RADICAL FEMINISM AS SEEN THROUGH
THE FEMALE CHARACTERS IN HARUMI SETOUCHI’S
BEAUTY IN DISARRAY
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
RAYNESTA MIKAELA INDRI MALO
Student Number: 044214004
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
RADICAL FEMINISM AS SEEN THROUGH
THE FEMALE CHARACTERS IN HARUMI SETOUCHI’S
BEAUTY IN DISARRAY
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
RAYNESTA MIKAELA INDRI MALO
Student Number: 044214004
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
All human beings are born free and equal
in dignity and rights.
(Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948)
Women! Never forget that when you draw your
portraits,
always select a vaulted ceiling of gold!
(Haruko Hiratsuka)
We live and we learn to take
One step at a time
There's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly
Or falling in love.
For my father, my mother, my brother, Aang,
my family, friends, and those who always
support and pray for me.
Indri
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Greatest thank to the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, I know I’m not alone in
doing this. For my beloved parents, Bapa dan Mama, and my brother, Andri, you are
the greatest gift of all. For Opu Piet and family, all the family in Sumba and other
places, thanks for all the love and supports. For Aang, thank you very much for all
the love and patient and for all the adventures we’ve done.
I would like to express my gratitude to my advisor, Mrs. Ni Luh Putu
Rosiandani, S. S and my co-advisor, Mr. Gabriel Fajar Sasmita Aji, S. S., M. Hum.,
for being very patient and effective in helping me write my thesis. For all the
lecturers in the Department of English Letters, thank you very much for all
knowledge and skills you gave me. For Mba Nik, the library crews and for all people
in Sanata Dharma University, thank you so much for all the helps.
Thank you very much to Rm. Yeremias Balapito, MSF and P. Marianus
Dapatalu, CSsR, for the prayer from abroad. For the Redemtorists, P. Silvester Nusa,
CSsR, P. Robert Ramone, CSsR, Fr. Friedz, Fr. Tommy, Fr. Benya, Fr. Benny, and
those in Wisma Sang Penebus, Nandan, I really appreciate our relationship.,
My gratitude also goes to all my friends. For those from Sastra Inggris 2004,
Rini, Tini, Nofi, Disti, Dita, Siska, Lutfi, Pita, Laisis, etc. For Eti, Renzy, K’ Mia,
Icul, Erin and Ima Montero, Rheo Gank, Utha, Irma, Sandra, Tien, Lia, Cory, Tison,
Wiwid, Emi, Ine, Mb’ Ninong, Desi, Qori, Dian, Antis, Tika and all sisters of
For KMKS, ‘In theBlood’ crews, friends of APTIK, Mas Anton, bu Rini and family.
Thank you people for all the things we’ve been through. To Iyo, thanks for all the
advices, supports, and energy and for all the secrets you keep from me.
TABLE OF CONTENTS A. Background of the Study ………. 1
B. Problem Formulation ……….. 4
C. Objectives of the Study ………... 4
D. Definition of Terms ………. 4
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Study ………. 7
B. Review of Related Theories 1. Theory of Character and Characterization ………... 9
2. Theory of Feminism ……….……… 11
3. Theory of Society and Literature ………. 17
4. Review on Japan’s Society: Patriarchal Society and Position of Women ……… 18
C. Theoretical Framework ……… 25
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study ……….. 26
B. Approach of the Study ………. 28
C. Method of the Study ………. 29
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS A. The Characteristics of Noe Ito and Raicho Hiratsuka 1. Noe Ito ………..……… 30
2. Raicho Hiratsuka ……….………. 35
B. Radical Feminism as Seen through Noe Ito and Raicho Hiratsuka 1. Noe Ito ………...……… 36
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION……… 55
ABSTRACT
Raynesta Mikaela Indri Malo. Radical Feminism as seen through the Female Character in Harumi Setouchi’s Beauty in Disarray. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2008.
This study is aimed to see radical feminism through two female characters, Noe Ito and Raicho Hiratsuka in the novel Beauty in Disarray. They are Japanese women, who at their time, already realize and understand about their condition of being subordinated by the patriarchal system.
In this study, the writer would try to analyze two problems, (1) How are the female characters in Beauty in Disarray, Noe Ito and Raicho Hiratsuka, characterized?, and (2) how is radical feminism seen through those female characters?
This writing is a library research. The writer collects the all the data and supported information from some references books and internet. The feminist literary criticism approach is used as the main basis of the analysis.
From the analysis, the writer finds that Noe Ito is characterized as beautiful and attractive. She is also rebellious, studious, curious, critical and ambitious. Raicho Hiratsuka is a brave and rebellious woman. She is also known as a bisexual, for she is sexually attracted to both women and men.
The study also finds out that radical feminism is seen in the novel through the female characters, Noe Ito and Raicho Hiratsuka. It is known that Japan at that time holds the patriarchal system that subordinate women and restrict them from getting the same opportunities with men in various aspects of life. Noe Ito and Raicho Hiratsuka fight against that system with their own way.
Radical feminism is seen through Noe Ito first, in her act of breaking the traditional rules for girls. She is rebellious since her childhood. She does not want to do things that girls in her age are supposed to do. Second, she gains her individual rights. She breaks her marriage arranged by her family. She then leaves and divorces her husbands. She also has relationship with other men while she is in a charge as a wife of Jun Tsuji. Noe Ito tries to get opportunities as what men by getting education and working. She is educated and also works as a journalist inSeito; things that not all women at that time could get. Noe Ito is also a vocal woman. She dares to speak up her opinion in public. From the facts above, Noe Ito is categorized as a radical feminist because her characteristics reveal the ideas of radical feminism.
marriage would only limit women’s opportunities in life. These two things are in accordance with the idea of the radical libertarian feminist.
ABSTRAK
Raynesta Mikaela Indri Malo. Radical Feminism as seen through the Female Character in Harumi Setouchi’s Beauty in Disarray. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2008.
Tujuan utama penulisan skripsi ini adalah untuk melihat ide-ide feminisme radikal melalui dua tokoh perempuan, Noe Ito and Raicho Hiratsuka, dalam novel
Beauty in Disarray. Mereka adalah perempuan-perempuan jepang yang pada masa hidupnya telah menyadari dan mengerti kondisi mereka yang tertindas oleh sistem patriarkal.
Skripsi ini memuat dua permasalahan, (1) Bagaimana dua tokoh perempuan dalam Beauty in Disarray, Noe Ito and Raicho Hiratsuka, dikarakterisasi? (2) Bagaimana feminisme radikal dapat dilihat melalui dua tokoh perempuan tersebut?
