i A THESIS
Submitted as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Sarjana Degree of English Department Faculty of Letters and Humanities State Islamic University
Sunan Ampel Surabaya
By:
Dewi Izzah
Reg Number: A03210018
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LETTERS AND HUMANITIES
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF SUNAN AMPEL
SURABAYA
ii
A THESIS
Submitted as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Undergraduate
Degree of English Department Faculty of Humanitites UIN Sunan Ampel
Surabaya
By:
Dewi Izzah
Reg Number: A03210018
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LETTERS AND HUMANITIES
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF SUNAN AMPEL
SURABAYA
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xii
ABSTRACT
Izzah, Dewi. 2015. Reading the Dimension of Human Sexuality: Threesome with
a pair of gays In Francesca Lia Block’s Weetzie Bat, English Department, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, State Islamic University Sunan Ampel Surabaya.
Advisor: Itsna Syahadatud Dinurriyah, M.A
This thesis attempts to analyze a great novel by Francesca Lia Block entitled Weetzie Bat. This novel tells about Weetzie and her gay friend, Dirk, who hunts for their true love. This thesis focuses on analyzing threesome which done by Weetzie and her gay friends, Dirk and Duck. The aims of this thesis is to reveal the factors that cause Weetzie and a pair of gays, Dirk and Duck, decide to do
threesome and describe the effect of their threesome to Weetzie’s life depicted in
the novel. Dealing with the focused of the study above, this study uses queer theory as the main theory to reveal the problematic of threesome. While new criticism and psychoanalysis as supporting theories providing the academic support for the analysis. As the result, this study finds that the main factor that cause Weetzie and a pair of gays decide to do threesome is desire to have a baby.
digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id
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INTISARI
Izzah, Dewi. 2015. Reading the Dimension of Human Sexuality: Threesome with
a pair of gays In Francesca Lia Block’s Weetzie Bat, Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra dan Humaniora, Universitas Islam English Department, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, State Islamic University Sunan Ampel Surabaya.
Pembimbing: Itsna Syahadatud Dinurriyah, M.A
Skripsi ini mencoba untuk menganalisa novel hebat dari Francesca Lia Block dengan judul Weetzie Bat. Novel ini menceritakan tentang Weetzie dan teman gay nya, Dirk, yang mencari cinta sejati mereka. Skripsi ini fokus pada seks tiga orang yang dilakukan oleh Weetzie dan teman-teman gay nya. Tujuan dari skripsi tersebut, yakni mengungkap faktor yang menyebabkan Weetzie dan sepasang gay memutuskan untuk melakukan seks tiga orang dan menggambarkan akibat dari seks tiga orang yang telah mereka lakukan terhadap kehidupan
Weetzie. Berhadapan dengan fokus kajian di atas, maka kajian ini menggunakan teori queer sebagai teori utama untuk mengungkap masalah seks tiga orang tersebut. Sedangkan teori kritik baru dan teori psikologi sebagai teori pendukung untuk menganalisa. Sebagai hasilnya, kajian ini menemukan faktor utama yang menyebabkan Weetzie dan sepasang gay memutuskan untuk melakukan seks tiga orang adalah keinginan untuk mempunyai anak.
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B. Review of Related Studies... 19
CHAPTER III ANALYSIS ... 22
A. The Factors that cause Weetzie and A pair of gays, Dirk and Duck, decide to do threesome in Francesca Lia Block’s Weetzie Bat ... 22
1. Factors that cause Weetzie decides to do threesome ... 23
a. Desire to have a baby ... 30
b. The offer to do threesome ... 31
c. Consideration of a lot of love... 31
d. Loving friendship... 32
2. Factors that cause a pair of gays, Dirk and Duck, decide to do threesome ... 34
a. Desire to have a baby ... 37
b. The Influence of talkshow ... 38
c. Loving friendship ... 38
B. The Effect of threesome which done by Weetzie and a pair of gays, Dirk and Duck to Weetzie’s life depicted in the novel ... 40
CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION ... 44
WORKS CITED ... 47
APPENDIX I ... 49
SYNOPSIS ... 49
APPENDIX II ... 50
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
A. Background of Study
Sexual activity is the way how people express their sexuality. As Rathus said
that sexuality as the way in which we experience and express ourselves as sexual
beings. Sexuality is the essential part of ourselves, whether or not we ever engage in
sexual intercourse or sexual fantasy (5). In line with that statement, sexuality is
defined as the essence of human‟s life. All people including babies, children,
adolescents, and old people are sexual beings. Humans are sexual beings through
their lifetime.
Life is a sequence of human‟s experience. It can be represented by literature.
As Aristotle said that literature is the work as imitation of life (Kennedy 1378). Many
realities that occur in life can be taken as plot elements of literary work. Moreover,
according to Terry Eagleton, literature is simply another way we can experience the
world around us though our imagination (qtd in zuhriyah1). From that statement,
literature is one of media that retells human experiences and occurrences in the
society through human‟s imagination.
There are many kinds of literary works, such as novel, drama, poetry, and
short story. Roberts states that litarature maybe classified into four categories: prose
fiction, poetry, drama, and nonfiction prose (2). Prose fiction includes such as myths,
is a book-length story in prose, whose author tries to create the sense that, while we
read, we experience actual life (Kennedy 231). Therefore, by reading a novel the
reader does not only get pleasure but also learning from human experiences and
occurrences in the real life.
As one of great novels, Weetzie Bat was published in 1989. It is a magical
realism novel written by Francesca Lia Block. A magical realism is fiction that
integrates elements of fantasy into otherwise realistic settings (www.theatlantic.com).
In this novel, Block puts the genie‟s character as an element of fantasy to fulfill
Weetzie‟s wishes in herlife. Moreover about the author, Block was born on December
3, 1962 in Los Angeles. She is an American writer of adult and young-adult
literature. She is the acclaimed author of the Los Angeles Times Best-sellers Year.
Her work is published around the world. Some of her literary works have won literary
award, and one of those are Weetzie Bat (www.AuthorTracker.com).
Weetzie Bat is a story of an Indian teenager, Weetzie and her gay friend, Dirk-
who hunts for their true love. They are searching of their true love but still have not
found it. They find it when Dirk‟s grandmother named Fifi gives a magic lamp to
Weetzie. The genie‟s lamp gives her three wishes. First, Weetzie asks a Duck for
Dirk. A „Duck‟ is a term to express a gay male in the story. Hence, it means that
Weetzie asks the genie to find a boyfriend for Dirk. Second, Weetzie asks My Secret
Agent Lover Man for herself. „My Secret Agent Lover Man‟ is a term to express a
Weetzie‟s wonderman in the story. Hence, it means that Weetzie asks the genie to
where they can live happily ever after. One by one her wishes come true. First, Dirk‟s
grandmother dies and leaves a beautiful cottage for them. Second, Dirk finds his true
love (Duck). Afterward, Weetzie finds her true love (My Secret Agent Lover Man).
