ABSTRACT
LATIFA ROMADHON (2008). Comparison of The Main Characters in Flaubert’s Madame Bovary and Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero From Feminist Perspective.
Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University. This study analyzes two novels that talk about women’s problem. The first work is entitled Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. This story tells about an unhappily married woman who is dissapointed with her marriage and tries to fulfill her fantasy of love by having forbidden relationship with other men. The second work is entitled Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi. This story tells about an imprisoned prostitute who kills a pimp and she awaits her death sentence.
This study aims to find out the answers of two problems. The first problem is the characteristics of Firdaus and Emma. The second is revealing the contrast between Firdaus and Emma as seen from feminist perspective.
In answering those questions, the writer used library research where the information can be found from the books related to the topic. There are two kinds of sources:the primary source, which is obtained from the novel itself, which are Madame Bovary and Woman at Point Zero. The secondary sources which are sources from other books related to the topic and also from the Internet.
ABSTRAK
LATIFA ROMADHON (2008). Comparison of The Main Characters in Flaubert’s Madame Bovary and Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero From Feminist Perspective.
Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Skripsi ini menganalisa dua novel yang berbicara tentang permasalahan wanita. Karya pertama berjudul “Madame Bovary”, yang ditulis oleh Gustave Flaubert. Novel ini bercerita tentang seorang istri yang tidak bahagia dan kecewa dengan kehidupan pernikahannya, kemudian mencoba berselingkuh dengan bebebrapa pria untuk memenuhi fantasi cintanya. Sedangkan karya kedua berjudul “Woman at Point Zero”, yang ditulis oleh Nawal El Saadawi. Novel ini bercerita tentang seorang pelacur yang dipenjara karena membunuh seorang germo dan menunggu hukuman mati.
Skripsi ini bertujuan untuk menjawab dua permasalahan. Permasalahan pertama mengenai karakteristik Firdaus and Emma. Permasalahan kedua mengungkap perbedaan antara Firdaus and Emma apabila dilihat dari perspektif feminis.
Dalam menjawab pertanyaan tersebut, penulis menggunakan penelitian perpustakaan dimana infromasi dapat ditemukan dalam buku yang berhubungan dengan topik. Ada dua jenis narasumber: yang pertama dari novel itu sendiri, yaitu Madame Bovarydan Woman at Point Zero.Sumber yang kedua yaitu buku buku lainnya yang berhubungan dengan topik dan juga dari Internet.
COMPARISON OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS
IN FLAUBERT’S
MADAME BOVARY
AND
SAADAWI’S
WOMAN AT POINT ZERO
FROM FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
LATIFA ROMADHON
Student Number: 084214115
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENTOF ENGLISHLETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
YOU CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING, IF YOU ARE
WILLING TO DO THE THINGS TO ACHIEVE IT
(mario teguh 2009 :153)
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to
My dearest father and mother
H.Mas’ud and Sukartini
My beloved brothers and sister
Emy Andrini
Anisa Hidayati
Chasan Mohammad
Sobary Mohammad
And
For those who believe
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to thank Allah S.W.T for the love and
guidance me until today. He never leaves me and always guides me in doing
my thesis. I also want to thank those who help me in finishing my thesis.
My deeper gratitude goes to my advisor, Elisa Dwi Wardani, S.S.,
M.Hum. I would like to thank for her attention, ideas, and time during my
graduation thesis. I could not have imagined having a better advisor for my
thesis. I would like to express the deepest appreciation to my Co-Advisor,
Dr. F.X. Siswadi, M.A for the valuable guidance and advice. Without his
supervision and constant help this thesis would not have been possible. I
thank also Maria Ananta Tri Suryandari, S.S., M.Ed and Dr. F.X
Siswadi, M.A for introducing me to the novel Woman at Point Zero and
Madame Bovary.
I thank the administrative staffs for English Letters Department for
the help during my study. I thank also all library staffs of Sanata Dharma
University for helping me to find so many sources related to the
undergraduate thesis.
I also thank my beloved parents, Mr. Mas’ud and Mrs Sukartini, for
the motivation. They gave me the endless love, for supporting me
spiritually throughout my life. They are the biggest motivation why I should
finish my study. I would like to offer my special thanks to Senindya Yon
Elang Sambara, my special friend, for his love and kindness and support
his willingness to accompany me to finish my study. And for my close
friend, Nurul Fajriana, thank you for being good friend for me. I also
would like to thank Farella Naharani for the personal support and
motivation when I getting bored with my thesis. And for my other friends,
Sisilia Triana Dewi, Frida Rana, Zepherina Cindy, Apriyani Susanti,
Fransisca Desi Nathalia, Rizky Yuga, Yulia Rahmawati, Christina
Laviani, friends from KKN, Ayuk and Epan, Muti, Wulan, Titus,
Indra, and Demen. Thanks for my friends in Jogja Music School. My
Research would not have been possible without their help. Last but not
least, I would like to express my appreciation to all people in the world who
are determined to stop violence and make the world peace.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ... i
APPROVAL PAGE ... ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE... iii
MOTTO PAGE... iv
DEDICATION PAGE... v
LEMBAR PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH... vi
STATEMENTS OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ... vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS... x
ABSTRACT ... xii
ABSTRAK ... xiii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION... 1
A. Background of the Study... 1
B. ProblemFormulation... 4
C. ObjectivesoftheStudy... 4
D. Definition of Terms... 5
CHAPTER II:THEORETICALREVIEW... 6
A. Review of Related Studies... 6
B. Review of Related Theories... 9
C. Theoretical Framework... 15
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY... 17
A. Object of the Study... 17
B. Approach of the Study... 19
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ... 21
A. The Characteristics of Firdaus and Emma ... 21
B. Contrast Between Firdaus and Emma as Viewed From Feminist Perspective... 27
1.a Abuses Toward Firdaus... 28
1.b Abuses Toward Emma... 33
1.c The Contrast Between Firdaus and Emma Through Abuses They Receive... 35
2.a Firdaus in Egypt’s Patriarchal Society... 40
2.b Emma in France’s Patriarchal Society... 43
2.c The Contrast Between Firdaus and Emma Related To the Patriarchal Society in Which They Live ... 45
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION... 48
BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 51
APPENDIX 1... 53
ABSTRACT
LATIFA ROMADHON (2008
). Comparison of The Main Characters in
Flaubert’s Madame Bovary and Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero From Feminist Perspective. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
This study analyzes two novels that talk about women’s problem. The first work is entitled Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. This story tells about an unhappily married woman who is dissapointed with her marriage and tries to fulfill her fantasy of love by having forbidden relationship with other men. The second work is entitled Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi. This story tells about an imprisoned prostitute who kills a pimp and she awaits her death sentence.