Studi pustaka digunakan dalam analisis skripsi ini. NovelBeauty in Disarray, buku-buku referensi dan internet digunakan sebagai sumber data. Dasar utama dalam analisis adalah pendekatan feminisme.
Dari analisis penulis menemukan bahwa karakteristik Noe Ito adalah seorang perempuan yang cantik dan menarik. Dia adalah seorang pemberontak, seorang yang gemar belajar, memiliki rasa ingin tahu yang besar, kritis dan ambisius. Raicho Hiratsuka adalah seorang perempuan yang berani dan pemberontak. Dia juga adalah seorang biseksuil karena secara seksual Raicho tertarik pada laki-laki dan perempuan. Melalui studi ini, penulis juga menemukan bahwa feminisme radikal terlihat melalui dua tokoh perempuan tersebut. Jepang pada saat itu menganut sistem patriarkal yang merendahkan perempuan dan membatasi perempuan untuk mendapatkan kesempatan yang sama dengan laki-laki dalam berbagai aspek kehidupan. Noe Ito dan Raicho Hiratsuka berjuang melawan sistem tersebut dengan cara mereka masing-masing.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Oppression on women has been a worldwide issue in every era of human life.
Women face discrimination and degradation in many aspects of life such as in their
position in family and also in getting the opportunity to work. Throughout the world,
in almost every nation, we could see this phenomenon happen even until now when
there are movements that try to fight against the oppression, for example the feminist
movement.
The origin of the women oppression is actually in the social condition. Most
of the societies in the world hold the so-called patriarchal system in which women are
the second creatures, after men. Patriarchal system organizes the society in such a
way to give benefit to the men in general (Mills, 1993: 3). According to Ashley
Montagu, in almost all societies, women have been conditioned to believe that they
are inferior to men (1953: 23). Many women internalize the ideas of patriarchal,
holding that it was their job to obey and serve men and accepting the idea that they
are inferior to men. Fortunately, some women get the rights to have education.
Education opens their eyes to see their condition. They then realize that actually
women have the same rights as man. This condition then raises the women
movements that look for the emancipation for women, to get the same rights as men.
Japan is one of the nations in the world with a society that holds patriarchal
system. Jesse F. Steiner in his book Behind the Japanese Mask called Japan as the
man-ruled world. He wrote that men are superior over women and expect to be served
by them. Steiner quoted from a classical volume used as a textbook for the training of
Japanese girls during the past two hundred years; it helps us understand the status of
the women in Japan. It stated,
“A woman should look on her husband as if he were Heaven itself and never weary of thinking how she may yield to his wishes. The great life-long duty of a woman is obedience. When the husband issues are his instructions, the wife must never disobey them.” (1943: 73).
He then added,
“Their lot in life, which is to serve men, is well expressed in what has been called the three obediences: obedience, while yet unmarried, to a father; obedience, when married, to a husband; obedience, when widowed, to a son.” (1943: 74).
However, some women were lucky enough to be educated. Education then
made women aware of their condition that they had been oppressed by men.
Education which is basically aimed to improve knowledge and skills then led women
to think, feel, and reason about things. Women then started to articulate their idea
through literature, which then became the media for the women to shout their idea in
fighting against the society and its long-established system.
The oppression on women and the rise of feminist movement is one of such
interesting theme that inspires some authors in writing the literary works. According
manner (1956: 216). A novel may become the means of the author to criticize, to
satire the society, and give an idea to the society. Literature is a social institution,
which plays its role in representing life or social reality. Either the natural or the
subjective world of individual becomes the object of literature imitation (1956:
94-95). Characters in literary works represent the real life, such as people’s problems in
real life, issues in society, problems interpersonal, for example between an individual
and his or her surroundings, friend, family or environment.
Harumi Setouchi is one of the authors who choose the issues on women, i.e.
the oppression on women and the rise of feminist in Japan as her main topic in
writing novels. She wrote some novels related to that subject such as The End of
Summer in 1963 which won the Women’s Literary Prize, Feminine Virtue in 1963,
Beauty in Disarray in 1966 which won the special praise by the Nonino Prize
selection committee. She also wrote about the author Toshiko Tamura, one of the
leading female figures from the last years of the Meiji era to the beginning of Taisho
era (1868-1912) (http://www.The Japan Journal - The Tale of Jakucho.htm).
This thesis studies on Setouchi’sBeauty in Disarray. The novel tells about the
life of women who are born among the patriarchal society. However, education
makes them see the discrimination to their sex. They then fight against the system of
the society through their own way to get their rights as human being and become
feminists with the label The New Woman.
This study aims to analyze the female characters in the novel, Noe Ito and
as women in the middle of the pressure of the patriarchal society that oppressed them.
It is interesting for the writer to analyze the characteristics of these women and how
feminism, especially radical feminism, appears through their characteristics.
B. Problem Formulation
Having presented the background of the study, here are presented the
problems that are going to be analyzed in this study.
1. How are the female characters in Beauty in Disarray, Noe Ito and Raicho
Hiratsuka, characterized?
2. How is radical feminism seen through those female characters?
C. Objectives of the Study
In this study, the writer wants to find out some answers related to the
formulated problems that have been presented above. Firstly, the writer will find out
the characteristics of the female characters, Noe Ito and Raicho Hiratsuka and
secondly, the writer wants to analyze how radical feminism seen through those
female characters.
1. Radical
Radical refers to something in favour of thorough and complete political or
social change; it is new, different, and likely to have a great effect (Oxford Advance
Learner’s Dictionary of current English, 2000: 1042-1043).
2. Feminism
According to The American Heritage Dictionary of English Language,
feminism is a belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes (1996:
671). Furthermore, Maggie Humm in The Dictionary of Feminist Theory explains
that in general, feminism is the ideology of women’s liberation since intrinsic in all
its approaches is the belief that women suffer injustice because of their sex. The
definition incorporates both a doctrine of equal rights for women and an ideology of
social transformation aiming to create a world for women beyond simple social
equality (1990: 74)
3. Radical Feminism
Maggie Humm in The Dictionary of Feminist Theory stated that radical
feminism is a movement which argues that women’s oppression comes from our
categorization as an inferior class to the class of ‘men’ on the basis of our gender.
Radical feminism aims to destroy this sex class system. Radical feminism also argues
that patriarchy is the defining characteristics of our society. What makes this
feminism radical is that it focuses on the roots of male domination and claims that all
4. Feminist
Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary of current Englishdefines feminist as a
person who supports the belief that women should have the same rights and
opportunities as men (2000: 466). Maggie Humm then defines feminist is a woman
who recognizes herself, and is recognized by others, as a feminist. This awareness
depends on a woman having experienced conscious rising; a knowledge of women’s
oppression, and recognition of women’s difference and communalities (The
Dictionary of Feminist Theory, 1990: 75).
