INTRODUCTION Gender Equality In Pearl S Buck’s Pavilion Of Women Novel (1946).
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This chapt er reveals background of the research, problem st at em ent s,
object ives of the st udy, benefit s of the research, and thesis organizat ion.
A. Background of the Research
Lit erat ure is used t o express person’s idea in view ing life in t he societ y.
We can find some ideas, m essages and port rait of a societ y by exploring it. It
is t he mirror of hum an life t hat port rays hum an feeling, though, im aginat ion,
and percept ion which can be view ed based on personal judgment .
Act ually in some w ays w om en are equal to men. But , in many societ ies
w om en become t he second. They are charact erized as passive, dependent
and emot ional, whereas m en are charact erized as aggressive and act ive.
Women have been subordinat e t o men in st at us, mobility and public
leadership. They should do domest ic sphere, nurt uring children, maint aining
t he household and serving t heir husbands (M adsen, 2000:2).
The impact of fem inism on lit erary crit icism over t he past thirt y-five
years has been profound and w ide-ranging. It has t ransform ed t he academ ic
st udy of lit erary t ext s, fundam ent ally alt ering the canon of what is t aught
and set t ing a new agenda for analysis, as w ell as radically influencing t he
parallel processes of publishing, review ing and lit erary recept ion. A host of
1
2
philosophy,
hist ory,
religious st udies, sociology, ant hropology, film and
m edia st udies, cultural st udies, musicology, geography, econom ics and law
(Plain and Sellers, 2007: 1).
Today, if w e pay at t ent ion more t o t he development of women’s
problem s, especially in the
w om an,
com plex.
we
equalit y on the right bet w een a man and a
w ill find that the issues on wom en are cont roversial and
Those problems need m ore solution and discussion. Those
problem s are not only t he responsibilit y for t he government , but also our
responsibilit y t o solve t hose problems. As w e know that the problems of
w om en are t he problem s of societ y, because w om en are t he im portant part
of societ y.
Since past time, societ y has been dom inat ed by men. For a long t im e,
w om en have considered living from relying on m en’s pow er.
M en and
w om en most ly follow the concept t hat a woman cannot st and by herself
w ithout t he support of a m an.
M en are considered
as t he first class in
societ y, while w omen are t he second. This concept ion event ually leads t o
t he role dist inct ions bet w een a m an and a wom an in societ y. This fact has
shown us t hat in t he whole of t he life aspect s, t he w om en are always
dominat ed by m en. This domination is usually called by pat riarchal syst em
in the societ y.
Pat riarchy is t he st ruct ural and ideological syst em t hat perpet uat es t he
privileging of m asculinit y. Such syst em s make w om en overlook t heir ow n
3
cont rol fem ale sexual behavior.
Women, according to this view , were
valuable only on the basis of their abilit y t o reproduce (Kuhlm an, 2008: 21).
A t heory of sexualit y becom es fem inist t o the ext ent it t reat s sexualit y
as a social const ruct of male pow er: defined by m en, forced on w om en, and
constit ut ive in t he m eaning of gender. Such an approach cent ers fem inism
on the perspect ive of t he subordinat ion of w om en t o men as it ident ifies sext hat is, t he sexualit y of dominance and submission-as crucial, as a
fundam ent al, as on som e level definitive (M acKinnon, 1989: 316).
Since w om en have been t reat ed as inferior t hey realize here t hat t hey
have t o do som et hing. Thus, t hey can have equal right with other persons
especially m en. Therefore, t hey did a movem en t . According t o Holman and
Harmon (1986: 201) such movement is now called fem inism m ovement .
A fem ale inequalit y is defined as a st at e where w om en are universally
subordinat e t o m en; m en are dom inant due t o their part icipat ion in public life
and their relegat ion to the dom est ic sphere. The fem ale inequalit y is
described in t he Buck’s Pavilion of Women. The Chinese t radit ion influences
t he people’s point of view about wom en in that era.
