MADAME WU’S MOTIVATION IN CHOOSING A CONCUBINE FOR HER HUSBAND AS SEEN IN BUCK’S PAVILION OF WOMEN
MADAME WU’S MOTIVATION IN CHOOSING
A CONCUBINE FOR HER HUSBAND AS SEEN IN
BUCK’S PAVILION OF WOMEN
A Thesis
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
PRIMA PUTRI NARDIANTARI
Student Number : 991214054
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION
FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2 0 0 8
Because You Love Me
You were my strength when I was weak You were my voice when I couldn’t speak You were my eyes when I couldn’t see You saw the best there was in me You lifted me up when I couldn’t reach You gave me faith ‘cos you believe I’m everything I am because you love me
“Celine Dion”
Dedicated with love and gratitude to :
My parents who have introduced me to the beauty of life My husband who makes my life so beautiful
My beautiful child who has been a good child All my beautiful family and friends
STATEMENT OF WORK ’S ORIGINALITY
I honestly declare that this thesis which I wrote does not contain the works or part of the works of other people, except those cited in the quotations and bibliography, as a scientific paper should. Yogyakarta, July 10, 2007
Yogyakarta, January 22, 2008
The Writer Prima Putri Nardiantari
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to express my deepest praise and greatest gratitude to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I thank Him for blessing life and always surprise me with all the miracles of life.
I also would like to express my deepest gratitude to Ibu Dra. Wigati
Yektiningtyas, M.Hum., my major sponsor, for her patience to guide and share her
knowledge to write this thesis. I thank her for support, advice, suggestions, and care.My gratitude also goes to Ibu Yohana Veniranda, S.Pd., M.Hum., my co-sponsor, for her willingness to give suggestions and corrections. Her patient guidance makes my thesis better.
I would like to thank all the lecturers of the English Language Education
Study Program of Sanata Dharma University for their guidance during my study.
The same gratitude also goes to all of the staff of Sanata Dharma library and the secretariat of PBI for being helpful and kind.
My special gratefulness goes to my parents, Bapak Sunardi and Ibu Sri
Lestari. I would like to thank them for being my great and marvelous parents, for
their endless love, care, trust, prayers, patience, tolerance, and encouragement. I thank, especially my beloved husband, Tri Wiyono, for being my inspiration in life. I am blessed to love him beside me in happy and sad moments. He has taught me to be a more mature woman. His prayers, patience, and support keep me struggle in this life. I also thank him for loving and spending his money for me. Without his love, guidance, and financial support, I could not continue study in this university.
To Yunita (Ho-ho), Windhy, Erna, and Arum for their great friendship, loyality, love, support, understanding, for sharing good and bad time together, and for being my best friends.
My gratitude also goes to De’ Indra for helping me in finding some important sources and any other sources.
Finally, I would like to thank all of the people who have given me supports, endurance, and prayers who I could not mention one by one. I love them all.
Prima
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan dibawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma: Nama : Prima Putri Nardiantari Nomor Mahasiswa : 991214054
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:
Madame Wu's Motivation In Choosing A Concubine For Her
Husband As Seen In Buck's Pavilion Of Womenbeserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di Internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis. Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta Pada tanggal: 22 Januari 2008 Yang menyatakan (Prima Putri N.)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page TITLE PAGE …………………………………………………………… i PAGE OF APPROVAL …………………………………………………. ii PAGE OF BOARD EXAMINERS ……………………………………… iii PAGE OF DEDICATION ………………………………………………. iv STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ………………………….. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ……………………………………………... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………………………………………….. viii ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………… xi
ABSTRAK …………………………………………………………… xii
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ……………………………………..
1 1.1 Background of the Study …………………………..
1 1.2 Objectives of the Study …………………………….
3
1.3 Problem Formulation ………………………………
3 1.4 Benefit of the Study ……………………………….
4 1.5 Definition of Terms ………………………………..
4 CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ………………
6
2.1 Theoretical Review …………………………………
6 2.1.1 Theory of Critical Approach ……………….
6
2.1.2 Theory on Character and Characterization …
7 2.1.3 Theory of Motivation ……………………..
12
2.2 The Chinese Culture ………………………………
14
2.2.1 Chinese Community ………………………
14 2.2.2 The Chinese Family Life ………………….
16
2.3 Criticism ……………………………………………
18
2.4 Theoretical Framework …………………………… 20
Page CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY …………………………………….
