THE REFLECTION OF TWENTIETH CENTURY AMERICAN WOMEN AS SEEN IN GAIL PARENT’S SHEILA LEVINE IS DEAD AND LIVING IN NEW YORK
THE REFLECTION OF TWENTIETH CENTURY AMERICAN
WOMEN AS SEEN IN GAIL PARENT’S SHEILA LEVINE IS
DEAD AND LIVING IN NEW YORK
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
SITI SULASMI
Student Number: 024214103
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
THE REFLECTION OF TWENTIETH CENTURY AMERICAN
WOMEN AS SEEN IN GAIL PARENT’S SHEILA LEVINE IS
DEAD AND LIVING IN NEW YORK
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
SITI SULASMI
Student Number: 024214103
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
“
I TRUST THAT
EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR
A REASON EVEN WHEN
WE’'RE NOT WISE ENOUGH
TO SEE IT”
(OPRAH WINFREY)
FOR: JESUS CHRIST MY BELOVED MOTHER
MY BELOVED FATHER IN HEAVEN
MY LOVELY SISTERS MY CHEERFULL NEPHEW
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my greatest gratitude to my creator, Jesus Christ for his blessing, and giving me strength in accomplishing this thesis. I would be nothing without his blessing and guidance.
I would like to give my deepest gratitude to my advisor, Dra. A. B. Sri Mulyani, M. A. who has spent her time to guide me to finish this thesis. My special thanks go to my co-advisor, Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka M. Hum., for giving me some suggestions, and critical corrections for the betterment of this thesis. I also give my special thank to my beloved father in heaven, Bapak Palyadi, whom I know that you are always beside me when I am down; my mother, Ibu Warsilah, who always gives her affection, support, and prayer for me; my sisters, Witri and Bibin, for the attention, love, pray, and support in the completion my study; and my nephew, Reinandra Arriel, for cheering me up everyday. To Lek Sunar, Ndari, and Jarot thank you for your kindness and generosity.
I thank my friends in English Letters Department: Nunung, Alfina, Lia, and all other friends in English Letters 2002 for the friendship and memories we have shared together. I also thank Fitri, Wastu, Sari, Dewi, and Niken for sharing many wonderful times and laughter together that have been colouring my life. Thanks girls.
Siti Sulasmi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3. Relation between Literature and Society…………...............................11 C. Review on the Characteristics and Lifestyles of the Twentieth
c. Possessing the Traditional Qualities of Women…………………..34
b. Free to Look for Their Own Interest……………………………...29
1. The Characteristic of Sheila Levine and Linda Minsk Described in Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York……….........................26 a. Willing to Develop Themselves as Independent Women................26
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY………………………………………..……...22
A. Object of the Study………………………………………………………22 B. Approach of the Study…………………………………………………...23 C. Method of the Study……………………………………………………..24CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS………………………………………………………..26
A. The Characteristics and Lifestyles of Sheila Levine and Linda Minsk Described in Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York….…26Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………..21
Century American Women…………………………………………………..12 D.