This study aims to find out the answers of two problems. The first problem is the characteristics of Firdaus and Emma. The second is revealing the contrast between Firdaus and Emma as seen from feminist perspective.
In answering those questions, the writer used library research where the information can be found from the books related to the topic. There are two kinds of sources:the primary source, which is obtained from the novel itself, which are Madame Bovary and Woman at Point Zero. The secondary sources which are sources from other books related to the topic and also from the Internet.
ABSTRAK
LATIFA ROMADHON (2008). Comparison of The Main Characters in
Flaubert’s Madame Bovary and Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero From Feminist Perspective. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Skripsi ini menganalisa dua novel yang berbicara tentang permasalahan wanita. Karya pertama berjudul “Madame Bovary”, yang ditulis oleh Gustave Flaubert. Novel ini bercerita tentang seorang istri yang tidak bahagia dan kecewa dengan kehidupan pernikahannya, kemudian mencoba berselingkuh dengan bebebrapa pria untuk memenuhi fantasi cintanya. Sedangkan karya kedua berjudul “Woman at Point Zero”, yang ditulis oleh Nawal El Saadawi. Novel ini bercerita tentang seorang pelacur yang dipenjara karena membunuh seorang germo dan menunggu hukuman mati.
Skripsi ini bertujuan untuk menjawab dua permasalahan. Permasalahan pertama mengenai karakteristik Firdaus and Emma. Permasalahan kedua mengungkap perbedaan antara Firdaus and Emma apabila dilihat dari perspektif feminis.
Dalam menjawab pertanyaan tersebut, penulis menggunakan penelitian perpustakaan dimana infromasi dapat ditemukan dalam buku yang berhubungan dengan topik. Ada dua jenis narasumber: yang pertama
dari novel itu sendiri, yaitu Madame Bovary dan Woman at Point Zero.
Sumber yang kedua yaitu buku buku lainnya yang berhubungan dengan topik dan juga dari Internet.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This chapter consists of four parts, which are background of the
study, problem fomulation, objective of the study, and definition of terms.
The bakground of the study explains about the topic of the study. The
problem formulation consists of two questions that will be analyzed in this
thesis. Objective of the study deals with the purpose of this study.
Definition of terms gives the explanation about some terms related to the
topic to avoid misunderstanding.
A. Background of the study
As the writer knows, it is assumed that women are weaker than men.
Women are considered as needing protection from men. Men are
considered to be superior than women in all aspect of life. Even though the
situation now is different, in the past women were not supposed to have
career or public duty like man. They are supposed to stay at home to cook,
to take care of children, and to serve their husbands. However, some women
were even forced to satisfy men.
Women marginalization does not only happen in work place, but
also in house hold. Assumption that women is caring and diligent, and not
suitable to be house holder makes all the house works become women’s
responsibility. As a consequence, many women have to work hard to clean
The problem of gender, human being categorized into man and
woman, is a topic that is always discussed in the society. This problem that
is caused by social construction has made many inequalities between men
women. St Thomas pronounced woman to be an “imperfect man”, an
incidential being. (Humm, 1992:xxii)
Woman discrimination also appear in a literary world. Literary
world is powered by men. It means literature work is purposed to men. If
the reader is women, she is forced to read as a man. (Selden,1991:140)
Since women were like the second class citizens, what they think,
what they feel, what they say are not often heard. The condition had forced
some women to take action. They started to stand for themselves, to demand
their rights of equality. Even though at that time, feminism had not even
been described yet, some feminists started to appear.
For example, in Indonesia, there is R.A Kartini, who struggles for
equality between man and woman. In her letters, she states that rights and
obligations of women in east still under man. Woman cannot study at school
and even have difficulties socializing with others. Kartini wants to end all of
this discrimination. (Pradopo,1995:188)
That condition above can be reflected in a literary world, such as
novel. Some literary works based on feminism started to flourish and they
continue growing until now. Some literary works based on feminism started
to flourish and they continue growing until now. There are so many literary
Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi convey the idea of women
oppression, especially through the main female characters.
“Feminism is organized movement to achieve women’s basic rights and a social transformation ideology which the purpose is to create the world for women by simple social similarity.”(Humm:2002:158).
Above is a quotation that is taken from Dictionary of Feminist
Theories. Feminism is women’s struggle to be equal with men as a result of
awareness about women which are being treated unfairly.
Finally, modern reformer group requires two things. First, they want
appreciation toward women. Second, they want that housework is done
together between husband and wife so that they can respect each
other.(Sugihastuti:2002:89)
In this study, the writer wants to make comparison between two
main female characters Firdaus in Woman at Point Zero and Emma in
Madame Bovary. From the feminism point of view, the writer wants to
contrast how the characters are described in this story in react to their
problems.
The writer becomes interested in these two novels because in these
two novels the writer can see two different characters. Both Emma and
Firdaus have the same problems in her life. They get abuses and live in a
patriarchal society. Emma and Firdaus live in a difficult situation, but they
In Woman at Point Zero, Firdaus is a poor woman because she gets
sexual abuse as long as she lives. She is really bold to faces all her
problems. This situation does not make her depressed but it makes her
stronger. She wants her words to be listened by the surrounding.
In Madame Bovary, Emma as a wife feels that her husband does not
give enough attention to her, even it does not true. She has high fantasy of
her marriage but the reality is not the same as her fantasy. It makes her
having affair with some men to fulfill her fantasy. Unfortunately, it does not
work. She decides to give up and comitting suicide.
At first, the writer is interested in Firdaus character, in her effort to
be listened to the surrounding. Then, the writer finds that Firdaus character
is contrasted with the main female character in “ Madame Bovary”, that is
Emma.
B. Problem Formulation
In this thesis, the writer formulates two questions :
1. What are the characteristics of Firdaus and Emma?
2. What is the contrast between Firdaus and Emma revealed as viewed
from the feminist perspective?
C. Objectives of the Study
The aim of the writer with the two questions on problem formulation
feminism point of view. The first objective is to find out the characterization
of Emma and Firdaus by analyzing the way they behave and the way they
think in the stories. The second objective is to understand the character of
Emma and Firdaus from the feminism point of view.
D. Definition of terms
There is a definition of terms used in this study.This study uses the
term feminism to analyze this study. To avoid misunderstanding, the writer
uses the definition of feminism by Maggie Humm :
According to Humm, Feminism is a belief that women have equal
rights and sexist domination should be removed.
