CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study Literature
represents a language or people: cultureand tradition. Literature introduces us to new worlds of experience. To
some extent, literature can be an effective
means to reflect, or change any social issues in any community around the word. The relation between literature and
socio-historical events tends to be more
acceptable today in terms of humanistic studies since none of human life aspects stands alone without any dependency on
others. Scott states that, literature,
as an artistic work, is not created in vacuum; it is the work not simply of a person, but an author fixed in time in space
(1962: 123). Therefore, literature is important
to us because it is universal speaks to the people and it affects them.
Many critics nowadays position literature in a mo re ‘realistic’ place.
Fowter, for instance, argues
that, although literature is presented in an imaginative way, it usually imitates, reflects, or at
least describes the condition of the society in which it is produced (1987:135-136).
Therefore everything occurs in the world can be reflected in literary work through the
author’s creativity, thought, emotion, aspiration
and experience.
Literature, which contains some
critical messages, usually appears in a society
when it consists of unsettled condition in the society’s social life (Nurgiyantoro, 2005: 331). Literary criticism
is primarily concerned with discussing
individual work of literature. Every work of literature has a generic context. In addition, every work has a
historical context: that is, it belongs to a particular historical period (Peck and Coyle,
1947:1-2). Thus an approach used to elaborate
the relation between literature and society considers literature as the social document and the real social picture
(Wellekand Warren, 1993: 122).
Novel is one of literary genres
which is usually concerned human being and
often provides valuable massage for people. It is true that what has been written in a novel is the mirror of human
being’s life; thus, it is also called a fictional
or imaginative work (Pradopo, 1994: 194).Furthermore, novelist frequently tends to focus on the tension
between individuals and society in which they live, presenting characters that they are
at odds with that society (Peck and Coyle,
1986: 102). Hence, most novel are concerned with ordinary people and their problems in the societies in which they
find themselves.
For century after century, men’s
voice continued toarticulate and determine
the social role, culture, and personal significance of women. Women, she maintained, must stand up their rights and
not allow their male dominated society
to define what it means to be a woman, so that women not always discriminated. However, discrimination is more
thandistinction, it is action based on
prejudice resulting in unfair treatment of people. Distinctions between people who are based just on individual value (such
as personal achievement, skill or ability)
are generally not considered socially discriminatory. Consequently, prohibitions against such discrimination
generally will not prevent a government from
acting in a legitimate and justifiable way based upon the value of an individual person.
In th century China, women, especially young
girls, had to follow the rule of a
painful tradition and culture. At the ageof four, young girls would have her feet bound by their mother or by the
female elders in the family who would wrap
them with long of silk cloth which resembled bandages. The bandages were tightened over a period of many years until
the toes were totally wrapped. The tradition
stemmed from a need to establish a young girl’s identity and elevation of status to ensure a good marriage
(http://www.museumnetwork.com/featuresThe History of Food binding). Besides, where a
woman’s eligibility was judged by the shape
and size of her feet, this was extraordinary good luck.
This novel explores how in status
of marriage womenare appreciated when
they can give or bear a son, not daughter, because sons are the foundation of a woman’s self. They give a woman her
identity, as well as dignity, protection, and economic value. They create the link
between her husband and his ancestors.
The marriage process in th century of China was taken care mainly by the parents. They were the ones who arranged
the marriage for their children.
There was no choice in the matter
because this was the way marriage was handled.
The Chinese felt that marriage was a family matter, and not something personal. Marriage was considered an economic
or status transaction between two families.
Whereas elite standards of gender
promoted as the ideal throughout Chinese
society, in reality feminine behavior was shaped by economic class and social status. Among elite families, proper
young women sequestered in the inner quarters,
their chief company, the other women of the household. Rural women who lived in farming communities regularly
left their homes to tend fields or visit the market. Their economic situation made the
division of their household into inner
and outer (private and public) realms near impossible (http://chnm.gmu.edu/wwh/modules/lesson10).
China was a very poor country
that had suffered from the civil war and war with Japan. The problem was how to develop
the economy and also emancipate woman.
The focus was on land reform to improve peasants’ conditions and make sure woman got their share
in the land, accompanied by laws to end
forced marriage, concubinage, child-betrothal, and interference with the remarriage of widows (Rowbotham, 1992: 216).
For many years China was a feudal
society (UNESCO, 1987: 1). The rules and
public opinion would not allow women to have any behavior contrary to the feudal code. They advocated that women without
talents were virtuous. Under this social
condition women could not involve themselvesin social activities and had to be confined of household chores and became
appendages of their husband. It shows
that Chinese women lost their right for equality with men.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fanis
a brilliantly realistic journey back to an era of Chinese history that is as deeply
moving as it is sorrowful. With the period detail and deep resonance of Memoirs of a
Geisha, this lyrical and emotionally charged
novel delves into one of the most mysterious of human relationships: female friendship. Beside, it is also a
beautiful, heartbreaking story. A novel set in a remote Hunan province of 19th-century in
China. Some girls were paired with laotongs,in
emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives. They painted letters on fans which is called Nu Shu(Women's
Writing), embroidered messages on
handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their isolation to
share their hopes, dreams, and
accomplishments.
Hence, Lisa See’sSnow Flower and
the Secret Fanportrays Chinese social
condition. Besides it is also a social criticism about women at that time.
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar