THE VALUE OF FEMINISM IN DEALING WITH PATRIARCHAL VALUE AS SEEN IN JODI PICOULT’S PERFECT MATCH
THE VALUE OF FEMINISM IN DEALING WITH PATRIARCHAL VALUE AS SEEN IN JODI PICOULT’S PERFECT MATCH AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By Lucia Danik Triastuti
Student Number : 034214060
THE VALUE OF FEMINISM IN DEALING WITH PATRIARCHAL VALUE AS SEEN IN JODI PICOULT’S PERFECT MATCH AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By Lucia Danik Triastuti
Student Number : 034214060
They say that time changes things, but you actually
have to change them yourself.
≈ Andy Warhol ≈
God wrote an entire book for us to learn from,
to show how we should live,
a book filled with wisdom and hope.
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to My beloved parents
My self
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First of all, I would like to dedicate my very special gratitude and thankfulness to my only Savior, Jesus Christ for His blessing all this time.
I would like to thank Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S. M.Hum., my advisor, for giving me her precious time, patience, advice, guidance and encouragement that helped me to finish this thesis, and also for lending me books and laptop that are very helpful in writing this thesis. I would also say thank to my co advisor, Tatang Iskarna, S.S, M.Hum., for reading my thesis and giving advice for the improvement for this thesis. My gratitude also goes to my examiner, Paulus Sarwoto, S. S., M. A. and to all lecturers and staff in Sanata Dharma University for the guidance during my study.
I dedicate my thesis to my whole family, my beloved father in heaven,
Thomas Sutardi and my lovely mother, Christina Suyatmi for their
unconditional love. Thank you for giving me attention and support in my difficult time. My brother, Antonius Dandi, my sister, Rosa Danti and my sister in law, Fransisca Setyanti for their love, support and attention. I am lucky and grateful to have them all in my life.
My wonderful friends, Stella ‘Celia’ and Danang ‘Prammy’, thank you for the time and willingness to share everything with me. Thank you for being my listener and the place for my tears.
Nisa, Mia, Tari, Budi, thank you for the beautiful childhood.
My friends, Hopefully, our friendship will last forever.
Christian Endrojono, thank you for being my leader in doing great things. Thank you for the understanding that two people can look at the same thing and see it differently.
My best friends in English Letters Faculty, Tiara, Tika, Nitnot, Yohanes
Adi, Bayu, Hardiyanto K, Yeremia, Sunu, Mas Teguh, Mas Ditto and Mas
Jodi, thank you for support, comments and beautiful friendship that we had for
years.
Deon, Alfred and Noel, thank you for our night chats. Thank you for coloring my “artificial world”.
Thank you to my sweet sisters in Cepit, Mbak Janti and Riris, for support, prayer and great times we have spent together.
I would like to thank the entire person, who helped me in finishing this undergraduate thesis that I cannot mention one by one.
For all, thank you for being the part of my life.
LUCIA DANIK TRIASTUTI
ABSTRACT
LUCIA DANIK TRIASTUTI. The Value of Feminism Dealing With
Patriarchal Value as Seen in Jodi Picoult’s Perfect Match. Yogyakarta:
Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2008
This study concerns the modern novel of Jodi Picoult’s Perfect Match. The novel tells about Nina Frost as the representation of feminism value who lives in a family where patriarchal value exists. The aim of the study is to find out how the value of feminism is depicted through the main character, how the patriarchal value views the value of feminism and how the main character deals with the conflict as the result of two opposing points of view.
In analyzing the problem, the writer conducted a library research. The data was obtained from the novel itself, some review on the novel and other sources related to the novel. The approach used in analyzing the problem is feminist approach. The theories that are used in this thesis are theory of Character and Characterization, theory of Feminism, theory of Woman and Family, theory of Woman at Work and theory of Patriarchal Value.
The result of the study shows that 1) Nina Maurier Frost is a working mother who works as a prosecutor. She is described as bright and determined person. She has high self – confidence. Nina is also a self – assertive woman who courageously expresses her idea and opinion both in her family and workplace.
