Accepted by the Board of Examiners in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Sarjana Sastra from the English Department, Faculty of Cultural Studies, University of Sumatera Utara, Medan.
The examination is held on the Faculty of Cultural Studies, University of Sumatera Utara, on Saturday 26 October 2013.
The Dean of Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara
Dr.H.Syahron Lubis, MA
Board of Examiners
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all, I would like to give big thanks to My Almighty God who
always blesses me with the deepest Love. I thanks to God of supporting me with
the spirit. Because of God, my thesis is finally finished, entitled A Comparative Analysis of Woman Physical Abuse in The Novels The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el Saadawi. I believe in God with His Guidance I can manage to complete my study.
I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to my thesis
Supervisor Dr.Thyrhaya Zein,M.A and Mahmud Arief Albar,S.s,M.A as my
co-supervisor who have guided me, given me suggestiona, and encourage me in
completing and finishing this thesis.
In this opportunity, I would like to express my gratitude to the Head of
English Department in Faculty of Cultural Studies, University of Sumatera Utara,
Dr.Muhizar Muchtar,M.S, and the secretary of English Department,
Dr.Hj.Nurlela,M.Hum, for supporting my academic study. I would also like to
give thanks to all my lecturers who shared and taught the knowledges for me
during my study.
I would like to give my deepest gratitudes to my big family, and special
for my mini-family, to my blessed-father, Engku Eriyadi (My Amazing Engku),
who has given me cheers and power ‘through God’, to my lovely mother,
Dra.Nuraida (My Greatest Mom), who always supports me in everything, in
academic and non-academic activities, since I was young until now. I would like
to give thank to my brother, Mhd.Adjie Ridwan Mas (My Naughty Brother), who
often jokes me and makes me laughing. I would like to give thanks to my ‘my
wolf-cub’ Erwin Hermawan (My ‘Crazy’ Boyfriend) who always supports and
accompanies me everyday and shares me cheers.
I would like to give my thanks to my best friends in English Department,
Rini, Ijal, Dinda, Arief, Yuda, Ade, Bayu, who are together in facing the study
and all of our activities, being the crazy-friends. I also would like to give thanks to
the last, I also would like to thank to all my friens in 2009. We are together in 4
years. I hope we are successful in the future.
May Almighty God blesses us all, Amin.
Medan, Oktober 2013
ABSTRAK
Skripsi ini diberi judul “A Comparative Analysis of Woman Physical Abuse in the Novels The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Women at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi” yang menganalisa tentang pelecehan fisik terhadap wanita, yang terkandung dalam 4 unsur, yaitu pelecehan fisik yang dilakukan dalam hubungan keluarga, pelecehan yang dilakukan dalam hubungan pernikahan, pelecehan yang dilakukan dalam hubungan berpacaran, dan pelecehan yang dilakukan dalam hubungan sosial dan politik. Keempat unsur-unsur tersebut dipresentasikan melalui novel The Color Purple karya Alice Walker dan novel Women at Point Zero karya Nawal el Saadawi.
TABLES OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ... i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... ii
CHAPTER I. Introduction ... 1
1.1 Background of the Study ... 1
1.2 Problems of the Study ... 7
1.3 Objective of the Study ... 7
1.4 Scope of the Study ... 8
1.5 Significance of the Study ... 8
CHAPTER II. Review of Literature ... 9
2.1 A Brief Description of Comparative Literature ... 9
2.2 A Brief Description of Thematic Study ... 12
2.3 A Brief Description of Woman Abuse ... 15
CHAPTER III. Method of the Study ... 19
3.1 Source Data and Data ... 20
3.2 Data Collecting Prosedure... 21
3.3 Data Analysis Procedure ... 21
CHAPTER IV. Analysis and Finding ... 24
4.1 Analysis ... 24
4.1.1 The Colour Purple by Alice Walker ... 24
4.1.1.a Woman Physical Abuse in Family Members ... 25
4.1.1.b Woman Physical Abuse in a Marital Relationship ... 27
4.1.1.c Woman Physical Abuse in Datting Relationship ... 36
4.1.1.d Woman Physical Abuse in Social, Politic, and Economic Life ... 39
4.1.2 Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi ... 44
4.1.2.a Woman Physical Abuse in Family Members ... 44
4.1.2.d Woman Physical Abuse in Social, Politics, and Economic Life... 55
4.2 Finding ... 59
4.2.1 The Similarities of The Novels The Colour Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi ... 59
4.2.2 The Differences of The Novels The Colour Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi ... 64
CHAPTER V. Conclution and Suggestion ... 68
5.1 Conclution ... 68
5.2 Suggestion ... 71
BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 73
ABSTRAK
Skripsi ini diberi judul “A Comparative Analysis of Woman Physical Abuse in the Novels The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Women at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi” yang menganalisa tentang pelecehan fisik terhadap wanita, yang terkandung dalam 4 unsur, yaitu pelecehan fisik yang dilakukan dalam hubungan keluarga, pelecehan yang dilakukan dalam hubungan pernikahan, pelecehan yang dilakukan dalam hubungan berpacaran, dan pelecehan yang dilakukan dalam hubungan sosial dan politik. Keempat unsur-unsur tersebut dipresentasikan melalui novel The Color Purple karya Alice Walker dan novel Women at Point Zero karya Nawal el Saadawi.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1Background of the Study
Literature is imaginative process as stated by Welleck and Warren via
Wiyatmi (2006: 14). Literature must be able to produce an aesthetic creation
and try to transmit the needs of human life and be a spot to aspire the ideas,
thoughts, and feelings of the author about human life.
Biography, social life, psychological aspect, and also culture of the author
are the elements which can influence how his literary work is. The authors
have these elements. It is not very surprising if we look at and find out the
similarities between literary works; however, the object of the works is
human. In general, humans in the world have some similar characteristics.
The diverse views on life, made each author has varied opinion about
something. In this case, this variation can present many ideas in creating the
literary works. However, human life as a focus on literary works, may produce
not only similar perception, but also influence of each other. The study which
learns about how to see, analyze, and know the similarities or the influences
among the national literary works is Comparative Literary Study. The study of
Comparative Literature can construct them through comprehensive and
comparative process.
Comparative Literature is one of literary academic disciplines that
combine the similar literary works written in different languages which
Literature is limited to the study of a factual/ historical relationship between
two national literatures, as caused by various social norms.
Comparative study of Literature is a cross-cultural study. The study
concerns the literary relation based on period or area. In period aspect,
Comparative study of literature can compare the literary works from two or
more different period. In area aspect, it compares the literary works based on
literary geography (Endraswara, 2011: 128).
