The significance of painting related to the outcome of Suwen`s repressed memories in Suchen Christine Lim`s Fistful of Colours.

(1)

xii ABSTRACT

STEPHANUS DIMAS CHRISTY. The Significance of Painting Related to the Outcome of Suwen’s Repressed Memories in Suchen Christine Lim’s Fistful of Colours. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2015.

Artwork is considered as the reflection that symbolically expresses the inner-state of an artist. In painting, the scene depicted on the canvas is the reflection of the psychological aspect of the artist. Psychological aspect can only be analyzed by looking back at the past experiences the artist has. The memory of those experiences may be repressed and buried in the unconsciousness. In Suchen Christine Lim’s Fistful of Colours, a character named Suwen is an artist. She is a painter with great potential. Considering the relation between artwork and psychological aspect, the writer makes a discussion about Suwen’s painting that is considered as the outcome of her repressed memories.

There are three objectives the writer pursues in this undergraduate thesis. The first objective is to find out Suwen’s characteristics. The second objective is to find out Suwen’s repressed memories. The last one is to reveal the significance of painting related to the outcome of Suwen’s repressed memories.

This undergraduate thesis employs a library research. Lim’s Fistful of Colours is the primary source. Most of the supporting sources are taken from written sources. Additional sources such as journals and articles from internet are also used. The analysis is based on the psychoanalysis approach and done by doing several steps. The first step is identifying Suwen’s characteristics. The second step is finding out Suwen’s repressed memories. The last one is revealing the significance of painting related to the outcome of Suwen’s repressed memories.

The result of the analysis shows the significance of painting for Suwen. Suwen is described as an artistic, conservative, and quiet person. She is a painter who has difficulty in expressing her feelings in words. These characteristics indicate that Suwen has repressed memories. Her repressed memories come from her unadmitted desires, unpleasant events, and unresolved conflicts. By doing painting, she can freely express anything she wants including her feelings that she represses. Suwen adopts the process of painting as the process of self-healing. When doing painting, unconsciously, Suwen heals herself by transferring her irritating feelings through the medium of art.

(2)

xiii ABSTRAK

STEPHANUS DIMAS CHRISTY. The Significance of Painting Related to the Outcome of Suwen’s Repressed Memories in Suchen Christine Lim’s Fistful of Colours. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2015.

Karya seni dianggap sebagai refleksi yang secara simbolik mengekspresikan kondisi kejiwaan seorang artis. Pada lukisan, suasana yang tergambar di kanvas merupakan refleksi dari aspek psikologi seorang artis. Aspek psikologi hanya bisa dikaji dengan melihat kembali pada pengalaman-pengalaman masa lalu artis tersebut. Ingatan dari pengalaman-pengalaman tersebut bisa jadi ditekan dan terkubur di dalam alam bawah sadar. Dalam karya Suchen Christine Lim yang berjudul Fistful of Colours, karakter bernama Suwen digambarkan sebagai seorang pelukis dengan bakat yang luar biasa. Dengan mempertimbangkan keterkaitan antara karya seni dan aspek psikologi, penulis membuat kajian tentang lukisan Suwen yang dianggap sebagai hasil dari represi yang dimilikinya.

Ada tiga tujuan yang penulis ingin capai dalam studi ini. Tujuan pertama adalah mengetahui karakteristik dari Suwen. Tujuan kedua adalah mengetahui represi yang Suwen miliki. Tujuan terakhir adalah mengungkap signifikansi lukisan berkaitan dengan hasil dari represi Suwen.

Studi ini merupakan riset pustaka. Fistful of Colours karya Lim merupakan sumber utama. Sebagian besar dari sumber pendukung diambil dari media cetak. Sumber tambahan lainnya seperti jurnal dan artikel dari internet juga digunakan. Analisa berbasis pada pendekatan psikoanalisis dan dilakukan dengan beberapa langkah. Langkah pertama adalah mengidentifikasi karakteristik dari Suwen. Langkah kedua adalah mencari represi Suwen. Langkah ketiga adalah memaparkan signifikansi lukisan berkaitan dengan hasil dari represi Suwen.

Hasil dari analisis menunjukkan pentingnya lukisan bagi Suwen. Suwen dideskripsikan sebagai seseorang yang artistik, kolot, dan pendiam. Suwen adalah seorang pelukis yang memiliki kesulitan dalam mengutarakan perasaannya melalui kata-kata. Sifat-sifat tersebut mengindikasikan bahwa Suwen memiliki represi. Represi Suwen muncul dari penyangkalan hasrat, peristiwa yang tidak menyenangkan, dan konflik yang terabaikan. Dengan melukis, Suwen dapat mengekspresikan apapun yang dia inginkan termasuk represi yang dimilikinya. Suwen memakai proses melukis sebagai penyembuhan diri sendiri. Saat melukis, secara tidak sadar, Suwen melakukan proses penyembuhan diri dengan menyalurkan perasaan yang tidak menyenangkan melaui media seni.

(3)

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PAINTING RELATED TO

THE OUTCOME OF SUWEN’S REPRESSED MEMORIES

IN SUCHEN CHRISTINE LIM’S FISTFUL OF COLOURS

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

STEPHANUS DIMAS CHRISTY

Student Number: 104214003

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA 2015

(4)

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PAINTING

RELATED TO

THE OUTCOME OF SUWEN’S REPRESSED MEMORIES

IN SUCHEN CHRISTINE LIM’S FISTFUL OF COLOURS

TITLE PAGE

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

STEPHANUS DIMAS CHRISTY

Student Number: 104214003

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA 2015

(5)

iii

A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PAINTING RELATED TO

THE OUTCOME OF SUWEN’S REPRESSED MEMORIES

IN SUCHEN CHRISTINE LIM’S FISTFUL OF COLOURS

APPROVAL PAGE

STEPHANUS DIMAS CHRISTY Student Number: 104214003

Approved by

Dr. F.X. Siswadi, M.A. April 13, 2015 Advisor

Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum. April 13, 2015 Co-Advisor

(6)

A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PAINTING RELATED TO

THE OUTCOME OF SUWEN’S REPRESSED MEMORIES

IN SUCHEN CHRISTINE LIM’S FISTFUL OF COLOURS

ACCEPTANCE PAGE

STEPHANUS DIMAS CHRISTY Student Number: 104214003

Defended before the Board of Examiners on April 30, 2015

and Declared Acceptable

BOARD OF EXAMINERS

Name Signature

Chairperson : Dr. F. X. Siswadi, M. A. ________________ Secretary : Dra. A. B. Sri Mulyani, M.A., Ph.D. ________________ Member 1 : Dr. Gabriel Fajar Sasmita Aji, M.Hum. ________________ Member 2 : Dr. F. X. Siswadi, M. A. ________________ Member 3 : Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum. ________________

Yogyakarta, April 30, 2015 Faculty of Letters Sanata Dharma University

Dean

(7)

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS

Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma

Nama : Stephanus Dimas Christy Nomor Mahasiswa : 104214003

Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PAINTING RELATED TO

THE OUTCOME OF SUWEN’S REPRESSED MEMORIES

IN SUCHEN CHRISTINE LIM’S FISTFUL OF COLOURS

beserta 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 kepada saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.

Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.

Dibuat di Yogyakarta Pada tanggal 13 April 2015

Yang menyatakan,

(8)

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY

I certify that this undergraduate thesis contains no material which has been

previously submitted for the award of any other degree at any university, and that,

to the best of my knowledge, this undergraduate thesis contains no material

previously written by any other person except where due reference is made in the

text of the undergraduate thesis.

Yogyakarta, April 13, 2015

(9)

vii

MOTTO PAGE

(10)

viii

DEDICATION PAGE

For

My Parents,

My

My Brothers

Brothers

Brothers,,,,

My Guardean Angel

My Guardean Angelssss,,,,

And

My Pathway to Glory

(11)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

With deep gratitude I acknowledge my undergraduate thesis advisor, Dr.

