ROXANA’S HARDSHIPS AS SEEN IN DANIEL DEFOE’S
ROXANA OR THE FORTUNATE MISTRESS
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
In English Letters
By
FARELLA NAHARANI
Student Number: 084214125
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
ROXANA’S HARDSHIPS AS SEEN IN DANIEL DEFOE’S
ROXANA OR THE FORTUNATE MISTRESS
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
In English Letters
By
FARELLA NAHARANI
Student Number: 084214125
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
iv
He will be judged with an easy account
And return to His people in happiness.
(Al
Inshiqāq
84: 8-9)
v
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to:
My dearest father and mother
Alm. Suharsono & Kamijem, S.Pd
My beloved Sister
,
Novita Sandra, S.Pd
viii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First of all, I would like to give thanks to Allah SWT for guiding me in every step of my life. I thank Allah SWT also for giving me thought, health, and
strength so that finally I can finish this undergraduate thesis.
I sincerely thank and appreciate my advisor, Elisa Dwi Wardani, S.S., M.Hum. for her time, encouragement, understanding, and advice during my undergraduate thesis writing. I also thank my co advisor, Maria Ananta Tri Suryandari, S.S., M.Ed. for her willingness and thoroughness in reading my undergraduate thesis.
I would like to thank all of the lecturers and secretariat staff of English Letters Department for providing me the most excellent education and chance to
improve myself. I thank also all library staff of Sanata Dharma University for
helping me to find sources for my undergraduate thesis.
I am also deeply grateful to my father, Alm. Suharsono, my mother
Kamijem S.Pd, and my lovely sister Novi, my lovely brother Akbar, for all the support, the patience, and the courage they give to me.
My sincere gratefulness goes to my best friend, Desi, Siti, Fitri, Ifa
(English Letters’ 08), Kingkin. I thank all of them for giving me supports when
life gets rough. I thank them also for always giving me a lot of comfort when I
ix
I would like to thank my friends: Rana, Sisil, Arin, CiCi, Cindy, Lia,
Susan, Mbak Lia, Mbak Rere (English Letters ‘05), and thanks for always
being a helping hand. I am grateful to be surrounded by creative positive people. I
thank them also for every moment we laugh and cry together.
x
LEMBAR PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH……... vi
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY……… vii
C. Review on Socio-cultural Historical Background……… 12
1. Socio-cultural Historical Background of Victorian Era……….………. 12
2. Women in Victorian Era……….... 14
D. Theoretical Framework……… 18
xi
A. Object of the Study……….. 20
B. Approach of the Study………... 21
C. Method of the Study………. 22
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS………. 24
A. The Characteristics of Roxana………. 24
1. Educated……….. 25
2. Admirable………... 29
3. Independent………... 30
B. The Women’s Life in England in 1800s as Seen Roxana’s Characteristics………... 33
C. Roxana’s Characteristics and the Description of Women’s Life Which Show Roxana’s Hardships in 1800s…..……….. 38
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION………... 45
BIBLIOGRAPHY………. 48
xii
ABSTRACT
FARELLA NAHARANI. Roxana’s Hardships as Seen in Daniel Defoe’s
Roxana Or The Fortunate Mistress. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2013.
Each person ever experiences hardships in their life. Hardships emerge in many aspects of life, including a woman’s life. In 1700s-1800s in England, women experience hardships because of the patriarchal society, the marriage, and the prostitution. This study analyzes how an upper class woman experiences hardships, in a novel entitled Roxana Or The Fortunate Mistress, written by Daniel Defoe.
There are three problems in this study. The problems are: (1) What are
Roxana’s characteristics?, (2) How is the life of women in England in the 1800s
through Roxana’s characteristics described in the novel?, (3) How do Roxana’s characteristics and the description of life of women in 1800s in England show Roxana’s hardships at that time?
This undergraduate thesis is a library research. The main data were taken from the novel Roxana Or The Fortunate Mistress written by Daniel Defoe. The secondary data were taken from some supporting books and articles from internet. In order to analyze the problems, the writer applied feminism approach. Feminism approach is considered appropriate to be applied to this topic because this study focuses on revealing women hardships in England.
The result of this analysis discovers that Roxana’s characteristic is
described as an educated, admirable, and independent woman. Next result of the study is about the description of life of women in England in the1800s through
Roxana’s characteristic. This study shows that women only learn reading, writing, dancing, and running a household. Furthermore, the last result shows Roxana’s
xiii
ABSTRAK
FARELLA NAHARANI. Roxana’s Hardships as Seen in Daniel Defoe’s Roxana Or The Fortunate Mistress. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2013.
Setiap orang pernah mengalami penderitaan. Penderitaan terjadi di banyak aspek kehidupan, termasuk dalam kehidupan wanita. Di Inggris tahun 1700-1800, wanita mengalami penderitaan karena masyarakat patriakhal, pernikahan, dan pelacuran. Studi ini menganalisis bagaimana wanita dari kelas atas mengalami penderitaan, dalam sebuah novel yang berjudul Roxana Or The Fortunate Mistressyang ditulis oleh Daniel Defoe.
Terdapat tiga masalah dalam kajian ini: (1) Apa saja karakteristik dari Roxana?, (2) Bagaimana kehidupan wanita di Inggris pada tahun 1800 dilihat dari karakteristik Roxana yang dideskripsikan di novel?, (3) Bagaimana karakteristik Roxana dan pendeskripsian wanita di tahun1800 di Inggris menunjukkan penderitaan Roxana di masa itu?
Skripsi ini merupakan studi pustaka. Data utama diambil dari novel
Roxana Or The Fortunate Mistress yang ditulis oleh Daniel Defoe. Data yang lain diambil dari buku-buku pendukung beberapa artikel dari internet. Untuk menganalisis masalah penulis menggunakan pendekatan feminisme. Pendekatan feminism dirasa tepat untuk diaplikasikan karena kajian ini mengungkap penderitaan wanita di Inggris.
