MAJOR CHARACTERS’ DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES IN PERCEIVING THE GENDER-RELATED SYMBOLS IN SOCIETY AS SEEN IN BUCK’S THE GOOD EARTH
MAJOR CHARACTERS’ DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES IN
PERCEIVING THE GENDER-RELATED SYMBOLS IN
SOCIETY AS SEEN IN BUCK’S THE GOOD EARTHAN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
THERESIA DEWI PUSPITASARI
Student Number: 064214039
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2010
MAJOR CHARACTERS’ DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES IN
PERCEIVING THE GENDER-RELATED SYMBOLS IN
SOCIETY AS SEEN IN BUCK’S THE GOOD EARTH
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
THERESIA DEWI PUSPITASARI
Student Number: 064214039
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2010
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LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTIGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma: Nama : Theresia Dewi Puspitasari Nomor Mahasiswa : 064214039
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:
Major Characters’ Different Perspectives in Perceiving the Gender-Related
Symbols in Society as Seen in Buck’s The Good Earthbeserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpusatakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelola 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 : 04 Oktober 2010 Yang menyatakan (Theresia Dewi Puspitasari)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Above all, I would like to thank Jesus Christ and Mother Mary for blessing and guiding me in writing this undergraduate thesis. You will always be my guidance for now and forever.
I would also like to thank Elisa Dwi Wardani, S.S., M.Hum., my advisor, for her guidance, suggestions, and time during the writing of this undergraduate thesis, and to Modesta Luluk Artika Windrasti, S.S. , my co- advisor, for reading, correcting, and giving me essential inputs in order to make this undergraduate thesis better. And I also like to thank all my lecturers in English Letters Department for fulfilling me with knowledge.
My deepest gratitude also goes to my Dad, Alexander Miyadi whose way of teaching me to be a strong girl can make me to be who I am today. To my Mom, Tri Wahyuningsih, who always says my name in her prayers, your spirit makes me stronger. To my two younger brothers, Adit and Dio, I thank you for your unseen support that can push me to finish this undergraduate thesis as soon as possible. All the things I did, I did it for you boys. I love you all. To Eyang
Kakung and Eyang Putri for their never ending support and bless, and to my
“second family”, Bapak and Ibuk, who never feel tired to gain my spirit to finish this undergraduate thesis.
Lots of gratitude to all my friends in English Letters, especially Gaby,
Gentur, Rika, Jembay, Achied, Cica, Ketut, Entunk, Pipiet, Juli, Tuwik,
Asbun, and Ndok for their spirits to finish this undergraduate thesis, it is nice to
be their friends. I would also like to thank Mas Pius, Mas Adek, Mbak Vitri,
Jhony, and Mbak Sasha for their support. Thank you for all the laughs, hopes,
tears, and loves that you gave to me. To my PPKM friends, Agnez, Diaz, Agunk,
Simbah, Mbak Via, Hedwig, Mas Philip, Andri, and David, once you entered
my life, it will be forever. Thank you for making me full of tears and full of laughs. I would also like to thank Vita, my sharing partner in boarding house, for all the things we have shared together. I also thank Mbak Yovi and Mas Owri who never feel tired to gain my spirit in finishing this undergraduate thesis.
Finally, I give my special thanks for my beloved one, Yohanes ‘Yoo’ Adi
Apriyanto, for lending me your shoulders to cry on and your ears to hear my
thoughts. Thanks for your time and patience that you give to me for these 5 years, I thank God for every single moment that we have together. Your spirit has encouraged my passion to finish this undergraduate thesis.
