The ideas of liberal feminism revealed through Christina`s and Valhalla`s characters in Coelho`s The Valkyries - USD Repository
THE IDE EAS OF LI
IBERAL F FEMINIS M REVEA ALED THROU UGH CHR RISTINA’ ’S AND V
VALHALL LA’S CHARA ACTERS I
IN COELH HO’S THE E VALKYR RIES A AN UNDER RGRADUAT TE THESIS S
Presented d as Partial F Fulfillment o of the Requir rements for the Deg gree of Sarja ana Sastra in E English Lette ers
By
CAR RLITA DEW WI
Student N Number: 054 4214045
ENGLI
ISH LETTE ERS STUDY Y PROGRA AMME DEPA ARTMENT T OF ENGL
ISH LETTE ERS FACULT TY OF LET TTERS SA ANATA DH HARMA UN NIVERSITY Y YO GYAKART TA 2009
THE IDE EAS OF LI
IBERAL F FEMINIS M REVEA ALED THROU UGH CHR RISTINA’ ’S AND V
VALHALL LA’S CHARA ACTERS I
IN COELH HO’S THE E VALKYR RIES A AN UNDER RGRADUAT TE THESIS S
Presented d as Partial F Fulfillment o of the Requir rements for the Deg gree of Sarja ana Sastra in E English Lette ers
By
CAR RLITA DEW WI
Student N Number: 054 4214045
ENGLI
ISH LETTE ERS STUDY Y PROGRA AMME DEPA ARTMENT T OF ENGL
ISH LETTE ERS FACULT TY OF LET TTERS SA ANATA DH HARMA UN NIVERSITY Y YO GYAKART TA 2009
i ii
iiiWISDOM AND INSTRUCTION.
iv
THE FEAR OF LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE; BUT FOOLS DESPISE
(Proverbs 1:7) v
FOR MY BELOVED FAMILY, MILLIONS THANKS ARE NOT ENOUGH…
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First, my greatest gratitude goes to Jesus Christ for His blessings, wisdom, and strength so that I am able to accomplish this undergraduate thesis. I can do nothing without You. I love You, JC.
I would like to give enormous appreciation to my advisor Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S, M.Hum for all the attention, guidance, advice, and great support given for me throughout the process of this thesis writing. I thank to my co- advisor Elisa Dwi Wardani S.S, M.Hum. for giving suggestions on this thesis. I also thank to Anna Fitriati S.S, M.Hum for And I thank to my ex-advisor Dra. Th.
Enny Anggraini, M.A. , for her time and advice until she decided to continue her study in abroad.
My gratitude is also dedicated to my beloved Father and Mother who always stand behind me to support me every time I needed them. I thank to my lovely Little Brother and Auntie for their supports and prayers. I also give thanks to Mrs. Melanie Budianta who shares her opinions for my undergraduate thesis.
Next, I thank to my best friends: Pippo, Cita, Ourie, Rina, colleagues of 2005 who have struggle with me, and to all members of String Movie Maniacs for fun time and the precious experience. I give huge thanks also for Nitnot, Anggie, and friends in “Pondok Melati Yogyakarta” for laugh in our second home. I also thank to KarKar and Ria for great support and advice, to Ci Dian, Kiki, Puput, vi Fani, and Lya for always encouraging me to finish my thesis. And I give my thank to Ike, Arif, Arwin, and Achie who color my days.
At last but not the least, I also give my special thanks to San-Ke and Nyonaz, I thank them very much for being marvelous people for me, for every single moment that has already passed, and makes me grow more mature and stronger. I wish our friendship will never end.
The last gratitude goes to all whose names are not listed here and I can not mention one by one. It does not mean that I forget them since they are always in my heart.