1
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A.Background of the Study
At some point in this life, each person will experience happiness and
sadness. They can live happily with their family. The other way, they experience
pain, suffering, and hardships of some form or another. They need to overcome
the problem, so that they prove to be strong. Even it might be complicated, people
still have to continue their path in life because they cannot under the same
circumstances. Life story is influenced by society and history. Sometimes, life
story becomes the idea in writing literary works. Literary works give a lesson for
the reader because the authors create the story from a reality that happened around
them.
Literature can enrich us with knowledge, as it is written in Henry E. Jacobs
and Edgar V. Roberts‟s Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and Writing,
“Literature can enrich us to develop a perspective of the events that occur around
us and the world at large…(1989: 2)”. Literary work can widen the reader‟s views
of the world.
“Literature represents „life‟; and „life‟ is in large measure, a social
reality…” which is written in Wellek and Warren in their Theory of Literature
(1956: 94). In this book, they explain that each poet is also a member of society,
People can learn about the condition of the society by reading related literature.
One of the writers that represent the society is Daniel Defoe.
Daniel Defoe was born in 1660, at the city of London, and died in the age
of seventy one on April, 24th, 1731 and was buried in Bunhill field the dissenter‟s
burial ground on city road, which can still be visited today. His chief works are:
Robinson Crusoe (1719), Moll Flanders (1722), A Journal Of The Plague Year
(1722), Colonel Jack (1722), Roxana or The Fortunate Mistress (1776). Most of
his novels focus on the reflection of Victorian society. In this study, the writer
analyzes one of his novels entitled Roxana or The Fortunate Mistress
Defoe‟sRoxana or The Fortunate Mistress is an interesting novel to study.
It is because there are two contrary statements about this novel. Virginia Woolf
stated about feminism in her essay on Defoe‟s Roxana or The Fortunate Mistress. Woolf states that the first praise Defoe‟s sympathetic representation of the
situation of woman and later become a greater importance in the feminism context
(Woolf, 1998: 313). On the other hand, Leroy W Smith said that this novel is a
pornographic literature (Smith, 1972: 165).
Roxana is the main character of Roxana or The Fortunate Mistress novel.
She is an upper class woman who lives in the 18th century society of England.
Women at that time are under men domination. Economic hardships of Roxana
are getting harder since her husband wastes their money. Meanwhile, her husband
is irresponsible with the family. After her husband leaving, Roxana‟s family
She must try to overcome hard life and deprivation. Consequently, she chooses to
be a mistress and unmarried woman.
Roxana‟s hardships will become an interesting topic to discuss. The writer
can see many cases and facts of upper class women hardships in England through
the story of Roxana‟s experience. The background of Roxana Or The Fortunate
Mistress is a fact of the bad experience of upper class women as the victims of patriarchal society, past marriage, and prostitution. Roxana or The Fortunate
Mistress also contains a female character that can be used to reveal the struggle of
women against marriage, men‟s rule, and she chooses to be a mistress gaining
independent. Hopefully this study can give a greater understanding of how
Roxana chooses to be a prostitute to get a freedom. Based on the state above, the
writer chooses Roxana’s Hardships As Seen Daniel Defoe’s Roxana Or The
Fortunate Mistress on the topic of study.
B.Problem Formulation
1. What are Roxana‟s characteristics?
2. How is the life of women in England in the 1800s seen through
Roxana‟s characteristics described in the novel?
3. How do Roxana‟s characteristics and the description of the life of
women in the 1800s in England show Roxana‟s hardships at that
C.Objectives of the Study
Based on the problem formulation above, there are three objectives of the
study. The first aim is to find out the characterizations of Roxana. The writer will
collect the characterizations of Roxana based on her experiences, thought, and
attitude. The characterization of Roxana is useful for knowing her ways to face
her problems and interact with other characters.
The second aim is to relate with the socio-cultural historical background,
specifically regarding women in England at that time. The third aim is after
gathering all information needed, the writer going to reveal the capabilities of
women to struggle from several hard life in the 1800s in England.
D. Definition of Terms
1. Hardship
Hardship means (something that causes) difficult or unpleasant conditions of life.
5
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
This chapter discusses theories that support the analysis of the thesis. This
chapter is divided into three parts. They are review of related studies, review of
related theories, and theoretical framework. Firstly, review related studies discuss
some related comment and criticism on the same topic with this research. Secondly,
review of related theories discusses some related theories used in this research.
Thirdly, theoretical framework explains how the theories in this research support the
analysis.
A.Review of Related Studies
There are some criticisms addressed to Daniel Defoe‟s Roxana or The
Fortunate Mistress. The first criticism that will be discussed is a comment of Anna
Fioravanti, on Review on Lady Roxana, She gives a reason why this novel is a special book for her.
Obviously, prostitution is not to be encouraged (men and women would be
agree that) It‟s the way Defoe deals with his character that makes the book “special”. A man whose description of a woman is based on being positive all time. She is as beautiful as angel. She is pure it‟s others who make her guilty! She is intelligent and able to improve her abilities (Roxana becomes very good in administrating her fortune, ability which is particularly important considering her century and the central role given to economics).
Fioravanti shows how Defoe‟s novel has impressed her. It is because the
novel can give a special influence over the reader. Moreover, she finds, it is very
important because she has the opportunity to see and understand women from male‟s
point of view. Fioravanti is also interested in how the author writes about the
character, Roxana. Defoe is a man of eighteenth century. He writes about a woman
who is involved in the hard life and hard situations. However, Defoe just comments
and judges the actions in general but never judges the character, Roxana.
The second criticism comes from Virginia Woolf’s essay on Defoe, published in the Common Reader, first series (1925), which is included in the novel. She praises
the Defoe‟s sympathetic representation of women. This is the aspect of his work,
which gives a greater contribution to modern feminist context.
Roxana, a lady of the same profession, argues more subtly against the slavery marriage. She had started a new thing in the world. But Defoe is the last writer to be guilty of bald preaching. Roxana keeps our attention because she is blessedly unconscious that she is any god sense an example to her sex and thus, at liberty to town that part of her arguments is of an elevated strain which was really not in my thoughts at first at all (Woolf, 1998: 315)
Tholonia in the article “Bond” also pays attention to the character of Roxana.