Theresia Dewi Puspitasari
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ................................................................................................ i
APPROVAL PAGE ...................................................................................... ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ................................................................................. iii
MOTTO PAGE ............................................................................................. iv
DEDICATION PAGE ................................................................................... v
STATEMENT PAGE ................................................................................... vi
ACKNOWLDGEMENTS ............................................................................ vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................. ix
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................... xi
ABSTRAK ..................................................................................................... xii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ................................................................ 1
A. Background of the Study ................................................................... 1 B. Problem Formulation ......................................................................... 4 C. Objectives of the Study ...................................................................... 4 D. Definition of Terms ........................................................................... 5CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ............................................... 7
A. Review of Related Studies ................................................................. 7 B. Review of Related Theories .............................................................. 12 1. Theory on Character and Characterization ................................... 12 2. Theory of Symbol ......................................................................... 14 3. Theory of Gender .......................................................................... 16 4. Theory of Society .......................................................................... 19 5. Review of Chinese Society and Culture ........................................ 205.1 Chinese Society ....................................................................... 20
5.2 Foot-Binding ........................................................................... 21
5.3 Concubinage ............................................................................ 22 C. Theoretical Framework ...................................................................... 23
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ............................................................ 25
A. Object of the Study ............................................................................ 25 B. Approach of the Study ....................................................................... 26 C. Method of the Study .......................................................................... 26CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ......................................................................... 29
A. The Characteristics of the Major Characters in The Good Earth ...... 291. Wang Lung’s Characteristis .......................................................... 29
2. O-Lan’s Characteristics ................................................................. 36
B. Major Characters’ Different Perspectives in Perceiving Gender- Related Symbols in The Good Earth ................................................. 41
1. Gender-Related Symbols in The Good Earth ................................ 42
a. Footbinding ............................................................................... 42
b. Concubinage .............................................................................. 43
2. Major Characters’ Perspectives in Perceiving Gender-Related Symbols in The Good Earth .......................................................... 44
a. Wang Lung’s Perspectives ........................................................ 47
b. O-Lan’s Perspectives ................................................................ 50
C. The Ideas that can be Inferred from the Ways of Perceiving the Symbols ............................................................................................. 55
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION .................................................................... 60
BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................... 64APPENDIX .................................................................................................... 66
ABSTRACT
THERESIA DEWI PUSPITASARI. Major Characters’ Different Perspectives
in Perceiving the Gender-Related Symbols in Society as Seen in Buck’s The
Good Earth. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters,
Sanata Dharma University, 2010.This undergraduate thesis is meant to see the perspectives among man and woman which are represented by the major characters’ perspectives in seeing the gender-related symbols in society that are found in The Good Earth. The two major characters, Wang Lung, and O-Lan have their different perspectives toward footbinding and concubinage. Their different perspectives in seeing some gender- related symbols show that gender differentiates one’s perspectives.
There are three main problems that are formulated to be discussed in this undergraduate thesis. The first problem is about the characteristics of the major characters in the story, the second problem is about how the major characters perceive the gender-related symbols that are found in the story, and the last problem deals with the ideas that can be inferred from the different ways of perceiving those symbols.
In order to answer the three problems above, the theory of character and characterization, theory of symbol, theory of gender, theory of society, and the review of Chinese society and culture are employed. The approach that is used to conduct the analysis is gender approach because this approach tries to investigate how women and men view things in society.
In this undergraduate thesis, the writer found that there are two gender- related symbols, footbinding and concubinage. Those two symbols are seen differently by the Wang Lung and O-Lan. For poor Wang Lung, it is no matter for having unbound-feet-woman and for having concubine, but it is a pride for him when he is getting rich to have a woman with bound feet and to have concubine. For poor O-Lan it is no matter for having unbound feet because by having unbound feet, she can help Wang Lung to work on field. Then everything is changing when they are getting rich, O-Lan changes her perspectives toward those symbols. Her perspectives are influenced by the society which is patriarchal society. From their different perspectives, it is clear that gender differentiates one’s perspectives and that one’s perspectives are influenced by the social status.
ABSTRAK
THERESIA DEWI PUSPITASARI. Major Characters’ Different Perspectives
in Perceiving the Gender-Related Symbols in Society as Seen in Buck’s The
Good Earth. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas
Sanata Dharma, 2010 Tujuan dari skripsi ini adalah untuk mengetahui cara pandang antara pria dan wanita yang digambarkan melalui cara pandang tokoh-tokoh utama dalam memandang simbol-simbol yang berhubungan dengan gender dalam masyarakat yang ditemukan dalam novel The Good Earth. Dua tokoh utama yaitu Wang Lung dan O-Lan, memiliki perbedaan cara pandang terhadap pengikatan kaki dan perseliran. perbedaan cara pandang mereka dalam memandang simbol-simbol yang berhubungan dengan gender menunjukkan bahwa gender membedakan cara pandang seseorang.
Ada tiga rumusan masalah yang dirumuskan untuk dibahas dalam skripsi ini. Rumusan masalah yang pertama yaitu mengenai karateristik dari tokoh-tokoh utama dalam novel tersebut. Rumusan masalah yang kedua yaitu mengenai bagaimana tokoh-tokoh utama tersebut memandang simbol-simbol yang berhubungan dengan gender yang ditemukan dalam cerita. Rumusan masalah yang terakhir berhubungan dengan gagasan pikiran yang dapat disimpulkan dari perbedaan cara pandang terhadap simbol-simbol tersebut.