Carlita Dewi
vii
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PULIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan dibawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma: Nama : Carlita Dewi NIM : 0542140045
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul THE IDEAS OF LIBERAL FEMINISM REVEALED THROUGH CHRISTINA’S AND VALHALLA’S CHARACTERS IN COELHO’S THE
VALKYRIES
Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan ini saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk lain, mengelola dalam bentuk pangkalan data. Mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempulikasikannya di Internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun royalitas kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini, saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Yogyakarta, 16 Desember 2009 Yang menyatakan, Carlita Dewi viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ………………………………………………………………... i
APPROVAL PAGE ………………………………………………………… ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE …………………………………………………….. iii
MOTTO PAGE ……………………………………………………………… ivDEDICATION PAGE ………………………………………………………. v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ………………………………………………… vi LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ...................... viii TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………………… ix ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………………. xi ABSTRAK …………………………………………………………………… xiiCHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ……………………………………… 1 A. Background of the Study ……………………………..
1 B. Problem Formulation …………………………………
3 C. Objectives of the Study ……………………………….
3 D. Definition of Terms …………………………………..
4 CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW …………………………… 6 A. Review of Related Studies …………………………...
6 B. Review of Related Theories 1. Theory of Character and Characterization …...........
9 2. Theories of Feminism ……………………………..
13 a. The Definition of Feminism ……………............
13 b. Varieties of Feminism ………………………….
15 c. The Ideas of Liberal Feminism ………………..
17 C. Theoretical Framework ………………………………
20 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ……………………………………... 21 A. Object of the Study …………………………………...
21 B. Approach of the Study …………………………..........
22 C. Method of the Study ………………………………….
23 ix
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ……………………………………………… 25 A. Christina’s and Valhalla’s Characterization …….........
26 1. Christina …………………………………………...
26 2. Valhalla ……………………………………………
33 B. The Ideas of Liberal Feminism ……………………….
38 1. Freedom of Choice ………………………………..
39 2. Equality ……………………………………………
42 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION …………………………………………
48 BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………
52
x
ABSTRACT
CARLITA DEWI (2009). The Ideas of Liberal Feminism Revealed Through
Christina’s and Valhalla’s Characters in Coelho’s The Valkyries. Yogyakarta:
Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.Examining feminist progress means seeing women’s role both as an individual
and as a member of a society. For that reason, when the society undergoes some changes,
the role of women also shifts. This undergraduate thesis is dealing with one of Paulo
Coelho’s novels entitled The Valkyries. The novel is interesting to discuss because it
deals with modern women issues in the social life.The aim of this thesis is to find the ideas of liberal feminism as conveyed through
two female characters, Christina and Valhalla. This thesis discusses two problem
formulations, the first is about Christina’s and Valhalla’s characterizations. The second is
about the ideas of liberal feminism revealed through two female characters.The method of this thesis is library research. The primary source is the novel The
Valkyries itself, while the secondary sources are references books, the sites from internet,
and other resources that supported the discussion of this thesis. There are two theories
applied, they are theories of character and characterization, and theories of feminism,
especially theories of liberal feminism. The approach that is used to analyze the problem
formulation is feminist approach.From the analysis, the writer found out that Christina is good-natured, loyal,
instinctive, smart, insistent, skeptical, critical, curious, bold, mindful, and then she
becomes a rebellious woman. While, Valhalla is described as self-assured, good leader,
consistent, indifferent, and independent woman. Related to the issue of feminism, there
are two ideas of liberal feminism that can be seen through Christina’s and Valhalla’s
characterization. The first idea is freedom of choice. Christina takes her freedom to find
what she wants in her life and seek her self identity during the spiritual journey. In her
marriage life, she chooses to be a rebellious woman. Valhalla does not want her freedom
stolen by men of Gringo Pass. She loves her choice as a single woman and she knows
that she already chosen the right choice for her. The second idea is equality. Christina
struggles to reach the equal position as a wife. She views that wives are supposed to be
respected by their husbands. While, Valhalla holds the idea that there must be equality of
role between women and men. As a result, both Christina and Valhalla can achieve equal
chance to build up their potentials as women.
