THE STRUGGLE OF A WOMAN FOR EQUALITY IN THE BRITISH RESTORATION ERA REPRESENTED IN THE CHARACTERISTIC OF SARAH IN SUSAN HOLLOWAY SCOTT’S DUCHESS AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
THE STRUGGLE OF A WOMAN FOR EQUALITY
IN THE BRITISH RESTORATION ERA
REPRESENTED IN THE CHARACTERISTIC OF SARAH
IN SUSAN HOLLOWAY SCOTT’S DUCHESS
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
MARIA MARIS ASTUTI
Student Number: 074214009
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2012
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I would like to thank The Almightly God for the great blessing in every single day, especially for guiding me in completing this thesis. I really thank Him for the chance to taste and complete this chapter of life, in the hope for a brighter future.
Secondly, I would like to thank my advisor Tatang Iskarna, S.S., M.Hum., for the guidance, patience, help, advice, and support in correcting my thesis. I also would like to thank my co-Advisor Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M. Hum for the advice and correction to this thesis. They mean a lot to me. I also thank all the lecturers and staff of the Department of English Letters for all their guidance and help so that
I can finish my study. I owe great gratitude to my father and mother for being wonderful parents. I thank them very much for their magnificent love, guidance, and prayers. I feel very lucky to have them always beside me. I also would like to thank my brother and my sister for the love, support, help and laughter.
I would like to thank all my friends for great moments, laughter, help, and support. I will never forget all the time we have shared together. For those who always give me support but not mentioned, I would like to give my biggest thanks. God knows all their kindness and I believe, God will give them greater blessing than my thanks. God bless us all.
Maria Maris Astuti
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ………………………………………………………………….. iAPPROVAL PAGE …………………………………………………………… ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ……………………………………………………….. iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………………... iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………………………………………………... v
ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………………… vi
ABSTRAK …………………………………………………………………….. vii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION …………………………………………….. 1
A. Background of the Study …………………………………………... 1 B. Problem Formulation ………………………………………………. 3 C. Objectives of the Study …………………………………………….. 3 D. Definition of Terms ………………………………………………... 4CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW …………………………………. 5
A. Review of Related Studies …………………………………………. 5 B. Review of Related Theories ………………………………………... 61. Theory of Character and Characterization …….…………….. 6
2. Theory of Feminism ………………………………………….. 9
C. Theoretical Framework ……………………………………………. 11
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY …………………………………………. 13
A. Object of the Study …………………………………………………13 B. Approach of the Study ……………………………………………... 14 C. Method of the Study ……………………………………………….. 14CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS …………………………………………………...16
A. The Characteristic of Sarah Churchill ………………………………17 B. The Struggle of Sarah for Equality in the British Restoration Era .....31CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ………………………………………………..45
BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………………………………………………………...49APPENDIX ..........................................................................................................50
ABSTRACT
MARIA MARIS ASTUTI. The Struggle of A Woman for Equality in the
British Restoration Era Represented in the Characteristic of Sarah in Susan
Holloway Scott’s Duchess. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty
of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2012.
Duchess, created by Susan Holloway Scott, is a novel about the struggle of a woman for equality in the British Restoration Era revealed in Sarah Churchill.
The main character’s point of view can explain British Restoration Era and how the main character struggles for equality in the British Restoration Era.
There are two problems to be discussed in this study. The first problem is to find Sarah Churchill’s characteristics. The second problem is to find the struggle of a woman for equality in British Restoration Era as represented by Scott in the characteristic of Sarah Churchill.
In order to accomplish the objectives, the writer applied library research method to analyze the primary source of this study, the novel of Duchess. The other sources to support this study are from literary books and internet. This study uses feminist approach because it is suitable to analyze Duchess as this study explores feminist value.
Sarah’s characteristics are described as clever, self-confident, polite, interesting, unpretentious, brave, strong, wise, and ambitious. When ladies expect to stand silently in their husbands’ shadows, Sarah represents her struggle as an equal at the sides of both John and Queen Anne, and seizes her own share of fame. There are some proofs of the struggle of a woman for equality in the British Restoration Era as represented by Scott in the main character of Sarah Churchill. Those are equality in political position, equality in gender position, equality in social status. All those proofs describe the struggle of a woman for equality.
ABSTRAK
MARIA MARIS ASTUTI. The Struggle of A Woman for Equality in the
British Restoration Era Represented in the Characteristic of Sarah in Susan
Holloway Scott’s Duchess. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra,
Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2012.