Untuk menjawab ketiga rumusan masalah tersebut di atas, teori mengenai karakter dan pengkarakteran, teori tentang simbol, teori tentang gender, teori tentang masyarakat, serta resensi mengenai masyarakat dan kebudayaan Cina akan digunakan. Pendekatan yang digunakan untuk menganalisa skripsi ini adalah pendekatan gender, karena pendekatan tersebut meneliti tentang bagaimana pria dan wanita memandang sesuatu yang ada dalam masyarakat.
Ada dua simbol yang berhubungan dengan gender yang ditemukan oleh penulis dalam skripsi ini yaitu, pengikatan kaki dan perseliran. Kedua simbol tersebut dipandang secara berbeda oleh Wang Lung dan O-Lan. Bagi Wang Lung yang miskin, bukan merupakan sebuah permasalahan jika ia memiliki seorang wanita yang kakinya tidak diikat dan untuk tidak memiliki seorang selir. Namun, memiliki wanita dengan kaki yang diikat dan meiliki selir adalah sebuah kebanggaan baginya ketika ia menjadi seorang yang kaya. Bagi O-Lan yang miskin, tidak memiliki kaki yang diikat bukan menjadi masalah baginya karena dengan begitu ia dapat membantu Wang Lung bekerja di ladang. Semuanya berubah ketika mereka menjadi seorang yang kaya. O-Lan merubah cara pandangnya terhadap simbol-simbol tersebut. Ia yang digambarkan sebagai seorang yang pendiam dan penurut kemudian memutuskan untuk mengikat kaki anak perempuannya. Hal tersebut berarti bahwa ia merubah cara pandangnya terhadap pengikatan kaki tersebut. Ia yang pada awalnya tidak setuju dengan perseliran kemudian tidak bisa berbuat apa-apa ketika Wang Lung memutuskan untuk memilki seorang selir. Cara pandang O-Lan tersebut dipengaruhi oleh masyarakat yang patriarkal. Dari perbedaan cara pandang tersebut, sangat jelas bahwa gender membedakan cara pandang seseorang dan bahwa cara pandang seseorang juga dipengaruhi oleh status social.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study Literature is defined firstly as anything which is written. Therefore, some
people think that a cook book, telephone book, an article, and many others are literature. Literature is then defined as works of imagination or creative writing (Bressler, 1994:9). By this definition, written works such as a cook book and a telephone book is no longer considered as literature. It is being replaced by novel, poetry, drama, fiction, and other imaginative writing.
Charles E. Bressler in his book Literary Criticism: an Introduction to Theory
and Practice explains that literature and human life is closely related because it
combines human values, emotions, actions, and ideas in story form (1994:10). The description of life in literary work such as the conflict and the problem faced by the character in the story may represent what really happened in human’s real life because the subject of the story in literary works is particularly human and their experiences in life. The way the characters overcome their problems may also be the model of human life. Sometimes, the problems that are faced by the characters in literary works are also the illustration of humans’ problems that they usually face. But, we can not say that the facts in literary work are completely similar with the facts in real life because the author sometimes put his idea toward the story in order to make the story becomes more dramatic and interesting (Langland,
1984:19). Literary works are the reflection of human’s life, some of them are really similar but some are imagination and sometimes it is also criticizing.
Reading a literary work will open reader’s view in order to see the changing of humanity value. According to Wellek and Warren, a literary work can play the role of a historical document which is artistically portrays the author (Wellek & Warren, 1956:102). By reading a literary work, the reader can understand the society, the author’s life, and also the condition of the era at that time.
In this undergraduate thesis, the writer will discuss about an element that exist in society. This element is the symbol. As we know that symbol is described as anything which signify something (Abrams, 1985:206). The symbol here is the symbol that exists in the society that is described in the novel. Through those symbols, we can understand the different perspectives among the characters. To make it more specific, the writer simplifies the topic into the gender-related symbols in society that are found in the novel.
The writer chooses The Good Earth as the object of the study because this novel tells about the society and the culture of Chinese. In this novel, it is really clear that the society is dominated by men. Through this novel, the writer can see that there are some different perspectives between men and women in seeing the symbols that exist in society. This topic is chosen because man and woman view things differently. This is also supported by Bressler in his book that “women view things differently from men” (1994: 270). Through their perspectives toward the symbols that exist in their society, we can get the deeper understanding about the story, the society, and the culture that is presented in the story.