5. Female
In feminist theory, female refers to the purely biological aspect of sexual
difference (Humm, 1990: 71). In Random House Webster’s College Dictionary, it is
stated that female classifies individuals on the basis of their genetic makeup or their
ability to produce offspring in sexual reproduction (2003: 484).
6. Character
In A Glossary of Literary Terms Abrams explains that characters are the
persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader
as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that are
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
In this part, the writer takes reviews from several studies about the work itself,
the characters in the novel, and also about the author of the novel, Harumi Setouchi.
The first study is taken from an internet source, about the main character in this
novel, Noe Ito. In this study, an anarchist federation wrote about the life of Noe Ito,
since her childhood until her death. Noe is said as a champion of both women’s
liberation and anarchism. Noe is well aware of the consequences of being an
anarchist in Japan at that time.
“A short biography of Ito Noe, a courageous Japanese woman who broke with her social conditioning and became a champion of both women’s liberation and anarchism” (http://www.Noe, Ito-libcom_org.htm).
Mikiso Hane in Modern Japan: a Historical Survey states that Raicho
Hiratsuka, one of the female characters that will be discussed in this study, was one of
the leaders of the early feminist movement in Japan. Literary magazine was their
media to gain their rights.
Japanese women. The feminist leaders were willing to defy public opinion and challenge the conventional mores.” (1986: 213).
Mikiso Hane explains that Hiratsuka refused the established system of
marriage and she also lived without married with younger male artist. Another
feminist stated by Mikiso Hane is Noe Ito. She was a feminist who rejected the
marriage arranged by her uncle for her with a man from rich family. Noe Ito was
inspired by the thought of Emma Goldman.
In Japan, a Documentary History, David J. Lu stated something similar with
Mikiso Hane about the women’s movement. He says,
“In 1911, Hiratsuka Raicho (1886-1971) founded a new literary journal,Seito
(Blue Stocking), to promote women’s causes.” (1997: 398).
“Hiratsuka was inward looking, and when speaking of liberation, she often equated it with discovery of self and one’s own talent. Her worked marked the beginning of women’s liberation in Japan.” (1997: 398).
By using her parents financial supports, Hiratsuka and some other women used
literary expression in fighting against the old thought and improve opportunities for
women. Ito Noe became editor of the magazine after Hiratsuka left due to the
family’s financial problem. Ito then explored the women’s rights to abortion. Ito Noe
then had a husband named Osugi Sakae, who was an anarchist, and they both became
the police target.
Through this study, the writer wants to focus on analyzing the dialogues and
actions of the female characters in the novel, which represents the idea of radical
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
Abrams, inA Glossary of Literary Terms says that characters are the persons
presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being
endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what
they say-the dialogue-and by what they do-the action. Reader could take the issues in
a literary work through the existence of the characters. Every character, major or
minor, has his or her own function in giving the meaning and theme of a story (1993:
23).
Henkle states two types of character, major character and secondary character.
Major character usually is the most important character in a story that functioned to
help the reader in drawing the theme, used by the authors in order to communicate
their human qualities. Secondary characters or minor character usually is the
character, who has limited function in the story (1977: 87-97).
Characterization according to Rohrberger and Woods refers to the way that
the author uses in creating the character (1971: 180). There are two ways to create a
character. The first is direct characterization, refers to the description given directly
by the author about the physical appearance of the character. It can be about the
character’s performances, behavior, thoughts, intellectuality, and way of thinking,
morality, and sensitivity, for example about the height, weight, hair shape and color,
The second is the dramatic characterization, refers to how the author create
the character of a person through how the person facing a problem. The reader then
can understand the way the character faces the situation, the person behavior, and
choices, which ultimately derive from the situation.
There are other nine ways to create the character based on characterization
according to Murphy (1972: 161-173) in hisUnderstanding Unseens,
a. Personal Description
Personal description refers to the description of the character as real person’s
appearance, such as face, skin, eyes, and clothes.
b. Character as seen by another
The author describes a person’s characteristics through the eyes and opinions
of other characters. The reader can get it as the reflection image of particular
character.
c. Speech
Through this way, the author describes a person characteristic through what
the person says. This is a very important way in characterizing a character. The reader
can get a direct insight and opinion about a particular character. It can be in the
person’s speaks in the person’s conversation with other or when the person is giving
an opinion forward about his idea and perspective.
d. Past life
Past life really influences the shaping of character of a person. The author can
person. This can be in the direct comment given by the author, through the person
speaks, or through other person’s speaks.
e. Conversation of others
The character of a person described through the conversation of other
characters in which they say their opinions or everything about that person.
f. Reactions
Each character has their own way in reacting when they are facing something.
The way they react can be the way through which the reader can see and get clues
about a person’s characteristics.
g. Direct comment
Direct comment refers to the author personal reception and comment about
the character he creates in his novel.
h. Thoughts
The author gives a direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about.
Through this way, the reader can understand the character’s mind and feeling.
i. Mannerism
The author through his mannerism, habits, or idiosyncrasies in his fictional
life can also describe the character’s personality.
2. Theory of Feminism
The long established system of the society places women in difficult positions
societies believe that men are superior and women are inferior. Women are
conditioned to believe that they are inferior and it is really happening in their life
(Montagu, 1953: 23). It is a social discrimination in which the society sees human
based on sexes.
Women are not only oppressed physically but also mentally. As Montagu in
The Natural Superiority of Women:
They were practically never given equal opportunities with men to develop their capacities; the opportunities for the development of their intelligence and tribal skills were severely restricted by what was traditionally considered permissible to women; (1953: 38).
Furthermore, she explains that during their long period of subjection, women
have been treated as slaves, housekeepers, and even sex workers, such as geisha in
Japan. Even up to now; it is believed that women are so treated badly in some parts of
the world (1953: 128). Women think of marriage, home, and family as integral parts
of their entire lives. A woman’s life is first and foremost bound up with her husband,
her children (1953: 138). A married woman is the wife of her husband; her duty is
minister to his needs and to those of their children; it is the wife who looks after the
family.
However, a woman is a person in her own right who wants to be treated as
something more than just a good companion who happens also to be one’s slave
(Montagu, 1953: 162). The unfair treatment toward women and the need to be treated
fairly then raise the women movement called as feminism. Feminism itself, according
for social, educational, industrial, and political freedom for women, on the basis as
men (Adams, 1957: 483). Feminism then refers to women’s movement which is
aimed at the emancipation of women; to be free from oppression, discrimination, and
to get the same chance to use their rights, as what men get.