Comparative Literature is the study which is used to look for the
similarities between literary works; however, the purpose of comparative
study is to hold the aesthetic concepts in literary works and to estimate the
quality of literary works and aesthetic in literature (Endraswara, 2011: 129).
Comparative Literature can be grouped into four categories: (1)Themes
and Motives, (2)Genre, (3)Movement and Trends, (4)Interdisciplinary
Aspects. Theme and motifs categories are concerned with product of mind,
characters, plot, settings, episode, and also paraphrase. Genre category is
about form and style. Movement and trends also includes the generation of
literature. Interdisciplinary aspects refer to relations among literary works to
science, religion, and art.
In this analysis, the writer compares two literary works applies thematic
analysis which is focused on the theme as object of the study. Theme is an
aspect of human experience which the author wishes to express in literary
works. Theme indicates the object as the focus of literary work, and as the
main meaning of the work itself. Theme also includes the definition of motif
motif is a human spirit phenomenon repeatedly appeared(Weisstein, 1973:
138). In this case, the study which concerned with theme is thematic study.
Thematic study, named Thematology consists of: ideas of mind,
personality theme, plot, episode and setting, and phrases (Kasim, 1966: 65).
Ideas of mind is called abstract ideas, according to A. Owen Aldridge (1969:
5). Personality theme is focused on the characters, especially for the
protagonist character. Plot, episode, and setting of the story influence the
literary comparison. Phrases often appear in literary works. All of the
elements above can be analyzed.
Thematic analysis is one of the most commonly used methods of
qualitative analysis. Thematic analysis moves beyond counting explicit words
or phrases and focus on identifying and describing both implicit and explicit
ideas within the data, that is, themes. The method does not preclude theoritical
development. However, its primary goal is to describe and understand how
people feel, think, and behave within a particular context relative to a specific
research question.
In this way, applied thematic analysis is similar to phenomenology, which
seeks to understand the meanings that people give to their lived experiences
and social reality (Schutz, 1962: 59). Thematic analysis can be made on novel.
According to Oxford Dictionary, a novel is a long written story. Novel
provides the complete story, starting from development of theme, plot,
settings, characters, style, and point of view. Novel tells about human life. So,
novel is one of literary works which can be compared.
The study analyzes two novels in order to see the similarities or the
language and culture. The two novels are: The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi.
Novel The Color Purple is an American literary work, written by Alice Walker. She is the youngest child in her black family in the south. She
graduates as a valedictorian from high school, securing a space at Spelman,
the all black women’s college in Atlanta. She transfers to Sarah Lawrence
College and participates in an exchange program to Africa. She began writing
about black women living in America, seeing first hand the difficulties faced
by the people. Because her youth was so filled with the persecution and
separation, Walker finds herself involved heavily in the Civil Rights
Movement of the 1960s. Walker is one of the earliest and most celebrated
contemporary African-American writer (Walker, 1983).
The Color Purple is published in 1982 to instant critical acclaim and popular success. It wins, among the numerous awards, the Pulitzer Prize for
fiction in 1983, and was quickly made into an Oscar-winning film in 1985 by
Steven Spielberg. Walker is also the recipient of numerous other prestigious
awards and honors. One critic claims that “Alice Walker’s best writing is like
balm: soothing, restorative, and earthy....Walker’s lovely prose rarely falters”
(Walker, 1983).
Novel Woman at Point Zero is an Arabic literary work, written by Nawal El Saadawi. Nawal El Saadawi is a Egypt doctor. She has been known in the
world as a novelist and woman writer who writes more about the Rights of
woman, named as feminist writer, with international reputation. She likes to
Novel Woman at Point Zero is based on the true story. The story tells about a woman who got death sentence because of injuring and killing man.
Firdaus, as a main characters in this novel, is shown as a powerful woman
who can face the problems in her life. Firdaus is a prostitude woman who has
worked in prostitution since she is young. Her family and the social
environment make her forced become a commercial sex worker. During her
life, she is always abused by men, either physically or mentally. Firdaus wants
to get the freedom as a woman. Finally, after she can not stand the men’s
abuse to her, she decides to kill him and as a prisoner, she is proud of getting
punishment and for her, it is a way to gain the freedom.
Both of novels are talking about women abuse. In The Color Purple,
women abuse emphasizes on segregation also abuse for women from black
community. In Women at Point Zero, women are really the victims of men’s abuse.
Abuse is a pattern of coercive and/ or violent behaviors used by a partner
to gain power and control over the other person, and it goes far beyond
physical injury. Abusive actions one person makes towards another are
generally intended to control the victim, or to make the victim submit to the
power of that abuser; however, it is against the notion of equality of human
worth to say that one person should be able to control another against the
victim's will. There are many types of abuse, including: verbal abuse, mental
abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and hate crimes (Patricelli, 2005).
In this case, the writer focuses on physical abuse. Physical Abuse occurs when one person uses physical pain or threat of physical force to intimidate
it may involve a full on physical beating complete with punching, kicking,
hair pulling, scratching, and real physical damage sufficient in some cases to
require hospitalization. In particularly violent instances, people can die from
the injuries they sustain while being physically abused. It is abusive whether
bruises or physical damage occur or not. It may involve the mere threat of
physical violence if the victim does not comply with the wishes of the abuser,
and still be considered physical abuse. (Patricelli, 2005)
In these two novels, The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi, there are many abuses inside the story. But, the analysis points at the physical abuse inside these novels. Mainly, people
who are abused are women. The term ‘woman abuse’ refers to various forms
of violence, abuse, mistreatment, and neglect that women experience in their
intimate, kin or dependent relationships. These include current, dissolving or
past relationships with husbands, common-law partners, lovers, dating
partners, family members and caregivers.
Women is abused by more than one type of aggression. Typically, abusive
partners attempt to dominate and control by engaging in actions that threaten
or harm a woman’s physical and emotional well-being, sexuality, social life,
parenting ability, financial situation, possessions or spiritual life. A woman
may experience a single episode of abuse, or she may endure a pattern of
abuse over many years.
Realized or not, actually in this time, many cases of women are appeared.
Eventhough we can see that there are laws in Indonesia protect women from
Color Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi. In this case, the two novels are the object of the study to find the
phenomenon of women abuse that happened in human life and reflected in the
novel. Novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi are from different nation, language and culture. The Color Purple is from West—American literature and uses American English, while
Woman at Point Zero is from East—Egypt literature and uses Arabic language (then be translated to English). Through the diverse nation, language and
culture, the writer focuses on reflecting the women abuse in both novels and
the similarities and the differences among them; however, being critically
about what happened in this life is very necessary, either through observing
the society directly, or through reading the literary works, as reflection of
human daily life, comprehensively.