F.X. Siswadi, M.A., who professionally guided me in making a good framework

and criticized the whole parts of this undergraduate thesis and attentively gave ear

to my ideas and appreciated my efforts. I also acknowledge my undergraduate thesis

advisor, Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum., who became a supportive

co-advisor, and my undergraduate thesis examiner, Dr. Gabriel Fajar Sasmita Aji,

M.Hum., who critically examined my undergraduate thesis. I appreciate all of

lecturers and staff members of Department of English Letters of Sanata Dharma

University for giving the students magnificent assistance.

My special thanks belong to my precious parents, Mr. Antonius S. R. and

Mrs. Fransiska Diana A., who have wholeheartedly braced me with their care and

prayer; my brothers, Mas Io and Mas Dede, who have optimistically strengthened

my will; and all of Pardjo’s and Tauwala’s families. I also thank all my friends who

have shared with me their experiences and ideas and especially my partner, Stefan

Mardikus, S.T., M.T., who has supportively given me some advice.

Last, but never least, I am grateful to God and Guardian Angels for giving

me strength and miracles so that I can finish writing my undergraduate thesis.

(12)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE ... ii

APPROVAL PAGE ... iii

ACCEPTANCE PAGE ... iv

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH ... v

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ... vi

MOTTO PAGE ... vii

DEDICATION PAGE ... viii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS ... x

ABSTRACT ... xii

ABSTRAK ... xiii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ... 1

A. Background of the Study ... 1

B. Problem Formulation ... 6

C. Objectives of the Study ... 6

D. Definition of Terms ... 6

1. Repression ... 7

2. Repressed Memory ... 7

3. Symbol ... 7

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ... 9

A. Review of Related Studies ... 9

B. Review of Related Theories ... 12

1. Theory of Character and Characterization ... 12

2. Theory of Repression ... 13

3. Theory of Art ... 14

4. Theory of Symbol ... 16

5. The Relationship between Psychology and Literature ... 17

C. Theoretical Framework ... 19

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ... 21

A. Object of the Study ... 21

B. Approach of the Study ... 22

C. Method of the Study ... 24

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ... 26

A. The Description of Suwen’s Characteristics in Lim’s Fistful of Colours ... 26

1. Artistic ... 26

2. Conservative ... 30

(13)

B. The Revelation of Suwen’s Repressed Memories ... 37

C. The Significance of Painting related to the Outcome of Suwen’s Repressed Memories ... 43

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ... 50

BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 54

(14)

xii ABSTRACT

(15)

xiii ABSTRAK

STEPHANUS DIMAS CHRISTY. The Significance of Painting Related to the Outcome of Suwen’s Repressed Memories in Suchen Christine Lim’s Fistful of Colours. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2015.

(16)

1 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Psychological aspect of human being is the most interesting and

complicated thing to deal with because it is not visible by looking only with naked

eyes. Psychological aspect has important contribution almost in every part of

human life. It relates a character’s past experiences with his/her present

experiences. It is necessary to be considered when talking about the character or the

characteristics of a character. The form of characteristics is highly affected by the

psychological aspect of the character itself. Sometimes, analyzing and tracking

back into a character’s past life are necessary in order to compile the information

and indications of his characteristics which are on the present day. This is what

Psychologists usually do on their therapy in order to solve the problem of their

clients. Like a chain, the past experience of a character has an effect in the

development of a character itself. What they have learned, seen, heard, felt and

faced are the factors of what they will be in the future. The experiences always

relate one to another. Therefore, the characteristics of a character on the present will

be the result of the development process of the character from the past. This kind

of processes cannot be seen on the physical aspects. The process only can be dealt

with psychological aspects of the character because it is deeply buried in mind, not

(17)

When talking about psychological aspect, a consideration on the relation

between the conscious and the unconscious elements of a character is needed. Like

what Freud has done on his works, the analysis depends upon the notion of the

unconsciousness, which is the part of the mind beyond consciousness which

nevertheless has a strong influence upon the character’s action (Barry, 1995: 96).

The unconsciousness has a great contribution on the characteristic and action of a

character. A character can only be fully understood by doing an investigation on

the unconsciousness of the character.

The one that is popular of Freud’s works is the idea of repression.

Repression is the forgetting or ignoring of unresolved conflicts, unadmitted desires,

or traumatic past events, so that they are forced out of consciousness awareness and

into the realms of the unconsciousness (Barry, 1995: 96-97). Something that is

repressed in mind is buried in the unconsciousness. Sooner or later it will come out

into a form of action. For example a character who is experiencing a sexual abuse

in his/her childhood may become a sexual abuser on the future. Another example is

a character who is restricted by certain rules, in the future, sooner or later, he/she

may become a maniac of something. These two examples indicate the idea of

repression which can be found in society. There are still a number of such cases

though they are not discovered yet.

The repression which is buried in the unconsciousness can come out into

any form. It may be an action or a certain mentality. It is also possible to come out

into a form which is related to who the character is or what he/she usually does in

(18)

his/her feelings into artworks. The repression of the artist may come out easily in

the form of an artwork because of the freedom given by art.

Art is an expression of the unconsciousness and can be interpreted to give

insight into a person’s personality or emotional state. Alan Tormey (1971: 103)

states that the core of which he formulates as the proposition that if an artwork has

an expressive property, then the artist, in creating that artwork, expressed a feeling

state of which is the "qualitative analogue". In painting, the use of color, size, line,

shape and space as well as the complexity of art, convey meaning. There is a general

assumption that artworks are created by a process in the course of which an artist

expresses his/her emotions, and that the special character and value of an artwork

is the result of the emotion. Art is the media where people can transfer ideas and

feelings expressively. By art, people can express what they see, what they hear, and

what they feel about something in their life. There is a moment when people tend

to enjoy expressing their feeling through artworks rather than words. This is for the

matter which people cannot say through words. Sometimes, people have difficulties

in expressing their feelings in words. They use the other media, which is art, in

order to express their feelings rather than say in words. By doing this, people can

express the experience, mood, idea, and thought freely because in art there is no

restriction in expressing feelings. There is no limitation of messages transferred to

the media. The artist can put any messages on it. In this phase, an artist

unconsciously heals his/her self. This idea is provided by Alexandria Bean.

There are some artworks having deep value and message behind their forms,

(19)

K. Elliott (1967: 119) states that this experience is eloquently described: we can

hear the musical message "as if someone were expressing his emotion in and

through the sounds as a person does in and through his voice". In painting, the artist

transfers his/her message in colors on the canvas. In music, by hearing and

interpreting the tones, people can understand the message. Thus, artwork is

something that is symbolically reflecting the artist’s messages or feelings through

its media. In literary works, a symbol is considered as the essential part of the story.

Symbol is something that has and reflects another meaning of its form. Authors

create symbol in their work on literature to give sensations to the readers. It gives

interesting in reading and makes the reader thinks and feels challenged to get to

know more about the story.

Since the object of the study in this undergraduate thesis is a kind of literary

work, the writer considers in giving the theory which relates the psychology and

literature. In some cases, analyzing literary works needs concepts and methods of

psychological analysis. As Dr. Russell (1964: 421) states that “…both may attempt

to describe human lives…”. In doing a psychological analysis on literary works, it

is impossible to observe the character’s psychological aspects without a knowledge

of psychology. The analysts need to borrow some methods of psychology in order

to get the adequate knowledge in observing the character’s psychological aspects.

Thus, psychology and literature can be used in the same direction in the analysis

regardless their different concern.

Related to the idea of repression, art, and symbol in literary work, the writer

(20)

one of the major characters in Suchen Christine Lim’s novel, Fistful of Colours.

Suwen is an artist of great potential, yet she has difficulty expressing her feelings

in word. She has painted a controversial painting. Her painting included in the art

exhibition in Singapore gets various comments from the society. Some of them are

destructive comments. Suwen’s painting must be having certain message. There

must be a factor that drives Suwen to paint such kind of painting. Painting is a kind

of artworks. It is likely to be the form of repression because art is a media in which

people can express their emotion or feeling freely. Since Suwen is an artist and

having difficulty expressing her feelings in word, the factor must be related to her

feelings.

Based on the psychoanalysis, feeling is related to the unconsciousness.