21 3.1 Subject Matter ……………………………………..
21 3.2 The Approaches …………………………………..
22
3.3 Procedures …………………………………………
23 CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS ……………………………………………..
25
4.1 The Description of Madame Wu’s Character . ……
25
4.1.1 Being Wise ………………………………
26
4.1.2 Being Stubborn ……………………………
29
4.1.3 Being Selfish ………………………………
31 4.1.4 Being Firm ………………………………...
32 4.1.5 Being Intelligent …………………………..
33
4.2 The Motivations of Madame Wu in Choosing a Concubine for Her Husband ………………………
35 CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS …………….
43 5.1 Conclusions ……………………………………….
43 5.2 Suggestions ……………………………………….
45 5.2.1 Suggestions for Future Researchers ………..
45
5.2.2 Suggestions for Using Literature in Teaching English ………………………….
46 BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………………
48 APPENDICES: APPENDIX 1 THE SUMMARY OF THE NOVEL …………………..
50 APPENDIX 2 THE LIFE OF PEARL S. BUCK ………………………
52 APPENDIX 3 THE WORKS OF PEARL S. BUCK …………………..
56 Page APPENDIX 4 LESSON PLAN TO TEACH READING II USING PAVILION OF WOMEN ……………………………….
58 APPENDIX 5 SYLLABUS OF READING II …………………………
60 APPENDIX 6 EXERCISES TO TEACH READING II ………………
61 APPENDIX 7 READING MATERIAL TAKEN FROM
PAVILION OF WOMEN ……………………………….
62 APPENDIX 8 THE PICTURE OF THE AUTHOR …………………...
64
ABSTRACT
Nardiantari, Prima Putri. 2007. Madame Wu’s Motivation In Choosing A
Concubine for Her Husband as seen in Buck’s Pavilion of Women. Yogyakarta:
English Language Education Study Program. Department of Language and Arts Education. Faculty of Teachers Training and Education. Sanata Dharma University.
This thesis analyzes the novel Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck. It is about a Chinese woman named Madame Wu who is a perfect woman that decides to choose a concubine for her husband. Her motivation in choosing a concubine for her husband makes her take the decision when she reaches her forty-years-old birthday.
The thesis intends to answer the two questions stated in the problem formulation, namely (1) How is Madame Wu’s character described? (2) What is Madame Wu’s motivation in choosing a concubine for her husband? Therefore, the aim of the study is to explore the description of Madame Wu’s characters, and to find out Madame Wu’s motivation in choosing a concubine for her husband.
This thesis is a library study. It employs psychological approach, socio cultural-historical approach and several theories that are related to the study. The primary source is the novel itself, while the secondary sources are some books in literature and psychology, as well as some articles from the internet.
Based on the analysis, the thesis concludes that the character of Madame Wu’s is wise, stubborn, selfish, firm, and intelligent. Secondly, it concludes that she has a motivation in choosing a concubine for her husband. Her motivation is based on her needs. Choosing a concubine for her husband is influenced by her self-esteem needs. Her motivation is also influenced by her self-actualization needs. It is clearly shown by her desire for self-fulfillment to get freedom in her life. Her motivation is also influenced by the values of the society in China at that time, that women have to serve her husband and conceive in such old age. It brings a shame for her and her husband.
ABSTRAK
Nardiantari, Prima Putri. 2007. Madame Wu’s Motivation In Choosing A
Concubine for Her Husband as seen in Buck’s Pavilion of Women. Yogyakarta:
Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Skripsi ini menganalisa novel Pavilion of Women yang ditulis oleh Pearl S. Buck. Novel ini mengisahkan tentang seorang wanita dari China bernama Madame Wu yang merupakan wanita sempurna yang memutuskan untuk memilih seorang selir bagi suaminya. Motivasinya mengambil keputusan tersebut muncul ketika dia mencapai usia empat puluh tahun.
Skripsi ini mempunyai tujuan untuk menjawab dua pertanyaan yang tertera di perumusan masalah, yaitu (1) Bagaimana tokoh Madame Wu digambarkan? (2) Motivasi apa yang membuat Madame Wu memilih selir bagi suaminya? Maka dari itu, tujuan dari studi ini ialah untuk menggambarkan karakteristik Madame Wu. Kedua, studi ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui motivasi yang membuat Madame Wu memilih selir bagi suaminya.