Duchess, dikarang oleh Susan Holloway Scott, adalah sebuah novel
tentang sebuah perjuangan wanita untuk kesetaraan pada masa restorasi Inggris yang diungkapkan oleh Sarah Churchill. Sudut pandang tokoh utamanya menjelaskan masa restorasi Inggris dan bagaimana tokoh utama berjuang untuk kesetaraan di masa restorasi Inggris.
Ada dua permasalahan yang dibahas dalam skripsi ini. Permasalahan pertama adalah untuk menemukan sifat dari Sarah Churchill. Permasalahan kedua adalah untuk menemukan perjuangan wanita untuk kesetaraan pada masa restorasi Inggris seperti disebutkan Scott dalam sifat Sarah Churchill.
Dalam tujuan untuk menyelesaikan analisis, penulis menerapkan metode kepustakaan untuk menganalisis novel Duchess. Sumber-sumber lain yang mendukung penulisan skripsi ini berasal dari buku-buku literatur serta internet. Skripsi ini menggunakan pendekatan pejuang hak-hak wanita karena sesuai untuk analisis Duchess sebagaimana skripsi ini menyelidiki nilai-nilai pejuang hak-hak wanita.
Karakteristik-karakteristik yang khas dari Sarah digambarkan sebagai sosok yang pintar, percaya diri, sabar, menarik, sederhana, pemberani, kuat, bijaksana, dan ambisius. Ketika para wanita berharap dengan diam berdiri pada bayang-bayang suami mereka. Sarah menggambarkan perjuangannya seperti kesetaraan saat disisi John maupun ratu Anne, dan meraih popularitasnya. Ada beberapa bukti perjuangan wanita untuk kesetaraan seperti yang disebutkan Scott di tokoh utamanya Sarah Churchill. Bukti-bukti tersebut antaralain kesetaraan posisi politik, kesetaraan derajat, kesetaraan status sosial.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study According to Lukacs of Hungary, a literary work had to be assessed
on its ability to reflect realities of life and felt that only realistic forms of literary works were artistically and politically valid (Webster, 1990: 66).
Based on Lukacs’ explanation, it can be said that novels as a kind of genres of literature are reflections of life and a detail of intrinsic elements of a novel, such as its character can reveal the essence of truth of a particular socio- historical situation the author of the novel has tried to depict in the novel.
When a critic gives the novel a close reading, declares reflectionism, it is the critic’s job to show how the characters within the novel are typical of their socio-historical situation and the author worldview (Bressler, 1999: 215).
By using Sarah Churchill, Scott actually tries to prove the struggle of a woman for equality in the British Restoration Era. At that time, the upper class had very strict rules in order to manage the behavior of its member life and the life of the class itself. The members of the upper class had to follow the way of life and if they refused to do so, they would not be considered as members anymore. Duchess then was written to break this point of view. It can be stated that the struggle of a woman for equality in the British Restoration Era is revealed to Sarah Churchill.
Because of that explanation above, the writer choose the topic of this study is about the struggle of a woman for equality in the British Restoration Era as it represented in the characteristic of Sarah Churchill in Scott’s
Duchess. From the main character’s point of view can explain about the
British Restoration Era and how the way of the main character, Sarah Churchill, has done the struggle of a woman for equality in the British Restoration Era which already influences her life.
In this study the struggle of a woman for equality will be seen through some conditions before and during the Restoration Era of England.
During the British Restoration Era, the main character has many experiences in her life, especially her close relation with her husband, John Churchill, and Queen Anne. Although she does not come from the upper class or from duchess family, but she can adapt very well with the situation around the Royal family and along with the British Restoration Era her character developed. She creates her own way to get better condition for her life and her nation. Her customs represent to the struggle of a woman for equality in the British Restoration Era until she can scrape along her life whereas people are not believe women can create an action to the struggle of a woman for equality in the British Restoration Era, because in that Era women considered as weak and cannot be stronger than men. In this case, the main character, Sarah Churchill, cannot accept that opinion, she has something like emancipation which makes equality.
From the explanation above, the writer can use it to strengthen the reason to choose this story as the object of study. After find the struggle of a woman for equality, hopefully this story can be used as a tool to study. It means people can learn the struggle of a woman for equality in the British Restoration Era from this story.