She focuses her discussion to Roxana‟s perspectives about marriage.
Daniel Defoe was much concerned on the status of woman at that time.
Defoe‟s study, Treatise Concerning the Use and Abuse of Marriage Bed,
Another criticism comes from Lora David and Carrie S. Bryant(2002: 175) in
“Make Your Way as A Women Eighteenth-Century England” essay, both seniors at
University of Michigan. They state that Daniel Defoe's novel Roxana is (for the most part) a woman of wealth and independence. Her wealth is acquired (to a large degree)
through her dealings with the men in her life. She has strong business sense, sexual
awareness and financial standing. It is for this reason that Roxana chooses to remain
single. In contemporary law, gender and marital status determines a person's legal
profile. Being a married woman effectively eliminates the woman's status as an
individual under the law-legally, the married woman is essentially subsumed into her
husband. Specifically, she virtually loses her right to own and control property. It is
for this reason that Roxana has no desire to be married. She argues that a wife has
nothing of her own, but a mistress has what is hers as well as what her lover
has(www.umich.edu/~ece/student_projects).
This writing has some similarities with some studies above, but still this
writing has different focus to explore from those studies. The previous studies discuss
about the character and representation of upper class woman, marriage, and
independent woman, this writing focuses on Roxana. She lives in patriarchal family.
She has arranged to marry her parent‟s chosen husband. Roxana was fifteen years old
when she got married with a Brewer. Based on the analysis of her characteristics and
the description of woman‟s lives1800s in England the writer can understand woman‟s
B.Review of Related Theories
1. Theory on Character and Characterization
The character has the important role in literary works. It helps us to
understand about what happen in literary work. The characters are the person in the
story that interpreted by the readers with their moral and emotional qualities. The
author can describe the characters based on their motivation and the action in the
story. According to Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms(1993: 24), stated that:
Characters are the person in a dramatic or narrative work, who is 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. A character remains stable or changes, the reader of traditional
and realistic work expect “consistency”-the reader should not suddenly break
off and act in a way not plausibly grounded in his or her temperament as we have already come to know it.
The quotation above shows that characters are the figure presented in the
work of literature. It is the most distinctive feature that any other intrinsic elements
because characters have emotional features. Emotional features cannot be separated
from the characters because characters are usually human beings playing their own
roles in the story.
The characters in a story can be found by the interpretation of the readers
according to their conceptions of the characters. The characters can be described
through the behaviour and action in the play. The writer tries to understand the
characters in the story by the dialogue of the characters in the play. The dialogue in
It is impossible to separate character from characterization. Ordinarily,
characterization is the process by which the author creates a character. It is the
process in which the author reveals the traits of a character. Hugh Holman and
William Harmon in A Handbook to Literature (1986: 81) clarified that there are three
basic methods of characterization as quoted below.
a. The explicit presentation of a character by the author through direct
explanation, whether in a block‟s introductory or throughout the work
which is illustrated by action
b. The presentation of the character in action, therefore the reader will be able to conclude the attributes of character from actions
c. The presentation from within a character, without comment on character
by the author, of the impact of actions and emotions on character‟s inner
self, with the expectation that the reader will come to clear understanding of attributes of the character.
Furthermore, the theory on characterization explains how the characteristics of
the characters are described. According to M. J. Murphy in his book entitled
Understanding Unseens: An Introduction to English Poetry & English Novel for Overseas Students (1972: 161-173), there are nine ways for an author can apply to present the characterization of character in literary works to make the character
understandable to the reader.
a. Personal Description
The author describes character‟s appearance in details such as skin colour, body
shape, the clothes used by the character.
The author uses another character‟s point of view to describe the character. What
people in the story think about a certain character can be significant for reader to
picture the image of the character.
c. Speech
The author can give insight into the character in literary work through what the
character says. Whenever a character speaks in conversation, we can see his
personality from the opinion that he gives.
d. Past life
The past events of a character can help the reader to understand what shape the
character to behave in such way.
e. Conversation of Others
The readers should pay attention through the conversation of other characters and
the things they say about the character. The author gives clue to understand a
character‟s personality from other‟s conversation and their opinion about him.
f. Reactions
The author helps the reader to recognize a person‟s character by the reaction he
gives toward the various situation and events.
g. Direct Comments
The author gives direct comment on person‟s character.
h. Thoughts
The author can give the reader a direct knowledge of what a person is thinking
i. Mannerism
The author can convey something about a person by describing his mannerism or
habits.
By analyzing how the character described by other people, observing the
description about the past life, the reader may also understand the personalities given
by the author. There can be more than one method used by the author and it is
intended to make the reader think that it is the author creation of real people.
Thus, a character‟s characteristics can be studied from the features shared by
the character or actions that are found in the story directly or indirectly, in
coordination with other elements in the story.
2. Theory of Feminism
The emancipation on women is related to the women movements which bring
the idea of feminism. Feminism is about the struggle to fight the patriarchal society.
According to Humm, a patriarchy is “a system of male authority that oppresses
women through its social, political, and economic institutions” (1992: 159).
Feminism appears as the responses toward gender inequalities (women are
assumed as a second-class inferior and the first-class superior is men). Moreover,
gender inequalities are the result of gender difference. In gender difference,
difference is “a necessary polarity between men and women, and between women.”
For example, usually a man‟s body is stronger than a woman‟s, this results gender
women are different, they are equal. The differences between them are meant for
them to complete one another (Humm, 1992: 27).
Terrey in Women’s Studies Encyclopedia (Vol.I) states that feminism means a belief and a commitment to equal right and opportunities for women (1989: 139). It
explains the goal of feminism is to gain similar right and opportunities for women.
It can be assumed from the quotation above that the subject matter of
feminism is the idea about gaining the equality among men and women. Women tend
to have rights to do what they want to do and responsible for their own choice.
Therefore, studying the feminism in which the literary work is created is necessary.
