ABSTRACT
ARDYADMOKO, MACEBI. Singapore’s History and the Feminist Movement in Suchen Christine Lim’s Novel Fistful of Colours.Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2015.
Singapore is founded with different cultures and races, the diversity survived through centuries. Chinese became the dominant race throughout the country, therefore this thesis examines the life of chinese woman named Suwen in her development in the conflict of past and current basic social contruct within the diversity of Singapore’s society. Through this undergraduate thesis, the individual movement is analyzed to reflect one of many aspects that becomes the foundation of Singapore’s history.
This undergraduate thesis has three main problems.The first problem is about Suwen’s characterization and characteristic as described within the novel. The second problem iswhat kind of society that Suwen faces, it is depictedwithSingapore’s society’s basic social construct. The third problem is about how Suwen’sstruggle is reflected in the novel, whether rejecting or accepting the basic social construct in the society’s influence.
The method of the study in this thesis is library research. The main data is taken from Suchen Christine Lim’s novel Fistful of Colours. The writer takes the Multicultural, Global and Postcolonial feminism from Rosemarie Tong’s book about Feminist Thoughtas the theories. Another theories are taken, such asthe theory of character and characterization from Glosary Literary Terms by Abrams, and the theory of patriarchy from Bailey and Bell Hooks.Psychoanalytic approach from Peter Barry Literary books about Beginning Theory is used as the approach of the study.
ABSTRAK
ARDYADMOKO, MACEBI. Singapore’s History and the Feminist Movement
in Suchen Christie Lim’s Novel Fistful of Colours.Yogyakarta: JurusanSastraInggris, FakultasSastra. UniversitasSanata Dharma, 2015.
Negara Singapura dibentuk dari keanekaragaman suku dan budaya, keanekargaman tersebut bertahan selama beberapa abad. Bangsa Cina menjadi suku yang mendominasi di Singapura, oleh sebab itu skripsi ini akan membahas perkembangan hidup seorang wanita keturunan tionghoa yang bernama Suwen dalam keberagaman suku dan budaya yang ada di masyarakat Singapura. Melalui skripsi ini, hasil analisa dari dinamika kehidupan seseorang dapat menjadi sebuah cerminan sendiri akan sebuah sejarah negeri Singapura.
Skripsi ini memiliki tiga pokok permasalahan. Pokok permasalahan yang pertama adalah pembentukan dan sifat watak Suwen seperti yang dijelaskan dalam novel. Pokok permasalahan yang kedua adalah situasi atau kondisi masyarakat yang Suwen hadapi, yang tergambar dari norma-norma dasar masyarakat. Pokok permasalahan yang ketiga adalah perjuangan Suwen seperti yang dijelaskan dalam novel, melawan atau menerima norma-norma dan pengaruh masyarakat.
Metode penelitian dalam skripsi ini adalah metode kapustakaan. Bahan analisa utama diambil dari novel Suchen Christine Lim Fistful of Colours. Penulis mengambil teori multicultural, global dan poskolonial feminism dari Rosemary Tong. Teori-teori lain juga akan digunakan, seperti teori karakteristik dan karakterisasi dari buku Glosary Literary Term oleh Abrams serta buku teori patriarki dari Bailey serta Bell Hooks. Pendekatan psikologis dari buku Peter Barry yang berjudul Beginning Theory akan diaplikasikan dalam skripsi ini.
SINGAPORE’S HISTORY AND THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT
IN SUCHEN CHRISTINE LIM’S NOVEL
FISTFUL OF
COLOURS.
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
Macebi Ardyadmoko
Student Number: 104214053
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
SINGAPORE’S HISTORY AND THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT
IN SUCHEN CHRISTINE LIM’S NOVEL
FISTFUL OF
COLOURS.
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
Macebi Ardyadmoko
Student Number: 104214053
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
Unbent,
unbowed,
unbroken.
Dedicated for...
Both of my beloved parents
And ...
Fransisca, my queen of love and
beauty ...
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my deepest grattitude to Jesus Christ, my saviour
for keeping me resolute when all hopes seemed lost. No words can define His
blessing upon me and my work so that I can finish the thesis and I fought the good
fight of doing this thesis.
I would like to thank A.B Sri Mulyani, M.A.,Ph.D, my advisor and Dr.
Gabriel Fajar Sasmita Aji, M.Hum as my co advisor for the guidances through
many steps so that I can accomplish this thesis. Your motivations and guidance
will always be my inspiration, through many obstacles that will come in the
future.
Hello mom and dad, I give all my best effort to this thesis and I thank for
every support, guidance, and patience. The thesis is presented for both of you and
highly dedicated for you. Mbak Dewi and Mbak Nana, here I am. Thank you for
entrusting this task to me and I hope I do not disappoint you.
I also would like to thank my thesis friend – companion, Dimas, Icha,
Michael, all english letter department friends, and all those who performed an
effort to me. At last to Fransisca Julia Pratidina, my queen of love and beauty,
thank you for cheering me on.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. Description of Suwen’s Characteristic ... 23
B. Kinds of Singapore’s Society that Suwen Encounters ……... 26
1. Men’s Oppression as Attached in Suwen’s Experience in Fistful of Colours ... 26
a. Men’s Oppressionin Suwen’s Family... 26
b. Men’s Oppressionin Suwen’s Friends ... 31
2. Women’s Oppression as Attached in Suwen’s Experience in Fistful of Colours ………... 37
1. Suwen’s Way of Life and Her Development in Her Relationship With Family ... 41 2. Suwen’s Way of Life and Her Development in Her Relationship
WithNica, Janice, and Mark Campbel ... 46 3. Suwen’s Way of Life and Her Development, as Reflected in Her
Painting ... 50
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION... 55
ABSTRACT
ARDYADMOKO, MACEBI. Singapore’s History and the Feminist Movement
in Suchen Christine Lim’s Novel Fistful of Colours.Yogyakarta: Department of
English Letters, Faculty of letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2015.
Singapore is founded with different cultures and races, the diversity survived through centuries. Chinese became the dominant race throughout the country, therefore this thesis examines the life of chinese woman named Suwen in her development in the conflict of past and current basic social contruct within
the diversity of Singapore’s society. Through this undergraduate thesis, the individual movement is analyzed to reflect one of many aspects that becomes the
foundation of Singapore’s history.