She searches the equality between man and woman. In the family, Nina sets the parental responsibility as both husband’s and wife’s responsibilities. In her workplace, she has equal position and duties with her male partners. She is independent both in financial aspect and in the way of making her own decision. 2) Patriarchal value in the novel is represented by Caleb Frost. Caleb considers that a woman is responsible for running the household. Woman should stay at home and do the domestic works. Caleb thinks that Nina’s work of being a prosecutor breaks the consideration that women are only responsible for the household. Caleb also blames Nina as the cause of their family’s problem. In Caleb’s opinion, Nina’s independence of financial aspect, independency in making decision and Nina’s way of thinking and expressing her thought are the cause of their suffering. 3) The conflict is clearly seen from the different points of view about woman’s roles and woman’s traditional stereotype. It is also seen in the way they face Nathaniel’s problem. Nina deals with her husband’s patriarchal value by showing that she is responsible for Nathaniel by solving the problem herself. She proves that Caleb’s accusation about her is wrong. Nina proves that she has ability to solve her family’s problem in her own way. As a woman with value of feminism, she is still a responsible mother for her child.
ABSTRAK
LUCIA DANIK TRIASTUTI. The Value of Feminism Dealing With
Patriarchal Value as Seen in Jodi Picoult’s Perfect Match. Yogyakarta: Jurusan
Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2008.Skripsi ini membahas novel modern berjudul Perfect Match karya Jodi Picoult. Novel tersebut bercerita tentang Nina Frost sebagai gambaran perempuan dengan semangat feminisme yang berada di keluarga yang memiliki pandangan patriarkal. Tujuan penulisan skripsi ini adalah untuk mengetahui bagaimana semangat feminisme digambarkan melalui karakter utama, bagaimana pandangan patriarkal terhadap feminisme tersebut dan bagaimana karakter utama mengahadapi masalah yang disebabkan oleh perbedaan pandangan tersebut.
Dalam analisa masalah, penulis menggunakan studi perpustakaan. Data diperoleh dari novel, tinjauan tentang novel tersebut dan sumber lain yang berkaitan dengan novel tersebut. Pendekatan yang digunakan adalah pendekatan feminis. Di samping itu, teori karakter dan karakteristik, teori feminis, teori tentang perempuan dan keluarga, teori tentang perempuan dalam pekerjaan dan teori tentang nilai patriarkal juga digunakan dalam penulisan skripsi.
Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa 1) Nina Frost, adalah seorang ibu yang bekerja sebagai jaksa. Dia digambarkan sebagai perempuan cerdas dan berpegang teguh pada keyakinannya. Dia memiliki kepercayaan diri yang besar. Dia adalah perempuan yang berani menyuarakan ide dan pendapatnya baik di keluarga maupun di tempat kerja. Dia mandiri dalam hal keuangan dan mampu mengambil keputusan sendiri. Nina mencari persamaan hak dan kewajiban antara laki – laki dan perempuan. Dia membuat tanggung jawab orang tua sebagai tanggung jawab suami dan istri. Di kantor, dia memiliki jabatan dan tanggung jawab yang sama dengan rekan kerja prianya. 2) Pandangan patriarkal dalam novel, tergambar dalam tokoh Caleb Frost. Caleb menganggap perempuan bertanggung jawab atas rumah tangga. Perempuan harus tinggal di rumah dan mengerjakan pekerjaan rumah tangga. Caleb menganggap pekerjan Nina menyalahi kodrat perempuan yang harus mengurus rumah tangga. Caleb menyalahkan Nina atas masalah yang dihadapi keluarga mereka. Menurut Caleb, kemandirian Nina dalam hal keuangan, pengambilan keputusan dan cara berpikir dan mengekspresikan pendapatnya adalah sumber penderitaan keluarga. 3) Masalah yang dihadapi terlihat dari perbedaan pandangan tentang sifat dan fungsi perempuan. Konflik tersebut juga muncul dalam perbedaan cara laki – laki dan perempun menyelesaikan masalah. Nina mengatasi konflik tersebut dengan bertanggung jawab menyelesaikan masalah Nathaniel dengan caranya sendiri. Dia membuktikan bahwa tuduhan Caleb terhadapnya adalah salah. Nina menunjukkan bahwa dia mampu menyelesaikan masalah dengan caranya sendiri. Sebagai
2 aware in facing problems in reality. E. M. Foster in his book Aspects of the Novel
and Related Writing shared:
We think one event occurs after or before another, the thought is often in our mind, and much of our talk and action proceeds on the assumption. Much of our talk and action, but not all; there seems something else in life beside time, something which may conveniently be called “value”… And what the entire novel does – if it is a good novel – is to include the life by values as well; using devices here after to be examined (1977: 19) There are so many social problems that are not easy to be solved but can be easily communicated through literature. One of the complicated problems in society is gender problem. Men and women are different in physique and emotion but they are created with equal rights and they were born with the same potentialities for achievement. But in social reality, women are conditioned to be dependent on men because they are considered as inferior. Ashley Montagu in
The Natural Superiority of Women stated that women have been conditioned to
believe that they are inferior to men, and they have assumed that what everyone believes is a fact of nature. Because man occupies the superior positions in almost all societies, such superiority is taken to be a natural one (1953: 23).