Inside of the unconsciousness, the repression is buried. The indication above gives

the writer inspiration to reveal the idea of repression which is reflected on Suwen’s

painting. To make a clear analysis of this undergraduate thesis, first of all, the writer

concerns on the characteristic of Suwen because it is the basic information that is

needed in analyzing a literary work. Characters of the novel have great contribution

in developing the storyline of the novel. Without characters, there would be no

storyline. After analyzing the characteristic of Suwen and having sufficient

information, the writer goes to the finding of Suwen’s experience which may have

a relation with the repression. After that, the writer observes and reveals the

significance of painting related to Suwen’s repressed experience based on the

(21)

B. Problem Formulation

Based on the indications that are written on background of the study, the

writer formulates several problems that will be analyzed in this undergraduate thesis

in order to achieve the objectives of the study. The problems which are formulated

in this undergraduate thesis are:

1. What are the characteristics of the main character, Ong Suwen in Lim’s

Fistful of Colours?

2. What memories are repressed in Suwen’s unconsciousness?

3. What is the significance of painting related to the outcome of Suwen’s

repressed memories?

C. Objectives of the Study

There are three objectives that the writer pursues in this undergraduate

thesis. The first objective is to find out the characteristics of Suwen which are

described in Lim’s novel, Fistful of Colours. The second objective is to find out

Suwen’s experiences which are indicated to be the repressed memories in her

unconsciousness. The last objective of this study is to reveal the significance of

painting related to the outcome of Suwen’s repressed memories.

D. Definition of Terms

To fully understand the analysis presented in this undergraduate thesis, the

definition of terms which become the main issues of this undergraduate study are

(22)

1. Repression

Based on Freud’s theory, repression is defined as:

The forgetting or ignoring of unresolved conflicts, unadmitted desires, or traumatic past events, so that they are forced out of conscious awareness and into the realm of the unconscious (Barry, 1995: 96-97).

Repression is a kind of action in which a person tries to ignore or forget

about something that bothers his/her mind. The process of repression happens

unconsciously. Whenever a person tries to repress memories of bad feelings or

unpleasant events, those kind of memories are not vanished. They are

unconsciously kept in his/her unconsciousness.

2. Repressed Memory

Based on Robert Todd Carroll’s idea, repressed memory is defined as “the

memory of a traumatic event unconsciously retained in mind, where it is said to

adversely affect conscious thought, desire, and action” (http://skepdic.com, April

11, 2015).

When a person tries to repress traumatic or unpleasant experiences of his/her

life, the memories of those experiences are not gone. These kind of memories are

kept in the character’s mind and unconsciously affect the person’s behavior.

3. Symbol

Based on Shaw’s idea, a symbol in literary works is defined as:

Something used for, or regarded as, representing something else. More specifically, a symbol is a word, phrase, or other expression having a complex of associated meanings; in this sense, a symbol is viewed as having values different from those of whatever is being symbolized. …Many poets

(23)

have used the rose as a symbol of youth and beauty; a flag is a piece of cloth which stands for or is a symbol of a nation (1881: 367).

A thing can occasionally mean something else beyond its conventional

meaning. It depends on the agreement made by the individual or social aspects.

When something is identified as having special values, it can be considered as a

symbol. A symbol generally comes in the form of something that has a strong

(24)

9 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A. Review of Related Studies

“Repression toward Students at School in James Joyce’s A Portrait of the

Artist as a Young Man” by Maria Puspitasari Munthe is one of the studies that

discuss about repression. She is an English Letters Department student. She focuses

to look and pay more attention on how a school continuously does repression

toward students in the condition where people are not aware of it. In order to make

a clear discussion in her study, Maria Puspitasari Munthe sets three objectives for

her study. The first objective is to see the characteristics of the characters in the

novel. The second objective is to find out how the institution of school with its

system represses the students through some ways. The last objective is to prove

whether such actions are truly repressions by considering the criteria and impacts

of repression. In supporting her study, Maria Puspitasari Munthe uses some related

theories. Theory of Character and Characterization is used to support the first

objective. Theory of Psychoanalytic is used to support the second objective. Theory

of Subject is used to support the last objective. She also uses other supportive

theories in developing her study. To get an effective analysis, she uses

Psychoanalytic approach because her study is about character and repression.

The topic that Maria Puspitasari Munthe discusses in her study is the same

as this undergraduate thesis. Both Maria Puspitasari Munthe and the writer discuss

(25)

difference are that Maria Puspitasari Munthe and the writer have different novel

and objectives to discuss.

Another study is “Symbols that Reflect the Main Character Named Coco in

Wei Hui’s Shanghai Baby” by Marta Nelly, an English Letters Department student.

Her study is meant to analyze the symbols that reflect the main character, Coco, in

Wei Hui’s Shanghai Baby. Her study has three objectives. The first is to describe

how Coco is described as the main character in the novel. The second is to describe

how a cat, Coco’s novel, and the yin yang are depicted in the novel. And the last

one is to identify how cat, the novel, and the yin yang symbolize Coco. Marta Nelly

uses theories of character and characterization by Abrams, Milligan, Henkle, Gill,

and Murphy, the theory of setting by Abrams, Gill, Holman and Harmon, and the

theory of symbol by Holman and Halmon as well as sources from the internet about

cat in many cultures. Symbolic or Formalistic approach is used in this study because

it examines the foreground properties or devices in literary works, including

symbols, to reveal the form and logic of the literary works.

The topic that is discussed in Marta Nelly’s study entitled “Symbols that

Reflect the Main Character Named Coco in Wei Hui’s Shanghai Baby” is relatively

the same as the topic discussed in this undergraduate thesis, which is symbol. She

focuses on the identification of the symbols that reflect the main character of the

novel. By analyzing several symbols, she can identify the main character, Coco, in

Wei Hui’s Shanghai Baby. Although the topic is the same, the novel of this

undergraduate thesis is different. The writer uses Fistful of Colours by Suchen

(26)

between the two studies is also different. The writer uses Psychoanalysis approach

in this undergraduate thesis and Marta Nelly uses Symbolic or Formalistic approach

in developing her study.

Another related study is the study of Suchen Christine Lim’s work, which

is “Resistance and Oppression in Su-Chen Christine Lim’s Novels: A Radical

Feminist Analysis” by Santhi Mathy Ramdas, Shakila Abdul Manan and

Elangkeeran Sabapathy. They analyze the Chinese women’s resistance to

oppression by women themselves in Su-Chen Christine Lim’s novels: A Bit of

Earth, Fistful of Colours, Gift from the Gods, and Rice Bowl. These novels depict

the problems faced by Chinese women owing to the patriarchal practices and the

long-standing Confucian beliefs that are found to be inherent within the Chinese

society. This study attempts to answer the “when”, “how” and “why” of oppression

of women by women in the selected novels. The Radical Feminist Theory is used

to analyze and highlight female oppression and resistance found in the novels.

The object which is discussed in their study and in this undergraduate thesis

is the same. It is Fistful of Colours by Suchen Christine Lim. However, the topic

and the focus are different. This undergraduate thesis focuses on the meaning of

Suwen’s painting related to the idea of repression while the related study focuses

on the attitude of the character as a woman character in the novel.

Based on the review of the related studies above, this undergraduate thesis

has something new to discover. The other studies which are provided above are

related to this undergraduate thesis and have the same topic to discuss. However,

(27)

undergraduate thesis focuses on the revelation of the idea of repression that can be

seen through a painting which is painted by Suwen.

B. Review of Related Theories

To support the analysis in this undergraduate thesis, the writer uses some

theories to answer the problems. The theories are theory of character and

characterization, theory of psychoanalysis, theory of repression, theory of art, and

theory of symbol. The writer also uses additional source which discusses the

relation between psychology and literature since the analysis of this undergraduate

thesis is based on the character’s psychological aspects in the novel.

1. Theory of Character and Characterization

Character is the most important part of the story. It has some qualities in

determining the concept of the story itself. When doing a research on literary works,

such as novel, it is necessary to look first into the characteristics of the characters

in the story. This step cannot be separated from literary researches because of the

qualities possessed by the characters. Even a single character has a contribution in

building the storyline.

