CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
The chapter below deals with the
background of the study, problems of the study, objectives of the study, scope
and limitation of the study, significance of the study, research method, and
definition of the key terms.
1.1 Background of the study.
In literature, complications of
language ultimately have a communicative purpose instead of imagining that the
speaker or writer is being uncooperative.
The readers struggle to interpret
elements of the imagination for some further communicative goal.
“Literature is a speech act or
textual event that elicits certain kinds of attention. It contrasts with other
sorts of speech acts, such as imparting information, asking question or making
promises. Most of the time that leads readers to treat something as literature
is that they find it in context that identifies it as literature: in a book of
poems or a section of magazine, library, or bookstore” (Culler, 1997:27).
“Literature uses language in
peculiar ways” (Eagleton, 1983:2). Peculiar ways here imply that literature is
one of the most exciting part in the extent of every language literature.
Literature contains the imagination of the author, then, the imagination is
expressed into the literary work, and the readers try to understand the
literary work.
Reading literature is very
advantageous. The readers are entertained by the imagination, which is given by
the author. The reading itself will enable the readers to feel comfortable and see the
reflection of real life, so they can relieve their own problem in the family
and society.
Literature has three genres;
those are prose, poem, and play. Prose or novel becomes another advantage of
reading literature. Readers are not only able to get better view of things that
happen in other people’s mind, but also find the exploration of human’s
personality, many characters of people and human behavior.
To analyze those things above,
some researchers use literary criticism.
Literary criticism is the
analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of literary works.
Academic criticism is commenting
on the subject matter and method of the text.
Criticism involves spotting the
general themes of the work and then seeing how the text presents and develops
the themes (Peck and Coyle, 1986:149-150).
In some research, the researchers
use feminist literary criticism. Feminist literary criticism exists because of
the feminist development in 1960s in America, which discusses the ideology that
is dominated by men. Moreover, the feminist criticism opposes against the men’s
idea and traditional view about women, that leads women to be powerless and
oppressed. The feminist movements refer to the demand of the women and men’s
equality.
Feminism speaks about social
theories, political movements, and moral philosophies that are concerned with
the liberation of women. In politic, women are considered as irrational and
emotional person; therefore, women cannot be
a leader and occupies inferior
position. In social, women’s stereotype is taking care of family and especially
their husband. In addition, women in some occasion experience the violence, which is body and
psychology attack or assault, from men (Fakih, 2005:12-17). This indicates that
feminist movement tries to demand the rights not only in literature but also in
social, politic and economy. Because of the movement, women try to rise. The
aim of feminist movement is the equality between men and women in the society
and knowledge in general. Since the time of movement, women studies appeared.
“Gender studies or women studies appear in every fields of education this study
aims to increase our knowledge about women’s experiences, importance, and life”
(Djajanegara, 2003:16). Women studies here include every topic that is relevant
to the women. The women studies in literature is Feminist Literary Criticism.
In literature, feminist literary criticism criticizes the literary works, which
are inspired by the feminists’ movement.
“Feminist literary criticism is
reading as a woman” (Culler, 1983).
Actually, feminist literary
criticism is not criticizing women, women author, or even a woman critic. The
statement reading as a woman explains that in women’s life, there is the other
sex that is related by the culture, literature, and woman’s life. By this
point, we have to realize that there is the different sex beside woman, which
influences literature. Therefore, the woman researchers search for a way of looking
at the texts, which is different from the male perspective that has always been
dominant in society. For instance, in social life, the women’s rights are limited
by the matters of family and undeserved to have high education. The feminists’ movement struggle for the
development of women’s position and level in society. Therefore, woman is able
to get out from the domination, oppression, and suppression.
The Portrait of the Lady is a
literary work, which shows the ideology of feminism through the characters. The
researcher categorizes the characters into two categories; those are
profeminism and contrafeminism. The characterization, however, only focuses on
the female characters on the novel. The reason why this research focuses on
female characters is to find out the female characters that agree and fight for
the feminists’ idea and the female characters that disagree and oppose against
the feminists’ idea.
This novel tells us about a girl
named Isabel Archer. Isabel Archer has been brought by her aunt Touchett to
England from Albany to extend her education, possibly to marry well. However,
proud and independent Isabel had other ideas. She had no desire to marry.
Actually, she wished to create her own future, rather than finding it as a wife.
Consequently, she refused two very eligible suitors: Lord Warbutton and Caspar Goodwood, who had
followed her to Europe from America. One day, when her uncle Lord Touchett
died, he unwittingly gave Isabel a great disservice by leaving Isabel a wealth.
On a visit to Italy, she was introduced by Madame Merle to Gilbert Osmond.
Osmond was a charming but worthless dilettante who saw Isabel as a beautiful
prize, a mother for his daughter Pansy, and a source of easily attained wealth.
Osmond’s cruel attitude and behavior caused Isabel’s tragic disillusionment. In
this novel, Henry James tries to draw the heart and soul of a young woman whose
destiny is taken from her own hand.
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