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
This chapter contains all reviews of related literature used in this
study. It discusses related studies, related theories, and theoretical
framework. In the related studies, the writer presents studies that related to
the topic of this study. In the related theories, the writer presents theories
that related to the problem formulation. They are theory of character and
characterization and also theory of feminism. Meanwhile, in the theoretical
framework review some theories that used in this study.
A. Review of related studies
Woman has always become an interesting topic to be discussed. On
one side, women have enchantment which can make men get infatuated. But
on the other side, women are assumed as weak persons. Because of this
weakness, it makes men exploit their beauty.
Aristoteles said that the female is a female by virtue of a certain lack
of qualities, while St. Thomas said that women to be an “imperfect man”, an
“incidental being”. (Humm, 1992:xxii) From quotation above, the writer can
notice that woman are assumed to be weaker than man and it makes man
feels superior. This superiority makes man do violence toward woman.
Violence which is caused by this gender bias is called as
In “Woman at Point Zero”, the main character, Firdaus often gets
violence. The most painful violence is from Sheikh Mahmoud, her husband.
Sheikh Mahmoud likes to beat her and this becomes his habbit.
Another kind of violence that Firdaus experience is prostitution. In
“Woman at Point Zero” , Firdaus becomes prostitute. Life which really hard
makes her choose this situation. First, Sharifa who persuade her to do this
job and then Firdaus herself who choose become a prostitutes because of her
dissapointment to all of man whom she met.
Another violence can be seen in novel “Madame Bovary” in the
character of Emma. The form of violence which she experience is rape.
Rudolphe likes Emma at the first sight, although she has a husband. It
makes him tease her and then rape her in a hill. (162)
The example of gender inequalities above makes feminism appear.
Feminism appear because of the gender prejudice that women are seen as
secondary people. Women are assumed to be different from men
universally. It is not only from the biological criteria, but also from
socioculture criteria.
(Susilastuti, 1993:29-30).
It reflects on the character of Firdaus in “Woman at Point Zero”.
Feminism that appears in the story is also influenced by the socioculture.
The culture in Egypt contributes on how Firdaus reacts to her problems in
her life.
Egypt, where Firdaus lives, is a city that most of the citizens are
According norm in Moslem society, if a girl wants to marry, there should be
permission from her father. A father may marry off her daughter with a man
even she does not love at all. (Nurhayati,2012:XIV).
It can be seen in Firdaus life. Firdaus as a girl in Egypt, which her
father has died, then she is under controlled by her uncle. She is very
submissive to him. When her uncle wants to marry off her with Sheikh
Mahmoud, Firdaus accepts that marriage although she does not like him at
all.
Khalid Abou Fadl as a Moslem thinker said that although the society
praise women role as a mother, women are portrayed as ones who are
imperfect and disobedient. So a wife should serve and be controlled by her
husband. As a child, a girl is controlled by her father and as a society
member a girl is under controlled by all men. (Fadl,2005:308).
Firdaus also experience this. She is controlled by her husband,
Sheikh Mahmoud. She is unhappy with her marriage. Firdaus often gets
physical abuse from her husband but she just silents and accepts that bad
treatment. She tries to complain to her uncle but it is useless.
B. Review of Related theories
The writer uses two kinds of theories to explore deeper the work.
The writer uses theory on character and characterization, and theory on
feminism. The writer will combine the theories from many experts to
support the analysis.
1. Theories on Character and Characterization
The writer focuses the analysis on the main character both of the two
novels. Character plays an important role in a literary work, such as in a
novel. Abrams defines character as the person presented in a dramatic or
narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with
moral and disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say-the
dialogue-and by what they do-the action (Abrams, 1981:20). Here, Abrams
stated that to know the character of a person in dramatic or narrative work,
we can see from how the person act and say.
The chief character in a plot, on whom our interest centers, is called
the protagonist (or alternatively, the hero or heroine), and if the plot is such
that he or she is pitted against an important opponent, that character is called
the antagonist. (Abrams,1999:224)
Here, Abrams states that there are two kinds of character, which are
protagonist and antagonist. Protagonist is a character that observed many
times and the central of the story. Anatagonist is a character which has the
opposite attitude with the protagonist character.
A broad distinction is frequently made between alternative methods
telling method and showing method. In a telling method, the author explain
all in details and give a direct comment so the readers can know the
character directly. In a showing method, the author let the readers to
conclude by themselves about the character by see the dialogue and their
acts. (Abrams, 1999:33)
E.M Foster classified characters according to the development stage
into two parts, which are round and flat character. Round character is
complex in temperament and motivation, flat character is a character that
have one characteristic only. According to him there are two kinds of
character if we see from the development stage which are round and flat
character. Round character is a character that have many attitudes and
qualities inside of him or her. While flat character is a character that have
one attitude and quality inside of him or her.(Abrams, 1999:33)
There are many kinds of the theory of characterization above. In this
thesis, the writer will only uses some of it. The writer will only use the
theory that have correlation to this study. The writer will focus to analyze
their speech, act, and thoughts.
2.` Theories on Feminism
According to Humm patriarchy is men authority system which
opress women through social institution, economic, and politic. (Humm,
2002:332) Humm states that patriarchy is situation where man is superior
than women, and it makes women are being opressed by them in all aspect
Woolf’s fundamental contribution to feminism is her argument that
patriarchy is not caused by natural factor but it happen because of the social
construction. (Humm,1992:21) Here, he states that patriarchy is not God
certainty, but it is created by human itself through long social process.
The concern with ‘conditioning’ and ‘socialization’ underpins a
crucial set of distinctions, that between the terms ‘feminist’, ‘female’ and ‘
feminine’. As Toril Moi explains, the first is ‘a political position’ , the
second ‘a matter of biology’, and the third ‘a set of culturally defined
characteristics’. (Barry, 1995:122)
Barry states that feminist concern with women marginalization.
Then, female is the matter of biology, it means that being a female is a
God’s desitny, while feminine is the traits which is constructed culturally.
Feminine is women’s trait that is not women’s destiny but it is
constructed culturally. Feminine is not the matter of sex but it is about
gender. Gender differences has made many inequalities toward both men
and women, but especially toward women.
Many feminists notice that in patriarchal world, there are so many
inequalities between men and women. Women are described as a secondary
sex or the second class. They are assumed to be an imperfect human. It can
be seen in how Simeone de Beauvoir describes a woman below. Simeone de
Beauvoir, like other Western philosopher before her, categorized women,
intuition, nature, and “the ... world and world of poetry” than men.
(Simeone de Beauvoir, 1989:620)
According to de Beauvoir, she states that women are categorized as
more irrational or emotional than men. This gender perspective can cause
women subordination. Assumption that said women are irrational and
emotional can make women are placed in unimportant position, or we can
say they cannot be a leader. It is a subordination process and discrimination
based on gender.