1.2Problem of The Study
The problems of the study are:
1. How is woman physical abuse reflected in novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi?
2. How are the similarities and the differences of woman physical abuse
reflected in novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero?
1.3Objective of The Study
The objectives of the study are:
2. To find out how the similarities and the differences of woman physical
abuse reflected in novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker and
Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi
1.4Scope of The Study
The study is focused on woman abuse as the theme of each novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi, which emphasizes on physical abuse.
1.5Significance of The Study
The significance of the study is divided into two functions:
1. Theoretical Function
The study aims to make people know more about Comparative
Literary Study, and show that among literary works, which includes
novels, that are from the different language and culture, can be
compared or contrasted.
2. Practical Function
The study is expected to provide the analysis of women abuse. Human must
consider and take care about women life. Human should be aware of happening in
real life. Women themselves, must realize that they can become the victim of
men’s abuse, especially for physical abuse. By reading this study, the writer
wishes women will understand what actually happened in their life and in this
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 A Brief Description of Comparative Literature
Talking about the similar characteristics of literary works, it can be related
to Comparative Study of Literature. Comparative literary study is the study which
concerns with comparing between one national literary work and another national
literary work, based on certain aspects. Comparative literary study has been
started in the 18th and the 19th century, with comparing among the literary works.
In the 20th century, comparative literary study is evolved. Comparative
literature has wide significance. In this century, France School and American
School has appeared. France School, which delegated by Jean-marie Carre,
emphasizes the comparative literary study is as the study which deals with the
literary work itself and its author, and also related to the fact. As Weisstein (1973:
3) said that:
“A branch of literary history; is the study of the relation between international spirituality, the study of the factual relation between Byron and Pushkin, Goethe and Carlyle, Walter Scott and Alfred de Vigny, and among the works, inspiration, and even life of the authors from various literature.”
Mainly, the perspective of France School is comparative literary study as a
branch of literary history, that states among the literary works are influenced each
other. In this school, the study of affinity is not included in comparative literary
American School has wider-scope. It is not only comparing between the
literary work and the author, but also between the literary work and the other
aspects. American School points the comparative literature up as the comparative
study of literary works and their authors; as the study of the relation between the
literary works and sciences, religion, and art; as the study of theory, history, and
literary critics, which are applied in more than one national literary work.
The first scope notifies about the comparison of the literary works. In
general, the literary works which can be combined are the literary works that
come from different national literature. It is not indicated to politic, but it is
related to culture. It means that the literary works which come from the similar
culture, should not be combined; however, if it is found the affinity, it is assumed
as the normal situation, for example, between Indonesia and Malaysia, America
and England, etc.
The second scope indicates the relation between the literary works and the
other sciences, religion, and art. The point of view in this scope is not pointed up
the comparison, but it concerns with the influence of the sciences, religion, and
art; however, they can be reflected to the literary work itself.
The third scope denotes the progress of theory, history, and literary critics,
which can be developed into more than one national literature. As Rene Welleck
said in Concepts of Criticism (1974: 345):
The theory of literary critics realizes many kinds of progress out of their basic
nation, for example, formalism, structuralim, semiotic, and etc, all of them are
related. Those literary movements develop into the other countries, use to study
the literary works.
The aspects of the comparative literary study are comparative study,
historical study, theoritical study, and interdiscipline study. First, comparative study is concerned with comparison between one or two national literary works and the other national literary works. This study can be known as the start of
comparative literary study. It is also assumed as the major aspect in comparative
literary study. This study can form influence study, affinity study, thematic study,
and generic atudy. Second, historical study emphasizes in his historical point which be background of relation between the literary work and another literary
work, or between the literary work and sociology and philosophy. Third,
theoritical study elaborates the concepts, criteria, boundaries, or the rules related some kinds of literary discipline, for example, studying what the genre, what the
movement, what the theme, what the literary critics, and what in general, is.
Fourth, interdiscipline study deals with relation between the content of literary work, and the other discipline such as science, religion, even art creation. In this
study, the focus is exactly the literary works. The non-literary discipline is used to
assist in understanding the meaning of the literary work itself, or the basic mind of
the author.
Comparative Study emphasizes in studying the exist of relation and
connection between the literary work and the other literary work, between the
creation. In general, Comparative Study has two study: affinity study and
influence study. Affinity study refers to study the similarities between a literary work and two or more literary work, or and the other discipline, or art creation
which do not have the influence (in this case, historical-factual relation) each
other. If any influence, it happens to coincide. This study just focus on the
affinity, not on the question, “Why the affinity appeared?”. In this case, the study
is easier and more simple, but it is criticised as a study that depends on the
subjectivism of the critic (Aldridge, 1969: 5). Influence study is concerned with the influence that appeared implicitly in literary works. The influence study is
more complicated and wider than the affinity study. The influence study is also
assumed as the major aspect, as Ulrich Weisstein said (1973:23):
“The influence point must be viewed as the major concept in comparative literature, because this case indicates any diversities and be compared: which one the literary work influence, and to which one be influenced.”
Beside that, there are 3 factors of appearing the influence, these factors of
the influence are the progress of author’s career, the process of creating the
literary works, literary tradition and cultural value of the author.
2.2 A Brief Description of Thematic Study
In this analysis, the writer compares two literary works applies thematic
analysis which is focused on the theme as object of the study. Theme is an aspect
of human experience which the author wishes to express in literary works. It
indicates the object as the focus of literary work, and as the main meaning of the
work itself. Theme also includes the definition of motif inside. Both of them are
phenomenon repeatedly appeared(Weisstein, 1973: 138). In fiction, the theme is
not presented directly at all. As Leininger said in quotation of The Qualitative Report, Volume 2, Number 1, Spring, 1994 that:
“Themes are identified by bringing together components or fragments of ideas or experiences, which often are meaningless when viewed alone.”
The theme is also extracted from the characters, action, and setting that make up
the story. In this case, the study which concerned with theme is named as thematic
study.
Thematic study, named Thematology, is the study of literary analysis
which consists of: ideas of mind, personality theme, plot, episode and setting, and
phrases (Kasim, 1966: 65). Thematic study concerns with study of theme as the
subject matter of literary works, a revelation about the behavior of human beings
or the conduct of society; an also insight into the human condition.
