THE IDEA OF FEMINISM
AS REFLECTED BY THE MAIN FEMALE CHARACTERS
IN EDITH WHARTON’S
THE BUCCANNEERS
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree ofSarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
WHENI SRI REZEQI Student Number: 004214124
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
THE IDEA OF FEMINISM
AS REFLECTED BY THE MAIN FEMALE CHARACTERS
IN EDITH WHARTON’S
THE BUCCANNEERS
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree ofSarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
WHENI SRI REZEQI Student Number: 004214124
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2008
THE IDEA OF FEMINISM
AS REFLECTED BY THE MAIN FEMALE CHARACTERS
IN EDITH WHARTON’S
THE BUCCANNEERS
By
WHENI SRI REZEQI
Student Number: 004214124
Approved by
Dewi Widyastuti, S.pd. M. Hum
Advisor July 17, 2008
Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M. Hum.
ASarjana SastraUndergraduate Thesis
THE IDEA OF FEMINISM
AS REFLECTED BY THE MAIN FEMALE CHARACTERS
IN EDITH WHARTON’S
THE BUCCANNEERS
By
WHENI SRI REZEQI
Student Number: 004214124
Defended before the Board of Examiners On July 28 , 2008
and Declared Acceptable
BOARD OF EXAMINERS
Name Signatures
Chairman : Dr. Fr. B. Alip, M.Pd., M.A. ________________ Secretary : Drs, Hirmawan Widjanarka M.Hum. ________________ Member : Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum. ________________ Member : Drs, Hirmawan Widjanarka M.Hum. ________________ Member : Maria Ananta, S.S., M.Ed. ________________
Yogyakarta, August 27 , 2008 Faculty of Letters Sanata Dharma University
Dean,
So, verily with every difficulty, there is relief
(Al Insyirah: 5)
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to:
My late generous father
&
My tough beloved mother
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First, praise be to Allah Who is praised in all languages, worshipped at all times, Whose knowledge encompasses all places, and Whose attention is never distracted from anything. Alhamdulillah, I finally accomplish my undergraduate thesis. I thank to Allah Swt for His endless blessing.
Second, I would like to underscore my indebtedness to my former advisors
Gabriel Fajar Sasmita Aji, M.Hum, and Maria Ananta, S.S., M.Ed for their guidance, and assistance. I would like to express my deepest gratitude for my major sponsor Dewi Widyastuti, SP.d.,M.Hum who has helped me patiently through my writing process of this thesis. My heartfelt appreciation goes to Drs. Hirmawan Widjanarka, M.Hum, who has checked my undergraduate thesis and gave me many valuable suggestions. I also thank to all lecturers and staff in English Letters Departement Sanata Dharma University.
Third, I would like to thank all the people I love. My deepest gratitude goes to my late father, Burhan Mansur and my mother, Tati Wasiatun who always prays for my success continuously. No words can ever be good enough to describe how much I adore them. I also thank to my husband who never stops loving me and also to my cute little son who always cheers my days up.
Finally, I am grateful to my dearest friends, especially Wahyu Mukti Kusumaningtias who always gives me support and has sent me the novel and
Lilik Jonet Pranowo for being a helpful friend, and thank to all my other dear friends who have helped me in many ways, which I cannot mention one by one due to space limitation.
Wheni Sri Rezeqi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. Background of the Study ... 1
B. Problem Formulation... 3
C. Objectives of the Study... 3
D. Definition of Terms... 4
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ... 5
A. Review of Related Studies ... 5
B. Review of Related Theories... 6
1. Theory of Character and Characterization... 6
2. Theory of Feminism... 11
C. Theoretical Framework ... 14
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY... 16
A. Object of the Study ... 16
B. Approach of the Study... 18
C. Method of the Study... 19
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS... 21
A. Description of Main Female Characters... 21
B. The Idea of Feminism... 28
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION... 47
BIBLIOGRAPHY... 51
APPENDIX……….... 52
WHENI SRI REZEQI.The Idea of Feminism as Reflected by the Main Female Characters in Edith Wharton’s The Buccaneers. Yogyakarta: Department of
English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2008.
ABSTRACT
This thesis discusses the idea of feminism, which is found in Edith Wharton’sThe Buccaneers. This study deals with the main female characters and the idea of feminism can be revealed from those main characters.
This thesis proposes two problems to be analyzed, first the characteristics of main female characters, and second how they reflect the idea of Feminism.
The method of research applied in this study is library research. The writer collects the data from books, journal, and Internet that contain supporting data. They are analyzed by employing theory of character and Feminism approach. The theory of Feminism by Maggie Humm is applied to describe the idea of Feminism as reflected by the main female characters.
The result of the analysis is that the characters of the main female characters such as Virginia St.George who is beautiful, confidence, and clever; Annabel St George is ignorant, shy, merciful, and childish; Conchita is plain; Lizzy Elmsworth is ambitious and controlled. Annabel St George mostly reflects the idea of Feminism. Feminism sees women as being held down as a result of their unequal standing in both working place and the domestic sphere. Marriage is all seen as ways in which women are exploited by a patriarchal system that devalues women and the substantial work that they do. Annabel St. George did not differentiate her class status. Though she is a duchess, she did not make a long distance gap between her and her people. She did something that most of the aristocracy prefers not to do, such as chatting with the lower class and helping them by giving attention to them. Annabel felt sorry to those people who depended solely on his husband. The idea of Feminism is reflected on Annabel’s thought of being attentive to the poor people though it means that she must oppose her husband. She dares to break British Aristocracy rules for being equal with her husband and get freedom from doing merciful activities.
WHENI SRI REZEQI.The Idea of Feminism as Reflected by the Main Female Characters in Edith Wharton’s The Buccaneers. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra
Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2008.
ABSTRAK
Skripsi ini membahas tentang Feminism yang ada di dalam novel karya Edith Wharton berjudul the Buccaneers. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meneliti dan menjawab permasalahan yang didasarkan pada rumusan masalah.
Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah meneliti karakteristik karakter utama wanita dari cerita dan menemukan bagaimana ide Feminisme dicerminkan oleh karakter-karekter tersebut.
Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah studi kepustakaan. Penulis mengumpulkan data dari buku, jurnal dan Internet. Data-data tersebut dianalisis dengan menerapkan teori karakter dan karakterisasi, serta Teori Feminisme. Teori Feminisme dari Maggie Humm digunakan untuk menguraikan ide Feminisme yang dicerminkan oleh para karakter utama wanita. Sedangkan obyek dari skripsi ini adalah novel karya Edith Wharton yang berjudulthe Buccaneers.
