should not compete with men (Freeman, 1984: 553).
In patriarchy, the phenomena of motherhood are usually happens. The
mother is the person who takes care of the children. It is the duty of the women
who become mother, and not the father, to look after the children.
“The experts have no doubts; they are unanimous in their statement
that only the mother, and no one else, should take care of her child.
No other question is answered so definitely and plainly. The
mother is the person to look after her child.” (Hoffnung, 1984:
124).
The role of women in a family is so big and it is quite different from men.
Women are responsible for the love of the family. They are responsible for
cleaning, laundering, producing food, and child caring. Those duties need skills
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that are quite complicated for a human being to do. Because of that women since
their childhood were trained to learn those duties (Hoffnung, 1984: 125).
In an unfair world, women are only seen as mere object that placed in the
house in order to do the household work. Things done by men outside the house
are for money. Because of that the whole family depends on the husband for the
living. The wife, inside the house, has to provide the comfort and the love for the
husband and the children (Hoffnung, 1984: 125).
3.
Theory of Feminism
The definition of feminism according to Bell Hooks in Feminism: A
Movement to End Sexist Oppression is the struggle of any women to end sexist
oppression. Feminism does not privilege women over men, but it has the power
to
transform
the
society
around
them
(http://www.mcc.osu.edu/posts/
documents/sexism-bhooks.pdf).
The traditional view of society assumes that men and women are
essentially different so that they should serve different social function. Feminist
perspective starts from the premise that women and men are equal and that they
share the same human capabilities (Freeman, 1984: 553).
In order to get the opportunity to become equal, women rebel against men
as their oppressor and the wrong perspective in society. The rebellion itself
happens through a process. Women become more aware of herself and her
society. Humm once stated that struggle against patriarchy started after women
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conscious
of
themselves
and
criticizing
their
14
symbolic
misinterpretations in society (Humm, 1994: 3).
Women who rebel become the defenses as it is called by Tyson. The
defenses will keep themselves from becoming conscious of the experiences where
they have been repressed (Tyson, 2011: 83).
After gathering their consciousness, women are ready to start their
struggle. Elizabeth Ann Bartlet in Rebellious Feminism: Camus’s Ethic of
Rebellion and Feminist Thought said that women start to refuse to be abused
because they have realized their fundamental worth. They do not want to be
oppressed anymore and they want to be treated by the full measure of dignity that
humanity demands (Bartlet, 2004: 5).
The struggle against patriarchy begins as the voice of women is found. So
by becoming conscious women found the chance and uses the chance to speak
against injustice. Bartlet support this idea and wrote a statement
Finally this component implies a refusal of silence and a finding of
one‟s voice. Silence is born of despair; rebellion gives birth to
voice. The act of rebellion is one of speaking out against injustice
and oppression in affirmation of dignity and self-worth (Bartlet,
2004: 6).
The rebellion has its purpose. It is for women to be recognized by the
society, to rebel against injustice, to get the dignity, and to change their social
status. There is almost never a purpose to take revenge to the society, and the
movement itself never being colored by envy of what women do not have.
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Rebellion, on the other hand, is an active movement of liberation
and self-affirmation. Rather than being colored by envy of what
one does not have, rebellion claims recognition for who one is.
Rebellion stakes a claim for the integrity of one‟s being. And just
as the rebel insists on not being humiliated, so does she or he insist
on not humiliating anyone else (Bartlet, 2004: 42).
After women realizing their full personhood as human being, after they
have the will to stand alone, soon the act to be independent is taken. They realize
that they have to be equal to men in order to be respected better in the future.
Rosemarie Tong said that women should have the same education as men have
because all human being deserve the equal chance to get better development on
their rational and moral capacities. This way, women can achieve their full
personhood by getting their education (Tong, 2009: 28).
Women, then, after demanding the freedom, they also demand the same
opportunity in the public sphere. They want to get the chance to earn money by
their own abilities. Women or wives, in order to be partners with men or husbands
should earn money outside the house. Only by then, they will not be the object of
men, the servants (Tong, 2009: 31).
C.
Theoretical Framework
This research discusses a woman‟s struggle against patriarchy. To conduct
clear analysis, the writer applies some theories. They are theory of character and
characterization, theory of patriarchy, and the last theory of feminism.
Theory of character and characterization can be applied to find the
characteristics of the female and male major character in the novel. First, in order
to know the major character that support the analysis, theory of round and flat
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character are used to distinguish the two major character (Edna and Leonce
Pontellier) from the other character that is not fully develop in the novel, so that
the writer can determine the two major characters that will be analyzed. After
finding the two major characters, the theories of character and characterization
then are needed to reveal the characters of Edna and Leonce Pontellier.
Theory of patriarchy can be applied to analyze the forms of oppression
that Leonce did to Edna. This theory is needed to analyze the form of patriarchy in
society through Leonce‟s existence.
The last theory, feminism, is needed to reveal the woman‟s struggle
against patriarchy in the novel through the characters of Edna Pontellier. The form
of oppression that Leonce did to Edna is also needed to reveal the idea of
feminism, particularly the women struggle against patriarchy in her family and
marriages.
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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A.
Object of the Study
In this analysis, the writer chooses Kate Chopin‟s The Awakening as the
object of the research. The Awakening is presented in the form of novel. This
novel was written and first published in 1899 by Herbert S. Stone and Co. Even
though at the beginning of its existence, the novel was banned in many places
because it was seen as too frank and too bold work, but in the mid of 1900‟s until
now, finally the novel is considered as one of the best feminist literary work.
Though Chopin gets no winning prize at the novel, but this novel is assumed as
the contributor of the feminist movement.
The Awakening itself is a story about a couple of husband and wife, Mr.
and Mrs. Pontellier or Leonce and Edna Pontellier. Leonce loves Edna very much,
but Edna is actually does not feel the same. She misunderstands her feeling as a
love to Leonce that makes her agree to marry with him. There are always
problems in their household. Leonce as a husband is quite dominant and so Edna
becomes submissive.
In the middle of the story, Edna falls in love with Robert, the son of one of
her husband‟s friends. Only after it, Edna finally realizes her position in society.
By then, she found her freedom to rebel against her husband.