Feminism, that has been fought by women all over the world, may not be a hot topic nowadays, but the change made by its power and its effect still can be felt. Not a few of feminists think that, by creating new openings for women and by showing their ability to work, they contributed to the future improvement of woman’s position. Feminism has symbolized the power to show the world about women’s ability.
3 change in their life. The freedom to express their ideas and thoughts through literature, the freedom to enter any school to have higher education and the freedom to be the part of political activities are some of the feminism positive effects that women can feel. The other positive effect of feminism achieved is the freedom to have full day job with equal work and payment with men, without any differences between men and women.
But the problems always arise as the feminism goes by. The opposite of feminism is the traditional value in patriarchal society. Gerald Sutton in The
Failure of Feminism tries to describe the patriarchal point of view about
feminism. According to Sutton, feminism brings great change in the marriage.Feminism is a sickness that has damaged and hurt men and women in different ways and has damaged our marriages and social structure. If ever the devil was to find a way to keep people further from God, he could do it by turning men and women against each other. He waited for our modern day for his feminism plan to work though. Women cannot deny their need for a man internally, nor can men deny their need for a woman.
Marriage is essential to happiness for most people because most people desire a life long partner. The meaning of marriage gets big change brought by the value of feminism. The existence of feminism threats the consideration that men and women need each other. Men need women to support every single step he takes for their life. Men need women to be responsible for their household. Women also are very concerned about their needs. Women need men to fulfill their needs. Women also need men for the security.
In this undergraduate thesis, the writer would like to discuss about
4 character, Nina Frost. Then, the writer tries to find out the perspective of patriarchal value through Caleb Frost’s responses toward her wife’s feminist value. The last, the writer also tries to find out the way Nina Frost responses to the conflict as the result of the two opposing points of view.
A. Problem Formulation
There are three questions formulated in this study. They are as follows:
1. How is the value of feminism reflected through Nina Frost in the novel?
2. In what way does this novel portray the conflict between feminist value and patriarchal value?
3. How does Nina deal with the conflict? B.
Objective of the Study
The aim of the study is to find out the answer of the problems that are given in the problem formulation. The answer of the problems has to have goals to make a valuable contribution to the study of literature. Related to the real life of human beings, this study has purpose to find out the woman condition in the story.
To know how woman applies the values of feminism in everyday life and to understand how the values of feminism depicted through the character in the story. The shifting of feminist value is then taken as a proof that woman, as the
5 value. This study aims to focus on the perspective of the patriarchal value toward the feminism experienced by the female character. This study also reveals the way a feminist deals with difficult situation as the result of two opposing point of view.
C. Definition of Term
In order to understand about the subject matter of this undergraduate thesis, it is better to know the term of the subject matter.
1. Feminism In , the definition incorporates
The Dictionary of Feminist Theory
both a doctrine of equal rights for women (the organized movement to attain women’s rights) and an ideology of social transformation aiming to create a world for women beyond simple social equality. In general, feminism is the ideology of woman’s liberation since intrinsic in all its approaches is the belief that women suffer injustice because of our sex (Humm, 1989 : 94).
2. Patriarchy It is written in the book Foundation of Modern Sociology that patriarchy is male dominance over women and children indeed, equality
6 areas of life, such as the running of the household or (sometimes) work situations (Spencer, 1985 : 278).
3. Values According to Longman Dictionary of English Language and
Culture (1992: 1452) the word values means standards or principles, ideas
about the worth of importance of certain qualities, especially those generally accepted by a particular group.
