CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION In this chapter, the writer explains
background of the study, statements of
the problem, objectives of the study,
scope and limitation, and significance of the study.
Then it
is followed by
five significant elements
consisting of research
design, data sources, data collection, data analysis and
definition of the key terms. Hopefully, this can help the reader understands it can help
the reader in getting the understanding of both the fundamental reasons of conducting
this research and the methods used by the writer.
1.1. Background of Study Now days there are many people still assume
that literature is not too important either to read or to learn. They tend not
to take a careful look at it by any means.
While one of the most recognized
Indonesian writers, Gola Gong (2007:25) through his book stated that our prophet Mohammad SAW
has explicitly suggested to have a study
on literature from the early age by stating “Teach your children literature,
for by being taught of it, they will
have more affection”. Further, as mentioned in a book of
hadith collection, entitled
Mukhtarul Ahadits written
by Sayyid Al
Hasyimy (1947:52), Prophet
Mohammad SAW initiated
the importance of
literature, by stating: “From Ubai bin Ka’ab that Rasulalloh SAW
stated that: there is a wise word among
the poems (literature)”, (Told by Bukhory).
From both hadiths, we are informed that literature has
been exceedingly vital for our
lives. To confirm
how important it
is, Daichis (1964)
referring to Aristotle who sees literature as a work “trying to
express a certain knowledge that is not able to be conveyed with other ways”, said that
literature is a certain way of giving a unique pleasure and information being able to enrich
the concept of the readers. Unfortunately, little did people understand what
the real meaning of literature is. Therefore, on the ground of people’s ignorance of literary
works,lies the significance of digging in essential explanation of literature, as a
point of departure to know and,
subsequnetly, love the literary works.
Certainly, understanding exactly
what literature ishas always been a complexity for the reason that trying to
reveal its definition has confirmed to be quite difficult.
No wonder if we can find lots of
definitions about literature. One of the definitions of it according to the notion of Jones (1968:1)
is simply another way we can experience the
world around us through our imagination. Indeed, while the authors write
literary works, most
of them require
a big portion
of imagination due
to expressing their ideas, opinions,
feeling, etc. The
literary works that
they write are
in the form
of 3 poem, short story, novel, drama, etc. In
addition, we cannot refute that reading is one of ways in enjoying a literature.
By reading a literary work, we
can get some amusements to indulge our leisure
time. Still, another
aim of reading
literary works based
on Olsen’s statement (Aminuddin, 2002:61) that a literary work is a
valuable thing being able to give some values more
than just for
spending spare time
or entertaining. As
the readers, we should
understand the content of the literary workswe read and be critical in
appreciating them. By
doing so, we
will surely find some messages, points of
view and idea conveyed by the authors.
It is true that we can understand
well literary works we are reading when we put ourselves in a critical manner of reading.
Since, by having a critical thinking, we can distinguish which one is regarded as a
prominence. A literary work, considered excellent
when its readers can involve to the storyflown life-like. As based on E.M.
Forster’s opinion,
published in http://quote.robertgenn.com that
what is wonderful about great literature is that it transforms
the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who wrote.
Definitely, a good work of
literature is that when it makes us think, and feel, not amuse. Indeed, from a good literary work,
the writer knows people in their real life,
because an interpretative author more systematically describes the characters.
As Kelly
(1982:28), states that
the term of
character in literature
means person represented in a story, novel, or play that
has certain traits or characteristic given by the writer to dramatize the story.
Furthermore, a good literature is that a writing being 4 able
to open our understanding to something new, orbrings vivid images of another time and place to mind. When something was
written a hundred years ago, and is still read and enjoyed, that is good
literature. Jane Eyre’ Charlotte Brontë
is the example of a good literature,
which was published in London, exactly in 1847.
Jane Eyre,
a novel selected
by the writer,
is one of
the magnificent novels written by Charlotte Brontë. She is an English
author, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters, whose novels
are English literature
standards. She, who used the pen name Currer Bell, is best known for the novel,
which wasreally imperative Victorian novel.
A critique of Victorian
statements about gender andsocial class became one of the most successful novels of its era, both
critically and commercially.