Hasil analisis dari karakter utama wanita antara lain adalah, Virginia St George adalah seorang wanita yang cantik, percaya diri, dan pandai; Annabel St George apatis,pemalu, kekanak- kanakan dan murah hati; Conchita Closson sederhana; Lizzy Elmsworth penuh pertimbangan dan ambisius. Ide feminisme sebagian besar dicerminkan oleh Annabel St George. Feminisme memandang wanita sebagai obyek yang ditekan kedudukannya, baik dalam lingkungan kerja maupun dalam kehidupan perkawinan. Dalam kehidupan perkawinan, wanita diatur oleh sistem patriarkal yang merendahkan martabat serta peran penting wanita. Annabel St George tidak pernah membedakan status. Meskipun dia adalah seorang bangsawan, dia tidakmembuat jarak dengan orang-orang yang memiliki status dibawahnya. Dia melakukan hal- hal yang tidak disukai kaum bangsawan. Anabel bersimpati kepada orang- orang yang bekerja pada suaminya. Dia berani menetang aturan bangsawan Inggris agar dia tetap sejajar serta mendapatkan kebebasan melakukan aktivitas sosial.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
On these recent days, in a modern world, socially, sexual differences are still used to justify societies in which one sex or the other has been restricted to significantly inferior and secondary roles. While there are non-physical differences between men and women, there is little agreement as to what those differences are. The United Nation had concluded that women often experience a "glass ceiling" and that there are no societies in which women enjoy the same opportunities as men. (http.//www.unitednation.org). The term "glass ceiling" describes the process by which women are barred from promotion by means of an invisible barrier. In Indonesia, female often experience problems which often lead to dismissals, underachievement, difficulty in finding a job, social isolation, and, occasionally, violent attacks against them.
Many feminists (as well as some non-feminists) view the sexual objectification of women as one of the main ways in which women are subordinated in a sexist society. In their view, the objectification of women involves disregarding personal abilities and capabilities, and focusing instead on attributes relevant to women's role as sexual partners, such as physical attractiveness, sex appeal, and submissiveness
Many cases of woman’s abuses still happen. Domestic violence, rape, discrimination are the evidences of underestimating woman and violence of
woman’s right. Woman is having similar right and equality as man. It has become a general assumption that woman is still considered as weak, powerless, and marginal. This situation is especially happened in Indonesia, where woman has become an object of violence.
Kristieva says that woman is characterized by absence, lack, and negativity. She is casted only as the mirror in which man sees himself reflected; woman is only allowed to know woman as man sees her. However, it is true that in a society, women are always in some sense of the second sex, the subordination of men. Their common characteristics are being assistants of men. Women have been subordinated to men in certain key of status, mobility and public leadership (Quoted in Sim, 2001: 285).
Nonetheless, female inequality can be defined as a state where women are universally subordinate to men, where men are dominant due to their participation in public life and their downgrading of women to the domestic area. There is violence against women, underestimating, and degrading women self-esteem. Women feel that they are powerless, and suffer from injustice because of their sex (gender). Since she is a woman, she is treated differently.
The Buccaneers is a novel written by Edith Wharton in 1938. Edith Wharton herself is considered as a female writer with prominent ability to portray tragedies of her characters that failed in overcoming the hardship of fate and nature. The Buccaneers becomes her last novel due to her death. It is Wharton’s last and unfinished novel. The words ‘last’ and ‘unfinished’ novel sparked the writer’s curiosity. The writer wants to know whether the novel has been completed sufficiently to form a significant and interesting book. The writer finds it interesting because one of the main female characters, Annabel St.George, is a dynamic girl. Therefore, she experiences many things in her life, both happy and sad ones. Annabel’s boyfriend, Guy Thwarte is also a romantic guy. Those elements make this novel become interesting and worth reading. Marion Mainwaring, who completed the novel, is every bit as qualified as Edith Wharton. Mainwaring completed chapter XXIX through chapter XLI.
Edith Newbold Jones Wharton was born in New York, N.Y., into a wealthy and socially prominent family. Wharton gained first success with her bookThe House of Mirth(1905), a story of a beautiful but poor woman, who tries to survive in the pitiless New York City. Among Wharton’s most famous novels isThe Age of Innocent(1920), which was filmed in 1993. While Wharton’s other major works includes the long tale Ethan Frome (1991) which was set in impoverished rural New England (www.kirjasto.sci.fi/wharton.htm).
position than for romantic love. The novel is also a poignant example of art imitating life, since one of the storylines closely resembles the real story of the ill-fated marriage of heiress and Aristocratic gentlemen. Besides, the theme of the story can be related to the idea of Feminism.
B. Problem Formulation
Considering the background of the study has been explained above, there are two problems which are formulated as follows.
1. What are the characteristics of main female characters on Edith Wharton’s
The Buccaneers?
2. How are the ideas of feminism reflected by the main female characters of Edith Wharton’sThe Buccaneers?
C. Objectives of the Study
The study is intended to analyse and to answer the problems in a clear description. Based on the problem formulation mentioned above, the objectives of the study are firstly is to examine the characteristics of main female characters of the novel, and to find out how the idea of Feminism as reflected by these characters.
D. Definition of Terms
the right focus on the meaning of the significant and important terms for the readers.
1. Character
According to Kennedy inAn Introduction to Fiction(1983: 5), character is defined as an extended verbal representation of human being, the inner self that determines thought, speech, and behaviour. Through dialogue, action, and commentary, authors capture some of the interactions of the characters who are worth caring about, rooting for, and even loving.
Main character according to Stanton in An Introduction to Fiction (1965: 17) refers to “a character who is relevant to every event in the story; usually the events cause some changes either in him as in our attitude toward him.”
2. Feminism
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
This chapter is divided into three parts. The first part is review on related studies, which consists of some comments and criticism on the novel. Secondly, review on related theories, which consist of all theories that are used. The last part is theoretical framework, which shows the application of all the theories in analysing the study.
A. Review of Related Studies
The writer finds criticism and comment on Edith Wharton’s other work,
Ethan Fromewritten by Dr. Kinnicutt. He describes Wharton’s novel as follows: “Ethan Frome was a classic that will be read and re-read with pleasure and instructions,” and was astonished at what she had been able to do in the midst of her ‘pressing anxieties’. (Lewis, 1985: 310)
In The Edith Wharton Society, Abby Werlock who has given great commitment on Edith Wharton works calls Edith Wharton as one of the major figures in American literary history. He says that as an author of more than 40 volumes – novels, poetry, non-fiction, Edith Wharton presented intriguing insights into American experience. Her upbringing provided her insights on the upper class, while her sense of humour and polished prose produced fiction that appealed to a large audience. Further, Werlock argues that Wharton, as a naturally gifted storyteller, wrote novels and short fiction notable for their vividness, satire,
irony, and wit. Her complex characters and subtly delivered point of view make the reading of Wharton’s fiction both challenging and rewarding, while her own life illustrates the difficulties that a woman of her era had to surmount to find self-realization (http://www.wsu.edu/-campbelld/wharton/bio.htm)
B. Review of Related Theories
The theories that the writer uses in this study are theory of Marxist Feminism and theory of character and characterization.
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
Blair in Better Reading II: Literature, states that a character is a description of figures in the story which includes the descriptions of professions, statements, dialogues and thoughts. The purpose is to describe what the character is like such as his behaviour and how he lives to the readers (1948: 52-54).