Abrams (1981: 20-21) defines that the character as “the persons presented

in a 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—the

dialogue—and by what they do—their action”. In order to strengthen the theory of

(28)

written by M. J. Murphy. Murphy (1972: 161-173) states that the characteristics of

a character might be identified through personal description, the speech, life

background, and thought and habits of the character. Conversation and opinion of

other characters, direct comment from the author, and the reaction toward certain

situation also can be the indications in identifying characteristics of a character.

Based on Abrams’ and Murphy’s theory of character and characterization,

the characteristics of characters can be identified through almost every aspect of

their life. The indications can be derived from what they say or do and what the

other characters say about them in the story. It is possible that the author directly

describes their characteristics. That means the characteristics of characters can be

interpreted in some ways as long as they are related.

In order to strengthen the analysis, the writer also uses additional theory that

is related to classification of character which is provided by Larain and Art Bennet

(2005: 3). By this theory, the characteristics of Suwen that are identified can be

classified into general type of human being.

2. Theory of Repression

The idea of repression becomes the focus in this undergraduate thesis. Thus,

the writer includes the theory of repression in order to get the idea and better

analysis of the repression. Basically, the writer uses the Freud’s idea of repression

and the other experts’ idea that support Freud’s idea of repression.

Based on Freud’s theory (Barry, 1995: 96-97), repression is defined as

(29)

traumatic past events, so that they are forced out of conscious awareness and into

the realm of the unconscious”. It is possible that a character has memory that is

repressed. The repressed memory can be derived from the traumatic or unpleasant

events that the character faced in the past time. Such kind of memories are kept in

the unconsciousness until it find a way to come out. The outcome of the repression

may be in any forms.

In addition, Matthew Hugh Erdelyi (2006: 504) also mentions something

related to Freud’s idea of repression that “there is no guarantee that at a later

juncture there might not be a return of the repressed”. People may be able to keep

the repression out of the consciousness. But the repressed memory is not vanished.

It is still buried deeply inside the unconsciousness and there is possibility for the

repression to come out of the unconsciousness.

Repression is closely related to unconsciousness. As Erdelyi states that

“…psychoanalysis treat as axiomatic that the defenses, including repression, are

unconscious processes” (2006: 500). The repression is processed deeply inside the

human’s unconsciousness. Since it is in the unconsciousness, the process of making

the repression is invisible. It can only be observed by looking inside the character’s

mind by applying psychoanalysis methods.

3. Theory of Art

Since the topic of this undergraduate thesis is related to an artwork, the

writer considers the necessity of giving the theory of art in order to support the

(30)

Art has a lot of function related to human life, especially to the artist. One

of its significant functions is to be a media of expression of the feelings and

memories possessed by the artist. Alan Tormey (1971:103) states that an artwork

has an expressive property, then the artist, in creating that artwork, expressed a

feeling state of which is the "qualitative analogue". An artwork has not only

aesthetic values but also the emotional values. Artwork is a media which an artist

can freely express his/her emotions and feelings. The artist turns his/her

psychological aspects into a real thing which is an artwork.

Another function of art is to be a healing process. It means when an artist

creates an artwork, he/she also does a healing process for his/her self. Alexandria

Bean (http://www.themindfulword.org, October 2, 2013), one of the experts that

work in the field of art, states that “creating a new masterpiece transforms inner

rage, pain, or emotional baggage into something tangible. Hopes and fears can be

transcribed for the first time, feelings that shouldn’t be ignored or suffocated.

Rather, these basic human feelings can be managed and celebrated through

creativity. In this sense, self-expression serves as a simple reminder of the healing

process”. When an artwork is created, the artist pour his/her emotions and feeling

in the process of making the work. By transferring the emotions and feelings to an

artwork, an artist is unconsciously doing a healing process and refreshing his/her

(31)

4. Theory of Symbol

Symbol is a part of intrinsic elements of literary works. Almost all of literary

works have a symbol that is created by the author in order to show the significance

of certain situation, phenomenon, and event presented in the story. The significance

of a symbol has a great contribution in building the storyline.

According to Shaw’s idea (1881: 367), a symbol is “something used for, or

regarded as, representing something else. More specifically, a symbol is a word,

phrase, or other expression having a complex of associated meanings; in this sense,

a symbol is viewed as having values different from those of whatever is being

symbolized. …Many poets have used the rose as a symbol of youth and beauty; a

flag is a piece of cloth which stands for or is a symbol of a nation”. Shaw’s idea of

symbol gives the description that between the form of the symbol and something

that it symbolizes lays a relation. The two things must have certain values or aspects

that relate each other. The meaning of a symbol, in some conditions, cannot be

interpreted only by looking at its literal meaning. It may have something unseen

that has certain information about the meaning.

In studying symbols of literary text, the general and specific concepts of the

symbol have to be identified. These concepts may have information about the

meaning that can be easily seen or hardly identified by the reader. The unseen things

or information of the symbol is not easily observable. They can be identified by

finding the indications or supporting information about the form of the symbol in

(32)

meanings. Perrin also gives steps to identify the symbols in literary text. Here are

the steps:

1. The story itself must furnish a clue that a detail is to be taken symbolically. It means that symbolic phenomena can be identified by repetition, emphasis or position.

2. The meaning of a literary symbol must be established and supported by the entire context of the story. It means that the meaning of the symbol can be identified inside the text, not outside it.

3. To be called a symbol, an item must suggest a meaning different in kind from its literal meaning.

4. A symbol may have more than one meaning. Symbol differs from metaphor and simile in that it does not contain a comparison, but by virtue of association represents something more than itself. For example, if the cross symbolizes Christianity, its symbolic meaning does not arise from a comparison (Perrine, 1974: 214).

Perrin’s theory of symbol has an effective way to identify and find the

meaning of symbols in literary text. The indications provided in the theory, such as

repetition, emphasis, and position of the symbolic phenomena are adequate in

supporting the study of the symbols in literary text. The information that supports

the finding of symbol meaning is basically can be acquired from the text.

5. The Relationship between Psychology and Literature

Psychology and literature are two terms which can be associated and related

together. There are some aspects of psychology and literature that can be used

together in working on literary criticism. As Dr. Russell (1964: 420) states that “the

word interdisciplinary is still fashionable one but many people do not see, or do not

want to see, much connection between English and psychology”.

There are hesitations and difficulties in associating psychology and

(33)

behavior and thought, their approaches of study are different. Psychology is meant

to be dealing with specific behavior while literature is meant to be supposed to mean

more than it says. Psychology looks for logic and order in a situation; the artist,

unfettered in imagination, knows that life does not proceed according to rules or

logic. Like what is supposed to be in other sciences, that psychology seeks

verifiable general laws. In contrast with this idea, literature deals with the fugitive

truths of a specific person in a specific situation. Psychologists observe what can be

replicated, while writers deal with analogy, metaphor, and intentional ambiguities

(Russell, 1964: 420). In literature, the analysts take focus on the thinking about

imagery, emotion, character, and conflict that are depicted in the literary works. In

psychology, the analysts take focus on relying on relatively crude and isolated tests

and experiments.

Although the differences between psychology and literature exist, the

overlap in the two fields must be noticed. Both of them may attempt to describe

human lives in relation to personalities. The mutual concerns of the two fields can

be described in four categories, such as: the psychology of the writer, the

psychology of the creative process, the study of behavior described in literary

works, and responses to literature (Russell, 1964: 421). Each of the preceding

categories needs a knowledge of psychology and skills used in analyzing literary

works in order to help the analysts to work better in the research. Those four

categories are the examples of activities/investigations in which the content and

(34)

C. Theoretical Framework

The analysis of this undergraduate thesis is done by applying the related and

supporting theories, which are theory of character and characterization, theory of

repression, theory of art, and the theory of symbol based on the psychoanalysis

approach. Those theories are used to get and analyze the data which can be found

in the novel. In order to get the valid data and results for solving the problems that

the writer finds and formulates in this undergraduate thesis, the writer does three

steps. Each step focuses on one problem.