The Good Earth is the best source to be analyzed because the writer thinks
that this novel has a strong indication of symbols in society. To understand those symbols, the writer will use the perspective of the major characters toward those symbols. These perspectives bring us to see that each person has his or her own opinion toward something, and those opinions can strengthen the idea of the story, especially toward the gender-related symbols in its society.
This novel is written by Pearl Sydenstricker Buck. It is the first book of trilogy that includes Sons (1932) and A House Divided (1935). This novel describes the Chinese people, their lives, customs, and attitudes. In this novel, the writer can see many things about Chinese people, including their behavior, religion, custom, and life. It also tells about their traditional culture and values in the society of China in
th the early 20 century.
The author of this novel is an American woman. She lived in China until she was seventeen. Although she is not a Chinese, she tries to explain about the culture and the life of Chinese in detail. She in this novel tries to be equal in seeing the culture. She gives us the understanding of the story from both sides, man and woman.
In this novel, it can clearly be seen that men and women have their own point of view. This story is settled in Chinese patriarchal society. Therefore, men are more powerful than women. Although men are more powerful than women, this story tries to see the perspectives not only from men’s side but also from women’s side. To see the perspective between man and woman, the gender-related symbols that existed in Chinese society which are found in this story are used to see their different perspectives toward certain social symbols.
By seeing the gender-related symbols and the characters in the story, the writer can analyze the different point of view between man and woman. The major characters here are presented as husband and wife in the story, so that they can be the best example to see the different perspectives toward those gender- related symbols in society.
B. Problem Formulation 1.
How are the major characters characterized in the story? 2. How do the major characters perceive the gender-related symbols that exist in society?
3. What ideas can be inferred from the different way of perceiving those symbols? C.
Objectives of the Study
The objective of the study on the novel The Good Earth is simply to answer the questions in the problem formulation. The aims of this study are to find out the major characters and their characterization in the story, to find out the gender related symbols in society that are exist in the story, and to analyze how the two major characters have their own perspectives toward those symbols that are found in the story, so that the writer can get the idea from those differences. Therefore, the writer can see the different perspectives among them toward the gender related symbols in society that are found in the story.
D. Definition of Terms
In analyzing a novel, it is important to understand the terms which are related to the problem discussed. There are some terms that are used and will be discussed in this undergraduate thesis. Those terms are gender, perspective, and symbol in society.
1. Gender Gender is defined as the socially constructed roles, behavior, activities, and attributes that a particular society considers appropriate for men and women
(http://www.who.int/topics/gender/en). Bressler in his book stated that gender is
related with how men and women view such terms as ethics, personal identity, and society, it is possible that women view each of these terms differently from men (1994: 270).
2. Perspective One term that is important in this undergraduate thesis is perspective. It refers to a specific point of view in understanding or judging things or events, especially one that shows them in their true relations to one another (http://www.yourdictionary.com/perspective).
3. Gender-Related Symbol Gender-Related is the social relationships between woman and man. It creates and reproduces systemic differences in men’s and women’s position in a given society. (www.medinstgenderstudies.org). Turner explains that the study of symbol allows us to
Examine the cultural specify of representation and their meanings by using one set of methods and terms across the full range of signifying practices: gesture, dress, writing, speech, and so on (2003:14). To understand the symbol means to understand the society also. Kennedy states that ‘symbols generally do not stand for any one meaning, nor for anything absolutely definite, they point, they hint, they cast long shadow (Kennedy, 1979:113).
Symbol is having strong relationship with society and culture, Ross in his book stated that The norms of perception are conveyed and reinforced by symbols. in addition, the values and perspectives of a society are implicit in all the arts of the society, and perspectives and values are closely related to perception. Social norms are indispensible to any society and are valuable in giving direction for new thought and providing a base for new perspectives and values (1962:214). From that quotation, it can be inferred that to understand the symbols that exist in the society, people should understand also the social norms in that society.
From this description, it is clear that gender-related symbol in society is anything that signifies certain customs, beliefs, values, culture and environment which has social relationships between woman and man, so that it can create and reproduce systemic differences in men’s and women’s position in a given society.