Another example of feminine traits can be seen below. Aristotle
wants to show that women are identical with passiveness. He wants to show
it by giving the example of how fetus arouse. While men are assumed to be
active, stronger and have many activities in their life. Aristotle fancied that
the fetus arouse from the union of sperm and menstrual blood, woman
furnishing only passive matter while the male principle contributed force,
activity, movement, and life. (Simeone de Beauvoir, 1989:8)
From the quotation above, Aristotle wants to show that passive is
one of woman’s characteristic or it can be said feminine traits. While men
are assumed to be active, stronger and have many activities in their life.
Passive is not one of the man charcteristic or masculine traits.
Some examples above shows that there is inequalities between men
and women. Men are assumed to be superior than women. Men has more
power than women. The inequalities between them may lead to violence.
and women are weaker. In masculine hands logic is often a form of
violence, a sly kind of tyranny . . . . he tirelessly proves to her that he is
right. (Simeone de Beauvoir, 1989:463)
We can see so many aspect which put women in a difficult position.
Many kinds of inequalities toward women above makes women aware their
position in society is still inferior. Their awareness makes they want to
change this situation. They want to liberate themselves from all of this
oppression. They want to rebel against men.
The rebel simultaneously experiences a feeling of revulsion at the infringement of his rights and a complete and spontaneous loyalty to certain aspects of himself . . . . Awareness . . . develops from every act of rebellion; the sudden, dazzling perception that there is something in man with which he can identify himself, even if only for a moment.” (Camus, 1956:14)
According to Camus, rebellion is a disapproval feeling that interferes
with your rights and the freedom you are entitled to. Rebellion appears
because someone awareness to rejects the condition of slavery. Women
rebellion is one of the characteristic that feminist should have. According to
Basin and Said Khan, a feminist is someone who makes the decision in her
life based on her own will not because of conditioning or oppression from
other person, and the decision can satisfy herself and it can mantain her
independence. (Basin and Said Khan, 1993:31-32) Feminist gather together
to organize women wovement which is called feminism. Feminism is
concerned with the marginalization of all women: that is, with their being
that feminism is a women movement which concerned in women
subordination, as a result of their position in the society.
In this thesis, the writer will see Firdaus in “Woman at Point Zero””
and Emma in “Madame Bovary” from feminism point of view. The writer
uses feminism because it focuses on the equality between women and men.
3.Theories on Comparative Studies
In 1961, in a collection of essays on comparative literature published
by the Southern Illinois University Press and edited by Newton Stallknecht
and Horst Frenz, Henry Remark attempted to define what he called the
‘American School’:
“Comparative Literature is the study of literature beyond the confines of one particular country, and the study of the relationships between literature on the one hand, and other areas of knowledge and belief, such as the arts (e.g painting, sculpture, architecture, music), philosophy, history, the social sciences (e.g politics, economics, sociology), the sciences, religion, etc., on the other. (Bassnett, 1993:31).
Bassnett states that comparative literature is the study inter-relationship
between two or more literary works. According to Foucault, there are two
kinds of comparison, the first is comparison of measurement which analyses
the similarity and differences between two literatures. The second is that of
order which finds the basic principle of the subjects and organizes the
differences.
In doing the comparative study, the writer uses the comparison of
measurement, which analyses the similarity and differences between two
literatures. First, the writer finds similarities between Firdaus and Emma,
then finds differences between them by contrasting their attitude in facing
problems in their life.
According to Edel, comparative study should compare not only some
part but also all of the contents. Besides, in doing the comparative study
requires both facts and personal opinion. (Edel, 1961:14)
A comparative literature study does not have to be comparative on every page nor even in every chapter, but the overall intent, emphasis and execution must be comparative. The assaying of intent, emphasis and execution requires both objective and subjective judgment. No rigid rules can and should, therefore, be set down beyond these criteria.
C.Theoretical Framework
The writer uses two theories to answer the problem formulation. The
first is theory of character and characterization, and the second is theory of
feminism. First, the writer uses the theory of character and characterization
to answer the first problem formulation that is about the characterization of
Firdaus and Emma as the main character. The writer applies the theory of
character and characterization proposed by Abrams. Abrams stated that to
know the characterization, it can be noticed by what they say in dialogue
and what they do in action. Therefore, this theory is very usefeul to
understand the character deeper. Next, the writer uses the theory of
used this theory to see the main female character’s action in facing their
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter consist of three parts, which are object of the study,
approach of the study and method of the study. Object of the study deals
with the subject matter. Then, approach of the study explains the approach
that used in this study. Method of the study consists of some steps in
completing this study.
A. Object of the study
In this study, the writer will use two stories, Woman at Point Zero by
Nawal El Saadawi and Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert's. The first
story is Woman at Point Zero. It is an Egyptian novel based on a true story
of a woman who gets death sentence because of murdering a pimp. This
novel tells about a woman who really hates men because of so many
oppression that she got as long as she lived. Then she becomes a prostitute
and finally kills a pimp. This makes her sentenced to death. This story was
first published in Beirut in Arabic in 1979, then it is translated in English in
1983, then in 1986 it is translated in French. It consists of 112 pages. Nawal
el-Saadawi as the writer on that book, is a feminist writer from Egypt with
international reputation.
Nawal El Saadawi was born in 1931 in Kafr Tahla village, Egypt.
She study at Cairo university in medical faculty. She was once imprisoned
because of her writing in aWoman and Sex which too vulgair in discussing
Solidarity Association in Arab. Maybe, so many activities that she did
above that makes her becomes the most intellectual woman in Arab.
She has written a lot of books about feminism. Nawal El Saadawi
has achieved widespread international recognition of her work. She holds
honorary doctorates from the university of York, Illinois at Chicago, St
Andrews and Tromso. Her many prizes and many awards include the Great
Minds of Twentieth Century Prize, awarded by the American Biographical
Institute in 2003, the North-South Prize from the Council of Europe and the
Premi International Catalunya in 2004. Her books have been translated into
over twenty eight languages worldwide. They are taught in universities
across the world.
The second story is Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert's. Gustave
Flaubert was born in Rouen in 1821, the son of a prominent physician. He is
interested in writing at an early age. The novel “Madame Bovary was
published in two volumes. The novel, with the subtitle ”Moeurs de
Province” (“Provincial Customs”), first appeared in installment in the
Revue de Paris from the first of October to the fifteenth of December. The
book was published by The New American Library of World Literature, Inc,
501 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10022. This book is written in
1857. It consists of 361 pages. Madame Bovary first printing , July, 1964
and printed in the United States of America. ”Madame Bovary” was one of
the most influential literary achievements of the nineteenth century. The
success of Madame Bovary was ensured by government prosecution for
a cool public reception; not until the publication of Three Tales ( 1877) was
his genius popularly acknowledged. This story is about a desperate
housewife that cannot able to see her husband kindness because her high
fantasy of marriage and love. It is a fiction story of French Literature.