Skripsi ini merupakan studi pustaka. Studi pustaka yang dilakukan adalah dengan cara menggunakan pendekatan psikologi, pendekatan sosial budaya dan sejarah, dan beberapa teori yang berhubungan dengan studi ini. Sumber primernya adalah novel itu sendiri, sedangkan sumber-sumber sekunder adalah buku-buku tentang kesusasteraan, psikologi, dan juga beberapa artikel dari internet.
Berdasarkan analisis yang dibuat, dapat ditarik kesimpulan bahwa Madame Wu mempunyai karakter yang bijaksana, keras kepala, egois, tegas, dan cerdas. Kedua, skripsi ini menyimpulkan bahwa Madame Wu mempunyai suatu motivasi dalam memilih selir bagi suaminya. Motivasi tersebut timbul oleh karena beberapa kebutuhan yang harus dipenuhi. Memilih selir bagi suaminya dipengaruhi oleh kebutuhan akan harga diri. Motivasi tersebut juga dipengaruhi oleh kebutuhan akan mengaktualisasikan diri. Hal ini ditunjukkan dengan jelas oleh keinginan Madame Wu dalam pemenuhan kebutuhannya untuk mencapai kebebasan dalam hidupnya. Motivasi tersebut juga dipengaruhi oleh nilai-nilai yang dianut masyarakat di China pada waktu itu, bahwa perempuan harus melayani suaminya dan melahirkan pada usia lanjut. Hal ini mempermalukan namanya dan suaminya.
MADAME WU’S MOTIVATION IN CHOOSING
A CONCUBINE FOR HER HUSBAND AS SEEN IN
BUCK’S PAVILION OF WOMEN
A Thesis
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
PRIMA PUTRI NARDIANTARI
Student Number : 991214054
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION
FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2 0 0 8
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION This chapter consists of the Background of the study, the Objective of the Study, the Problem Formulation, the Benefit of the Study and the Definition of Terms. The Background of the Study is focused on the study, the need of analyzing
the topic and my personal reason of choosing the topic. The Objective of the Study explains the goal of the study. Then the Problem Formulation gives the general description of the problem that will be analyzed. The Benefit of the Study gives the explanation of who can get the benefit from the study. The last part is the Definition of Terms. In this part, some terms that are related to the study will be defined.
1.1 Background of the Study
Literature is a creative working, an art that contains imagination, and figurative language. It is not designed for direct or practice communication (Welleck, 1962: 3). So, it is different from any other writing. In reading a literary work, a person must do an exploration and contemplation toward the contents, while it is not happen in reading an ordinary writing. The exploration and contemplation are needed in order to get the ideas and messages of the work.
The exploration covers 7 elements. They are theme, plot, setting, character, structure, style, and atmosphere. They are an entity that exists in a literary work. Each of the elements is constructed to support the main idea existing in the work.
After the exploration of the literary work, the readers are expected to contemplate the idea and message of the work in the real life. It is as one of the functions of literature, i.e. to educate.
In this thesis I choose a novel, written by Pearl S. Buck, Pavilion of Women to be analyzed because it portrays human beings’ life. This novel talks about Chinese
th
women’s life at the early of 20 century. At that time, concubinage is a very common issue in China since there is an assumption that a man has a bigger right or authority than a woman. As Hsu (1948: 65 – 67) states in his study on Chinese families, the origin for a male to hold a concubine is for sexual pleasure since any children that resulted from a concubine is considered illegitimate. Unless allowed by their father, they have no right of inheritance. Usually a concubine has a lower status than a wife in the household. This phenomenon of having a concubine(s) is affected by the fact in China that women have the lowest places in the family. It is quite common for the poor to sell a daughter to a rich man to be a concubine to get money to take care of the rest of the family.
Buck in Pavilion of Women tells us a quite uncommon behavior of a woman that she chooses a concubine for her husband eventhough he does not want it. This research deals with the main character’s characterization and motivation in choosing a concubine for her husband in Pearl S. Buck’s Pavilion of Women. It means there is an exploration about some character’s characterization. As we know that most of Pearl S. Buck’s works are about the Chinese society or culture. This is based on her forty-year experience in China. What encourages me to choose this novel as the primary source of my thesis is how the author tells us about the Chinese life especially the Chinese women’s life in the shifting of the old traditions to the new traditions, where Chinese people in the past before the communist era underwent foot-binding, lower position then men, illiteracy, concubinage, and the abandoned baby girls. In her work, Pavilion of Women (1946), Buck illustrates how Madame Wu, the main character, who is a good wife for her husband, Mr. Wu, and a good mother for her sons, decides to take a concubine for her husband. The focus sets on the Wu’s family, it represents an ancient Chinese tradition with all it rules and norms. The situation of the house begins to change when Madame Wu takes a concubine for her husband. There is a big question here why she does it. Thus, in my analysis I would like to find out what motivates Madame Wu to do it. This study describes it from the psychological point of view.