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies In this chapter, the writer will present some criticisms and reviews concerning with The Good Earth. There are two criticisms which criticize The Good Earth. Those two criticisms are undergraduate theses which are done by the seniors. The first criticism is done by Susiyani in her undergraduate thesis entitled The Influence of Other Characters to Wang Lung’s Character’s Development in Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth . There are two questions that are analyzed in her study. The first one is questioning about the characters of Wang Lung which are
described in the story, while the second one is questioning about the influence of other characters in the novel that develops Wang Lung’s character.
In her thesis, she described that Wang Lung’s character significantly develops as the result of the interaction with other characters. The other characters who influence Wang Lung’s character are O-Lan- his wife, Lotus- his concubine, and his children. Wang lung’s character develops in various ways. It can be seen through his appearance, way of life, his way to think and the way he treats other characters.
Wang Lung is characterized firstly as responsible and faithful to his father, shy and lack of self-confidence, naïve, believe in Gods and Goddesses, full of love to his land, hard working, attentive and responsible to his wife and children, parsimonious, superstitious, and sensitive. By the development of the story, the character of Wang Lung is developed slowly. It can be seen through his interaction with other characters.
The first character who influences Wang Lung’s character development is his own wife, O-Lan. O-lan is silent, but when she speaks Wang Lung will always hear her. “she seldom speaks, but when she is speaking, her voice has a power that is stronger than anger” (p. 62). her ability to survive in a difficult condition makes Wang Lungs becomes a tougher man. She teaches him how to survive in many ways indirectly and it changes Wang Lung’s view in seeing life. When she takes the jewels from the rich family in the north, no body knows about that. She gives the jewels for Wang Lung and she takes only two pearls for her. Wang Lung use those jewels to buy some lands from the Hwang family and it makes his dream as a landowner comes true. When he is getting richer, he changes into someone who is having high self-confidence. He goes to the teashop and he also begins to care about his appearance.
The second character who influences Wang Lung’s character is Lotus, the concubine. His meeting with Lotus changes his life. He cannot focus in his life, his family, and his land. The family and the land that used to be the important things in his life can no more become important because of Lotus. His mind is full of her.
And if any spoke to him, his wife or his children, or if ching come to him and said, “the waters will soon recede and what is there we should prepare for the seed?” he shouted and said, “why do you trouble me?” (p.131) Not only that, Lotus also changes Wang Lung from a parsimonious into an extravagant man.
The last who develops Wang Lung’s character are his children. Seeing his son having an affair with Lotus, he realizes that Lotus is not so important. He does not care about Lotus anymore because she shouts at his retarded daughter and call her an idiot. From that moment, he begins to ignore Lotus.
The second criticism that is criticizing The Good Earth is done by Afrillia Nita Sari in her undergraduate thesis entitled Chinese Stereotypes of Women in
Question Using the Women’s Contributions in Buck’s Selected Novels The Good
Earth, The Mother, and Imperial Woman.In her thesis she reveals that the fact of women who are considered as weak creatures in Chinese society can sometimes be wrong. She analyses the three characters of women, O-Lan in The Good Earth, mother in The Mother, and Yehonala in Imperial Woman. O-Lan and mother are having slightly the same characters and also contribution in the story, they are important to the family, but Yehonala is a bit different because she comes from upper classes and in the story she also becomes a leader and a hero to save her country from the western invasion. In this analysis, she describes the contribution of each character based on their personalities in the three novels, determines the stereotypes on women in China, and determines that their contributions are a challenge toward the stereotypes that women are useless.
O-Lan in The Good Earth is described as a dutiful, sensible, devoted and self- satisfied woman. From these personalities, the contribution of O-Lan in the novel is clearly being seen. The first contribution of O-Lan is to save the family from a long starvation. Her ability to cook can bring the family from starvation because she can make some simple food like grass into delicious food and she can also cook every parts of the ox from the meat, skin, up to the bone. Her ability here can save the family to live together in starvation that kills many people in the village. The second contribution of O-Lan in the story is to raise Wang Lung to a wealthy landowner. Without her help in the field and the jewels that she robes from the wealthy man in the north, Wang Lung will not be able to have a better harvest and to buy the land from the great house of Hwang that he has been dreaming of.
After analyzing O-Lan, she analyses the mother’s personalities in The Mother. The mother here is described as a dutiful, not ambitious, and a loving mother, wife and daughter in law. From these personalities, her contribution can clearly be revealed. The first contribution is saving the family from falling apart. Her love toward the family makes her able to save the family to be broken. She shows that her patience can bring the family into a joy. Her last contribution is to marry her children to good people.