ABSTRAK
CARLITA DEWI (2009). The Ideas of Liberal Feminism Revealed Through
Christina’s and Valhalla’s Characters in Coelho’s The Valkyries. Yogyakarta:
Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.Meneliti perkembangan feminis berarti mengamati peran wanita baik sebagai
pribadi maupun sebagai anggota masyarakat. Oleh sebab itu, ketika masyarakat
mengalami perubahan, peranan wanita juga mengalami perubahan. Skripsi ini
berhubungan dengan salah satu novel karya Paulo Coelho yang berjudul The Valkyries.
Novel tersebut menarik untuk dibahas karena berkaitan dengan permasalahan wanita di
jaman modern dalam kehidupan sosial.Tujuan penulisan skripsi ini adalah untuk mengetahui bagaimana ide-ide
feminisme liberal yang disampaikan melalui dua karakter wanita yaitu Christina dan
Valhalla. Skripsi ini membahas dua pokok permasalahan, yang pertama adalah tentang
karakter Christina dan Valhalla. Pokok permasalahan yang kedua adalah ide-ide
feminisme liberal yang disampaikan melalui kedua karakter wanita tersebut.Metode yang digunakan dalam skripsi ini adalah penelitian pustaka. Sumber
utamanya adalah novel itu sendiri, The Valkyries; sedangkan sumber keduanya adalah
buku-buku referensi, situs-situs dari internet, dan sumber lainnya yang mendukung
pembahasan ini. Ada dua teori yang diterapkan yaitu teori karakter dan karakterisasi, dan
teori feminisme, terutama teori feminisme liberal. Pendekatan yang digunakan untuk
menganalisa pokok permasalahan adalah pendekatan feminisme.Dari analisa, penulis mendapati bahwa Christina adalah seorang wanita yang baik
hati, setia, bertindak sesuai naluri, cerdas, keras kepala, skeptis, penuh rasa ingin tahu,
tegas, penuh pertimbangan, kemudian dia menjadi seorang wanita pemberontak.
Sedangkan Valhalla adalah seorang wanita yang penuh percaya diri dengan
ketegasannya, pemimpin yang baik, konsisten, acuh tak acuh, dan mandiri. Sehubungan
dengan permasalahan feminisme, ada dua ide feminisme liberal yang dapat dilihat
melalui karakteristik Christina dan Valhalla. Ide yang pertama adalah kebebasan untuk
memilih. Christina memerlukan kebebasannya untuk menemukan hal yang dia inginkan
dalam kehidupannya dan mencari jati dirinya selama perjalanan spiritual. Dalam
kehidupan pernikahannya, dia memilih untuk menjadi wanita pemberontak. Valhalla
tidak ingin kebebasannya dicuri oleh pria di Gringo Pass. Dia menyukai pilihannya
sebagai wanita mandiri dan dia mengetahui bahwa dia telah mengambil keputusan yang
tepat untuknya. Ide yang kedua adalah kesetaraan. Christina berjuang untuk meraih
kesetaraan posisinya sebagai seorang istri. Menurutnya, istri seharusnya dihormati oleh
suaminya. Sedangkan Valhalla memegang ide tentang pentingnya kesetaraan peranan
antara wanita dan pria. Alhasil, baik Christina maupun Valhalla meraih kesetaraan
kesempatan untuk meningkatkan potensi mereka sebagai wanita.CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study As stated by the jury of Bambi Award 2001 which took place in Germany,
the jury gave the Germany's most prestigious prize to Paulo Coelho. They also announce that Coelho is not only one of the most widely read, but also one of the most influential authors writing today (www.paulocoelho.com). Paulo always presents his great ideas, impressive plot, and new views. His uncommon ideas become interesting things for the readers in their daily life.