This undergraduate thesis has three main problems.The first problem is about Suwen’s characterization and characteristic as described within the novel. The second problem iswhat kind of society that Suwen faces, it is depictedwithSingapore’s society’s basic social construct. The third problem is about how Suwen’sstruggle is reflected in the novel, whether rejecting or accepting the basic social construct in the society’s influence.
The method of the study in this thesis is library research. The main data is taken from Suchen Christine Lim’s novel Fistful of Colours. The writer takes the Multicultural, Global and Postcolonial feminism from Rosemarie Tong’s book about Feminist Thoughtas the theories. Another theories are taken, such asthe theory of character and characterization from Glosary Literary Terms by Abrams, and the theory of patriarchy from Bailey and Bell Hooks.Psychoanalytic approach from Peter Barry Literary books about Beginning Theory is used as the approach of the study.
The undergraduate thesis unveils Suwen’s characteristic to be stubborn, lack of confidence, butfully potential and talented artist.Through those characteristics Suwen fightsthe possible oppression in basic social condition of
ABSTRAK
ARDYADMOKO, MACEBI. Singapore’s History and the Feminist Movement
in Suchen Christie Lim’s Novel Fistful of Colours.Yogyakarta:
JurusanSastraInggris, FakultasSastra. UniversitasSanata Dharma, 2015.
Negara Singapura dibentuk dari keanekaragaman suku dan budaya, keanekargaman tersebut bertahan selama beberapa abad. Bangsa Cina menjadi suku yang mendominasi di Singapura, oleh sebab itu skripsi ini akan membahas perkembangan hidup seorang wanita keturunan tionghoa yang bernama Suwen dalam keberagaman suku dan budaya yang ada di masyarakat Singapura. Melalui skripsi ini, hasil analisa dari dinamika kehidupan seseorang dapat menjadi sebuah cerminan sendiri akan sebuah sejarah negeri Singapura.
Skripsi ini memiliki tiga pokok permasalahan. Pokok permasalahan yang pertama adalah pembentukan dan sifat watak Suwen seperti yang dijelaskan dalam novel. Pokok permasalahan yang kedua adalah situasi atau kondisi masyarakat yang Suwen hadapi, yang tergambar dari norma-norma dasar masyarakat. Pokok permasalahan yang ketiga adalah perjuangan Suwen seperti yang dijelaskan dalam novel, melawan atau menerima norma-norma dan pengaruh masyarakat.
Metode penelitian dalam skripsi ini adalah metode kapustakaan. Bahan analisa utama diambil dari novel Suchen Christine Lim Fistful of Colours. Penulis mengambil teori multicultural, global dan poskolonial feminism dari Rosemary Tong. Teori-teori lain juga akan digunakan, seperti teori karakteristik dan karakterisasi dari buku Glosary Literary Term oleh Abrams serta buku teori patriarki dari Bailey serta Bell Hooks. Pendekatan psikologis dari buku Peter Barry yang berjudul Beginning Theory akan diaplikasikan dalam skripsi ini.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Singapore was once a small port located in Sumatera Peninsula, a port for
the distribution and market of local comodity in the third century, raided and ruled
under the Sriwijaya Kingdom before becoming one of the most influent countries
in the world. In 1819,under British rule, Singapore‟s standard of life and economy
grew quickly. During the British reign, Singapore became the busiest seaport in
the eastern countries, a strategic port used for global‟scomodity trading activity.
During that time Singapore, by virtue of its free trade and its geographical position at the entrance of a bottle-neck, became the busiest seaport of the Far East. (Williamson, 1956:363)
On the opposite side, Singapore‟s social economy rapidly went poor under
the occupation of Japanese imperial army in the World War II. The aspects of life
such as social - economy and culture were governed by the Japanese to support
the political issues for the war course, all life stocks were also taken and delivered
to Japanese imperial army to ensure the victory over the war.
Singapore consisted of many races and cultures and Chinese were
dominant over another races, such as Indian and Malay. The Singaporean Chinese
itself is divided into many sub-races, such as Hokkien, Cantonese, and Hakka. In
the early of 1819, Chinese migrated from their homeland along with their
diversity of culture and started a new life in Singapore since there were civil war,
trafficking. However, the fortune of life in different place didn‟t guarantee the
better luck, diversity of race and culture caused numerous social conflict and
British government often did terrible things to the people of Singapore which led
the social injustice happened within the society.
Their public services were corrupt, they were cruel to prisoners and false to theirs promises, and their justice was a farce which often led to the torture and execution of innocent peoples. (Williamson, 1956:365)
The Chinese is known with the obedience toward the ancestral cultures
which crafted within their mind and one of those culture is that men have full
authority rulling the matters inside the family, according to confucian beliefs men
are associated with primary leader and decision maker in the family, thus,
puttingz fathers and sons take prominance over mother and daughters.
Life in the diveristy of culture in Singapore and British colonialization
drown the individual into the conflict realm of society. Many representation of
literary works became the representations of the issues of it, therefore through this
undergraduate thesis the writer took Fistful of Coloursby Suchen Christine Lim
that observed the relationship between ethnic idenitity of a human being and
colonialism. Fistful of Colourswas written by portraying the history of Singapore
through many perspective of Suwen‟s life in the relationship with family and her
friends.
Through family histories, the novel weaves a rich tapestry which celebrates the multi-ethnicity of Singapore and the socio-political milie of her early immigrants. (Lim, 2003: Cover page)
This undergraduate thesis is written to achieve the understanding of the
thesis itself would be on the process of character‟s behaviour and thought
development whether accepting or rejecting the society‟s influence. There are so
many characters described in the novel, each of them embraced their own
ideological thinking toward the issues that matter in the society thus, the writer
took Suwen to be the representation of it.
Suwen faces molestation and betrayal, which drives her to paint a controversial picture, and to leave Singapore for the small Malaysian town where her dream of becoming an artist first took root. (Lim, 2003: Cover page)
The quoatation above has become the indication on why Suwen is chosen,
because of her unique behaviour and thought was expressed with medium
awareness of the life time – fulfillment in the high tense of social conflict between her family and friends. The response of Suwen‟s psychological preferences
towards the issues in the society would be analyzed; this undergraduate thesis is
set to give woman‟s personality development process by examining the inner
strength within human being‟s psyche that always be the solution which
connected the idea of self desire and public interests
Suwen‟s way of living in the diversity of race and also colonialism is
included in the framework of feminism, it can be traced with many critical
approaches and principal theories that examine the human rights in the term of
women liberation which were developed with many events and conflicts for many
decades. The ideas were still growing and flexible, because of the development
and the growing civilization itself. Every social conflict in Suwen‟s life as derived
valuable education to study and debatable, an important study to reveal the effect
of history towards the development of women‟s movement in feminist behaviour
and thought in Singapore, the condition and the environment gave oppression and
maintained it in the term of many aspects of life. The diversity of ethnic became
“the specific cultural elements and historical condition that serve to maintain
women‟s oppression.” (Lindsey: 2010: 16)
The topic of this undergraduate thesis is important to study because by
conducting this thesiswomen are expected to invent their uniqe way to express
their language against anything that will put them down again, breaking the
regulations and norms within the society. Through this topic, women are expected
to break their limitation, from within and outside themselves. The process of
gaining individual‟s desire and dream is one of the most admirable thing that
deserves to study, throughout their process, we can learn something beyond
school of thought, we can study a lot of things from their struggle upon many
difficulties that they have to face, especially women.
B. Problem Formulation
1. How is Suwen‟s characteristics described?
2. What kind of society does Suwen encounter?
3. How is the description of Suwen‟s life and the process of her development
in the middle of society‟s diversity in Singapore?
C. Objectives of the Study
The first objective of the study is to describe the characteristic of Suwen
Suwen encounters in Singapore‟s diversity. Third objective is to analyze Suwen‟s behaviours and thoughts development in facing the social construct and society‟s
diversity in Singapore.
D. Definition of Terms
1. Criticism
According to Abrams, criticism is kind of term to study the works of
literature in particular ways, such as defining, classifying, interpreting and
evaluating.
Criticism is the overall term forstudies concerned with defining, classifying, analyzing,interpreting, andevaluating works of literature. (Abrams, 1999: 50)
2. Symbol
Symbol is the kind of sense of representation that signifies something in
words or phrases that has reference beyond its object. It has indirect meaning but
it contains thousands of meanings in the single or particular object.
In discussing literature, however,the term "symbol" is applied only to a word or phrase that signifies an objector event which in its turn signifies something, or has a range of reference, beyonditself. (Abrams, 1999: 311)
3. Tension
Tension is the term in condition that refers to portray the serious and the
ironic pattern of resolved stress and shows the harmony of every opponent
tendencies.
Other critics use "tension" to characterize poetry that manifests an
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A. Review of Related Study
Resistance and Oppression in Suchen Christine Lim’s Novelsby
SanthiMathyRamdas is to study the gender oppression in Lim‟s numerous novels,
such as A Bit of Earth, Fistful of Colours, Gift from the Gods, and Rice Bowl.
Under his study, Ramdas would like to highlight the resistance in female
characters in the concepts of “subjugation”, “alienation”, “separatism”,
“confrontation”, and “escapism” in gender oppression and patriarchal practices
(2010: 97). Ramdas‟ study on Gender Oppression and Resistance aimed to
resolve the confusion of the idea of patriarchy. The notion of men„s presence were
the only things that created sickness to women‟s life in the social setting, thus the
notion of patriachal practices lead another issue which caused women to oppress
another in many manners without knowing condition. Such condition is called,
gender oppression.
Those ideas were much detested concept by feminist because it embodies all the ill that men can bestow upon women. the area, however, provides the forte from which patriarchy or social construct has recruited women to be agents of in oppressing another women in any manners. (Ramdas, 2010: 97)
Through Ramdas‟ study, he observed that Suchen Christine Lim portrayed
the chinese women to be the contrary version of “obedient, unassuming, yielding, timid, respectful, reticent, and unselfish in character” (Ramdas, 2010: 96). He also
96), the depressed characters were depicted to alienate themselves from the
outside world and living with their imaginary world. However, during the
oppression, the characters experienced the humiliation which caused Suchen put a
psychological effect which driven the characters to experience “the high spirited and resistant” to the social construct of gender oppression.
In adverse pyschological effects Suchen Christine Lim has developed the characters, projecting them as high – spirited and resistant to the stereotypical portrayal of the female as weak. (Ramdas, 2010: 96)
The high spirited character caused themselves to confront the oppressor by
using the radical feminist term “escapism, confrontation, separatism, silencing,
subjugation, and alienation” (2010: 96). According Ramdas‟ study, the characters
set themselves apart from the oppressor and started to live as new human and
independent beings, leaving and forgetting their past.
The writer agreed that women had the lack of capability showing their
emotion, behaviour and thought within the presence of men however they were
showing the resistance toward those who oppressed them. Despite the standing
point of agreement with Ramdas‟ study, the writer also noted that there were
missing point that writer wanted to complete, unlike the previous study from
Ramdas, the writer wanted to elaborate the essence of society‟s influence in the
psychological preferences of the chosen character with the different theories and
approach but using the same terms, such as “alienation”, “escape” and
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
Theory is served to reveal the characteristic of Suwen deeply in the novel.
Based on the theory of character by Abrams, the meaning of character are the
persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the
reader as being edowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed
in what they say - the dialogue - and what they do - the action (1999: 32). The representation of character through their dialogue and actions lead the character‟s
description, therefore the characterization be asserted.
To establish the characterization, the characters in the literary work are delivered with narration, the characters in the narrative are showing and telling the motives and dispositions that lie behind what situation they encounter in the literary works. (Abrams, 1999: 33)
Besides the establishment from narrative, the author also implies the
characterization based on the action, speech, and character‟s inner thoughts,
feelings, and responsive to events (1999:34) thus, those kinds of method can give
the idea of the qualities of character. By considering those aspects or methods, the
characterization can be determined and judged with objectively.
2. Theory of Patriarchy
There are many definitions of patriarchy in some terms or literary text
works, but all of them conducted the same perspective or point of view about
men‟s dominant or full authority within the society. The term patriarchy often
considered men as the government who rulled the society, the concept of
men have more agencies than women in the society ( Bailey, 2014: 1). The same
concept occurs, according to Bell Hooks, the patriachy itself is the politcal
system where domination of men are superior and everyone seemed to be weak,
especialy females. The rest of the society are forced to follow with men‟s
dominance through various forms of object and considered to be a violation.