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In the novel, Chopin wants to emphasize the strong patriarchal culture in
1899. The setting and the character she made is adopted from the real society of
Lousiana-Creole in which she lived. Lousiana-Creole people were a free people of
color. The white people from France-because they wanted to expand their
population in the new world-married with African woman and having children
with them. Most of them were rich businessman or elite members of society and
they were an educated people. Louisiana-Creole people lived according to the
mannerisms and tradition of European society. They were very proud of their
tradition, music, and art. And these people liked to have gathering and to celebrate
party to know each other.
Lousiana-Creole people were very strict to the rule and there were of
course many rules that limited the work of women in the society. Because for
them the family was the most important issues in their life, mother or women
were put to be the housekeeper. They should fulfill their tasks to do the household
job, to care the children, and to please their husband in the house.
(http://www.loyno.edu/~kchopin/new/culture/creoles2.html)
With the presence of The Awakening and Edna as the main character,
Chopin wants to show the reader the Louisiana-Creole society and the women‟s
movement that emerged at that time. Chopin has a purpose by writing the novel
that is to echo women‟s voice in society through her novel, to express her feeling
because she becomes the part of society in Louisiana, and also to criticize the rule
of women in society.
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19
Approach of The Study
In analyzing the problem formulation stated before, the writer uses
feminist approach because the research needs feminist perspective in order to get
the answer from the problem formulation. Here, the approach helps the writer to
analyze man‟s domination in the novel and the struggle of the woman character
toward man‟s authority. The approach also helps the writer to analyze the
woman‟s struggle against patriarchy in the novel through Edna‟s rebellion.
Edgar V. Roberts in Writing about Literature stated that feminist approach
sees that most of the literary work presents a masculine-patriarchal view in which
women is always be negated or minimized. The feminist‟s goal then to seek about
women‟s unique nature in literature so that women will not be negated any longer
(Roberts, 1995: 270).
The feminist agrees that society has been dominated by men. Women then,
find the equality by do some rebellion against men‟s domination. The feminist
approach is the best approach to do the analysis. The writer, based on the
approach, relates some feminist perspective that is the woman‟s struggle against
patriarchy with Edna‟s characterization.
C.
Method of The Study
This thesis is a library research. The writer read and used books and essays
which appropriated with the topic of the analysis. The writer also used some
sources from internet to get better understanding to the analysis.
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There were some steps that the writer used to do the research. First of all,
the writer selected the literary work discussed further. In this case, the writer
chose Kate Chopin‟s The Awakening as the object.
The second step, the writer tried to make a topic for the research that is a
woman‟s struggle against patriarchy in Kate Chopin‟s The Awakening.
The third step, the writer tried to find the appropriate approach for the
study. The approach that is suitable for the novel is feminist approach.
In the next step, the writer started to organize some problem formulation to
limit the scope of the study. There are three problem formulations that the writer
has decided to analyze.
After the writer formulated the problem and determined the approach for
the research, the fifth step the writer began to collect the theories and information
related to the analysis. The theories and sources from internet are needed to
answer the problem formulation in the analysis chapter.
The next step was the analysis part. The writer divided the analysis into
three parts. First, the writer gave a description of Edna and Leonce‟s character as
a husband and wife. Secondly, the writer showed the male dominations in the
novel. Thirdly, the writer analyzed the ideas of woman‟s struggle against
patriarchy through the characterization of Edna Pontellier.
The last step was the conclusion. In this part, the writer summed up all the
discussion in the analysis.
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CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
The analysis in this chapter is divided into three parts. The first part
discusses the characterization of the two major characters in the novel, Leonce
and Edna Pontellier. The next part discusses the forms oppressions done by
Leonce which reflect the patriarchal values in the novel. The last part discusses
the woman‟s struggle against patriarchy reflected by Edna Pontellier.
A.
The Characterization of Edna and Leonce Pontellier
There are two major characters in The Awakening, Edna and Leonce
Pontellier. Edna and Leonce are the main characters who develop the plot of the
story from beginning until the end. They are round and dynamic characters. This
is because their characteristic change and grow.
In the beginning of the story Edna is characterized as a submissive woman
and wife. She is a beautiful and 28 year old-wife of a New Orleans businessman,
Leonce Pontellier, who comes to New Orleans from her hometown, Kentucky,
America. After marrying Leonce, she lives in the middle of French-Creole
society. But even though she lives in that circumstance, she does not understand
well the French-Creole society because she does not have any interest of French.
Leonce Pontellier, on the other side, is described as Edna‟s husband. He is
characterized as a domineering man. Leonce is successful businessman in his
forty, and he is very proud of his Creole society and tradition.
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In the end of the story, their characters change. Edna becomes the
rebellious wife and mother whose struggle for her rights, while Leonce becomes
subdued.
In order to analyze the character of Edna and Leonce below, the writer
uses Roberts & Jacobs‟s theory of character to reveal the characterization of each
which later leads the writer to find the idea of woman‟s struggle against patriarchy
in Edna‟s characterization.
1.
Edna Pontellier as a Submissive Woman and Wife
In this chapter, the writer discusses Edna‟s character. Through beginning
of the story when the struggle against patriarchy is undone yet, Edna is described
as a passionless or submissive wife. This character comes because since her
childhood, she is indeed a shy and unconfident girl. She is better to look at herself
alone. She never lets anybody to enter her life.
Mrs. Pontellier was not a woman
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ABSTRACT
DONA WINDASARI SEPTIANA. A Woman’s Struggle against Patriarchy in
Kate Chopin’s The Awakening: A Feminist Perspective. Yogyakarta: Department
of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2014.
Feminism in a literary work focuses on the equality between women and men,
that they should be partner in life. Feminism shows the struggle of women to get the
freedom, equality, and the better social positions in the society. This thesis also uses
Feminist approach. This thesis is aimed to reveal the struggle against patriarchy
through the characterization of Edna Pontellier. Edna is a wife who is dominated by
her husband, Leonce Pontellier. Because of that, she dares to release herself from her
husband’s domination.
There are three problems formulation in this thesis. First, is to show the
characters of Edna and Leonce Pontellier that are portrayed in the novel. Second, is to
show the form of oppression that Leonce Pontellier did to Edna as his own wife. The
third is to show Edna Pontellier’s reactions toward her husband which reflect the
struggle against patriarchy.
This thesis is a library research. The writer finds all o data and other supported
references from books and the internet sources. The feminist approach is used in this
thesis in order to reveal the woman’s struggle against patriarchy through the major
character.