The Valkyries , the source analyzed, was published in New York in 1995 by
Harper Collins Publishers. In this novel, Paulo Coelho wants to give another angle of his idea. He wrote about his spiritual journey and he chose female characters who have significant roles to support the male characters. The story began when a man named Paulo had strong desire to meet his guardian angel. Paulo had passed several places and he was accompanied by his wife, Christina. During the journey they met a woman named Valhalla, one of the Valkyries who became the instruments of angels. From the beginning of the journey, Christina thinks that as a woman, she does not want to be taken too lightly by men surround her. She wants to have freedom to choose what she wants for her life. While Valhalla struggles her identity as powerful woman although people of Gringo Pass do not like her and her troops. The two female characters’ thought and actions may be regarded as the illustration of the ideas of liberal feminism. Therefore, it is possible if the novel has tendency to be read from feminist viewpoint.
2 Feminism is one of many issues that can not be kept away from daily life. In The Valkyries through Christina and Valhalla’s characters, the novel illustrates the ideas of liberal feminism which are related to the nineteenth century. Both characters show particular personalities which arise against the common society in which they live and the moment when they try to complete the expedition. The novel interests the writer to explore the story, especially analyzing Christina’s and Valhalla’s characters and some ideas of liberal feminism that are illustrated through their characterization.
The idea of liberal feminism appears since it deals with women’s efforts to get equality in all aspects in life, such as education, human rights, work fields, etc.
It is particularly hard to find out what equality means when it comes to gender, since there are real differences between men and women. Men and women are created equal with their own excess and deficiency; therefore they have to complete each other. However, there are many unfair treatments toward women in the practice. It seems that women are not given chance to develop themselves. Whether they like it or not, they have to be dependent on men to make a living because the society and its norms do not support women in reaching better life independently.
In The Natural Superiority of Women, Ashley Montagu states that women are conditioned to think that men are naturally superior and women are naturally inferior to men.
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 (1953:23).
Because the society regards that women are inferior, women themselves sometimes are not responsive to the condition that they are being discriminated.
3 They recognize the social view and come to the wrong conclusion that their weakness is a fact of nature (Montagu, 1953:23). On one occasion, women start to react against the unfairness. Women start making efforts to reach their rights and equality between men and women, and it is called feminism. It affects every aspects of human life, such as economic, lifestyle, social, and literature.
From the reasons above, the writer is interested to analyze Coelho’s The
Valkyries from feminist’s viewpoint and elaborate the idea in this thesis. The
writer will analyze the personalities of two major female characters to see how their characters reveal the ideas of liberal feminism.
B. Problem Formulation
1. How are Christina and Valhalla characterized in the novel?
2. What are the ideas of liberal feminism revealed through these female characters?
C. Objectives of the Study
This study aims to find out the satisfying answers of the problem formulation. First, the objective of this thesis is meant to find out the characteristics of Christina and Valhalla as the major female characters in The
Valkyries . The second objective is to identify how the characters of Christina and
Valhalla illustrate the ideas of liberal feminism.The writer expects that the conclusion of this study will develop the reader's viewpoint about feminism and bring reflective information how literature reflects in real life.
4
D. Definition of Terms
In order to avoid misunderstanding in reading this study and to give the right focus for the readers while reading this study, there are some terms that the writer needs to define.
1. Feminism
In Feminism: A Reader, Maggie Humm describes feminism as the basic thing that women should have political, economic, and social rights equal to what men have (1992: xi). While, Lizbeth Goodman in her book, Approaching
Literature: Literature and Gender states that feminism is “a politic: a certain kind
of a recognition of the historical and cultural subordination of women and a resolve to do something about it” (1996: X). In other words, feminism is also defined as a form of rebellion against the patriarchal ideology which has placed women in its harsh power for centuries.
2. Liberal Feminism
Madsen in Feminist Theory and Literary Practice states that the liberal feminism emphasizes on the concepts of individual human rights. (2000: 35). It requires for a woman as personal independence in all aspects of life. Women should be independent and not depend on men. Liberal feminism has been called the mainstream form of feminism out of all the sub types. It is said that the liberalism is an individualistic form, concentrating on women having the ability to maintain their equality through being responsible for their own actions and choices. The ideology of liberal feminist is that women will transform society, through their own personal interactions with the opposite sex.