They live happily inside the house. Nevertheless, the happiness has changed to the
sadness when Weetzie‟s boyfriend know that she does threesome with a pair of gays,
Dirk and Duck. This is a love story among of the characters which is bringing sexual
orientation issues.
Sexual orientation is defined by whom we are sexually attracted to and also
have potential for loving (Hyde and Delamater 334). Sexual orientation is divided
into three, those are homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual. As Rathus explains that
sexual orientation concerns the direction of one‟s romantic interests and erotic
attractions toward members of the same gender (homosexual), the other gender
(heterosexual), or both (bisexual) (262). Regardless, in practicing their sexual
orientation, people engage in some varieties of sexual activity such as individuals,
couples, or groups (Janus 108). Individual sexuality means a sexual activity that
involves a person. While couple one means a sexual activity that involves two people.
The last but not least, group one means a sexual activity that involves a number of
people having sexual relation together. It can be threesome, foursome, fivesome, or
more.
Building from those explanations, this thesis uses queer theory. According to
Eve Kosofsky Sedwick, „queer‟ can rever to „the open mesh of possibilities, gaps,
constituent elements of anyone‟s gender, of anyone‟s sexuality are not made (or
cannot be made) to signify monolithically (Sedwick 8). In line with that statement,
queer challenges all gender and all sexuality. Moreover, queer theory reads text to
reveal the problematic of representations of the dynamic range of human sexuality
(Tyson 336). Hence, this theory seems applicable because this thesis tries to reveal
the problematic of threesome that belongs to human sexuality.
B. Statements of Problem
Based on the background of the study above, the problems of research will be
formulated as follows:
1. What are the factors that cause Weetzie and a pair of gays, Dirk and
Duck, decide to do threesome depicted in the novel?
2. What are the effects of their threesome to Weetzie‟s life depicted in the
novel.
C. Objectives of the Study
Related to the statement of problems above, this study intends to achieve
some objectives:
1. To find out the factors that cause Weetzie and a pair of gays, Dirk and
Duck, decide to do threesome that Francesca‟s express in Weetzie Bat by
Francesca Lia Block.
2. To find out the effects of threesome which done by Weetzie and a pair of
D. Scope and Limitation
In order to prevent non-relevant problems, the study will be limited to the
novel of Weetzie Bat only. The study then focusses on the threesome which done by
the characters represented in the novel. To answer statements of problem above,
Weetzie‟s threesome with the pair of gays becomes the most important point to
analyze. However, some other characters that Weetzie interacts with will be also the
object for analysis but the study will be limited to Weetzie and her friends who are
the gays. The scope of this study is upon the background of Weetzie Bat and her
friends as the pair of gays; The factors that cause Weetzie and the pair of gays to do
threesome and the effects of their threesome to Weetzie‟s life.
E. Significance of the Study
Threesome case that is portrayed in the novel entitled Weetzie Bat brings the
study into the aim of giving a new comprehension to the reader toward threesome as
the portrayal of sexual behaviour in America. Furthermore, this study will also enrich
the reader‟s comprehension on gender and sexuality issue that unusual which can be
said as non straight behaviour. This thesis is also expected to be useful especially for
the students of literature to know an example of queer theory application in analyzing
a literary work. Moreover, this thesis is hoped can be a helpful reference for other
researchers who are interested in conducting further research.
F. Method of the Study
This thesis is library based. Therefore, to make good the study, the study uses
articles, journals, and online resources. In presenting the analysis, the study mainly
uses descriptive qualitative method. Strauss and Corbin stated that the term
qualitative is meant for kind of research in which the results are not obtained through
the process of any statistics procedure or another form of calculation (qtd in Supandi
6). If that so, the best method in this analysis is indeed descriptive qualitative method
of research for it describes the depiction of threesome and it does not result in
numerical calculation. The research follows the following steps:
1. Reading the novel to get the complete and well understanding on the whole
story.
2. Selecting and collecting the data in form of narration and conversation
from the novel related to the problem.
3. Analyzing the data collected by firstly categorizing them into two points,
dealing with the statement of problems. Then, each point is analyzed using
queer theory, which refers to the objectives of the study.
4. Making conclusion based on the result of data analysis.
H. Definition of Key Terms
Human Sexuality : The way in which we experience and express
ourselves as sexual beings (Rathus, et al 5).
Threesome :A sexual activity that involves three people at the same
time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threesome).
According to Karlen, threesome is three people in one
Sexual Orientation : Whom we are sexually attracted to and also have
potential for loving (Hyde and Delamater 334).
Gender : One‟s personal, social, and legal status as male or
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Theoritical Framework
This chapter aims to explain some theories which be applied to analyze the
novel Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block. The focus of study is to find out the
factors that cause Weetzie and a pair of gays, Dirk and Duck, decide to do threesome
and also to know the effect of their threesome to Weetzie‟s life depicted in the novel.
Therefore, this study decides that queer theory would be appropriate theory while
new criticism and psychoanalysis would be supporting theory providing the academic
support for the analysis.
1. Queer Theory
Queer forces the one to talk about oddness, divergence, and homosexuality.
As Charter said that the term „queer‟ used to be a pejorative term for homosexual or
perverse behaviour (127). Furthermore, „queer‟ also can be an inclusive term to code
and codings of male and female, or masculinity and femininity, or bisexuality,
heterosexuality, and homosexuality, or another terms of nonstright people as the
result of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender) movement in 1970s. As Eve
Kosofsky Sedwick said that „queer‟ refers to „the open mesh of possibilities, gaps,
overlaps, dissonances and resonances, lapses and excesses of meaning when the
cannot be made) to signify monolithically (Sedwick 8). Therefore, the term „queer‟
can be said as an umbrella term for all gender and all sexuality.
Gender and sexuality defined as an essential part of human being. It is part of
being male or female and role to behave as male or female (masculine or feminine).
As Rathus said that our gender refer to state being female or male, and our awareness
of ourselves as females or males is part of our sexuality, then our sexuality is an
essential part of ourselves (5). Since literature is one of media which retells human‟s
life, queer theory provides to reveal problematic of human‟s life which concern on
human sexuality. As Tyson explains that queer theory reads text to reveal the
problematic of representations of the dynamic range of human sexuality (336).
Building on deconstruction‟s insight into human subjectivity, queer theory
defines human sexuality as a fluid, fragmented, dynamic collectivity of possible
sexualities (Tyson 335). The continuum of sexual possibilities are such as
homosexuality, bisexuality, and heterosexuality. Homosexuality is an erotic attraction
and desire to romantic relationships toward members of the same gender. While
bisexuality is an erotic attraction and desire to romantic relationships with both males
and females. Furthermore, heterosexuality is an erotic attraction and desire with
members of other gender (Rathus 262). In line with explanation above, human
sexuality is unstable and may be different at different times along of their lives
because sexuality is a dynamic range of desire.