2. Theory of Setting…………………………………………...................10
TITLE PAGE …………………………………………………………………………i APPROVAL PAGE ………………………………………………………………...ii
1. Theory of Character and Characterization………….……………..........8
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………...1
A. Background of the Study…………………………………………..……...1 B. Problem Formulation……………………………………………..……….5 C. Objectives of the Study……………………………………...…………....5CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW………………………….………….…6
A. Review of Related Studies…………………………….……………..……6 B. Review of Related Theories…………………………………………….....8ABSTRAK………………………………………………………………………........x
TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………...….vii ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………...……..ix
DEDICATION PAGE…………………………………………………….…….……v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………...…………………………….….…vi
ACCEPTANCE PAGE …………………………………………………………...…iii MOTTO PAGE……………………………………...………………………….……iv
d. Thinking Mainly of Herself…….………………………………....37
2. The Lifestyles of Sheila Levine and Linda Minsk Described in
Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York ……...……………..…....41
a. Delaying and Avoiding Marriage………………………………....41
b. Premarital Sexual Intercourse……………………………………..45
c. Taking Occupation Related With Traditional Qualities of Women…………………………………………………...…………..50
d. Getting Higher Education………………………………………....52
e. Reading Books, Shopping, Vacation as Leisure Activities…….....55
B. The Relationship between the Characteristics and Lifestyles of the Two Female Characters to the Characteristics and the Lifestyles of Twentieth Century American Women:
A Reflection…………………….………………………………..……….60
1. Reflection of the Twentieth Century American Women’s Characteristics in the Novel………………....……………….....……..…61
a. Willing to Develop Themselves as Independent Person…….….…61
b. Free to look for Their Own Interest………………….…….……...64
c. Possessing the Traditional Qualities of Women……………….......70
2. Reflection of The Twentieth Century American Women’s Lifestyles in the Novel……………………….………………….…….....71
a. Reflection on Delaying and Avoiding Marriage………………..... 71
b. Reflection on Premarital Sexual Intercourse……………………...73
c. Reflection on Occupation Related With the Traditional Qualities of Women……………………………....……………………………74 d. Reflection on Higher Education………………………………......75
e. Reflection on Reading Books, Shopping and Vacation as Leisure Activities …………………………………....................……76
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION……………………………………………………78
BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………….…….81APPENDIX………………………………………………………………………….84
Summary of Gail Parent’s Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York …………………...………………………………………..……….84
ABSTRACT
Siti Sulasmi (2007). The Reflection of Twentieth Century American Women as
Seen in Gail Parent’s Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York. Yogyakarta:
Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.This study is focused on Gail Parent’s Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in
New York . The author of this work presented the way of American women in going
through their life. Through its two female characters, the work portrays the characteristics and the lifestyles of twentieth century American women.
In this study, the writer has two main problems to be discussed. The first problem is to find out the characteristics and lifestyles of Sheila Levine and Linda Minsk described in Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York. The second problem is how the characteristics and the lifestyles of the main character and the minor character in Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York portray characteristics and lifestyles of the twentieth century American women.
A library research method was conducted in this study. Besides using Sheila
Levine Is Dead and Living in New York as the primary source, the writer uses the
secondary sources taken from some books and websites dealing with the study and supporting analysis of the novel. Some sources were A Handbook to literature by C. Holman and William Harmon (1986), Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to
English Poetry and English Novel by M. J. Murphy (1972) and Theory of Literature
(1956) by Renne Wallek and Austin Warren. Then, the writer also uses the review on the characteristics and lifestyles of twentieth century American women as another source to support this study.
The result of this study shows that the lifestyles of two female characters in the novel which consist of delaying and avoiding marriage, engaging in premarital sexual intercourse, taking occupation related with the traditional qualities of women, getting higher education and reading books, shopping and vacation as leisure activities are very much the same with the lifestyles of the twentieth century American women. Those lifestyles are seen from the characteristics of the twentieth century American women, which are the willingness to develop themselves as independent persons, the freedom to look for their own interest, and possessing the traditional qualities of women. The willingness to develop themselves as independent women leads them to delay and avoid marriage, take their own occupation, and get higher education. While engaging in premarital sexual intercourse and reading books, shopping and vacation as leisure activities are influenced by the freedom to look for their own interest. Meanwhile, women also posses the traditional qualities of women which affects on the choice of job they take.
ABSTRAK
Siti Sulasmi (2007). The Reflection of Twentieth Century American Women as
Seen in Gail Parent’s Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York. Yogyakarta:
Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.Penelitian ini difokuskan pada Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York karya Gail Parent. Pengarang dalam karya sastra ini menyajikan cara hidup wanita Amerika dalam menjalani kehidupan sehari-hari. Penggambaran tentang karakteristik dan gaya hidup dari wanita Amerika pada abad keduapuluh dilihat melalui dua karakter wanita dalam karya sastra tersebut
Pada penelitian ini, penulis mengetengahkan dua permasalahan. Permasalahan yang pertama adalah apa saja karakteristik dan gaya hidup dari Sheila Levine dan Linda Minsk dalam Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York. Permasalahan yang kedua adalah bagaimana karakteristik dan gaya hidup dari kedua karakter wanita dalam karya sastra tersebut menggambarkan karakteristik dan gaya hidup dari wanita Amerika pada abad keduapuluh.