The writer chooses Jane Eyreas
the object of her study due to several reasons.
First, it is one of the best
novels in the English language. Its strength has not been affected by
the passing years,
which is testament
to this beautifully
written work.
Another reason is that the writer
is much impressedby the story of novel telling about woman struggle, named Jane Eyre, to find
happiness in the world where love and duty collide, and to get the equality
between men andwomen. Hence, the writer thinks that it will be more challenging to analyze
the novel from the main character’s point of view than from that of others. finally, the
study will complete the unrevealed aspects of the novel from the previous
research that haven’t been conferred yet
with a single hope that it can be useful
for everyone in the future.
Jane Eyre, the novel going to be
analyzed, is divided into 38 chapters; most editions are at least 400 pages long, still,
the version novel that the writer read is ex- 5 actly 548 pages. The original was published in
three volumes, comprising of chapters 1
to 15, 16 to 26, and 27 to 38. It is about Jane Eyre, an orphaned child, raised
by an aunt-in-law who despises her,
mainly because of a fundamental clash or personality, which
also extends to
Jane’s cousins. She
is sent to
an austere Victorian
boarding school, and grows to be
skilled in all areas suitable for a governess. Then, the story is getting more and more complex. For the true is
thatthis novel reveals many things as the
themes include the religion, morality, social class, gender relation, and even
disability.
However, the mainly theme of the
novel that the writer considers important is patriarchalism and Jane's efforts to assert
her ownidentity within a male-dominated society.
It is told that three of the main male characters, Brocklehurst, Mr. Rochester and St. John, try to keep Jane in a
subordinate position and prevent her from expressing her own thoughts and
feelings. Jane gets away from Brocklehurst and rejects St.
John, and she only marries Mr.
Rochester once she is sure that their marriage is one between equals. Certainly, through Jane,
Brontë rebuts gender inequalities in the Victorian era,
articulating her own
feminist philosophy. For
that reason, the
writer is deeply interested in analyzing this novel
based on feminist literary criticism.
Besides, As far as the writer
understands, Charlotte Brontë, represents Jane's anxious effort to obtain her identity in the
mist of temptation, isolation, and impractical odds. Though she processes a
strong soul,she strugles with not only the forces of
passion and reason
within herself, but
other's wills continuously
intruded her. Thus, from
this case, through
this study, it
is expected much
that a variety
of 6 pent-up feelings felt by Jane Eyre as the main
character in the novel is a compulsory thing
to be found somehow.
In its first publication, it
outraged many for its realistic portrayal of life during that time. Ultimately, the controversy of
Brontë’snovel lied in its realism, challenging
the role of
women, religion, and
mortality in the
Victorian society. In
essence, Brontë’s novel became a
direct assault on Victorianmorality. Controversy based on its realistic exposure of thoughts once
considered inappropriate for a portrait
of lady of the 19th century.
Actually, that this novel is to
close to the rejection of gender inequalities in the Victorian era is also much influenced by
the real perception of the writer, Brontë.
For instance, Charlotte Brontë,
as the writer of the novel made a final, irritated appeal to Lewes, which implied a different notion
about woman to others in her age, as well as published in Spring (1978:30), that goes: “I wish you did not think me a woman. I wish
all reviewers believed ‘Currer Bell’ to
be a man; they would be more just to him…
I cannot, when I write, think always
of myself and
what you consider
elegant and charming
in feminity...” From this notion, we can see how Brontë’s opinion about women which is revealed
in her novel,
through the character
of Jane Eyre,
as a rejection
towards gender inequalities
rooted in the Victorian era. Certainly, her argument does reinforce her refusal towards gender inequalities at
that time.
Different from the basic meaning
of a gender inequality that is defined as a general idea or theory which is largely
thought to be accurate women are treated
as 7 inferior to men in almost all sections of
society. Fakih (2004:12) says that
gender inequality is caused
by gender differences.
Further he states
that gender differences have brought many inequalities, it is either
for women and men, especially for women.