B. Approach of the study
The writer uses feminist approach as the basic of the study.”Feminist
literary criticism is concerned with the marginalization of all women: that is,
with their being relegated to a secondary position” (Guerin:1999:196). The
writer applies this approach to understand the reaction of the main female
characters in facing their problems from feminist point of view. The writer
uses feminist approach because it focuses on the equality between men and
women.
C. Method of the study
There were some stages during the process of this study. First, the
writer chose the novel Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero and Flaubert’s
Madame Bovary. The writer will read the whole both novels as the primary
source. It is very important to read the novel very carefully in order to get
deeper understanding. After reading both of the stories, the writer will
concentrate on the main character’s reactions and actions. The writer also
took some important points of the main character in the novel that can show
Second, the writer collected necessary information, data related both
of the characters through literary criticism, the Internet, lectures, and
discussion with friends. Then, the writer analyzed the data gathered. The
writer analyzed both of the characters by seeing their attitudes and thought.
After that, the writer tried to apply some supported books that related in this
study. Then, the writer collected all of the data and information and findings
into the final argument. In the last part, the writer concluded important
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
In this chapter, the writer analyzes the problems stated in problem
formulation in the first chapter. The first part is the discussion on the main
character which are Firdaus in “Woman at Point Zero” and Emma in
“Madame Bovary”. The second part is contrast between Firdaus and Emma
as seen from feminist perspective.
Michael Foucault has suggested that there are only two forms of comparison: the comparison of measurement, which ‘analyses into units in order to establish relations of equality and inequality’ and that of order, which establishes the simplest elements and arranges differences. (Bassnett, 1993: 92)
In doing the comparative study, the writer uses the comparison of
measurement, which analyses the similarity and differences between two
literatures. First, the writer finds similarities between Firdaus and Emma,
then finds differences between them by contrasting their attitude in facing
problems in their life.
A. The Characteristics of Firdaus and Emma Bovary
1. The Characteristics of Firdaus in “Woman at Point Zero”
a. Progressive Minded
Firdaus is a woman that have progressive thinking. She is different
from the other woman. When, normally woman at young age dream about
man and love, she imagines that she will become the head of state although
”I knew that women did not become the head of state, but I felt that I was not like other women, nor like the other girls around me who kept talking about love, or about men. For these were subjects I never mentioned. Somehow I was not interested in the things that occupied their mind, and what seemed of importance to them struck me as being trivial.” (Saadawi, 1983:25)
Another proof that shows Firdaus is having progressive thinking is
when she tries hard to look for a job although she only has a secondary
school certificate. Commonly, woman often assumed that they do not need a
job, be a housewife and just do houseworks. But Firdaus is different, she
thinks that a job is really important in her life. I have a secondary school
certificate. Maybe I can find a job with my secondary, or with my primary
school certificate. But if necessary I’m prepared to do anything, even the
kind of work that requires no certificates. (Saadawi ,1983:49)
Here, it can be noticed that Firdaus is having progressive thinking
from her speech above. She is different from the other woman. She has a
greater and modern way of thinking.
b. Brave
What she has experienced in her life makes her become a brave
woman. Male oppression since she was in her childhood continued until she
became an adult. She has got physical abuse from her uncle, betrayal by
lovers, married with someone whom she does not like at all, and
exploitation by a pimp. All of this bad experiences has changed her from an
innocent become a brave woman. She can protect herself from every man
them, have filled me with but one desire: to lift my hand and bring it
smashing on his face. (Saadawi, 1983:10)
Her bravery toward man she showed with the real actions. She can
threaten, slap, even kill someone who tries to hurt her. It can be seen in this
quotation :
“How can I convince you that what I say is true?” “I do not really know how you can do that.”
So I lifted my hand high up above my head and landed it violently on his face. “Now you can believe that I have slapped you. Burrying a kinfe in your neck is just as easy and requires exactly the same movement.”(Saadawi, 1983:109)
In the end of the novel, she is sentenced to death for killing a pimp.
Firdaus accepts the death senetence and refuse the life. But she is not afraid
to die. It can be seen in this quotation :
“When I killed I did it with truth not with a knife. That is why they are afraid and in hurry to execute me. They do not fear my knife. It is my truth that frightens them. This fearful truth gives me great strength. It protects me from fearing death, or life, or hunger, or nakedness, or destruction.” (Saadawi, 1983:112)
All of the speech above indicates that Firdaus is a brave woman. It
can be seen from Firdaus speech and reaction toward every man which try
to hurt her.
c. Independent
Firdaus is an independent woman. She wants freedom in her life.
Being a prostitute is the way she gets a freedom. According to her,
becoming a prostitute is better than of other women. This decision is her
A prostitute however, is a little better off. I was able to convince myself that I had choosen this life of my own free will. The fact that I rejected their noble attempts to save me, my insistence on remaining a prostitute, proved to me this was my choice and that I had some freedom, at least the freedom to live, in a situation better thatn of other women. (Saadawi, 1983:97)
What she experienced in her life from she was young until becoming
adult, makes her must live independently. She does not want to be
controlled by other people. She free to do things without needing help from
men.
He said, “Every prostitute has a pimp to protect her from other pimps and from the police. That’s what I’m going to do.”
“But I can protect myself”,I said.
“There isn’t a woman on earth who can protect herself.” “I don’t want your protection.”(Saadawi, 1983:100)
From the conversation above, it can be noticed that she does not
want to be anybody’s slave. Firdaus wants to show that she can stand on her
own feet. From her speech, it can be concluded that Firdaus is an
independent woman.
2. The Characteristics of Emma in “Madame Bovary”
a. Assertive
Emma as the main female character is an assertive person. She wants
to struggle to get what she wants in her life. She does not remain passive,
and just keep silent if there is a problem. The quotation below shows that
Emma tries to reveal her feeling toward Charles that she feels suffer living
She complained that she had been suffering from dizzy spells since the beginning of the season and asked if ocean bathing would help her ... She would adore living in the city even if only in the winter, although the country was possibly even more boring in the summer because of the long days. Her voice reflected her various topics of conversation. (Flaubert, 1964:44-45)
When Charles does not give any attention to Emma about living in a
city, she does not give up. She tries to keep asking her husband. She is brave
to voice what she wants in her life. Finally, after she constantly complains
about Tostes, Charles responds to Emma. He thought seriously about
setting up his practice elsewhere. (Flaubert, 1964: 83)
From the evidence above, it can be concluded that Emma is an
assertive woman. She keeps trying to reveal her feeling by talking to
Charles to get the solution. Emma is active to make Charles listen to her
words carefully.
b. Adventurous
Emma is a picture of an adventurous woman. Normally, a marriage
always bring happiness toward both husband and wife, but it does not
happen to her. Her dissapointment toward her husband makes her looks for
her true love. It can be seen when Emma is the right person whom she needs
in her life.