Moreover, there are factors that make up human sexual desire. According to
tends to see the precise structure of desire as determined by socialization in which the
child is brought up. He adds that desire is essentially unstable (Bennett and Royle
178). Furthermore, Michael Foucault in his book History of Sexuality makes
particularly clear that desire is bound up with all sorts of social and instutional
practice and discourse with questions of law, gender and sexuality, with the
discourses of medicine, theology, economics and so on (Bennet and Royle 179). In
result, thinking about representations of desire, inevitably opens on the questions of
gender and sexuality, social, cultural, economic, religion, health, law, and so on.
If some theories above demonstrate that desire is unstable, another theory
demonstrates that desire is „mediated‟, it is produced through imitation and
simulation. As Eve Kosofsky Sedwick developing the ideas of the French post
structuralist critic René Girard, she argues that desire is everywhere mediated (Bennet
and Royle 184). It means, someone‟s desire is produced by copying another one‟s
desire as response to the desire of another.
Furthermore, Sedwick as one of founder of queer theory which follows
Michael Foucault‟s work on sexuality also argues that there is another thought to
understand human sexual desire particularly in Western culture. It is cannot be
completely understood in terms of such limited concepts as homosexual and
heterosexual. As she said in her book Epistimology of the Closet that:
From statement above, then she demonstrates that homo/heterosexual
distinction is affected by two reasons. Those are “minoritizing view” and
“universalizing view” (Bristow 208). Minoritizing view is how sexuality is viewed as
a matter of inborn essential identity. It emphasizes on fixing sexual desire in terms of
either heterosexual or homosexual definition. Hence, minoritizing view is called as an
immutable essence. While universalizing view is how desire is seen as part of a
continuum that allows for choice. It emphasizes sexual desire as the whole broad
range of heterosexual and homosexual by locating bisexual at the centre of a broad
range of sexual preferences. Hence, universalizing view is called as formable
constraction.
From those points of view, Sedwick argues that the intricacies of human
sexuality can be understood just as well, or better, in terms of any number of paired
opposites other than same-sex or different-sex object choice. Because sexuality is
seen as one‟s sexual desire (Tyson 324) thus the definition of one‟s sexuality may be
based on one‟s preference for someone older or younger, for human or animal, for a
single partner or a group activity, for oneself alone (masturbation) or for a variety of
different partners, for particular acts and sentations or physical types, and so on
(Tyson 335). In result, through queer theory, sexuality extends multi dimensions
which are not described in terms of gender of object choice at all. In other word,
queer theory refers to any piece of literary criticism that interprets a text from a
Supporting with explanation above, threesome can be categorized as
nonstright behaviour. Threesome is three people that do sexual activity at the same
time. Therefore, threesome is belongs to queer scope. In result, queer theory as the
main theory is used to analyze problematic of threesome which done by Weetzie and
a pair of gays, Dirk and Duck. Furthermore, this study wants to reveal the factors that
cause Weetzie and a pair of gays, Dirk and Duck decide to do threesome as sexual
preference and the effect of their threesome to Weetzie‟s life depicted in Francesca
Lia Block‟s Weetzie Bat.
2. New Criticism
New critic evaluates literary text based only on the text itself. As Tyson said
that new critical effort to focus our attention on the literary work as the sole source of
evidence for interpreting it (136). The origin of new critic comes from Richards, an
academic at Cambridge, with a background in aesthetics, psychology and semantics
(Charter 23). In 1924, following Elliot‟s emphasis on the poem text, he publishes
influental book, Principles of literary Criticism which nurtured the close reading of
litarary texts (24).
Furthermore, W K Wimsatt and Monroe C Beardsley writes two highly
influential essays which advocated the importance of giving prime attention to the
text. They isolate two common fallacies in literary interpretation. Those are
“intentional fallacy” and “affective fallacy” (27). Intentional fallacy refers to
mistaken belief that the text‟s meaning is the same as the author‟s intention. The
than the author realized. While affective fallacy claims to ignore with reader‟s
response. Reader‟s feeling and opinion is not affect what is provided by the literary
text itself. Besides authors and readers, New critic also argues that a text‟s historical
and cultural context are also irrelevant. In result, new criticism is a literary criticism
which dealing with the text only without worrying the authors, readers, historical and
cultural context. Hence, new criticism is called as close reading.
Moreover, because it closely reads on the text itself, all the evidences is
provided by the literary language. For new criticism, literary languange is very
different from scientific languange and everyday language. If scientific languange
and everyday language depends on denotation, the one-to-one correspondence
between words and the object or the ideas they represent. While literary language, in
contrast, depends on conotation : on the implication, association, suggestion, and
evocation of meanings and of shades of meanings. (Tyson 138). In line with
explanation above, scientific languange and everyday language describes a true
meaning of the object or idea while literary languange describes a figure meaning or
hidden meaning of the object or idea. Unlike scientific and everyday language, the
form of literary language is the word choice and arrangement that create aesthetic
experience.
Furthermore, literary linguage is formed by formal elements of literary work.
The formal elements are consist of images, symbols, methapors, rhyme, meter, point
of view, setting, character, plot, and so on (Tyson 137). Meanwhile, this study
Character plays an important role in the story. Through the characters, the readers can understand the plot of story in the literary work. As Bennet and Royle
also said that characters are the life of literature: they are the objects of our curiosity
and fascination, affection and dislike, admiration and condemnation (60). Since literary work is one of media which retells human‟s life, characters are emerged by
the author to represent the real people who live in the real life through the literary work. Hence, character is not only viewed as an element which make the story alive, but also as a conveyance of message from the author.
Generally, characters can be divided into two kinds; those are major or main
character, and minor character, depending on how important they are for the plot
(Dinurriyah 114). A major character is a vital character which plays major
development and resolution of the conflict. Usually, major characters present
frequently in the story. While a minor character is a supporting character which
serves to complement the major characters and help the plot events forward. They
present rarely.
Furthermore, character needs characterization to build the story. It is
character. It is measured with how the reader can imagine the character‟s feel, thought, and experince in the story.
According to Josip Novakovich, there are six methods which is used by the author to reveal the personality of the character (qtd in Wigayanti 25): a. Summary of the story
By telling the summary of the story, the author can describe the fictional person and its personality. The reader can focus to the main conflict which happens to the character and it can give the background that the reader must know. It will also make the reader understands the personality of the character easily if the writer can write the summary well.
b. The repetition or habitual action
This is the common concept that what the person has done for many times, it is possible that is the person‟s habit.
c. Self-delineation
It is also possible that the writer tries to explain the character through the
character itself. This method is simple enough because the characters can portray themselves by introducing directly.
d. Appearance
It is almost same with the self-delineation method, but here the author
describes the character through the character‟s appearance, so the reader can guess
e. Action
In the scene, the author can make the character moves. Here, the author
can show the character from the voice, appearance, and its action without make the summary or depict them as general. However, it is possible for the writer to complete it with the summary too.
f. Combination of some techniques
This method covers all the previous methods. The author has many
chances and different style in describing the characters by combining some methods. Absolutely, it will also make the reader feels no bored in reading the story.