1.2 Objective of the Study
I focus on two objectives of the study. First, I want to explore Madame Wu’s character in the novel. It is important since Madame Wu is the main character.
Second, the thesis will try to find out Madame Wu’s motivation in choosing a concubine for her husband.
1.3 Problem Formulation
There are two problems that I want to analyze in this research, they are: 1. How is Madame Wu’s character described? 2.
What is Madame Wu’s motivation in choosing a concubine for her husband.
1.4 Benefit of the Study
This research can give two benefits. The first is for the readers, it is hoped that after studying this research they can get a clear understanding about the story and the messages that the author gives. While the second is for the future researchers, it is hoped that this research can give reference to their research.
1.5 Definition of Terms
In order to avoid some misunderstanding and misinterpreting. I will define some terms that are closely related to this research.
1. Character
According to Abrams in his Glossary of Literary Terms, character is the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who is disposition quality, that are expressed in what they say-the dialogue, and by what they do-the action (1981:20).
2. Motive
According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, motive is “a cause of or reason for action; that which urges a person to act in a certain way” (p.711).
3. Motivation
According to Richard A. Kalish in his book The Psychology of Human
Behavior , motivation is the process of setting behavior into action because of a need.
4. Concubine
Webster (1993: 31) states, concubine is meant as a person whom a man cohabits without being married. It has a lower status than a wife in a household.
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter consists of three parts. The first part is the Theoretical Review. In
this part, all the theories that are applied in this study are presented. The second part is the Chinese Culture, in which I explore the Chinese Culture includes the Chinese Community and the Chinese family life. Then, the last part consists of the criticism toward Pearl S. Buck and her novel.
2.1 Theoretical Review
2.1.1 Theory of Critical Approach
A critical approach to literature is important to be taken as a basic in understanding literary work, that is the nature, function and positive values. Here, the readers must know what literature is, how to read it, and finally how to judge it. Rohberger and Woods in their book Reading and Writing About Literature (1971: 6- 13), mention five kinds of approaches in literary works. They are the formalist approach, the biographical approach, the sociocultural-historical approach, the mythopoeic approach, and the psychological approach.
The formalist approach insists on the total integrity of the literary piece. The biographical approach asserts the important for an appreciation of the ideas and personality of the author to understand the literary object (1971: 8). The mythopoeic approach tries to discover certain universally recurrent patterns of human thought, which they believe will find an expression in significant works of art (1971: 11).
The sociocultural-historical approach insists that the only way to locate the real work is in reference to the civilization that produce it (1971: 9). Here, they define civilization as the attitudes and actions of a specific group of people and point out that literature takes these attitudes and actions as its subject matter. It means that the literary works is created in the society. There is a possibility that different societies and different cultures can produce different types of literary works.
The psychological approach involves the effort to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent pattern (1971: 13). It explains the personality and the behavior of the characters in the novel based on objectification of the internal states of the character’s or of the persuasive spiritual condition.
From all those five approaches mentioned by Rohrberger and Woods, the approach that is closely related to my study is the psychological approach. As it is already mentioned before, psychological approach views literary works through the lens of psychology. Psychological critics look either at the psychological motivation of the characters or of the authors themselves. In my study I will seek the psychological motivations of the character from the novel Pavilion of Women. Hence, I decide to use the theory of psychology by Maslow because this theory can help me in analyzing the essence of the novel.
2.1.2 Theory on Character and Characterization
Abrams (1981: 20) in his book, points out that characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the readers as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say- the dialogue-and by what they do-the action.
In the same way, he says that characters are the representatives of human beings. They are presented not merely depend on the narration of the author in his work but also from their speech and actions which the author shows. Therefore, what is meant by characters in this study are the persons who are presented in the story.