Her marriage with Charles makes her feels depressed. To solve that
problem she wants to runaway with Rodolphe, her lover. But in fact,
Rodolphe leaves her and makes her heart broken.
After Rodolphe left Emma, it does not make her give up to find her
another true love. According to her, Leon is another perfect man. He is
taller, handsome, more charming, slightly out of focus. She wants to have
him and thinks that live with him will make her life better than before. She
tries so many ways to have Leon. It can be seen when finally Emma can
easily make love with Leon in a moving cab. (Flaubert, 1964: 131)
Emma’s speech and her reaction above indicates that she is an
adventurous woman. When she is not comfortable with her life, she is
willing to take risks and try new ideas.
c. Dreamy
At the age of fifteen, Emma likes very much to read some novels,
most of them tells about love. This habbit is not good for her because of her
age at that time is too young to read such kinds of books. It makes her
become a dreamer and has high fantasy about love.
“She wished that she had lived in some old manor, like those long-waisted ladies of the manor who spent their days under the trefoil of pointed arches, elbows on rampart and chin in hand, watching a cavalier with a white feather emerge from the horizon on a galloping black charger.” (Flaubert, 1964:57)
Emma’s habbit to read such romantic books influence her in her way
of thinking. Not only has fantasy about love, she also has a fantasy of her
unforgettable. Emma dreamed of her wedding day;she could see herself
down there;in the middle of the cornfields, on the tiny path, as they walked
toward the church. (Flaubert, 1964:217)
Emma has a high fantasy of love and marriage. She expects that her
marriage as romantic as the novel. After she married with Charles, the
reality does not like what she has imagined before.
“Before she had married she thought she was in love. But the happiness that should have resulted from this love had not come; she must have deceived herself, she thought. Emma sought to learn what was really meant in life by the words “happiness,” “passions,” and “intoxication” words that had seemed so beautiful to her in books.” (Flaubert, 1964:55)
Another proof can be seen when she wants to feel how her
honeymoon with Charles will be. She has a high fantasy of it. She dreams
that it will be so nice and beautiful.
“Behind the blue silk shades of the mail coachesthey would slowly climb up steep roads, listening to the song of postilion being echoed through the mountain together, with the sound of goat bells and the muffled roar of a waterfall. At the sunset they would inhale the scent of lemon trees by the shores of the gulfs;then, in the evening, on the terraces of the villas, alone, fingers intertwined, they would gaze at the stars and dream.” (Flaubert, 1964:60)
From the four evidences above, it can be noticed that Emma is a
dreamer. She has an idea or plans that are not practical or realistic.
B. The Contrast between Firdaus and Emma as Viewed from Feminist
Perspective
In this section, the writer discusses the second question in the
problem formulation. The analysis will more focus on the main character as
feminist perspective is an effort to understand women’s position and role as
reflected in literary work. (Sugihastuti and Suharto, 2002:15).The discussion
that convey the idea of feminism are done through the supporter character,
in this case they are all men. In Woman at Point Zero the supporter
character are Mohammadain, Uncle, Syekh Mahmoud, Bayoumi, Ibrahim,
and Marzouk. While in Madame Bovary the supporter characters are
Rodolphe, and Leon. In this case Firdaus and Emma is being oppressed by
them.
1.Revealing the Contrast between Firdaus and Emma through Abuses
They Receive
a. Abuses Toward Firdaus
i. Uncle
After her parents died, Firdaus is in the care of her uncle. He takes
Firdaus to Cairo. Her uncle is not young. He is much older than she is. He
studies at El-Azhar. He is not a good uncle for Firdaus. There are so many
bad treatments which he does toward her, like sexual abuse.
My galabeya often slipped up my thighs, but I paid no attention until the moment when I glimpse my uncle’s hand moving slowly from behind the book he was reading to touch my leg.The next moment I could feel it travelling up my thigh with a cautious, stealthy, trembling movement. Every time there was the sound of a footstep at the entrance to our house, his hand would withdraw quickly. (Saadawi, 1983:13)
Her uncle does this action not only once, but many times. It happens
Firdaus when she still in very young age. He is doing what he shouldn’t do
toward his niece.
I was trembling all over, seized with a feeling I could not explain, that my uncle’s great long fingers would draw close to me after a little while, and cautiously lift the eiderdown under which I lay. Then his lips would touch my face and press down on my mouth, and his trembling fingers would feel their way slowly upwards over my thighs. (Saadawi, 1983:21)
Not only that, but he also agrees with his wife’s idea to marry her
with Syekh Mahmoud although she still very young. She should marry with
the man, who is too old for her. Her uncle does not care about what Firdaus
feeling toward Syekh Mahmoud whether she loves him or not. (Saadawi,
1983: 38-39).
ii. Syekh Mahmoud
Syekh Mahmoud is Firdaus’s husband. He is already over sixty
whereas Firdaus has not yet turned nineteen. She accepts this marriage
because of her uncle’s order not because her love. In Firdaus’s marriage she
is not happy at all. Everyting about Syekh Mahmoud disgusts her.
On his chin, below the lip, was a large swelling, with a hole in the middle. Some days the hole would be dry up, but on others it would turn into a rusty old tap exuding drops red in colour like blood, or withish yellow, like pus. (Saadawi, 1983:45)
“When his arms and legs let go of me, I would gently slip my body out from under him, and go on tiptoe to the bathroom. There I would carefully wash my face and lips, my arms and thighs, and every part of my body, taking care not to miss a single inch, going over it several times with soap and water.”(Saadawi, 1983:46)
Not only that, Firdaus also accepts bad treatment from his husband.
Syekh Mahmoud gets into the habbit of beating her whether he has a reason
hits her all over with his shoe. Her face and body becomes swollen and
bruised. (Saadawi, 1983:46).