8 what it is like to love unconditionally and to want to lay down their life to protect their own, but even if they have not got them, they will feel like they know what it is like to do so. She also said that Picoult has an extraordinary way of developing characters. The way they think, act and relate to each other seems so real.
Anne Hood shared that like every Jodi Picoult novel, Perfect Match absolutely grabs the readers from the very first page with Nina's shooting of the priest in court. This is formula writing that Jodi Picoult does so very well. Writing about the character’s struggle and her feelings that range from vengeance to guilt to sorrow and everyplace in between is a trademark of Picoult's fiction. She specializes in taking morally confusing question, then running with the exploration of that question. It must be said that sometimes she runs too far, forcing the reader to doubt the implausible turn of events. Still, even when that happens, there is no denying that she writes compelling courtroom dramas that test our notions of right and wrong. Sometimes this strength actually turns into a weakness. Almost all of her novels do not seem naturally happen. They are in a certain concept of writer’s thought.
Oddly, for all the gradations of morality that Picoult explores, her characters' code is often simplistic. For that reason, perhaps, Picoult's novels can feel a bit formulaic. What isn’t formulaic is Picoult's honest and emotional portrayal of motherhood, and the one she presents in
Perfect Match is no exception (Hood, 2002).
She also has the same opinion with Narayan Radhakrishnan that this novel is a suspenseful legal thriller that thoughtfully explores the justice system as it relates to child sex offenders. Nina Frost has the pain of guilt that is familiar to all
9 From the criticism and opinions given, the writer is motivated to investigate this thesis based on the review of feminism issues. The writer is trying to identify the existence of feminist’s value, the perspective of the patriarchal value on feminism and the way a feminist deals with the conflict of the opposing values, feminism value and patriarchal point of view in a family.
B. Review of Related Theories 1. Theory of Character and Characterization
Holman and Harmon defined characterization as the creation of imaginary persons. The characters are created imaginatively, but they have to be seen real, therefore they exist for the reader or audiences as lifelike (1986 : 45).
Roberts and Jacobs in their book An Introduction to Reading and Writing state that in literature generally, in fiction specifically, character is an extended verbal representation of a human being, the inner self that determines thought, speech and behavior. A character is then a person in a literary work (1987 : 50).
It is stated in Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, that a character may be defined as a person that appears in the story. Mostly, the character is recognized by their human personalities. If the story seems true and life, it is found that its character act in a reasonably consistent manner and that the author has provided them with motivation: sufficient reason to act like they do (Kennedy and Gioia, 1999 : 60-61).
10 works must pay attention to. Dialogues, in fact, serve several purposes in a novel. They must advance the story, the plot and the action. They must also express characters. Furthermore, the main function of dialogues is to advance plot and reveal the characters. Through the observation on the dialogues, the readers may learn what kind of persons the characters are (1969: 171-172).
There are four fundamental methods of characterization: (1) the explicit presentation by the author of the character through direct exposition, either in an introductory block or more often piecemeal throughout the work, illustrated by action; (2) the presentation of the character in action, with little or no explicit comment by the author, in the expectation that the reader can deduce the attributes of the actor from the actions, and (3) the representation from within a character, without comment by the author of the impact of actions and emotions on the character’s inner self. Regardless of the method by which a character is presented, the author may concentrate on a dominant trait to the exclusion of other aspects of personality, or the author may attempt to present a fully rounded creation. (4) The last is what the author says about them as observer. Usually, what the author says about the characters can be accepted as accurate. The author assumes the role of a reader or critic and any opinions may be either right or wrong (Roberts and Jacobs, 1987:147-148).
11 movement and the cause of women oppression. It is a social theory and political movement primarily informed and motivated by the experience of women. While generally providing a critique of social relations, many proponents of feminism also focus on analyzing gender inequality and the promotion of women's rights, interests, and issues. Feminism believes that women’s and men’s position in society are the result of social, not natural or biological factors. In general, feminism is an ideology of women liberation because every approach to the theory believes that women are oppressed because of their sex (Humm, 2002 : 158).
It is stated in the book Feminist Theory and Literary Practice that feminist movement is conducted because in the nineteenth century, women in America are unable to vote, and after marriage have no control of her property (2003 : 3). At that time, women are forbidden to vote, prohibited from attending college and barred from many trades and vocations. Married women are unable to sue, divorce or own property. This movement leads to the so – called “first wave” of American feminism. It begins in the 1840s marked by the first Women’s Rights Conventions held in Seneca Falls in 1848.