From explanation above, this study uses new criticism as supporting theory to
identify the major characters, Weetzie and a pair of gays, Dirk and Duck. It will be a
guidance to understand their gender and sexuality through their characterization. It
will help the researcher in identifying the factors that cause three of characters to do
threesome in Francesca Lia Block‟s Weetzie Bat and the effect of their threesome to
Weetzie‟s life.
3. Psychoanalysis
Psychology is a branch of knowledge which learn about human mind and
behavior. As Gillespie said that psychology is the endlesly fascinating of human mind
and behavior, and it can be rewarding tool for enhancing our understanding and
appreciation of literature and of ourselves (43). Since literature is the product of
human‟s psychological that affect human‟s behavior which is described in the
literature. Therefore, psychology does not only help people to understand human‟s
thought, feeling, or behavior as human being in the real life but also as fictional
character in the literary work.
Furthermore, there is a concept to understand human‟s mind and behavior
which established by Sigmund Freud. This concept is called psychoanalysis. It is a
theory which implemented to analyze human‟s mind and behavior in literary work.
As Tyson stated that the goal of psychoanalysis is to help us resolve our
psychological problems. It is the way to get better understanding of human mind and
behavior. Then, it must certainly be able to help us understanding literary texts, which
are about human behavior. Through freud‟s psychoanalysis, individual human beings
is seen with psychological history that begins in childhood experiences in the family
and each with patterns of adolescent and adult behavior that are the direct result of
that early experiences (Tyson 11). Hence, thinking about psychological problems of
human beings, inevitably opens on the questions of psychological history in which
they grow up.
Moreover, as founding father of psychoanalysis, Freud introduces three new
terms: id, ego, and superegoto understand human‟s mind that affect human behavior.
Those three elements of personality have their own way to work. They work together
to create complex human behavior. As Freud stated in Roedinger that Human being
behaviors are motivated by conscious or subconscious desire. The subconscious is
id is said to operate on the pleasure principal, the ego operate the reality principles in
contrast to the id‟s pleasure principles, and the superego is concerned with what is
„right‟ what is „wrong‟ (qtd in Wigayanti 31).
Moreover, Freud in storey stated the id is the most primitive part of our being.
It is part of our nature which is impersonal. It is filled with energy reaching it from
instinct, but it has no organization, produces no collective will, but only a striving to
bring about the satisfication of the instinctual needs subject to observence of the
pleasure principle (92). In line with statements above, id is the first part of the
personality to develop. Id is the only component of our personality which is present
in our life since we are born. It consists of all the biological components of
personality, including hunger, thrist, sexual, and other natural body desires that aimed
to deriving pleasure. It purposes to fill the pleasurable things and avoid painful
things. In result, Id does not care about the needs of anyone else. It only cares about
own satisfaction.
While ego is the second part of the personality to develop. It is the part of the
id which has been modified by the direct influence of the external world. It
endeavours to substitute the reality principle for the pleasure principle which reign
uncrestrictedly in the id. The ego represents what may be called reason and common
sense, in comtrol the id which contact the passions (Storey 92). Like the id, ego seeks
pleasure and avoid pain but unlike the id, the ego is concerned with devising a
Furthermore, superego integrates the values and morals of society which are
learned from the family. It consists of two systems: the conscience and the idea self
(Miller 116). The conscience can punish the ego through causing feeling of guilt
while the idea self is an imaginary picture of how you ought to be, and represents
career aspirations, how to threat other people, and how to behave as a member of
society. It tries to do away with both the pleasure principle and the reality principle
(132). In result, superego tries to balance between id and ego. Clearly, it decides
whether an action is right or wrong.
From the explanation above, Freud‟s psychoanalysis theory as supporting
theory is used to analyze psychological problems that affect threesome which done by
Weetzie, Dirk, and Duck in Francesca Lia Block‟sWeetzie Bat. Because moral
personality of the characters is unfounded, therefore this study only implemented id
and ego to reveal their psychological problems.
B. Review of Related Study
A review on related studies is needed in order to justify that a literary work
has not been used before by applying a close-fitting approach comparable with
another research and eventhough it has been used, a review of literature is very
significant. It is intended to distinguish a previous research with a new one in order
to assure its originality.
The first literary review is book review of Weetzie Bat by Barbara Nosanchuk.
criticizes Weetzie‟s character who inappropriate as a good role model because she
does threesome with Dirk and Duck as the effort to get a baby. Nosanchuk also
argues that Weetzie‟s character is irresponsible. Not only in her parenthood but also
in her sexuality. Both of them are quite distorted.
The second review is written by Jessica Gross. This review focusses on the
theme of the story. Gross takes love and acceptance as the theme of the story. In this
case, she criticizes how Weetzie‟s character embraces Dirk when he comes out as a
gay, helps him to find a boy friend and how Weetzie‟s character builts a new family
with three dads through threesome. Gross also argues although some darks threat the
characters in the story, but the end of the story is happy because of love and
acceptance.
Those literary reviews and this study are not completely same in the some
aspects. For the first literary review focusses on the moral value of the novel. It tries
to criticize the Weetzie‟s character who inappropriate as a good role model. While the
second review focusses on the theme of the novel. It tries to observe the content of
the novel especially about love and acceptance among of Weetzie, Dirk, Duck, and
My Secret Agent Lover Man. Then, this study focusses on the sexual orientation
issue. It tries to reveal the backgrounds and the effect of those three of characters
decide to do threesome in the novel. This study will be analyzed by using queer
Furthermore, there are some similarities between those literary reviews and
this study. Both of those literary reviews and this study discuss about Weetzie‟s
CHAPTER 3 ANALYSIS
This chapter presents the analysis of the data which contains the description of
the factors that cause Weetzie and a pair of gays, Dirk and Duck decide to do
threesome based on queer theory. This study wants to analyze the factors as seen
through those three of characters. Firstly, examining on their characters, it is hoped to
gain profound knowledge about those characters clearly. After having the
fundamental background of those characters, then it is intended to reveal the factors
that cause those three of characters decide to do threesome depicted in the novel.
Secondly, after getting understanding of the factors that cause Weetzie and a pair of
gays decide to do threesome, it will be guidance to identify the effect of their
threesome that influence Weetzie‟s life.
A. The factors that cause Weetzie and a pair of gays, Dirk and Duck, decide to do threesome in Francesca Lia Block’s Weetzie Bat
This part will explain about the factors that cause Weetzie and a pair of gays,
Dirk and Duck, decide to do threesome. Threesome is three people that do sexual
activity at the same time. Since it expresses human sexuality, threesome can belong to
queer scope. As Sedwick said that „queer‟ refers to open mesh of possibilities, gaps,
overlaps, dissonances and resonances, lapses and excesses of meaning when the
constituent elements of anyone‟s gender, of anyone‟s sexuality are not made (or
In line with explanation above, queer theory can be implemented to analyze
problematic of threesome. As Tyson said that queer theory reads text to reveal the
problematic of representations of the dynamic range of human sexuality (336).