Through real life, descriptions of a person’s character can be considered as something unique and separable from all other identities. Further, through his or her literary works, an author is free to create and to present his or her fictional character in the works, such as his appearance, his personality and what problem he might face. It is different from the real life, which is need unique description of characters as unique ones like in the real life and discusses them as independent entities, the novel as one of literary works itself consists of simple description of characters that is got from the real people (Harvey, 1968:31).
that the flat character is recognizable by the reader’s emotional eye, not the visual eye, whenever the flat character comes into the story. His second advantage is that the readers can remember the flat character afterwards, since the circumstances do not have to change the flat character. The second type of character is round character. Foster states that the reader cannot express the round character into simple phrase. The events happen in the story have the connection with the round character.
InA Glossary of Literary Term(1981: 20-21), Abrams gives the definition of character as:
The person presented in dramatic or narrative work, which are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral and disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say (the dialogue) and what they do (action).
Character is an imaginative person that inhabits a story. A character is an important feature of fiction. Moreover, to interpret the character that is presented in a dramatic or narrative work, the readers can interpret character’s moral and indifference qualities through what they say and they do. A character’s motivation is constituted from “the grounds in a character’s temperament and moral nature for his speech and actions” (Abrams, 1981: 20). Meanwhile, an action of a character must not only be motivated, but must also be consistent with the behavioural traits. It means that, a character that is in the dramatic or narrative work must be consistent with the behavioural traits or the habitual of the society.
that the main character must be an attractive person. He or she, at least, is good looking, kind, honest, and perhaps generous. Those demands come from the idea that the story is not a vehicle for understanding but material from a daydream.
Abrams also said that physical appearances, emotional, and moral qualities describe character and characterization in dramatic or narrative work. The emotional, a person’s qualities of mind and moral qualities are shown in the way they speak, think, and act. Because of the motivation and development, the character may have a self-change gradually through times.
Theory of characterization is needed to help in analysing the main female character of The Buccaneers. The theory proposed by Murphy in Understanding Unseen (1972: 161-173). According to Murphy, there are nine kinds of characterization. They are personal descriptions, character as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation of others, reactions, direct comment, thoughts, and mannerism.
a. Personal Descriptions
The author can describe a person’s appearance and clothes (1972: 161). This characterization deals with physical appearance such as face, body, the facial expression or the outfits she or he wears. It is important because each character has specific appearance in the novel or play.
b. Character as seen by another
The second characterization is character as seen by another (1972: 162). Through this characterization, the author can describe the character through the eyes and opinion of another. The author also gives the reader the impressions and the sense such as impression of shape, cleanliness, firmness, smoothness and color, and the sense of strangeness and mystery.
c. Speech
d. Past Life
By letting the reader learn something about a person’s past life, the author can gives a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character (1972: 166). The author guides the reader to know more about the past life of the character in order to get some ideas about the shape of character’s thought, behavior, and action.
e. Conversation of others
The fifth characterization is conversation of others. The author gives the reader clues to a person’s character through the conversation of other characters and the things they say about him (1972: 167).
f. Reactions
It is the way to understand a person’s character by seeing at how the person in the story reacts to various situations and events in his life. It gives some views to the reader to watch the character closely. The author can also give us a clue to a person’s character by letting us to know how that person reacts to various situations and events (1972: 168).
g. Direct Comment
The author can describe or comments on a person’s character directly (1972: 170). This method gives direct explanation of the character briefly and clearly.
h. Thought
mind is, and what the person’s feeling is. And sometimes he can tell about the mind of different character in the novel.
i. Mannerism
The author can describe a person’s mannerism or habits which may also tell us something about his character (1972: 173). The habits or the attitudes that the person has are also the clue in observing the character closely.
2. Feminism
Feminism is a common term that most people have already known but not yet understand about. Feminism is a belief in the principle that women should have the same rights and opportunities (legal, political, social, and economic) as men, therefore the basic movement of feminism are against some actions that violating woman such as: oppression, discrimination, stereotyping, and domestic violence (http//www.feministissue.com).
Bressler in his writing Literary Critics, An Introduction to Theory and Practice said that a feminist critic examines the traditional literary canon. It discovers an array of male dominances and prejudices that supported Beavoir and Millet’s assertion that males considered the female “the other”. Canon: Women were sex maniacs, goddess of beauty, mindless entities, or old spinster. Related to his statement it can be seen that a literary can be functional as a determine gender and it becomes a wrong justification to portray women.
sexual and procreative self-determination’ (Humm, 1990: 55). Moreover, Humm states that Liberal feminism believes that male dominance can be overcome by rational argument because it is rooted from their irrational prejudice. Therefore, it can be said that women’s dominant character is needed and it must be a significant characteristic of a feminist to break the domination of man.
Autonomy is also one of feminist characteristics. According to Maggie Humm, in her book,The Dictionary of Feminist Theory‘autonomy is basic to the liberal concepts of freedom and equality and this aspect provides one of liberalism’s main arguments for limiting the power of the state. Feminism places autonomy as a struggle concept in the context of sexual politics’ (Humm, 1990: 14). Another characteristic that indicates feminism is Criticism. Feminist criticism analyses the discourse and its ideology and culture with a woman-cantered perspective. Humm states that ‘criticism is feminist if it critique existing disciplines, traditional paradigm about women, nature or social roles, or documents such work by others, from the point of view of women’. (Humm, 1990: 40).
a site of contradiction bisected by class, race, and sexual preference’. (Humm, 1990: 165). Moreover, in her book, she states that Radical Feminism claims that women need the pleasure in the positive possibilities. It is to explore their own body, sensuality, human connection and the infantile and non-rationale (Humm, 1990: 165)
Since this thesis discusses a feminist attitude, the writer relates it to the opinion of some feminists who has their own attitude as a woman. Mary Wollstonecraft, who is the author of a vindication of the right of women (1792) which is compiled in Bressler’s book entitled Literary Criticism, an Introduction to Theory and Practice, states that ‘Women must stand up for their rights and not allow their male-dominated society to define what it means to be a woman. Women themselves must take the lead and articulate that they are and what role they will play in society most importantly, they must reject the patriarchal assumption that women are inferior to men’. (Wollstonecraft, 1994: 181).
Virginia Woolf has her own attitude as a woman, which states in Bressler’s entitled Literary Criticism, An Introduction of Theory and Practice. She says that women must reject this social construct and establish their own identity. Women must challenge the prevailing, false cultural notions concerning their gender identity and develop female discourse that will accurately portray their relationship in the world of reality’ and not ‘to the world of men’. (Woolf, 1994: 182).
her patriarchal society and define herself if she wishes to become a significant human being in her own right and defy male classification as the other’. (Beavoir, 1994: 182). Moreover, Beavoir states that ‘Women see themselves as autonomous being. Women, she maintains, must reject the social construct that men are the subject or the absolute and that women are ‘the other’. (Beavoir, 1990: 182).
Anna Fioravanti quotes Simone De Beavoir’s statement in her Review on Lady Roxana, she states that ‘one is not born a woman: one becomes a woman. No biological, psychological or economic destiny can determine how the human
female will appear in the society’.
(http/:www.thefword.uk.org/review/books/roxana.live). It means that a woman is the female human who is created by society. Then, a woman will establish her own identity and defined herself to play her role in the society based on her life’s experience.