Firstly, the writer identifies the characteristics of Suwen by looking into the

parts of the text that provide the information of Suwen’s characteristics which can

be found in the novel. Since the focus of the first analysis is the characteristics of

character, the analysis is done based on the requirements of the theory of character

and characterization by M. H. Abrams supported by M. J. Murphy. The writer uses

this theory because it has strong and obvious qualities to identify the intrinsic

elements of the story. Then the writer classifies the characteristics of Suwen which

are identified into a general type of human being by using Bennet’s idea of

temperament.

After acquiring the required data, the writer continues to observe and

analyze Suwen’s memory that is related to the idea of repression by applying the

theory of repression which is formulated by Sigmund Freud. Freud’s idea of

repression is considered as the suitable theories in acquiring the information about

(35)

thesis. This theory has obvious system that can be used by the writer to analyze the

repressed memory of Suwen in the novel.

Finally, theory of art by Alan Tormey and Alexandria Bean and theory of

symbol by H. Shaw and L. Perrine are used in order to support the discussion in

acquiring the idea of the significance of painting related to the outcome of Suwen’s

repressed memories. These two theories are used because the topic of the study in

this undergraduate thesis is related to an artwork which is at the same time becomes

the symbol of the novel. The theory of art presented in this undergraduate thesis is

used to observe the relation between Suwen and her painting. The theory of symbol

which is used by the writer provides an effective method in observing the symbols

in Lim’s Fistful of Colours. Perrine gives several steps in working with symbols

(36)

21 CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

The object of this undergraduate thesis is a novel which is written by Suchen

Christine Lim which is entitled Fistful of Colours. The novel became the winner of

the Singapore Literature Prize in 1992. Fistful of Colours was published by SNP

International Publishing Pte Ltd, Singapore in 2003. This novel has 303 pages

divided into 8 parts. Each part of Fistful of Colours has different story focus. The

story is built up layer by layer. The present is built on the past and the present is an

indicator of what the future might be. It is quite difficult to understand the storyline

of this novel at first reading. This novel has been adopted as a core text by some of

the top schools in Singapore. It should be read in Singapore schools because it

integrates literature with history and brings Singapore History to a personal level

(http://www.stpressbooks.com.sg, January 4, 2015).

Fistful of Colours is an elegant, multi-layered reflection on Singapore as

experienced through one day in the life of Ong Suwen, a young teacher in search of

her identity as a woman and an artist. Peering into the rich history of her stepfather's

family, Suwen uncovers and reveals the hopes and struggles of Singapore's first

generation of immigrants and residents - from Chinese collies, Indian doctors and

Malay waiters, each is given a unique and vibrant voice. Woven into this narrative

(37)

pursuit of personal and artistic freedom. It is their search for answers that give this

lyrical, beautifully considered and well-loved book its restive spirit.

The story of Fistful of Colours is mostly about Suwen, one of the major

characters of the novel, who faces molestation and betrayal by her companions,

Mark and Nica, who drive her to paint a controversial picture. All the time of her

life, Suwen never painted and exposed the other things but historical things even

though she wanted to. The climax of the story of Fistful of Colours was when Suwen

painted a controversial painting and was given various comments. However most

of the comment was destructive. The factor that drove her to paint such painting

was the memory of betrayal that had been done by her lover and her close friend,

Mark and Nica. At the end of the story, Suwen was on a train heading to another

city. At that time, she questioning herself about her behavior and the painful

memory she got.

B. Approach of the Study

In doing the analysis in this undergraduate thesis, the writer uses the

psychoanalysis approach. The psychoanalysis approach is chosen to be the core of

the analysis in this undergraduate thesis since the topic of this undergraduate thesis

is mainly about the psychological aspects of the character. Psychoanalysis

emphasizes the importance of a character’s experiences and initiates and addresses

the importance of the unconscious elements of the character’s mind which cannot

(38)

Peter Barry (2002: 96) states that psychoanalysis is “…a form of literary

criticism which uses some of the techniques of psychoanalysis in the interpretation

of literature. Psychoanalysis itself is a form of therapy which aims to cure mental

disorder by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in

the mind”. Psychoanalysis is originally a therapy which is used by psycho therapists

in inspecting and analyzing their patients’ characteristics and background in order

to cure the illness of their mind. They have to go into the patient’s mind. This

idea/method of psychoanalysis has a great contribution in doing the literary study.

The concept of analysis which is done by psychoanalyst is always related to

the unconscious of the character. This concept is conducted by Sigmund Freud.

Based on Freud’s idea, Frederick J. Hoffman (1957: 605) states that “from these

simple beginnings came the terminology with which we are all now familiar: the

id, ego, super-ego; the unconscious, preconscious, conscious; the pleasure principle

and the reality principle; and so on”. The ego represents what is called reasoning,

in contrast to the id which contains the passion. The ego is that part of the id which

has been modified by the direct influence of the external world. The three terms in

the concept of the unconscious are related each other. As Hoffman states that “it

withdraws libido from the id and transforms the object-cathexes of the id into

object-constructions. With the aid of super-ego, …it draws upon the experiences of

past ages stored in the id” (Hoffman, 1957: 607).

One of the important aspects in psychoanalysis is the idea of repression

which is conducted by Sigmund Freud. Freud’s (Barry, 2002: 97) idea of repression

(39)

desires, or traumatic past events, so that they are forced out of conscious awareness

and into the realm of the unconscious”.

Psychoanalysis is a suitable approach to be used in the study of unconscious

aspects. Freud’s idea is not only used in psychology field but also in literary field

since literary works have numerous unconscious aspects that can be analyzed.

Freudian interpretation, then, has always been of considerable interest in literary critics. The basic reason, again, is that the unconscious, like the poem, or novel, or play, cannot speak directly and explicitly but does so through images, symbols, emblems, and metaphors (Barry, 2002:102).

Related to this undergraduate thesis which focuses on the unconscious

elements of the character and the idea of repression, psychoanalysis approach has a

clear and supporting system that the writer needs in analyzing the problems

formulated in this undergraduate thesis. Based on the psychoanalysis approach, the

writer analyzes the problems of the undergraduate thesis by seeing on Suwen’s

experiences, memories, or ideas she has that may influence her unconsciousness in

order to get the data to solve the problems.

C. Method of the Study

This undergraduate thesis is a kind of library research. Most of the sources

supporting this undergraduate thesis are taken from written sources. Minor

additional sources from internet are also taken to be the aids in doing the research.

The writer uses Lim’s Fistful of Colours as the primary source. Other sources such

as: a book of Peter Barry, Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and

(40)

of character and characterization, theory of repression, theory of art, and theory of

symbol which are supporting and related to this undergraduate thesis are used.

In doing the analysis, the writer did several steps. Identifying and

understanding the characteristics of Suwen as the main character of the novel was

the most important thing to do firstly. It was the core of this undergraduate thesis

and even the core of most literary studies. After Suwen’s characteristics were

identified, the writer continued to find Suwen’s repressed memories by looking at

the indications that were potential to be the repression. In finalizing the analysis,

the writer used the previous data and the related theories to reveal the significance

(41)

26 CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

A. The Description of Suwen’s Characteristics in Lim’s Fistful of Colours Suwen is one of major characters in Lim’s Fistful of Colours. She has a great

contribution to the storyline. Identifying the characteristics of the character in a

novel is necessary to get the information for the further analysis in literary study.

In this subchapter, the writer applies the theory of character and characterization

which is conducted by Abrams and Murphy in identifying the characteristics of

Suwen. The following parts show Suwen’s characteristics based on Lim’s Fistful of

Colours.

1. Artistic

Suwen is an artist, a painter with great potential. She has good skills in

painting. It is also obviously seen that she is artistic through the way she looks and

thinks about something as an object of her painting project. The following parts

show the conditions that represent the artistic trait of Suwen.

As an artist, Suwen possesses a great quality that every single artist must

have, that is expressive. In painting, she can express anything she has in her mind.

When she is sitting in front of her canvas, Suwen can express anything she wants,

her feelings, moods, and thoughts. Transferring the qualities of her feelings, moods,

(42)

express what is in her mind through painting as what is stated in the following

quotation.

More often than not, she would rather paint. Painting as she was feeling and feeling what she was painting, filling huge abstract spaces with colours. Lifted by an inner music, impelled by a feverish restlessness, her hand had painted light and shadows, lines and shapes, colours and textures, her strokes uneven and unplanned, her agitated spirit yearning for the fluidity of dispossession, rootlessness and loneliness. To be free to seek pure form. Free to paint the canvas she was defining and to suffer the loneliness she was choosing (Lim, 2003: 15).

When doing painting, Suwen can freely express her feelings. Based on the

quotation above, it is obvious that she has bad feelings. She tries to express it into

the form of painting. The way she does her painting reflects the bad feelings that

she has. The movements of the brush, which are restless and uneven, show that she

is in bad mood at that time. Her gestures, somehow, show her psychological aspects.

In other words, psychological states can influence the artist way of working.

But in some rare moments of intense lucid creation when she was painting alone, her many dreams and desires had fused like colours shading into one another, mixing and merging, so that for an instance, one whole uncomplicated and integrated individual, the artist, had painted in total control, totally absorbed and complete in her artistic powers. Manipulating the brush as an extension of her hand; her hand as an extension of her will; her will, the expression of her being-Suwen. Supreme and solitary she had stood in front of her canvas (Lim, 2003: 15).

From the quotation above, it can be noticed that Suwen has qualities of a

great artist. She can fuse her dreams and desires into a mixture of colors. By doing

painting, she transfers what she has in her mind through medium of art. She can use

the brush she uses to paint as her own hands. She makes the brush be the instrument

that represents her will. Suwen can expressively transfer her emotional states

(43)

Suwen can mix the colors, lines, and shapes to have her purposes expressed.

In this case, she can totally transfer her feelings, moods, and thoughts into an artistic

form, which is painting. Her potential as an artist is proven by the moment when

her painting is included at the art exhibition in Singapore.

“The wealth of a nation is in its economy, its people and the arts,” the guest-of-honour declared at the opening of the art exhibition.

Over the next few days, members of the public had crowded round her painting to gape and gawk (Lim, 2003: 17).

In the art exhibition, Suwen’s painting gets various comments. Most of all

are destructive comments, the rest is constructive and supportive comment. Some

of the critics irritate her because they criticize and interpret the painting as a kind

of pornography. Suwen paints a vulgar scene of human being. However, Suwen has

done a beautiful and natural painting.

Suwen also can manage her mind and eyes to focus only on the object of

her painting project. As what she does in one moment that is revealed by the

following quotation.

She tried not to think or remember, keeping her mind and eyes busy and focused upon the Gardens’ rich flora. A strong breeze was blowing among the angsana and acacias; her mind recorded this fact. Their wet yellow blooms came cascading down in showers of gold and covered the footpath in front of her; her eyes recorded this fact too, like an inquisitive worm hungry for visual details (Lim, 2003: 196).

Suwen’s sense of a great artist is shown here, when she is walking through

the garden in the mansion, searching for the best view to be the object of her

painting project. She seeks and feels the view. Her mind and eyes can spontaneously

(44)

object of her painting project. She can manage her mind and eyes to work

effectively.

Suwen’s potential of a great artist is not over right here. In another case,

Suwen wants to make her painting full of story. It means that with painting she

wants to tell a story. However, Suwen’s idea gets an objection from Nica. She feels

that Suwen’s idea is impossible to be done. Nica says that storytelling and painting

are absolutely different things, as what is presented by the following quotation when

Suwen is in a chit-chat with Nica, her close friend.

“What’re you going to do with this story and these photos in the biscuit tin?” “Don’t know. Maybe a collage or something. Or maybe paintings with stories to tell.”

“Paintings with stories? You mean marry the word with the image?” “Why not? I read somewhere that picture-making is as primeval as word-making. Which came first? Our creation myths or the pictures in the caves of early man? No one will ever know, right?”

“Gosh! What are you doing? Storytelling or painting? Which is which?” Nica asked.

“You know, I’ve been thinking too, that, that we tend to categorise all the time in Singapore, I mean we like to put things into categories. Must we classify each medium so starkly? I mean why can’t I paint and tell the story of the early pioneers at the same time?” (Lim, 2003: 245-246).

The quotation above shows Suwen’s point of view about an object. She sees

an object, a story, to have a possibility to be expressed in painting. Suwen wants to

transfer the information about the story into a new form of painting. She feels she

can make a painting which can speak to the viewer through its medium, through

lines, colors, and shapes. To ordinary people, even an artist like Nica, it is difficult

even impossible to get a story transferred into the form of painting. Painting and

storytelling stand in different fields. Nica is arguing Suwen’s idea and questioning

(45)

Suwen, doing storytelling and painting at the same time is possible because she

feels she can make it with the skill of painting that she has.

From the information derived from the quotations above, it can be conclude

that Suwen has an artistic trait. She is born to be a great artist considering on the

qualities of an artist that she has in herself.

2. Conservative

Suwen is a talented person. She has a great potential to be a great artist. Her

skills of painting are appreciated by many people. However, Suwen is a person who

has conservative thinking. She is a kind of person who puts cultural heritages and

morality before anything else, even herself, her dreams and desires. The following

parts show the information about one of Suwen’s characteristics, which is

conservative.

As a painter, Suwen never wants to paint anything else but historical things.

When talking about the object of painting, Nica argues Suwen’s idea of bringing

the historical values of her ancestor for her object of painting. Nica feels that Suwen

must go out of such ideas. But Suwen remains in her statement. The following

quotation shows the moment when Nica is arguing Suwen’s idea of bringing the

ancestor’s story for her object of painting.

“I don’t know any other family, Nica.”

“So? You can’t find out about others? C’mon! Ferret things out from other people. Other races. An artist shouldn’t be so myopic and subjective. Art must offer a wider perspective of things in Singapore.” (Lim, 2003: 246).

The quotation above shows the moment when Nica is questioning and

(46)

of the conservative thinking. Thinking wider, not only about the national heritages

or cultural values. Suwen, otherwise, feels that national heritage has a story that

must and can be expressed through painting.

Another moment that obviously shows Suwen’s way of thinking is when

she and Nica are walking alongside the beach, enjoying their time together and

talking about anything. On their way, Suwen finds something that she guesses as

mushrooms. She calls Nica to come and see the things she finds. Nica takes a look

on these things and says that they are not mushrooms but fungi. Nica asks Suwen

to come closer and touch those things but Suwen thinks they are poisonous.

“Come and look at these mushrooms!” Suwen called from under the crab apple tree, pointing to the orange and grey ears growing from its trunk. “These are fungi, not mushrooms, dumbo.” Nica bent down to take a closer look. “Go on. Touch them. They’re smooth and spongy.”

“Careful there. Might be poisonous.” (Lim, 2003: 107).

From the quotation above, it can be inferred that Suwen has lack of

information or knowledge about outside world. She does not want to touch the fungi

that are, actually, not poisonous as Nica says. From her fear of touching the fungi,

it can be concluded that the fear or doubt that Suwen has is the product of her

conservative thinking. She never wants to know and feel the outside world. She

thinks that outside world may be having harmful effects for herself.

Not only in the matter of art, but Suwen also has conservative thinking in

her own life, her sexual life with a man. She always thinks that racial order is the

most necessary thing to be kept. Thus, Suwen does not have any courage to make a

relationship with someone, in this case is Mark, who is not Chinese.

She could never go to bed with a white man, she told herself. She was too much of a Chink. She put it down to her own innate Chinese snobbery, an

(47)

irrational memory of the race which inhabited Chungkuo, the Middle Kingdom. So, she would never dream of marrying outside her own race. She simply could not see herself locked in copulation with white hairy body (Lim, 2003: 125).