“What woman needs is not as a woman to act or rule, but as a nature to grow, as an intellect to discern, as a soul to live freely and unimpeded, to unfold such powers as were given her when we left our common home” (2000 : 5).
The second wave of American feminism emerges in the early 1960s and focuses upon an indictment of male sexism and the domestic oppression of
12 women’s consciousness of gender oppression and political issues of that oppression are the central to the efforts of early second wave feminism (2000 : 9).
In 1920s, the American media publicizes the American new woman. She is young, educated, independent and career – oriented, although she might marry and have children later in her twenties (Hughes, 1997 : 267 – 268).
Madhavi Sunder writes in Introduction : Feminism in the Power/Knowledge
Age that American feminists in twenty first century imagine equality as the equal
right to exercise the liberty to produce new knowledge of the world. They calls upon to answer some of the most profound conflicts – resolving constitutional conflicts between religion and rights, confronting cultural difference, ending female poverty, eradicating violence against women, and facilitating women’s right to make the world. In step with an increasingly integrated global economy, women need to have higher education to oppose dictatorships and totalitarian movements that crush the liberty and rights of people, especially women and girls. They would be wise to abandon multicultural relativism and instead uphold a universal standard of human rights. Twenty-first-century feminists need to reassess the global threats to women and men and liberate humanity from all
, forms of tyranny and slavery (Chesler & Hughes 2006).
Discussing about feminism, the ideas and goals of feminism can be explained in the following explanation. Feminism deals with equals rights for women and in a way to create a world for women beyond social equality. All
13 Stanton’s Declaration of Sentiments in Madsen’s Feminist Theory and Literary
Practice ,
We hold these truths to be self – evident: that all men and women are created equal… The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object, the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her… He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the effective franchise… He has made her, if married, in the eyes of the law, civilly dead (2000: 6).
Men and women should have equal rights because in front of God, there is no difference. This means that women should have the equal rights and duties that men have, as well as the opportunities.
This equality includes the equality of women’s opportunity of career. Feminism demands for the woman equality of education and equal access to professions. A woman should have an equal role with man in achieving her satisfaction through her abilities. Woman, as well as man, has the right to live an independent life. The right of a woman is to do something to fulfill the functions for which she is fitted and to earn a living.
According to Henry A. Bowman, in the book Marriage for Moderns, there are several reasons why woman seeks the work outside the house. The possible reasons are to escape homemaking duties, to do what she can do the best, to seek self – expressions, to escape boredom, to escape the care of children that is an acceptable excuse to have no children, to work with the husband in his business or professions, to prevent stagnation of personal growth and development, to escape the marriage dissatisfaction and to be independent, especially financially (1954:
14 Human beings have the right to live, work and liberty. Women, as men, have their own freedom and rights of doing anything they want. Women are no longer put up of being dependent on men. Charles Poisson’s in Leclerecq’s book stated,
The woman has, quite as well as the man, a right to life, work and liberty. The man has been lord and master long enough; the woman has all too long been a bondwoman in the household. The woman can no longer put up with being dependent, with being treated as a minor, with being supported and maintained. We claim to be human beings like the men; responsible, autonomous, able to decide what we wish to do with our activity (1942: 323).
Woman was born free and remains equal with man in rights. There is no differentiation between sexes. The aim of feminism is the preservation of the natural rights on liberty, security and especially resistance to oppression.
Woman’s first right is to be a woman. She does not seek the means of developing herself in imitation of the man. Georges Renard in Leclerecq’s
Marriage and the Family shared,
A rational and considered effort to take a thorough sounding of the nature of woman, with respect both to what she has in common with all human nature and to what differentiates her from other sex; to appraise with greater accuracy the scope and extent of her powers; to adjust her energies in a more efficient manner to the opportunities of time and place; in short, to allow the woman to realize more fully the potentialities of her human nature to be sure, but also of her femininity, without arbitrary shackles or artificial inducement to depart from it (1942: 331).
Both, man and woman are having equal dignity. They are under the same personal obligation to devote themselves in his or her place. Woman has the same duty as man to live a useful life.