Studi pustaka digunakan dalam studi ini. Disamping menggunakan Sheila
Levine is Dead and Living in New York sebagai sumber utama, penulis menggunakan
sumber sekunder yang dimbil dari beberapa buku dan situs internet yang berhubungan dengan studi ini dan mendukung analisis novel. Beberapa sumber tersebut adalah A Handbook to literature oleh C. Holman and William Harmon (1986), Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and English Novel oleh M. J. Murphy (1972) dan Theory of Literature (1956) oleh Renne Wallek dan Austin Warren. Disamping itu, penulis juga menggunakan tinjauan karakteristik dan gaya hidup wanita Amerika pada abad keduapuluh sebagai sumber lain yang mendukung analisis dalam studi ini.
Hasil dari penelitian ini adalah bahwa gaya hidup kedua karakter wanita dalam novel, yaitu menunda dan menghindari pernikahan, hubungan seksual diluar pernikahan, pekerjaan yang berhubungan dengan kualitas dasar sebagai wanita, pendidikan yang lebih tinggi, dan kegiatan membaca buku, dan rekreasi sebagai kegiatan mengisi waktu luang, sama dengan gaya hidup wanita Amerika pada abad keduapuluh. Gaya hidup ini dilihat dari karakteristik wanita Amerika pada abad keduapuluh, yaitu kemampuan wanita dalam mengembangkan diri sebagai manusia yang mandiri, kebebasan mencari hal yang mereka minati, dan memiliki kualitas tradisional wanita. Kemampuan wanita dalam mengembangkan diri sebagai manusia yang mandiri membawa mereka untuk menunda dan menghindari pernikahan, mempunyai pekerjaan sendiri, dan memperoleh pendidikan yang lebih tinggi. Sedangkan hubungan seksual diluar pernikahan dan kegiatan membaca buku, dan rekreasi sebagai kegiatan mengisi waktu luang dipengaruhi oleh kebebasan mencari hal yang mereka minati. Sementara itu, wanita juga memiliki kualitas tradisional yang
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study As time goes by, society’s views toward marriage have changed. In the last
centuries, many people believed that the true and most important role of women in society were to get married and have children. In marriage, they were expected to do the housework, care for the children, cook the meals, and also follow the lead of the husband and respect him. Not all of those roles are there among women in the twentieth century. Marriage and having children were not priority in women’s life. Women in the twentieth century had to “combine between kindness and affection with new found feminine traits like independence and assertiveness” (Rice, 1997:358).
Feminist movement happened in America during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries influenced the changes of American women. This movement, which was aimed to achieve an equal right with men, brought several social economic changes benefiting women. American women in the twentieth century become better educated and make progress in establishing occupational and economic independence. The opportunity for American women to make improvement in life was opened more widely in the twentieth century. In addition, women were also seen as individual who had many choices in life.
The general condition that happened in America during the twentieth century also influenced the life of American women. During that time, there were expansion on industrialization and technology. The opportunity to join the labor force was opened more widely for American people, including the women. This affected the financial fulfillment for women. Women became financially fulfilled and were allowed to do many activities to please them. Women also did not need to enter marriage in order to be happy and financially fulfilled since marriage in the last centuries was aimed to give financial support and social identity for women.
th
The characteristics of American women in 20 century can be used to expand the vision and knowledge of other people who do not belong to that group. The record of the characteristics of American single women in twentieth century can be found in many media, one of those media is literary work.
Since Wellek and Warren have stated in Theory of Literature that “literature represents life and life is a social reality” (1956: 94), the readers may find out how the story in the literary work reflects the real condition of society. Either many or just a little, the characteristics of the real life are put into literature. Then, the reflection can be used as a social record of human being.
Next, the reader may understand that through his or her work, an author wants to deliver such awareness of specific social situations. The author is able to criticize the life itself, to reveal his or her idea about life, and to picture some events in the real life in society. In other words, the readers may get the social criticism that an author
One genre of literary work that can be seen as the reflection of real life is chick lit novel. “A chick lit author takes a woman character and puts them through a series of mostly realistic ordeals that many women in society can relate an artist is able to create various characters experiencing usual life problems, such as love, marriage, relationship, and weight issue, that many women in reality have experienced by themselves.