Patriachy is a political-social system that insists that males are inherently dominating, superior to everything and everyone deemed weak, especially females, and endowed with the right to dominate and rule over the weak and to maintain that dominance through various forms of psychological
terrorism and violance.
(http://imaginenoborders.org/pdf/zines/UnderstandingPatriarchy.pdf)
The patriarchy occures as one of the political system which achieved
during the maturity of our childhood, gender roles as the main causes assigned us
to deliver the continual guidance to fulfill the gender roles within the society and
family therefore patriachy as the system to force boys into the rule of dominance
and deny their feelings. (Hooks, 2004: 1)
Patriarchy system is built with the foundation of repressions of all feelings,
destructions of individual will power, and the repression of thinking, and it
departs from the authority figure‟s way of thinking. This system was built within
the family and delivered by our mothers, it is considered as the principal and
moral value that embrace the way of our live and shape us into the perspective of
male and female in gender roles.
Patriarchy system requires men as the dominator - following the gender
role and stresses the notion that all of men were all powerfull and women became
idea of masculinity that attached within the system are fully shaped and reshaped
by men. (Bailey, 2014: 4) The continue of men‟s dominant over women in the
society becomes the legitimation that shift the culture in corporate, political, and
economic power.
However, Connell also argues that while men continue to dominate corporate,political and economic power, there has been a seismic shift in
culture: „what hascrumbled, in the industrial countries, is the legitimation
of patriarchy. (Bailey, 2014: 4)
The notion of masculinity is opposed by women thus they put all the
blames “the perpetuation of sexism” (Hooks, 2004: 2) only to men so these
women can express their feelings and thoughts and maintain it. This kind of
condition leads to the allegiance to patriarchy system, their lust of power driven to
oppress the other and causes gender oppression.
3. Multicultural Feminism
Multicultural feminists emphasized the understanding and notion of
diversity within society. The notion of diversity has been a complex idea since
there were many differences in culture, race, and gender that contribute various of
different thought and personality development of human being.
Multicultural, global, and postcolonial feminists push feminist thought in the direction of both recognizing women‟s diversity and acknowledging the challenges it presents. (Tong, 2009: 200)
Based on the differences, people treat another people with their way of
thinking in the various representation of cultural norms, traditions or system, and
gender representation. Those various representation unveiled the system of
Multicultural feminist was set to defend the oppressed and to redeem the
fragile condition within the conflict of social construct of patriarchy system, this
kind of criticism recognized the differences and the diversity by respecting all the
races and social elements to live in harmony through differences of many levels.
Defenders of multiculturalism claimed that “we should learn to think of our (society) as consisting not of a majority and minorities but of a plurality of cultural groups. We do not all have to look, act, speak, and think alike to be American, they said. Instead, we need to cultivate mutual tolerance, respect, and knowledge of each other‟s cultures. (Tong, 2009: 204
The oppression is one of the tools in patriarchal practices that regenerating
the system of subjugation within the society, therefore it holds the continueity of\
terror toward those who begins to revolt against the oppressor thus could not be
elimanated before the elimanation of the others, it meant that the oppression that
heads temporaly from the oppressor was cut off from their role towards their
subject.
Oppression is a many-headed beast capable of regenerating any one of the heads temporaly severed from its bloated body. The whole body of the beast is the appropriate target for those who wish to end oppression‟s reign of terror. (Tong, 2009: 206)
Multicultural feminist, AudreLorde stated that she rejected all kinds of
oppressor by considering the essential meaning of being different to be unique
rather than superior and inferior while “the oppressors stabilized their position and eluded the given task for their own actions, there‟s a decreased energy which was
used in reassigning women and contriving the realistic idea and movement”
(Tong, 2009: 209) for another alternative to the better life development in the
Lorde‟s point of view concluded the notion which taken very well, women
derived the feminist movement by approaching another women‟s experience, in
another words, women learned each other to achieve their rights, through the
togetherness of friendship. The experience with the others connected with
essentialism of being unique rather than different in the term of inferior (Tong,
2009: 207)
Following the expalantion about the diversity of race and culture within
the society, the multicultural feminist stated that race was typically consctructed
and deconstructed in social, when it turns out to be like this, the individuals would
choose their race depending on their own priorities which given them a lot of
values where they live it.
4. Global and Postcolonial Feminism
Global and Postcolonial feminists explored the relationships between first
world nation and third world party that motivated and reduced women movement
in the third world. Through that relationship, the feminists tended to set their
focus and interest toward the issues of sexuality, reproduction, economic and
political aspects, thus the feminist movement was often considered as a dynamic
rather than static school of thought.
The right of women to freedom of choice, and the power to control our own lives within and outside of the home. Having control over our lives and our bodies is essential to ensure a sense of dignity and autonomy for every woman. (Tong, 2009: 216)
The quotation above is one of the goal that the feminist has been trying to
piece, layer per layer until the solutions have become able. The freedom of speech
and the power to legitimate their position in the society, and having the quality
time by controling their own lives without the outer hands come to interfere, also
the sense of honor and social justice have become the Global and Postcolonial
feminist broader concern for fighting the patriarchal practices and elimanate them
to the lowest level.
The removal of all forms of inequity and oppression through the creation of a more just social and economic order, nationally and internationally. This means the involvement of women in national liberation struggles, in plans for national development, and in local and global struggles for change. (Tong, 2009: 216)
Global and Postcolonial feminist urged that women‟s development
through the liberation of human rights was one of the components to provide the
better state of condition to the development of world itself. As one of the part of
world development, women‟s liberation and development were provided and
supported, the feminists used the term “sisterhood” to strengthen the basic
foundation of human rights, such as togetherness, women could achieve their
feminime through the relationship with others, experiencing the same fate of
being oppressed and desires to fight against the oppression.
However the togethernes in the term of sisterhood could not guarantee the
feminism until the others recognize their work and admitted their presence. The
term sisterhood was threatened with the term manyness because of the diversity of
culture and race that emerged when a feminist comes into a group with different
feminists, with this implication, feminist AudreLorde emphasized that manyness
Global and postcolonial feminist used the term of oneness to solve the
conflict between the term of sisterhood and manyness. Even though there were a
lot of differences in the women‟s dream, “oneness” tied and united women to
fight the oppressor, thus the people can be themselves without potential conflict
occured from outside and within the society.
