xi ABSTRACT
Pareka, Risa Y. (2008). Motivation of the Main Character in Becoming A Prostitute: A Comparative Study of Paulo Coelho sEleven Minutes and Nawal EL Saadawi s Woman at Point Zero. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.
This study analyzes Nawal El Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero and Paulo Coelho’s Eleven Minutes. Both of the novels portray the life of a prostitute. Therefore, this study discusses the motivation of the main character in becoming a prostitute.
The aim of the study is to answer the two questions in the problem formulation. The first is how Firdaus and Maria are described. The second is what motivate Firdaus and Maria in becoming a prostitute.
This thesis employed the library research in gathering the data. There were two kinds of sources used in this study, namely primary and secondary sources. The primary source was obtained from the novels, Woman at Point Zero and Eleven Minutes. The secondary sources were gained from books on literary works. This study utilizes theory of character and characterization, theory of comparative study and also theory of motivation. The approach used is psychological approach because this study deals with the main character’s motivation in becoming a prostitute.
There are two findings based on the analysis. The first finding describes the characterization of Firdaus and Maria. Firdaus is a smart and brave woman. She is a smart woman because she wants to learn many things. She is a brave woman because she is able to face the death sentence. She is also determined woman because of her belief and hatred toward men. Maria is a smart, brave, and an ambitious girl. Maria’s smartness is seen by the way she uses her attraction to reach her dream. Her bravery is shown from the way she makes a decision in becoming a prostitute. Her ambition is shown when she wants to be a successful girl.
xii
xiii
ABSTRAK
Pareka, Risa Y. (2008). Motivation of the Main Character in Becoming A Prostitute: A Comparative Study of Paulo Coelho sEleven Minutes and Nawal EL Saadawi s Woman at Point Zero. Yogyakarta: Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Skripsi ini membahas tentang novel karya Nawal El Saadawi, Woman at Point Zero dan Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes. Kedua novel ini menggambarkan kehidupan dari seorang pelacur. Oleh karena itu, skripsi ini membahas tentang motivasi dari karakter utama di dalam novel tersebut untuk menjadi pelacur.
Tujuan dari skripsi ini adalah untuk menjawab dua pertanyaan dalam rumusan masalah, yang pertama bagaimana karakter Firdaus dan Maria, sedangkan yang kedua, apa yang memotivasi Firdaus dan Maria untuk menjadi seorang pelacur.
Studi ini menggunakan studi pustaka untuk mengumpulkan data. Ada dua macam sumber yang digunakan, yakni sumber utama dan sumber kedua. Sumber utama didapat dari novel, Woman at Point Zero dan Eleven Minutes, sedangkan sumber kedua didapat dari beberapa beberapa buku kesusastraan. Studi ini menggunakan karakter dan karakteristik, teori perbandingan dan juga teori motivasi. Pendekatan yang digunakan adalah pendekatan psikologi yang menyangkut tentang motivasi dari karakter utama untuk menjadi seorang pelacur.
Ada dua hasil analisa berdasarkan analisis yang dilakukan. Hasil analisa pertama menyatakan karakteristik dari Firdaus dan Maria. Firdaus adalah seorang wanita yang pandai dan berani. Firdaus adalah seseorang yang pintar karena dia ingin belajar banyak hal. Firdaus adalah seseorang yang berani karena dia dapat menghadapi hukuman mati. Firdaus adalah seorang wanita yang mempunyai tekad yang kuat karena kepercayaan dan kebenciannya terhadap laki-laki. Maria adalah seorang wanita yang pintar, berani, dan ambisius. Kepintaran Maria ditunjukkan dalam penggunaan daya tariknya untuk mencapai cita-citanya. Keberaniannya ditunjukkan dari caranya membuat keputusan untuk menjadi seorang pelacur. Ambisinya ditunjukkan ketika dia ingin menjadi wanita yang sukses.
Hasil analisa kedua menunjukkan motivasi Firdaus dan Maria untuk menjadi seorang pelacur. Ada beberapa motivasi yang didorong oleh tujuh macam kebutuhan dan bagian dari kepribadian. Kebutuhan badaniah merupakan kebutuhan dasar. Firdaus dan Maria berasal dari keluarga yang kurang mampu secara ekonomi, oleh karena itu, id dan ego memotivasi mereka untuk mencari uang yang banyak. Pelacur adalah suatu pekerjaan yang membuat Firdaus merasa aman dari laki-laki. Sedangkan, menjadi seorang pelacur dengan banyak uang membuat Maria merasa aman karena dia tidak perlu cemas lagi untuk membuat keluarganya bahagia. Oleh karena itu, mereka dapat memenuhi kebutuhan akan keamanan.
xiv
i
MOTIVATION OF THE MAIN CHARACTER IN BECOMING A PROSTITUTE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PAULO COELHO’S ELEVEN MINUTES
AND NAWAL EL SAADAWI’S WOMAN AT POINT ZERO
A Thesis
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain theSarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By Risa Pareka Y
Student Number: 041214020
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
ii A Thesis on
MOTIVATION OF THE MAIN CHARACTER IN BECOMING A PROSTITUTE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PAULO COELHO’S ELEVEN MINUTES
AND NAWAL EL SAADAWI’S WOMAN AT POINT ZERO
Risa Pareka Y
Student Number: 041214020
Approved by
Date
iii A Thesis on
MOTIVATION OF THE MAIN CHARACTER IN BECOMING A PROSTITUTE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PAULO COELHO’S ELEVEN MINUTES
AND NAWAL EL SAADAWI’S WOMAN AT POINT ZERO
Risa Pareka Y
Student Number: 041214020
Defended before the Board of Examiners on November 24, 2008
and Declared Acceptable Board of Examiners Chairperson : A. Hardi Prasetyo, S.Pd., M.A.
Secretary : Made Frida Yulia, S.Pd., M.Pd. Member : Henny Herawati, S.Pd., M.Hum. Member : Dr. A. Herujiyanto, M.A.
Member : Carla Sih Prabandari, S.Pd., M.Hum.
iv
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY
I honestly declare that this thesis, which I wrote, does not contain the work or parts of the work of other people, except those cited in the quotations and the references, as a scientific paper should.
Yogyakarta, November 24, 2008 The Writer
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertandatangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma: Nama : Risa Pareka Y
Nomor Mahasiswa : 041214020
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:
MOTIVATION OF THE MAIN CHARACTER IN BECOMING A PROSTITUTE:
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PAULO COELHO’S ELEVEN MINUTES AND NAWAL EL SAADAWI’S WOMAN AT POINT ZERO
Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal: 13 Desember 2008
Yang menyatakan,
v
Today I s The Day
by Semetra C. VanisonToday is t he day I will change my mind, and leave all t he negat ive t hings behind.
Today is t he day I want t o be f ree, and not let lif e t roubles get t o me.
Today is t he day I will do my best ,
and make sure I f ocus t o past each day' s t est .
Today is t he day I will t ake a st and, and choose t o do right t o my f ellow man.
Today is t he day I will put my f oot down,
and encourage myself when I f eel I want t o f rown.
I will respect t hose around me, young and old, f or respect is t he key, t hat ' s what I ' ve been t old.
I will reach f or t he st ars no mat t er how hard it seems, and f ly like a bird wit h t he knowledge t his j ourney brings.
So you see it ' s not impossible, I must t ake lif e day by day and do t he right t hings as I t ravel along t he wa
vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Most of all, I would like to express my greatest gratitude to Jesus Christ andMother Mary. I am sure that I would not have been able to write this thesis and to finish it without their blessing. Their blessing has given me the greatest power to finish writing this thesis.
I would like to sincerely express my deepest gratitude to my sponsor, Henny Herawati S.Pd., M.Hum., who had supported me and given me advice. I would like to thank her for her kindness, patience, and beneficial suggestion for my thesis. May God bless her and all of her families with luck and great happiness.
My next gratitude is for all lecturers of English Education Study Program for guiding and showing their knowledge during my study in Sanata Dharma University. I also thank all English Education Study Program secretariat staffs andSanata Dharma University library staffs for their assistance and best services.
vii
Then, I would like to appreciate my classmates, Rini, Eli, Sita, Sukma, Cahya, Reni, Chrisogonus, Oon, Lani, Nana, Christina, Icha, Mita, Vina, Mbak Nora, Tia for their willingness to always help me, share laughter, happiness, madness and pain with me. I thank Patrice and Jodi, who become my thesis readers.
Finally, I thank all of 2004 PBI students whom I cannot mention one by one, who have given me support in the process of writing this thesis. I thank them for being so good to me.
For all the people whom I love, may God bless them all and give them great happiness.
viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE PAGE ……… i
PAGES OF APPROVAL…….……… ii
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY……….. iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………. vi
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 2.1 Theoretical Review ……… 6
2.2 Theoretical Framework ………. 18
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Subject Matter ……… 20
ix
3.3 Research Procedures ……….. 22
CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS 4.1 The Characterization of Main Characters ………...……… 24
4.1.1 The Characterization of Firdaus ……….. 25
4.1.1.1 Smart ……….………... 25
4.1.1.2 Brave ……….………... 26
4.1.1.3 Determined ……….…. 27
4.1.2 The Characterization of Maria ………..…………... 29
4.1.2.1 Smart ……….….. 29
4.1.2.2 Brave ………..…….. 30
4.1.2.3 Ambitious ……….……... 31
4.2 Motivation of the Main Character in Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero and Coelho’s Eleven Minutes in Becoming a Prostitute …….. 32
4.2.1 The Similarity between Firdaus and Maria Decision in Choosing Prostitution as Their Profession: The Family Background……...………..….. 33
4.2.2 The Differences between Firdaus and Maria Decision in Choosing Prostitution as Their Profession…………... 38
4.2.2.1 The Society/ Surroundings ……….. 38
4.2.2.2 Love ………...……….. 44
4.2.2.3 Economy ……… 48
CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 5.1 Conclusions………. 53
5.2 Suggestions ………. 57
5.2.1 Suggestions for the Future Researchers ……….. 57
5.2.2 Suggestions for English Teachers ………... 58
x
APPENDICES………63
Appendix 1 Lesson Plan for teaching Intensive reading II………... 64
Appendix 2 Syllabus of Intensive Reading II………. 68
Appendix 3 Teaching Material……… 70
Appendix 4 Summary of Eleven Minutes……….. 77
Appendix 5 The Biography of Paulo Coelho……….. 79
Appendix 6 Summary of Woman at Point Zero……….... .81
xi ABSTRACT
Pareka, Risa Y. (2008). Motivation of the Main Character in Becoming A Prostitute: A Comparative Study of Paulo Coelho sEleven Minutes and Nawal EL Saadawi s Woman at Point Zero. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.
This study analyzes Nawal El Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero and Paulo Coelho’s Eleven Minutes. Both of the novels portray the life of a prostitute. Therefore, this study discusses the motivation of the main character in becoming a prostitute.
The aim of the study is to answer the two questions in the problem formulation. The first is how Firdaus and Maria are described. The second is what motivate Firdaus and Maria in becoming a prostitute.
This thesis employed the library research in gathering the data. There were two kinds of sources used in this study, namely primary and secondary sources. The primary source was obtained from the novels, Woman at Point Zero and Eleven Minutes. The secondary sources were gained from books on literary works. This study utilizes theory of character and characterization, theory of comparative study and also theory of motivation. The approach used is psychological approach because this study deals with the main character’s motivation in becoming a prostitute.
There are two findings based on the analysis. The first finding describes the characterization of Firdaus and Maria. Firdaus is a smart and brave woman. She is a smart woman because she wants to learn many things. She is a brave woman because she is able to face the death sentence. She is also determined woman because of her belief and hatred toward men. Maria is a smart, brave, and an ambitious girl. Maria’s smartness is seen by the way she uses her attraction to reach her dream. Her bravery is shown from the way she makes a decision in becoming a prostitute. Her ambition is shown when she wants to be a successful girl.
xii
xiii
ABSTRAK
Pareka, Risa Y. (2008). Motivation of the Main Character in Becoming A Prostitute: A Comparative Study of Paulo Coelho sEleven Minutes and Nawal EL Saadawi s Woman at Point Zero. Yogyakarta: Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Skripsi ini membahas tentang novel karya Nawal El Saadawi, Woman at Point Zero dan Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes. Kedua novel ini menggambarkan kehidupan dari seorang pelacur. Oleh karena itu, skripsi ini membahas tentang motivasi dari karakter utama di dalam novel tersebut untuk menjadi pelacur.
Tujuan dari skripsi ini adalah untuk menjawab dua pertanyaan dalam rumusan masalah, yang pertama bagaimana karakter Firdaus dan Maria, sedangkan yang kedua, apa yang memotivasi Firdaus dan Maria untuk menjadi seorang pelacur.
Studi ini menggunakan studi pustaka untuk mengumpulkan data. Ada dua macam sumber yang digunakan, yakni sumber utama dan sumber kedua. Sumber utama didapat dari novel, Woman at Point Zero dan Eleven Minutes, sedangkan sumber kedua didapat dari beberapa beberapa buku kesusastraan. Studi ini menggunakan karakter dan karakteristik, teori perbandingan dan juga teori motivasi. Pendekatan yang digunakan adalah pendekatan psikologi yang menyangkut tentang motivasi dari karakter utama untuk menjadi seorang pelacur.