In this thesis, the writer is interested in analyzing a chick lit novel entitled
Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York by Gail Parent. The writer chooses
Gail Parent with that novel because Gail Parent is one of the women writers who has experience living in America in twentieth century; therefore this novel more or less reflects one of the aspects that exist in American society in the twentieth century, which is the life of women. Besides, this novel is interesting to discuss since Sheila
Levine Is Dead and Living in New York was Gail Parent’s first novel that was
published among the first chick lit novel. This novel was written in 1972 and become a bestseller novel. Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York presents funny moment that is mixed with the bitterness in life.
Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York is a suicide note of American
woman in the twentieth century who does not marry in her thirty years old. This novel tells about women who have to face many problems during their single life. As being single, the main character, who is Sheila Levine and the minor character, Linda characteristics. By paying attention to the characteristics of the main and minor character in the novel, the reader can get knowledge about the life of American women in the twentieth century.
In this thesis, the writer will analyze Sheila Levine and Linda Minsk’s characteristics and lifestyles as the reflection of American women in the twentieth century. The broad range of time from the beginning until the end of twentieth century allows many changes happened among American women in that century. The characteristics and lifestyles discussed here are the generalization of American women’s characteristics and lifestyles done during that range of time. During this century, many American women decided to avoid or delay marriage. These women were more open to new experience and they are also freer to absorb anything going on around them so that they can turn on to life as never before. They were also free to choose and decide the types of work, place to live, and friends. Moreover, women in America in the twentieth century were free to choose every activity to please themselves and to arrange their own life. They also had freedom on sexuality. These women spent their free time in many pleasing activities such as shopping, reading books, and traveling.
From the explanation above, it can be seen that this study is going to see the reflection of the twentieth century American women’s characteristics from the depiction of the main and minor character in Gail Parent’s Sheila Levine Is Dead and
Living in New York . The characteristics then can show the lifestyles of the main and minor character, which also reveals the characteristics and lifestyles of American women in that era.
B. Problem Formulation
Based on the background of the study above, the writer formulates three research problems that can be used to lead this study about the reflection of American women in the twentieth century seen in Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New
York . The questions are formulated as follows: 1.
What are the characteristics and lifestyles of Sheila Levine and Linda Minsk described in Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York? 2. How do the characteristics and lifestyles of the main character and the minor character in Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York reflect the characteristics and lifestyles of the twentieth century American women?
C. Objectives of the Study
Related to the problem above, the study has two objectives, as follows: first, the writer tries to identify the lifestyles that are depicted from the characteristics of the main and minor character in the novel. Second, it is to analyze the lifestyles which are reflecting from the characteristics of the main and minor character in the novel portraying the lifestyles which are depicted from the characteristics of the twentieth century American women.
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK A. Review of Related Studies In this part, the writer shows some studies and criticisms on Gail Parent’s Sheila Levine are dead and Living in New York . Firstly, there is a thesis written by Windy Wirdhoningrum entitled “The motivation of Sheila Levine in committing Suicide as seen in Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York .” Wirdhoningrun
says that Sheila Levine’s personalities, which are pessimistic, easy to give up, negative thinking girl, perfectionist and dreamer, makes her easy to feel desperate in facing problems in her life. Sheila is not able to follow the rules and norms that prevail in her society and family. She also has to face problems about her physical appearances and single status. Sheila has to struggle very hard to get man to be married but they have no result at all, while her age running. According Wirdhoningrum, Sheila is frustrated in facing many problems in her life. Therefore, she wants to end her suffer, get happiness, get satisfaction and freedom by committing suicide.
Next is a criticism written by A. Lively. According to Lively, Gail Parent has created a novel that contains a serious issue and some funny moments. Lively says that the female character in Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York, Sheila, hates her life with her condition as being unmarried, unattractive, and overweight no real friends, and being alone in a big city. The answer for Sheila’s misery is to commit suicide. But before she commits suicide, Sheila Levine writes a note to all people that have caused her pain. Sheila wants to make sure that everyone knows that she died because she was not a married woma 1585674710/002-6672109-9432862?redirect =true).