Holman and Harmon in A Handbook to Literature explain that feminism in
literature and criticism is in a general position but not necessarily confined to women.
It has to do with advocacy and encouragement of equal rights and opportunities for
the women-politically, socially, psychologically, personally, and aesthetically (1986:
201). Sara Mills further explains that feminism implies commitment to change the
social structure to make it less oppressive to women (1995: 4).
Feminist theory then arises to support the feminism. According to Maggie
Humm, Feminist theory is an area of writing which represents a crucial and original
contribution to contemporary thinking (1990: x). Feminist theory or feminist thinking
is a modern thinking against the traditional thinking that oppressed women. The basic
goal of all feminists is to understand women’s oppression in term of race, gender,
class, and sexual preference and also how to alter it. Feminist theory reveals the
importance of women as an individual. It analyzes how sexual difference is
constructed within any intellectual and social world and builds accounts of
experiences from these differences (Humm, 1990: x). The ‘sexual differences’ is said
as ‘constructed’ means that it does not exist naturally, but it is created by those who
Further, Maggie Humm explains that the feminist theory wraps many
different aspects in human life. In the literary milieu, the feminist theory emerges in
the form of feminist literary criticism. Feminist criticism seems to share three basic
assumptions. The first assumption is that in writing someone is influenced by gender.
The writing style then shows the ideologies of each gender and the ideologies that are
believed by each gender. The second assumption is that the different style of writing
between men and women because they use different strategies. They use different
vocabularies and different kinds of sentences. As Humm in Contemporary Feminist
Literary Criticism said the second major assumption is that there are sex-related
writing strategies (1994: 4). It means that one’s gender can be recognized from his or
her writing style. In feminist criticism, we could reveal the relation between strategies
and gender. The last assumption is the tradition of literary criticism uses masculine
norms to exclude or undervalue women’s writing (Humm, 1994: 5). It means that
men’s writing is the measure to determine whether women’s writing is good or bad.
Those three fundamental assumptions are the background of the rise of feminist
criticism in the literary criticism.
Actually there are some kinds of feminism. The first is liberal feminism,
which uses the basic liberalism philosophy that every human being is created with the
same rights and every human must have the same opportunity to develop their future.
It is concerned with obtaining equal rights through legislative reforms. The liberal
feminists fight for co-optation of existing norms and structures for their own
oppression lie simply in women’s lack of equal civil rights and educational
opportunities (1990: 119).
The second is the radical feminism. They believe that women’s oppression
comes from a categorization in which women are in the inferior class to the men
(Humm, 1990: 183). They are the pioneer of the lesbian media for women. Radical
feminists believe that society must be changed at its core in order to dissolve
patriarchy, not just through acts of legislation. Radical feminists want to break the
rigid gender roles that society has imposed to free both men and women. Sometimes
radical feminists believe that they must rage a war against men, patriarchy, as the
defining characteristic of our society, and the gender system, which confines them to
inflexible social roles. Radical feminists focus on the roots of male domination and
claim that all forms of oppression are extensions of male supremacy (Humm, 1990:
183). They also think that women could express themselves not only with men but
also with women. They emphasize the separatism between men and women and only
concerns with the elevation of women. Women centeredness then becomes the main
purpose of this movement. The pioneers of radical feminists, such as Charlotte
Perkins Gilman, Emma Goldman, and Margaret Sanger, stated that women must take
radical control over their bodies and lives (Humm, 1990: 183).
There are two kinds of radical feminist, radical libertarian feminist and radical
cultural feminist.According to Rosemarie Putnam Tong, radical libertarian feminists think that people, men or women should explore both feminine and masculine side of
put more focus on androgyny that insists on all kinds of sex intercourse. They think
that androgyny is a liberation strategy for women. Every woman should have a sexual
experiment whether with herself, with other men, or other women. They also think
that reproduction’s support technology and the old technology that can control birth
are the absolutely grace for women. Radical cultural feminists then oppose those
thoughts. According to radical cultural feminists, sexual intercourse is a dangerous
thing, especially heterosexual relationship. Radical cultural feminist think that if only
the society could learn to consider feminine values equal to masculine values, the
oppression on women will end. In order to be free, women must set themselves free
from the heterosexuality and create their own exclusive sexuality through celibate,
autoeroticism, and lesbianism (Prabasmoro, 2006: 3-5).
Further, Maggie Humm explains about the Socialist Feminism. Socialist
feminists believe that there is a direct link between class structure and the oppression
of women. They believe that women are the second-class citizens in patriarchal
capitalism which depends for its survival on the exploitation of working people
(1990: 213). Socialist feminists reject the idea that biology predetermines one’s
gender. Social roles are not inherent and women's status must change in both the
public and private spheres. Socialist feminists also like to challenge the ideologies of
capitalism and patriarchy. Much like the views of radical feminists, socialist feminists
believe that although class, race, ethnicity and religion divide women, they all
that the way to end this oppression is to put an end to class and gender. Women must
work side-by-side with men in the political sphere.
3. Theory of Society and Literature
Society has a great influence on literature. Authors, as part of the society write
literary works based on their understanding about the realities that occur in society
around them. It could be a criticism, a satire or maybe an idea about the society that
an author wants to give to his or her readers.
Society itself, according to Kimball Young, refers to the broadest association
of people who possess a certain common set of habits, attitudes, and ideas, who live
in a definite territory, and who are often set off from other societies by attitudes and
habits of difference or antagonism (1945: 125).
In the Society in the Novel, Langland explained that the real society is a
construction of life. It is the same with the society that is presented in literary works,
which is a concept of construction in art and life. Society could be understood
through its people and also through the beliefs and values, conventions, customs,
habits, costumes, institution (legal, religious, and cultural) that exist in particular
society, and also through the physical environment (1984: 1).
The society in reality and the society in the novel can be said as the same for
both of them shape the characteristics of the people who live within them. As Wellek
and Warren inTheory of Literaturestated that literature is a social institution, which
Literary work is a good reflection of a society which the work is based on. By
reading a literary work we can dig out many values that implicitly set in it. Literature
is one element of culture. It contains values, thoughts, problems, and conflicts.
Literature functions as a representation of the situation happening in certain settings
of time and place (Little, 1963: 1). It means that understanding the society in reality is
important to understand and grasp the idea that an author wants to reveal in the
literary work.
4. Review on Japan’s Society: Patriarchal Society and Position of Women in 1900s
The Meiji and Taisho era in Japan were the periods of radical changes.