Based on the importance, characters are categorized into:
a) Main or major character
A major character is usually the center of the story. He or she is the most important character in the story. Usually, the acts of the story are focused on this character from the beginning until the ending parts. The core of the story is highlighted through this characters experience.
b) Minor character
Minor characters appear in a certain setting, just necessarily to become the background for the major character. Their roles are less important than the major character because they are not fully development of the major character (1981: 20).
Characters are also divided into two types based on the internal complexity, they are: a.
Flat character A flat character is built around a single idea or quality and is presented without much individualizing detail, and therefore can be fairly adequately described in a single phrase or sentence (Forster, 1927: 69). It is so simplified, easy to identify. He is not likely to change, he is static, and his responses are predictable (Eastman, 1965: 18).
b.
Round character A round character is the character that often appears as the counter of the story. This type of character is more complex and has many sides. This character lives by his roundness and many points at which he touches life. This character appears in different action, personality, and outlook. This character also undergoes a permanent change. The change may be large or small, better or worse. The change is something more important and basic. It is more than a change in a condition and a minor change in opinion. (Perrine, 1974: 71).
The process by which an author creates a character is called characterization. Characterization has a very important role in literary work, especially in narrative and dramatic works. Characterization is the creation of imaginary persons. They are created imaginatively, but they have to be seen real, so that they exist for the readers as life like (Holman & Harmon, 1986: 81-82).
Murphy (1972: 161-173) points out some ways in which an author attempts to make his characters understandable and alive for his readers. They are from the personal description, the way the character is seen by others, by character’s speech, his past life, from the conversation of others, the figure’s reactions, direct comment given by the author, the character’s thought, mannerism. The explanation on each will be given below based on Murphy’s theory.
1. Personal Description The author can describe a person’s appearance and clothes. The author usually uses adjectives in order to give him personal description of a character. The description of a character should be detailed and clear. Clear means that each aspect is described using good choice of adjectives. The readers can get details from the physical view of a character, such as from the character’s face, skin, eyes, hair, build, and clothing.
2. Character as seen by another Instead of describing a character directly, the author can describe him through the eyes and opinions of another. The readers get the description as a reflected image. The author can give description of one character by using another character’s ideas or thoughts.
3. Speech The author can give readers an insight into the character of one of the persons in the book through what that person says. Whenever a person says, whenever he is in a conversation with another, whenever he puts forward an opinion, he is giving readers some clues to his character.
4. Past Life The author can give the past life of one character in the story in order to understand the character. By letting the readers learn something about a person’s past life, the author can give them a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character. This can be done by direct comments of the author, through the person’s thoughts, through his conversation or through the medium of another person.
5. Conversation of others The author can also give readers clues to person’s character through the conversations of other characters and the things they say about him.
People talk about other people and the things they say often give readers a clue to the character of the person spoken about.
6. Reactions The author gives the clue by letting readers know how the character in the story reacts to various situations and events in the story.
7. Direct Comment It is possible for the author to describe or comment on the person’s character of the story directly. Usually the author gives his opinion about the characters in the story.
8. Thoughts The author can give readers direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. In this respect, he is able to do what he cannot do in real life.
He can tell readers what different people are thinking.
9. Mannerism The author can describe a person’s mannerism or habits, which may also tell the readers about his character. The author reveals the habits of the character both the positive and the negative one.
2.1.3 Theory of Motivation
In this thesis, I use the theory of motivation presented by Maslow. This theory helps me to find out Madame Wu’s motivation in choosing a concubine for her husband. Maslow in Globe’s The Third Force develops a theory of motivation that emphasizes on the human needs. According to Maslow, human motivations are based on human needs. He introduces the hierarchy of human needs. He argues that the lowest need on the hierarchy has to be satisfied first before the higher needs on the hierarchy being satisfied.
The hierarchy of needs according to Maslow from the lowest level or the first level is physiological needs, safety needs, love and belongingness needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs (1970:38-43).
1. Physiological Needs The basic need for human being is physiological for physical survival. It includes the needs for food, water, sex, sleep, and oxygen.
2. Safety Needs After the physiological needs are sufficiently satisfied, the safety needs emerge. Everybody needs to feel secure, safe and out of danger. Higher needs become unimportant when one life is endangered. People need for security and protection from pain, anxiety, and disorder. The peaceful society makes its members feel safe.
Evidences for safety can be seen in people preference for familiar surroundings, secure jobs, saving accounts, and insurances.