Another criticism, which is from an editorial review written in Newsweek, says that Sheila Levine is taught that get married is a must. Besides, according to this criticism, Sheila Levine is a portrait of liberated single women living in New York City. Sheila Often gets many failures in her life, such as her failure to lose her weight and finds a right man to be married. Her failures disappoint her and it turns to desperation. This editorial review points out that Sheila desperation leads her to commit suicide. Therefore, she writes a suicide note to her parents to explain everything before she kills herself (http:/www.amazon.com/gp/product/1585674710/ 002-6672109-9432862?redirect=true).
However, this study attempts to develop something new and different from the other studies. This study focuses on the topic of the reflection of American women in the twentieth century. Therefore, this study makes a new contribution to literary review.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
Since the topic deals with the main character, the writer considers that the understanding on character and characterization in relation with the work of literature is very significant to do the analysis.
According to Abrams, characters are the person presented in dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say in the dialogue and by what they do by the action (Abrams; 1981:20).
Robert Stanton in An introduction to Fictions defines character in two ways: the first, a character gives a particular description about the individual who appears in the story, and the second, a character refers to the mixture of interest, desires, emotions, and moral principles that form the individual (1965:17).
Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms says that a character can be divided based on the importance. Abrams categorizes character into major and minor character. Major character can be called a central character. It is a character that is relevant to every event that causes some changes either in him or in our attitude toward him. Meanwhile minor characters are characters that appear in a certain setting, and they are necessary to become that background for the major character because they are not fully developed characters and their functions in the story only support the development of the major character (1981: 21).
Holman and Harmon in their book A Handbook of Literature divide character into dynamic and static character. The character that gradually undergoes changes as their respond to the actions and plot of the story are called dynamic characters. And, the characters that do not respond s to the action and plot and do not change are called static characters (1986:83).
Holman and Harmon also explain about characterization. They say that characterization is the creation of imaginary persons in fictions, such as novel, drama, and short story; therefore they exist for the reader as lifelike. They define three method s of characterization afterwards: firstly, by the explicit presentation from the author of the character through direct exposition; secondly, by the presentation of the character in action, and, thirdly, by the representation from within a character (1986:81).
M.J. Murphy in his book Understanding Unseens: An Introduction to English
Poetry and English Novel for Overseas Students illustrates several aspects in which
an author attempts to make his characters understandable and alive for the readers.First is personal description, in which author describes the physical appearances of the characters. The second in character s seen by others, that is, we see the characters by paying attention to others opinion. The third is the use if speech, whenever the character speaks whether it is to him-self or in conversation with other, readers can get clues about the characters. The fourth is past life; here the author gives a clue by letting the readers learn something about a character's past life, by direct comment of author gives a clue to person’s character through the dialogue of other people and the thing they say about him. The sixth is reaction; here the readers get clues from the reaction of the person to various situation and events. The seventh is straightforward opinion and description from the author. The eight is the characters’ way of thinking is given by the author to make the readers understand about the characters. The last is peculiar habit of behaviour or speech of characters (1965: 16).
2. Theory of Setting
Settings of the stories explain the motif and reason of the characters in doing what they are doing. Setting of stories does not only describe about the time and place of the story but also the social circumstances of the story. The setting of a narrative or dramatic work is the general locale, historical, time and social circumstances in which its action occur (Abrams, 1981:175).
Van de Laar and Schoenderwoerd in An Approach to English Literature emphasize that scene and environment is as important as the characters themselves, as the characters are determined and shape by the environment. Moreover, they state that the place or scene in that novel must be taken from real life, but it can not be directly taken from real life (1963:172).
Holman and Harmon write that setting may include the physical, and sometimes, spiritual background against which the story takes place. There are four elements making up a setting. They are listed under four heading: a.
The actual geographical location, its topography, scenery, and such physical arrangements as the location of the windows and doors in a room.
b.
The occupational and daily manners of living of the characters.
c.
The time and period in which the action takes place.
d.
The general environment of the characters, e.g. religious, mental, moral, social, and emotional condition through in which the people in the narrative move (1986: 465).
3. Relation between Literature and Society
According to Rene Wellek and Austin Warren in their book, Theory of
Literature , literature is a creation of society that uses language as the medium.