Ada dua hasil analisa berdasarkan analisis yang dilakukan. Hasil analisa pertama menyatakan karakteristik dari Firdaus dan Maria. Firdaus adalah seorang wanita yang pandai dan berani. Firdaus adalah seseorang yang pintar karena dia ingin belajar banyak hal. Firdaus adalah seseorang yang berani karena dia dapat menghadapi hukuman mati. Firdaus adalah seorang wanita yang mempunyai tekad yang kuat karena kepercayaan dan kebenciannya terhadap laki-laki. Maria adalah seorang wanita yang pintar, berani, dan ambisius. Kepintaran Maria ditunjukkan dalam penggunaan daya tariknya untuk mencapai cita-citanya. Keberaniannya ditunjukkan dari caranya membuat keputusan untuk menjadi seorang pelacur. Ambisinya ditunjukkan ketika dia ingin menjadi wanita yang sukses.
Hasil analisa kedua menunjukkan motivasi Firdaus dan Maria untuk menjadi seorang pelacur. Ada beberapa motivasi yang didorong oleh tujuh macam kebutuhan dan bagian dari kepribadian. Kebutuhan badaniah merupakan kebutuhan dasar. Firdaus dan Maria berasal dari keluarga yang kurang mampu secara ekonomi, oleh karena itu, id dan ego memotivasi mereka untuk mencari uang yang banyak. Pelacur adalah suatu pekerjaan yang membuat Firdaus merasa aman dari laki-laki. Sedangkan, menjadi seorang pelacur dengan banyak uang membuat Maria merasa aman karena dia tidak perlu cemas lagi untuk membuat keluarganya bahagia. Oleh karena itu, mereka dapat memenuhi kebutuhan akan keamanan.
xiv
1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter consists of five parts, namely background of the study, aim of the study, problem formulation, and benefits of the study and definition of terms. The background of the study explains the topic of this study. The aim of the study deals with the objectives of the thesis. The problem formulation consists of two questions which in general describe the problems that will be analyzed in this thesis. Benefits of the study explain the advantages of conducting this thesis. Definition of Terms gives the explanation about some terms that are related to the study to avoid misunderstanding about them.
1.1 Background of the Study
There are various motivations in or to achieve goals. According to Maslow, there are five motivations in human needs. He called these motivations a hierarchy of needs. They are physiological needs, safety needs, love or belongingness needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization. In self-actualization, Maslow states that self-actualized persons were interested in the goals toward which they were working, but in many instances, the way in which the goals were pursued was a goal itself. They took satisfaction in both doing and the product of that doing (309). Hence, if a person wants to get success to achieve the goals, one of way to make it real is through working. In this study, I will discuss the main characters who work as prostitutes.
Prostitution is the oldest profession in the world. During the middle ages, prostitution was not prohibited. The attitude of worldly and religious authorities towards prostitution was pragmatic. Many countries tolerated prostitution to protect chaste female citizens from rape and defilement. There were, however, a number of conditions imposed on prostitutes and their clients. Prostitutes were not allowed to be married (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Age_Prostitution). So, we can see here that in the past, prostitution is legal although there are some rules for the prostitutes. Many countries were not prohibited female citizens to be prostitutes because they wanted to protect them from rape and defilement. Hence, prostitution was legal.
protected by the law. The concept of honor was very important in early modern Dutch society. Honor had social significance, but it also had legal ramifications. Honorable people had more rights. Until the late sixteenth century honor, aside from citizenship, was the most important criterion for the stratification of society (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Age_Prostitution.htm). In other words, we can say that Dutch society prohibit prostitution because they regard that prostitution is dishonorable. It is just unworthy profession.
Holden Caulfield claims that the word prostitute is sometimes generalized to mean the selling of one’s services for a cause thought to be unworthy, in the sense of prostituting oneself or whoring oneself (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cather_in_the_Rhy). Currently, women working as prostitutes are perceived as bad girls and contravening social norms. Society stigma still believes that there is no positive side of being prostitutes. Working as prostitutes are worst, even if it is their choice of life. In fact, they are working to survive in society. They just want to make money for their life. Ironically, prostitution is considered as an unworthy profession since the prostitutes sells their service using her beauty of their body to attract men in exchange for money.
1.2 Problem Formulation
There are two main questions that I am going to deal with based on the topic:
1. How are the main characters of Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero and Coelho’s Eleven Minutes described?
2. What motivate the main characters in Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero and Coelho’s Eleven Minutes in becoming a prostitute?
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The purpose of this study is to describe the character of Firdaus as the main character in Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero and Maria as the main character in Coelho’s Eleven Minutes. The purpose of this study also to reveal the differences and the similarities of the motivation between Firdaus as the main character in Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero and Maria as the main character in Coelho’s Eleven Minutes.
1.4 Benefits of the Study
Second, it is for the future researchers who will study about the same topic, I hope this study can be supporting resource for them in completing their study.
Finally, it is for the readers, I expect that the readers may perceive prostitution from a different point of view. The readers can regard that prostitution is not merely about unworthy profession.
1.5 Definition of Terms
This part will provide some terms that are related to the study to avoid misunderstanding about them.
1. According to Smith, motivation is an internal process that influences the direction, persistence and vigor of goal directed behavior (282). In this study, motivation is someone’s desire which can lead her to achieve goals.
2. Prostitute is a person who is paid to provide sexual intercourse or other sex acts (Webster 1164). In this study, a prostitute is someone who sells her body in exchange for money.
6 CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter contains all review of related literature used in this thesis. It discusses the theoretical review and theoretical framework. In the theoretical review, the writer presents theories of literature related to the problem formulation. They are theory of critical approach to literature, theory of character, theory of characterization, theory of comparative literature, theory of psychology and also theory of motivation. Meanwhile, in the theoretical framework reviews some theories to give the guidance in focusing the analysis of the subject in this study.
2.1 Theoretical Review
This part consists of some theories related to literature that are important to support the analysis in this study. They are theory of critical approaches to literature, theory of character, theory of characterization, theory of psychology and theory of motivation.
2.1.1 Theory of Critical Approaches to Literature
approach, sociocultural-historical approach, biographical aaproach, mythopoeic approach and psychological approach.
The writer only uses one of the approaches stated above. It is psychological approach. Rohrberger and Woods state that this approach leads us to analyze the novel from psychological points of view of human beings. That is from the organization of thought and feelings of the character. Moreover, it also explaining and understanding the human motivation (13). Since this study aims at analyzing Firdaus and Maria’s motivation in becoming a prostitute, so that psychological approach is used in terms of the psychological aspects to analyze their motivation.
2.1.2 Theory of Character
A character plays an important role in a literary work such as in a novel. Every character that is described by the author in his or her work is the reflection of people in real life as it is stated by Holman and Hormon (81). In addition, Abrams defines characters as the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say, the dialogue and by what they do, the action. The grounds in the characters’ temperament, desires, and moral nature for their speech and actions are called their motivation (20).
identified through the complexity of their characterization, the attention given by certain figures and the personal intensity that a character seems to transmit. The major characters will completely need the reader’s fullest attention because they perform a key structural function (178-179). Different from major character, Henkle says that secondary character is a character who serves function that is more restricted. He performs and responds in more limited functions and may be less sophisticated; therefore their response to experience is less complex and less refreshing (180-181).
2.1.3 Theory of Characterization
According to Barnet and Berman characterization or personality is defined, as in fiction by what the characters do or by what they say, by what others say about them and by the setting in which they move (77). We can say that the participations of those things may help the readers understand what kind of character he or she in the novel. Thus, the participants of those things are very important in knowing the personality of each character in the novel.
character. The author can give us insight into the character of one of the person in the book through what the person says. Whenever a person speaks, has conversation with others and puts forward an opinion, he is giving us some clues to his character (163-166).
Another way to presents the character stated by Murphy is past life. In a story sometimes, the plot jump to the past event and it also involves the past life of the character. He stated:
By letting the reader learn something about a person’s past life the author can give us a clue to events the have helped to shape a person’s character. This can be done by direct comment by the author, through the person’s thought, through his conversation or through the medium of another person (167).
Next, conversation of others. The author can also give us clues to a person’s character through the conversation of other people and the things they say about him (167-168). Reaction is also one of the nine ways to present the characters. The author can give us a person’s character by letting us to know how the person reacts to various situations and events (169).
describe a person’s mannerism, habits or idiosyncrasies, which may also tell us something about his character (171).
2.1.4 Theory of Comparative Literature
Tieghem in Bassnett, states that comparative literature should involve the study of two elements (27). In addition, Holman and Harmon define comparative literature as follows:
Comparative study is the study of literatures of different their relationships. In the 19th century, concurrently with the beginning of the comparative study of religion and mythology, various European scholars began to develop theories and methods for the comparative study of literatures of different languages and nationalities (104).
Those theories above are also supported by Remak in Basnett. He clarifies comparative literature as follows:
Comparative literature is the study of literature beyond the confines of one particular country, and the study of the relationships between literature on the one hand, and other areas of knowledge and belief, such as the arts (e.g. painting, sculpture, architecture, music), philosophy, history, the social sciences (e.g. politics, economics, sociology), the sciences, religion, etc., on the other. In brief, it is the comparison of one literature with another or others, and the comparison of literature with other spheres of human expression (31).
2.1.5 Psychoanalytic Theory of Motivation
Freud in Weiner describes the psychoanalytic theory that offers a concept of motivated behaviors. The basic principles are two central concepts namely, homeostasis and hedonism (10). Homeostasis is a tendency to maintain internal equilibrium while hedonism is a principle that pleasure and happiness are the goal of life. Homeostasis governs behaviors and pleasure is the result of being in equilibrium where all the goals are satisfied. Activity then indicates dissatisfaction because satisfied individual does not pursue any stimulation (11).
Freud points out that all psychological works need energy. These concepts are pertinent to this concept. The first is conservation of energy. It says that there is a constant amount of energy in human body. Therefore, if energy is spent for one function, it cannot be used for other functions. The second is entropy. It refers to energy that is not available or doing work (11). Freud states that the third concept is the concept of kinetic or bound or potential energy. The term “cathexis” refers to bound energy. Energy is bound when it is attached to an object that is desires and has not been attained. If the goal is fulfilled, this energy is transferred into free (potential energy) (11-12).
well as distinct process. This concept can be used to explain that behaviors are governed by needs, rationality and ideals (13-14).
First, the id. Freud states that it is the first system within a person. The contents of the id are unconscious. It is the source of all psychological energy. It functions to release internal tension immediately. Immediate pleasure is the goal and achieved through homeostatic process and tension reduction (14). Moreover he says that id operates based on hedonism doctrine. There are two processes of how the id accomplishes its goal. These two processes are reflex action and the primary process. Reflex actions are automatic reactions like sneezing and blinking which reduce tension immediately while the primary process discharge tension by an image of an object (14-15).
Third, the super-ego. It is called a one’s conscious. It is the internalized values in one self. Superego has two main functions. These are to reward individual for acceptable behaviors and to punish actions that are not socially sanctioned. The superego always fights against unacceptable impulse (16). Here, Freud says that those are the components of the structure of personality. The ego inhibits the striving of the id. Yet it must satisfy the id demand. Ego is the highest structure of a person that responsible for final behavioral decisions. Ego is also said to be the executive agency (16-17).
Freud also defines that Homeostasis and hedonism are also related to the structure of personality. The energy for behavior stores in the id. The duty of the ego is to prevent immediate gratification especially if it leads to pain. Later the ego creates counter cathexis which gets id of the threatening wish from consciousness. There is always a conflict between the id cathexis and the ego counter cathexis for counter cathexis opposes goal attainment. The existence of this conflict between the personal demands and the society demands (17).
the first model, the ego that aids the organism to adapt the environment does not function. They only coordinate wishes with immediate gratification (20). Regarding the fact that immediate gratification may result in more pain that pleasure. Freud formulates the other two models, which involves the ego. The ego delays and alters the direction of behaviors. The third model is what is called secondary model of action. It includes delay mechanism (by the ego). The last model is secondary model of thought. This model involves thoughts and plans to attain the goal (20-21).
2.1.6 Theory of Motivation
There are so many factors make a person to do an action because of his/ her motivation. In this thesis, the writer would like to analyze the motivation of Firdaus and Maria in becoming a prostitute. Before we discuss it further, it is better if we know what a motivation is. According Murray, motivation is a desire. Motivation is always related to behavior because it is involved in all kinds of behaviors: learning, performing, perceiving, attending, remembering, forgetting, thinking, creating, and feeling. Motivation also affects someone’s behavior because motivation may function as incentive for someone to behave in a certain manner (7). Another researcher, Petri, states; “motivation is the concept used when we describe the process within an organism to initiate” (3).
to achieve their goals. Motivation also makes human being behave in a specific behavior that supports them in the process of achieving their goals (282).
Another researcher, Maslow says; “People conduct action to fulfill their needs.” He also says that man is initially motivated by a series of basic needs; as these are satisfied, he moves toward the level of the higher needs and becomes motivated by them (47). The basic needs according to Maslow are physiological needs, safety needs, belongingness needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization. These basic needs called the hierarchy of needs.
.
Figure 1.Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
controlling and directing behavior, for example hunger and thirst and also the basic requirement for other needs (38).
Second level is safety needs. It is the need to be secure and out of danger. Higher needs become unimportant when one’s life is endangered, and our behavior reflects our attempts to remain secure (39). Moreover, Maslow felt that working of the safety needs could also be seen in people’s preference for familiar surroundings, secure jobs, savings accounts, and insurance. In no satisfactory of these needs, one reacts if one was in a threatening situation obsessive –compulsive neuroses (40).