B. Problem Formulation
There are two problems which have formulized in this study. The two problems are:
1. How is Sarah Churchill characterized?
2. How can the characteristics of Sarah Churchill represent the struggle of a woman for equality in the British Restoration Era?
C. Objectives of the Study
This study will focus on the struggle of a woman for equality in the British Restoration Era represent in the characteristic of Sarah Churchill in Scott’s Duchess. The objective of this study is to answer the two questions stated in the problem formulation.
So, the first objective of this study is to find Sarah Churchill’s characteristics. And finally, the second objective of this study is to find the struggle of a woman for equality in British Restoration Era as represented by Scott in the characteristics of Sarah Churchill which are found before.
D. Definition of Terms
There are several terms which are going to be used in this undergraduate thesis. To avoid confusion and misunderstanding, it is important to define those terms:
Struggle is to make mental effort because struggle is not always using physical effort. It is to make one’s way with difficulty in the specified direction. It tries to overcome a problem or prevent something undesirable from happening or continuing. It is to compete or argue with somebody, especially in order to obtain something (Hornby, 1995: 1186).
Equality is the state of being same especially in status or rights. It means the right of different groups of people to have a similar social position and receive the same treatment. In this case between man and woman should have equal rights in society (Hornby, 1995: 388).
The British Restoration Era is the Era in which reestablishment of the monarchy on the accession (1660) of Charles II after the collapse of the Commonwealth and the Protectorate was done. The term is often used to refer to the entire period from 1660 to the fall of James II in 1688 (Hattendorf, 2004: 132). The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia also describe about restoration of Charles II.
King Charles I was executed in the January of 1649… 11 years later, in 1660, Charles I's son, Charles II assumed monarchy once again. The resurgence of monarchy was brought about by a series of historically significant incidents… the Parliament accepted that Charles II had been the lawful monarch of England after the death of Charles I. This is what is known as the English Restoration. But the reinstated monarchy under Charles
II wanted to eliminate any future threats…
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies In this thesis the writer will analyze one of Susan Holloway Scott’s novel, Duchess. This part consists of the related studies that deal with the novel. There
are many responses to the publishing of this novel, here the writer would like to present criticism to the story of Duchess in order to enrich the writer’s knowledge in understanding the novel.
A related study by a researcher on Scott’s work can be found in the review of Barb Mechalke, An Interesting Story about a Strong Woman, December 22, 2009. According to Barb Mechalke, Susan Holloway Scott portrays Sarah Churchill as a bright, capable and strong young woman who manages to victory in the face of repeated uncertainty. Mechalke says that Holloway does a nice job of teaching the reader about the many successions and uprisings during this period of English history.
Holloway covers a period of complicated English history during the period from 1673, when Sarah was thirteen years old, until 1714 when she is fifty four. Much of Sarah's life depends upon her continued favor by the princess and Holloway shows the reader the dangerous path that type of life offers. The story is compelling, the politics are interesting and writing is good but she didn't care for Sarah Churchill or the other characters depicted. The cast of historical figures is rather limited, the author focuses her attention on John and Sarah Churchill and Princess Anne (Mechalke, 2009: 12). Another related study by a researcher on Scott’s work can be found in the review of Rebecca Huston, Politics and true love abounds in Duchess, August 20,
2006. Rebecca Huston states that the story is always good to see a period of history that tends to get skipped over -- in this case, the period of Restoration England and the last of the Stuart kings and queens -- get a good treatment. Huston says that Susan Holloway Scott's Duchess: A Novel of Sarah Churchill, takes an intimate, and at times, shocking looks at how a nation managed to firmly shut the door on the idea of an absolute monarchy, and so, created a stable and prosperous realm.
It is an intriguing blend of history, women's roles, personal life and a grand love affair between Sarah and John. Scott's research is firmly solid, and while some readers may find many of the incidents too imaginery, they really did happen. Anne and Sarah would write and term each other as 'Mrs. Morley' and 'Mrs. Freeman,' moving beyond the distance that royalty deemed was necessary, Sarah did spirit Anne away as the 'Glorious Revolution' started, and there were indeed rumors of a lesbian relationship between the two women. A great deal of the book is given up to the political dealings of the time, from the fall of James II, to his elder daughter Mary, and her husband, William of Orange, becoming monarchs of Great Britain, and Anne's eventual succession as Queen.