5 The liberal feminist believes "All women are capable of asserting their ability to achieve equality; therefore it is possible for change to happen without altering the structure of society". The liberal feminist also believe that the equality of men and women can only be achieved by changes being brought through political and legal reform (www.ezinearticles.com).
3. Character
Murphy states that people’s characters (who are written by an author) cover what sort people they are and how the author makes the readers get to know and understand those characters (1972:161). According to M.H Abrams in his book, A Glossary of Literary Terms, describes characters as “persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say- the dialogue- and by what they do- the action” (1985:23).
4. Valkyries
Based on The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols by Jean Chevalier, Alain Gheerbant, and John Buchanan Brown, Valkyries are the nymphs from Wotan’s palace who have often been compared with the Amazons. As messengers of the gods and war leaders, they led heroes to their death and having brought them to paradise, they poured their beer and meat. They incited the heroes to battle by the love which their beauty instilled into their hearts and by the bravery they displayed at the forefront of the battle on horses charging as swiftly as the clouds or the storm-wracked waves. The Valkyries stood for the risks inherent in love conceived as a struggle, with its alternations of triumph, disaster, life, and death (1996:1059).
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW In this chapter, the writer gives review of related studies and review of
related theories. They are given to support the writer’s idea in analyzing her topic and also to give more information so that the writer would not be misleading in her analysis. In the review of related theories, the writer provides theories on character and characterization and theories on feminism. These theories help the writer in studying and analyzing her topic.
A. Review of Related Studies
The Valkyries by Paulo Coelho is a story about women’s struggle to get the
recognition and respect from men. There are two major female characters that become objects to be discussed. Christina is Paulo’s wife who faces her new experience through a journey in seeking out the angels. She is not often entrusted by her husband because she is a woman. While, Valhalla is often insulted by people around her and her troopers because people consider them as the women who are more powerful than men in their city.
There have been many comments on this literary work which is made by Paulo Coelho, one of international bestselling authors. However, since this novel has not been discussed yet by many people, the writer finds there is limited information or source related to the idea of the work available on books or internet.
In another Coelho’s novel entitled Veronika Decides to Die, besides the touching story about spiritual self-searching, as Teraya Paramehta in
7 http://www.kritikfeminis2005.blogdrive.com/ clarified there are three things that are related to feminism theories that uniquely depict in the writing of a male author. First, the symbolism of the insane that lives inside a cage of the mental hospital. Second, Veronika’s relationship with her parents. Third, sexuality as Veronika’s way in finding the true meaning of her life. The last point leads to Veronika’s and her friends’ mental and psychological enlightments that give her the idea of what it means to be alive. Even though, Paulo Coelho did not show these ideas explicitly, we can see that the enlightenment that Veronika gets from the mental hospital creates a more positive and enlightened human being.
Since the beginning of this novel, Coelho already shows the different nature of femininity and masculinity as shown in this line; “Shooting, jumping off a high building, hanging, none of these options suited her feminine nature. Women, when they kill themselves, choose far more romantic methods - like slashing their wrists or taking an overdose of sleeping pills” (p.3). Based on this quotation, we can see that Veronika is positioned as a feminine (“None of these suited her feminine nature”). The act of taking sleeping pills reflect femininity because it is less daring than shooting, jumping off a high building, hanging, etc. Shooting or jumping involves adrenalin rush, while in the text Coelho writes that slashing their wrists or taking an overdose pills as far more romantic way to kill oneself than shooting, jumping, or hanging, as if woman is less daring than man to attempt suicide by doing an adrenalin rush act. This ‘romantic act’ is associated with woman, and in Veronika Decides to Die; a death because of taking an overdose sleeping pills is described as a feminine act. Therefore we can conclude that there are difference characteristics of femininity and masculinity in the novel,
8 and this difference natural characteristic leads to the patriarchy social assumption that masculinity is more superior than femininity (Tong, 1998:190).