There are three points that can be concluded. First, Edna Pontellier is
submissive wife. Meanwhile, Leonce Pontellier is a domineering husband. He often
forces Edna to obey his will. After the rebellion happens, Edna becomes a brave,
expressive, and independent woman, while Leonce becomes subdued. The second,
Edna becomes Leonce object to be oppressed. He only allows Edna to be aware of the
house conditions, the children, the image of the family because they are rich, and the
last is to please Leonce’s feeling. The third, seeing the oppression that she gets, Edna
does some rebellion in order to free herself from the patriarchal culture that make her
remain silent. She starts to refuse Leonce’s command. She believes that if she moves
from her old house, earns her own money, and gets better education on painting, then
she can stand alone without depending on her husband. Edna Pontellier wants to be
recognized better as an independent human being who has her own rights.
xi
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ABSTRAK
DONA WINDASARI SEPTIANA. A Woman’s Struggle against Patriarchy in
Kate Chopin’s The Awakening: A Feminist Perspective. Yogyakarta: Jurusan
Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2014.
Feminisme dalam karya sastra berfokus pada keseimbangan antara wanita dan
pria, bahwa mereka seharusnya menjadi teman yang sederajat dalam hidup.
Feminisme menunjukkan perjuangan wanita untuk mendapatkan kebebasan,
keseimbangan, dan posisi sosial yang lebih baik di masyarakat. Skripsi ini juga
menggunakan pendekatan feminis. Skripsi ini ditujukan untuk mengungkapkan
perjuangan melawan budaya patriarki melalui penokohan Edna Pontellier. Edna
adalah seorang istri yang dikuasai oleh suaminya, Leonce Pontellier. Dan karena
itulah, ia berani untuk melepaskan dirinya dari dominasi suaminya.
Terdapat tiga rumusan masalah dalam skripsi ini. Pertama adalah untuk
menunjukkan penokohan Edna Pontellier dan Leonce Pontellier yang digambarkan di
dalam novel. Kedua adalah untuk menunjukkan bentuk-bentuk tekanan yang
dilakukan oleh Leonce Pontellier terhadap istrinya, Edna Pontellier. Ketiga adalah
untuk menunjukkan reaksi Edna Pontellier terhadap perilaku suaminya yang
mencerminkan perjuangan melawan budaya patriarki.
Skripsi ini menggunakan metode penelitian pustaka. Penulis mengumpulkan
semua data dan referensi pendukung lainnya dari buku-buku dan sumber-sumber
internet. Pendekatan feminis dipakai dalam skripsi ini untuk mengungkapkan gagasan
perjuangan wanita melawan patriarki melalui tokoh utamanya.
Terdapat tiga hal yang dapat disimpulkan. Pertama, Edna Pontellier adalah
seorang wanita yang selalu pasrah. Sementara itu Leonce Pontellier adalah seorang
suami yang sangat mendominasi. Ia seringkali memaksa Edna untuk melakukan
keinginannya. Setelah pemberontakan terjadi, Edna menjadi seorang wanita yang
berani, ekspresif, dan mandiri, sementara Leonce menjadi laki-laki yang takluk
terhadap kemauan istrinya. Kedua, Edna menjadi objek Leonce untuk didominasi.
Leonce hanya memperbolehkan Edna untuk memperhatikan keadaan rumahnya,
anak-anaknya, harga diri keluarganya dan untuk menyenangkan hatinya. Ketiga,
melihat dominasi yang didapatnya, Edna melakukan pemberontakan untuk
melepaskan dirinya dari budaya patriarki yang membuatnya menjadi bisu. Edna mulai
menolak perintah Leonce dalam rumah tangga. Ia percaya bahwa dengan keluar dari
rumah lamanya, dapat menghasilkan uang sendiri, dan memiliki pendidikan yang
lebih baik dalam melukis, maka ia akan bisa mandiri tanpa bergantung pada
suaminya. Edna Pontellier ingin agar dirinya dihargai lebih baik sebagai manusia
yang mandiri yang memiliki hak-haknya.
xii
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A WOMAN’S STRUGGLE AGAINST PATRIARCHY IN KATE
CHOPIN’S THE AWAKENING: A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
Dona Windasari Septiana
Student Number: 104214034
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2015
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A WOMAN’S STRUGGLE AGAINST PATRIARCHY IN KATE
CHOPIN’S THE AWAKENING: A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
Dona Windasari Septiana
Student Number: 104214034
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2015
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If you have dreams
but they do not worry you;
it means
they are not big enough for you.
Make a history in your life,
not just a story.
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Dedicated To
Jesus Christ in Heaven
as The Owner of All Science
And for those who need this research as a reference
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all I dedicate my greatest gratitude to Jesus Christ for His love and
miracle, so that I can accomplish my thesis. I thank Him for being like my best friend
that patiently accompany me in every step that I make in my whole life. I owe Him
more than I can pay.
I would like to thank my parents, Dody Herkusmanto and Nugrah Rina Artati
that always give me support for the struggle to finance my study. I know that their
prayer is always for me to accomplish this thesis as one of my responsibilities. I also
would like to say thanks to my sister and brother, Dona Sandradewi and Immanuel
Richardo, for the time to cheer me up when I got bored.
I believe that I would never accomplish my thesis without the help from
others. In this occasion, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Ms. Sri
Mulyani Ph. D. and Ms. Dewi Widyastuti S.Pd., M. Hum for all the advice, attention,
and patience throughout the process of writing this thesis. I also thank my closest
friends Dwi Ratnasari Lewi and Jeanne Maria Pingkan who struggle with me. I
thanked them for all of the meaningful stories that we shared. I am thankful also for
my friends in B class 2010 and for all people whose name I cannot mention one by
one, I am thankful for the help, support, and prayer, during the completion of my
thesis. May God bless them all.
Dona Windasari Septiana
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE……………………………………………………………………… i
APPROVAL PAGE……………………………………………………………….. ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE…………………………………………………………… iii
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY…………………………………………….. vi
LEMBAR PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH…...………….... v
MOTTO PAGE……………………………………………………………………. vi
DEDICATION PAGE…………………………………………………………….. vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………… viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………. ix
ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………. xi
ABSTRAK…………………………………………………………………………. xii
CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION……………………………………………….. 1
A. Background of The Study……………………………………
1
B. Problem Formulation………………………………………...
4
C. Objectives of The Study……………………………………...
4
D. Definitions of Terms………………………………………….
5
CHAPTER II : REVIEW OF LITERATURE………………………………...