I want my daughter to take part in what is taking place in this country. If she gets married now, she will never particiapte in the change. I don‟t wat her to be like me. I am married to a good man. As you know about 40% of Cape Verdian men are labourers in Europe, and my husband is in Holland. That house over there that we are building brick by brick right next to this little cabin is being made with the money he sends home. Every two years
he gets one month‟s vacation, and comes home to meet the baby he mad
the last time, and to make a new one. I don‟t want that for my daughter. I‟ve heard the it is possible to prevent pregnancy by knowing the calender. Please teach our girls how to count the days so that they can control pregnancies. (Tong, 2009: 218)
In the issue of reproduction, feminists emphasized that women must have
priviledge control over their own body, for example it would be the best decision
if women decided by themselves on how many children they would have without
ruining their health and ability to work outside the household. Besides, they also
emphasized that mothers have the right control over their own children, especially
daughters to experience the better state of condition than their mother.
In the era of World War, the colonizers had pulled themselves back to
their country, bringing lots of benefits that had been exploited from the colonized
countries such as human resourses and natural resources, the abandoned countries
rapidly went poor and forced to borrow money and all the supporting financial
stuffs to empower their economy and political support, therefore the notion of
colonized and colonizer meant to be ethically rejectable ideologies and they only
mean bussiness.
The relationship between colonized and colonizer is based not on any measure of partnership bur rather than on the latter‟s coercion and violence in its dealing with the former. This relationship is in fact the secret of unlimited growth in the centers of accumulation. If externalization of all the costs of industrial production were not possible, if they had to be borne by the industrialized countries themselves, that is if they were unternalized, and immediate end to unlimited growth would be inevitable. (Tong, 2009: 226)
As long as there is desire of possession of material goods and human relate
it to their own happiness then there will always be a competition which leads this
world into another conflict and once again women will be set against another
women in global and against the society in the end.
C. Theoretical Framework
Theory of character and characterization were used to answer the problem
formulation number one which explains Suwen‟s characterization on the novel.
Theory of Patriarchy used to answer the problem formulation number two which
questioning the Singapore‟s society decription in the Fistful of Colours.
Multicultural, Global and Postcolonial feminism would directly answer the
problem formulation number two and three which explain the society‟s condition
and the process of Suwen‟s feminist behaviour and thought development.
The writer used the theory of character and characterization to reveal
Suwen‟s character in the novel, this theory would become the basic foundation for
the writer to unveil the psychological process within Suwen‟sself awareness.
condition or social construct on how and why this kind of practices occured in
Fistful of Colours.
Multicultural femininst was set to deliver the explanation about the social
condition or basic social construct and the distribution process of human rights
between men and women in the society depending on race, religion, education.
The theory would give us a broader view about the social justice and injustice that
happened in the diversity of race and culture in Singapore such as patriachy and
gender oppression.
Global and Postcolonial feminism was used to emphasize the conflict that
occured in the pre – colonialization of British and after the invasion of Japanese
imperial army. This theory developed the essence of struggle of the oppressed
which caught in the middle of war and basic social construct – as explained by the
multicultural feminist.
Some terms that attached in Ramdas‟ study such as alienation and
escaping were applied on this undergraduate thesis, basically those terms were
derived from the radical feminism and the writer used the psychoanalytic
approach to elaborate the psychological effects from the society toward the
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
Fistful of Colours, a novel by Suchen Christine Lim was published by
SNP international, Singapore in 1993 and awarded the inaugural Singapore
literature prize in 1992.
The story is built up layer by layer. The present is built on the past and the present is an indicator of what the future might be. The author is able to bring in the story of the forefathers of Singapore around the turn of the century, the ordinary people responsible for the shaping of Singapore. (Lim, 2003: Cover page)
The object of this undergraduate thesis was developed from the layers of
various stories and perspectives that have been built by the society of early
Singapore. Besides, the object of the study were also covered through the eyes of
young generation, Suwen‟s family and her friend‟s historical background, despite
the perspective of young generations, the writer also would like to take the history
boundary of nations builders as the object of the study too since the focus of this
thesis is to analyze the process of influence of society in the Singapore‟s history
towards Suwen‟s feminist behaviour and thought. There were the Chinese coolie,
malay writer, and Indian doctor. Fistful of Colourscovered broader issues, from
the ethnic diversity, the relationship between art and history, until the pursuit of
personal artistic freedom.
A Singapore novel fiction in english had truly attempted to explore the
faced by women to fulfil their inner self manhood. The characterization was
readable and reflect multicultural concerns, the book is packed with flavour of the
past and reflect the coming future.
Fistful of Colours is an elegant, multi layered reflection of what it means to be Singaporean, through a single day in the life of Suwen and her family history, uncovers the many hopes and trials of singapore‟s early immigrant community. Through Suchen Christine Lim‟s masterful of storytelling and vibrant language, the Singapore of yesterday and today converge. (Lim, 2003: Cover page)
B. Approach of the Study
The writer used the psychoanalytic approach to analyze the process and
the development of human behaviour and thought within Suwen‟spsyche whether
accepting or resisting the society‟s influence. As stated by Freud, that the human‟s
pyschewas divided into the conscious and the unconscious which driven and
awakened by desire, pleasure, and dreams ( Barry, 2002: 97) ). Suwen‟spsyche in
the unconscious realm would be developed into three levels of personality,
id,which consists of dreams and self desire, egoas the reality principle,
andsuper-egoas moral principle.
Freud‟s point of view about the feminism is constructed rather than natural
given, this case supported by Mitchell‟s Psychoanalysis and Feminism in 1974
which concerned on the feminism, “something learned or acquired, rather than
„natural‟” (Barry, 2002: 130). Freud viewed men‟s dominant authority to become
the notion of penis envy that concerning the biological factor as the emblem of
Thus the argumen runs, the notion of penis envy need not to be taken as simply concerning the male physical organ itself (what ever might have been Freud‟s intentions), but as concerning what organ as an emblem of social power and the advantages which go with it. (Barry, 2002: 131)
The notion of penis envy unveiled the condition where women had no
authority or concern toward their own body and social life, therefore the condition
is called social castration, “which signifies women‟s lack of power” (Barry, 2002:
131), place and time also influenced on how feminism shown the condition of
being shaped.