Thematic study also can be called as thematic analysis. Thematic analysis
is one of the most commonly used methods of qualitative analysis. Thematic
analysis moves beyond counting explicit words or phrases and focus on
identifying and describing both implicit and explicit ideas within the data, that is,
themes. Taylor and Bogdan said in quotation of The Qualitative Report, Volume 2, Number 1, Spring, 1994 that:
Thematology seizes ideas of mind, characters, plot, episode, setting, and
expression. According to A Owen Aldridge (1969: 5), Thematic study which
related to ideas of mind is named abstract ideas, that can be connected with social problems. The literary works, science, religion, art creation, sociology, and
the other discipline, can be compared each other to find out the thematic affinities
inside. Thematic study which is concerned about characters is named personality theme. It usually focuses on the protagonist character. It is also seen from the character who has special or unique character, in order to make interesting sense
of comparing the literary work. Thematic study can be related to plot, episode,
and setting. In this case, not all of these aspects can be appeared, for example, if
any affinities in episode, not all episode are similar, possibly only one episode.
Thematic study also can be connected with expression. The expression, in this
case, means the special words or phrases in the literary words which if compared,
will appear the similar meaning of the sentence or the content.
Thematic study or thematic analysis does not preclude theoritical
development; however, its primary goal is to describe and understand how people
feel, think, and behave within a particular context relative to a specific research
question.
In this way, applied thematic analysis is similar to phenomenology, which
seeks to understand the meanings that people give to their lived experiences and
social reality (Schutz, 1962: 59). So, thematic study or thematic analysis purposes
to “rake through” the literary works from the essence themselves, which always
related to social life. It can be, so to speak, the literary work is “a fruit” and the
2.3 A Brief Description of Woman Abuse
In human life, many abuses are often happened. Human can find the
abuses in their daily activities, consciously or unconsciously. Many kinds of
human characteristics are also being one of the factors in appearing the abuses.
Even, sometimes people do not guess that they have done the abuses to somebody
else; however, many ways are used to make someone hurt or pain.
Abuse is a pattern of coercive and/ or violent behaviors used by a partner
to gain power and control over the other person, and it goes far beyond physical
injury. Abusive actions one person makes towards another are generally intended
to control the victim, or to make the victim submit to the power of that abuser;
however, it is against the notion of equality of human worth to say that one person
should be able to control another against the victim's will. There are many types
of abuse, including: verbal abuse, mental abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and hate
crimes (Patricelli, 2005).
Verbal Abuse occurs when one person uses words and body language to inappropriately criticize another person. It often involves 'putdowns' and
name-calling intended to make the victim feel they are not worthy of love or respect,
and that they do not have ability or talent. Mental abuse occurs when one person controls information available to another person so as to manipulate that person's
sense of reality; what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. Physical Abuse
occurs when one person uses physical pain or threat of physical force to
intimidate another person. Actual physical abuse may involve simple slaps or
pushes, or it may involve a full on physical beating complete with punching,
cases to require hospitalization. In particularly violent instances, people can die
from the injuries they sustain while being physically abused. It is abusive whether
bruises or physical damage occur or not. It may involve the mere threat of
physical violence if the victim does not comply with the wishes of the abuser, and
still be considered physical abuse. Sexual Abuse of children or adults includes any sort of unwanted sexual contact perpetrated on a victim by an abuser.
Molestation, incest, inappropriate touching (with or without intercourse), and
partner or date rape are all instances of sexual abuse. Neglect occurs when a person fails to provide for the basic needs of one or more dependent victims he or
she is responsible for. Basic needs include adequate and appropriate food, shelter,
clothing, hygiene, and love or care. Hate Crimes are a type of abuse that involve verbal, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse toward an individual or a group of
individuals based solely on some characteristic they may share in common with
others such as their religious or sexual affiliations or the color of their skin
(Patricelli, 2005).
Abuses are intentional acts of violence, mistreatment, or neglect to
somebody. Unfortunately, abuses in the world, often appear in ‘women world’.
The word “woman” comes from Sankskerta lexicon, that mean “who be wanted
by men”. Women become the victim in getting abuses. In human mind, women
are ‘weak character’, so, men—called as ‘strong character’, seem like having
power to abuse them; however, in men mind, women are not able to fight them
back. It is not surprising anymore if human can find many cases related to
Woman abuse is an intentional act of violence, mistreatment, and neglect
in woman life. Woman abuse is usually happened more often in experience
between women and their intimate, kin, or dependent relationships. In this case,
women are assumed not having power to face men behaviour in their marriage
life, or daily life. The statement above is subscribed to the quotation below in
book Women, Politics, and American Society by Nancy Mc.Glen and Karen O’Connor (1994: 258) about women:
“Women also are often at a disadvantage when force becomes an issue in marital relationships. Studies of family violence make it clear that men are much more likely than women to use facts of violence in a dating or marital relationships. Indeed, in 1991 an istimated four million women were physically assaulted by spouses or partners.”
Beside the quotation above, a work by Murray A Straus and Richard J
Gellas (1990: 96), using their measure of domestic violence based on surveys of
men and women, find that one-in-eight men engage in domestic abuse. While
most of the violence most of the violence measured in their study is not life
threatening (pushing, slapping, throwing something), they also report that severe
physical violence by men may occur in 3 out of a hundred marriages in a single
year. In addition, some studies report as many as one-in-four women will be
seriously abused in their lifetime, and as many as two-thirds of all women will be
hit by a spouse while married (Glatzer, p.171, 180).
The physical abuse, which can be explained as human physical action to
injure the body or to destroy human things, also appears in the society. Patriarchy
system is being one of the factors the abuse happened. As Humm (2002: 233)
“Patriarchy system is men authority to oppress through social, politic, and economic institution, which appear kinds of style in doing women subordination.”
Patriarchy system seems like to appear the agreement that women have been
supposed as “the subordinate-human”. In the other words, women are assumed as
“inferior”, and men as “superior”.
To differentiate men from women, as media representation of Asian and
Asian American, it pays attention away from the interrelated phenomena of
gender, sexuality, and race; however, these can be included as the factors of
abusing women. These are all part of an interlinked system of representation the
helps describe and define who has power in relationship to others (Kent and
Vincent, 2009, p.65). The statement from Abeyasekere (1983: 15) more
emphasizes the different view towards men and women:
“The assosiation which relates women to nature, and men to culture, has a tendency to fade away the important parts as cultural cultivating and distributing. The association is also assumed as cultural basic mind which appears women universal subordination.”