Indeed, in the Victorian era, based on
Jane Eyre, women were perceived as an object
or property, and considered inferior to man.However, Jane is not accustomed to
unreservedly accepting all
that embedded inequalities
by exposing her
acts and opinion through the dialogues revealed on the novel. Thus, the writer
thinks that it would be challenging to
have a study on it.
Undeniably, that having gender
inequalities in Victorian era, there must have had several effects appeared in that time,
especially on women. It covers four significant aspects i.e. effects on
education, economy, society and politic. Each of the effects really supports to
the main character to havea critical thinking of having refusal towards gender inequality itself.
In accordance with those prior
depictions, the writer is attracted to analyze the novel by applying feminist perspective of
literary criticism, motivated by the statement of Russel Long (2010) that a
feminist approachis one which supports of women's equality. Indeed, feminism is
the study of gender with the goal of changing society to make women and men equal.The
major concern of this criticism is a sort of achievement
to recognize women’s
role and position
as drawn within
the literary work (Endaswara, 2003:146). Through this
study, thewriter is going to focus on revealing vividly about the gender
inequalities alongwith its effects in the Victorian era 8 generally,
and about the refusal of Jane towards the gender inequalities in the Victorian
era reflected in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre purposely.
Feminism always deals with social
phenomena. When women are aware that they
have been treated unfairly and got some differences, they open their mind and ask for their right. That is just what Jane
Eyre did as the main character in Charlotte Brontë’s novel. Through this study, the writer
supposes much that she can expose the judgment
of the main character indicating her refusal towards gender inequalities in the
Victorian era which
tendstending to be
too patriarchal. As
Kuiper (Sugihastuti dan Suhartono, 2002:68) says that one of the
functions in analyzing literary work by using
feminism is to criticize the canon literatureand look at things having standard
depiction in patriarchy.
Further, feminism is one of the
theories of literary criticism closest to be used as a medium to answer. In lexical meaning,
feminismis a woman’s movement that demands a
full equality between
man and woman
(Moeliono, dkk., 1988:241).
Worthwhile, Goefe (1986:837)
stated that feminism is a theory of equality between man
and woman in
politic, economy, and
society; or organized
events struggling against the rights and interest of woman. More
complete, Endaswara (2008:146) added that the urgency of conducting a feminism
study has, at least, something to do with the following aspects: a. to
reveal the literary works of woman, both those of classic and contemporary, in
order to have a clear image of woman beingoppressed by the tra- 9 dition. The domination of patriarchal culture
must have been exposed obviously in the
study conducted.
b. to divulge many oppressions of woman
character in aliterary works written by man.
c. to expose the author’s ideology, both woman
and man; in order to unveil their points
of view towards themselves in a real life.
d. to
understand the creative
process of feminist
author; the woman
writer has a certain
characteristic in a style and expression in her writing.
e. to reveal psychoanalysis feminist; that is
why a woman, both the character and the
writer, prefer things that is soft, emotional, full of affection, etc.
In fact, the writer has an urgent purpose of
conducting this study which is appropriate to the first point of Endaswara’s
details. That is to disclose the classic literary works of woman in order to
have a clear reflection of woman being exploited by the tradition with the aim of exposing the
domination of patriarchal culture through the rejection of the main character, Jane
Eyre, towards gender inequalities in the Victorian era reflected in the novel.
It is worth mentioning that to analyze a
literary work from the feminist viewpoint; the researcher has to read a text as
a womanin the term of Culler (1983). In short, the
researcher, in understanding
the literary work,
must use a
special consciousness, viz.
awareness that gender
has many connections
with the problems
of belief, ideology, and
viewpoints of life. Further, Sugihastuti (2002:7) stated that read- 10 ing as a woman is meant that for the reader to
be aware of certain crucial differences exist
within a gender at the meaning and the fight meaning of the literary work
itself.
Last but not least, relating to
the originality of this study, there are
a number of researchers having
successfully analyzed the very same novel as that of the writer’s. They deal
with different themes, though. One of them is Istiqomah Wulandari, a university
student of STIBA
Malang, who conducted
her research entitled
“Moral and Psychological
Aspect in Jane
Eyre Novel (2000)”. Through
her research, she found
out certain aspects of morality, which can belearned in Jane’s character
including honesty, justice and friendship.
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