Buck’s Pavilion of W omen is a fairly radical approach t o t he subject of
m en and wom en in the decade of the 40s. It is t he st ory of M adame Wu, a
w om an whose surprising decision t o ret ire from m arried life and select a
concubine for her husband upset s her ext ended household.
4
The novel is about a wom an nam ed M adame Wu. She lives in a
pat riarchal societ y w hich believes t hat a m an is t he head of a social unit .
Act ually, pat riarchy it self m eans ruled by t he m ale head of a social unit.
How ever, fem inist w rit ers have used t he concept t o refer t o the social syst em
of m asculine dominat ion over w om en. Buck here t ried t o show about a
w om an nam ed M adame Wu t hat st ruggles t o have t he sam e right as m en in
som e aspect s of life. The m ale dom ination and Chinese culture force M adam e
Wu to be a wom an t hat has no right t o have a good education.
M adam e Wu lived in the era of t he Second World War w hen m any
foreigners cam e and visit ed China. It is also the era of w om en’s movem ent in
Europe and America. How ever, China st ill m aint ains t heir t radition and beliefs
t o rest rict w om en. They believe t hat w omen are not allow ed to work out side
of the house because t hey do not have a smart brain like m en.
Women just become w ives t hat give birt h, nurture t he babies and do
t he household m at t ers. It also happens t o M adam e Wu. She did and handled
t he household mat t ers like choosing a w ife for her sons, doing accounting,
and designing t he house. How ever, in her fort iet h birt hday she realized t hat
she had to do som et hing for her freedom from the rest rict ions.
Based on those aspect s, t he researcher w ould like t o analyze t he
charact erist ics, sym pt oms and effect s of fem inism as shown in Pearl S Buck’s
Pavilion of Women novel, and t he title is: GENDER EQUALITY IN PEARL S
BUCK’S PAVILION OF W OM EN NOVEL (1946).
5
B. Problem Statements
There are som e problem s t hat the w rit er w ant s t o discuss in this
t hesis. Those are:
1. how is the social condition of America and China in 1940s?
2. how is t he personal profile of M adame Wu in Buck’s Pavilion of Women
novel?
3. what gender equalities are described in Buck’s Pavilion of Women novel?
C. Objectives of the Study
The object ives of the st udy are as follow s:
1. t o describe t he social condit ion of Am erica and China in 1940.
2. t o port ray t he personal profile of M adame Wu in Buck’s Pavilion of Women
novel.
3. t o reveal gender equalit ies described in Buck’s Pavilion of Women novel.
D. Benefits of the Research
The w rit er divides t he benefit s of t he research into t wo aspect s;
t heoret ically and pract ically. Theoret ically concerns w it h the analysis of
feminism t heory on the novel. Pract ically concerns w it h t he application of
feminism theory found on the novel.
1. Thoretically, t he w rit er want s t o find out the gender equalit y show n by
M adame W u in Pearl. S Buck’s Pavilion of
Women
novel
based
on
6
t heory. The researcher analyzes M adam e W u’s profile and her way of life
t o analyze the gender equalit y in the novel based on feminism theory.
2. Pract ical: to get deeper underst anding about gender equalities in Pearl S
Buck’s Pavilion of Women novel. Such finding help us t o underst and more
about fem inism.
E. Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into seven chapt ers. Those are:
1. Chapt er I is int roduction. It provides a summ ary of t he background of t his
t hesis, t he problem st at em ents, t he object ives of t he st udy, t he benefit s of
t he research and the thesis organizat ion.
2. Chapt er II is review of relat ed lit erat ure. It consist s of previous st udy and
t he underlying theory.
3. Chapt er III is research m et hod. It consist s of t ype of the st udy, the object of
t he st udy, the t ype of collect ing dat a, t he t echnique of collect ing dat a, and
t he t echnique of t he dat a analysis.
4. Chapt er IV is social historical background. It consist s of social historical
background of America and China in 1940s and the life of Pearl S Buck.
5. Chapt er V is profile of the main charact er, M adame W u.
6.
Chapt er VI is fem inist analysis.
7.