C.Review Socio-cultural Historical Background
1. Socio-cultural Historical Background of Victorian Era
Daniel Defoe is one of the late 18th century England's first true novelist and
famous author. One of his great novels is Roxana Or The Fortunate Mistress. Roxana
or The Fortunate Mistress is written in 1776, which is considered as the late 18thcentury Victorian age. This is the reign when many artistic styles. Literary
schools, as well as, social, political, and religious movements developed. It was a
time of prosperity, broad imperial expansion, and great political reform.
<http://victoriapast.com/LifeofVictorianWomen/Lifeof VictorianWomen.html>
American History: A Survey, Richard N. Current and friends (1965) explained about the social system during The British Empire. The British Empire inherited a
family. The most visible inheritance is the class distinction in the society; there are
the working class society and the middle class society. The working class society is
the community that works as farmers (Current, 1965: 17).
Generally, the members of the society in Victorian era are divided into two
big classes according to their wealth and social status. The Rich were known as
Middle Class and the Poor were mentioned as Lower Class. Each of them has their
own life style and the way of thinking (Clark, 1972: 44). In the former reign, the
classes are divided into three classes namely Upper Class contains noble people,
Middle Class contains of rich people, and Lower Class contains of poor people. Yet,
there was a churning upheaval of the old hierarchical order, and the middle classes
were steadily growing. The Middle class contains of the noble people and rich people
and there is no Upper Class. Middle Class is the combination of nobility and an
emerging wealthy commercial class. By the end of the century, it was silently agreed
that a gentlemen was someone who had a liberal public (private) school education
(preferably at Eton, Rugby, or Harrow), no matter what his antecedents might be
<http://www.victoriapast.com/LifeofWoman/LifeofVictorianWoman.html>
The Victorian Era was also a time of tremendous scientific progress and ideas.
Darwin took his Voyage of the Beagle, and posited the Theory of Evolution. The
radical thought associated with modern psychiatry began with men like Sigmund
Freud toward the end of the era, and radical economic theory, developed by Karl
Marx, and his associates, began a second age of revolution in mid-century. The ideas
happened
<http://www.victoriapast.com/LifeofWoman/LifeofVictorianWoman.html>. The
ideas of scientific and some movements such as Marxism, Socialism, and Feminism
are also grown rapidly in this time.
2. Women in Victorian Era
The life of women in Victorian Era was generally focused on Family
commitments. Women were seen as temples of love and purity and so, could not be
used for physical exertion or pleasurable sex. The only role of women in the
Victorian era was to get married and had to be innocent, virtuous, biddable, and
dutiful. The young women were mainly educated in accomplishments like French,
drawing, painting, singing, dancing-everything which helped them to get a perfect
match<http://www.victoriapast.com/LifeofWoman/LifeofVictorianWoman.html>.
Ashley in her essay (2005) “Women's Education” explained women education
in the 17th and 18 century England:
From the explanation above, the writer can see that during 17thand 18th
century, only the middle class girls can go to school. They learn to read and write and
they learn language like French and needle work, music and dancing.
A Hundred Years Ago: Britain in the 1880s in Words and Photographs book,
Colin Ford and Brian Horrison stated that the highest class was the Nobility and
Gentry, who inherited their land, titles, and wealth. To the outsider, it might seem as
if women of this class did very little--but their work was very important and
sometimes very hard, as they were expected to manage the home and the household.
As EttyRaverat, who was a young woman in the late 1800s, said, "Ladies were ladies
in those days; they did not do things themselves, they told others what to do and how
to do it" (Horrison and Ford: 1983, 226). From the statement above, the writer see the
upper class women are expected to manage the home and household. They have no
duty outside home. They have some servant to help cooking and cleaning the house.
The upper class women only command the servants doing what and how to do the
household.
Moreover, Lucy Bushman writesan article entitled “Family Life in the 18th
Century”(2008),she stated that women and men of the upper classes did not marry for
love. Instead, they married strictly for financial and social reasons. Women who
wished to continue living within a wealthy household simply did not marry a man of
the middle or lower class (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lucy_Bushman). From
Lucy‟s statement, the writer can see that the upper class men and women marry for
Moreover, from the documents of history site (2000) it is clearly explained
about women. Women typically did not work outside the home. They were expected
to focus on her family. Families tended to be large, and it was common for a woman
to have five or more children.
(www.bcpcc.com/Outreach/ss10/files/middleupper.html)
In the essay about an upper class girls in the 1800 century “The Marriageable
Mind” (2001) written by Prof. David Porter, he stated that a girl's education often
included basic reading and writing as well feminine activities such as needlework and
dancing. Girls might also read Shakespearean plays and poetry. During earlier times,
even these most basic academic skills were not commonly taught to middle-classes
girls. However, when young aristocratic men went on the grand tour they met young
French women who could have conversations about music, art, and literature. By
comparison, English gentlewomen, seemed dull and uninteresting because they could
only talk about balls and fashion. As a result, British mothers thought it wise to
educate their daughters enough to compete with these French women in the marriage
market. (www.umich.edu/~ece/student_projects/growing_up/titania-edu.html).
In Everman in European ed. Vol 1, The Preindustrial, Millenia book, Mitchell
and Deak stated that during the seventeenth, eighteenth, and the nineteenth centuries,
“England is known as free of sexual irregularly than any other country in the world.
In the seventeenth century, there is unquestionably a greater laxity of moral in this
respect, but at no time as the excess license associated with the restoration period in
prostitution widely spread in England, especially in the big city such as London.
Therefore, the moral value in England during at that time is unquestioned.
Florence Fenwick Miller (1854-1935), a midwife turned journalist, described
woman's position:
Under exclusively man-made laws women have been reduced to the most abject condition of legal slavery in which it is possible for human beings to be held...under the arbitrary domination of another's will, and dependent for decent treatment exclusively on the goodness of heart of the individual master. (From a speech to the National Liberal Club)
The writer can see that women have few choices and completely controlled by
the men in their lives. Every man had the right to force his wife into sex and
childbirth. He could take her children without reason and send them to be raised
elsewhere. He could spend his wife's inheritance on a mistress or on prostitutes.