A. Review on Related Studies…………………………………...
B. Review on Related Theories………………………………….
1. Theory of Character and Characterization………………
2. Theory of Patriarchy……………………………………...
3. Theory of Feminism……………………………………...
C. Theoretical Framework……………………………………….
7
7
9
9
10
13
15
CHAPTER III : METHODOLOGY…………………………………………….. 17
A. Object of Study……………………………………………….. 17
B. Approach of The Study………………………………………. 19
C. Method of The Study…………………………………………. 19
CHAPTER IV : ANALYSIS……………………………………………………… 21
A. The Characterization of Edna and Leonce Pontellier………... 21
1. Edna Pontellier as a Submissive Woman and Wife……..... 22
2. Edna Pontellier as a Rebellious Wife and Mother……….. 27
3. Leonce Pontellier as a Domineering Husband…………… 33
4. Leonce Pontellier as a Subdued Husband……………...... 35
B. Men’s Domination Depicted through Leonce Pontellier…… 38
C. The Struggle against Patriarchy……………………………... 45
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CHAPTER V : CONCLUSION………………………………………………… 56
BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………. 58
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ABSTRACT
DONA WINDASARI SEPTIANA. A Woman’s Struggle against Patriarchy in
Kate Chopin’s The Awakening: A Feminist Perspective. Yogyakarta: Department
of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2014.
Feminism in a literary work focuses on the equality between women and men,
that they should be partner in life. Feminism shows the struggle of women to get the
freedom, equality, and the better social positions in the society. This thesis also uses
Feminist approach. This thesis aimed to reveal the struggle against patriarchy through
the characterization of Edna Pontellier. Edna is a wife who is dominated by her
husband, Leonce Pontellier. Because of that, she dares to release herself from her
husband’s domination.
There are three problems formulation in this thesis. First, is to show the
characters of Edna and Leonce Pontellier that are portrayed in the novel. Second, is to
show the form of oppression that Leonce Pontellier did to Edna as his own wife. The
third is to show Edna Pontellier’s reactions toward her husband which reflect the
struggle against patriarchy.
This thesis is a library research. The writer finds all o data and other supported
references from books and the internet sources. The feminist approach is used in this
thesis in order to reveal the woman’s struggle against patriarchy through the major
character.
There are three points that can be concluded. First, Edna Pontellier is
submissive wife. Meanwhile, Leonce Pontellier is a domineering husband. He often
forces Edna to obey his will. After the rebellion happens, Edna becomes a brave,
expressive, and independent woman, while Leonce becomes subdued. The second,
Edna becomes Leonce object to be oppressed. He only allows Edna to be aware of the
house conditions, the children, the image of the family because they are rich, and the
last is to please Leonce’s feeling. The third, seeing the oppression that she gets, Edna
does some rebellion in order to free herself from the patriarchal culture that make her
remain silent. She starts to refuse Leonce’s command. She believes that if she moves
from her old house, earns her own money, and gets better education on painting, then
she can stand alone without depending on her husband. Edna Pontellier wants to be
recognized better as an independent human being who has her own rights.
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ABSTRAK
DONA WINDASARI SEPTIANA. A Woman’s Struggle against Patriarchy in
Kate Chopin’s The Awakening: A Feminist Perspective. Yogyakarta: Jurusan
Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2014.
Feminisme dalam karya sastra berfokus pada keseimbangan antara wanita dan
pria, bahwa mereka seharusnya menjadi teman yang sederajat dalam hidup.
Feminisme menunjukkan perjuangan wanita untuk mendapatkan kebebasan,
keseimbangan, dan posisi sosial yang lebih baik di masyarakat. Skripsi ini juga
menggunakan pendekatan feminis. Skripsi ini ditujukan untuk mengungkapkan
perjuangan melawan budaya patriarki melalui penokohan Edna Pontellier. Edna
adalah seorang istri yang dikuasai oleh suaminya, Leonce Pontellier. Dan karena
itulah, ia berani untuk melepaskan dirinya dari dominasi suaminya.
Terdapat tiga rumusan masalah dalam skripsi ini. Pertama adalah untuk
menunjukkan penokohan Edna Pontellier dan Leonce Pontellier yang digambarkan di
dalam novel. Kedua adalah untuk menunjukkan bentuk-bentuk tekanan yang
dilakukan oleh Leonce Pontellier terhadap istrinya, Edna Pontellier. Ketiga adalah
untuk menunjukkan reaksi Edna Pontellier terhadap perilaku suaminya yang
mencerminkan perjuangan melawan budaya patriarki.
Skripsi ini menggunakan metode penelitian pustaka. Penulis mengumpulkan
semua data dan referensi pendukung lainnya dari buku-buku dan sumber-sumber
internet. Pendekatan feminis dipakai dalam skripsi ini untuk mengungkapkan gagasan
perjuangan wanita melawan patriarki melalui tokoh utamanya.
Terdapat tiga hal yang dapat disimpulkan. Pertama, Edna Pontellier adalah
seorang wanita yang selalu pasrah. Sementara itu Leonce Pontellier adalah seorang
suami yang sangat mendominasi. Ia seringkali memaksa Edna untuk melakukan
keinginannya. Setelah pemberontakan terjadi, Edna menjadi seorang wanita yang
berani, ekspresif, dan mandiri, sementara Leonce menjadi laki-laki yang takluk
terhadap kemauan istrinya. Kedua, Edna menjadi objek Leonce untuk didominasi.
Leonce hanya memperbolehkan Edna untuk memperhatikan keadaan rumahnya,
anak-anaknya, harga diri keluarganya dan untuk menyenangkan hatinya. Ketiga,
melihat dominasi yang didapatnya, Edna melakukan pemberontakan untuk
melepaskan dirinya dari budaya patriarki yang membuatnya menjadi bisu. Edna mulai
menolak perintah Leonce dalam rumah tangga. Ia percaya bahwa dengan keluar dari
rumah lamanya, dapat menghasilkan uang sendiri, dan memiliki pendidikan yang
lebih baik dalam melukis, maka ia akan bisa mandiri tanpa bergantung pada
suaminya. Edna Pontellier ingin agar dirinya dihargai lebih baik sebagai manusia
yang mandiri yang memiliki hak-haknya.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A.