From the information based on the quotation above, it can be inferred that

Suwen has a strong dedication on her race. It is true that Suwen has special feeling

about Mark. But she cannot irritate her own conservative thinking and family. She

sacrifices her own desire which is natural, actually, and lifts the rule of society to

the top.

There is another moment in the story that shows the conservative thinking

that Suwen has. The situation is when Suwen and Nica are in the middle of conflict,

conflict that happens because Nica uses Mark as a model of her painting and

sketches him in naked poses. Nica taunts Suwen for her conservative thinking.

“Gosh, you teacher types, Nica was taunting. “Frigid in the body, frigid in the head! Here’s a guy crazy about you. And you about him. If not, d’you thing you’ll be so hopping mad just because I sketched him without his clothes on? But cripes! What d’you do? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! The guy’s been mooning about you for a year out here. All you did when you were with him was to moan and groan. Not over sex. Geez! But of all things! Over art, language, history, all the cerebral blah-blah-blah! So what d’you expect the guy to do? Rape you? Christ! You’re stupid woman!” (Lim, 2003: 297).

Suwen is deceiving herself. She does not admit that she actually have special

feeling on Mark. Nica knows that fact. She knows that Mark loves Suwen, too. She

tries to explain to Suwen and says what she is supposed to do. Nica feels that Suwen

is too conservative in building a relationship with man. She thinks that Suwen must

put off her conservative thinking and let the desire comes. However, it is Suwen

who cannot be like Nica and the others. She chooses to stand by her equanimity and

(48)

From the quotations above, it can be concluded that Suwen’s way of

thinking makes her be the person who has conservative thinking. Suwen always be

afraid of outside world. She thinks that the outside world has something harmful

that can affect herself. She prefers to stand inside her world, in this case is the rule

of her race which is Chinese.

3. Quiet

Suwen is a quiet person. She never complains about anything directly. When

forced to say things in words, she cannot say anything she wants or she feels. Suwen

has a great difficulty in expressing things through words. She never says anything

about her feelings to someone else. The following parts show the information that

shows about the quiet trait of Suwen.

Suwen does not like conflict and argument. She makes herself to remain

silent in facing situations or feelings she has even it is hard and painful. She always

keeps her feelings to herself. She prefers to paint rather than expresses her feeling

through words, as what is shown in the following quotations.

But she made no attempt to answer her questions, choosing instead to concentrate on squeezing a long yellow worm out of the tube of paint, carefully mixing in the blue till she got a dull green.

…

How could she fend off her mother’s accusations and explain things to her in Cantonese? Even in English Suwen had great difficulty expressing her feeling in words (Lim, 2003: 13-15).

The situation in the quotation above happens when she is in an

argumentative situation with her mother. At that time, Suwen is being accused for

(49)

However, Suwen does not say anything to defend herself or argue her mother’s

words. She remains silent and concentrates on her painting, expressing her anger in

another way.

Suwen hates conflicts and arguments. That is why she does not fend off her

enemy, in this case, another person whom Suwen faces in conflicts and arguments

like her mother and Nica, her close friend. The following quotation shows the

moment when Suwen has a conflict with Nica.

She hated conflict and argument. All her life, she had run away from quarrels and confrontations. Especially with her mother. In school and at work, she had always maintained what she primly called “the balance and harmony of the yin and the yang”, calm when others were angry, ruffled when others were calm. So when Nica had taunted her with not having the guts and courage to follow her instinct, urges and passions, she had remained silent.

“Why don’t you do something, eh? Fight back. Argue with me, for God’s sake! Challenge me. Don’t you even want to fight for the man you love? If you love him, that is!” (Lim, 2003: 296).

The quotation above shows the moment when Nica uses Mark Campbel, a

white man who Suwen loves as a model of her sketch painting in naked poses.

Seeing this sketch, Suwen is filled by anger and trying to speak it up, but she cannot.

She does not want to be in conflict, debating fighting for only a man. She cannot

stand for it and chooses to run away from the conflict. Long before the conflict

between Suwen and Nica happens, Nica has asked her about their relationship,

Suwen and Mark, but Suwen never confesses the feeling of her on Mark. Even when

she and Nica are in a good condition to talk and share about it, Suwen does not say

that she actually loves him. The quotation below shows the moment when Nica

(50)

“But I warn you,” Nica was wagging a finger at her, “Mark will be there. He’s back.”

“So?”

“So? How do I know what’s between the two of you?” “Nothing’s between us.”

…

“You’re acting silly, avoiding Mark like this,” Nica was saying. “You do like him. But you don’t want to admit it. Not even to yourself. D’you want to remain a virgin forever or what?” (Lim, 2003: 254-255).

The situation of the dialogue above happens when Suwen and Nica was

walking alongside the coast and talking about things, including painting and

Suwen’s feeling on Mark. Suwen does not say anything in order to confess the

feeling she has on Mark though Nica is forcing her to say something about it.

Suwen and Nica have one great difference. It is about self-confidence. The

following quotation shows significantly the difference between Suwen and Nica in

the matter of communicating with others. The matter that Suwen does not possess

and makes her become a quiet person.

But then Nica could say anything. Nica had the confidence which she, Suwen, lacked. She had often seen Nica walk down Orchard Road, ever so confident that her lithe dancer’s body was a natural construct built for admiration. She, Suwen, on the other hand, had never felt that way about her body before. Not ever. She was more like a raindrop, falling like millions of other raindrops to join the common pool of humanity flowing into the wide open sea (Lim, 2003: 66).

Suwen, in all her life, always feels that she is no better than other people.

She never looks into her special attribute nor her talent. Unlike Nica who always

gets her self-confidence, Suwen cannot find self-confidence in herself. She sees

Nica as a perfect figure of woman. A woman who can give amazing attractions to

men. Suwen feels she does not have those qualities that Nica has to be proud of.

(51)

mastered, Suwen is not sure about her skill. She never sees herself as a person who

is given a great talent.

To the external world, she was an artist of great potential, but to herself, she was the great void. An amorphous being of inchoate dreams and desires. But in some rare moments of intense lucid creation when she was painting alone, her many dreams and desires had fused like colours shading into one another, mixing and merging, so that for an instance, one whole uncomplicated and integrated individual, the artist, had painted in total control, totally absorbed and complete in her artistic powers (Lim, 2003: 15).

Suwen’s painting and her qualities of a great artist is appreciated by the

public. To the others, Suwen is a person with a great talent. But to herself, she

cannot find the positive things to be proud of. She only sees herself as an ordinary

woman without any special attributes. She always feels drop when she compares

herself to Nica, the person who she admires.

From the quotations above, it can be inferred that Suwen is a quiet person.

She never speaks up about her feelings and what she thinks. Suwen has a great

difficulty in saying things in words. She chooses to express her feelings and

thoughts in painting rather than in words.

Suwen’s characteristics which are identified previously as artistic,

conservative, and quiet belong to the melancholic, as what Laraine and Art Bennett

(2005: 33-36) state. Great writers, poets, artists, and composers have been of this

temperament. A person who belongs to the melancholic has a strong interior life

that will help him/her to attain intimacy with God, supernatural joy and peace. A

(1)

way of thinking forbids her to marry a man outside her race. Suwen is a Chinese and Mark is not a Chinese. Suwen also faces many problems in her life. One of the problems is the betrayal of Nica and Mark. Mark Campbell is a man that she loves. However, she cannot fix the problem through words. She chooses to remain silent. All of her irritating feelings, desires, and thoughts are buried deeply in her unconsciousness and still exist. Suwen’s attempts in forgetting and ignoring the memories of unpleasant events and bad feelings does not make those memories wiped-out. They unconsciously pass Suwen’s consciousness and remain in her unconsciousness, waiting and looking for the way out of the unconsciousness to return to the consciousness. This outcome of repressed memories can be anything. In Suwen’s case, her repressed memories come out in the form of painting. It happens because Suwen is a painter. She often spends her time doing painting.

The unresolved problems that she has are still buried in her unconsciousness even though she commits not to think about them anymore. As Freud’s ideas of repression, there is always a return of the repression. The repression that Suwen has in her unconsciousness drives her to paint a controversial painting, a symbol of what she feels about the betrayal of her mates, Nica and Mark. Suwen’s painting, which at the same time is considered as the symbol of this novel, is the form or outlet of the repression that she has.