In this thesis, the writer focuses on the feminist aspects as reflected in the Edith Wharton’s The Buccaneers, which is related with marriage. In Maggie Humm’s book,The Dictionary of Feminist Theory Radical Feministstates:
“Marriage is as a form of compulsory heterosexuality whose main aim is to control women’s sexuality by trying her to her husband. This combined with men’s control over women’s labour in house work, makes marriage the central source of women’s oppression under patriarchy”. (Humm, 1990: 128)
model for other social institution of sexual norm. She also reveals that sociologist and historians suggest marriage as “a simple social contract” which is closely related with the reproduction of children (Humm, 1990: 128).
Related to the marriage, Bressler states that women must reject that marriage is their ultimate goal to financially support and dependent to husband. Also women must reject the idea that women are mindless, weepy, passive, and helpless that needs a man to rescue them and make their life is meaningful (Bressler, 1994: 180). Therefore, it can be said that marriage becomes a significant course in the feminist context. It becomes a symbol of one of the source of women’s oppression.
Friedrich Engels inThe Origins of Family, Private Property and the State
C. Theoretical Framework
The theories which the writer has explained above are used to help the analysis of this study. In this section, the writer would like to explain the reason why the theories are needed and how the writer uses those theories in the analysis of this study.
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
Object of the Study
The object of this study is a literary work written by Edith Wharton entitled The Buccaneers. When Edith Wharton died in 1937, she had completed three fourths of The Buccaneers, which was published in its unfinished form the next year. Fifty-six years later, Marion Mainwaring, who assisted R. W. B. Lewis in researching his prize-winning biography of Wharton, completed the narrative along lines Wharton had lived to finish it, it might have been her masterpieces. It is hardly that, but it is a skilled and thoughtful entertainment with an uncharacteristically romantic ending. Set in the 1870’s it deals with the clash of cultures when Americans marry Europeans. (http://www.enotes.com/buccaneers-salem/buccaneers).
The version that the writer’s had studied published by Penguin Group, it is published in Penguin Books in 1994. The novel consists of 359 pages, and 29 chapters. The novel talks about the daughters of three socially aspiring American families, the St. Georges, Elmsworths, and Clossons, who are not altogether accepted by the wealthy society of Saratoga and New York, go to England, where their free spiritedness, beauty, and their father’s money are irresistible to aristocrats who need an infusion of American cash to maintain their noble houses and lands. Conchita Closson marries unhappily and takes a lover, Virginia St. George and Lizzy Elmsworth eventually makes satisfactory marriages. The narrative gradually focuses on the youngest of the daughters, Nan St. George
(Annabel St. George), who marries the Duke of Tintagel in a moment of mutually mistaken sentiment. Neither turns out to be what the other hoped for, as the new duchess finds her constrained by the duke’s expectations. Nan finds that her true soul mate is the intellectual Guy Thwarte, while her former English governess, Laura Testvalley, a cousin of Dante Gabriel Rosetti, has an abortive romance with Thwarte’s father.
background, even though her father is a millionaire, while Guy grows up with the nobility backgrounds. Their love does not affect difference backgrounds they had, and finally, their love breaks the rule of London’s traditional society, that is filing for a divorce from Ushant.
Approach of the Study
To have vivid conclusion of the study, the writer needs an appropriate approach. The approach leads the writer to have a fair analysis on the topic discussed. To understand the idea of this study, it is applied feminism approach.
Feminism approach is an approach that is different from the other approaches that have been examined, feminist literary criticism is often a political attack upon other modes of criticism and theory, and its social orientation moves beyond traditional literary criticism. In its diversity feminism concerns with the marginalization of all women, that it is, being neglected to a secondary position (Guerin, 1979: 196).
That is the reason why feminism approach is thought to fit perfectly well in analysing the novel, because it only focuses on the women advocacy to the marginalization of women..
Method of the Study
This study is grouped into library research. Through library research the writer can study some theories that can be useful to analyse the literary works. In analyzing the work, the writer uses primary and secondary sources. The primary sources is Edith Wharton’s The Buccaneers itself. The writer also uses some books which support the analysis as secondary sources, such as Murphy’s
Understanding Unseen, Guerin’s A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature.
The writer applied some steps to conduct the study. The first step was that the writer chose the novel which would be analysed in this study. Thus, after several times of discussion with the writer’s lecturer, the writer decided to choose Edith Wharton’sThe Buccaneersas the primary sources of the study.
The next step was reading and re-reading the novel. Though the novel was very difficult to be understood, the writer still read and re-read for several times. The writer also underlined sentences in the novel which related to the focus of the study. In doing so, the writer really hoped that the writer could understand the content of the novel better.
It was because the writer had so many ideas in mind and it made the writer difficult to decide which one to be analyzed.
The next step was that the writer collected the references which related to the study. The references were books related to the study and criticism on the novel. The writer also used the Internet to get information related to the study. Then, the writer found the approach which was suitable to the study. The writer decided to use the theory of Feminism by Maggie Humm, Imelda Whelehan, and Friedrich Engels.
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
Based on the problem formulation, the writer analyzes the description of the main female characters in Edith Wharton’s The Buccaneers. Those main female characters are Virginia St. George, Annabel St. George, Conchita Clossons, Lizzy Elmsworth, and Mabel Elmsworth. After analyzing the description of the main female characters, the writer discusses the idea of Feminism as reflected by the five main female characters.
A. Description of Main Female Characters
1. Virginia St. George
Virginia St. George is self-confidence, and clever. Below are the discussions of her character.
a. Self Confidence
Virginia St. George is a beautiful young girl. Her beauty is reflected in the novel as follows: ‘As regards hair and complexion, there could be no doubt; Virginia, all rose and pearl, with sheaves of full fair hair heaped above her low forehead, was as pure and luminous as an apple blossom.’ (p. 7). The citation shows Virginia’s kind of beauty. Her beauty is described like a worthy pearl and it is pure and luminous like an apple blossom. Her beauty makes her mother, Mrs. St. George, feels proud. It is seen in from her thought of comparing her neighbor’s daughter with Virginia; ‘Week after week, day after day, the anxious mother had gone over Miss Elmsworth’s points, comparing them one by one with Virginia’s.’
(p. 7). Mrs. St. George thought on comparing Virginia physical attribute with other young girls results Virginia as the most beautiful girl in the area.
The other thought of Virginia’s beauty is coming from Virginia’s own sister, Annabel St. George’s thought. It is seen from the novel that; ‘Nan St. George (Annabel St. George), at sixteen, was at the culminating phase of a passionate admiration for her elder sister. Virginia was all that her junior longed to be: perfectly beautiful, …’ (p. 10). Above shows that Annabel St. George is admiring Virginia, she wants to be like Virginia whom she thinks as perfectly beautiful.