15 criticism is applicable. Feminist literary theory is frequently explained in terms of how theorists deal with the concepts of woman or the feminine. Feminism brings the idea of woman’s release from the oppression and injustice caused by their sex. Feminism in literature and criticism according to A Handbook to Literature is a general position but not necessarily confined to women. It has to do with advocacy and encouragements of equal rights and opportunities for the women – politically, socially, psychologically, personally and aesthetically (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 201).
The family is a human institution that requires language, planning, cooperation, self-control, foresight, and cultural learning, and probably developed along these. Since man lives in society, the family as an institution of nature spontaneously arises. Gough in the book Women: A Feminist Perspective shared that the definition of family is:
A married couple or other group of adult kinfolk who cooperate economically and in the upbringing of children, and all or most of whom share a common dwelling (Freeman, 1984 : 83). In the same book, there is stated that the family implies several other universal rules that bring us to the understanding of woman in family. They are
(1) rules forbid sexual relation and marriage between close relatives. Which relatives are forbidden varies, but all [known] societies forbid mother-son mating,
16 hunting and government, by men; (3) marriage exists as a socially recognized, durable, although not necessarily lifelong relationship between individual men and women and (4) men in general have higher status and authority over the women of their families, although older women may have influence, even some authorities, over junior men.
Every human being has exactly the same right to the unfolding of his personality, and to seek after his perfection and his happiness. Women have been subordinate to men in certain key areas of status, mobility, and public leadership. Jacques Leclerecq and Hanley in the book Marriage and the Family shared that the woman’s development, her happiness, her perfection, her glory lies in her woman’s nature. Her nature places her at a disadvantage, society and in particular the institution of marriage will have to be so organized as to protect the woman against possible injustice at the hands of the man. Woman must accept her nature (1942: 297).
In Hoffnung’s writing in Women: A Feminist Perspective, it is said the motherhood has four aspects. The first is the ultimate fulfillment as a woman is achieved by becoming a mother. Second, the work assigned to mothers such as caring for child, home and husband, fits together in a non contradictory manner.
Third, a woman, in order to be a good mother, must like being a mother and all the work that goes with it. The last is a woman’s intense, exclusive devotion to mothering is good for her children (Freeman, 1984: 128). Woman cannot be
17 As the social life changes, women see their position in the family in a different way. In the case of work, feminist thinking about families and modern transformations in family and household life have forced some rethinking of their role in family. Nowadays, women think that combination of homemaking and child care is a full time job, but it carried none of the economic benefits that employment outside home provided. Besides the domestic work, they have some aspects of their life in the case of self – satisfaction as Michele Hoffnung stated in the book Women : A Feminist Perspectives.
Yet mothering within the narrow definition conflicts with other important aspects of women’s lives – productive work, companionate marriage, economic independence. Mothering is done at home, outside the world of achievement, power and money (Freeman, 1984 : 124).
They want to get their self – satisfaction that will be fulfilled by expressing their ability in working area outside home.
Like the man, the woman is a human person, with all the dignity of a human being. But she is a human person in another manner than the man. She has, therefore, the same rights as the man to unfold her personality, the same right to seek her perfection. The woman not only has an equal right with the man to the full development of her being, she has an equal right to develop herself in a different way. Employment is a permanent condition within which she, like her male counterpart, seeks not only income but psychological satisfaction as well.
18 Some women want careers because of their interest in the work or activity involved, or because of their desire to maintain “freedom” and independence, to have an independent income, to gain support if for one of the reasons of marriage is avoided or is not achieved, to find “self- expression” (1954: 73). The other reasons why women seek careers are to escape boredom, to prove that they can do the work involved and to avoid housework.
For centuries before the Industrial Revolution, married women worked hard on farms and in home industries while bearing and caring for their large families. As the time goes by, with the growth of modern industry and large cities, young women continued to work as wage earners. Since the beginning of twentieth century and especially since World War Two, the situation had been changing dramatically. The opportunities for women to have full time work increased. Moreover, motherhood took less and less time, so that the home- centered work and child care decreased. Nevertheless, it seems clear that the raising employment of married woman is a powerful force in the drive for woman’s equality and emancipation.
A young college – educated woman has a world open to her that is strikingly different from women have encountered a generation earlier. If they work outside the home, it might have been as a secretary, a salesclerk, a nurse or a teacher, Even then, they are likely to stop work when they get married and have children.