Nilam Maharani, one of the former students of English Letters in Sanata Dharma University, wrote a thesis based on feminism study. Her thesis entitled
The Ideas of Feminism as Seen through The Major Characters in Mark’s
Rutherfold’s Clara Hopgood emphasizes on feminism ideas that the two
characters hold. A part of analysis can be seen in the quotation below, The society can not accept progressive things easily. Clara is not like other women who are supposed to obey rules in the city. As a woman living in patriachal society, Clara should not talk too much in public. She should be as speechless as the other women. The second reason is that although Clara knows her reaction in speaking in public is prohibited, she neglects it. She continues her habits in expressing herself courageously (Maharani, 1999:63).
Clara ignores the patriarchal society. She also rises up against it by doing thing which is prohibited by the patriarchal society. She uses her right freely and struggle against the patriachal society so that she reveals idea of feminism through her personality.
Another review of study which is related to the writer’s idea in her thesis comes from in the undergraduate thesis of Rosalina Dau who was also the former student of English Letters in Sanata Dharma University, and it is entitled Ideas of
Feminism Revealed Through the Main Character in Clewlow’s Not Married Not
Bothered . She emphasized the idea of feminism through a strong female character
named Riley. A part of analysis can be seen in the quotation below, Unlike women around her, Riley never let men of her society control her life. Riley loves her freedom as an independent woman very much and values it highly so that she does not want to sacrifice her freedom to anything including relationships with men (Dau, 2003:38).
9 Riley wants to show her self as independent woman by not allowing men surround her oppress her life. Her persistence in reaching fredoom and declaring her self as independent woman reveals the idea of feminism.
The topics of the above papers are interesting and the writer will not argue those conclusions had been made by them. From the opinions given, the writer is motivated to investigate this thesis based on the review that women as the main characters and they struggle to have an equality between men and women. The characteristics of the main characters are illustrated well through this story. The writer is trying to identify the characterization and exploring the idea of liberal feminism which is illustrated through the female characters.
B. Review of Related Theories 1. Theory of Character and Characterization
Since the writer wants to analyze the characteristics of Christina and Valhalla related to the ideas of liberal feminism, therefore it is important to present theories of charater and characterization.
Character is an important element in the story. In general, character is used in two ways (Abrams, 1985:23). The first way is the character designates the individual who appears in the story. Second, the character refers to the mixture of interests, desires, emotions, and moral principles that make up each of this individual and character also gives a certain situation or circumstances in the story because he or she shows his or her emotion on it. In the Glossary of Literary
Terms , Abrams also states that in a story character either may remain stable or
undergo his or her roles in outlook and disposition through a gradual development (1985:23).
10 Holman and Harmon in A Handbook to Literature classifies fictional characters into two: static and dynamic characters. Static character means the person or character does not undergo any changes although he or she faces many problems in his or her life. They will have the same characteristics from the beginning until the end of the story. In contrast to static characters, dynamic characters or is also called as developing characters undergo changes in some aspects of their characters, personalities, or outlooks from the beginning until the end of the story. The changes could be for better or for worse, maybe a large or a small one, but it is something important and basic, and more than a minor changes in opinion (1986:83).
Main character is the most important character in the story. A story is about the main character but he or she cannot stand on his or her own. He or she needs other characters of less important than those do the main. The writer supports the explanation by underlying Sylvan Barnett’s statement in Literature
for Composition , that we as the readers can get a clear desription, not only by the
character’s appearance but by the personality as well (1988:71).Character and characterization are related and they can not be separated from each other. In real life, human sense of character naturally varies with their power of perception and understanding. C. Hugh Holman and William Harmon states that characterization is the creation of the imaginary person or character.