Virginia St. George has a high self-confidence. She is able to cope all problems she has faced with her self-confidence. Even when she has to talk with Lord Brightlingsea who is everybody known as a high temper person. Her self-confidence is seen when she introduces herself and her sister, Annabel. It is seen as follows. “You’re Lord Brightlingsea, aren’t you? I’m Miss St. George, and this is my sister Annabel,” the young lady said, in a tone that was fearless without being familiar. (p. 128). Above shows Virginia’s fearless introduction to Lord Brightlingsea. She has already heard about Lord Brightlingsea before.
Other opinion that Virginia St. George is having self-confidence character is coming from Annabel St. George. It is said in the novel that; ‘… in spite of her sense of Virginia’s superiority – her beauty, her ease, her self-confidence – Nan sometimes felt a shamefaced pity for her.” (p. 132).
Virginia St. George is clever. Her cleverness brings her success to marry Lord Seadown. When in fact she has a rivalry, her rival is Lizzy Elmsworth. Lord Seadown is charmed with the two girls but he chooses Virginia St. George. Therefore, Lady Churt, congratulates Virginia St. George and said that Virginia St, George is clever. It is seen in the novel as follows:
‘She went up to Virginia and looked her straight in the eyes. “I congratulate you my dear, on your cleverness, on your good looks, on your success. But you must excuse me for saying that I knows Seadown far too well to congratulate you on having caught him for a husband.” (p. 209)
2. Annabel St. George (Nan St. George)
Annabel is the main female character of the novel. She is the round character. Her character is changed due to the period of time. Her character that reflects autonomous, liberal, critical, and dominant were seen mostly after her marriage to Duke of Tintagel.
a. Autonomous
and to be whatever she wants to be. When Annabel St. George’s parents want a governess to come and teach Annabel, Annabel refuses the idea. She thought that the government will interfere her life and that she could not do whatever she wanted to do. She is then argues with her father, explaining to him that she does not want to have a governess.
“Oh, father; that’s what I wanted to speak to you about –“
“What about?”“That governess. I’m going to hate her, you know. She is going to make me learn lists of dates, the way the Eglinton girl had to. And mother’ll fill her up with silly stories about us, and tell her we mustn’t do this, and we mustn’t say that. I don’t believe she’ll even let me go with Conchita Closson, because mother says Mrs. Closson’s divorced.” (p. 22)
In this study, the writer sees Annabel’s autonomous character as a woman that freedom to make decision. It is proved when she refuses assistance from the governess.
b. Dominant
Annabel character described in the novel is that Annabel is a dominant woman. The writer relates the word ‘dominant’ in terms of authority. Annabel is a dominant woman who has authority to control others who are involved in her life. Her dominant character is seen when she is doing merciful activities.
Annabel St. George’s merciful is seen when she goes to toll-gates, farm-houses and cottages between Longland and Tintagel to meet her husband’s tenants and dependents. She tries to find out from these people what she could do to help them.
‘She often, out of sheer loneliness, stopped for a chat at toll-gates, farm-houses and cottages, made purchases at the village shops, scattered toys and lollipops among the children, and tried to find out from their mothers what she could do to help them. (p. 250)
Annabel’s merciful character is seen also when she is being helpful to her husband’s tenant named Linfry’s family. Mrs. Linfry’s children were sick from typhoid fever and Annabel was trying hard to help them by asking her husband to visit.
Annabel is even having an argument with her husband about her being helpful to her husband’s tenants and dependents. She asks her husband to pay more attention on these people’s health, especially by placing doctor and nurse in every cottage or village.
“Is it your idea, my dear, that I should provide every cottage on my states, here and elsewhere, with a hospital nurse?” the Duke asked ironically.
“Well, I wish you would! At least there ought to be a nurse in every village, and two in the bigger ones; and the doctor ought to see his patients every day; and the drains – Ushant, you must come with me at once and smell the drains!” cried Nan in a passion of entreaty. (p. 252 – 253)
Annabel’s merciful character is also seen when she promise to help her friend Conchita Clossons with large sum of money. Conchita Closson is in debt that she needs money; “Conchie dear, by tomorrow evening I promise you …” she began; and found herself instantly gathered to her friend’s bosom. “Two hundred pounds would save e my life, you darling—and five hundred make me free woman…” (p. 307)
c. Liberal
As the writer discusses in the previous chapter, Maggie Humm states that ‘the liberation of women is the chief goal of feminist theory. Contemporary women’s liberation, or feminist action, is consciously revolutionary. It breaks with reformism, it is internationalist and it simultaneously attacks the state, cultural ideology and the economy’. (Humm, 1990: 119).
liberty to manage her money. And she also asked why she has to tell everything about her expenses.
She laughed impatiently. “Are you trying to say you won’t give me the money?”
“I’m saying quiet the contrary. I’m ready to give it if you tell me what you want for it.”
“Ushant – it’s a long time since I’ve asked you a favour, and you can’t go on forever ordering me about like a child.” (p. 315)
It could be seen that Annabel St. George is angry to her husband who did not give her liberty to manage her own life.
3. Conchita Clossons a. Liberal
Conchita Closson is a plain girl. Conchita’s mother was a poor Brazilian widow when she married Mr. Closson. The marriage had brought Conchita moved to higher class of society in Saratoga, New York. But her background did not change her look. She was dress in plain and modest. Therefore Mr. St. George whose hobby was giving judgement on people had thought that Conchita was a plain girl. It is seen in the novel as follows.
‘and it was of no use for Mrs. St. George to say to herself that Conchita was plain and therefore negligible, for she had the precise kind of plainness which, as mothers of rival daughters know, may suddenly blaze into irresistible beauty.’ (p. 9)
a liberal woman is a woman who has right to express her desires even if she is not marriage as the man do in the society.
All this flashed through Annabel, but was swept away by Conchita’s next words: “In love with one man and married to another…” Yes; that was a terrible fate indeed … and yet, and yet … might one perhaps not feel less lonely with such a sin on one’s conscience than in the blameless isolation of an uninhabited heart? (p. 301)
4. Lizzy Elmsworth
Lizzy Elmsworth is ambitious and controlled as seen below, the discussions of her character.
a. Controlled
Lizzy Elmsworth is controlled. She is able to control her behavior because she actually is not a good-tempered girl. Her controlled character is influenced by her intelligent. It is said in the novel as follows; ‘Lizzy Elmsworth was not a good-tempered girl, but she was too intelligent to let her temper interfere with her opportunities.’ (p. 151) Lizzy’s controlled character is revealed when she saw Virginia St. George and Annabel St. George goes to the Queen’s Drawing room wearing Court feathers. When her sister, Mabel Elmsworth is trying to call out the St. George, Lizzy prevents her sister and try to be controlled.
“Why, Liz, what’s come over you? A minute ago you said they couldn’t possibly see us.”
“Now I’m sure they did, and made believe not to. I should have thought you’d have more pride than to scream at them that way among those common people.” (p. 145)
B. The Idea of Feminism
The main female characters of the Buccaneers, those are Virginia St. George, Annabel St. George, Lizzy and Mabel Elmsworth coming from the rich family and Conchita Clossons is coming from poor family. Conchita who becomes friend of the St. George and Elmsworths has faced oppression. The oppression caused by her poverty and it placed Conchita into a lower class, it can be seen that Mrs. St. George who belongs to high class society is driven by class and race distinctions as well as those of gender. She is very fond of her class and therefore she underestimates the lower class and shows great distinction on people’s class. It is reflected from her action to forbid her two daughters, Virginia St. George and Annabel St. George to be close with Conchita Closson who is a daughter of a Brazillian widow.