Prostitution quickly became an alternative for some upper class women in the
1800s. Lucy Bland‟s essay (1992) entitled “Feminist Vigilantes of Late-Victorian
England” outlines some of the extreme measures women would take in order to
survive, as well as the animosity that surfaced as a result of these actions. The writer
sees that women at that time have limited choice; they choose to be a prostitute or
mistress in order to survive and fulfil their needs.
In“ Historical Brief-Lives of Women in the early 1800s” essay, Smith (2002)
writes an article about women„s lives in England.
their husbands. Their sole purpose in life is to find a husband, reproduce and then spend the rest of their lives serving him. If a woman were to decide to remain single, she would be ridiculed and pitied by the community(http://staff.washington.edu/cgiacomi/courses/english200/historica lbriefs/women.html).
In Women and Prostitution : A Social History book, Vern and Bonnie
Bullough stated that the upper class women were probably came to the profession as
a mistress or whore for reasons of economic hardship, they were able to turn beauty
or talent to advantage (1987: 38).
Donna J. Guy writes about the history of prostitution worldwide in her article
entitled "Stigma, Pleasures, and Dutiful Daughters"(1998: 181), Guy states that
prostitution is linked to religious beliefs, family survival, and patriarchy authority.
However, women choose prostitution to find independence, provide an income or
control their own sexuality. From Guy‟s statement, the writer sees that structural
classes marginalize women. Family is based on patriarchy system. The husband is
more dominant in the family. The upper class or lower class women have low status
so that many of them enter into prostitution. For helps the family economically, an
upper class woman chooses to be a mistress or courtesan. The reason for an upper
class woman who is left by her husband is to find an independence and control own
sexuality.
D. Theoretical Framework
This part provides the foundations to answer the three problems in the Chapter
and theories are applied to analyze the object of the study.As stated in the previous
subchapter, the theories that will be used are the theory on character, characterization,
and the feminism.
The theory of characters and characteristics in the literary works is needed to
investigate who the character is, what kind of person she is, how the character
behaves in the society and how her personalities are shown through her actions,
thought and speech. By analyzing each of her characteristics, there can be found how
she acts toward reality, making decisions and build her own identity in the society.
The theory on feminism, review of socio-cultural historical background of
Victorian era, and feminist approach are important to focus on the perspective of
feminist about women in the society. To get understanding why Roxana acts in such a
way, the knowledge on the feminism is needed. The review of the socio-cultural
historical background of Victorian era is aimed for the understanding of the women‟s
lives in the Victorian era. By understanding the women‟s lives in the Victorian era
and the women character‟s characteristics in the play, the writer will able to analyze
what women‟s hardships are reflected in the characteristics in those women
20
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
A.Object of the Study
The object of the study is a novel written by Daniel Defoe entitledRoxana or The Fortunate Mistress. This novel published in 1998. The novel takes the setting of the 1800s century in England, although the main character goes to some other
countries in Europe, which become part of the story.
Roxana or The Fortunate Mistressis one of Defoe’s literary works which tells
us about woman’s experience and her struggle toward hardship, society, and her
attitude toward man, being a wife, and her comparison between wife and mistress.
There are five characters in the story of novel. They are Roxana as the main
character, Amy as her house cleaner, and the names of other characters who involved
in Roxana’s life cannot be mentioned obviously in the novel except their status. They
are the Landlord or the Jeweller, The Prince, Dutch merchant, The King, and The
Merchants, the Duke, and some other men.
Roxana is a very interesting novel because it gives us an insight to marriage and women’s state in the 1700s-1800s century. Marriage in the 1700s-1800s century
was a very precarious matter, even with the passing of the Marriage Act of 1753, a
wise marriage was still difficult to get. A woman’s property can be owned and spent
by her husband, as the same case of Roxana. She finds her husband abandons herself
seduces some rich men. This novel shows the uncertainty of women’s life; Roxana’s
situation is much better as a mistress than in her legalised marriage, for this reason
the title of this novel; she is a ‘fortunate mistress’ but to be a wife she is unhappy.
B.Approach of the Study
The approach of this study is feminist approach. Feminist approach is an
approach that is concerned with marginalization of all women: that is in relation with
their placed to a secondary position. Most feminists believe that our culture is a
patriarchal culture: that is, one organized in favour of the interest of men. Feminist
literary critics try to explain how power imbalance due to gender in a given culture is
reflected in or challenged the literary texts (Guerin, et al, 1999: 196). It is appropriate
to use feminist approach because the writer wants to analyze the reflection of
feminism that can be seen in woman character in Roxana or The Fortunate Mistress
namely Roxana. Guerin also states that the feminist approach allows the writer to
study how society shapes a woman’s understanding of herself, her society, and her
world (Guerin, et al, 1999:197). Therefore, the writer includes the social background
where the play takes place to see how the life of women in Victorian era. Then, the
writer can relate the description life of women in Victorian era and the characteristics
C.Method of The Study
The study is done through reading and analyzing the main source, which is the
novel itself. The writer applies a library research because all materials or sources that
used are taken from the library, not through questionnaire or laboratory research.
There are two important sources used in this study; the primary source and the
secondary source. The primary source is the novel itself that is Roxana or The Fortunate Mistress, which is written by Daniel Defoe. The secondary sources are the
theories that are needed from the books and other references, including the internet.
Books that are related to the theory of character, characteristic, also the theory of
feminism. However, the writer admitted that it is still need to take other references
such as articles from internet by accessing some relevant articles. The writer gets
more information about the author, the socio-cultural historical events in 1800s in
England, the women position and movement in the Victorian era to support the
analysis of the topic, and some criticism about the novel itself.
There were four steps that the writer did to make the analysis. The first step
was reading the whole story for several times. It was done in order to make the writer
has deep understanding of the story.
The second step was reading some books or papers related to the study from
the library. Books like A Glossary of Literary Terms by Abrams, An Introduction to
Fiction by Robert Stanton, A Handbook to Literature by Hugh Holman and William Harmon, Understanding Unseens: An Introduction to English Poetry & English
library research, internet research was also useful to find some more information
about the review of related studies.