Background of the Study
Patriarchy has become part of the society since long time ago. Even, it has
spread in old society of this world. In this system women are put into lower place
and are also considered as group who has less power and less opportunity than
men. Men are always dominating, make women seems having no chance in social
system to have an equal right to live. It is men that ruled over women, and since
all authority vested in men, women have no chance to make their own choices.
Bell Hooks in Understanding Patriarchy states
Patriarchy is a political-social system that insists that males are
inherently dominating, superior to everything and everyone
deemed weak, especially females, and endowed with the right to
dominate and rule over the weak and to maintain that dominance
through various forms of psychological terrorism and violence
(http://imaginenoborders.org/pdf/zines/UnderstandingPatriarchy.pdf).
According to the statement, patriarchal system make women suffer
because men dominating the social system, in which women seems to be the
weak. Men and women are put into different position and function. Women live
under men‟s rule and authority. Men work outside the house while women work
inside the house, take care of the children and the household. Men have
opportunity in politic-social system while women only have the domestic
opportunity.
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Patriarchy in social system is very difficult to be erased because men and
even women are forced to believe that they play a different role. The society has
taught them to become masculine or feminine, as we can see in Lois Tyson‟s
Using Critical Theory.
Feminism argues that while we may born female or male, we are
not born feminine or masculine. Rather it is society that decides
which behaviors are considered feminine, and therefore appropriate
only to females, and which behaviors are considered to masculine,
and therefore appropriate only to males (Tyson, 2011: 143).
The work of women and men is divided into different spheres. Women
then, become the oppressed. Of course, such circumstances are not a favorable
position for women in the society. They are removed from the society that make
them unable to make a choice as freely as men do.
Becoming aware of themselves as a whole individual makes women begin
to see greater function in society. The strong patriarchal system finally pushes
women to do rebellion in order to get the same right and the same position in
society with men. Women challenging themselves to be like men and they
demand to be allowed to participate in society.
In this thesis, the writer discusses a novel from Kate Chopin, The
Awakening. The Awakening is the novel written in 1899. She wrote the novel in
the era where patriarchy took its part in the society system. In this era also,
feminist movement began to spread in America. Kate Chopin uses The Awakening
as one of her tools to share her view on the society and to share her own
experiences in life. Even though in the beginning the novel was banned because it
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was seen as a too bold-work in the era, but in the 20th century the novel can be
accepted well as one of the contributor of the woman struggle against patriarchy.
The Awakening tells a story about a couple of husband and wife, Leonce
and Edna Pontellier or usually called Mr. and Mrs. Pontellier in the novel. Chopin
uses Edna Pontellier as her woman major character to describe the woman‟s
struggle against patriarchy. She also uses Louisiana as the setting of the story as a
place where patriarchy became one of the social structures at that time.
Since the novel talks and shows women, patriarchy, and feminism, the
writer chooses to do research. The basic interest for the writer to have some
research from the novel is because the novel has an interesting topic about
women. Chopin can describe the female voice through the words she had been
chosen. The author gives the real image of women in society at that time. To be
more specific, the writer is interested in the way the woman major character, Edna
Pontellier, struggles to get her rights and her freedom as a woman.
In this research, the writer wants to reveal the struggle against patriarchy
through the character of Edna Pontellier who lives in patriarchal society. Her
husband who become the representation of patriarchy in society, oppress her in
her own household. The situation finally leads her to rebel to get the equal rights
with men.
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B.
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Problem Formulation
1. How are the characters of Edna and Leonce Pontellier portrayed in the
novel?
2. What are the forms of oppression that Leonce Pontellier did to Edna as his
wife?
3. How do the reactions of Edna Pontellier toward her husband reflect the
struggle against patriarchy?
C.
Objectives of the Study
The purpose of doing the research is to answer the question in problem
formulation. First, in order to know the character and characterization of the major
characters, the writer starts the question with what are the characters of Edna and
Leonce Pontellier.
Second, is to know the forms of oppression that Leonce Pontellier did to
Edna. The question leads the writer to see how men oppress women in patriarchal
society.
Third, the writer tries to find the reaction of Edna Pontellier as a woman
who lives in patriarchal society. It is also to see the thought and the reaction of
Edna toward her husband, which finally symbolizes her rebellion against
patriarchy. The writer tries to show that Edna‟s characteristic and her husband
reflect the patriarchal society. Then the writer also tries to show that the reaction
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of Edna toward her husband oppression reflect the woman‟s struggle against
patriarchy.
D.
Definition of Terms
There are some words that need to be defined before the analysis is done
in order to make sure that there is no misinterpretation in the analysis chapter.
1.
Struggle
The definition of struggle according to Oxford Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary is the fight against someone or something to prevent bad or
difficult situation and result. It is also can be mean as the fight against the
subject or try to get away from them (Oxford, 2005: 1523).
Cambridge dictionary stated that struggle is to experience difficulty
and
make
a
very
great
effort
in
order
to
do
something
(http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/struggle).
2.
Patriarchy
According to Johnson, patriarchy is a male-dominated, maleidentified, and male-centered system. In patriarchy there are symbols and
ideas that make up a culture embodied by everything from the content of
everyday life. Above all patriarchal culture is about the core value of
control and domination in almost every area of human existence
(http://www.faculty.umb.edu/heike.schotten/readings/Johnson,%20Patriar
chy%20the%20System.pdf).
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Patriarchy is based on sexism. Patriarchy is a belief that women are
innately inferior to men. They are less intelligent, less rational, less
courageous, and so forth. Because of that, society with traditional gender
roles which cast men as decision-makers and women as their dutiful
followers, are right and natural (Tyson, 2011: 143).
3.
Feminism
According to Maggie Humm‟s Feminism A Reader, the definition
of feminism is the belief in sexual equality that combined with a
commitment to eradicate sexist domination and to transform society
(Humm, 1992: 1).
The word feminism is always related to the women‟s rebellion.
The rebellion itself is a term which describes the refusal to be oppressed
and it is a refusal to be treated with anything less than the full measure of
dignity and decency that one‟s humanity demand (Bartlet, 2004: 44).
Another definition comes from Rosalind Delmar, that feminism is
a belief that women are discriminated because of their sex, that they have
specific needs which remain negated and unsatisfied, and that the
satisfaction of these needs require changes in social, economic, and even
in
politic
fields
((http://www.sfu.ca/~decaste/
OISE/
page2/
files/DelmarFeminism.pdf.)