Therefore, characters exist for the readers as lifelike (1986:81). In his book, Richard Gill stated that characterization is the way in which character is created (1995:127). According to Oscar Bracket, characterization can be found in four levels. The first level of characterization is physical and it concerned only with such basic facts such as sex, age, size, and colour. The second level is social. It
11 includes a character’s economic status, profession or trade, religion, family relationship – all those factors that place him or her in the environment. The third level is psychological. It reveals the character’s habitual response, attitude, desire, motivations, like and dislikes the inner working of mine, both emotional and intellectual, which precedes action. The forth level is moral. More nearly than other kinds, moral decision differentiates characters because the choices they make when facing moral crisis show whether they are selfish hypocritical, or person of integrity (1974: 39-40).
Based on M.J Murphy, there are several ways in which an author attempts to make his or her characters clear and come alive for readers: a. Personal description
The author describes a character through person’s appearance and may also describe the character from the person’s clothes which show his economical situation.
b. Characters as seen by another The author uses another character’s eyes and opinion to describe a character.
Through this, the reader would be able to know the characterization of character.
c. Speech The author describes the characteristic of one character through what another character says. Whenever a character is in conversation with another or puts forward an opinion, he or she is giving clue to his or her character.
d. Past life The author can give the reader a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character by letting the reader learns something about a person’s past
12 life. This can be done by direct comment by the author, through the person’s thoughts, through the conversation or through the medium of another character.
e. Conversation of other The author uses the conversation of other people and the things about a character to know the characteristic of one another.
f. Reactions The author gives the reader clues to one’s characters through the way he or she reacts to various situations and events. Reactions here mean the way that a person cries, laughs, or angry.
g. Direct comment The author gives the description or comment on a person’s characteristic directly.
h. Thoughts The author can give us direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. i. Mannerism
A person’s mannerism, habits, or idiosyncrasies can be described by the author to fill his readers something about the person’s characteristic (1972:161-173). That is how the author makes the readers aware of the personalities and the characters of the people that the author writes about in his or her books. The readers will understand why the characters do the thing and the emotional feeling of the readers will also be concerned when they read the story.
13
2. Theory of Feminism
a. The Definition of Feminism
Feminism, according to Helen Terry in Women’s Studies Encyclopedia, can be described as a belief and commitment to equal rights and opportunities for women (1989:139). While Maggie Humm stated that feminism is defined as the principal that women should have political, economic, and social rights equal to men (1992:xi). The first idea that is likely to occur in the course of any historical thinking about feminism, it is a social force. Social force appears because the consciousness of feminists to understand that in all societies which divide the sexes into differing cultural, economic or political spheres, women are less valued than men. Maggie Humm also says that feminism also depends on the principle that women could conciously and collectively change their social place. The word feminism could stand for a belief in sexual equality combines with a commitment to eradicate sexist domination and to transform society (1992:1). In brief, it can be said that feminists’ desire is to reform the patriachal society, not to replace it with matriarchy, they only struggle to get equality. The goal of feminism is to change the degrading view of women so that all women will realize that they have the same right with men in all fields. Feminist theories reveal the rights that women should have, women’s oppression, and also their effort to get the equality toward men.
Women are not only oppresed physically but also mentally. Societies create their own opinion that women are not clever as men are. They are not given chances to develop their intelligence and skill. Women are not given a chance to state their arguments. They have different equality of opportunities to men (Montagu, 1953:38). Feminism appears because there is an unfair action toward
14 women in society. The basic assumption of feminism is a movement that starts from the women’s consciousness to be free from discrimination, oppresion, maltreatment, and they are trying to end these treatments to get the same rights and dignity with men.
Virginia Woolf says in Bressel’s Literary Criticism: An Introduction to
Theory and Practice that “women must reject this social construct and establish
their own identity. Women must challenge the prevailing, false cultural notions concerning their gender identity and develop a female discourse that will accurately potray their relationship ‘to the world of reality’ and not ‘to the world of men’ (1994:182). Women are born free and equal to men in the sense of human rights. Unfortunately, in the male-dominated world, women’s rights are not fully acceptable because what women do is limited due to their sex. In the ‘world of men’ or it is known as patriachal society, there is a belief that men are superior and women are inferior. The misinterpretation that occurs in the stereotypes of women states that women are weak, dependent, passive, and sensitive in their society. This misinterpretation makes women seen inferior to men.