According to Freud, the unconscious has taken a great contribution in the
development of human‟s behaviour and thought beyond the reach of human‟s
conscious, the unconscious is determined from human‟s social experience, such as
repression, desires, conflict. The development of the unconscious was built within
the stage of social parenting in the family, driven by desire, pleasure, fear of loss
and repression. Fear and desire are condensed into a single dream which
connected human behaviour and thought in the frame of conscious mind. The
purpose of dream and condensation above is to put the materials of desire to be
modelled into something which images, symbols, and metaphors can representate
it and tranlate it into languages.
The purpose of devices like displacement and condensation is two fold. They fashion this material into something which can be represented in a dream, that is, into images, symbols, and metaphors. (Barry, 2002: 99)
Freud believes that dream is an ultimate desire which representates safety
condition, memories, and fears all of them and wrapped and covered in the
dressing style of human unique thought to behave more like someone else. The
feeling of desire, being afraid, experience is difficult to take down, the only way
to get through with it, is by eliminating it from the conscious mind and
strenghtening the faith of dreams or desires. However it will remain in the
unconscious thought and there is always a return of those feelings which are
repressed.
The representation of characters and events are proven in literary ways,
both of them are made to comunicate each other, avoiding indirect meanings and
representing the essence of meanings from the time, place, and person applied.
The Freudian interpretation is seen to be more rational rather than simply things,
interpretation tends to elaborate the sexual conotation in the objects and
transforms it into the representation of images and dreams.,
A final example of important Freudian terminology is the dream work, the process by which real events or desires are tranformed into dream images. (Barry, 2002: 98)
C. Method of the Study
The writer developed the procedure of undergraduate thesis‟ analysis into
three steps of order. The first one was about the statement whether the study was
library research or field research, the second was about the primary and secondary
resources which supported the object of the data, and the discussion about the
theoritical order to be taken into the analysis was discussed in the third or final
In the first step, this undergraduate thesis was considered to be a library
research, the writer had considered this because all the findings of theories,
critical approaches, and the data could be discovered briefly in the written
textbook.
The second step was about the primary and secondary resources which
were used as the basic principals of criticism, related studies, related theories, and
novel as the object of the study. Based on the object of the study, the novel that
the writer had examined was Fistful of Colours, a written novel by Christine
Suchen Lim, to be the material of the object. The related studies about Gender
Oppression and Resistance was derived from the study of Ramdas. The writer
also used The Feminist Thought, third edtion by Rosemarie Tong and it had
contained the theory of Multicultural, Global and Postcolonial criticism. The
theory of patriarchy was mainly delivered from The Will to Change; Men,
Masculinity, and Love by Bell Hooks and Understanding contemporary
fatherhood: masculine care and the patriarchal deficitby Jemimah Bailey. The
theory of character and characterization was taken from Glosary Literary Terms
by J.J Abrams. Psychoanalytic approach was derived from Beginning Theory by
Peter Berry which emphasized the cope of framework of this thesis.
The final step discussed the orders taken to analysis. First, the writer took
the sample of object of data that explain Suwen‟s characteristic. Second, the
writer took the evidences or descriptions of Singapore‟s society‟s life condition
which attached in Suwen‟s family and friend‟s historical and present background
Third, the writer moved to the analysis which examined the process of
development of Suwen‟s feminist behaviour and thought,the writer divided the
third step into three subchapters or smaller sections that would explain Suwen‟s
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
A. The Description of Suwen’s Characteristics
1. Good and Talented Artist
The project of her painting that Suwen desired, contained the perfection of
society‟s unity in its content, however the perfection of unity had a different
meaning, life was free and fluid and she sketched the painting according to her
own mood.
Suwen had tried to capture them in her sketchbook. But each time she tried, she had failed miserably. They never came out the way she saw or heard them inside her head. How to translate that which was inside into something which she could show to the outside world was her constant struggle (Lim, 2003: 103)
The painting that Suwen produced was the result of several times of failure
and painful sketches. Suwen was educated with British education system, the
painting consisted of the solidity of one‟s colours, pigments and brush strokes,
and connection between lines and dots, light and shadow piercing the notion of
serenity. As the writer said for several times, Singapore was built with various
cultures and races, the large immigration had happened long time ago. Started
from China, India, British, and Malay. The painting that Suwen sketched became
the symbol and the representation of diversity in the multicultural society, each
line and dot told us different story and angle point of view toward the issues that
As emphasized by Abrams, Suwen‟s characterization of talented artist was
derived from the narrative text in the novel. Beside that, the characterization of
Suwen came out from her own action that stated in the canvas, Nica‟s speech and thought. Also the society‟s action or response toward Suwen‟s way of painting
gave the basic foundation to Suwen‟s characterization.
2. Stubborn
When Suwen reaches her age, she is decribed as stubborn girl who rejects
her mother‟s persuasion in many terms. Suwen claims that she has her own
problem to solve but her mother binds her to stay close to her, she dared and
confronted her mother about the reasons on why chidlren should be tied forever to
the mess of their parents made (Lim, 2003:13), as emphasized by Abram on the
theory of characterization, the character of Suwen was derived from the actions as
described in the novel.
During Suwen‟s performance on painting the society, Nica urged Suwen
to use another object beside her own race. According to Nica, a Singapore artist
must dare to travel beyond his/her ethnic group and paint the society as a
universalit object, without choosing the side of particular race. However Suwen
insisted to paint only what she could feel and see, the lack of confidence toward
her identity also driven herself to paint the society based on her narrow
perspectives.
As Suwen struggled to paint the society and to find her roots, she
determined to kept painting even though the feeling of lack of confident still
It had been niggling her all week, chipping away at her self-confidence. What she dreaded most, however often she tried to push the thought away, was returning to her former state of emptiness and the feeling that she had been abandoned liker in her first year in England (Lim, 2003: 179)
3. Lack of Confidence
Though Suwen‟s dream or desires driven her to paint the society, Suwen is
desribed to be so unconfident toward the manners that she would like to perform
in the canvas, the lack of confident travelling her outside race in the painting
driven the result of the painting to be considered as the void of universality, as
Nica thought. The artist must dare to perform her artistic freedom in universality,
painting the society without doubts, on the other hand, the lack of certainty of
Suwen‟s identity and race driven her to by shy to move beyond her ethnic group.
Besides the lack of confident in the painting.
Suwen also found her doubt to move out from the her mother‟s
oppression. The characterization of Suwen is derived from the other character,
Nica‟s speech and thought, as supported and emphasized by Abrams in the theory
of character and characterization.