In this case, the different view between men and women appears not only
because of patriarchy system, but also because of gender, sexuality, and race
phenomena.
METHOD OF THE STUDY
In doing the research, it needs a method of the study. What the method is,
how to apply the method, are important for people to analyze a study. The method
can be symbolized as the “knife”, and the study can be signed as the “fruit”. To
consume the fruit—cutting the fruit, it will make it easy if using a knife. So, in
finding out the result of the study, it would be better if using the method, in order
that it will be able to show up the content of the study.
In this study, the writer would apply the method of descriptive-qualitative
research. As Bogdan and Taylor (1975: 5) said:
“Qualitative methodology is an analysis procedure which produces the descriptive data, applied as the words, written-text, or utterence, from people who can be investigated.”
The qualitative analysis, in general, can be named as the method of understanding
the phenomena about what happened with the analysis subject, for example,
attitude, behaviour, perception, motivation, habit, etc, holistically, and by the
descriptive method that applied as the words and language, in specific context
naturally, and using the scientific method.
The method of descriptive-qualitative also provides an answer to the
questions of ‘how’ something happened, ‘who’ was involved, ‘why’ something
happened or ‘why’ someone was involved (explanatory research). As Babbie
“---jadi deskriptif-kualitatif, --jika data yang disajikan berupa cerita dari para responden atau informan tentang pertimbangan, pengalaman, pengetahuan, tradisi, filsafat, atau pandangan hidup mereka. Penelitian deskriptif kualitatif biasanya dilakukan untuk menjawab pertanyaan ‘bagaimana’, ‘mengapa’ yang pada prinsipnya adalah mencari jawaban detail melalui wawancara mendalam.”
“---however, descriptive-qualitative, --if the data is provided from the words of responder or informant about their consideration, experience, knowledge, tradition, philosophy, or point of view of life. Qualitative descriptive research is usually done for answering the question ‘how’, ‘why’ which basically search the detail answer through intensive interview.”
The method of descriptive-qualitative has a procedure of analyzing the
data, as the other methods. The data analysis is process of organizing and
classifying the data into the scheme, category, and basic element, so that it can
find out the theme and work hypotesis, as the order of the data.
In this case, the study purposes to inquire traditionally many different
academic disciplines in the social sciences. It also aims to understand human
behavior, and what the process or the reasons of appearing that behaviour. So that,
the method of descriptive-qualitative method is the sinchronic way of analyzing in
this study; however, it is related to science and process, which focuses on human.
2.1 Source Data and Data
In the study, the writer will divide the data into 2 (two) parts, they are
primary data and secondary data. Primary data can be derived from 2 (two) novels
Secondary data can be derived from the books and articles of journal which
related to Comparative Literary Study, woman abuse, physical abuse.
2.2 Data Collecting Procedure
In the process of collecting the data, the first step is reading the primary
data. The primary data is the two novels. The writer reads the first novel: The Color Purple by Alice Walker and the second novel: Women at Point Zero by Nawal El-Saadawi.
The second step, is searching and reading the secondary data. The writer
also searches and reads the books and articles of journal related to Comparative
Literature, woman abuse, and physical abuse.
The third step, is classifying the data. The writer classifies the data which
obtained from the secondary data. Classifying the data is purposed to make
arranging of the data, based on the subject matter: Comparative Literature, woman
abuse, and physical abuse.
2.3 Data Analysis Procedure
In the process of analyzing the data, for the first step, is re-reading the
data. In this step, the writer re-read these two novels: The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi, to interprete what the content of the novels; however, it is hard enough if people who want to analyze
the novels, they just read once. Even, they should read the novels more than twice.
The second step, is interpreting the data. In this step, the writer interpretes
El-Saadawi based on their theme. Both novels have the similar themes, that is
woman physical abuse. The writer takes the quotation from these two novels. The
quotations can be stated from the text—from words, sentences, or clauses.
The third step, is classifying the data. In this step, the quotations which
have been taken from the novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi are classified into 3 (three) points related to woman physical abuse.
The fourth step, is analyzing and comparing the data. In this step, the
writer analyzes the woman physical abuse in novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi. After analyzing, the writer compares the woman physical abuse of the two novels, through either the
similar meaning or the different meaning of text, of each words, sentences, and
clauses.
The last step, is concluding and summarizing the data. The writer
concludes and summarizes the similarities/affinities and the differences of woman
physical abuse in novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi.
The whole process, fromcollecting data until analyzing data, will be
Novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker and novel Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi
Secondary Data:
Books and articles which concerned with Comparative Literature, woman
Re-reading the novels The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi
Interpreting the data based on theme: woman physical abuse, by taking the quotations from the text—words, sentences, and clauses
Classifying the data into 4 (four) points related to woman physical abuse
Analyzing the data and comparing the data between novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi
ANALYSIS AND FINDING
THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF WOMAN PHYSICAL ABUSE
BETWEEN THE COLOR PURPLE BY ALICE WALKER AND
WOMAN AT POINT ZERO BY NAWAL EL-SAADAWI
4.1 Analysis
In analyzing the novels The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal el-Saadawi, there are 4 (four) major points related to woman physical abuse. The first point is woman physical abuse in family member. The
second point is woman physical abuse in a marital relationship. The third point is
woman physical abuse in a dating relationship. The fourth point is woman
physical abuse in social, politic, and economic institution.
4.1.1 The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker tells about the woman physical abuse. Most of women character in this novel, are hurt by men. Physical abuse is
one of abuses which men often do toward women. It can be seen by eye, can be
felt by touch, and often happened. In this case, the writer wants to analyze how
physical abuse against women reflected inside the novel. It can elaborate how
women stay alive and live longer in the middle of men injustice and men power.
4.1.1.a Woman Physical Abuse in Family Members
Women are physically assaulted by family members. In the following
table, the writer has listed the quotations related to violence against women that
happened in family relationship:
“First he put his thing up gainst my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then he grab hold my titties. Then he push his thing inside my pussy. When that hurt, I cry. He start to choke me, saying you better shut up and git used to it.”
Page 1 and 2
The table above indicates: Celie was forced to do sexual relationship by her Pa
(father)—Alfonso; because of her mammy rejected to do it with him. The man
looks like having power to control the woman around him to do what he wants;
eventhough she is his daughter. He takes on forcing the woman to have sex, and
then threatening her to keep silent about his doing.
“He beat me today cause he say I winked at a boy in church. I may have got something in my eye but I didn’t wink.”