Movements appeared protesting various established systems in the society at that
time. Movements, such as anarchist, socialist, and also feminist emerged among the
“old men” of the society demanding new things for the restoration of the country.
Anarchist insisted on the bringing down of the government and socialist demanded
for the end of class system. Feminist then was formed in order to end the subjugation
toward women.
As Goldstein and Ninomiya stated in the introduction of the novel Beauty in
Disarraythat it may surprise westerners or other people that Japan had its own
well-known women’s liberation movement in the late nineteenth century (1993: 7).
Japan’s women who had been living under subordination of men for a long time
Japanese women at the beginning of 1900s seemed to be tired from the long
system of the society that subordinated them. Japan society at that time still held the
so-called patriarchal system. According to Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary of
Current English, patriarchal means ruled or controlled by men; giving power and
importance only to men. Patriarchy then is a society, system or country that is ruled
and controlled by men (2000: 929). Maggie Humm explains further that patriarchy
refers to a system of male authority which oppresses women through its social,
political, and economic institutions. In any of the historical forms that patriarchal
society takes, whether it is feudal, capitalist or socialist, a sex-gender system and a
system of economic discrimination operate at once (1990: 159).
Since a long time ago, Japanese women did not get the same position as men
in the society. Kaibara Ekiken (1630-1714), a Japanese botanist and Neo-Confucian
philosopher, translated a Confucian doctrine about women’s role in society. The
doctrine is calledOnna DaigakuorGreater Learning for Women. It is widely spread
throughout Japan from the Edo era to Meiji period. According to Onna Daigaku,
there are some points that should be obeyed by a woman, since her childhood. The
first is Girl’s Instruction, in which a girl will be well educated by her parents to be a
good woman in her future, and in her marriage, she should be obedient to her
husband and her father in law. Second is Demarcation between the Sexes. From her
early childhood, a girl should realize the separation line between women and men. A
woman must observe a certain distance in her relations even with her husband and
which could cause a divorce; bad health, barrenness, disobedience, lewdness,
jealousy, addicted to steal, and even talkativeness. The last is The Wife’s
Miscellaneous Duties. As a wife, a woman is demanded to be good wife and wise
mother. Women are unconditionally obeying their husbands, their fathers-in-law, and,
mothers-in-law. She also must keep her husband’s households in proper order
(http://chnm.gmu.edu/wwh/p/84.html).
The influences of some institutions or philosophies which came to Japan
hundreds years ago, affected the role of Japanese women in society and home.
Confucianism, Buddhism, and Samurai basic doctrine became the origin of women
subordination in Japan. Before the advent of the Samurai in the 15th century A.D.,
Japanese society had been ordered largely on matrilineal lines. The combined
influences of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Samurai culture forever changed the
place of women in Japanese society. These three institutions were all highly
discriminatory towards women. Confucianism stressed the preeminence of men over
women, stating: “A woman is to obey her father as daughter, her husband as wife,
and her son as aged mother.” A basic tenant of Buddhism is that salvation is not
possible for women, and the Samurai believed that "A woman should look upon her
husband as if he were heaven itself.” An example of how society viewed women is
shown by an excerpt from The Tale of Genji, an 11th century Japanese novel, written
by a woman; she said: “If they (women) were not fundamentally evil, they would not
have been born women at all” (http://www2.gol.com/users/friedman/writings
Jesse F. Steiner wrote,
“The rigid code of conduct for women has long been deeply imbedded in the traditions of the country. Its wide acceptance for hundreds of years provides abundant evidence that Japan is preeminently a man’s world.” (1943: 74).
It is related with Ashley Montagu’s statement in her The Natural Superiority of
Womenthat women in almost society are conditioned to believe that they are inferior
to men (1953: 23). The patriarchal system in Japan was accepted by most people
including women. They are conditioned to believe that Japan was a man’s world and
that they, as the inferior one, had to obey the men.
Steiner then explains why the Japanese women accepted that immoralities. He
said,
“From early childhood Japanese girls are trained to become submissive wives and mothers. Their schooling, which for the vast majority does not go beyond the elementary grades, emphasizes the traditional women’s virtues of unselfishness, sacrifice, and patient endurance. They must learn how to manage a home and bring up their children.” (1943: 75).
He also added,
“The dominant role of the old family system appears even more strikingly in the control over the marriage of daughters. A Japanese girl, except in the more emancipated families, has no opportunity to choose her own mate. Negotiations for a marriage are placed in the hands of a go-between, and the family council, including all near relatives, discusses the merits of possible candidates. When arrangement is reached, the young people are brought together for the first meeting at the go-between’s house or other suitable place to see whether they approve of their parents’ choice. On these occasions, the young man’s objections may end the matter, but the girl is supposed to bow humbly to the will of her family.” (1943: 84).
In marriage life, Steiner wrote that marriages vows in Japan are concerned only
to seek pleasure wherever he wishes. In marriage life, the wives confine their
activities to the customary household duties, while the men take every advantage of
their freedom to enjoy the social diversion in which the home and family have no
part. When he (the husband) is at home his every wish must be anticipated and the
whole household regime must minister to his comfort (1943: 74-75). Jesse F. Steiner
also wrote,
“Under the Japanese law, a wife can enter into a legal contract only with her husband’s consent. The unmarried woman over twenty, legally possessing full contractual rights, loses them as soon as she marries. The husband has entire control over his wife’s property and is permitted to use profits from it as he sees best. When divorce is secured by mutual consent, the husband is not obliged to contribute to the support of his wife, and the children are always placed under the care of the father. A daughter ordinarily does not inherit property. The economic dependence of women is made inevitable by laws which give them no legal right to share in family property whether as a daughter or as a wife in a family of wealth.” (1943: 83).
In divorce matter, he states that,
“Divorce is a disgrace of a woman, and only in extreme cases among the upper classes would a wife on her own initiative seek a divorce from her husband. Japanese wives ordinarily choose to accept silently an unhappy lot in their homes rather than bring dishonor upon themselves and their parents by breaking the marriage bond. (1943: 83).
As it is said before, a woman is divorced due to some problems, such as bad
health, barrenness, disobedience, lewdness, jealousy, addicted to steal, and even
talkativeness (http://chnm.gmu.edu/wwh/p/84.html). Mikiso Hane also states that a
divorce gives no advantage to the wife; children are kept by the husband and the
husband is not demanded to pay her livelihood. Even the daughter gets nothing from
One of the unfortunate results of this system, in which women occupy an
inferior place, as Steiner said about it, has been the development of a class of
professional women trained from childhood to entertain men whether in the capacity
of geisha or courtesans.