Suwen had lacked the guts to walk out on her mother and away from the ong mansion, compared with the likes of nica and jan, she was just a blob of jellyfish, flapping on the beach, dreaming of freedom riding the waves but had no ability to move on her own accord. (Lim, 2003: 128)
Through this description of Suwen‟s behaviour in the narration, Abrams,
once again emphasized the characterization to be judged objectively with seeing
both side of speech and action.
issaid, should totally efface themselves in order to write "objectively," "impersonally,"or "dramatically." (Abrams, 1999: 34)
B. Kinds of Singapore’s Society that Suwen Encounters.
Suwen lived within the diversity Singapore‟s society. According to the
multicultural feminists, the society‟s diversity caused some problems or conflicts
since each race tried to live their lives with personal ideological thinking. The
main problem is the practice of oppression among the races.The writer decided
thatthere weretwo main or basic possible oppressions, the oppression from men
and the oppression from women.
1. Men’s Oppression as Attached in Suwen’s Experience in Fistful of
Colours
Patriarchal practice was delivered as the situation where men had the full
authority to govern the society without considering the essence of human rights, it
was found inFistful of Colours. In Fistful of Colours the writer also found out that
there was the situation where women oppressed another women as direct spin-off
from the patriarchy system. Suwen, Nica, and Janice‟s family tried to survive
according to their ancestral culture that was built through their veins and flesh,
therefore there was a gap that caused the conflict among races and cultures, as
emphasized by the Multicultural feminist that patriarchal practice was the product
of diversity in the conflict of multi ethnic in Singapore.
In Fistful of Colours, Suwen lived within the authority of figure of her step
father and grandfather,OngTay Luck and Ong Ah Buck, both of them were
depicted as the representation of patriarchal practices within the household. Trace
back to the old time, Ong Ah Buck once had a name, Lim Ah Buck. Ah Buck
came from China after being sold by his neighbor, since his family was broken.
Then he lived in Pagoda lane where TowkayOng found him and raised him as his
own son and the only son.
He was sinkeh living in Pagoda Lane. You would find him hidden among the numbers and digits in the record books of the colonial immigration ofice, a dot among thousands of other dots: young chinese male, aged seventeen or thereabouts. (Lim, 2003: 39)
Suwen‟s step grandfather, Ong Ah Buck was picked from the dark side of
the corner of Pagoda lane and adopted by TowkayOng since Towkay‟s mistresses
and concubines didn‟t give him a single son but worthless girls to bear the
surname. In the Chinese household, surname became one of the parts of family
future which determined how the luck or family‟s destiny would move, whether
good or bad. As emphasized by Bell Hooks about patriarchy system, the adoption
of Ong Ah Buck to Towkay Ong was the process of education to prepare and
ensure the fortune of the Ong family. The education itself was considered as a
violance toward its subject, Ah Buck was forced to obey the Towkay Ong
patriarch, the repressed feeling and desire had lost with his own masculinity and
intergrity as free man and Pagoda Lane became the representation of the system of
education where it was harsh and brutal.
The Pagoda lane itself was considered to be one of the most brutal places
authority, made up from immigrants of Malays, Chinese, and Indians. In Pagoda
lane, everything that was built in that place was man‟s made
Pagoda lane belonged to the Chinese male. Life in Pagoda lane, pre war Singapore was harsh brutal and short. And the colonial police made up mainly of Indians and Malays, were fearful for their own lives and limbs. (Lim, 2003: 36)
Also, after seeing the values of the Chinese family‟s fortune which was
attached in the surname, the writer took the theory of Global and Postcolonial
feminist‟ point of view in the field of sexual reproduction to understand the notion
of surname in the household, man was the only one who could bear the
surname.As emphasized by Bell Hooks, this kind of system required Ong Ah
Buck to be the agent of the oppression.
Patriarchy requires maledominance by any means necessary, henceit supports, promotes, and condones sexistviolence.(Hooks, 2004: 2)
The survival of a son in the family was paramount importance, the
surname that contained the honour and the fortune of the family‟s future must be
passed down to the next generation of male.
Based on the Chinese tradition, men should carry the honor of family. They have the family name that will decide the fortune of the family life. The continuity of the surname must be passed down to son and not daughter (Lim, 2003: 44-46)
Within Suwen‟s family, Mistresses were forced to give a birth of son
rather than daughter and if they failed, their husband would take another wife who
could give him a birth of a son therefore those mistresses had had no private
authority toward the concern of their own body. Assuming the patriachy system,
considered women to be weak within the political system of patriarchy within the
household.
The patriarchal practice that happened in Suwen‟s family was commonly
found in the on-going business of Ong family. Suwen‟s step great grandfather,
TowkayOng had created the business to ensure the stablelity of life in his own
family, following the old tradition of Chinese where men must continue the reign
of its predecessor in the family, TowkayOng adopted Ong Ah Buck since none of
his mistresses bore him a single son to continue the family line. The business ran
well under the reign of Ong Ah Buck until British colonialization was forced to
leave the Singapore by Japanese imperial army in the World War II, the Japanese
had impressed with outgrowing business of Ong Family. They urged the Suwen‟s
family company to support the material for the war cause and for the return the
Japanese imperial army would provide the Ong family with full resources of
livestock, rice and pork. The relationship between Ongcompany and Japanese
imperial army was emphasized by Global and Postcolonial feminists, there was a
relationship between the colonizer and the colonized country in the term of social
economy and politic. The Japanese colonized and took the nature and human
resources in Singapore to expand their own economy by invading and occupying
weaker nation.
The authority of the family passed down to Suwen‟s step father OngTay Luck, however the business was going to drain because of Ong‟s lack of
leadership. He lost the concentration of focus in the business and chose to leave
Ong May Lan, sister of OngTay Luck tought that the contribution of
Ongproperity company to the Japanese imperial army had driven the jealously of
the public and to be considered as the act of betrayal to the peasant of Singapore
and agent of the capitalist. Therefore the relationship was only viewed to be the
economic matters rather than ideologies.