Page 6
The table above indicates: Alfonso was angry to Celie; because he guessed that
Celie winked at boy, and couldn’t receive if Celie betrayed him.the man is able to
beat woman—in this case, his daughter, because of his over-possessive feeling,
without asking what actually happened.
“He beat me for dressing trampy but he do it to me
The table above indicates: Celie was beaten by Alfonso anymore because of
dressing, but the fact he forced her to have sex with him, too.the man is very easy
to beat his daughter, for simply—in the case of dressing, but the main purpose
actually is having sex with her; so, the man looks like looking for and getting the
mistake of the woman, and punishes her by doing what he wants.
“She say, All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my cousins and my uncles. A girl child ain’t safe in a family of men. But I never thought I’d have to fight in my own house.”
Page 42
The table indicates: Sofia often fight with her families, including her cousins and
uncles. But she didn’t guess that in her house, she ought to fight, too, even, with
her man. Any woman is able to stand in men life, although she must fight. She
realizes that woman can’t be safe in middle of men. But, in the bottom of her
heart, she doesn’t want to fight with her man; because, she has experience of
fighting with her family.
“My wife beat up, my woman rape.” Page 100
The table above indicates: Harpo was very upset because Sofia was beaten and
jailed, while Squeak was raped. Most of the victims of abuses—beating and
raping, is woman. The man is upset because his wife is abused by polices, and his
woman is raped by his unc
“He took my hat off, say Squeak. Told me to undo my
The table above indicates: Squeak told about the story the abuse of her. She felt
down. Odessa was so symphatic, because the doer of the abuse was her
uncle.physical abuse—in this case, sexual abuse also included inside—can be
done by one of family members. In this case, her uncle abuses her.
“But one time when mama not at home, he come...While I trim his hair he look at me funny. He a little nervous too, bu I don’t know why, he grab hold of me and cram me up tween his legs.”
Page 116
The table above indicates: Celie told about her experience when she had been
forced by her Pa to do sex. It happened when her Mama was not at home. The
father is able to force his daughter to have sex with him, while his wife is not with
him.
4.1.1.b Woman Physical Abuse in a Marital Relationship
Women are physically assaulted by spouses. In the following table, the
writer has listed the quotations related to violence against women that happened in
marital relatio Women are physically assaulted by partners. In the following table,
the writer has listed the quotations related to violence against women that
happened in dating relationship:nship:
“Harpo ast his daddy why he beat me. Mr__ say, cause
The table above indicates: Harpo knew that his father—Mr__, often beat Celie.
Celie was beaten by Mr__, the man whom she was forced to get married by her
Pa. Harpo was Mr.__’s son. The man feels that he is reasonable to beat his wife.
It looks like it must be done if his wife has weakness. He assumes if he has wife,
it depends on him what he wants to do with her; because she belonged to him. He
has a right on her.
“He beat me like he beat the children.” Page 23
The table above indicates: Mr__ liked to beat his children, too, beside Celie. He
looked like not to assume that Celie as a wife, even, like his servant. The man
who is as a husband, seems like to make her wife not as a wife, but as a servant.
Even, he beats either his children or his wife.
“...He say, Celie, git the belt...I make myself wood. I
say to myself, Celie, you a tree....” Page 23
The table above indicates: Mr__ planned to beat Celie by using belt. Celie just
tried to be strong. She took lying down. The man not only beating the woman
with hands, but also using the things—in this case, belt. It can make her injured—
hurt physically.
“....You ever hit her? Mr__ ast. Harpo look down at his hands. Now suh, he say low, embarrass. Well how you spect to make her mind? Wives is like children. You have to let’em know who got the upper hand. Nothing
The table above indicates: Mr__ had underistimated Harpo because he never beat
her (Sofia). Mr__ assumed that wives as children, and beating was the best way to
make them understood.the man underistimates another man who is not brave of
beating his woman. In this case, the man assumes that to make woman mind, the
best way is beating her, and then she will hear him. He also likes to act as the
boss, the controller, the upper hand of woman.
“But it Harpo and Sofia. They fighting like two mens...They fight. He try to slap her. She reach down and grab a piece of stove wood and whack him cross the eyes. He punch her in the stomach. She double over groaning but come up with both hands lock right under his privates. He roll on the floor. He grab her dress tail and pull. She stand there in her slip...”
Page 39
The table above indicates: Harpo beat Sofia, but Sofia was brave to fight him. He
really wanted to hurt her. She didn’t give up and let herself to be beat, but she beat
him, too. The man decides to beat or abuse the woman finally, after there’s no
solution to make her mind as his mind. But the woman character above is brave of
fighting the man character.
“She say, All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my cousins and my uncles. A girl child ain’t safe in a family of men. But I never thought I’d have to fight in my own house.”
Page 42
The table above indicates: Sofia often fight with her families, including her
even, with her man. The woman is able to stand in men life, although she must
fight. She realizes that woman can’t be safe in middle of men. But, in the bottom
of her heart, she doesn’t want to fight with her man; however, she does not want
to fight with her family members.
“You told Harpo to beat me, she said...I say it cause I’m fool, I say. I say it cause I’m jealous of you. I say it cause you do what I can’t.”
Page 42
The table indicates: Sofia had known Celie ordered him to beat Sofia. Celie was
jealous of Sofia because she was brave to beat Harpo. The woman physical abuse,
like beating, can be happened because there’s influence from another woman.
Woman A feels lose with woman B. Woman A assumes woman B is better than
her. Because she can’t do what she can do, for ex.be brave of beating the man.
She is very jealous of it. She actually wants to be able to do that. However,
according to her, woman is usually beaten by man, especially for the couple.
Woman A thinks the wife must be beaten by her husband.
“Harpo sniffle. I want to do what I say, like you do for Pa. Oh Lord, I say. When Pa tell you to do something, you do it, he say. When he say not to, you don’t. You don’t do what he say, he beat you...Sometime beat me anyhow, I say, whether I do what he say or not.””
Page 66
The table above indicates: Harpo wanted Sofia act to him like Celie act to Mr.__.
He hoped Sofia do what he wanted, and did not do what he didn’t want, also beat
father got, including a wife. He wants to have a wife, who always act like his will.
And beating looks like a must if woman disobeys the ‘rule’ of man. Woman
sometimes is really beaten, although she has done what he says or what he does
not say.
“But not Sofia. She do what she want, don’t pay me no
mind at all. I try to beat her, she black my eyes.” Page 66
The table above indicates: Harpo said that Sofia didn’t want to follow him, and
just did her will. He wanted to beat her, but he was not able to do that. She had a
strength. The man always complain if he can not dominate woman around him.