The third level is Love or belongingness needs. These needs involve a hunger for affectionate with others, a need to feel part of group, or a feeling that one “belongs” (40). The love needs require both the receiving and giving of love-love from another and someone to love-love. There are some ways to gain a sense of belonging needs. Marriage, a job, or admission to a select group such as a fraternity, sorority, or civic group can serve this need. The lack of these needs cause behavior maladjustment (41).
The forth level is esteem needs. There are two subcategories of these needs namely, a need for self-esteem and a need for esteem from others. Maslow explains those two terms. He says:
When the esteem needs are satisfied, one has feelings of confidence and self-worth and sees oneself as having a purpose in the world. Lack of esteem leads the individual to feel inconsequential and to have little self-worth (42).
The last level is self-actualization. The behavior of self-actualized person is motivated by anew set of needs, which Maslow termed the being need (B-motivation or meta(B-motivation). This B-motivates is values such as truth, honesty, beauty, and goodness, and they provide meaning to the life of the self-actualized individual. This individual is motivated to become what he is capable of becoming. A self-actualized person is not motivated by deficiencies anymore and is stimulated to test his abilities (305). According to Maslow, only few people in the society can reach self-actualization for it takes really much time. Most people who can reach are over sixty years old (305-306).
2.2 Theoretical Framework
The analysis explains some theories to answer the problem formulation proposed in the problem formulation. They are theory of critical approach to literature, theory of character and characterization, theory of comparative study, theory of psychology and theory of motivation.
First, the writer uses theory of critical approach to literature and theory of character to answer the first problem formulation that is about the characterization of Firdaus and Maria as the main character. The theory of critical approach contains the psychological approach proposed by Rohrbrger and Woods. This approach used in order to help the writer in analyzing the main character so that the writer is able to answer the first problem formulation. Then, the writer applies theory of character and characterization proposed by Murphy. This theory presents nine ways in knowing the characters in a story. Therefore, it is very useful to get deeper understanding on their characters.
20 CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY
This chapter consists of three parts. They are subject matter, approach of the study, and research procedures. The subject matter deals with the subject of the study. Then, the approach of the study covers the literature approach used to analyze the novels. The last is research procedures which consists of some stages and sources used in completing the study.
3.1 Subject Matter
The primary subjects in this study are Eleven Minutes and Woman at Point Zero. Eleven Minutes consists of 269 pages and is divided into thirty-one chapters. This novel has written by Paulo Coelho. According to Filippo, Coelho is one of the most beloved authors of our time. His book has been translated into 61 languages and published in 150 countries. He was inducted into the Brazilian Academy of Letters in 2002 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/eleven_minutes).
Eleven Minutes tells a story about Maria, a young girl living in Brazilian village. There, she can only have access to restricted facility. She lives in worst conditions when she has to stay in a moderate family. In addition, she always feels upset with her love. These conditions lead her to make a vacation in Rio de Janeiro. In this place, she meets a Swiss tourist named Roger who has a club in Geneva. Roger wants to hire Maria as a dancer for his club. Here, Maria tries to find her fame and fortune to make her dreams come true and later she becomes a prostitute. Being a prostitute makes her to get a lot of money. Moreover, during her profession as a prostitute, she finally finds her real love through a young painter man named Ralf.
Woman at Point Zero tells about a woman named Firdaus who is waiting for execution in Cairo prison of murdering a pimp. She is poor and suffering from hunger and parental cruelty as a child. Every man she ever met including her husband treats her badly. Then, she finally meets Sherifa. She is a prostitute who tells about her life to Firdaus. Later, this condition takes Firdaus to prostitution. Living in the prostitution world, Firdaus is capable of earning a lot of money.
3.2 Approach of the Study
Moreover, this approach helps the writer to observe the motivation of Maria and Firdaus in becoming a prostitute.
3.3 Research Procedures
In writing this thesis, the writer used library research to gather primary and secondary data. There were some stages during the process of this study. The stages could be clarified in the following paragraphs.
First of all, the writer chose Coelho’s Eleven Minutes and Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero. The writer started to read the novels many times in order to get better understanding. While reading the novels, the writer took some important notes that were interesting to be analyzed. Then, finally, the writer decided to analyze psychological aspect of the main character.
24 CHAPTER 4
ANALYSIS
In this chapter, the writer analyzes the problems stated in the first chapter. The first part is the discussion on the main character of Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero and Coelho’s Eleven Minutes. Then, the second part is the discussion on the motivation of the main characters in Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero and Coelho’s Eleven Minutes in becoming a prostitute.
4.1 The Characterization of Main Character
Abrams defines characters as the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say, the dialogue, and by what they do, the action (20). Firdaus is the person presented in a novel, and so does Maria. Firdaus is presented in Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero, whereas Maria is presented in Coelho’s Eleven Minutes.
4.1.1 The Characterization of Firdaus 4.1.1.1 Smart
Firdaus is a clever student. She loves to go to school to study. She likes to learn something new especially learn new books and subject at school. She also becomes one of the best students in class. Even, she has already awarded two certificates. They are primary and secondary school certificates.
I liked classes and I enjoyed studying, despite the unfailing vigilance of the superintendent, and other things. When the results of the final examination were announced, I was told that I have out in the school and seventh countryside (32).
Moreover, reading newspapers and magazines become her habit since then. It is because she always goes to the library to read them. This can be seen on page 27. “Newspapers and magazines were delivered to the library regularly. I got into the habit of reading what was written in them and looking at the picture.”
Firdaus also loves to read in a library although it is a bad room in her school and she has to sit in a broken chair. She does not only read newspapers and magazines there, but she also reads a lot of books. Reading a lot of books make her able to find and learn many things.
I developed a love of books, for with every book I learned something new. I got to know about Persians, the Turks and the Arabs. I read about the crimes committed by kings and rulers, about wars, people, revolutions, and the lives of revolutionaries (26).
love and men. Actually, beyond this condition, Firdaus only wants to do as men can do.
I know that woman did not become heads of state, but I felt that I was nor like other women, nor like other girls around me who kept talking about love, or about men. For these were subjects I never mentioned, somehow I was not interested in the things that occupied their minds, and what seemed of importance to them stuck me as being trivial (25).
All of the Firdaus’s speech above shows that she is a smart woman. It can be seen when she wants to learn many things and has two certificates.
4.1.1.2 Brave
Firdaus is a brave woman. She is able to fight against men, especially a pimp. She refuses him to protect herself as a prostitute. She also shows her bad behavior to that man. It can be seen from Firdaus’s reaction to a pimp below.
One day he saw me entering my house and followed me. I tried to shut the door in his face, but he took out a knife, threatened me with it, and forced his way in.
“(Firdaus) What do you want of me?” I asked.
“(The Pimp) I want to protect you from other men,” he replied. “(Firdaus) But no one else besides you is menacing me” (92).
As a prostitute, Firdaus can do bad things to a pimp. She can fight against him harshly. She slaps him and it becomes worst when she kills him with her own hands. It is shown from Firdaus’s reaction to a pimp. She does those bad things to a pimp because she does not like him.