1. Factors that cause Weetzie decides to do threesome
This part will explain the factors that cause Weetzie decides to do threesome
with a pair of gays, Dirk and Duck. It will be more easy to reveal the factors of
Weetzie‟s decision to do threesome through Weetzie‟s characterization. By
understanding Weetzie‟s characterization, it will gain profound knowledge about
Weetzie‟s character clearly.
According to Josip Novakovich, there are six methods which is used by the
author to reveal the personality of the characters (qtd in Wigayanti 25). Those are
summary of the story, the repetition or habitual action, self-delineation, appearance,
action, combination of some techniques. Based on Novakovich‟s method, this study
will explain Weetzie‟s characterization first, then it is intended to reveal the factors
that cause Weetzie as one of major character decides to do threesome depicted in the
novel.
Weetzie in the story depicted as an indian beautiful girl who lives in Los
Angeles. She comes from a broken family with divorced parents. Her father who
named Charlie Bat is a screen writer and her mother who named Brandy-Lynn is a
movie artist. When she was a child, she often see her parents contend and throw
glasses each other. Because of that, her father leaves them and moves back to New
good relationship with Weetzie. He sends postcards with pictures of the Empire State
Building or reprudictions of paintings from the Metropolitan Myseum, Statue of
Liberty key chains, and plastic heart jewelry. He wants Weetzie move back to New
York but Brandy-Lynn disagree with that. Hence, Weetzie cannot move to New York
although she really loves and adores her father. She just can visit her father. When
she visits him, he takes her to visits many places in New York. They spend much
time in New York together. As a parent and a daughter, they love each other. Weetzie
wishes that Charlie will move back to Los Angeles.
She was a skinny girl with a bleach-blonde flat-top. Under the pink Harlequin sunglasses, strawberry lipstick, earrings dangling charms, and sugar frosted eye shadow. She was really almost beautiful. Sometimes she wore Levi‟s with white-suede fringe sewn down legs and a feathered Indian headdress,
sometimes old fifties‟ taffeta dresses covered with poetry written in glitter, or dresses made of kids‟ sheets printed with pink piglets our Disney characters (Block 2-3).
He wanted Weetzie to move back east but Brandy-Lynn wouldn‟t hear of it (Block 21).
Weetzie is also a girl who hates high school because no one understand her.
There is no one who care except a boy named Dirk. She meets him when she is in his
art class. Dirk asks Weetzie to watch movie. Afterward, Weetzie and Dirk often
spend time and enjoy the beauty of Los Angeles together. They joke, lunch, drink
beer, watch shows, and go to beach together. They are really close. Therefore, they
are become a bestfriend. There is no secret between them. Even when Dirk admits
that he is gay to Weetzie. Weetzie still care and support him. She also helps Dirk to
“Duck” is included literary language because it describes a figure meaning of the
idea. As Tyson said that literary languange depends on conotation : on the
implication, association, suggestion, and evocation of meanings and shades of
meanings (138). Hence, it means that Weetzie helps Dirk to find a boy friend.
The reason Weetzie Bat hated high school was because no one understand. They didn‟t even realize where they were living. . . There was no one who cared. Until Dirk (Block 1-2)
Weetzie and Dirk went to shows at the Starwood, the Whiskey, the Vex, and Cathday de Grande. They drank beers or bright-colored canned Club drinks in Jerry and told each other how cool they were (Block 4).
“I‟m gay,” Dirk Said
“Who, what, when, where, how-well, not how,” Weetzie said. “It doesn‟t matter one bit, honey-honey,” she said, giving him a hug (Block 8). “Now we can Duck hunt together,” Weetzie said, taking his hand (Block 9).
Weetzie always accompany him to find a Duck like he wants. They go to the
places where they can find Ducks. They go to bars. However, they meet the wrong
Ducks. Weetzie meets a man who looks like a gay male but exactly not. He seduces
her when she is pretty drunk. He forces her to go his basemant. Weetzie tries to kick
him with her engineer boots but he carries her toward the bar. He bring her to his
basemant then he rapes her in there. In the morning, Weetzie get out of bed, wincing,
and calls Dirk. He comes and pick her up outside. In the next day, Weetzie still
accompany him to find a Duck for Dirk but she keeps falling for the wrong Ducks.
Weetzie meets a man who broken heart, a man who bisexual, and a man who kiss
with all boys in the party but talk constantly about his girlfriend who had died. She
She met a Gloom-Doom Duck Poet who said, “My heart is a canker sore. I cringed at the syringe.”
She met a toothy blonde Surf Duck, who, she learned later, was sleeping with everyone.
She met an Alcoholic Art Duck with a ponytail, who talked constantly about his girlfriend who had died. Dirk saw him at an all-boy party kissing all the boys (Block 14).
Weetzie is also close with Dirk‟s grandmother who named Fifi. Grandma Fifi
is a sweet powdery old lady who has a perfect white hair. Weetzie and Dirk often
come to Fifi‟s cottage. They feel very safe and close inside that. When Fifi knows
that Weetzie and Dirk are so sad because they do not find Duck yet, Fifi gives
Weetzie a magic lamp. Fifi puts it into Weetzie‟s hands then she kisses Weetzie‟s
cheek. Fifi is looked paler and smaller and more beautiful than Weetzie had ever seen
her. When Weetzie gets home, she begins to polish the magic lamp. She is shocked
when she see a genie. A real genie like in a fairy tale. The genie of the magic lamp
grants her three wishes. Weetzie asks to genie a Duck for Dirk, My Secret Agent
Lover Man for herself, and a beautiful house like in a fairy tale where they can live
happily ever after.
“I wish for a Duck for Dirk, and My Secret Agent Lover Man for me, and a beautiful little house for us to live in happily ever after.” (Block 28).
One by one her wishes comes true. Firstly, she gets a beautiful house like in a
fairy tale where they can live happily ever after. After she finishes to say her wishes
to genie, Dirk calls her that grandma Fifi dies and leaves her house for them. Fifi‟s
house is a Hollywood cottage with one of fairy-tale roofs. There are roses and lemon
aqua. The house is filled with plaster Jesus statues, glass butterfly ashtrays, paintings
of clowns, and many kinds of coasters. Weetzie and Dirk always love the house.
“What?”
“She left us her house!” Dirk said “Oh, my God!” Weetzie said “What‟s wrong?” (Block 30).
Secondly, Dirk finds his Duck. Weetzie is happy that Dirk has a Duck. Duck
moves in with Dirk into the blue bedroom. Weetzie has the pink one. They go surfing
together, dancing together. They all sit together on Jerry‟s front seat. They have
barbecues and eat hamburgers and watermelon. At night, Dirk and Duck kiss Weetzie
on the cheek and go to bed. Weetzie gets into her bed with slinkster dog. Sometimes
she hears muffled giggles and love noise through the walls. Sometimes she hear
music drowning out any sounds. It shows that Weetzie has close relationship with a
pair of gays, Dirk and Duck. Moreover, Weetzie is unpatiently waiting for her last
wish becomes true. Her wish to find her Secret Agent Lover Man. However, she does
not find him yet.