“Virginia!” she called. Virginia halted, seemed to hesitate as to whether the summons were worth heeding. And then sauntered across the verandah toward her mother.
“Virginia, I don’t want you should go round any more with that strange girl,” Mrs. St, George began. (p. 9)
George and Annabel St. George. Both girls oppose their mother’s instruction by becoming friends of Conchita Closson though their mother had forbidden.
“But some people say she was just divorced. And I don’t want my daughters assopciating with that kind of people.”
Virginia removed her blue gaze from her mother’s boots to little mantle trimmed with swandsdown. “I should think you’d roast with that thing on,” she remarked.
“Jinny! Now you listen to what I say,” her mother ineffectually called after her. (p. 10)
Nan St. George feels a rush of anger when her mother issued the order that her daughters are not to associate with “the strange girl” who is Conchita Closson.
“Why can’t I go with Conchita if she wants me to?”
Mrs. St. George’s faintly withered pink turned pale. “If she wants you to? Annabel St. George, what do you mean by talking to me that way? What on earth do you care for what a girl like that wants?”
Nan ground her heels into the crack between the verandah boards. “I think she’s lovely.” (p. 13)
Annabel St. George bravely asks her mother why she could not be associated with Conchita Closson. Mrs. St. George who gives question in high tense rather than answering her daughter’s asks Annabel argues with her mother by saying that Conchita Closson is a lovely figures and it becomes her reason to go with her. Annabel does not think about Conchita’s background. She does not agree with her mother’s discrimination on Conchita. This fact reflects the idea of feminism which stating that race and class discrimination must be avoided.
divisions based on the unequal distribution of economic resources. People are grouped into different classes according to their relative position in an economically based hierarchy. In the novel of Edith Wharton, The Buccaneers, the main female characters are wandering to England in order to get husband who comes from aristocracy society. Their purposes are to get higher class in social division.
But the fact is marrying an aristocracy bring an oppression on women. It could be seen from Conchita Closson’s marriage with Lord Richard Marabel. The marriage is unhappy. She is oppressed by her husband’s bad behaviour. The condition of her marriage leads to domestic violence. Conchita is the victim of domestic violence. Lord Richard Marabel drinks and has an affair with other woman. An opinion on Conchita comes from Mrs. St. George as follows: “But look at poor Conchita. Her husband drinks, and behaves dreadfully with other women, and he never seems to have enough money -- ” (p. 221) To her unfortunate condition, Conchita Clooson explains to Mrs. St. George who seems to worry on her daughter, Virginia, being married with English aristocracy. It is seen as follows:
“Seadown’s always been the good boy of the family. He’ll never give Jinny any trouble…He likes to sit before the same fire every evening…of course with Dick it’s different. And if I took a sentimental view of marriage I’d sit up crying half the night…Dick wouldn’t have given me even if he’d been a model son and husband.” (p. 221)
St. George that Lord Seadown could be a good husband for Virginia St. George. Her action supports the idea of Feminism that people must not being stereotyped. Especially on their races and classes. She does not want to stereotype Lord Seadown as her own husband, Lord Richard Marabel. As though Lord Richard is not a model of son and husband. The marriage of Conchita with Lord Richard Marabel does not bring happiness in Conchita’s life. She, as a wife, and tied up on the rules that settled her to be a good wife is a kind of oppression in which Feminism disapprove with.
Women are independently acquire class status by virtue of the same economic determinants as men, but also infers that all women are proletarianized within marriage. In The Buccaneers, the main female characters: Virginia St. George, Annabel St. George, Lizzy Elmsworth, and Conchita Clossons who are the daughters of American rich people have made them economically at the same class status. The society settled that though they are rich but they have no aristocracy title, therefore they wander to England to marry with English aristocracy. It is seen that by marriage, women can acquire class status but it has made woman’s position becoming lower than man though both may have same economic position.
young and timid to have any opinions on any subject whatever.’ (p. 245). The Duke had shown his domination on Annabel St. George, he is underestimating his wife especially when he thought that he could manage her, “The great thing is that I shall be able to form her.” (p. 245). It shows that as a wife Annabel had to perform herself as he wanted to, and she must obey all rules that he had settled. This situation means oppression on woman, and if it is happens on marriage life, it is said as a domestic violence. A husband and a wife is equal, both accept each other’s opinion. A husband must not dominate his wife, and in the other hand, a wife must not dominate her husband.
The Duke of Tintagel expected his wife to be what he wanted to be. Though he had faced some problems, he did not want his wife to help him since her help as his thought could only show his weaknesses and it means that he could not encourage his wife. He expected his wife to be ideal wife on his standard and courage; it is shown in the novel as follows:
‘he did not expect his wife to help him, save by looking her part as a beautiful and angelically pure young Duchess, whose only duties consisted in bestowing her angelic presence on entertainments for the tenantry and agricultural prize-givings.’ (p. 250)
up under the iron rod of a mother who, during his minority, had managed not only his property, but his very life. Therefore he did not want anyone to interfere his life.
‘…he had no idea of letting her authority pass to his wife. Much as he dreaded the duties belonging to his great rank, deeply as he was oppressed by them, he was determined to perform them himself, were it ever so hesitatingly and painfully, and not to be guided by any one else’s suggestions. (p. 250).
But Annabel St. George, though shy and simple, she had an active personality. She who felt lonely in the palace gave great attention on her husband’s tenants and dependents. She acts indifference to money and honors. This is the thing that made The Duke of Tintagel wants to marry her. It is seen in the novel as follows: ‘The Duke looked crestfallen. “But it’s her childish innocence, her indifference to money and honours and – er – that kind of thing, that I value so immensely …” (p. 227). The Duke of Tintagel marries Annabel St. George for her plain character. The Duke thought that Annabel St. George must able to follow all his directions. She must learn her duties. Though the duties are becoming discrimination to her as a woman. By the marriage, she has lost her own identity, she felt strange with her new life as Annabel Tintagel.
“Annabel Tintagel,” she said slowly: “who is Annabel Tintagel?”
The question was one which she had put to herself more than once during the last months, and the answer was always the same: she did not know. Annabel Tintagel was a strange figure with whom she lived, and whose actions she watched with cold curiosity, but with whom she had never arrived at term of intimacy.’ (p. 241)
she had been Annabel St. George, and the figure of Annabel St. George, her face and voice, her likes and dislikes, her memories and moods, all that made up her tremulous little identity.’ (p. 241). Especially after the marriage with The Duke she becomes The Duchess of Tintagel. She has to be careful on her behavior. She must do everything in the palace’s order.
By marrying the British aristocracy, Annabel, as a woman becomes lower than man. Her husband, The Duke of Tintagel wants to manipulate her. It is seen on his conversation with his mother, The Dowager Duchess, below.