Chapt er VII is conclusion and suggest ion.
INTRODUCTION
This chapt er reveals background of the research, problem st at em ent s,
object ives of the st udy, benefit s of the research, and thesis organizat ion.
A. Background of the Research
Lit erat ure is used t o express person’s idea in view ing life in t he societ y.
We can find some ideas, m essages and port rait of a societ y by exploring it. It
is t he mirror of hum an life t hat port rays hum an feeling, though, im aginat ion,
and percept ion which can be view ed based on personal judgment .
Act ually in some w ays w om en are equal to men. But , in many societ ies
w om en become t he second. They are charact erized as passive, dependent
and emot ional, whereas m en are charact erized as aggressive and act ive.
Women have been subordinat e t o men in st at us, mobility and public
leadership. They should do domest ic sphere, nurt uring children, maint aining
t he household and serving t heir husbands (M adsen, 2000:2).
The impact of fem inism on lit erary crit icism over t he past thirt y-five
years has been profound and w ide-ranging. It has t ransform ed t he academ ic
st udy of lit erary t ext s, fundam ent ally alt ering the canon of what is t aught
and set t ing a new agenda for analysis, as w ell as radically influencing t he
parallel processes of publishing, review ing and lit erary recept ion. A host of
1
2
philosophy,
hist ory,
religious st udies, sociology, ant hropology, film and
m edia st udies, cultural st udies, musicology, geography, econom ics and law
(Plain and Sellers, 2007: 1).
Today, if w e pay at t ent ion more t o t he development of women’s
problem s, especially in the
w om an,
com plex.
we
equalit y on the right bet w een a man and a
w ill find that the issues on wom en are cont roversial and
Those problems need m ore solution and discussion. Those
problem s are not only t he responsibilit y for t he government , but also our
responsibilit y t o solve t hose problems. As w e know that the problems of
w om en are t he problem s of societ y, because w om en are t he im portant part
of societ y.
Since past time, societ y has been dom inat ed by men. For a long t im e,
w om en have considered living from relying on m en’s pow er.
M en and
w om en most ly follow the concept t hat a woman cannot st and by herself
w ithout t he support of a m an.
M en are considered
as t he first class in
societ y, while w omen are t he second. This concept ion event ually leads t o
t he role dist inct ions bet w een a m an and a wom an in societ y. This fact has
shown us t hat in t he whole of t he life aspect s, t he w om en are always
dominat ed by m en. This domination is usually called by pat riarchal syst em
in the societ y.
Pat riarchy is t he st ruct ural and ideological syst em t hat perpet uat es t he
privileging of m asculinit y. Such syst em s make w om en overlook t heir ow n
3
cont rol fem ale sexual behavior.
Women, according to this view , were
valuable only on the basis of their abilit y t o reproduce (Kuhlm an, 2008: 21).
A t heory of sexualit y becom es fem inist t o the ext ent it t reat s sexualit y
as a social const ruct of male pow er: defined by m en, forced on w om en, and
constit ut ive in t he m eaning of gender. Such an approach cent ers fem inism
on the perspect ive of t he subordinat ion of w om en t o men as it ident ifies sext hat is, t he sexualit y of dominance and submission-as crucial, as a
fundam ent al, as on som e level definitive (M acKinnon, 1989: 316).
Since w om en have been t reat ed as inferior t hey realize here t hat t hey
have t o do som et hing. Thus, t hey can have equal right with other persons
especially m en. Therefore, t hey did a movem en t . According t o Holman and
Harmon (1986: 201) such movement is now called fem inism m ovement .
A fem ale inequalit y is defined as a st at e where w om en are universally
subordinat e t o m en; m en are dom inant due t o their part icipat ion in public life
and their relegat ion to the dom est ic sphere. The fem ale inequalit y is
described in t he Buck’s Pavilion of Women. The Chinese t radit ion influences
t he people’s point of view about wom en in that era.