The third step was trying to apply the theory on the analysis. The writer tried
to give the answer toward the problem formulations. The first was to analyze the
characteristics of the main character in the story. In this part, the writer applied the
theory about understanding a character based on the character’s traits. The writer took
from books about theories on character and characterization. Then, the second was to
find the description women’s lives in England in 1800s. This part was to find facts
from history about the social condition, history of England, and the meaning of
hardship for woman based on their experience. The third was to analyze the relation
between the abilities found in Roxana’ characteristics and the historical facts about
women who struggled to deal with several hardships and the meaning of hardship in
their lives.
After the writer collected the primary data and secondary data, the writer tried
24
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
In this chapter, the writer discusses about the problems formulation stated
in previous chapter. The writer will analyze only on the main character, Roxana.
The first part of this chapter presents the characteristic of Roxana. The second part
will present the social condition of women in England in the 1800s century. The
third part shows the characteristics of Roxana and the description of women‟s
hardships in the 1800s century.
A. The Characteristics of Roxana
The following analysis gives a picture of women in England through the
dialogue and the action done by the character which is endowed with moral,
dispositional, and emotional qualities. In analyzing Roxana‟s characteristics, the
writer applies the theory of characterization of Abrams which is quoted as
follows.
Characters are the person in a dramatic or narrative work, who is 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 (1993: 23).
In this novel, Defoe presents the characteristics of Roxana through her
behaviour and action in the novel. The writer tries to understand the characters in
the story by the dialogue of the characters in the play. The dialogue in the story
1. Educated
One of Roxana‟s characteristics is revealed through her action, as it is
affirmed by Holman and Harmon that one method of characterization is through
the presentation of the character from actions (1986: 81). Roxana is an educated
upper class woman. It can be seen from the following quotation.
I went to English schools, and, being young, I learnt the English tongue perfectly well, with all the customs of the English young women; so that I retained nothing of the French but the speech, nor did I so much as keep any remains of the French language tagged to may way speaking, as most foreigners do, but spoke what we call natural English, as if I had been born here (Defoe, 2000: 2).
Murphy states that a person‟s character in the novel can be revealed
through what the character says. Whenever a character speaks in conversation, we
can see his personality from the opinion that he gives (1972: 161). Once Roxana
was young, her parents sent her to English schools. She studied well and became a
smart student. Roxana‟s characteristic as educated woman can be seen through her
speech.
I was speaking of myself as about fourteen years of age tall and very well made, sharp as a hawk in matters in common knowledge, quick and smart in discourse, apt to be satirical, full of repartee, and a little to forward in conversation; or as we call it in English, bold, though perfectly modest in my behaviour. Being French born, I danced, as some say, naturally, love it extremely, and sang well also; and so well, that, as you will hear, it was afterwards some advantage to me. With all these things, I wanted neither of wit, beauty, nor money. In this manner, I set out into the world, having all the advantages that any young women could desire to recommend me to others and form a prospect of happy living to myself (Defoe, 2000: 2).”
From the speech above show, that Roxana is an educated woman. She
middle class family can go to school. The middle class girls must learn it for
recommended as a future wife. They must learn basic skills such as reading,
dancing and singing. Roxana learns those girl‟s educations. With those
advantages, Roxana can appeal to aristocrat men. Roxana believes that her skills
may bring her fortune and happy future life.
Roxana‟s educated characteristic somehow also influences her other
characteristics. She studies well at school so that she turns to be critical. Murphy
states that a person‟s character in the novel can be revealed through what the
character thought. Roxana‟s critical way of thinking is expressed through her
argument against what her husband said. She cannot do anything except obeying
what her husband has ordered.
Never ladies marry a fool, any husband rather that a fool, with some other husband you may be unhappy, but with a fool you will be miserable; with another husband you may, I may be unhappy, but with a fool you must; nay, if he would, he cannot make you easy; everything he does is so awkward, everything he says is so empty, a woman of any sense cannot be surfeited, and sick of him twenty times a-Day (Defoe, 2000: 2)
Roxana‟s critical way of thinking is the reflection of her dissatisfaction to
her husband for unhappy marriage life and their gap of intelligence. Everything
her husband‟s say is right and the best. He does not care with his wife‟s opinion. It
is true that woman at that time is weakness because man‟s control. Though her
husband is a conceited fool in managing his family business, he is dominant in the
family. This following quotation implicitly shows how Roxana criticizes him.
At that time, a man or husband has power to control the family.
Everything a man says and orders, woman must obey it. In her opinion about her
husband is a kind of fool who is stubborn. She could not do anything except
obeying and following what her husband has ordered though she does not agree.
Men‟s absolutism controls their family at that time. Roxana experiences man‟s
absolutism in her marriage.
After she is abandoned by her husband, she is left penniless without choice
and resigned to a life of poverty or death by starvation. She is afraid of her past
experienced to come back. Applying M.J. Murphy‟s theory states that
characteristics can be seen through the past life of the character (1972: 161).
Roxana‟s reason for being Landlord‟s mistress is she cannot endure the misery of
life. This following quotation implicitly shows the proposal of the Landlord is one
of her critical and logical reason to overcome her misery and poverty
But poverty was my Snare, dreadful Poverty! The Misery I had been in, was great, such as would make the heart tremble at the apprehensions of its return; and I might appeal to any that has had any experience of the world, whether one so entirely destitute as I was, of all manner of all helps, or friends, either to support me or to assist me to support myself, could withstand the proposal; not that I plead this as a justification of my conduct, but it may move the pity, even of those that abhor the crime (Defoe, 2000: 18).
The statement above can be seen that Roxana is depressed because
poverty. Roxana get a trauma with her marriage life. His husband can not give her
and the five children a good life. She has no choice because man‟s control. That‟s
why she chooses to be a mistress of the Landlord to survive and fulfil her family
Murphy states that a person‟s character in the novel can be revealed
through the reaction of the character. The author can also give the readers clue to
a character by letting them know that character reacts to various situations and
events (1972: 162). Being the Landlord‟s mistress is a way of her survival. She
will have anything that her family needed. She can solve her problems.