(
Huston, 2006: 18). In this study, the writer will only focus the analysis on the main character, since she is the controller of the story and the one who has struggle for equality in the story. This thesis is also aimed to give more knowledge to readers about the struggle of a woman for equality in the British Restoration Era.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
According to Abrams, the meaning of character is 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 what they do- the action- (1981: 2).
According to Stanton, character is commonly used in two ways. First, character designates the individuals who appear in the story. Second, character refers to the mixture of interests, desires, emotions, and moral principles that makes up each of these individuals (1965: 17).
According to Henkle, characters can be divided into two parts: major characters and secondary characters (1977: 87). Major characters are the most significant characters in a novel. They can be identified through the complexity of their characterization, the attention given by certain figures, and personal intensity that a character seems to transmit. The major character will completely need the reader’s fullest attention because they perform a key structural function. While the secondary characters are characters who serve functions that are more restricted. They perform and respond in more limited functions than the major characters, they may be less sophisticated, therefore their response to experience is less complex and less interesting (1977: 178-181).
According to Murphy (1972: 161-173), there are nine ways of characterization. The nine ways of characterization are used to create the character understandable for the readers.
a. Personal Description In some part of this novel Susan Holloway Scott describes the characters through their appearance and clothes, as Murphy says that the author describes a person’s character through the appearance and clothes. b. Character as Seen by Another The characters not only described through their appearance and clothes but also through the point of view of the other people in the novel.
c. Speech Susan Holloway Scott also gives a deeper understanding about the characters from the speech that is produced or in a conversation with other characters whenever they propose an idea.
d. Past Life By allowing the reader learns something about a person’s past life, the author can give us a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character. This can be done by direct comment by the author, through the person’s thoughts, through his conversation or through the medium of another person.
e. Conversation of Others Susan Holloway Scott tries to describe the characters through the conversation of other people in the story. For example Sarah Churchill’s character is described by conversation of John Churchill or the other character say about her.
f. Reactions The character of a person can be observed by seeing at the person’s reaction toward various situations and events in his/her life.
g. Direct Comment The author can describe or comment on a person’s character directly through the narration, especially in third-person narrator. h. Thought The author can give us direct information of what a person is thinking about and even tell us what other people are thinking. Here the author acts as a person who knows everything. i. Mannerism
The person’s character can be analyzed through the person’s mannerism and habit that may also tell us something about the character.
The theory above gives information about definition of character and the writer uses theory of characterization to describe clearly the character. In general, characters are important element in the story. The stories always introduce their characters to give a description to the readers.
2. Theory of Feminism
According to Humm, feminism is generally the ideology of women’s liberation since intrinsic in all its approaches is the belief that woman suffers injustice because of the sex (1995: 94).
Woolf declares that men have and continue to treat women as inferiors. It is the male, she asserts, who defines what it means to be female and who controls the political, economic, social, and literary structures. Women, Woolf argues, must reject this social construct and establish their own identity. Women must challenge the prevailing, false cultural notions concerning their gender identity and develop a female discourse that will accurately portray their relationship “to the world of reality and not to the world of men.” (Bressler, 1999: 181-182).
In the late 1700s, a faint voice against such patriarchal opinions began to be heard. Mary Wolstonecraft, A vindication of the Rights of Women (1792), she stated that women must stand up for their rights and not allow their male- dominated society, they must reject the patriarchal assumption that women are inferior to men (Bressler, 1999: 181).
According to Beauvoir, a woman must break the bonds of her patriarchal society and define herself if she wishes to become a significant human being in her own right and defy male classification as the Other (Bressler, 1999: 182).
Therefore, de Beauvoir says that the true problem of women is that they seemingly to escape from such condition which then perpetuates their inferiority.
They should break the idea of woman’s inferiority by being active in devaluing themselves as equal human to men. She, then, affirms her idea by saying “It is useless to apportion blame and excuses justice can never be done in the midst of injustice” (de Beauvoir, 1949: 732). It is not blaming that is expected to liberate themselves, but valuing themselves based on what they believe.
According to Millet, one’s gender is a social construct, being created by cultural ideals and norms. Conforming to these prescribed sex roles dictated by society is what Millet calls sexual politics. Women must revolt against the power center of their culture: male dominance (Bressler, 1999: 183).
Feminists process a collective identity: They are women who are struggling to discover who they are, how they arrived at their present situation, and where they are going. Their search is political, for their aim is to change the world in which they live, a world that they maintain must be changed if all individuals, all cultures, all subcultures, and both sexes are to be valued as creative, rational people who can all contribute to their societies and their world.