Buck’s Pavilion of W omen is a fairly radical approach t o t he subject of
m en and wom en in the decade of the 40s. It is t he st ory of M adame Wu, a
w om an whose surprising decision t o ret ire from m arried life and select a
concubine for her husband upset s her ext ended household.
4
The novel is about a wom an nam ed M adame Wu. She lives in a
pat riarchal societ y w hich believes t hat a m an is t he head of a social unit .
Act ually, pat riarchy it self m eans ruled by t he m ale head of a social unit.
How ever, fem inist w rit ers have used t he concept t o refer t o the social syst em
of m asculine dominat ion over w om en. Buck here t ried t o show about a
w om an nam ed M adame Wu t hat st ruggles t o have t he sam e right as m en in
som e aspect s of life. The m ale dom ination and Chinese culture force M adam e
Wu to be a wom an t hat has no right t o have a good education.
M adam e Wu lived in the era of t he Second World War w hen m any
foreigners cam e and visit ed China. It is also the era of w om en’s movem ent in
Europe and America. How ever, China st ill m aint ains t heir t radition and beliefs
t o rest rict w om en. They believe t hat w omen are not allow ed to work out side
of the house because t hey do not have a smart brain like m en.
Women just become w ives t hat give birt h, nurture t he babies and do
t he household m at t ers. It also happens t o M adam e Wu. She did and handled
t he household mat t ers like choosing a w ife for her sons, doing accounting,
and designing t he house. How ever, in her fort iet h birt hday she realized t hat
she had to do som et hing for her freedom from the rest rict ions.
Based on those aspect s, t he researcher w ould like t o analyze t he
charact erist ics, sym pt oms and effect s of fem inism as shown in Pearl S Buck’s
Pavilion of Women novel, and t he title is: GENDER EQUALITY IN PEARL S
BUCK’S PAVILION OF W OM EN NOVEL (1946).
5
B. Problem Statements
There are som e problem s t hat the w rit er w ant s t o discuss in this
t hesis. Those are:
1. how is the social condition of America and China in 1940s?
2. how is t he personal profile of M adame Wu in Buck’s Pavilion of Women
novel?
3. what gender equalities are described in Buck’s Pavilion of Women novel?
C. Objectives of the Study
The object ives of the st udy are as follow s:
1. t o describe t he social condit ion of Am erica and China in 1940.
2. t o port ray t he personal profile of M adame Wu in Buck’s Pavilion of Women
novel.
3. t o reveal gender equalit ies described in Buck’s Pavilion of Women novel.
D. Benefits of the Research
The w rit er divides t he benefit s of t he research into t wo aspect s;
t heoret ically and pract ically. Theoret ically concerns w it h the analysis of
feminism t heory on the novel. Pract ically concerns w it h t he application of
feminism theory found on the novel.
1. Thoretically, t he w rit er want s t o find out the gender equalit y show n by
M adame W u in Pearl. S Buck’s Pavilion of
Women
novel
based
on
6
t heory. The researcher analyzes M adam e W u’s profile and her way of life
t o analyze the gender equalit y in the novel based on feminism theory.
2. Pract ical: to get deeper underst anding about gender equalities in Pearl S
Buck’s Pavilion of Women novel. Such finding help us t o underst and more
about fem inism.
E. Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into seven chapt ers. Those are:
1. Chapt er I is int roduction. It provides a summ ary of t he background of t his
t hesis, t he problem st at em ents, t he object ives of t he st udy, t he benefit s of
t he research and the thesis organizat ion.
2. Chapt er II is review of relat ed lit erat ure. It consist s of previous st udy and
t he underlying theory.
3. Chapt er III is research m et hod. It consist s of t ype of the st udy, the object of
t he st udy, the t ype of collect ing dat a, t he t echnique of collect ing dat a, and
t he t echnique of t he dat a analysis.
4. Chapt er IV is social historical background. It consist s of social historical
background of America and China in 1940s and the life of Pearl S Buck.
5. Chapt er V is profile of the main charact er, M adame W u.
6.
Chapt er VI is fem inist analysis.
7.
Chapt er VII is conclusion and suggest ion.