The last character that is being analyzed is Yehonala in Imperial Woman. Yehonala is presented in the novel as an ambitious, patriotic, brilliant, and strong woman. Her contribution is very significant in the story because she is the major character. Her first contribution is defying the Western invasion. Her brilliant mind is the thing that enabled her to see the weakness of the imperial army. The second one is ending the T’ai P’ing rebellion. Her love toward the kingdom is the power that has saved the kingdom from the rebellion. Her last contribution is defending Chinese tradition that obliges anyone to kneel before Dragon Throne. She will not allow the tradition to be forgotten or insulted by the imperial. She made the dynasty survive.
Women are stereotyped in Chinese society. In The Good Earth, women are stereotyped as an evil and therefore useless. It can be seen when O-lan delivers a baby girl. in The Mother, women are stereotyped to be slightly the same in the first novel. Women are unwanted in the society. The last one is in Imperial
Woman , in this novel the society has the idea that woman can not be a good leader
for the kingdom since they are considered to be stupid.From those contributions we can question about the stereotypes of women in Chinese society. Each of the woman’s contribution in the story has proven that women are important. We can see them as a ‘roof’ protecting their people from ‘rain and heat’. Those contributions also show that the stereotypes are wrong.
After reviewing those studies, the writer can conclude that all researchers above have never discussed the gender-related symbols found in The Good Earth.
This study will discuss about the symbols found in the society that exist in the story, and from those symbols the writer can see the different perspectives between man and woman in perceiving those symbols. One symbol that exists in the story is footbinding. This custom is very painful for women in China. Woman with bound feet can not work hard because they can not stand long. O-Lan is a woman who is not having bound feet because she comes from a poor family. Her unbound feet are seen by her husband as unattractive and ugly because men loves to see a woman with bound feet rather than not. From this symbol it can be seen that woman and man have their own perspectives in perceiving symbols related to cultures found in the story. For woman, bound feet can be extremely painful and a torture for her, but for the man it is an attractive one. Bound-feet is one of the symbols that can be analyzed. This study will be different from the two studies above because this study has different point of view with the two above.
B. Review of Related Theories 1. Theory on Character and Characterization
Abrams (1985:23) in his book A Glossary of Literary Terms said that a character is the person presented in a dramatic of narrative work. The character itself should be drawn by the reader as being as dispositional from their dialogue (what they say) and from their action (what they do).
M.J. Murphy states in his book Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to
English Poetry and English Novel for Overseas Student , the author can make the
characters understandable by using some ways in the following description (1972:161-173)
a. Personal Description An author describes characters through their appearance. Authors may describe the clothes, the skin, the face, the body, and many others of characters.
b. What other characters say and think about a certain character.
In this way, authors describe characters using the opinion of other characters. However, readers should not believe whatever they say might only be based on things like suspicion or jealousy. c. Speech Authors give clues about the character’s personalities through what they say about themselves, others, and so on.
d. Reaction The author can give the readers clues to identify the characters’ character through how they react in a certain situation.
e. Direct comment Sometimes, the author will explain the characters directly. They might tell the readers that a character is sensitive, spoilt, and so on.
f. Past life By letting the readers learn something about a person’s past life, author can give the readers clues to events that have helped to shape a person’s personalities.
Author can do this by giving direct comment, or through the person’s thought, his conversations or through the medium of another person.
g. Mannerism The author can give the readers clues about a person’s personalities by describing his or her mannerism, habit or idiosyncrasies.
h. Conversation of others Authors give us clues to a person’s character through the conversation of other people and the things they say about him or her.
Character is very significant and important in a work of art. Morner and Rausch in NTC’s Dictionary of Literary Terms stated that
Character is a person in a literary work. Unlike a person in a real life, a literary character’s personal qualities and actions are limited by his or her function in the story, whether the character seems designed to fit the plot or the plot is derived from the character (1996:31). From that quotation, therefore character becomes the most significant part in a work of literature. Character will perform everything in a work of art. It has great influence toward literary work because a character will complete the story of a work of art. The characters will also help the reader to understand the situation in the story through their characterization.
Holman & Horman in their book A Handbook to Literature state that characterization is the creation of the imagery personages who exist for the readers as lifelike. There are three basic methods of characterization (1986:81)
1. The explicit presentation of the character by the author through direct explanation whether in a book’s introduction or throughout the work, illustrated by action.