At the end of the story in the novel, Firdaus shows her bravery through her speech. She does not want to ask the President to pardon her as a woman who will get a death sentence. She prefers to accept the death penalty.
“There is hope for you to release if you send an appeal to the president asking him to pardon you for the crime you committed”.
…
“Everybody has to die. I prefer to die for a crime I have committed rather than to die for one of the crimes which you have committed” (101).
The analysis above shows Firdaus’s bravery. It can be seen from Firdaus’s speech and reaction that she is able to kill a pimp and face her death sentence.
4.1.1.3 Determined
Starting from her childhood until adulthood, Firdaus hates men. It is because all men treat her badly. They think that they are better than Firdaus. That is why in her mind, she hates men. Therefore, Firdaus has a strong determination to find justice for her. Then, this condition brings her to the prostitution world. It can be seen from Firdaus’s speech below.
I became aware of the fact that I hated men, but for long years had hidden this secret carefully. The men I hated most of all were those who tried to give me advice, or told me that they wanted to rescue me from the life I was leading. I used to hate them more than the others because they thought they were better than I was and could help me change my life.
…
Her strong determination to find justice makes her to have a firm behavior too. It happens when she does not want to be a female employee anymore in a company. She feels that she is more valued as a prostitute rather than as a female employee. It is shown from her thought that being a prostitute is better than a female employee.
After I had spent three years in the company, I realized that as a prostitute I had been looked upon with more respect, and been valued more highly than all the female employees, myself included.
…
An employee is scared of losing her job and becoming a prostitute because she does not understand that the prostitute’s life is in fact better than hers (75-76).
Her firm behavior makes her think that being a prostitute is the right choice. She realizes that only by being a prostitute she can have the same level as men. Even, she can be respected by great men. Furthermore, by being a prostitute she can enjoy her life. It is clearly seen from her thought below.
I became a very successful prostitute. I was paid the highest price and even men of great importance competed for my favors.
…
Because I was intelligent, I prefer to be a free prostitute, rather than an enslaved wife. Every time I gave my body, I charged the highest price. I could employ any number of servants to wash my clothes and clean my shoes, hire a lawyer no matter how expensive to defend my honor, pay a doctor for an abortion, buy a journalist to publish a picture and write something about me in the newspapers (89-91).
4.1.2. The Characterization of Maria 4.1.2.1 Smart
Maria is a smart girl. She is able to use her attraction to reach her dream. It is seen from Maria’s mannerism. She uses her attraction to get what she wants, especially to men who can give her money. She realizes that her beauty is her commodity to make men easily attracted to her. She knows that many men fall in love with her because of her physical beauty. She also knows that her beauty can be used as a power to get money, so that she knows how to take advantages from men who fall in love with her. These happen when she works in a shop where her boss falls in love with her. This condition makes Maria able to get some money from him.
She turned nineteen, having finished secondary school, and found a job in a draper’s shop, where her boss promptly feels in love with her. By then, however, Maria knew how to use a man, without being used by him. She never let him touch her, although she was very coquettish, conscious of her beauty.
…
With this in mind, she continued to keep her boss at arm’s length, though without putting him off completely, and this brought her a considerable increase in salary… (17).
Maria’s smartness is also seen from her other mannerism when she wants to learn French. She uses her spare time to learn and practice French in order to improve her French. Therefore, she buys some magazines to improve her French. Moreover, Maria’s smartness is shown when she often goes to library to read some books. There, she also can share about the contents of those books with the librarian.
that she was spending too much money, and so she looked for the nearest lending library. The woman in charge told her that they didn’t lend out magazines, but that she could suggest a few books that would help improve her French.
…
Maria became a regular visitor to the library, where she would chat to the woman, who seemed as lonely as she was, ask her to suggest more books and discuss life and authors until her money had nearly run out (49-50). Maria’s mannerisms above show that she is a smart girl. It is proved by the way she uses her power of attraction to reach her dream and also she wants to improve her French.
4.1.2.2 Brave
Maria is brave enough to build a new relationship with a man although she often feels upset with her love. She falls in love many times but she also feels suffer of her love. This condition does not make her afraid to find another love. Therefore, she never gives up building relationship with a man. This is seen from her mannerism on page 15; “…she went out with one boy and with another, and she dreamed and suffered despite her promise to herself never to fall in love again.”
“I’m looking for work, “she told the owner, who was washing glasses behind the bar.”
…
“(Brazilian girl) What made you choose this place?” …
“(Maria) To be perfectly honest, I don’t know where to start or if I want to start.”
She found herself confronted by the feeling that so often pushing people into making hasty decisions.
…
“(Maria) All right, I’ll start tonight.”
“(Milan) Tomorrow, wear black panties, bra and stocking. Taking off your clothes is all part of the ritual.”
Without more ado, and on the assumption now that he was talking to someone who was about to start work, … (64-67).
The analysis above describes Maria as a brave person. This characterization can be seen from her mannerism.
4.1.2.3 Ambitious
In the beginning of the story, the narrator describes Maria as an ambitious girl through her reaction. It is proved from her desire to increase her life economically. Since she comes from moderate family, Maria wants to improve her life economically. The fact that her father is a traveling salesman and her mother is a seamstress have pushed her to find a rich man in order to get better life. Those conditions become the factor that makes her to be an ambitious girl. Like all prostitutes, she was born both innocent and a virgin, and, as an
Maria’s ambition is also shown from her point of view that money is everything. It can be seen from her mannerism when she does not care about her own feeling because her ambition is to earn money. Her desire is to be a successful girl who has a lot of money, therefore, she is willing to do anything to reach it. It can be clarified that Maria is an ambitious girl who can do everything to make her dreams come true.
Maria chose to be an adventurer in search of treasure, she put aside her feelings, she stopped crying every night, and she forgot all about the person she used to be; she discovered that she had enough willpower to pretend that she had just been born and so had no reason to miss anyone. Feelings could wait, now what she needed to do was to earn some money, get to know the country and return home victorious (39).
Those sentences show that Maria is an ambitious girl. She becomes ambitious girl because of economical reason. It can be seen from Maria’s reaction and mannerism above.
4.2. Motivation of the Main Character in Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero and Coelho’s Eleven Minutes in Becoming A Prostitute
4.2.1. The Similarity between Firdaus and Maria Decision in Choosing Prostitution as Their Profession: The Family Background
Both Firdaus and Maria come from an economically low family. Firdaus’s father is a poor peasant farmer and her mother is a house wife. “My father, a poor peasant farmer, who could neither read, not write, knew very view things in life” (12). As a poor family, they cannot fulfill their basic needs. Sometimes they cannot have their supper. They are very hungry but they cannot eat because there is no food in their home. Even, they can go to bed with empty stomach. It is difficult for Firdaus’s family to fulfill their basic needs. As a result, Firdaus’s family lacks of physiological needs. “Sometimes when there was no food at home, we would all go to bed with empty stomachs” (18).