The young woman of 1990s, on the other hand, could go to law school or get a master’s degree in business administration. She might enter a large corporate firm
19 brightest young man. If she gets married and has children, she still continued to pursue her career (Chafe, 1998 : 124).
Women believe that men and women have the same type of productive work as written by Francine D. Blau in the book Women : A Feminist
Perspectives .
Women and men have traditionally engaged in three types of economically productive work. First, they have produced goods and services for their family’s own consumption; second, they have engaged in household production of goods for sale or exchange on the market; third they have worked for pay outside the home (1984 : 297). In the same book, Evelyn Nakano Glenn and Roslyn L. Feldberg stated that the feminist think that women are also committed to work. They find that working has meaning in three areas. First, work provides opportunities to form and maintain social connections. Second, it gives direction and purpose to their lives by structuring their time and getting them involved in useful activity outside home. Third, for some women particularly married women with children, working provides an identity separate from their family roles (1984 : 329).
The patriarchal value in this study is related to the concept of gender where human beings are differentiated by their gender, masculine and feminine.
The people who believe in this idea has aim to resist their position in the patriarchal society. They want to be powerful and be the leader in the society.
20 among women that they were naturally better suited to ‘domestic’ roles (Pilcher & Whelehan, 2004 : 56). Linda Brannon said in her book Gender, Psychological Perspectives that in America, before the first feminist makes a movement, there are two traditional values that define the stereotype of women at that time. Those values are formulated in two beliefs, The Doctrine of Two Spheres and The Cult of True Womanhood. Those two beliefs arise because of the consideration that men have duties in business and industrial work, while the women are placed at home.
As men coped with the harsh business and industrial world, women were left in the relatively unvarying and sheltered environments of their homes. These changes produced two beliefs : the Doctrine of Two Spheres and the Cult of True Womanhood (1996 : 169).
The Doctrine of Two Spheres forms the basis for the description of male and female interest and activities. It is about the belief that women’s and men’s interests are different.
For women, the influence is home and children, whereas men’s sphere incudes work and the outside world (1996 : 169). Women and men have separate areas of influence. As said before that men deal with the world outside home including working in full time job to earn money for their family, while the women influence area is at home. What they do are for the family necessities.
The Cult of True Womanhood gives the different view point of women. Here, the discussion some virtues women have.
According to Barbara Welter (1978), who discussed the raise of the Cult
21 virtues – piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity (Brannon, 1996 : 169). Women are conceptualized to be religious and pure. They are also supposed to be weak, dependent, timid, passive, refined and delicate. Their job are inside the house, making home, having children and taking care of the family. The idealization of women has the implication for men as well. Men are considered as active, independent, coarse, and strong. Women were put in the center of the domestic sphere, and were expected to be a calm and nurturing mother, a loving and faithful wife, to be passive and delicate creature.
The patriarch, typically a societal elder, has legitimate power over younger men, women and children. Walby identifies six structures of patriarchy in which men dominate, oppress and exploit women on her theory of patriarchy written in
Fifty Keys Concepts in Gender Studies . Those are in household production, paid
work, the state, male violence, sexuality and culture (Pilcher and Whelehan, 2004 : 95).
Overall, the patriarchal value in the society sees women as people who run the household and do the domestic activities. The tasks of the women are cleaning the house, nursing the sick, preparing food for the family, caring the children and the other activities done inside the house.
In many cultures, domestic activities include preparation and consumption of food; cleaning, grooming, teaching, and disciplining the young; sleeping; and adult sexual intercourse (Harris & Johnson, 2000 : 120).
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In the analysis, the writer uses some theories. The two theories, the theory of character and characterization and theory of feminism are applied to answer the first question. They are used to find out the ideas of feminism depicted through the character of Nina Frost as working mother. It is important in the analysis because by knowing Nina’s characteristics, the writer can see the values of feminism.
The theory of woman at work is also useful to find the answer of the first question. Her work takes an important role on her life. Nina Frost, as a professional career woman, wants to show her ability by working in the man’s world and doing what a man does in his work. By knowing the attitude of woman at work, it will be easier to understand Nina’s value of feminism.
The theory of woman and family is used to answer the second and third question. The family is an important thing in Nina’s life in the story. Family is also the first reason why some people try to hold the patriarchal value in their life. This theory supports the analysis of the patriarchal value’s perspective on feminism in family. It also supports the deal Nina Frost takes in her life.