He really wants to make abuse—physical abuse—to woman, in order that woman
will pander to him.
“Some womens can’t be beat, I say. Sofia one of them. Besides, Sofia love you. She probably be happy to do most of what you say if you ast her right.”
Page 66
The table above indicates: Celie talked to Harpo that not all women could be
beaten, including Sofia. She suggested him to ask her will, possibly she would
follow your mind.not all women can be abused. Not all women are weak.
Although they love men—even her husband, but it doesn’t mean they want to be
abused, or beaten.
“I’m gitting tired of Harpo, she say. All he think about since us married is how to make me mind. He don’t want a wife, he want a dog.”
The table above indicates: Sofia said that she was tired of Harpo, who just thought
how to make her mind. She looked like his dog, not his wife. The man tries to
make his woman like his mind, whatever his ways. Even, woman sometimes feel
that man doesn’t need a wife, but a dog—servant.
“He beat me when you not here, I say.” Page 78
The table above indicates: Celie told that Mr.___ would beat her if Shug left them,
not living at their home anymore. The man is able to abuse or beat her wife, if he
feels his wife is not as interesting as another woman that he likes.
“What he beat you for? She ast. For being me and not you...I won’t leave, she say, until I know Albert won’t even think about beating you.”
Page 79
The table above indicates: Shug was confused why Mr.___ beat Celie. Because
she knew he never beat her during Shug lived with them. She promised not to
leave her until Mr.___ didn’t beat her anymore. As a matter of fact, a man can do
physical abuse and also injustice to woman—even his wife, because of another
woman.
The table above indicates: Shug said that Mr.___ was a bully because she had
heard the story about Mr.___ from Celie. The man is famous with the
name-calling ‘bully’, because he is a person who hurts and frightens other, or weaker
people.
“...you feel just like family now. Anyhow, once you told me beat you, and won’t work, I felt different about him. If you was my wife, she say, I’d cover you up with kisses stead of licks, and work hard for you too.”
Page 114 and 115
The table above indicates: Shug explained that she did not guess Mr.__ could be
able to beat and did not work. Shug thought that Celie had done the best in the
family, as a wife. The woman, as the wife, has done the best for the family, but
the husband sometimes does not consider about that.
“He ain’t beat me much since you made him quit, I say. Just a slap now and then when he ain’t got nothing else to do.”
Page 115
The table above indicates: Celie said that Mr.__ did not beat her since Shug
forbidded him to do it—but slapping was also done. The woman in this case—
because she often get physical abuse—she uses the word “just” to show that
slapping is ordinary thing to do. She os abused by her husband.
“Mr.__ come git me to take care his rotten children. He never ast me nothing bout myself. He clam on the top of me and fuck and fuck, even when my head bandaged. Nobody ever love me, I say.”
The table above indicates: Celie described about her feeling to Shug. She felt
Mr.___ just wanted to make her as a person who cares about his children, who be
fuck and fuck, without asking about herself, and taking care about her. She
thought nobody love her. In this case, the woman feels that her husband just make
her like a “doll”, just as keeper for children, as a friend of fucking, without taking
care about her, and what she wants, and what she feels.
“...and then Harpo and all the children start to come. Finally she start to sleep with that man that shot her down. Albert beat her. The children dragged on her. Sometimes I wonder what she thought about while she died.”
Page 127
The table above indicates: Shug told about Annie Julia, Mr.__ ex wife. She said
that Mr.__ started to beat her--after Harpo was born—because she slept with him.
Mr.Albert and his children hurt her. Finally she died without the exact reason why
it was happened. The man has been accustomed himself to do physical abuse
since he has the wife before. It is possibly happened the factor of the death of the
woman who is abused.
“...cause I don’t know the Albert that don’t dance, can’t hardly laugh, never talk bout nothing, beat you, and hid your sister Nettie’s letters. Who he?”
Page 128
The table above indicates: Shug shared about Albert (Mr.__), she did not believe
that Mr.__ liked to do what she did not know before, and did not guess. The man
knows before. Possibly, man’s attitude—like beating, hiding can be different
between woman A and woman B.
“After while I had to rest, and that’s when he got down from his horse and started to kiss me, and drag me back in the woods.”
Page 131
The table above indicates: Nettie told to Celie about how Mr.__ tried to be close
with her. He forced to kiss Nettie, and drag her. The man wants to try to do sexual
and physical abuse—kissing and dragging the woman.
“The Olinka do not believe girls should be educated. When I asked a mother why she thought this she said: A girl is nothing to herself; only to her husband can she become something.”
Page 162
The table above indicates: Nettie informed that Olinka did not think she ought to
study. Nettie asked a mother about that. That mother gave a statement that girl
could be something if she had husband. The woman’s mind in American
black-society, is believed that a woman can be “a woman” when she has a husband. In
the other words, individually, woman is not useful, but be useful only for her
husband. It will appear man’s perception which he thinks woman can nothing
without man. In marriage life, man will assume physical abuse is deserving of
woman whom become her be something.
“The boys now accept Olivia and Tashi in class and more mothers are sending their daughters to school. The men do not like it; who wants a wife who knows
everything her husband knows? They fume. But the women have their ways, and they love their children, even their girls.”
The table above indicates: Nettie told Celie that time in Olinka, the mothers had
sent their daughters to the school, including Olivia and Tashi; although, the most
husbands actually did not want it. But, women surely sent their daughters to the
school. Actually, men do not like to see women getting to school; they assume
that women should not know what men know. But now, women—mothers and
daughters—have started to decline it and get to go to school. By schooling,
women also can not be tricked, and finally avoid men’s abuse to them, including
physical abuse.
“Mr.__reach over to slap me. I jab my case knife in his hand. You bitch, he say. What will people say, you running off to Memphis like you don’t have a house to look after”
Page 207
The table above indicates: Celie told that Mr.__ wanted to abuse her again. He
tried to slap her, but she could stand on herself. He said her as a bitch, whereas, he
worried about her going to Memphis. The man uses his power to abuse the
woman. He assumes her still on ‘his hand’. Not being satisfied with abusing her
physically, he also flatters her. He does it to his wife.
“He laugh. Who you think you is? He say. You can’t curse nobody. Look at you. You black, you pore, you ugly, you a woman. Goddam, he say, you nothing at all.”
The table above indicates: Celie told about Mr.__ when he protested about her
laughing. Then, he flattered her because of that. The husband does not want his
wife laughing at him. It is assumed as abuse of him. So, he does the offence to
her. It appears that the man is selfish. Sometimes, flattering can cause the physical
abuse, if the woman continues her doing.