3. Love and Belongingness Needs When the physiological and safety needs are met, the needs for love and belongingness emerge. The need of love is true in the absence of friends, or a sweetheart, or a wife, or children. Love according to Maslow is different from sex. Love in this case, is not restricted to romantic love, but it includes the feeling of closeness between two good friends, feeling the closeness to the society and some community. It involves a hunger for affectionate relationship with others, a need to feel part of a group, or a feeling that one belongs. The love requires both the receiving and giving of love, love from another and someone to love.
4. Esteem Needs It means needs for a positive, high evaluation of oneself. According to
Maslow, there are two categories of self-esteem. They are: a need for self-esteem and a need for esteem from others.
a.
The need for self-esteem motivates the individual to strive for achievement, strength, adequacy, confidence, independence, and freedom.
b.
The need of esteem from others involves a desire for reputation, status, recognition, attention, appreciation by others of one’s abilities, and a feeling of importance.
When the esteem needs are satisfied, one has the feelings of self-confidence, worth, strength, capability and adequacy of being useful and having a purpose in the world. For some people, esteem needs precede the love needs. For these people, it is first necessary to feel worthwhile before they can satisfy the love needs.
5. Self-Actualization Needs
The need of self-actualization emerges after the satisfaction of the physiological, safety, love and belongingness, and esteem needs. At the self- actualization level, the person’s behavior is motivated by different conditions than at the lower levels.
Self-actualization needs refer to the desire for self-fulfillment, to the tendency for him to become actualized in what he is potentially. It values such as truth, honesty, beauty, goodness and they provide meaning to the life of the self-actualized individual.
2.2 The Chinese Culture
2.2.1 Chinese Community
Hsu in his book Under The Ancestor’s Shadow (1948: 30) writes that the life in Chinese community is full of rituals. Starting from their birthday until their death, Chinese people have to obey the ritual and tradition in their religion properly. To be more particular, here I will discuss some custom especially which are related to marriage and concubinage.
1. Marriage and Betrothal
Usually the betrothal is held before the marriage takes place. It can be several years away before the day of marriage. So, it is not strange if there is a young betrothed couple. The parents tend to betroth their children to those whose backgrounds are already known well. They hope that their children will get a good mate. Usually the man’s family is very selective in choosing the mate, because there are some kinds of marital traditions that have to be obeyed, such as only two marriage are permitted between two clans, then the mate must not from the same clan.
2. An Ideal Marriage It is called an ideal marriage if both of the families already know each other well. If the marriage happens between two families which do not know each other, they need a go-between to arrange the matters. The go-between usually a woman (sometimes a man) who knows about both of the families. She must carry the proposal to the girl’s family and ask for the girl and the boy about all the things needed, such as the year, month, and date of their birth. Based on the conclusion taken, she will decide whether the boy and the girl are suited to each other.
3. Remarriage In Chinese community, there is rarely found a single old spinster or bachelor.
A widower is suggested to remarry. Most of them marry widows but there is no social objection if they want to marry a virgin girl. The second marriage for a man to a virgin girl involves just as much of a wedding ceremony as did his first marriage. A woman in her second marriage is a dishonored object. It was generally believed that if a woman had a son or even a daughter, she should not try to remarry.
4. Concubine Since in China a man has a bigger right or authority than a woman, it causes a lot of effects. One of them is that it is a common thing for a man to take concubine(s).
Not only for those who are superior in status but also who are in the middle class do that. Only for those who are in the lower class do not do that. It is all because they do not have enough money even for food although they actually want to do so. The origin for a male to hold a concubine is for sexual pleasure since any children that resulted from a concubine is considered illegitimate. Unless allowed by their father, they have no right of inheritance. Usually a concubine has a lower status than a wife in the household. This phenomenon of having a concubine(s) is affected by the fact that in China women have the lowest places in the family. It is quite common for the poor to sell a daughter to a rich man to be a concubine to get money to take care of the rest of the family.
2.2.2 The Chinese Family Life
China, as one of the oldest countries in the world, has been ruled over by many dynasties that fall and rise one to another for millennia as other nations do.
However, the most interesting fact that is found by Francis L.K. Hsu his study on Chinese families. It was a funny fact that the Chinese families do just the same as their rulers do.