The key of feminism is about women‟s emancipation, women‟s
rebellion. Women rebel to get their freedom and equality. Women become
the feminist by refuse to be abused by men.
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CHAPTER II
REVIEW ON LITERATURE
In this chapter, the writer divides the section into three parts. The first part
is for review on related studies. The second part is for review on related theories.
The last part is for theoretical framework.
A.
Review on Related Studies
The Awakening is a novel that has lot of ideas about woman‟s struggle
against patriarchy. In this thesis, the writer analyses the novel with feminist
approach. The writer compares three other studies in order to get the basic or the
main position for this thesis. The first study comes from Kathleen M. Streater
entitled Adele Ratignolle: Kate Chopin's Feminist at Home in The Awakening.
Streater analyses the novel with the same approach with this thesis;
feminist approach. She compares the main character, Edna Pontellier with another
character, Adelle Ratignolle. The writer here agrees with Streater‟s ideas that
Edna, for the most part, uses silence to communicate with
Leonce…Edna has no language by which to express an authentic
feminine expression and thus she remains silent, and this
interpretation fits nicely with Edna‟s eventual rejection of all
patriarchal construction (http://www2.moundsviewschools.org/
moundsview/userfiles/baxleyb/feminist_at_home_-_chopin.pdf).
The
second
study
comes
from
Linda
Ayscue
Gupta
entitled
Deconstructionist and Feminist Analysis of The Awakening. The writer agrees
with Gupta‟s perspective about feminism.
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…. feminism as a movement encourages women to examine their
thoughts, feelings, and bodies and locate their voices not in
reaction to men but in individuated relationship to them (Gupta,
2009: 1)
Gupta sees feminism as a way out for women to show their true-self.
Feminism is used as a means for the movement of women who struggle to get
equality. Feminism is also seen as an approach which is appropriate in The
Awakening. Same as Gupta, the writer analyses this thesis which reflects the idea
of woman‟s struggle against patriarchy by using feminist approach.
The third study is Sarah Bommarito‟s Marriage, Motherhood, and
Reception in the Fiction of Chopin and Wharton. The statement from Bommarito
is supporting this thesis analysis. Here, the author wrote that Edna Pontellier is an
unconventional woman who finally rejects the influence and the control of men
and attempts to pursue her newly discovered passions and desire. Moreover,
Bommarito explains that Edna begins to feel a sense of containment and
entrapment, and that she soon wishes for more independence and a life of her own
in which she can do as she pleases (Bommarito, 2010: 16-17).
Different from previous studies, the writer in this thesis tries to analyze the
idea of feminism-that is a woman‟s struggle against patriarchy-revealed by the
woman major character in The Awakening. Streater in her research compares the
two women characters in the novel (Edna Pontellier and Adelle Ratignolle), while
in this thesis the writer only focuses on one woman major character, Edna
Pontellier. Streater analyses Edna and Adelle as the women character who did the
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rebellion, even though the idea of woman‟s struggle against patriarchy in Adelle
Ratignolle is not so much seen in the novel.
In Gupta‟s research, she is not only discusses about feminism. She also
relates it with the deconstructionist idea. The writer, in this thesis only focuses on
how feminist idea, especially in woman‟s struggle against patriarchy, is built
through the characterization of Edna Pontellier, because the main idea for the
whole story is about a struggle of woman.
Also in Bommarito‟s analysis, even though there are some quotations that
can help the writer to see better about Edna‟s struggle, but the writer decides to
limit the scope because Bommarito‟s analysis is too wide to be explained.
Bommarito in her thesis relates Edna‟s life with Chopin‟s true-life. She also
compares Edna with Madame Ratignolle. Here, the writer chooses to analyze the
woman major character only-that is Edna Pontellier- who struggles to refuse any
patriarchal oppression.
B.
Review on Related Theories
1.
Theory of Character and Characterization
Character in a novel takes an important role. A character is the person
presented in a novel or literary work. Abrams stated that
Characters are the persons represented in a dramatic or narrative
work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with
particular moral, intellectual, and emotional qualities by inferences
from what the persons say and their distinctive ways of saying it—
the dialogue—and from what they do—the action (Abrams, 1999:
32-33).
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There are two types of characters according to Roberts and Jacobs that is
round and flat character. Round character is usually the major figures in the work
and is fully developed. This type of character is usually called the protagonist; the
center of attention to a story and moves against the antagonist. Flat character is
undistinguishable from other persons in a particular group. The flat character is
not individual but a representative. They are static, meaning that they do not
change or grow in their characteristic (Roberts and Jacobs, 1989: 145-146).
To make the character comes alive and become real, the writer uses a
method called characterization. Characterization is establishing the distinctive
characters in a narrative (Abrams, 1999: 33).
There are several ways to present information about characters:
1. What the characters themselves say and think.
Speeches may be accepted at face value to indicate the character of a
speaker.
2. What the characters do.
The action done in a story should be interpreted as a signs of
characters.
3. What other characters say about them.
Speaker in a story often talk about the other characters. If the speakers
are honest, their opinions could be accepted as accurate description of
other characters.
4. What the author says about them.
Sometimes the author in a story gives his or her authorial voice in
order to state a character (Roberts and Jacobs, 1989: 147-148).
2.
Theory of Patriarchy
The meaning of patriarchy is a system of social structures where men
dominate, oppress and exploit women. Women and men live together in the
condition where they ruled to be in a different position. Men in higher position;
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they are the ruler, and women in the lower one because they are the follower
(Walby, 1990: 20).
Patriarchy is a long history of injustice in the social status between men
and women. Unfortunately, women‟s position is under men‟s control. Lois Tyson
in Using Critical Theory states
A patriarchy is any society in which men hold all or most of the
power. Usually a patriarchy gives men power by promoting
traditional gender roles. Patriarchal men and women believe that
anyone who violates traditional gender roles is in some way
unnatural, unhealthy, or even immoral (Tyson, 2011: 141-142).
Women in this way, rather than believe to be put in the lower place, they
are forced and conditioned by the society to believe that they are weak. Since
early childhood, human being has been taught to play different role in the family.
Men are taught to do the public job while women are taught to do the domestic
one. The one who disobey the rule will be blamed by patriarchal society.
Patriarchy vested its authority in elder males or male. The father in the
family or the younger man makes decisions which control and rule the family‟s
work, purchases, and etc. In here, the mother or younger women have no choices
to make. There are no questions as to their nature is simply obedience
(Ehreinreich&English, 1992: 216).