‘…he had married chiefly because she seemed too young and timid to have any opinions on any subject whatever.
“The great thing is that I shall be able to form her.” He had said to his mother, on the dreadful day when he had broken the news of his engagement to the horrified Duchess, and the Duchess had replied, with a flash of unwonted insight: “you’re very skillful, Ushant; but women are not quite as simple as clocks.” (p. 245)
His mother suggests that women are complicated and not simple. In these way women’s particular experience of oppression is absorbed and obscured under a description of class antagonism, with a result that sex oppression has in effect been invisible.
Duke of Tintagel’s effort to limit his wife’s activity. The Duke of Tintagel shows his action of limiting his wife’s activity is seen when he knows that her wife goes to Longland and Tintagel to meet his husband’s tenants and dependents.
“My mother was very much esteemed and respected at Tintagel, but though she managed my affairs so wisely, it never occurred to her to interfere directly with the agent’s business, except as regards Christmast festivities, and the annual school-treat. Her holding herself aloof increased the respect that was felt for her; and my wife could not do better than follow her example.” (p. 254)
procedures that run in the palace. Annabel had disturbed the Dowager Duchess peace of mind with her behaviour.
‘The most careful and patient initiation into the functions of the servants attending on her had not kept Annabel from commiting what seemed to her mother-in-law inexcusable, perharps deliberate blunders; such as asking the groom-of-the-chambers to fetch her a glass of water, or bidding one of the under house-maids to lace up her dinner-dress when her own maid was accidently out of hearing. (p. 247).
Some of Annabel activities show her concern on people with lower class. After her marriage with the Duke of Tintagel, she becomes the Duchess of Tintagel. It brings her to be a high class. Though her husband had explained to her that he wanted her to follow his mother, that is not traveling alone and keep in the palace, Annabel goes to some places where the lower class people are live.
‘She had not yet learned that she was expected to remain a lovely and adoring looker-on, and in her daily drives over the estate (in the smart pony-chaise with its burnished trappings and gay piebald ponies) she often, out of sheer loneliness, stopped for a chat at toll-gates, farm-houses and cottages, made purchases at the village shops, scattered toys and lollipops among the children, and tried to find out from their mothers what she could do to help them.’ (p. 250 – 251).
Annabel St. George did not differentiate her class status. Though she is a duchess, she did not make a long distance gap between her and her people. She did something that most of the aristocracy prefers not to do. Those are chatting with the lower class, and helping them which means giving attention to them. Annabel felt sorry to those people who depended solely on his husband. She felt sorry to her husband’s worker. The idea of feminism is reflected on Annabel’s thought of being attentive to the poor people.
for people”, and it seemed to her that there was a good deal to be sorry about in the lot of these people who depended solely, in health and sickness, on a rich man’s whim. (p. 251)
The Duke of Tintagel found out Annabel St. George’s efforts and interests. He was angry, ‘the discovery that her interest in them was distasteful to the Duke came to her as a great shock, and left a wound that did not heal.’ (p. 251). The Duke wanted to speak to her about it, and Annabel thought that she could use the chance to explain to him at once about the evidences of neglect and poverty of her husband’s tenants and dependents.
But there is a conflict between Annabel and her husband, the Duke of Tintagel. Annabel is trying to explain the unfortunate condition of the poor tenants and the Duke of Tintagel does not approve Annabel’s visit to the family whose children are sick. The Duke of Tintagel is angry.
The Duke stood up, knocking the paper-cutter to the floor.
“You’ve been there? Yourself? To a house where you tell me there is typhoid fever? In your state of health? I confess, Annabel –“ His lips twitched nervously under his scanty blond moustache.
“Oh, bother my state of health! I feel all right, really I do. And you know the doctors have ordered me to walk and drive every day.”
“But not go and sit with Mrs. Linfry’s sick children, in a house recking with disease. (p. 252)
ours? They’ve no sick-nurse, and nobody to help the mother, or tell her what to do; and the doctor comes only every other day.” (p. 252). Annabel suggests the Duke to provide good nurse to take care of his people’s health. “Well, I wish you would! At least there ought to be a nurse in every village, and two in the bigger ones; and the doctor ought to see his patients every day; and the drains – Ushant, you must come in with me at once and smell the drains!” (p. 253). The Duke of Tintagel is surprised with Annabel’s great attention to the poor of his tenants. It is seen from his wonder by giving a question on where the idea of providing every cottage on his estates with hospital nurse is coming from; “Is it your idea, my dear, that I should provide every cottage on my estates, here and elsewhere, with a hospital nurse?” (p. 252). The Duke asked Annabel ironically.
Annabel explains the situation in a passion to help those people who live in poverty and unfortunate. Her struggle reflect the idea of Feminism, that is giving attention and sympathy to the poor and lower class status, and thought that they have the equal right to have health care. Annabel also suggests her husband to be more caring with his tenant. She asks him to visit the people and informs him that the disease, Typhoid is coming from bad drains and infected milk. It shows that Annabel is intelligent and gives good opinion on some matters.
“If your intention is to introduce typhoid fever at Tintagel, I can imagine no better way of going about it,” he began. “But perharps you don’t realize that, though it may not be as contagious as typhus, the doctors are by no means sure …”
“Oh but they are sure; only ask them! Typhoid comes from bad drains and infected milk. (P. 253).
Duke of Tintagel is a weak person. He is too afraid that something could hurt him. This also shows that he is a selfish individual. The Feminism against selfishness. Selfishness which means that every individual only care about herself or himself without giving attention to other’s need. The individual who only thought about herself or himself is the character of capitalist that feminist is fought against it. The capitalist struggle with any way it can to bring as much as possible profit and fortune without giving attention to those who has no capital. Annabel St. George asks her husband to visit his sick tenants and convinces him that their condition will not hurt him. “It can’t hurt you in the least to go down and see what’s happening at the Linfrys’; and you ought to, because they’re your own tenants. Won’t you come with me now? The ponies are not a bit tired, and I told William to wait – “ (p. 253). Annabel’s ask was not being realized by the Duke. He did not listen to her explanation. He did not want to accept suggestion from his wife. It shows that he had underestimated woman. He did not like being suggested by his wife, whom he thought that the wife’s position is not equal to give him any suggestion.
The conflict between Annabel and her husband increased from his careless to his own labor. Annabel is angry because her husband does not care about his own labor; he only cares about the health of Annabel’s baby who will become the next duke. Annabel’s rebellion is apparent from her anger with her husband; he does not care a bit about those poor people who live under his own direction.
“You tell me to be careful about my health in very same breath that you say you can’t be bothered about these poor people, and that their child’s dying is a small matter, to be looked after the agent. It’s for the sake of your own child that you forbid me to go to see them – but I tell you I don’t want a child if he’s to be brought up with such ideas, if he’s to be taught, as you have been, that it’s right and natural to live in a palace with fifty servants, and not care for the people who are slaving for him on his own land, to make his big income bigger! I’d rather be dead than see a child of mine taught to grow up as – as you have!” (p. 254 – 255).