But if I should be a Wife, all I had then, was given up to the husband, and I was thenceforth to be under his authority only; I had money enough, and needed not fear being what they call a cast-off mistress, so I had no need to give him twenty thousand pounds to marry me, which had been buying my lodging too dear a great deal (Defoe, 2000: 70).
From the statement above, it can be seen that she is smart in the way of
thinking. She criticizes the life between a wife and a mistress. She stays comfort
to be a mistress. As a mistress she gets a freedom to manage her money.
Roxana tries to explain her idea about the different between a mistress and
a wife. M.J. Murphy‟s theory states that characteristics can be seen through the
past life of the character (1972: 162). The past life can be shown through the
direct comment of the character‟s thought. Roxana‟s smart characteristic is also
seen from the way she sees herself as a mistress instead of a wife.
From the statements above it can be seen that she is proper to be a mistress
that a wife. She has a freedom to determine what she wants to be done or not. She
prefers to be a mistress because there is no limitation to gain everything. Yet, for
her idea, a wife is such as a servant and has poor law in the family.
Roxana describes as an educated and smart woman in this novel. It can be
seen through the way she criticizes her husband, solving problems and herself as a
mistress.
2. Admirable
One of the characteristics of Roxana is an admirable person. She is
beautiful and charming so that every man who she has met is attracted to her. As
stated by Murphy, the author can describe a character‟s appearance and clothes.
From author‟s description about the character physically, the readers can imagine
the character (1972: 161). Even though she is a widow, she is still attractive and
pretty that can appeal a wealthy man who met her.
By the concourse of ladies and the others that thus came to visit me I began to be much known, and as I did not forget to set myself out with all possible advantage, considering the dress of a widow, which in those days was a most frightful thing, I say, as I did thus my own vanity, for I was not ignorant that I was very handsome, I say, on this account I was soon made my very public, and was known by the name of La belle veuve de Poitou, or „The pretty widow of Poitou.‟ As I was very pleased to see myself thus handsomely used in my affliction… (Defoe, 2000: 28)
Roxana is a beautiful widow and popular in Poitou. Many men adore to
her. As stated by Murphy states that a person‟s character in the novel can be
conversation, we can see his personality from the opinion that he gives (1972:
161). Roxana‟s physical appearance can be seen by her speech.
I was rich, beautiful, and agreeable and not yet old; I had known something of the influence I had had upon the Fanciest of Men, even of the highest rank…having already been adored by Princess, I thought of nothing less than of being a Mistress of the King himself (Defoe, 2000: 79)
Roxana realizes that now she is a beautiful rich woman. She has inherited
much money and jewellery from the Landlord. It means as a beautiful woman,
Roxana is interesting for wealthy man. Her beauty also makes the Prince fall in
love with her so that he asks her to be his mistress. Being his mistress is the
chance of Roxana to be called as the finest woman in French. She wants to live
better as before she is left by her first husband. She comes from the upper class
before facing the bad circumstances in her life.
3. Independent
Roxana is an independent woman. Roxana thinks that her life is not
balance and equal with man. She is educated and admirable but still gets
inequality. Therefore, she does not want to be under a man‟s control. She wants to
be independent woman. Murphy states that a person‟s character in the novel can
be revealed through the reaction of the character. The author can also give the
readers clue to a character by letting them know that character reacts to various
situations and events (1972: 162).
Although most women prefer to stay at home and do house works, Roxana
productive and able to earn money for herself. She also wants to prove that she
has an ability to run her business. Money is a source to gain power. Money
supports her authority and to be an independent woman. Roxana does not have to
be under man‟s control because she is independent person.
All this work took me up near half a year, by managing my business thus myself; and having large sums to do with, I became as expert in it, as any She-Merchant of them all; I had credit in the Bank for a large sum of money, and bills and notes for much more (Defoe, 2000: 106).
If she holds on the concept of a quality being independent woman, man
will not govern her easily. Thus, she shows the way of being a free and her quality
of being independent that she can run and manage a business of jewel without
being dependent to man. Business activity is an ordinary thing to do for a man in
Victorian era. It is uncommon thing to do for middle class women. Since the
middle class women in her society prefer to leave the business for the husband or
other relatives who are considered an expert, they prefer to be a wife or a mother
that doing home activities. They are mainly educated in accomplishments like
French, drawing, painting, singing, dancing-everything which helped them to get
a perfect match
<http//ezinearticles.com/?Life-of-Women-in-the-Victorian-Era7id=2359711>. Roxana does not follow what becomes a common idea in
Victorian era. It shows that she has a quality of being independent. Moreover, the
desire of Roxana to manage a business shows that she, as a woman, has the same
right as men to run a business.
Murphy states that a person‟s character in the novel can be revealed
can see his personality from the opinion that he gives (1972: 161). Roxana is
determined herself to be a businesswoman based on her own reasons. She does
not want to be influenced by the Victorian custom. Through business, she
develops of her money management skills and converse with several of
businessman who is mostly men. It can be seen from the following quotation.
The business I had had now with many people, for receiving such a large sum, and selling jewels of such considerable value, gave me opportunity to know and converse with several of the best Merchants of the place, so I wanted no direction now how to get my money remitted to England (Defoe, 2000: 79).
From the quotation above, it can be seen that Roxana is success in running
her business. Her business collaborates with many people. Her jewellery business
becomes her opportunity or key to show that she is independent woman. Roxana
knows and converse with several of the best Merchants in England. She wants to
show that not only a man whose ability of running business but also she has too.
Roxana stands as same as with man while carry her business.
All this work took me up near half a year, and by managing my business thus myself; and having large sums to do with, I became as expert in it, as any She-Merchant of them all; I had credit in the Bank for a large sum of money, and bill and notes for much more (Defoe, 2000: 64).
From the quotation above, it can be seen that she develops of her business
management skills so that she get a large sum of money. Therefore, she can be
categorized as an expert of managing her own business. By managing jewel
B.Women’s Life in England in 1800s as Seen in Roxana’s Characteristics
In the first part of the analysis, the writer explained the characteristics of
Roxana in the story are the used by the writer to describe how the woman‟s lives
in 1800s is like.