He leapt on me like a dog. The hole in his swelling was oozing drops foul-smelling pus. I did not turn my face or my nose away this time. I surrendered my face to his face and my body to his body, passively, without any resistance, without a movement, as though life had been drained out of it, like a piece of dead wood or old neglected furniture left to stand where it is, or a pair of shoes forgotten under a chair. One day he hit me with his heavy stick until the blood ran from my nose and ears. (Saadawi, 1983:47)
iii. Bayoumi
Bayoumi is the man whom Firdaus meet at the street. Firdaus meets
Bayoumi when she looks for a job. She really wants to get a job although
she has just secondary school certificate. It indicates that Firdaus is a high
spirit woman because she wants to achive something that she wants. I have
a secondary school certificate. Maybe I can find a job with my secondary, or
with my primary school certificate. But if necessary I’m prepared to do
anything, even the kind of work that requires no certificates
(Saadawi,1983:49)
But in fact, what Firdaus wants, cannot be realized. Bayoumi lies to
her and does not do anything to help her. Bayoumi who at first promise
Firdaus to help her looks for a job, on the contrary does sexual abuse toward
her. Not only that, he also does physical abuse until she lost her
consciousness immediately.
neck, and then dropped downwards gradually over my breast, and my belly, to settle somewhere just below it, between my thighs... The next moment he hit me with his fist in the belly so hard that I lost consciousness immediately. (P.53)
Firdaus is really an unlucky person. Not only sexual and physical
abuse that she gets, but Firdaus also gets another bad treatment from
Bayoumi. He brings her into his flat and locks her there and let his friends
do the same bad thing toward Firdaus. He sank his teeth into the flesh of my
shoulder and bit me several times in the breast, and then over my belly.
While he was bitting me, he kept on repeating: “Slut, bitch”.
(Saadawi,1983:53)
iv. Ibrahim
Ibrahim is the man whom Firdaus loves very much. In Firdaus eyes,
he is a good man. Firdaus thinks that Ibrahim is the right man for her. With
him, she hopes that she will starts a new life which is better. When Firdaus
believes that Ibrahim really loves him, he dissapointed her. Firdaus hears
that he will marry another girl. It really makes her desperate and promises
not to see him again. He got engaged to the chairman’s daughter yesterday.
He’s a clever lad, and deserves whatever good fortune may come to him. He
has a bright future to look forward to, and will rise quickly in the company.
(Saadawi, 1983:91)
After Ibrahim have got married for four years, Ibrahim and Firdaus
met by accident. He wants to come to Firdaus house, but she refuses it. She
his insistence, she changes her mind, and lets him come to her house and
they make love again.
I said, “You’ve forgotten to pay me.”
He took a ten pound note out of his wallet with trembling fingers, and gave it to me.
“My rate is not less than twenty pounds,’I explained, then added,’sometimes it is even more.
His hand started to tremble again as he extracted another ten pound note from wallet. (P.96)
After that Firdaus realizes that he does not really love her. She even
knows the reason why in the past he came to her house every night. He just
wants to make love with her, and because they love each other at that time,
he had not to pay. He does not care about Firdaus’s feeling toward him at
all.
v. Marzouk
At the end of the story, Firdaus meets a pimp. His name is Marzouk.
He is a dangerous pimp who controlls many prostitutes. He has so many
friends everywhere and on whom he spent his money generously. Marzouk
offeres Firdaus as her pimp and protect her from other pimps and from the
police.
“Every prostitute has a pimp to protect her from other pimps, and from the police. That’s what I’m going to do.”
“But I can protect my self, ‘I said.
“There isn’t a woman on earth who cannot protect herself.” “I don’t want your protection.
“You cannnot do without protection, otherwise the profession exercised by husbands and pimps would die out.” (P.100)
But Firdaus does not want to be protected. She feels that she can
that Firdaus refuses his offer, Marzouk does not give up. He even threats
Firdaus with a knife and hope that it will works. But in fact, Firdaus does
not afraid with it, even she kills the pimp with that knife.
I raised the knife and buried it deep in his neck, pulled it out of his chest and plunged it deep into his belly. I stuck the knife into almost every part of his body. I was astonished to find how easily my hand moved as I thrust the knife into his flesh, and pulled it out almost without effort. (P.104)
b. Abuses toward Emma
i. Leon
Leon is a clerk. He is still young, tall, handsome, charming and he
can makes Emma fall in love with him. Leon seems to know everything, he
can easily chat with Emma about poets, music, etc. She thinks that he much
better than Charles, her husband. Emma really wants to have Leon.
She cursed herself for not having loved him. She thirsted for his lips. She yearned to run to thim, to throw herself into his arms, to tell him:”Take me, I’m yours.” But the anticipated difficulties forestalled any action, and her desires, heightened by regret, became even more ardent. (P.131)
Emma thinks how to have Leon. She thinks that Leon is the perfect
man for her. He is different with Charles who according to Emma is a
boring person. He knows how to treat Emma and make her feel happier
everyday. Finally, she has a decision to make love with him in a hotel as a
proof of her love. What a scene there was the following Thursday in the
sherbets sent up, wanted to smoke ciggarettes-she seemed wild to him, but
adoreable and superb. (Flaubert,1964:260)
Emma believes everything that Leon says to her. He says that he
really loves her, needs her and she is the one for him in his life. But in fact,
it is not true. Day by day, Leon feels bored with Emma, although she thinks
that Leon is the right man for her.
Leon finally swore not to see Emma again, and he reproached himself for not having kept his word when he considered all the troble and blame this woman could still bring upon him, not to mention the jokes of his fellow clerk as they sat around the stoves...Now he was bored when Emma would suddenly sob on his chest; and his heart, like people who can stand only a certain amount of music, languished with indifference amid the stridency of a love whose subtleties left him cold. (P.272)
ii. Rodolphe
Monsieur Rodolphe Boulanger is thirty four years old. He is
intelligent, spent a lot of time in a female company and very knowledgeable
about women. For Rodolphe, Emma is really beautiful. Rodolphe likes
Emma since they met at the first time. He thinks how to attract Emma.
Actually he does not really love Emma, but he just want to have her. Poor
little woman. Gasping for love, like a carp on a kitchen table gasping for
water. Three falterring words and she’d adored me, I’m sure (Flaubert,
1964:137)
Rodolphe tries many times to attract Emma’s attention. He is very
praising and seducing by his beautiful words and finally they make love in a
hill. (P.162)
When Emma thinks Rodolphe really loves her, she gives everything
to please him. She gives her hearts, her soul, and her lifes. She decides to go
runaway with him and starts a new life. But in fact, Rodolphe never really
loves her and even leaves her by sending a farewell letter.