Furthermore, Eisenstein in Contemporary Feminist Thought states
Instead of being openly coerced into accepting their secondary
status, women were conditioned into embracing it by the process of
sex-role stereotyping. From early childhood, women were trained
to accept a system which divided society into male and female
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spheres, with appropriate roles for each, and which allocated public
power exclusively to the male sphere (Eisenstein, 1984: 6).
By knowing that, then in patriarchy exists something called sex role. This
sex role differentiates women and men‟s function in society. Men or masculine
behavior is suited with the aggression, initiative, rationality, and objectivity, so
that they are given the job to be the leader; the breadwinner. Women or feminine
behavior is suited with passivity, emotionalism, and subjectivity, so that they are
given the job to be the follower; the house-keeper (Eisenstein, 1984: 10-11).
In patriarchy men are seen to be more important than women. They are
more valuable, more worthwhile, and more significant. Their feeling is important.
Women then, here just for men‟s pleasure and they are the assistance of men.
They should fulfill their natural “feminine” functions. In patriarchy, women are
different with men and they should not compete with men (Freeman, 1984: 553).
In patriarchy, the phenomena of motherhood are usually happens. The
mother is the person who takes care of the children. It is the duty of the women
who become mother, and not the father, to look after the children.
“The experts have no doubts; they are unanimous in their statement
that only the mother, and no one else, should take care of her child.
No other question is answered so definitely and plainly. The
mother is the person to look after her child.” (Hoffnung, 1984:
124).
The role of women in a family is so big and it is quite different from men.
Women are responsible for the love of the family. They are responsible for
cleaning, laundering, producing food, and child caring. Those duties need skills
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that are quite complicated for a human being to do. Because of that women since
their childhood were trained to learn those duties (Hoffnung, 1984: 125).
In an unfair world, women are only seen as mere object that placed in the
house in order to do the household work. Things done by men outside the house
are for money. Because of that the whole family depends on the husband for the
living. The wife, inside the house, has to provide the comfort and the love for the
husband and the children (Hoffnung, 1984: 125).
3.
Theory of Feminism
The definition of feminism according to Bell Hooks in Feminism: A
Movement to End Sexist Oppression is the struggle of any women to end sexist
oppression. Feminism does not privilege women over men, but it has the power
to
transform
the
society
around
them
(http://www.mcc.osu.edu/posts/
documents/sexism-bhooks.pdf).
The traditional view of society assumes that men and women are
essentially different so that they should serve different social function. Feminist
perspective starts from the premise that women and men are equal and that they
share the same human capabilities (Freeman, 1984: 553).
In order to get the opportunity to become equal, women rebel against men
as their oppressor and the wrong perspective in society. The rebellion itself
happens through a process. Women become more aware of herself and her
society. Humm once stated that struggle against patriarchy started after women
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becoming
conscious
of
themselves
and
criticizing
their
14
symbolic
misinterpretations in society (Humm, 1994: 3).
Women who rebel become the defenses as it is called by Tyson. The
defenses will keep themselves from becoming conscious of the experiences where
they have been repressed (Tyson, 2011: 83).
After gathering their consciousness, women are ready to start their
struggle. Elizabeth Ann Bartlet in Rebellious Feminism: Camus’s Ethic of
Rebellion and Feminist Thought said that women start to refuse to be abused
because they have realized their fundamental worth. They do not want to be
oppressed anymore and they want to be treated by the full measure of dignity that
humanity demands (Bartlet, 2004: 5).
The struggle against patriarchy begins as the voice of women is found. So
by becoming conscious women found the chance and uses the chance to speak
against injustice. Bartlet support this idea and wrote a statement
Finally this component implies a refusal of silence and a finding of
one‟s voice. Silence is born of despair; rebellion gives birth to
voice. The act of rebellion is one of speaking out against injustice
and oppression in affirmation of dignity and self-worth (Bartlet,
2004: 6).
The rebellion has its purpose. It is for women to be recognized by the
society, to rebel against injustice, to get the dignity, and to change their social
status. There is almost never a purpose to take revenge to the society, and the
movement itself never being colored by envy of what women do not have.
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Rebellion, on the other hand, is an active movement of liberation
and self-affirmation. Rather than being colored by envy of what
one does not have, rebellion claims recognition for who one is.
Rebellion stakes a claim for the integrity of one‟s being. And just
as the rebel insists on not being humiliated, so does she or he insist
on not humiliating anyone else (Bartlet, 2004: 42).
After women realizing their full personhood as human being, after they
have the will to stand alone, soon the act to be independent is taken. They realize
that they have to be equal to men in order to be respected better in the future.
Rosemarie Tong said that women should have the same education as men have
because all human being deserve the equal chance to get better development on
their rational and moral capacities. This way, women can achieve their full
personhood by getting their education (Tong, 2009: 28).
Women, then, after demanding the freedom, they also demand the same
opportunity in the public sphere. They want to get the chance to earn money by
their own abilities. Women or wives, in order to be partners with men or husbands
should earn money outside the house. Only by then, they will not be the object of
men, the servants (Tong, 2009: 31).
C.
Theoretical Framework
This research discusses a woman‟s struggle against patriarchy. To conduct
clear analysis, the writer applies some theories. They are theory of character and
characterization, theory of patriarchy, and the last theory of feminism.
Theory of character and characterization can be applied to find the
characteristics of the female and male major character in the novel. First, in order
to know the major character that support the analysis, theory of round and flat
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character are used to distinguish the two major character (Edna and Leonce
Pontellier) from the other character that is not fully develop in the novel, so that
the writer can determine the two major characters that will be analyzed. After
finding the two major characters, the theories of character and characterization
then are needed to reveal the characters of Edna and Leonce Pontellier.
Theory of patriarchy can be applied to analyze the forms of oppression
that Leonce did to Edna. This theory is needed to analyze the form of patriarchy in
society through Leonce‟s existence.
The last theory, feminism, is needed to reveal the woman‟s struggle
against patriarchy in the novel through the characters of Edna Pontellier. The form
of oppression that Leonce did to Edna is also needed to reveal the idea of
feminism, particularly the women struggle against patriarchy in her family and
marriages.
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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A.