All her life, Suwen seeks for the freedom. She finds that she can freely express her feelings in painting. She uses painting as the medium to express her emotions. Suwen has a great difficulty expressing her feelings in words. But in painting, she can express anything she wants and she can make her painting as an

(2)

expressive thing that symbolically reflects her personal experiences. She does not like argumentation or debate. She often runs away from conflicts and let them be a pile of burdens in her mind. She would rather expresses her feelings on a canvas than says them in words. By transferring her feelings through canvas, she can make herself relieved. Suwen adopts the process of painting as the process of self-healing. She learns it from the old man she meets at the street across Nam Sun Hotel.

(3)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. New York: Holt, Reinhart and Winston, 1981.

Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory,

Second Edition. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2002.

Bean, Alexandria. Art and Wellness: Creating Art for Self-Expression and Healing. n.p. April 15, 2012. (http://www.themindfulword.org/2012/art-and-

wellness-creating-art-for-self-expression-and-healing/#klb0bwTec5wE3Qke.99). October 2, 2013.

Bennet, Art and Laraine Bennet. The Temperament God Gave You, Manchester: Sophia Institute Press, 2005

Carroll, Robert Todd. “Repressed Memory”. The Skeptic’s Dictionary. n.p. 1994. (http://skepdic.com/repressedmemory.html). April 11, 2015.

Elliott, R. K. Aesthetic Theory and the Experience of Art: Proceedings of the

Aristotelian Society. Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing Ltd., 1967.

Embler, Weller. “Symbols in Literature and Art”. College Art Journal. Vol. 16. No. 1 (1956): pp. 47-58. JSTOR. (www.jstor.org/stable/772847). November 28, 2014.

Erdelyi, Matthew Hugh. The Unified Theory of Repression. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Fistful of Colours. Straits Times Press Books. n.d.

(http://www.stpressbooks.com.sg/Fistful-of-Colours.html). January 4, 2015.

Hoffman, Frederick J. “Psychology and Literature”. The Kenyon Review. Vol. 19. No. 4 (1957): pp. 605-619. JSTOR. (www.jstor.org/stable/4333802). December 11, 2014.

Holman, C. Hugh and William Harmon. A Book to Literature. New York: Macmillan, 1986.

Lim, Suchen Christine. Fistful of Colours. Singapore: SNP International Publishing Pte Ltd., 2003.

(4)

Munthe, Maria Puspitasari. “Repression toward Students at School in James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man”. Undergraduate Thesis. Yogyakarta: Sanata Dharma University, 2013.

Murphy, M. J. Understanding Unseens: An Introduction to English Poetry &

English Novel for Overseas Student. London: George Allen & Unwind Ltd.,

1972.

Nelly, Marta. “Symbols that Reflect the Main Character Named Coco in Wei Hui’s

Shanghai Baby”. Undergraduate Thesis. Yogyakarta: Sanata Dharma

University, 2010.

Perrine, L. Literature I. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1974

Roberts, Edgar V. and Henry E Jacobs. Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and

Writing. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1997.

Russell, David H. “Counciletter: Psychology and Literature”. Elementary English. Vol. 41. No. 4 (1964): pp. 420-422, 439. JSTOR. (www.jstor.org/stable/41385661). December 11, 2014.

Shaw, H. Dictionary of Literary Terms. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1881. Sircello, Guy. Mind and Art: An Essay on the Varieties of Expression. Princeton:

Princeton University Press, 1972.

Tormey, Alan. The Concept of Expression. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1971.

(5)

56 APPENDIX

Summary ofSuchen Christine Lim’s Fistful of Colours

The story of Fistful of Colours is mostly about Suwen, a major character of the novel, who is facing molestation and betrayal by her companions, Mark and Nica, which drives her to paint a controversial picture. Suwen is described as a women and an artist with strong equanimity. She has great skill in painting. She got his first experience of painting when she was a kid. Suwen spent her childhood without her mother beside her. She was raised up by her grandparents. She lived in a village outside the town with her grandparents while her mother lived in the city with her lover. Her grandparents took care of her until one day her mother came back to the village with glamorous appearance and took her away. On the way of their journey, the car which brought them stopped exactly in front of a hotel. Her mother and her lover came out of the car and walked away to the hotel. Suwen was alone waiting for her uncaring mother who was checking in at a hotel with her lover. Then she met an old man who was working on his painting. The old man taught her how to paint. Since that time Suwen had got the skill of painting and her story as an artist began.

All the time of her life, Suwen never painted and exposed the other things but historical things even though she wanted to. She did not like to argue or debate. She preferred to be silent and faced the reality even though it was painful. Even when Nica took Suwen’s lover over, she did not show any objection or anger. The climax of the story of Fistful of Colours was when Suwen painted a controversial

(6)

painting and was given various comments. However most of the comment was destructive. The factor that drove her to paint such painting was the memory of betrayal that had been done by her lover and her close friend, Mark and Nica.

At the end of the story, Suwen was on a train heading to another city. At that time, she questioning herself about her behavior and the painful memories she got. She once realized that she should be like Nica, a perfectly born woman with strong self-confidence. She turned her mind to focus on thinking about her relationship with her lover, Mark. She wanted to make things up and started a new life with a new way of thinking of what a woman should be. However, her equanimity was stronger than her desire.

The significance of painting related to the outcome of Suwen`s repressed memories in Suchen Christine Lim`s Fistful of Colours.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PAINTING RELATED TO

THE OUTCOME OF SUWEN’S REPRESSED MEMORIES

IN SUCHEN CHRISTINE LIM’S FISTFUL OF COLOURS

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PAINTING

RELATED TO

THE OUTCOME OF SUWEN’S REPRESSED MEMORIES

IN SUCHEN CHRISTINE LIM’S FISTFUL OF COLOURS

TITLE PAGE

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PAINTING RELATED TO

THE OUTCOME OF SUWEN’S REPRESSED MEMORIES

IN SUCHEN CHRISTINE LIM’S FISTFUL OF COLOURS

APPROVAL PAGE

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PAINTING RELATED TO

THE OUTCOME OF SUWEN’S REPRESSED MEMORIES

IN SUCHEN CHRISTINE LIM’S FISTFUL OF COLOURS

ACCEPTANCE PAGE

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PAINTING RELATED TO

THE OUTCOME OF SUWEN’S REPRESSED MEMORIES

IN SUCHEN CHRISTINE LIM’S FISTFUL OF COLOURS

DEDICATION PAGE

For

For

For

For

My Parents,

My Parents,

My Parents,

My Parents,

My

My

My

My Brothers

Brothers

Brothers

Brothers,,,,

My Guardean Angel

My Guardean Angel

My Guardean Angel

My Guardean Angelssss,,,,

And

And

And

And

My Pathway to Glory

My Pathway to Glory

My Pathway to Glory

My Pathway to Glory

Parts

Dokumen yang terkait

The Pagoda’s Possibilities To Attract Tourisms

The Effect of Double Lument Catheter Reversal on Dialysis Adequacy of Hemodialysis Patients in Haji Adam Malik General Hospital Center Medan

Anna’s Personality Through Sigmund’s Freud Theory In Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper

The significance of trauma to Mack`s personality in William P. Young The Shack.

The importance of Tyler Durden as the manifestation of The narrator's repressed feelings in Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club.

Singapore`s history and the feminist movement in Suchen Christine Lim`s novel fistful of colours.

The Significance of the symbols to the characterization of Sarah O`Rourke in Chris Cleave`S the other hand.

Suwen`s motivation in keeping her virginity as seen in Suchen Christine Lim`S Fistful Of Colours.

Suwen`s motivation in keeping her virginity as seen in Suchen Christine Lim`S Fistful Of Colours

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE AUTHOR’S RESPONSE TO ATHEISM AS SEEN IN GRAHAM GREENE’S THE END OF THE AFFAIR

Dokumen yang Anda mencari sudah siap untuk unduhkan