Maslow, that is physiological needs. Later, Firdaus can also fulfill her next needs. They are safety needs, belongingness needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. She will try to achieve the higher needs after she can achieve the lower one. It is because Maslow states that if a person can satisfy his/her basic need, he/she moves toward higher level of needs and becomes motivated by them (47).
...I first started to have a clean apartment of my own, overlooking the main street, engage a cook who prepared the food I ordered, and employ someone to arrange for my appointments at the hours which suited me, and in accordance with the terms which I considered acceptable. My bank account kept mounting all the time.
...
I had a large library in my apartment, and it was here I spent most of my free time (69).
Realizing that money can buy everything, Firdaus uses it to accumulate some facilities for her. She begins to have her own servants, hire a lawyer, and pay a doctor to do abortion. She can also pay a journalist to make news about her. It proves that Firdaus understands the power of money well. Furthermore, Firdaus uses her money to make herself a woman with honor of fame. She makes herself an honorable and famous woman through donating her money for charity, so she can be recognized as an honorable citizen.
I could employ any number of servants to wash my clothes and clean shoes, hire a lawyer no matter how expensive to defend my honor, pay a doctor for an abortion, buy a journalist to publish my picture and write something about me in the newspaper.
...
One day, when I donated some money to charitable association, the newspapers published pictures of me and sang praises as the model of a citizen with a sense of civic responsibility (91).
and her mother is a seamstress. Her parents cannot give her facilities and pleasure. As a result, they fail to meet their physiological needs. Therefore, Maria has to work in a draper’s shop. She works in a draper’s shop when she is 19 years old and has finished her secondary school. Working in a shop, she can help her family to fulfill their basic needs. ”Her father was a traveling salesman, her mother a seamstress, and her hometown, in the interior Brazil, had only one cinema, one night club, and one bank...”(1).
happy with a rich man than happy with a poor man, and over there you’ll have for more chance of becoming an unhappy rich woman” (32).
Maria’s profession as a samba dancer does not make her an economically successful girl. She can only rent a small room there with no special facilities. Therefore, she feels that her life is meaningless with all the routines and mediocrity. It makes her worried because she cannot give a better life for her family. In such condition, Maria comes to a hard decision. She decides to be a prostitute rather than coming back to Brazil as a loser who cannot give her family happiness. Being a prostitute leads her to be a successful woman. Her id and ego push her to make a lot of money through her profession as a prostitute. She can increase her money in bank, so that she can send some money to her mother in Brazil. She can also buy a nice apartment for herself with good facilities. Here, Maria is able to fulfill her physiological needs, the first level of hierarchy of needs stated by Maslow. Later, Maria can also fulfill her next needs just like Firdaus. They are safety needs, belongingness needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs. She will try to achieve the higher needs after she can fulfill the lower one. Moreover, being a prostitute with a lot of money makes her secure because she does not need to be worry about making her family happy. Here, Maria’s profession as a prostitute proves that she is able to meet her safety needs, the second level of hierarchy of needs. She can fulfill her safety needs after she has fulfilled her physiological needs.
been due to the Swiss post, so much less efficient than the Brazilian postal system), and to buy all the things she had always dreamed of and never had. She moved to a much better apartment, which central heating (although the summer had already arrived), and from her window she could see a church, a Japanese restaurant, a supermarket, and a very nice cafe, where she used to sit and read the newspaper (86-87).
Furthermore, Maria also has several proposals of marriage from men who fall in love with her after working as a prostitute for two months. They promise Maria to give her a better life. This condition happened because Maria gives her customers advice. Maria gives her customers advice because they ask for it in order to solve their life’s problems. It becomes an important point for Maria to get respect from her customers. Then, she starts to read some books related to her customers’ problem. It makes her become unusual prostitute. She is different from the others prostitute. Even, her colleagues who work as a prostitute admire her. Therefore, many of her customers fall in love and want to get married with her.
Maria became a regular reader of newspapers, especially, where possible, the financial pages, because the majority of her clients were business executives. She sought out self-help books, because her clients nearly all asked for her advice. She read studies of the human emotion, because all her clients were in some kind of emotional pain. Maria was a respectable, rather unusual prostitute, and after six months, she had acquired a large, faithful, very select clientele, thus arousing the envy and jealously, but also the admiration, of her colleagues.
…
Maria had had several proposals of marriage, of which al least three were serious: the director of a firm of accountants, the pilot she went with on the very first night, and the owner of a shop specializing in knives. All three had promised “to take her away from that life” and to give her a nice house a future, perhaps children and grandchildren (81-88).
to Maslow, a need for self-esteem motivates the individual to strive for achievement, strength, confidence, independence, and freedom. The related need of esteem from others involves a desire for reputation, status, recognition, appreciation by others of one’s abilities, and feeling of importance (42). In addition, there will be explanation that Firdaus and Maria are able to fulfill the lower needs before they can meet their esteem needs later. It will be proved on the next title about the differences between Firdaus and Maria decision in choosing prostitution as their profession.
Both Maria and Firdaus have motivation to achieve their dream as a prostitute. They are independent women who are able to earn money by themselves. Each of them has also recognition and appreciation given by their surroundings. Firdaus uses her money to make herself a woman with honor and fame. She makes herself to be an honorable and famous woman by donating her money for charity. As a result, she can be recognized as an honorable citizen. Meanwhile, Maria is able to have respect from her customers. It is because she can give advice to her customers to solve their life’s problems. Therefore, she can have several proposal of marriage from men who fall in love with her.
4.2.2. The Differences between Firdaus and Maria Decision in Choosing
Prostitution as Their Profession 4.2.2.1 The Society / Surroundings
power than women. Men can do all things toward women. It can be seen from Firdaus’s life in a strict society. When Firdaus is a child, she often finds her mother being a slave. Firdaus’s mother has to serve her husband well. She always washes her husband’s leg, keeps her husband warm when the winter comes and prepares her father’s meal. This condition is even worst in Firdaus’s marriage. She also becomes a slave for her husband. She has to fulfill her husband’s needs including his sex desire although Firdaus does not like it.
I let him kiss me. I could feel the swelling on my face and lips like a small purse, or a water skin, full of stagnant greasy fluid. But on days when it was not dry, I would turn my lips and face away to avoid the odor of dead dogs which emanated from it.
...
When his arms and legs let go of me, I would gently slip my body out from under him, and go on tiptoe to the bathroom. There I would carefully wash my face and lips, my arms and thighs, and every part of my part of my body, taking care not to miss a single inch, going over it several times with soap and water (43-44).
A husband is a king who is taking role for his wife. As a wife who is considered to be a servant, Firdaus should work all day in the house. She has to cook, wash and clean all of the rooms of the house. She does all those things within her husband’s supervision. Firdaus’s husband always monitors his wife when doing the housework. He even complains, yells and gets angry if Firdaus makes a mistake.