Paul Varley in Japanese Culture states that the Meiji Restoration, which
brought the Tokugawa Period to an end in 1867, also marked a new beginning for
Japan. The Meiji leaders embarked on a process of modernization by encouraging
Westernization as a means of modernization and wealth. During the first decade of
Meiji rule, the government passed a series of reforms which brought drastic changes
to Japanese society. These reforms dismantled the traditional four class system in
Japan, abolished feudal privileges, instated compulsory education, and promoted
industrialization. The Meiji rulers were convinced that by emulating the Western
world through rapid industrialization and modernization, Japan would achieve its
desired position in the world (http://mll.kenyon.edu/~japanese02/J28sp99/
projects/horstmann /1/index.html ).
However, according to Mikiso Hane, those changes that were brought by the
Meiji Restoration, for example the end of class system, did nothing to change the
status of women. They were still considered to be inferior beings subject to the
control of patriarchal head of family (1986: 213). In her book, Flowers in Salt,
Sharon L. Sievers states that the Meiji leaders were willing to change the status of
women in the purpose that Japan’s position among the countries in the world would
role for women. On the one hand, it was contradictory with the traditional roles and
on the other hand it was the important part of modernization. The leaders believed
that improving the status of women was essential to gaining approval and respect
from the West, but at the same time they were reluctant to alter the traditional role of
women which had prevailed in the past (http://mll.kenyon.edu/~japanese02/J28sp99/
projects /horstmann/1/index.html).
Education then was the light for women. Sharon also adds, the government's
main initiative concerning women dealt with education. New schools were opened up
for women, and in 1871 the government agreed to a widely publicized mission which
sent a group of girls to study abroad in the United States. Education leads to the
self-cultivation, which advances subjectivity. Subjectivity refers to a person’s ability to
think, feel, reason and reason individually. Women began to articulate their
self-awareness through literature (http://mll.kenyon.edu/~japanese02/J28sp99/projects
/horstmann/1/index.html).
In her book Modern Japan: a Historical Survey, Mikiso Hane explains that
female literary figures initiated the movement aimed at gaining recognition of rights
for women. Among the leaders was Hiratsuka Raicho (1886-1971), who started a
women’s literary organization called theSeito (Bluestocking) Society in 1911 (1986:
213). The major intention of this group was to discover and develop the hidden talent,
particularly literary capability. Joseph M. Goedertier further explains that Seito was
the movement for emancipation of women. Although the main purpose was to
they were known as “the New Woman” (1968: 246). Mikiso Hane states, “The
members of Seito Society were subjected to hostile criticisms, and their journal,
advocating equal rights for women, were suppressed by the authorities” (1986:
213-214). It can be concluded then that the Meiji leaders were not willing to change the
status of women at all, they did that only in order to gain respect from other countries
in the world and to be a high-position country.
C. Theoretical Framework
The theory of character and characterization are needed to answer the first
question that has been presented before in the problem formulation. By using these
theories, the writer wants to analyze the characteristics of the female characters, Noe
Ito and Raicho Hiratsuka. Their characteristics may be revealed through the dialogues
and actions in the novel. Theory of feminism along with the review on Japan’s
society is used to answer the second problem formulation. The writer will focus on
how through these female characters, radical feminism could be seen. Review on
Japan history will be useful in showing the custom and tradition in Japan in 1900s
that still discriminated women. Radical feminism then can be seen through how the
female characters break those custom and tradition that have been established in
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
This thesis studies the novel written by Harumi Setouchi entitled Beauty in
Disarray. The novel originally titled in Japanese Bi Wa Rantyou ni Ari. It was first
published on March 1993 by Tuttle Publishing in Singapore. This novel translated
into English by Sanford Goldstein and Kazuji Ninomiya, printed in 352 pages, and
divided into six chapters. As a critical biography of Ito Noe, a writer / critic who
became a feminist and women's liberationist and at last turned to be socialist and
anarchist of the 1910s to 1920s, and Osugi Sakae, an anarchist,Beauty in Disarray
was singled out for special praise by the Nonino Prize selection committee
(http://www.The Japan Journal - The Tale of Jakucho.htm).
This novel tells about the life of some brave women who fought for their
rights as women by acting against the traditional virtue of Japanese custom and
became feminists. There are two main characters; they are Noe Ito and Raicho
Hiratsuka. Noe Ito was a young girl who joined theSeito, the first women magazine
at that time due to her admiration to the chief editor, Raicho Hiratsuka. She was also
actually a girl, who since her childhood showed her differences. She was not fond of
the things that girls in her age usually do, such as cleaning and sewing. She liked
studying, reading books, and newspapers. She did not like to play with children in her
Girls' High School, she agreed to marry to Fukutaro under the arrangement of her
uncle. She agreed on that marriage because she really wanted to go to America and
she thought that Fukutaro could bring her there and then she could escape there. It did
not happen. She then divorced Fukutaro by running away from him and lived with
her English teacher, Jun Tsuji, who became her second husband. Jun Tsuji was the
first person who introducedSeitoto Noe Ito. He really supported her in her interest in
feminism because he was also a feminist. Noe Ito then met Sakae Osugi a socialist
and anarchist. Their first met because of the admiration for each other writing. They
then worked together which lasted in the third marriage for Noe Ito even before she
got divorced from Jun Tsuji. Noe Ito then turned to be a socialist and anarchist as her
husband. Noe Ito and Sakae Osugi then became the target of the police department
because of their movement against the government. Finally, they were caught and
murdered by the police after the great Kanto earthquake.
Beauty in Disarrayalso tells about the life of the chief editor ofSeito, Raicho
Hiratsuka. She could get high education and enter Japan Women’s University
because she was a woman from the rich family. She then founded Seito with some
other young women and they labeled themselves as The New Woman. ThroughSeito
she wrote many articles against the oppression of women and what women should do
in order to get their rights. Her love affair was also an interesting topic. First, she had
a suicide attempt with the novelist, Sohei Morita, who at that time already had a wife.
She then met Kazue Otake, her girl friend inSeito and she became a lesbian. At last
B. Approach of the Study
In this study, the writer focuses on the female characters, Noe Ito and Raicho
Hiratsuka in the novel written by Harumi Setouchi Beauty in Disarray. The writer
wants to analyze how feminism is seen through these two female characters. In order
to reveal feminism especially radical feminism, the writer uses the feminist literary
criticism approach. Maggie Humm inThe Dictionary of Feminist Theorystated,
“Feminist literary criticism rejects traditional standards of criticism and of literary history. Feminists use literary criticism to help them deconstruct the politics of patriarchy as it is represented in language” (1990: 121).