Women are people in their own right, they are not incomplete or inferior men. Women must create an atmosphere that is less oppressive by contesting the long- held patriarchal assumptions concerning their sex (Bressler, 1999: 188-189).
The theory above gives information about feminism. This study applies the theory of feminism to interpret the struggle of a woman for equality of the main character in the novel.
Theoretical Framework C.
In the previous sub-chapter, the writer stated that some theories and notes that will be used to analyze the novel. The theories above are divided into two that are theory of character and characterization, and theory of feminism. Those theories are needed to help the writer in analyzing the novel and to answer the questions stated in the problem formulation.
In analyzing this thesis, first, the main character in the novel is studied by using the theories of character and characterization. In this study, the writer uses the theory of character proposed by Abrams, Stanton, Henkle, and then the theory of characterization proposed by Murphy. The characterization methods that are used in the study are personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation of others, reaction, direct comment, thought, and mannerism. Those theories provide complete ways to analyze the characters of the novel. The writer uses those theories because those are appropriate for describing the characteristics of the major character in this novel. Once this is done, the answer of the first problem formulation is obtained.
The writer also uses the theory of feminism in order to analyze the struggle of a woman for equality. In this study, the writer uses the theory of feminism proposed by Humm, Woolf, Wolstonecraft, de Beauvoir, and Millet. This study combines all theories that are relevant to answer the entire question in the problem formulation.
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study The object of this study is the first historical fiction novel "Duchess: A Novel of Sarah Churchill" about the powerful friend of Queen Anne I by Susan Holloway Scott, the publisher of this novel is New American Library, a division
of Penguin Group (USA) Inc, 2006. In 2005, Susan Holloway Scott turned to writing historical fiction and published under her real name. Duchess is the first edition novel for Susan Holloway Scott.
There are so many reasons to recommend this book, from its some believable characters, especially the characteristic of Sarah Churchill, to its ability to totally immerse the reader in the past. The writer sees Sarah grows from a young woman of ambition and inner strength to a political and social leader at Queen Anne’s court. But her success does not come without sacrifice, petty rivalry or danger, especially when she and her husband, John, throw their support behind the rebellion against James II.
This novel is about Sarah was a compulsive and compelling characteristic, narrating the major events of her day, with herself often at center stage. This novel brings her own voice, passionate and intelligent, back to life, and casts a critical eye over images of the Duchess handed down through art, history, and literature.
Here is an unforgettable portrait of a woman who cared intensely about how we would be remembering her. Those are the main character which this study will try to reveals from this novel.
B. Approach of the Study
In this study the writer applies feminist approach because the study focuses on the feminist aspect. According to Roberts, the feminist approach holds that most of our literature presents a masculine-patriarchal view in which the role of women is negated or at best minimized. As an adjunct of the feminist movement in politics, the feminist critique of literature seeks to raise consciousness about the importance and unique nature of women in literature. In form, the feminist perspective seeks to evaluate various literary works from the standpoint of the presentation of women (1995: 270).
Feminist approach is concerned with the impact of gender on writing and reading, gender determines everything and gender differences are imposed by society and gender determines something. Using feminist approach, the writer will describe the characteristic of a woman and the struggle of a woman in the restoration era. The reference mentioned above helped the writer to apply feminist approach. By using feminist approach and the theories related to it, the study will try to answer the two questions stated in the problem formulations.
C. Method of the Study
In this study, the writer applied a library research which uses written record as the source data. It used novel as the main source data, and the novel
Duchess was used as the primary source. The data included in the thesis was taken
from the book in the library such as the theory and approach. Any website from internet also became the secondary source to find other information related to the historical background.
There were several steps taken by the writer to analyze the novel. The first step was reading the novel many times to get a better understanding of the story.
The writer focused the analysis on Sarah Churchill and then made some notes about her personal description, her behavior, her thought, her mannerism and the conversation of others. The writer was also trying to find out the connection to formulated problems.
The next step was finding some books about theory of character and characterization and theory of feminism. Theory of character and characterization could help the writer to go deeper in understanding the main character. Theory of feminism could help the writer to analyze the struggle of a woman in the restoration era.
After learning about the theory, the next step to be taken was determining the approach and then the study was started to be analyzed. Finally the last step was drawing conclusion based on the previous analysis.