Colin Ford and Brian Horrison in A Hundred Years Ago: Britain in the
1880s in Words and Photographs book stated that “The highest class was the Nobility and Gentry, who inherited their land, titles, and wealth. To the outsider, it
might seem as if women of this class did very little but their work was very
important and sometimes very hard, as they were expected to manage the home
and the household”. It can be inferred that the middle women who inherit land,
titles, and prosperous are also expected to manage the home and household. They
have no duty outside home. As Etty Raverat, who was a young woman in the late
1800s, said, "Ladies were ladies in those days; they did not do things themselves,
they told others what to do and how to do it" (Harrison and Ford: 1983, 226). It
can be seen that the women have some servant to help his duty like cooking and
cleaning the house. The upper class women only command the servants what have
they do and how to do the household.
Travelyan in A Shortened History of England (1959: 318) book, discussed
for marriage.
From the quotation above, it means that women have no right to choose
their own selves because there is a patriarchal system in the society. The parents
will choose the mate for them. Roxana is arranged to marry her parent‟s chosen
husband. Roxana was fifteen when she was married with a Brewer.
Moreover, according to Lucy Bushman who writes an article entitled
“Family Life in the 18th Century”, she stated that women and men of the upper
classes did not marry for love. Instead, they married strictly for financial and
social reasons. Women who wished to continue living within a wealthy household
simply did not marry a man of the middle or lower class
(http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lucy_Bushman).
It can be inferred that the middle class men and women have to marry for
financial supported and social status not for love. If an middle class woman wants
to live in good fashion and prosperity, she will have to marry an aristocratic man
or an middle class man who is mostly working as a Brewer, Landlord, and
Merchant. In patriarchal family, the parents will choose a husband or a wife to
their children. The middle class men and women marry supposedly for financial
support and social status. This custom of marriage arrangement is often happened
in England in 1700s-1800s. Roxana who is a middle class woman also faces a
marriage arrangement with a Brewer.
In the first part, Roxana is described as an educated and smart woman. She is educated and smart woman but still gets inequality from man. Not only
lower class women get inequality and hard life but also the upper class women. At
girl‟s education. Though the upper class women live in prosperity, they are under
men‟s control. According to Ashley in her essay “Women's Education” explained
women education in the 17th and 18 century England:
During the 17th century, only the daughters of the wealthy or nobility could get an education. By the mid 17th century young women were allowed to go to school with their brothers. Sometimes if you were from money you would be placed within a household of a friend and within the household and you would be taught various things. Some of the things you would learn would be to read and write, run a household, and practice
surgery…..Common studies women learnt were French, needlework,
geography, music and dancing. Studying anything else was thought to be unnecessary and hurtful to the mind of women. In the 17th and 18th centuries schooling was focused on how to govern a household and how to behave properly within the social class in which her marriage placed her. A lot of the focus was to teach women how to run a household.” (www.womenseducation.blogspot.com/).
The upper class women in 1800s already had the opportunity to get
education. Ashley does not mention that the upper class women learn about
politics and economics. The writer can see that they have to had reading, writing,
and dancing skill. They also have to run the household; women pursued
“womanly art” such as needlework, music, literature and art. These are
characteristics and skills the middle class girls must have to make themselves
appeal to wealthy men. Thus, the writer can see that the middle class women are
only familiar in their own domain, which is restricted by the Victorian custom.
Roxana sees that it is unfair treatment for her.
Moreover, the documents site clearly explained about middle class
women. They typically did not work outside the home. They were expected to
to have five or more children.
(www.bcpcc.com/Outreach/ss10/files/middleupper.html).
From the document site above, it can be inferred that women‟s area is
inside the house. The main and important of school teaching is running a
household and needlework. They are expected to manage the home, bearing
children and household. It is uncommon for them to join in political institution or
manage a business. Roxana also faces this situation. She does not work outside
her home.
The second characteristic of Roxana is an admirable woman. Roxana‟s appearance is attractive and beautiful. She can easily appeal to a wealthy man
such as the Landlord, the King, and the Merchant. Roxana sees that her life is hard
and unfair with men. She wants to get money for her survival so that she uses her
beauty to attract men.
According to Vern and Bonnie Bullough in Women and Prostitution: A
Social History book stated the upper class women were probably came to the profession as a mistress or whore for reasons of economic hardship, they were
able to turn beauty or talent to advantage (Vern and Bonnie Bullough, 1987: 38).
From the statement above, it can be inferred that the middle class women
take advantage of her beauty and talent to attract wealthy men who met her.
Economic hardships become the main reason why the middle class women choose
to be a mistress. Being a mistress is common in Victorian era.
This condition also happens to Roxana. Roxana and her five children are
bankrupt. There are no other relatives that want to help their family. Roxana has
to fulfil her five children need. She faces economic hardship as a single parent.
Roxana become a mistress in order to survive and fulfil her family needs. Roxana
turns her beauty and talent to advantage.
Roxana is also described as an independent woman. Though the upper class women live in prosperity, they are under men‟s control. Roxana becomes
poor because her husband‟s irresponsibility. She decides to be a mistress and does
not want to be under a man‟s rule. Roxana collects a lot of money from some rich
men so that she can build her business. She thinks that woman has the same right
as man has. She wants to prove that she able to handle and run business.
According to Donna J. Guy in her article entitled "Stigma, Pleasures, and Dutiful
Daughters." Guy stated that prostitution is linked to religious beliefs, family
survival, and patriarchy authority. However, women choose prostitution to find
independence, provide an income or control their own sexuality (1998: 181).
From Guy‟s statement, the writer sees that family is based on patriarchy
system. The husband is controlling the family. Because of women has low status
in patriarchy society, many women are forced into mistress for helps the family
economically. They choose to be a mistress to find independence, survival and
control their own sexuality. Guy sees this condition as common object at the time
of patriarchy authority in Victorian era.
This condition also happens to Roxana‟s life. Roxana is portrayed as an
upper class woman in 1800s. She comes from a patriarchal family. Her husband is