But to his sisters, ong may lan, the act of eating “Japanese-contaminated
rice” was tantamount to an act of betrayal. She would be betraying the lives of thousands of Chinese and non Chinese who had fought and died to defend their motherland and this island. (Lim, 2003: 234)
The patriarchal practice inFistful of Coloursthat happened in the Ong
business was men institution for rulling the matters of family among the diversity
of ethnic in Singapore. The business was defined as the symbol of Ong‟s authority
where the mistresses held less concern to it, using the Freudian interpretation on
the sexual motivation that was rejected by another psychologists, the writer
identified Ong Patriarch as the male who became the emblem of social power in
the household.
The notion of penis envy need not to be taken as simply concerning the male physical organ itself (whatever might have been Freud‟s interpretation), but as concerning that organ as an emblem of social power and the advantages which go with it. (Barry, 2002: 131)
As emphasized by Freud and Lacan, the Ong patriarch showed the
condition of sexuality had took a great role in the development of social
government, the term of sexuality that was developed proved it to be natural
construct and resulted the Ong‟s mistresses behaviour in the resistance toward the
others, natural construct in the term of sexuality was also emphasized by the
The argument in favour of Lacan and of Freud, is, again, that it shows sexual identity to be a „cultural construct‟, gives a detailed series of
„insider‟ accounts of how the construction takes place, and shows
examples of this conditioning being resisted. (Barry, 2002: 132)
The writer used Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar‟s psychological criticism
to identify the effect of patriarchy itself, it caused the lack of power in the side of
the oppressed or mistresses or daughters to the contribution of social development
in the society, their roles were pressed down in the shade of Ong patriarch, this
kind of condition in the patriarchal practices of Ong family was called social
castration.
Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar use the idea of „social castration‟, which amounts to the same thing, for this term signifies women‟s lack of social power, this lack being represented, by means of the word „castration‟, as male possession, though not a in any sense a male attribute. (Barry, 2002: 131)
Due to the patriarchal practices that occured in the background, Suwen lost
self – identity within her own family and the society. Therefore, this kind of life of an outsider or virtual slave and this essentially is due to cultural and religious beliefs. (Warren, 1993:2)
b. Men’s Oppressionin Suwen’s Friends
Beside her family, Suwen also found the patriarchy system outside her
race in Singapore‟s diversity. The same practice or system was found within
colourof Singapore‟s history and molded the present and future that developed the
civilization in the Singapore‟s society which influenced the development of
Suwen‟s feminist behaviour and thought in Fistful of Colours.
Suwen‟s friend, Nica lived within the high tension of authority of her own
father, Dr. Sivalingam so it made her to be difficult to express her ideas as a
member of family within the household. Dr. Sivalingam had urged Nica to pursue
the career in medicine and she chose to follow her own desire in the art instead.
During Nica‟s childhood, at the age of seven she had been taught with dozens of
herbs, tonics, and fuss in the family by her grandmother.
Nica told suwen that she grew up in a household where the air of oppressive authority had made it difficult for her to breathe so that, as a child, she was asthmatic and sickly all the time. A weak constition and the fact that she was the youngest of five children had made her redoubtable. Sri langkantamil grandmother keep her at home to be dosed with herbs, tonics, and fusss. By the time she was seven, all her older sisters had been sent away to exclusive convents in new delhi. She was brought up as an only child, with all the drawbacks of such a position. (Lim, 2003: 58)
Bell Hooks once again emphasized that the patriarchy system was
basically the process of education whithin family, Nica was introduced and
delivered the patriarchy system by her grandmother. Nica and her family had
lived through termendous time in Pagoda lane, where men and all the social forces
had driven them not to interfere the social economy and political issue in the place
where they lived, the long time of oppression had influenced them to stay in the
line.
they did not fully comprehend, but nonetheless strongly left (Lim, 2003: 74)
Nica stated that they had lived in the multicultural society and diversity of
various races from all the corners of the world. The patriarchal practice that was
fully conducted in the society was supposed to introduce the stability of new
future of Singapore. The authorities wanted to mold the Singapore into another set
of atmosphere where diversity of ethnic could live in harmony.
We‟re living in an age of cultural lobotomy. Forget about your Cantonese, teochow, and hokkien. Think mandarin, drop the dialects. That‟s what the
authorities want. It‟s a kind of sculpting. They want to sculpt a new kind
of Singapore chink. Dialects belong to the peasants. Mandarin is the language of the educated Chinese. You betray your peasants roots if you speak dialects. (Lim, 2003: 79)
As the writer stated before, Suwen‟s feminist behaviour and thought was
also influenced by the feminist behaviour and thought of Nica and Janice, the
writer had decided to include the process of Nica and Janice‟s feminist
development, therefore we could see how the development of their feminism
affected the feminist behaviour and thought of Suwen. Using the pyschoanalytical
approach which analyzed the human pyschethat was developed and fully covered
in the unconsciousness by Freud, Nica‟s unconscious in the realm of her superego
took the great contribution which was processed from the social conflict inside the
family and her friends. Driven by her own desire, Nica‟sid, started to move on
from the influence of her father by pursuing the interest in art rather than being
obey to be forced to study and work in medicine, in the end, Nica‟ssuperego
decided to work as an artist who sculpted the society as a universality in her rights
majority of role in the household, father is the term that was associated with
male‟s dominance in social forces which kept the society according to the norm
and political issue. The term escaping had been used by Nica in order to survive
her own ultimate desire, she chose herself to achieve her dreams by expanding the
social life with the persons, who had the same experience in the past, therefore the
influence that was poured out from his father‟s mouth would have slowly gone
missing. According to Freud‟s interpretation of dreamer and the process of
personality development, the writer concluded that Nica was depicted with young
adult who wanted to break the influence of her father therefore she could live the
adult life to the fullest, breaking the chain of authority of her own father.
Let‟s say the dreamer is a young adult still under the thumb of an authoritian father but wanting to break away from his influence, and experience adult life to the full. (Barry, 2002:59)
The writer concentrated the focus on another Suwen‟s friend, Janice.
Janice‟s family lived in the era of World War 2 where the Japanese took the
control over British in Singapore, the Japanese imperial army prohibitted the
social norm and culture to be fully conducted and every life aspect should be done
and devoted to the preparation of Japanese imperial army war logistic. Mr. Wong
was Jan‟s father and Mrs. Wong was Jan‟s mother.
Joseph Wong Weng Choy was an impatient and disappointed salesman.
He managed the process of his own behaviour and thought in the development of
his own psyche, giving a gapbetween his own feeling of anger or desperation and
the protection toward the family, in order to escape the confession of the failure