Guerin in A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature said that
feminism concerns with the silencing and marginalization of women in a patriarchal
culture, a culture organized in the favor of men (2005: 222-223). Feminist literary
criticism then appears to enable women do the literary criticism according to their
thought and idealism. Lizbeth Goodman stated that,
“Feminist literary criticism is an academic approach to the study of literature which applies feminist thought to the analysis of literary texts and the contexts of their production and reception” (1996: XI).
In its diversity feminism basically concerns with the marginalization of all
women: that is their being referred to a secondary position. Feminist literary
criticism, critiques patriarchal language and literature by exposing how these reflect
masculine ideology. It examines gender politics in works and traces the subtle
construction of masculinity and femininity, and their relative status, positioning, and
It can be concluded that feminist literary criticism pays attention on how
feminist thought can be applied in the study of literature. The writer uses this feminist
literary criticism approach in analyzing the novel Beauty in Disarray to find out the
ideas of radical feminism in the characteristics of the female characters in the novel.
C. Method of the Study
The writer conducts a library research method in doing this study. Data are
collected from books on literature, criticism, dictionaries and encyclopedias that
maybe helpful. Internet is also an option in searching the data. The primary data are
taken from the novel written by Harumi Setouchi, Beauty in Disarray and the
secondary data are taken from other sources that related to the topic. There are some
steps that the writer takes in analyzing the novel.
The first step is reading the novel for several times to get a whole
understanding about the contents and other aspects of the novel, such as the theme
and conflicts. After deciding to discuss about feminism as seen through the female
character, the writer, in reading the novel, focuses on the two female characters, Noe
Ito and Raicho Hiratsuka. The writer pays attention on the dialogues and actions of
the two female characters and also the dialogues and actions by other characters that
are related to those female characters. In this case, the writer applies the theory of
character and characterization. Knowing the characteristics of those two female
characters, the writer then finds out the relation between their characteristics and
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
A. Characteristics of the Noe Ito and Raicho Hiratsuka 1. Noe Ito
Physically, Noe Ito is a beautiful woman. It can be seen from Kichi Dai’s
story about her, “She was a girl with nice clear-cut features…” (p. 35). From the
quotation, we can see that Noe’s appearance is nice looking. Yoshibei also states that
Noe is pretty and attractive.
Sakae Osugi, Noe Ito’s third husband, is attracted to Noe not only because of
her talent but also of her beauty. It is shown from his opinion about her,
“Noe…was merely a fresh youthful woman of twenty or so and, moreover, abundantly overflowing with the pure refined beauty and voluptuousness all women have after childbirth” (p. 256).
The quotation above shows that Noe Ito is really a beautiful woman that can attract
men who see her. Her beauty also makes Sato Kimura falls in love with her at the
first time he sees her. Noe Ito is also different from the way she manages herself, the
way she dresses up. “She was the only girl who wore her hair in foreign style,
gathering it together simply at the nape, the ribbonless hair strikingly black and
abundant” (p. 68).
Most young girls in Japanese at 1900s were led and educated to be good
women and wise mother in their future. At home, they were taught the domestics
grows up as a woman (Steiner, 1943: 75). House works were some of them, such as
cleaning and sewing. Most daughters unconditionally did that.
However, Noe Ito, in her childhood, shows that she is a person who does not
want to stay in the old ways of life. When she is a child, she never does anything that
a child in her age is supposed to do. She prefers reading books. When she grows up,
she does not want to do any house works that are usually done by girls in her age. She
is a rebellious girl. This is what her sister says about her, “Reading was what she
liked to do more anything else” (p. 47). “…and she never did any of the duties a child
is supposed to do for a parent.” (p. 48). Her aunt also says something similar, “She
liked to read books, and apparently she was not fond of the things that girls usually
do, like cleaning and sewing” (p. 35).
It then can be concluded that the innocent little Noe does not want to be like
her predecessor or other girls in her age who are still living in the old ways, in which
a woman is the one who must do all that kind of work. It can be seen also that Noe
Ito, since her childhood, has something natural in her, something that guides her to do
the extraordinary things. She has a rebellious soul in herself that naturally exists. It is
naturally because Noe Ito was born and grew up among women who still live in the
old custom but she is not influenced by the other women either the custom.
Little Noe shows her different sides. She prefers staying at home and reading
everything she finds than neither playing with other children at her age nor doing
house works. She studies hard and it makes her doing well at school. This can be seen
“Well, she did like studying, and she did quite well at school. From the time she was little, she hated to play with children her age…” (p. 47)
“Of course, she was bright at school…” (p. 49)
From the quotations above, it can be seen that Noe Ito is a clever person and it
continues when she enters high school. According to Nakano, who is in charge of
Noe’s class, Noe can enter her fourth class because of special selection by the
committee. They thought that Noe is an extraordinary student with something of a
natural gift for literature although she is poor in English (p.69).
As explained before that Noe Ito is a clever girl, she likes to read everything
she can find. It is because she is so studious and curious. She has a great curiosity
about something new. If she likes one thing, she will study about it deeply. It can be
seen from the following quotations.
“She did like studying…” (p. 47)
“She studied hard when she was young…” (p. 49)
In early days when she knows about feminism,
“I want to read all those books.” (p. 89)
“In the second semester, Noe abandoned her studies at school to immerse herself in the books on women’s liberation she had borrowed from Tsuji.” (p. 90)
From the quotations above the writer can conclude that Noe really likes
studying and at the time she is introduced to feminism, she becomes curious of it and
then studies about it, even she abandons her study to learn and read books about
Mikiso Hane in Modern Japan: a Historical Survey explains that marriages
(for daughters) were almost invariably arranged by the parents. Marriages then for
Japanese girls meant losing individual freedom. The relationship between husband
and wife is just like the relationship of the master and servant. Wife was treated as
minor by law (1986: 213).
This condition also happens to Noe Ito. She is arranged to marry with a man
named Fukutaro, by her uncle, Junsuke Dai. Actually, she never likes the man; but
the idea of going to America makes her accept the proposal. After the wedding day,
she leaves her husband and goes back home. She does want her husband to touch her
because she does not like her. At last, due to the fact that they are not going to
America, she divorces Fukutaro. The rebellious side of Noe appears here in the
condition that it is uncommon for Japanese woman or wife to divorce her husband.
She shows that she does not want to be like other women who still live in a condition
that they do not want nor like. For her, it is better to go away than living in such
condition. It also shows that she is critical for the laws made for women at that time.