Object of the Study
In this analysis, the writer chooses Kate Chopin‟s The Awakening as the
object of the research. The Awakening is presented in the form of novel. This
novel was written and first published in 1899 by Herbert S. Stone and Co. Even
though at the beginning of its existence, the novel was banned in many places
because it was seen as too frank and too bold work, but in the mid of 1900‟s until
now, finally the novel is considered as one of the best feminist literary work.
Though Chopin gets no winning prize at the novel, but this novel is assumed as
the contributor of the feminist movement.
The Awakening itself is a story about a couple of husband and wife, Mr.
and Mrs. Pontellier or Leonce and Edna Pontellier. Leonce loves Edna very much,
but Edna is actually does not feel the same. She misunderstands her feeling as a
love to Leonce that makes her agree to marry with him. There are always
problems in their household. Leonce as a husband is quite dominant and so Edna
becomes submissive.
In the middle of the story, Edna falls in love with Robert, the son of one of
her husband‟s friends. Only after it, Edna finally realizes her position in society.
By then, she found her freedom to rebel against her husband.
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In the novel, Chopin wants to emphasize the strong patriarchal culture in
1899. The setting and the character she made is adopted from the real society of
Lousiana-Creole in which she lived. Lousiana-Creole people were a free people of
color. The white people from France-because they wanted to expand their
population in the new world-married with African woman and having children
with them. Most of them were rich businessman or elite members of society and
they were an educated people. Louisiana-Creole people lived according to the
mannerisms and tradition of European society. They were very proud of their
tradition, music, and art. And these people liked to have gathering and to celebrate
party to know each other.
Lousiana-Creole people were very strict to the rule and there were of
course many rules that limited the work of women in the society. Because for
them the family was the most important issues in their life, mother or women
were put to be the housekeeper. They should fulfill their tasks to do the household
job, to care the children, and to please their husband in the house.
(http://www.loyno.edu/~kchopin/new/culture/creoles2.html)
With the presence of The Awakening and Edna as the main character,
Chopin wants to show the reader the Louisiana-Creole society and the women‟s
movement that emerged at that time. Chopin has a purpose by writing the novel
that is to echo women‟s voice in society through her novel, to express her feeling
because she becomes the part of society in Louisiana, and also to criticize the rule
of women in society.
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B.
19
Approach of The Study
In analyzing the problem formulation stated before, the writer uses
feminist approach because the research needs feminist perspective in order to get
the answer from the problem formulation. Here, the approach helps the writer to
analyze man‟s domination in the novel and the struggle of the woman character
toward man‟s authority. The approach also helps the writer to analyze the
woman‟s struggle against patriarchy in the novel through Edna‟s rebellion.
Edgar V. Roberts in Writing about Literature stated that feminist approach
sees that most of the literary work presents a masculine-patriarchal view in which
women is always be negated or minimized. The feminist‟s goal then to seek about
women‟s unique nature in literature so that women will not be negated any longer
(Roberts, 1995: 270).
The feminist agrees that society has been dominated by men. Women then,
find the equality by do some rebellion against men‟s domination. The feminist
approach is the best approach to do the analysis. The writer, based on the
approach, relates some feminist perspective that is the woman‟s struggle against
patriarchy with Edna‟s characterization.
C.
Method of The Study
This thesis is a library research. The writer read and used books and essays
which appropriated with the topic of the analysis. The writer also used some
sources from internet to get better understanding to the analysis.
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There were some steps that the writer used to do the research. First of all,
the writer selected the literary work discussed further. In this case, the writer
chose Kate Chopin‟s The Awakening as the object.
The second step, the writer tried to make a topic for the research that is a
woman‟s struggle against patriarchy in Kate Chopin‟s The Awakening.
The third step, the writer tried to find the appropriate approach for the
study. The approach that is suitable for the novel is feminist approach.
In the next step, the writer started to organize some problem formulation to
limit the scope of the study. There are three problem formulations that the writer
has decided to analyze.
After the writer formulated the problem and determined the approach for
the research, the fifth step the writer began to collect the theories and information
related to the analysis. The theories and sources from internet are needed to
answer the problem formulation in the analysis chapter.
The next step was the analysis part. The writer divided the analysis into
three parts. First, the writer gave a description of Edna and Leonce‟s character as
a husband and wife. Secondly, the writer showed the male dominations in the
novel. Thirdly, the writer analyzed the ideas of woman‟s struggle against
patriarchy through the characterization of Edna Pontellier.
The last step was the conclusion. In this part, the writer summed up all the
discussion in the analysis.
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CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
The analysis in this chapter is divided into three parts. The first part
discusses the characterization of the two major characters in the novel, Leonce
and Edna Pontellier. The next part discusses the forms oppressions done by
Leonce which reflect the patriarchal values in the novel. The last part discusses
the woman‟s struggle against patriarchy reflected by Edna Pontellier.
A.
The Characterization of Edna and Leonce Pontellier
There are two major characters in The Awakening, Edna and Leonce
Pontellier. Edna and Leonce are the main characters who develop the plot of the
story from beginning until the end. They are round and dynamic characters. This
is because their characteristic change and grow.
In the beginning of the story Edna is characterized as a submissive woman
and wife. She is a beautiful and 28 year old-wife of a New Orleans businessman,
Leonce Pontellier, who comes to New Orleans from her hometown, Kentucky,
America. After marrying Leonce, she lives in the middle of French-Creole
society. But even though she lives in that circumstance, she does not understand
well the French-Creole society because she does not have any interest of French.
Leonce Pontellier, on the other side, is described as Edna‟s husband. He is
characterized as a domineering man. Leonce is successful businessman in his
forty, and he is very proud of his Creole society and tradition.
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In the end of the story, their characters change. Edna becomes the
rebellious wife and mother whose struggle for her rights, while Leonce becomes
subdued.
In order to analyze the character of Edna and Leonce below, the writer
uses Roberts & Jacobs‟s theory of character to reveal the characterization of each
which later leads the writer to find the idea of woman‟s struggle against patriarchy
in Edna‟s characterization.
1.
Edna Pontellier as a Submissive Woman and Wife
In this chapter, the writer discusses Edna‟s character. Through beginning
of the story when the struggle against patriarchy is undone yet, Edna is described
as a passionless or submissive wife. This character comes because since her
childhood, she is indeed a shy and unconfident girl. She is better to look at herself
alone. She never lets anybody to enter her life.
Mrs. Pontellier was not a woman