Annabel shows her hard try to defense the poor people. She told her husband that he must care with people who are working hard for him on his own property to make his big income bigger. Annabel’s struggle reflects the idea of Feminism in which stating that the capital owner or the employer must giving and providing his labor with good treat, especially on their health. Annabel dares to speak up against her husband. Even though the Duke of Tintagel is surprised by Annabel’s outspoken outburst, he does not do anything for the Linfry’s because he thinks that he, as a Duke, should not obey woman’s orders, “… though it went hard with him to swallow his own words, and find himself again under a woman’s order.” (p. 255).
Tintagel. Nan is pregnant and should not take a long walk at night in the rain. The condition causes her miscarriage the baby. The Duke of Tintagel is angry at Annabel because she has a miscarriage and he blames Annabel for what has happened to his baby.
‘The miscarriage which had resulted from her mad expedition through the storm had robbed the Duke of a son; of that he was convinced. He, the Duke of Tintagel, wanted a son; if this woman’s criminal folly had not destroyed his hopes. The physicians summoned in consultation spoke of the necessity of many months to repose … even they did not seem to understand that a duke must have an heir, that it is the purpose for which dukes make the troublesome effort of marrying. (p. 259).
The Duke of Tintagel’s point of view of a wife is like a human reproduction machine. In Century England’s, one of the duties of a wife is to bear children. As the Duke’s mother puts it:
“ In the Dowager’s day, the obligations of a wife – more especially the wife of a Duke – had been as clear as the Ten Commandments. She must give her husband at least two sons, and if in fulfillment of this duty a dozen daughters came uninvited, must receive them with suitably maternal sentiments, and see that they were properly clothed and educated. Ushant must have two sons – three if possible. But his wife doesn’t seem to understand her duties. (p. 290)
to possess all she wanted to have. Though this efforts arouse conflicts between Annabel and the Dowager Duchess.
“I don’t know – I can’t explain … I’ve told Ushant that I don’t think I want to be a mother of dukes.”
“You should have thought of that before becoming the wife of one. According to English law, you are bound to obey you husband implicitly in .. er .. all such matters .. But, Annabel, we mustn’t let our talk end in dispute. (p. 294)
Annabel St. George’s reflection of Feminism is also revealed when she is being helpful to her friend Conchita Clossons. Annabel wants to help Conchita Closson, her friend when she was living in Saratoga, with the financial problem that Conchita had. Annabel promises her providing her the five hundred pounds that Conchita needs. Because Annabel does not have the cash, she told her to get the money by asking it from her husband, the Duke of Tintagel. In 19 century of London, women do not usually ask for money from their husbands without giving specific reasons. Women have no right to own property. But Annabel is daring to ask her husband sum of money.
“But what I’ve actually come for is to ask you to let me have five hundred pounds.”
“It’s a large sum – a very large sum. Has your dress-maker led you on rather farther than your means would justify?”
“Well, you see, I’ve never known exactly what my means were … but I do want this money…” (p. 312 – 313)
known what your means were? Surely it’s all clearly enough written down in your marriage settlements.” (p. 313), he refuses to give Annabel the money. It shows that the Duke as a husband did not respect her wife and he only thought about the marriage settlement. The Duke thought that it is his duty to teach his wife the value of money
“You must have been taught very little about the value of money to call five hundred pounds a trifle.”Annabel broke into a laugh.
“You’re teaching me a lot about it now.”
“It’s my duty to do so,” he remarked drily. Then his tone altered, and he added, on a conciliatory note: “I hope you’ll bear the lesson in mind; but of course if you’ve incurred this debt it must be paid.” (p. 314).
The Duke of Tintagel, Annabel’s husband dominates and control Annabel by refusing to give her the money. In this case, he treats his wife as one of his properties. The Duke’s act is in the contrary with the Feminism. In Feminist, wife is as equal as husband to own her own property, and wife is unlike one of the husband’s properties.
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION
In Edith Wharton’s The Buccaneers, Virginia St. George as the main female character is described as self-confidence, and clever. Annabel St. George is described as an autonomous character. Annabel’s autonomous character can be seen through the way she determines herself. Annabel St. George is also portrayed as a dominant woman. It can be seen through the way she dominates her marriage. Annabel St. George is also seen as a liberal. Her liberal character is seen when she has relationship with another person, Guy Thwarte.
Annabel St. George, in Edith Wharton’s The Buccaneersis described as a woman who has her own attitude toward marriage. She also defends those who live in unfortunate life and poor. From the analysis of the chapter IV above, and after studying the novel of Edith Whartons The Buccaneers,the writer concludes that the idea of Feminism is mostly reflected by the character of Annabel St. George. It reflects especially after she married with The Duke of Tintagel.
Feminist are always mindful of the ways society is driven by class and race distinctions as well as those of gender. Class has a great relation with Marxist Feminism. Generally, the concept of class is used in the analyses of social divisions based on the unequal distribution of economic resources. People are grouped into different classes according to their relative position in an economically based hierarchy. In the novel of Edith Wharton, The Buccaneers, the main female characters are wandering to England in order to get husband who
comes from aristocracy society. Their purposes are to get higher class in social division.
But the fact is marrying an aristocracy bring an oppression on women. It could be seen from Conchita Closson’s marriage with Lord Richard Marabel. The marriage is unhappy. She is oppressed by her husband’s bad behaviour. The condition of her marriage leads to domestic violence. Conchita is the victim of domestic violence. Lord Richard Marabel drinks and has an affair with other woman.
Above shows that Conchita herself confirm that she has taken sentimental view on marriage. Though she has faced unfortunate marriage, she convinces Mrs. St. George that Lord Seadown could be a good husband for Virginia St. George. Her action supports the idea of Feminism that people must not being stereotyped. Especially for their races and classes. She does not want to stereotype Lord Seadown as her own husband, Lord Richard Marabel. As though Lord Richard is not a model of son and husband. The marriage of Conchita with Lord Richard Marabel does not bring happiness in Conchita’s life. She, as a wife, and tied up on the rules that settled her to be a good wife is a kind of oppression in which Feminism disapprove with.
class status. The society settled that though they are rich but they have no aristocracy title, therefore they wander to England to marry with English aristocracy. It is seen that by marriage, women can acquire class status but it has made woman’s position becoming lower than man though both may have same economic position.
The Duke of Tintagel expected his wife to be what he wanted to be. Though he had faced some problems, he did not want his wife to help him since her help as his thought could only show his weaknesses and it means that he could not encourage his wife. The Duke’s expectancy on his wife, Annabel St. George meant limiting woman’s creativity. He underestimated woman. It is opposed by feminist. A husband must support his wife on any activity especially if it has relation with family matter. Husband should listen or even accept suggestion from his wife to solve some problems in any difficult situation. Both husband and wife discuss the problem to find solution. By marrying the British aristocracy, Annabel, as a woman becomes lower than man. Her husband, The Duke of Tintagel wants to manipulate her. His mother suggests that women are complicated and not simple. In these way women’s particular experience of oppression is absorbed and obscured under a description of class antagonism, with a result that sex oppression has in effect been invisible.