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS There are two parts in this chapter each part of this is answer of each
question which has been stated in the problem formulation. The first question stated in the problem formulation is how Scott characterizes Sarah Churchill, so this part contains explanation of how Scott reveals Sarah Churchill with her individual elements which make identity of the major character what she is. The following part goes on to speak of the second problem stated in the problem formulation, how the characteristic of Sarah Churchill can represent the struggle of a woman for equality in the British Restoration Era. The second part is to show how the major character which has been created by Scott in particular ways can represent the struggle of a woman for equality in the British Restoration Era.
The writer will analyze characteristic of the main character, Sarah Churchill, in Scott’s Duchess. The writer want to understand how the character’s royal womanhood of the main character as a part of the royal family get major effect of the British Restoration Era, then the character reveal to the struggle of a woman for equality to get the way of better life in the future, because woman still be the second place than man when the British Restoration Era occur. It means woman is weaker than man position and always fear to change the condition for their better life.
A. The Characteristics of Sarah Churchill
In the novel, Sarah Churchill has projective roles in which the significance of experiences in the novel is always almost interest as the main character. Sarah Churchill has identity which is particularly presented by Scott in Sarah’s individual elements which show the human qualities which the character actualized and Scott tells and shows what Sarah is like through the individual elements. By concentrating on Sarah Churchill’s individual elements, the human qualities can be seen as Abrams’ explanations about character (1981: 2).
Stanton said that characters refer to people who are in the novel (1965: 17). There are many characters in the novel but Sarah Churchill is the major character in this novel, this is why she completely needs the readers’ fullest attention (Henkle, 1977: 178-181). Sarah is the most significant character because she is the focus of the story in this novel. In the following explanation the writer will try to describe Sarah Churchill’s characteristic.
1. Clever
The writer sees that Sarah is clever. Based on Murphy’s theory that one’s character can be described from what a person is thinking about (1972: 171). The fact that Sarah is clever revealed that her mother action to teach Sarah in order that Sarah can be as subservient as her mother. The way Sarah thinks about her background indicates that her mother tries to support her and teach her.
In this place, my mother took in worn smocks and other linens from the gentlewomen to mend towards our support. She had always been able to stitch a fine seam and fancywork, and tried to teach me the same. But I recognized this sorry education for what it was, training to be as subservient as she, and instead I labored to improve myself for greater greybeard scholars, but such an overwrought education was no longer the fashion. I learned to read tolerably well, yes, and write a pretty hand for letters, but ciphering and foreign tongues remained beyond my sphere (Scott, 2006: 10).
Although Sarah is uneducated, she tries to learn everything alone. She crossed her mother’s pretension to teach her the same. She thinks what her mother does to teach her, it can prevent her from the greater things.
Sarah knows that she gets so many other accomplishments which are useful for her behalf. How Sarah practiced the lady’s graceful walks and curtseys.
She learned to tell this duke from the earl. She washed her hair in honey-water to preserve its golden color. Based on Murphy’s theory that one’s character can be described from a person’s appearance (1972: 161), Sarah learns the court’s grand lady.
Yet who can fault me, when there were so many other accomplishments to acquire that bring me more favor? From the palace’s galleries and in the park, I observed the court’s grand ladies. I practiced their graceful walks and curtseys, and how best to hold my head and arrange an open fan in my hands. I learned to tell this duke from the earl, and which held more favor with the king. I washed my hair in honey-water to preserve its golden color, and I took care to keep my visage from the ravages of the sun. I saw how even the most beautiful and indulged mistress must give way to the plainest wedded lady, and resolved that I would barter her maidenhead for marriage and nothing less (Scott, 2006: 10-11).
Through the passage, Scott directly indicates that Sarah is a girl who always cares about her outfit to make duke or the king see her and also interested to know about her personality and her beautiful. She knows what must she does to always takes care her beautiful, so she always learns how to make the duke or the king like her way.
When Sarah had a serious conversation with Colonel Churchill about the scars won by the soldier in Tangier, then colonel invites her to walk with him but she refuses him and she wants to leave him.