Literature expresses the reality in society, but it does not express the whole reality. It only pictures some specific situation in the society. Besides, literature also presents historical and social truth of human life (1956:94-95)
Moreover, literature is also seen as social documents that convey the reality in the society. Therefore, it can be used as the outline of social history (Wellek and Warren, 1956:102-103).
Rohrberger and Woods in the book Reading and Writing about Literature states that the subject matter of literature is taken from the attitudes and actions of certain people. Therefore, it is necessary to study the social milieu in which the literary work is created. In addition, literature is said as the expression of the ideas of
C. Review on the Characteristics and Lifestyles of Twentieth Century American
WomenThe twenty century in America was an era in which there was a great industrialization and technology improvement. “The production on food, clothing goods for repair, and maintenance was gradually increased” (Current, William, and Freidel, 1976:308). The invention of transportation and communication were much varied and used high technology. As a result, the demand on the labor was increased, and women also took part in the work force. By being part in the work force, women became financially fulfilled. They did not depend on men to support their life because they were able to fulfill their needs and began to delay or avoid marriage. They were also allowed to make many choices for their own life. American women in the twentieth century possessed “a new sense of self confidence and independence” (Rippa, 1967:250) and they “were freeing up their lives for more than in the past” (Kelley, 1986:822).
Many aspects in women’s life were changed during the twentieth century. Those changes were also influenced by the feminist movement that happened in America. Feminist movement in the U.S. began in nineteenth century and continued in the twentieth century had given greater opportunity for women to be equal with men. Twentieth century American Feminist activists struggled for “the exclusion of women from public activity and sex based discrimination in the work place” (Madsen, 2000:7). There were many twentieth century American feminists who struggled for women improvement, such as Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, and Susan Brownmiller. They brought their idea to change women’s life in society.
However, the changes did not happen in all aspects in women’s life. The traditional images of women, which are “passive, dependent, meek gentle, warm, affectionate, sentimental, and sensitive” (Rice, 1997:358), still existed among women. In some aspect of life, women still showed that they did the ancient roles of women. American women in the twentieth century “could have recourse also to the role of traditional femininity” (Kelley, 1986:784).
The improvement that happened on women could be clearly seen through their lifestyles. The lifestyles here consist of marriage, sexual behavior, occupation, education, and leisure activities. Through those aspects, many people could know the way of the twentieth century American women going through their everyday life in society.
1. Marriage
Feminist movement had changed marriage behavior of women. Many American women in the twentieth century started to delay marriage and make priority on other important activities such as improving career and having higher education.
This has stated by Chafe that “women themselves changed their social behavior and economic behavior, postponing marriage and child bearing and seeking new career…” (1994:87). Many American women believed that marriage and having children were not their life goal anymore. In addition unlimited career choices for women also influenced women decision to get married.
The number of women who chose to live as single had increased from time to time during the twentieth century. ‘The proportion of adult living alone tripled in the three decades after 1950, and by 1990 nearly one third of women aged 25 to 29 had never married’ (Bailey and Kennedy, 1991:1004) Those women kept their unmarried status and decided to live without partner. According to Schur, “The proportion of women (aged 25-29) as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau who have never married had risen from 10. 5% in 1960 to 18% in 1978” (http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sfischo/spinster.html).
Moreover, the average age marriage of women also rose in the late of twentieth century. Many American women stayed single for the longer time. In the late of the twentieth century, “the average marriage age had risen to 25, and women did not marry until their thirties and then had only one child” (Chafe, 1994:115).
During this time, the interest of women on having child was decreased. Some women did not believe anymore that ‘having a child was a source of pride and achievement’ (Chafe, 1994:41). Children became one of limitation for women to live freely. Therefore, the use of birth control was very popular among women in that era.
The decision to live as single women led them to be independent. Many of them were “likely to set up their own households rather than remaining with their parents” (Currie and Skolnick, 1984:240). American women who delayed or avoided Skolnick added that there were some women who live together with their partner without being married (1984:240). Besides, some other unmarried women lived together with their unmarried friends. “In attempt to combat the effects of loneliness and isolation, in todays society an increasing number of never married and single individual living together to share expenses and companionship” (Dobos, Mastin, and Moore, 1977:67). A single woman shared one apartment with the other single women to reduce the spending for the place to live.