2. The presentation of the character in action
3. The presentation from within a character, without comment on the character by the author, of the impact of actions and emotions on the character’s inner self, with the expectation that the readers will come to the clear understanding of the attributes of the character.
2. Theory of Symbol
Giving the theory of symbol here is significant because this undergraduate thesis deals with the symbols, its meaning, and its perspectives. Symbols are used in many types of research. “it is suggested that symbol is the synonym of sign and semiotic” (Nöth, 1990: 115). To study symbol is to study semiotics. Semiotics is a
“science would study the life of sign within society” (Turner, 2003:13). Therefore semiotics here deals with symbols within the society where the symbols exist. It will teach us what symbols consists of, and what laws govern them. The study of symbol allows us to
Examine the cultural specify of representation and their meanings by using one set of methods and terms across the full range of signifying practices: gesture, dress, writing, speech, and so on (2003:14). It means that by studying the symbols, we also examine the society, because we signify ourselves through the symbols available to us within our culture, “we select and combine them in relation to the codes and conventions established within our culture” (2003:14).
In order to understand the symbol that exists in society, the process of representation is important. Representation based on Hall in Representation:
Cultural Representations and Signifying is
An essential part of the process by which meaning is produced and exchanged between members of a culture. It does involve the use of language, of signs, and images which stand for or represent things. (2003:15) To understand the process of representation of some symbols or signs there is one process that is called signification, the sign has been separated into two parts,
“the signifier and the signified” (2003: 14). Signifier is the physical form of the sign, while the signified is the mental concept referred to by the signifier. We need to understand the social dimension of the sign: the ways in which culture supplies us with signifier, the form and the signified. There are two kinds of meaning of the symbol. The first one is denotative meaning. It is the literal meaning. The second one is connotation, “the accretion of associations around the world that extends and amplifies its literal meaning. The example is the symbol of rose. Rose is a beautiful fragrant flower in denotative meaning, but in the connotative level the rose itself is also defined as woman (regarding it as beautiful and fragrant). It can also be seen from the Chinese custom of foot-binding. Foot- binding in denotative level is binding the foot, but in the connotative meaning it is also the symbol of beauty that exists in Chinese society.
3. Theory of Gender
Theory of gender is needed here because this study will discuss the different perspectives in seeing gendered-symbol in society. Pilcher and Whelehan stated that gender was used as an analytical category to draw a line of demarcation between biological sex differences and the way they are used to inform behaviors and competencies, which are assigned as either ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ (2004:56). From that quotation it can be seen that there will be some differences between being masculine or feminine either in their competencies or behaviors. From the biological aspect, men or women are also different.
“The sex or gender distinction suggests a radical discontinuity between sexed bodies and culturally constructed genders” (Pilcher & Whelehan, 2004:58). The gender differences will lead into other differences in many aspects, including the behaviors, competencies, point of view, hobbies, and many more.
Gender will also be related with something which is gendered. Gendered is “when its character is either masculine or feminine, or when it exhibits patterns of difference by gender” (2004:59). The example is the color blue or pink. Those colors are gendered colors. Blue is regarded as masculine, and pink is regarded as feminine. Another example of gendered is paid work. Woman and man undertake different forms of paid work. Woman tends to work part time, while man tends to work full time. The understanding of gender itself is not something which is ready made and fixed, but it is an active ongoing processes that is existed in society. This process is done by the society itself or in other words, it is a socially constructed process. “Something is gendered when it is, in and of itself, actively engaged in social processes that produce and reproduce distinctions between women and men” (2004:59).
The idea of gender gives the fact that every known society distinguishes between men and women. This will lead into the gender order. Pilcher and Whelehan said in their book that
Gender order is a patterned system of ideological and material practices, performed by individuals in a society, through which power relation between men and women are made and remade. (2004:61) From that explanation, it can clearly be seen that through the gender order of society, the forms of masculinities and femininities are created and recreated and therefore the relations between them are organized.
Either man or woman has their own roles in doing things. This is called as a gender role: Activities that men and women engage in with different frequencies whereas the male gender role or the female gender role is like a script that men and women follow to fulfill their appropriate parts in acting masculine or feminine (Brannon, 1996: 168). In this case, a person acts to fulfill a role by behaving in the expected way in the appropriate situation. In many cultures, men do some activities more than women, and women do some activities more than men. Repairing a car is an activity which is related to men, while repairing clothing is an activity related to women.