“I met the best one!” Dirk said. “The perfect Duck. But what is so weird is that Duck calls himself Duck. Now that is hell of weird!” (Block 32)
Weetzie is a kind girl. When she works as a waitress at Duke, she pretty soon
becomes a friend of a little family that often come in Duke. They are a tall
Rastafarian man who named Valentine Jah-Love, a tiny Chinese woman who named
Ping Chong, and a cute baby who named Raphael Chong Jah-Love. Weetzie is really
their life. They also ever take Weetzie to Jamaica where they live. In Jamaica,
Weetzie hopes meet her Secret Agent Lover but she does not find him yet.
Weetzie was working as a waitress at Duke‟s. One day a tall Rastafarian man, a tiny Chinese woman with black hair tipped in orange and red like a bouquet of bird of paradise, and a baby with skin the dusty brown of powdered
Hershey‟s hot chocolate mix came in for breakfast. The family came in often, and pretty soon Weetzie became friends with them (Block 36).
Finally, Weetzie finds her Secret Agent Lover Man for herself whom in the
story has a true name like in her imagine. His real name is My Secret Agent Lover
Man. Even Weetzie could not believe if that is true. She meets him on Sunday
morning at Duke when she works. He wants Weetzie to act in his film. My Secret
Agent Lover Man is her wonder man. He is a film maker who very cute and cool. He
is unshaven and has the greenest eyes that Weetzie ever seen. He loves Weetzie very
much and Weetzie loves him very much too.
“My Secret Agent Lover Man‟s my name.”
Weetzie was relieved that he hadn‟t been calling her his Secret Agent Lover Man, and that My Secret Agent Lover Man was....
“Your name!” she shrieked.
“Yeah. I know it‟s a little wierd.” (Block 40).
Weetzie still lives in Fifi‟s cottage with Dirk and Duck and My Secret Agent
Lover Man. They had finished their third film, called Coyote, with Weetzie as a
rancher‟s daughter who falls in love with young Indian named Coyote and ends up
helping him defend his land against her father and rest of the town. They had filmed
Coyote on Indian reservation in New Mexico. Dirk and Duck play as her angry
brothers, Valentine does the music, and Ping is wardrobe. My Secret Agent Lover
it gives them money for the first time. They buy a beautiful car, dresses, foods. They
also enjoy the beautiful places. She thinks about the beautiful places, foods, dresses,
and other material wealths that she achieve but those are does not make her satisfied.
Everything is fine except that Weetzie wants a baby. She wants a baby to
make her life perfect. But in fact, My Secret Agent Lover Man does not want. He
thinks that a baby is a disease and a big problem. He is not ready to have a baby yet.
Weetzie becomes so sad thus My Secret Agent Lover Man bring a puppy baby to
change Weetzie‟s need to get a baby. Although at the first Weetzie is happy with the
puppy baby but afterward she thinks that the puppy baby is not a real baby. She is
dissapointed. She cries until Dirk and Duck come and offer her to do threesome with
them as the effort to get a baby.
“How could you want one?” My Secret Agent Lover Man Said
“I don‟t want one, Weetz,” he said. “Just forget about babies-you have enough already anyway: me and Dirk and Duck and Slinkster Dog. And you‟re just
one yourself.” (Block 50-51).
“We‟ll have a baby with you,” Dirk said “Yeah, “Duck said (Block 52).
Weetzie agree with Dirk and Duck‟s offer to do threesome with them.
Secretly, she and a pair of gays, Dirk and Duck have a plan to do threesome without
telling My Secret Agent Lover Man. They do it on the night when My Secret Agent
Lover Man was away fishing with his friend Coyote.
From those explanations, it shows that Weetzie has sexual desire to do
threesome with a pair of gays, Dirk and Duck. There are factors that make up
a. Desire to have a baby
Weetzie wants to have a baby. She feels her life is not perfect even she has
everything. She has My Secret Agent Lover Man as her romantic partner, Dirk and
Duck as her bestfriend, a beautiful cottage for their life, and all of the success and the
material wealth. However, those are not make her satisfied. She wants a baby to make
perfect her life.
“How could you want one?” My Secret Agent Lover Man Said. “There are way too many babies. And diseases. And nuclear accidents. And crazy psychos. We can‟t have a baby,” he said.
“But we could have such a cool, beautiful baby,” Weetzie said, sticking her toothpick into an oyster.”And it would be so happy and we would love it so much.”
“I don‟t want one, Weetz,” he said. “Just forget about babies-you have enough already anyway: me and Dirk and Duck and Slinkster Dog. And you‟re just one yourself.” (Block 50-51).
From the conversation above, Weetzie tells her need to get a cool or beautiful
baby to My Secret Agent Lover Man but he does not want. He is not ready yet. He
thinks that a baby is a big problem. Moreover, My Secret Agent Lover man buy a
puppy dog to change Weetzie‟s desire to get a baby but it can not change. She is sad
and dissapointed. She needs a real baby. Weetzie‟s desire to have a baby is really
strong. The Id is filled with energy reaching it from instinct, but it has no
organization, produces no collective will, but only a striving to bring about the
satisfication of the instinctual needs subject to observence of the pleasure principle
(Storey 92). It means that someone who has desire only want to seek his or her own
pleasure without care with the needs of anyone else. Weetzie ignores My Secret
b. The offer to do threesome
Weetzie cries because My Secret Agent Lover Man rejects to get a baby. She
always cry until Dirk and Duck come home to find her alone in the living room.
They offer her to do threesome with them as the effort to get a baby.
“But what about My Secret Agent Lover Man?” Weetzie said “Nothing has to change,” Dirk said. “We‟ll just have a baby.” “But he doesn‟t want one.”
“It might not be his baby,” Dirk said. “But I‟ll bet he likes it when he sees it, and we‟ll all go to a doctor to make sure we can make the perfect healthy baby.”
From conversation above, Weetzie is hesitant with their idea to do threesome.
She is afraid My Secret Agent Lover will angry if she do it. However, Dirk convinces
her if My Secret Agent Lover Man will not angry because it may not his baby but
their baby. He adds if My Secret Agent Lover Man will like the baby when sees it.
Futhermore, he asks her to go to doctor together to make sure that they can make a
perfect healthy baby.
c. Consideration of a lot of love for her baby
Weetzie looks at Dirk and Duck. She looks at their physical appearances who
handsome. She thinks that she will gets a beautiful or handsome baby. She also
considers to their words.
“Yeah, “ Duck said.“I saw it on that talk show once. These two gay gays and their best friend all slept together so no one would know for sure whose baby it was. And then they had this really cool little girl and they all raised her, and it was so cool, and when someone in the audience said, „What sexual
From quotation above, Duck said that he ever see threesome case on the talk
show. It tells two guy gays who do threesome with their best friend and no one will
know for sure whose baby it was. They raise the baby together. They go happiness.
Those statements which make Weetzie thinks that it is a great decision to build a new
family through threesome. Dirk and Duck will love her child more than any of their
parents love them. This thinking influenced by Weetzie‟s background who comes
from a broken family. She lives with her mother while her father lives in New York.