The laws do not give the women to do whatever they want, to choose their future
partner in life. Noe Ito shows that woman also have the same rights as men to choose
what they want to do. The explanation above shows that Noe Ito is a rebellious and
critical woman because she always does things against the custom that most people
hold at that time. She breaks the rules of the patriarchal society to show her rebellion
society, for the laws and rules made for women. She is critical to the society’s laws
and rules that discriminate and restrict women.
Having from childhood adhered to her own strong ideas, Noe at the late date
is quite indifferent to the opinion of others. Noe is also a critical woman. It is shown
when her mother-in-law warns her about her responsibility of taking care of her
children and says that a woman has no time to do other things while taking care of a
child. However Noe Ito does not give any attention to that because she has quite
different opinion. She then criticizes the opinion about woman, especially a married
woman, which their society holds.
“As for Noe, she felt that for a woman to occupy herself only with housework and childrearing meant her position as a woman would never be improved, and she herself at least wanted to grow more and more as human being, not merely to be a wife and mother.” (p. 282)
The ability, which she thinks she has, encourages her to be ambitious in every
way. For Noe, the ability that she has could help her achieving everything she wants
to do. This is seen when she takes over Seito from Raicho Hiratsuka and decides to
undertake all the jobs by herself. She even says that she does not need any help from
anyone. Another evidence shows when she runs out of money after divorcing Jun
Tsuji, she manages to sell her own affair to public in form of novel. She thinks that
such story like her own could bring money for her because the society likes such kind
of affair. Although finally her attempt is not successful, she shows that she puts a
From the analysis above, the writer then can conclude that Noe Ito is a
beautiful and attractive girl. She is also a rebellious, studious, curious, critical and
ambitious woman.
2. Raicho Hiratsuka
Born in a wealthy family, Haruko Hiratsuka is fortunate to have opportunity
to get good education and to enroll in school even up to university. She is also lucky
to have father like Teijiro Hiratsuka, an open minded person who even lets her wife
going to school after their marriage. Haruko Hiratsuka changes her name to Raicho
Hiratsuka as her pen name when she startsSeito. Getting education up to university,
open her mind to see a big problem faced by most women in Japan at that time.
She then starts to lead and publish the women literary magazine Seito as a
media to speak their opinion up to the public. It is a form of rebellion since through
the magazine she writes many articles protesting the condition of women at that time
in Japan.
“…some people in an obscure corner of Tokyo were steadily beginning preparations by which they would ignite the signal fires for the liberation of women, allowing them to extricate themselves from long-established customs and live freely as human beings. With Raicho Hiratsuka as chief editor, several young women were bustling about in a terrible sweat under a scorching August sun for the publication of the women’s literary magazine
Seito” (p. 80).
The quotation above could prove that Raicho Hiratsuka is a rebellious woman.
opinion, women must build a new world with them as the leader. She, as a new
woman, does not want to live under the tyranny of the patriarchal society.
In the sexual life, Raicho Hiratsuka could be called as bisexual. She is
bisexual for she is sexually attracted to both women and men. However, lesbianism is
not an unusual issue in Japan at that time. Her relation with Kazue is even openly
depicted to the public. It can be seen from her reaction to Kazue love,
“Haruko fully responded to Kazue’s passionate devotion, the two of them looking to all the world like a perfect pair of lesbian sweethearts. That love between a man and a woman was strictly forbidden as immoral in the eyes of a severe public and that homosexual love between men or women was not viewed as particularly unusual was probably because homosexuality touched a moral blind spot in those days in which heterosexual love could only be understood as something carnal. Even within Seito group, the lesbian love of Haruko and Kazue was publicly avowed, and that in itself received no censure from any of the members” (p. 118-119).
For this relationship, both Raicho and Kazue are feeling no shame about their
homosexuality. Before having relation with Kazue Otake, she was in love with a
married novelist, Sohei Morita. Due to the fact that her relationship with Morita
failed and they even had a suicide attempt, she went to a Zen meditation. However, in
that Zen meditation, she easily gave her virginity to a young monk there. This fact
shows that Raicho Hiratsuka is a liberated person, not only in the way she thinks but
also sexually. The relationship with Kazue Otake then ends because she finds another
lover, a young man who then becomes an artist. He is Hiroshi Okumura.
From the analysis above, it can be seen that Raicho Hiratsuka is a brave and
B. Radical feminism as seen through Noe Ito and Raicho Hiratsuka
In this following part, the writer wants to analyze the actions that are seen
through the characteristics of Noe Ito and Raicho Hiratsuka which portray the ideas
of radical feminism. The actions taken by those two female characters then could also
determine what types of feminist they are in.
1. Noe Ito
a. Breaking the traditional rules for Japanese girls
As Ashley Montagu explains it, in the long period of subordination, women
have been placed as slaves, housekeepers, economic advantages, and sexual
convenience. Even up to now; it is believed that women are so treated badly in some
parts of the world (1953: 128). Women think of marriage, home, and family as
integral parts of their entire lives. A woman’s life is first and foremost bound up with
her husband, her children (1953: 138). A married woman is the wife of her husband;
her duty is minister to his needs and to those of their children; it is the wife who looks
after the family.
The society in Japan at the time Noe lives also holds such rules. Women are
for family and merely do domestic things. Since their childhood, daughters are
prepared to be good women in the future. They are taught how to handle the
domestic’s matters, such as cooking, cleaning, sewing, and dressing in proper way so
people around them would see them as good women. Only few women are given the
Noe Ito, since her childhood, has broken the rules in her society. She shows a
very different image from what the society’s views and expectations on women. It
can be seen from her aunt, Kichi Dai’s statement, “She liked to read books, and
apparently she was not fond of the things that girls usually do, like cleaning and
sewing.” (p: 35). From the sentences, it can be inferred that Noe Ito is different girl
since her childhood. It is a natural gift in herself that cause her to be a rebellious
woman.
Noe Ito also does things that actually are not appropriate according to the
society rules. As a girl she likes studying and reading very much although at that time
most girls are not given that chance and only doing and learning the domestics
matters. As her younger sister, Tsuta says, “Reading was what she liked to do more
anything else.” (p: 47). She also says, “…even after Noe became an adult, she
continued to mercilessly inconvenience our mother, and she never did any of the
duties a child is supposed to do for a parent.” (p: 48). Noe Ito has ruined the society’s
rules for women. Although in her childhood she is not a feminist yet, her actions have
shown that she is rebellious and she is a feminist-to-be in the future. The writer can
conclude that because in her childhood Noe Ito has broken the old beliefs about
women. From her actions, the writer can see that Noe Ito does not want to be an old
fashioned woman who is bound up with the old tradition. She does not want to stay at
home and doing domestics things. She wants to go to school, to study, to get