Related to the gender stereotypes, Judith Butler in Gender Trouble:
Feminism and The Subversion of Identity aims that “gender identity is the same
with a cultural perfomance, matrix of signifiers that enables members of cultural group to ‘read’ the signs of gender and to be read as gendered subject, that the basic ‘to search for the origins of gender, the inner truth of female desire, and a genuine or authentic sexual identity that repression has kept from view” (1990:viii). It is clearly seen that what feminist’s expectations are equal rights and chance for women. Feminist theories reveal the importance of women’s individual and share experiences and women’s struggle to reach the equality. While Mansour
15 Fakih in his book Gender Analysis and Social Transformation, states that the existence of stereotypes in the society, especialy those who keep fastened firmly the patriarchal values, always puts women in disadvantage. Stereotype based on gender differences are usually found in society. In society, women are considered to be fragile, sensitive, submissive, dependent, and emotional while men are aggressive, independent, strong, and rational. These stereotypes create the negative effect on women as women are not allowed to participate in larger social life. The consequence is that their status of social life is lower than men (1996:14).
b. Varieties of Feminism
The first women movement comes out during the 1800’s. It was time of geographic expansion, industrial development, and philoshopical emphasis on individual freedom and universal education (Freeman, 1979:533). However, the first feminist movement dies in 1920 for about forty years (1979:543). Feminism arises from death in 1960. It is signed by the establishment of some feminist organizations such as Commisssion on the Status of Women in 1961 by President Kennedy and National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966 by Betty Friedan (1979:545).
On the progress of eras, there are some various kinds of feminism. The first type of feminism is liberal feminism. Liberal feminism gives emphasis on the individual, the rights of a woman as an individual human being that has her own will and decision. The equality between men and women is the central concern of this kind of feminism. However, liberal feminism proposes that every woman, as an individual being should be given the same opportunities as every man in all aspects of life (Fakih, 1996:69). It shows that that the single most important goal
16 of women’s liberation is equality of opportunity. While, Maggie Humm in The
Dictionary of Feminist Theory says that “Liberal feminism argues for individual
fulfillment free from the structures of highly defined sex roles” (1990:119).Another kind of feminism is marxist feminism which is organized around the basic conflicts between capitalism versus patriachy and class versus gender oppression. Marxist feminism combines the study of class with the analysis of gender (Madsen, 2000:65). This type of feminism argues that source of women’s oppression comes from the patriachal capitalism. Women are exploited sexually and economically.
There is another kind of feminism, it is called radical feminism. This term refers to the feminist movement that sprung out of the civil rights and peace movements in 1967 until 1968. The reason of getting the radical label is that their viewpoint to the oppression of women as the most fundamental form of oppression, the one that cuts across boundaries of race, culture, and economic class (www.uah.edu/woolf/feminism_kinds.htm). Radical feminist reject all forms of male domination. Radical feminists do not agree with the idea that women have to get married, live under men’s governance, and run the household.
From various kinds of feminisms above, the writer will discuss the thesis with the theories of Liberal Feminism. Liberal feminism is chosen because based on the writer’s findings, Christina and Valhalla as the female characters in Coelho’s The Valkyries, tend to have the ideas of liberal feminism. Deborah L.
Madsen stated that liberal feminism puts emphasis on the importance of the individual and individual autonomy which are proctected by guaranteed rights, economic justice, and equality of opportunity. Liberal feminist perspectives focus on how women attempt to create a feminist consciousness of the oppression and
17 injustice suffered by women. Liberal feminism argues in favor of complete fredoom of expression and such strategies as women to reform the patriachy system and to change the structure of a male-dominated society. Madsen clearly affirmed that liberal feminist theory is limited in various ways on how women have their nature, natural rights and self-evident truths, a biological essentialism that leads inevitably to a basic distinction between the public masculine world and the private feminine world (Madsen, 2000:35-37).