Hence, she lacks of her father‟s love. According to Sigmund Freud in his text On
Sexuality : Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality tends to see the precise structure
of desire as determined by socialization in which the child is brought up (Bennet and
Royle 178). Moreover, he stated that individual human beings is seen with
psychological history that begins in childhood experiences in the family and each
with patterns of adolescent and adult behavior that are the direct result of that early
experiences (Tyson 11). From Freud‟s statements above, Weetzie‟s desire to do
threesome is dealing with her psychological problems that influenced by her
childhood experiences.
d. Loving friendship
Weetzie has close relationship with Dirk and Duck. She has close relationship
with Dirk since she was at school. While with Duck, she is close since Duck moved
to live with Dirk. Afterward, they often spend time together. They go surfing
together, dancing together, eating together. They love each other as a best friend.
“I love you, Weetz. I love you, Dirk,” Duck said “I wanna Hold Your Hand, “ the Beatles said
And that how was Weetzie and Dirk and Duck made the baby (Block 56).
From conversation above, Weetzie shows her love to Dirk and Duck. Their
closeness make her sure to do it with them. Hence, She does threesome with them
after they get their test result which show that they can make a healthy baby. They do
it when My Secret Agent Lover Man go away to fishing with his friend Coyote.
Building from explanation above, Weetzie indicates as a female who
heterosexual because she has erotic attraction and desire to do romantic relationships
with My Secret Agent Lover Man, Dirk, and Duck who biologically as males.
According to Rathus, heterosexual an erotic attraction and desire to do romantic
relationships with member of the other gender (262). Moreover, threesome which
done by her with a pair of gays dealing with her ego. It is the realization of her id to
get a baby. It is the realistic strategy to obtain their pleasure. As Storey said that ego
is the part of the id which has been modified by the direct influence of the external
world. It endeavors to substitute the reality principle for the pleasure principle which
reign uncrestrictedly in the id. The ego represents what may be called reason and
common sense, in control the id which contact the passions (92). Like the id, ego
seeks pleasure and avoid pain but unlike the id, the ego is concerned with devising a
realistic strategy to obtain pleasure. Additionaly, through threesome she shows that
her sexual desire is unstable. Her desire for single partner has changed to a group
activity because sexuality is a dynamic range of desire. As Freud stated that desire is
2. Factors that cause a pair of gays, Dirk and Duck, decide to do threesome
This part will explain the factors that cause a pair of gays, Dirk and Duck,
decide to do threesome with Weetzie. According to Michael Foucault in his book
History of Sexuality, desire is bound up with all sorts of social and institutional
practice and discourse with question of law, gender and sexuality, with the discourses
of medicine, theology, economics and so on (Bennet and Royle 179). From his
statement, Dirk and Duck‟s sexual desire to do threesome can be analyze by open the
questions of their gender and sexuality, social, cultural, economic, religion, health,
law, and so on. Those are can be seen through their characterization. Hence, this part
analysis begins to describe their characterization first then intended to reveal the
factors of Dirk and Duck decide to do threesome with Weetzie depicted in the novel.
Dirk is a handsome, cool, and rich guy at the school. He has dark-smudged
eyes and a shoe-polish-black Mohawk hair. His perfect physical appearence makes all
the girls are infatuated by him. However, there is no one girl who can make him
interested except Weetzie.
Dirk was the best-looking guy at school. He wore his hair in a shoe-polish-black mohawk and he drove a red ‟55 Pontiac. All the girls were infatuated with Dirk; he wouldn‟t pay any attention to them (Block 2).
Dirk sees Weetzie in his art class. He is interested with her unique physical
appearance as an indian girl. He asks Weetzie to watch movie and shows. Afterward,
they often spend time together. They drink beers or go to clubs. They go to matinees
or go to the beach. Sometimes, they skate on the boardwalk. They are really close.
comes from broken home. Dirks also knows that Weetzie want to be a surfer. Dirk
even admits to Weetzie that he is a gay.
“you‟re my bestfriend in the whole word,”Dirk said.
“you‟re my bestfriend in the whole word, “Weetzie said (Block 6).
Dirk lives with his grandmother who named Fifi since his parents died. His
grandma Fifi secretly wishes that he is a girl but in fact he is a boy. His parent‟s
absence and his grandma‟s wish may be influence him to decide as a gay. Even he is
not a girl as his grandma‟s wish but his sexual desire is to a boy. His sexual desire is
influenced in which he growth up. This is in line with Freud stated in his book that
the precise structure of desire as determined by socialization in which the child is
brought up (Bennet and Royle 178).
“She‟s lucky she had you, because I know she wouldn‟t want them to go a stranger. And I know she secretly wished that I was a girl, but you server tha same purpose.” (Block 31).
From quotation above, Dirk tells to Weetzie that Fifi wishes him as a girl and
Weetzie can serve Fifi‟s wish. After he comes out that he is a gay, he is helped by
Weetzie to find a Duck whom he want. They go to clubs where they can find many
Ducks but they always meet the wrong Ducks. Even he is ever raped by some guys
when he is searching a Duck.
His eyes were red. He had met someone in video booth at a local sex store and they had groped around there for a while, then gone to the guy‟s apartment. Dirk had awakened, looked at unfamiliar face, and gone home fast (Block 13).
Furthermore, Dirk and Weetzie still do not found a Duck until grandmama
that one of them is to find a Duck for Dirk. Dirk meet Duck at Rege. He is standing
alone at the bar when Dirk comes up and offers to buy him a beer. Duck looks up at
Dirk‟s chiseled features, blue eyes, and grand mohawk. Dirk look down at Duck‟s
freckled nose and blonde flat-top. It is love at first sight. They dance the way some
boys dance together, a little awkward and shy at first but with a sturdy ease, a rhythm
between them. Dirk‟s heart is pounding. He falls in love to Duck.
Duck was a small, blonde surfer. He had freckles on his nose and wore his hair in a flat top. Duck had a light-blue VW Beetle and he drove it to the beach everyday. Sometimes he slept on picnic tables at the beach so he could be up at dawn for the most radical waves (Block 32-33).
From quotation above, Duck is a small, blonde surfer. He has freckles on his
nose and wear a flat top in his hair. He looks like older than Dirk. He is also a rich
gay . He really love beach.
“I haven‟t asked anyone home in a long time,” Dirk said. “And we don‟t have to do anything. I don‟t know . . .”
“I‟d love to,” Duck said solemnly, looking straight at Dirk (Block 34).
From quotation above, Dirk and Duck fall in love each other. It indicates that
Dirk and Duck are homosexual males because their desire and erotic attraction
toward member of the same gender. As Rathus said that homosexual is an erotic
attraction and desire toward member of the same gender (262).
Moreover, Duck move to live with Dirk. It means that he also lives with
Weetzie. Dirk, Duck, and Weetzie often spend time together then with My Secret
Agent Lover Man also. They live happily inside the house. Dirk and Duck always
Everything is fine except Weetzie wants to get a baby while My Secret Agent Lover
Man does not.