“I must practice my lines for tonight.”I turn away, but he caught my arm. “Not that,” he interrupted. “Tell me of your life. If Lady Anne demands too much from you, or what dish you liked best at the table last night, or whether it’s true that the duchess lets her Italian priests come and go boldly through her chambers.” He studied me intently. “You’re young to realize the difference. But then, Monmouth did tell me you were a wise and clever lady.” (Scott, 2006: 47-48) “I understand this ‘more’ of yours, Colonel Churchill,” I said, my whispered words rushing with urgency, just as I understand the consequences. ‘More’ being the Duke of York, who makes no mystery of his sympathy to Catholicism. ‘More’ being him as a future king who would take his orders from the pope himself, and rule over an England in such a turmoil of hatred and violence as to make the last civil wars seem as nothing.” “I agree with those who would put England’s safety first,” I said. “There is a difference between tolerance and carelessness” (Scott, 2006: 49-50).
From that moment they debate about the story which occurs since the Great Fire and the condition in England. She knows many things about that story than Colonel Churchill. That thing shows Sarah’s clever, she can debate man who is a Colonel or the high class. Although Colonel knows the condition which occurs at that time, he is still calm, but he just wants to study the characteristic of Sarah, she is clever from another girl or not. And his friend is absolutely right that Sarah is clever.
Through the passage, the writer sees that by the time Sarah’s fifteenth birthday, she is able to claim that she knows her way about the court better than any other lady her age. It is shown from what she is thinking about. She has taught whom trust and whom to avoid, when to curtsey and when to stand instead of She is much praise for her cleverness as well as her beauty, but better than that, she had earned the trust and protection of Mary Beatrice, the Duchess of York, and the devotion of her stepdaughter, Lady Anne (Scott, 2006: 40). That rarest curiosity at court, a virgin maid of honor, with her innocence a banner of challenge to every gentleman from her master the Duke of York to the lowest page. All around Sarah are the sorry lessons of ladies who have let them be ruled by passion. But she knows her worth.
2. Self-confident
Sarah is a girl who has self-confident. Based on Murphy’s theory that one’s character can be described from one’s character past life. This can be done by direct comment from the person’s thoughts (1972: 166). Sarah never knows why her mother’s incessant applications on her behalf, but she has self-confident to enter at court.
If I was honored because of my sister’s old place with the former Duchess of York, or because of my father’s long-standing loyalty to His Majesty. Perhaps I’d simply been noticed while I walked in the park. I was a pretty child and I knew it, with bright blue eyes, fair skin, and an upturned nose, and though not tall, I had a pleasingly confident carriage that made gentlemen turn and look after me with interest. That was the sum of my dowry, and I knew that, too. Unlike other young girls with aspirations, I had no grand family name or fortune to ease my way, nor a patron to sponsor me at court (Scott, 2006: 11). Sarah knows about herself although she does not know that her mother wants her in order that she has a better life to be a maid of honor than another maid of honor.
She knows her condition and she knows what to do with that situation, but she knows her outfit can make her more confident to go forward, although she will get difficult way.
All things are possible in this world. She realizes that she wishes her not to let her heart be ruled by her lack of a fortune. It is shown from what she is thinking about. When she is hearing her words, she thinks only of the possibility—the likelihood—that if her husband to be a king, then this world will be an altogether different place and not for the better. Those who have never been to court will often speak of how the life of a palace is nothing but intrigue and secrets. In truth it is exactly the opposite: not even the deepest secret of state has any chance of survival at court, where even the king himself must bathe and dress before a score of noble witnesses. Nothing is hidden, nothing kept private. Is it any wonder, then, that before the next day’s sun had risen, her little secret is as common as a prayer book? (Scott, 2006: 59). Through the passage, the writer sees that Sarah has a dream and sometimes she thinks about her better future and also she will be the high class.
3. Polite
Sarah is polite because she is a person who always uses polite words when she must answer the questions or the statement from the other Lady in the court.
Based on Murphy’s theory that one’s character can be described from one’s character speech, whenever a person speaks (1972: 164). The writer sees Sarah is polite based on her speech with the page.
“So you are to be the new maid of honor,” the page said… “You look fresh and sweet as new cream.” “I’m nearly thirteen,” I said as grandly as I could. Like every girl my age, I was eager to put aside my childhood for what I was certain would be better. “That’s quite old enough to be a maid of honor.” (Scott, 2006: 12) Through the passage, Sarah tries to be polite, because she answers the man who older than her and she hopes the man can accept her and he will guide her to enter in the palace at the first time.
Sarah also shows her politeness to Lady Anne when they meet at the first time. Lady Anne orders little cakes for Sarah, then she eats those cakes gently and she says thanks to Lady Anne.