There are several basic features observed in Chinese families. First of all is the old parents live in the wing of the rooms occupied by the eldest son, which usually the west wing. Secondly, in the normal cause of events, some rooms seem to be overcrowded, while large section of the house remain unoccupied. Thirdly, except for children and married couples, the two sexes are generally separated. Fourth, the members of each individual family within the household usually occupy rooms in the same wing or in two wings adjacent to each other. The characteristic of the dwellings shows that the division of rooms for each family is determined by rules of social appropriateness, not by considerations of personal preference, comfort or hygiene (Hsu, 1948: 56-57).
The usual contents in a Chinese family are usually more than just parents and children. Chinese people like to group their clan in one place as possible as it is and it is a sin to abandon their olds. So, a house may contain some families living together under the same roof. A wealthy family with long lineage of generations may has a clan village to keep their land in the hands of the same bloodline forever.
The most important relationship is father and son relationship. The father has the authority of life and death over the son, and the son has revere and support his parents as long as their life and (even) after their death. A father or a mother can command his son everything he/she wants them to do. Then, as a filial dutiful son, the son (and daughters) must obey him/her. When the father dies, the mother will take the responsibility of the household and the rights over her children as well as the new head of the family.
Although it looks like a tyrannical world for the sons, we cannot judge it is so. The father’s great authority is marked on the fact that actually the father and the son are part of each other. The son must be obliged to place and support his father, but the father also the provider for the son. A father who abuses his son or lets them hungry, will have no respectable place in the eyes of the society. The relationship is much better described by the literary saying: “The father is kind toward his son, and the son is filial toward his father” (Hsu, 1948: 65).
A man will have their right and place in society as soon as the change of his role from “a son” to “a father”, especially, of course, “a son’s father”. When this time comes, the father should hand the family business upon his eldest son, the next head of the family. This father and son relationship is considered as the basic relationship in a Chinese family as the other relationship only became the supplement.
The relationship between a husband and a wife is only a supplement to the father and son relationship above. A marriage is made in the name of the parents taking a daughter-in-law, not in the name of a son taking a wife (Hsu, 1948: 59). Some expressions of erotic life between a husband and a wife are sociably banished in front of public. The new wives usually only sleep together in one bed for seven days after their marriage and then they will sleep in different beds or even in different rooms.
2.3 Criticism
Pearl S. Buck was a famous writer who wrote a lot of novels about Chinese people and culture. Pavilion of Women (1946) was one of her works that told about Chinese culture. As a well-known novel, Pavilion of Women had attracted many critics to give reviews or criticism. The majority of the criticism use feminist approach and social-historical approach.
One of the critics who used feminist perspective in delivering criticism was Beverley Strong (Reviewer: Beverley Strong from Australia, August 14, 2002). She explored Pavilion of Women, and found that it was a representation of everyday life of Chinese women of a wealthy household in the 1930’s, before and during WW2, and before the rise of communism. They were pampered, waited upon and their only real duties were to satisfy the needs of their husbands and to produce sons. Another critic who also used feminist perspective was Manuela Bonfanti (Reviewer: Manuela Bonfanti from Geneva, November 8, 1999). She discovered that Madame Wu was a representation of a woman with beauty and intelligence, which can justify her husband’s affection perfectly. The changing of Madame Wu’s way of thinking after she met a foreign priest represents a liberal way of thinking. Her courage to break the old-traditional Chinese’s way of thinking had made her admired.
Although she was an American, Buck spent almost half of her life in China. So, her knowledge of the life in China is mostly seen in her novels. Some critics regard this as her special talent. Critics comment that it must be difficult for a foreigner to write a story with a setting, which is not native to her. Bentley notes:
The landscape in Mrs. Buck’s novels is always presented as seen by familiar eyes. Now this is one of the great difficulties of the novelist who chooses to write about a land not native to him (Bryfonski, 1979: 69).
Based on the above comments, she is remarkable therefore of being mentally bifocal. A person who is said to be a mentally bifocal has an ability to look at and to tell about other cultures perfectly accurate. This person can tell other cultures which are not native to her with her own understanding native language. Bentley notice Buck’s being mentally bifocal by finding out that she never uses any Chinese words to describe Chinese things. Yet she never writes any glossary or footnotes to clarify her terminology. For example, Buck writes “sparrow dominos” instead of “mahjong”, or she simply writes “a piece of land” rather than using the national measurement of land in China, which stated in “li” (1986: 128).
2.4 Theoretical Framework
The theories which I have explained above, are used to help the analysis of this study. In this section, I would like to explain the reason why the theories are needed and how I use those theories in the analysis of this study.