4.1.1.c Woman Physical Abuse in Dating Relationship
Women are physically assaulted by partners. In the following table, the
writer has listed the quotations related to violence against women that happened in
dating relationship:
“Nobody fight for Shug, he say. And a little water come to
his eyes.” Page 50
The table above indicates: Mr.__ never fight with Shug. He could not beat her,
because she was strong. He felt sad of this. He could do nothing. The man can be
afraid of beating or doing violence against woman if woman herself is strong.
Man in this case will feel nothing because he is not able to make woman in his
‘hand’.
“There is a way that the men speak to women that reminds me too much of Pa. They listen just long enough to issue it instructions. They don’t even look at women when women are speaking. They look at the ground and bend their heads toward the ground. The women also do not ‘look in a man’s face’ as they say. To ‘look in a man’s face’ is a brazen thing to do. They look instead at his feet or his knees.”
The table above indicates: Nettie’s words in her letter to Celie were about the
women and men in Olinka, who never looked at each other when they were
speaking. In certain place—in this case, Olinka, men and women habit have been
formed in daily life that men never look at women face when they are speaking,
and women never want to see the men face, even look down themselves. It
automatically creates the situation that men underistimate and look down women,
including physical abuse.
“Anyhow, I say, the God I been praying and writing to is a man. And act just like all the other mens I know. Trifling, forgitful, and lowdown.”
Page 199
The table above indicates: Celie said that her God was also a man, and had action
or attitude like the other men. God in this case—and according to her, their God is
a man. Woman in here, is worried about God, will act like man whom she
knows—such abusing, or doing violence. Her perception about man create the
guess that God shall make her disappointed; however, she is harmful of man.
“Man corrupt everything, say Shug. He on your box of grits, in your head, and all over the radio. He try to make you think he everywhere. Soon as you think he everywhere, you think he God. But he ain’t.
Page 204
The table above indicates: Celie said to Nettie what she shared about man. She
spoke to Celie that man corrupted everything, in everywhere—like God in Celie’s
everywhere. But man is not a God, who can do everything to His creatures,
including woman; because, the steps of woman in this life, are set by man.
“Harpo look at Squeak. Shut up Squeak, he say. It bad luck
for women to laugh at men.” Page 208
The table above indicates: Harpo commanded Squeak to shut up. He did not want
to look her laughing at him. The man does not like to see her woman laughing at
him. She is not allowed to laugh at her man, because, it is such as flattery towards
him. It is just laughing, whereas the man more often abusing the woman.
“Well, you know wherever there’s a man, there’s trouble.” Page 212
The table above indicates: Celie accomplished to Nettia about her statement
which said that wherever there’s a man, there’s trouble. She spoke like that
because of her experiences with men. The sentence states that a man can break out
something bad for a woman, it is the reason of woman says wherever man is alive,
surely any trouble.
4.1.1.d Woman Physical Abuse in Social, Politic, and Economic Institution
Women are physically assaulted by men authority through social, politic,
and economic institution. In the following table, the writer has listed the
quotations related to violence against women that happened in social, politic, and
“Sofia say, I say, Hell no. He slap her.” Page 90
The table above indicates: Celie told about Sofia. Sofia said ‘Hell no’ to the
mayor’s wife. And then, the mayor slap her. He could not receive Sofia being
impolite to her. The man in the high-class in social life is able to make physical
abuse towards woman in the low class. He doesn’t open to her because she has
talked down to his wife and rejected her offering related to be their servant;
whereas that’s all can be talked first.
“Sofia knock the man down....The polices come, start slinging the children off the mayor, bang they heads together. Sofia really start to fight. They drag her to the ground.”
Page 90
The table above indicates: Sofia abused the man. Then, the polices came, but
Sofia wanted to fight. After that, the polices dragged her, without asking how
really the problem of them. The polices should ask about the real problem firstly.
But the fact, the polices—who have high-class in politic society, directly catch
and do physical abuse to the woman who fight back to them; whereas, she just
wants to protect herself. But the polices defend the mayor, who has high authority,
and disregard the low-class person.
“They beat Sofia, Mr.___say.” Page 91
“When I see Sofia I don’t know why she still alive. They crack her skull, they crack her ribs. They tear her nose loose on one side. They blind her in one eye. She swole from head to foot. Her tongue the size of my arm, it stick out tween her teef like a piece of rubber. She can’t talk. And she just about the color of a eggplant.”
Page 91 and 92
The table above indicates: Sofia was abused and beaten by the polices. They
really wanted to see her down-fall. The woman is physically abused in the prison.
The prisoner is assumed as the thing that can be unfairly treated by the polices.
Physical abuses that she received are also as deserving of punishment.
“If you say anything, they strip you, make you sleep on a
cement floor without a light.” Page 93
The table above indicates: Sofia said to Celie if she complained about something,
the polices were able to make her suffer. In the prison, it is hard for the prisoners
for giving out the words. If any prisoner, eventhough it is a woman, she will be
abused.
“My wife beat up, my woman rape.” Page 100
The table above indicates: Harpo was very upset because Sofia was beaten and
jailed, while Squeak was raped. Most of the victims of abuses—beating and
raping, is woman. The man is upset because his wife is abused by polices, and his
“The trouble with our people is as soon as they got out of slavery they didn’t want to give the white man nothing else. But the fact is, you got to give ‘em something. Either your money, your land, your woman or your ass.”
Page 188
The table above indicates: Nettie said about their people—as Black people. She
told that their people did not want to give anything to the white man after they
were free from slavery. But the fact, they ought to give the white man with
money, land, woman, even ass. The black men should not be arogant, although
they have been in freedom of slavery. The fact, the black men are still
under-control of the white men, even, they are able to give everything—not only money
and land, but also their woman—to be alive. The white men are assumed as
higher-class than the black men.
“Polices lock her up for sassing the mayor’s wife and hitting the mayor back. First she was in prison working in the laundry and dying fast. Then us got her move to the mayor’s house. She had to sleep in a little room up under the house, but it was better than prison. Flies, maybe, but no rats.”
Page 205
The table above indicates: Celie told about Sophia, who had been working at
mayor’s house. She forced to work there because it was better living in the
prison—with the reason, rejecting mayor’s wife request to be her servant.
Whereas, the mayor beat her first, but she was jailed because of fighting him. In
this case, the woman who rejects the request of the high-class person is abused
and beaten; because she is assumed underistimating his family. But, the woman