“The world is cruel, Emma. It would have pursued use everywhere we went. You would have had to endure indiscreet questions, slander, disdain, actual insults perhaps. Insults to you! And I who wanted to see you on a throne, who will carry away the memory of you like a talisman. For I am punishing myself for all the evil I have done to you by going into exile. Iam leaving. Where? I have no idea. I feel I am losing my mind. Farewell.” (P.198)
c. The Contrast between Firdaus and Emma through Abuses They Receive
Both Firdaus and Emma get abuses from men. Firdaus gets sexual
abuse and physical abuse from her relatives, friends, her lovers, police even
from her husband. While Emma gets sexual abuses from Rudolphe and
Leon. The writer notices the differences between both of them through
abuses they receive.
In “Woman at Point Zero”, Firdaus is an innocent woman. Since she
was a child, many people in her life, takes advantage from her. Her uncle,
does sexual abuse toward her, as well as Bayoumi, Syekh Mahmoud etc. All
of bad treatment that she receives are because of male superiority and
While Emma also gets sexual abuse from Rudolph and Leon. Abuses
from Rudolph and Leon is caused by her disappointment in her marriage
life. Her dissappointment of marriage life is because Emma is an unrealistic
person. What makes Emma become unrealistic person is her habit to read
many kinds of romantic books since she was still very young. Her view on
life is much influenced by the romantic books she ever read. Because of
that, when she feels dissatisfied with her husband, she thinks about having
affair with some man to fulfill her fantasy of love. Unfortunately, they just
treat Emma as a toy and they do not love her. Here, it can be noticed that
abuses that she receives is because of her high fantasy life based on her
romantic books.
Emma’s fascination with religious suffering and beauty ends when a maid at the convent supplies her with romantic love-songs, stories, and books. This maid “knew by heart the love-songs of the last century…She would tell stories…and lend the big girls, clandestinely, one of the novels she always kept in the pocket of her apron, from which the good lady herself devoured long chapters, in the intervals of her task” (Flaubert 34). These novels "were about love, lovers, loving, martyred maidens swooning in secluded lodges, postilions slain every other mile, horses ridden to death on every page, dark forests, aching hearts, promising, sobbing, kisses and tears, little boats by moonlight, nightingales in the grove, gentlemen brave as lions, tender as lambs, virtuous as a dream, always well dressed, and weeping pints." (Flaubert 34-35) In other words, the maid’s novels are the archetypes to those Scottish Highlander books at Wal-mart. These books breathe a new life to Emma’s already well-developed sense of passion.
<http://departments.mercer.edu/gbk/Jones_essay.html>
It can be concluded that Emma is influenced by the romantic books
which she has read. It makes Emma become unrealistic woman because her
mind is confined by those unreal expectations. She is romanticized by the
She uses the heart over the head. It means that she is not liberated. Emma is
a victiom of her own romanticism. She view herself and the surrounding
from romantic perspective.
Besides, Emma lives in a country which is influenced by romantic
and passionate traditions. France language rich with all forms of love and
sentimentality. Romance is an essential part of the French way of life. The
French are surrounded from birth by sensuous statues, adventurous folklore,
romantic art, and endless national relics salcauting valor for the sake of
love. (Kunz, 2006:25)
Her hobby in reading such romantic novels is the best thing for her.
It makes her imitate everything from the novel, such as attitude and the way
of life of the characters in the novel. It can be seen when she gives her body
to Rudolphe in a hill. At first, she feels guilty but then she thinks that it is
not wrong.
Then she remembered the heroines in the books she had read, and the lyrical legion of these adulterous women began to sing in her memory with sisterly voices enchanting her. She herself became a part of this fantasies. She was realizing the long dream of her adolescence, seeing herself as one of those amorous women she had so long envied. Moreover, Emma was feeling a sensation of revenge. Had she not suffered enough? But now she was triumphing, and love, so long contained, burst forth in its entirety with joyous effervescence. She was savoring it without remorse or anxiety, without feeling troubled. (Pp.163-164)
Abuses that Firdaus and Emma is different as seen from feminist
perspective. According to Basin and Said Khan, a feminist is someone who
makes the decision in her life based on her own will not because of
herself and it can mantain her independency. (Basin and Said Khan,
1993:31-32)
Abuses that Firdaus gets, begin when Firdaus was still very young.
Firdaus’s life has been filled with abuses, order, and exploitation. Realizing
that Firdaus is being opressed by men, Firdaus is determined to fight against
men. It can be seen when she decides to be a prostitute. It is a form of her
liberation from all of her exploitation. Firdaus chooses to be a prostitute and
free herself from any oppression of men.
“A successful prostitute was better than misled saint. All women are victim of men deception. Men impose deception on women and punish them for being deceived, force them down into the lowest level and punish them for failing so low, bind them in marriage and then chastise them with menial service for live, or insults, or blows. Now I realized that the least deluded of all women was the prostitute. The marriage was the system built on the cruelest suffering on women.” (P. 94)
Being a prostitute is her own will. For her, prostitution is not sexual
violence but it is a kind of work. She has to get the money when she gives
her body. She is a rich prostitute because she can ask high price toward all
of the men. All women are prostitutes and she prefers to be a free prostitute
than an enslaved woman.
All women are prostitutes one kind or another. Because I was intelligent I preferred to be a free prostitute, rather than enslaved wife. Every time I gave my body I charged the highest price...Everybody has a price, and every profession is paid a salary. (P.99)
From the evidence above, we can notice that Firdaus is a feminist.
She makes a decision to be a prostitute by her own choice. For her, to be a
used her freedom to choose which is good for herself. Firdaus does not want
to be an enslaved wife but choose to be free prostitute and successful
prostitute. She tries to rebel toward men and society. And her effort is not
useless. Finally, she can win the war, war with men and with society to be
listened.
On the other hand, Emma faces the abuses in a different way.
Abuses which she receives is because her dissapointment in her marriage
life. This situation makes her desperate and make a decision to have affair
to satisfy herself. Although the man she has affair with, just treat Emma as
a toy. They lie to her and say they really love her, give false promise, and
then leaves Emma when they are bored.
After Emma realizes that they do not love her, and knows she is
being opressed by them, she just cries and does not do anything. Even, when
Emma in debt, she goes to Rudolphe and Leon again, men who have treated
her unrespectfully, begging to them to lend her amount of money.
“Leon, you”ll have to do me a favor” she told him. Then shaking him by his hands, which she squeezed tightly,she added:“Listen, I need eight thousand francs.” (P.278)
“All right then, - I’m ruined Rudolphe. “You’ve got to lend me three thousand francs.”(P.290)
After she knows that they do not want to lend her money, she is
desperate and does not know what should she does. Then, she decides to end
her life by eating arsenic. She thinks it is the best way to solve her problems.