2. Sexual Behavior Sexual behavior of American women in the twentieth century also changed.
Since there was easier access to control unwanted pregnancy, many women whether married or not got freedom on sexuality by having sexual intercourse outside marriage.
The greater amount of women who delayed or avoided marriage influenced the rise of women who did premarital sexual intercourse or sex outside marriage during the twentieth century. “There was talk of a ‘sexual revolution’ in the 1960s as sex relation outside marriage appeared to become much more widespread than ever before” (Current, et al, 1976:395). More and more women had sexual freedom and enjoyed this new behavior on sexuality. Since the beginning until the end of twentieth century “there was a significant increase in the number of women engaging in premarital intercourse and expressing satisfaction with their sexual experiences”
(Chafe, 1994:115). By having premarital intercourse, women could have more than one sexual partner; therefore they could change their sexual partner as they wanted.
In this century, there was another understanding about the meaning of sexual freedom among some women in America. For those women “sexual freedom meant freedom from unwanted children, not only through contraception but, when necessary, through abortion” (Current, et al, 1976:396). During this era, contraception and abortion were used to control pregnancy (Henretta, Brody, and Dumenil, 1999:879).
The widespread of premarital intercourse in America affected on “the obsession with and explicit description of sexual intercourse in reading material for masses” (Kelley, 1986:831). Many women read magazines which discussed about sexual intercourse or the way to gain sexual satisfaction.
3. Occupation
In the twentieth century, the industrialization and technology were in a great expansion. There were many American women who joined with the work force in order to fulfill their own needs. The large amount of women who joined with the work force has been stated by William H. Chafe. He said, “For most of the twentieth century there had been gradual expansion of the number of women join in the labor force” (1994:21). The amount of working women increased from time to time in the twentieth century. “The female labor force rose from 16.8 million in 1946 to 31.6
In the beginning and the middle of the twentieth century, the choice of job for women was still limited. As it stated by Henretta et al that “occupational segmentation remained the norm, more than 80% working women did stereotypical ‘women’s work’ as salesperson, health –care technicians, waitress, domestic servants, telephone operators, and secretaries” (1999:784-785). In addition, according Robert Kelley “as late as the 1970s they tended still to concentrate overwhelmingly in traditional activities: as typist, maids, teachers, nurses, cashiers, and saleswomen” (1986:783). Meanwhile, Currie and Skolnick said that “women’s work, even at the highest level of conventional status and pay, often becomes defined as an extension of the type of work women have traditionally done at home, teaching, nurturing, feeding, cleaning”(1984:219). They added that between 1960s until 1970s “Most women professionals are teachers, nurses or social workers…” (1984:232).
Even though women could join in the workforce, the ancient role of women still attach to them. Moreover, in the beginning and the middle of the twentieth century, women did not get payment as much as men did. Robert Kelley said that “in all categories of employment women received less pay” (1986:783). However, according to Chafe, “ By the mid 1970s, the number of women planning to ender traditionally ‘feminine’ careers, such as elementary school teaching or nursing, fell from 31% to 10%” (1994:89).
In the late of the twentieth century, there were many careers options available for women “with the growing number of career options available to them, many child rearing” (Henretta et al, 1999:879). By delaying or avoiding marriage and child rearing, women had flexibility to choose the types of job they wanted (http://www. findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0826/is/_n7_v7/ai_11518232/pg_3). Those women could choose the most suitable jobs for them. They also could move from one job to another easily since as being single, they did not have to put husband and children become part of consideration to take the decision about the type and place to work.
4. Education
One of the results of women struggle to gain equality with men was women opportunity to have higher education as men did. In the twentieth century, American women had greater chance to get higher education. Having higher education became one of the lifestyles of American women in the twentieth century. Antonia Chayes said that “…continuing education for women especially for the blessed with certain degree of prior education and worldly comfort is on its way to becoming part of the American way of life” (Rippa, 1967:253).
Many universities in America accepted women to study in their institution. In the 1960s, “many formerly all male colleges now admitted women as student” (Ritchie, 1985:769) Not only men but also women attended college, even though the number of women student was not as much as men. The number of women student increased from time to time during the twentieth century. “By 1960, however, the percentage of college students who were women had risen to 35 percent; in 1970 it