The last is the theory of patriarchal value. It is used to answer the second and third question. By knowing the idea of patriarchal value in society, it is also easier to know the response toward the feminism appeared in Nina’s character. The perspective of patriarchal value on viewing the feminism is important to the
23 The five theories help the writer to analyze the feminism depicted through the female character in the novel, the response of patriarchal value toward the feminism in a family and the deal Nina Frost made to go out from the difficult situation she experienced. It also helps the writer to get the conclusion of the analysis.
24 woman with the value of feminism, she proves that Caleb’s accusation is not true. Nina ignites a battle that may cause her to lose the very thing she is fighting for.
Literature in general does contain much information of facts dealing with customs, beliefs or events of the past that the readers do not know. It can be said that for an understanding of the meaning of literature can come only from a study of literature itself. A literary approach is needed in order to analyze a literary work so that a good analysis can be produced. Rohrberger said in the book
Reading and Writing about Literature, that approach gives a significant influence
and best guide to the appreciation of a particular work of literature. An approach has its proper insight to give, and part of the task of the critic and the reader of literature is to find the approach or approaches that will best lead to a just appreciation of a particular work (1971: 15).
By reading some references which support the analysis of Jodi Picoult’s work, the writer tried to apply feminist values as an approach to have an analysis.
Since the story is about woman and her struggle to resist the equality of rights and opportunities in the society, and also discuss the four goals of feminism, it is more appropriate to approach it through the feminist values.
By using this approach and some theories on feminism, the values of feminism, the perspective of patriarchal value and the way a feminist solving
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C. Method of Study
In writing the analysis, the writer uses the library research which means the research conducted is based on book research. There are a lot of books help the writer doing the writing analysis. As the first step, the writer used the feminism as an approach to perform the analysis of the study. Getting help from some primary and secondary data, the writer tried to answer the first problem by showing the ideas of feminist’s value through the main character, Nina Frost.
Then, to find the answer of the second problem, the writer focused on the perspective of the traditional value on viewing the feminism in the family. The writer tried to analyze the way the traditional value views the value of feminism reflected through Nina Frost. Then, to find the final conclusion, the writer focused on the way Nina Frost deals with the conflict between two opposing view points.
The analysis written in this paper was mainly done by observing and analyzing the feminism revealed through Nina Frost’s character. Then, the writer decided to choose the most appropriate theories that are relevant to the topic to support the judgment on the feminism and the patriarchal value. After finishing the analysis, the last step is drawing a conclusion about the study.
28 having of a professional career and a happy family. Therefore, Nina decides to be a working mother. She believes that she can divide her time to do her two different duties. She moves fast through her own life, both in her work world and in her family life.
Nina’s value of feminism is seen from the beginning of the story. Nina is described as a determined person. She has the authority to choose her own way of living. It is told that before getting married, Nina has her own dream about what kind of woman she wants to be. Her choice of choosing her field of education and job is the way she expresses her ability of being independent. Before she reaches her position as an assistant district attorney, Nina believes that she can save the world. She believes that with her ability, she can be a professional prosecutor who will clean the state from crimes, as she says:
At one point in my life, I had wanted to save the world. I’d listened, dewy
- – eyed, to law school professors and truly believed that as a prosecutor, I had a chance to rid the planet of evil (p.177). The only way to reach her dream about saving the world from crimes is by entering a law school and being a prosecutor in state court. To achieve her dreams, she should earn money to pay her school fee. She is not dependent on her parents to pay it. She earns money while she is studying at law school. It can be seen in the following statement.
But I worked in the gifts – wrapping department of Filene’s to put myself to law school, and it works (p. 7). Studying at law school, paying her school fee by herself and being a
29 Nina is a bright woman. Her brightness can be seen from how she proves that she is a very successful student at law study and is able to get her degree as an assistant district attorney. Nina shows that she achieves her dream to work at law field, a work place where the work is dominated by men. She reaches her dream to study law with the other men as well. She wants to let the world see that a woman can have an equal education with men. It is shown in the following extract that Nina proudly introduces herself. “Hello, I’m Nina Frost, assistant district attorney. But I also am Nathaniel’s mother” (p. 10).