“We‟ll have a baby with you,”Dirk said
“Yeah, “ Duck said.“I saw it on that talk show once. These two gay guys and their best friend all slept together so no one would know for sure whose baby it was. And then they had this really cool little girl and they all raised her, and it was so cool, and when someone in the audience said, „What sexual
preference do you hope she has? They all go together, they go, „Happiness.‟ Isn‟t that cool?” (Block 52-53).
From conversation above, Dirk and Duck come to Weetzie when he knows
Weetzie‟s pain because the rejection of My Secret Agent Lover Man to have a baby.
Dirk said to Weetzie that they will make a baby with Weetzie. Duck adds that he ever
sees talk show that talks about two gay guys and their best friend sleep together and
get a baby from it.
Furthermore, from Dirk and Duck‟s characterization above, it can be analyzed
some factors of Dirk and Duck decide to do threesome with Weetzie.
a. Desire to have a baby
As if all couples, Dirk and Duck also have desire to have a baby but it is
impossible because they are gay. When they know if Weetzie want to have a baby but
My Secret Agent Lover Man does not want, they take the chance to get a baby. They
offer Weetzie to do threesome with them as the effort to have a baby.
“We‟ll have a baby with you,”Dirk said “Yeah,” Duck said (Block 52).
From conversation above, Dirk and Duck show that their desire to have a
baby is really strong. Their desire is related with pleasure principle so that called Id.
The Id is said to operate on the pleasure principal (qtd in Wigayanti 31). It purposes
to fill the pleasurable things and avoid painful things. In result, Dirk and Duck‟s
desire to get a baby is a basic need that influence their psychological to do threesome.
b. The Influence of talkshow
“Yeah, “ Duck said.“I saw it on that talk show once. These two gay gays and their best friend all slept together so no one would know for sure whose baby it was. And then they had this really cool little girl and they all raised her, and it was so cool, and when someone in the audience said, „What sexual
preference do you hope she has? They all go together, they go, „Happiness.‟ Isn‟t that cool?” (Block 52-53).
From quotation above, Dirk and Duck gets the idea of threesome from the
talkshow. It shows that Dirk and Duck‟s sexual desire to do threesome is mediated.
They copying desire to do threesome from the talk show. As Eve Kosofsky Sedwick
developing the ideas of the French post sructuralist critic Rene Girard, she argues that
desire is everywhere mediated (Bennet and Royle 184). It means, someone‟s desire is
produced by copying another one‟s desire as response to the desire of another.
c. Loving friendship
Besides as a chance to have a baby, Dirk and Duck also decide to do
threesome because of love. They love Weetzie as their bestfriend. They want to help
Weetzie to make her need to have a baby becomes true.
“But we want a baby and we love each other,” Weetzie said “I love you, Weetz. I love you, Dirk,” Duck said
“I wanna Hold Your Hand, “ the Beatles said
From conversation above, it shows that they do threesome because they want
to have a baby and they love each other. Duck confirms Weetzie‟s love with said that
he loves Weetzie and Dirk. They love each other as a best friend.
Building from those factors, they decide to do threesome with Weetzie.
Thresome which done by them is dealing with their ego. It is the realization of their
id to get a baby. It is the realistic strategy to obtain their pleasure. As Storey said that
ego is the part of the id which has been modified by the direct influence of the
external world. It endeavors to substitute the reality principle for the pleasure
principle which reign uncrestrictedly in the id. The ego represents what may be called
reason and common sense, in control the id which contact the passions (92). Like the
id, ego seeks pleasure and avoid pain but unlike the id, the ego is concerned with
devising a realistic strategy to obtain pleasure.
In addition, their decision to do threesome also show that their sexual desire is
also unstable. Their sexual orientation who homosexual change into bisexual because
they also has desire and erotic attraction to do romantic relationship with Weetzie. As
Tyson stated that building on deconstruction‟s insight into human subjectivity, queer
theory defines human sexuality as fluid, fragmented, dynamic, collectivity of possible
sexualities (335). The continuum of sexual possibilities are such as homosexuality,
bisexuality, and heterosexuality. Homosexuality is an erotic attraction and desire to
romantic relationships toward members of the same gender. While bisexuality is an
Furthermore, heterosexuality is an erotic attraction and desire with members of the
same gender (Rathus 262). In line with explanation above, human sexuality is
unstable and may be different at different times along of their lives because sexuality
is a dynamic range of desire.
B. The effect of threesome which done by Weetzie and a pair of gays, Dirk and Duck to Weetzie’s life depicted in the novel
When people had taken a decision in their life, they have to accept the
consequences they might get. They should be ready with what will happen into their
life. It is also happen to Weetzie, when she decides to do threesome with Dirk and
Duck, she has to accept the consequences. Even she gets a baby like she wants but
she should feel sufferings as the effect of threesome. Her sufferings because My
Secret Agent Lover Man go away and leave her.
This is beginning when Weetzie tells that she gets pregnant through
threesome with a pair of gays, Durk and Duck. Three weeks after doing threesome,
Weetzie gets pregnant. She is really happy because her need to get a baby becomes
true. She tells about her pregnant to My Secret Agent Lover Man. She thinks that My
Secret Agent Lover Man will happy of her pregnant as Dirk and Duck said before that
My Secret Agent Lover Man will receive the baby. But in fact, My Secret Agent
Lover man exactly angry to her.
“The world‟s a mess,” My Secret Agent Lover Man said. “And there is no way I feel okay about bringing a kid into it. And for you to go and sleep with Dirk and Duck without even telling me is the worst thing you have ever done (Block 57).
From quotation above, My Secret Agent Lover Man shows her shock and
anger. He said that there is no way to get a baby and for doing threesome with Dirk
and Duck is the worst thing that Weetzie ever done. His statements shows that he
really does not want to have a baby for any way and for any reason. Furthermore, My
Secret Agent Lover Man go away. He leaves Weetzie.
Weetzie could not even cry and make Kleenex roses. She remembered the day her father, Charlie, had driven away in the smashed yellow T-Bird, leaving her mother Brandy-Lynn clutching her flowered robe with one hand and an empty glass in the other, and leaving Weetzie holding her arms crossed over her chest that was taking its time to develop into anything. But My Secret Agent Lover Man was not going to send Weetzie postcards of the Empire State Building, or come visit every so often to buy her turkey platters at the Tick Tock Tea Room like Charlie did. Weetzie knew by his eyes that he was going away forever (Block 57-58)
From quotation above, Weetzie becomes so sad and regrets with all has she
done. She can not even cry. She remembers with the day when her father, Charlie,
leaves her and her mother, Brandy-Lynn. She remembers when Charlie go away. But
the different thing, if Charlie send postcard or come visit to Tick Tock Tea Room to
keep his relation with Weetzie, My Secret Agent Lover Man does not do what Charlie
done. My Secret Agent Lover Man does not keep his relation to Weetzie. It shows
that My Secret Agent Lover Man was going away forever. He does not want to
recognize her at all.