All day long, he remained by my side in the house, or in the kitchen, watching me as I cooked or washed. If I dropped the packet of soap powder and spilled a few grains on the floor, he would jump up from his chair and complain at me of being careless (44).
wife does not obey his rule, he can beat his wife as a punishment. It is a duty for a wife to be an obedient wife. Firdaus’s husband often beats her if she does not do his command. Even, he does it with no reason at all.
...he got into the habit of beating me whether he had a reason for it or not bruised.
...
A virtuous woman was not supposed to complain about her husband. Her duty was perfect obedience (44).
All of Firdaus’s experiences above show that Firdaus lacks of belongingness needs. In addition, she has another experience which proves that her society where she lives is dominated by men. She realizes it when she becomes a female employee in the industrial company. She is aware that a female employee is just the same as a prostitute. A female employee has to give herself to her boss in order to defend her position in the company so that she cannot lose her job. In other words, she should have a sexual intercourse with her boss. Moreover, the boss (a man who has higher position), has the right to invite his female employee for a date. Here, a female employee is not more than a prostitute who sells her body to a man. The difference between a female employee and prostitute is, a prostitute can worth more in return for her body. In contrast, a female employee who should have a sexual intercourse with her boss only uses her body to get assurance to secure her position in the company.
After I had spent three years in the company. I realized that as a prostitute, I had been looked upon with more respect, and been valued for more highly than all the female employees, myself included.
...
Firdaus’s life above proves that she lacks of belongingness need. She cannot receive and give love to her society. It starts happening from her early childhood and her marriage. She cannot meet her love there. In addition, her experience in becoming a female employee makes her realize that there is a safety place for a woman who lives in patriarchal society. Therefore, she cannot fulfill her safety needs as a woman.
belongingness needs after she has fulfilled her physiological needs and safety needs.
I came to realize that a female employee is more afraid of losing her job than a prostitute because she does not understand that the prostitute’s life is in fact better than hers. And so she pays the price of her illusory fears with her life, her health, her body, and her mind. She pays the highest price for things of the lowest value. I know knew that all of us were prostitutes who sold themselves at varying prices, and that an expensive prostitute was better than a cheap (76).
It was a surprise and a source of pride to the small town to see its lovely daughter Maria arrive accompanied by a foreigner who wanted to make her a big star in Europe.
...
They wanted to know if such things were always happening in Rio de Janeiro, because they had seen similar scenarios in TV soaps. Maria would not be pinned down, wanting to place a high value on her personal experience and thus convince her friends that she was someone special (31).
Maria does all things in Switzerland to convince her society that she has been a successful girl there. She wants her society still to believe in her that she works there to be a Brazilian star who makes the society proud of her. The first thing she can do is by telephoning her mother’s neighbor. She tells her that she has been an economically successful girl. She is also happy with her job there. Then, she even sends some photos to her family including a letter proving that she has been a famous, rich and happy person.
The first thing she did was telephone her mother’s neighbor to say that she was happy, had a brilliant career ahead of her and that there was no need for her family to worry.
...
She asked for several extra copies and send them of to her family with a letter saying how happy she was in Switzerland. They would all think she was rich and the owner of an enviable wardrobe, and that she had been transformed into town’s most illustrious daughter (45-46).
want to be a loser. She wants to come back to her town as a successful person. These facts make her realize that she needs to fulfill her esteem needs. She wants to make her dream comes true. She is aware that she has to earn more money to make it real. Then, she looks for another job. A chance brings her to the prostitution world. She decides to be a prostitute to fulfill all of her needs. As a result, she is capable of earning a lot of money. She can increase her saving so that she can send some money to her parents. She is able to do those things without pretending as a successful person anymore. Moreover, she also can buy a nice apartment with complete facilities. Being a prostitute for a several months makes her costumers believe in her. Her customers are accustomed to tell her their personal problems and then Maria will give them some advices. She has been a successful person who can meet her esteem needs now.
She moved to a much better apartment, which central heating (although the summer had already arrived), and from her window she could see a church, a Japanese restaurant, a supermarket, and a very nice cafe, where she used to sit and read the newspaper. Otherwise, just as she had promised herself, it was a question of putting up with the same of old routine: go to the Copacabana, have a drink and a dance, what do you think of Brazil, then back to his hotel, get the money up front, have a little conversation and know precisely which points to touch on both body and soul, but mainly the soul, give some advice on personal problems, be his friend for half an hour,...(87)
4.2.2.2 Love
prostitute. Being a prostitute leads her to be able to choose a man she wants in order to get her belongingness needs. Since she becomes a prostitute with the highest price, she does not need to feel under pressure in order to satisfy her customers. It is because she chooses her customers herself. She will choose a clean man because she loves it. It makes her willing to serve her customers.
pain to be a prostitute because she never involves her feeling when she does her job. Moreover, being a prostitute she is capable of earning a lot of money.
She had never experienced suffering such as this, never felt a deeper pain. And I was selling my body to man the pain had been much less. It was imaginary, rather that real. As a prostitute I was not myself, my feeling did not arise from within me. They were not really mine. Nothing could really hurt me and make me suffer that the way I was suffering now. Never had I felt so humiliated as I felt this time. Perhaps as a prostitute, I had known so deep a humiliation than nothing really counted.
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Revolutionary men with principles were not really difference from the rest. They used their cleverness to get, in return for principles, what other men buy with their money. Revolution for them is like sex for us. Something to be abused. Something to be sold (85-88).
with one boy and with another, and she dreamed and suffered-despite her promise to herself never to falling in love again” (15).
One day, Maria decides to go with a Swiss man named Roger in order to work as a Samba dancer in Switzerland. She thinks that she does not need to suffer from love if she can take advantages from Roger. She will use him to achieve her dream as a successful girl. Unfortunately, the fate says differently. She cannot take advantages from Roger, so she is not able to achieve her dream as a successful girl. Moreover, working as a Samba dancer does not result anything.
Her love and dream only bring suffering. One occasion, she is brought into the prostitution world. She decides to be a prostitute in Copacabama, the most expensive café in Switzerland. Since she becomes a prostitute, she will not suffer from love. Her profession leads her not to fall in love with men. It is because one of the rules to be a prostitute is never to fall in love with the customers. Maria is happy with her condition like that. Until someday, she meets a young, famous painter named Ralf. Maria is surprised knowing that Ralf is different from the men she has met before. Ralf has different point of view about Maria. He sees Maria’s inner beauty not merely her physical appearance as a prostitute. Then, they start to have conversation to know each other. They often share stories about their life and job. Moreover, Ralf tells Maria that he needs her. In the other side, Maria thinks that Ralf is the only man who can give her happiness. It’s all cause Maria falls in love with him and so does he.
