THE IDE
THROU
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A Presented ENGLI DEPA SAEAS OF LI
UGH CHR
ACTERS I
AN UNDER d as Partial F
for the Deg in E CAR Student N ISH LETTE ARTMENT FACULT ANATA DH YO
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RISTINA’
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RGRADUAT Fulfillment o gree of Sarja English LetteBy RLITA DEW Number: 054
ERS STUDY T OF ENGL
TY OF LET HARMA UN GYAKART
2009
FEMINIS
’S AND V
HO’S THE
CHARA
A Presented ENGLI DEPA SAACTERS I
AN UNDER d as Partial Ffor the Deg in E CAR Student N ISH LETTE ARTMENT FACULT ANATA DH YO i
IN COELH
RGRADUAT Fulfillment o gree of Sarja English LetteBy RLITA DEW Number: 054
ERS STUDY T OF ENGL
TY OF LET HARMA UN GYAKART
2009
HO’S THE
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THE FEAR OF LORD IS THE BEGINNING
OF KNOWLEDGE; BUT FOOLS DESPISE
WISDOM AND INSTRUCTION.
(Proverbs 1:7)
v
FOR MY BELOVED FAMILY,
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First, my greatest gratitude goes to Jesus Christ for His blessings, wisdom, and strength so that I am able to accomplish this undergraduate thesis. I can do nothing without You. I love You, JC.
I would like to give enormous appreciation to my advisor Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S, M.Hum for all the attention, guidance, advice, and great support given for me throughout the process of this thesis writing. I thank to my co-advisor Elisa Dwi Wardani S.S, M.Hum. for giving suggestions on this thesis. I also thank to Anna Fitriati S.S, M.Hum for And I thank to my ex-advisor Dra. Th. Enny Anggraini, M.A. , for her time and advice until she decided to continue her study in abroad.
My gratitude is also dedicated to my beloved Father and Mother who always stand behind me to support me every time I needed them. I thank to my lovely Little Brother and Auntie for their supports and prayers. I also give thanks to Mrs. Melanie Budianta who shares her opinions for my undergraduate thesis.
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to Ike, Arif, Arwin, and Achie who color my days.
At last but not the least, I also give my special thanks to San-Ke and Nyonaz, I thank them very much for being marvelous people for me, for every single moment that has already passed, and makes me grow more mature and stronger. I wish our friendship will never end.
The last gratitude goes to all whose names are not listed here and I can not mention one by one. It does not mean that I forget them since they are always in my heart.
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LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PULIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan dibawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma: Nama : Carlita Dewi
NIM : 0542140045
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul
THE IDEAS OF LIBERAL FEMINISM REVEALED THROUGH CHRISTINA’S AND VALHALLA’S CHARACTERS IN COELHO’S THE VALKYRIES
Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan ini saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk lain, mengelola dalam bentuk pangkalan data. Mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempulikasikannya di Internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun royalitas kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini, saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Yogyakarta, 16 Desember 2009
Yang menyatakan,
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ………... i
APPROVAL PAGE ……… ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ……….. iii
MOTTO PAGE ……… iv
DEDICATION PAGE ………. v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ……… vi
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ... viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ……… ix
ABSTRACT ………. xi
ABSTRAK ……… xii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ……… 1
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 ……… 6
A. Review of Related Studies ………... 6
B. Review of Related Theories 1. Theory of Character and Characterization …... 2. Theories of Feminism ……….. a. The Definition of Feminism ………... b. Varieties of Feminism ………. c. The Ideas of Liberal Feminism ……….. 9 13 13 15 17 C. Theoretical Framework ……… 20
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ………... 21
A.Object of the Study ………... 21
B.Approach of the Study ………... 22
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CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ……… 25 A.Christina’s and Valhalla’s Characterization ……...
1. Christina ………...
2. Valhalla ………
26 26 33 B.The Ideas of Liberal Feminism ……….
1. Freedom of Choice ………..
2. Equality ………
38 39 42
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ……… 48
BIBLIOGRAPHY ……… 52
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CARLITA DEWI (2009).
The Ideas of Liberal Feminism Revealed Through
Christina’s and Valhalla’s Characters in Coelho’s
The Valkyries. Yogyakarta:
Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
Examining feminist progress means seeing women’s role both as an individual
and as a member of a society. For that reason, when the society undergoes some changes,
the role of women also shifts. This undergraduate thesis is dealing with one of Paulo
Coelho’s novels entitled
The Valkyries
. The novel is interesting to discuss because it
deals with modern women issues in the social life.
The aim of this thesis is to find the ideas of liberal feminism as conveyed through
two female characters, Christina and Valhalla. This thesis discusses two problem
formulations, the first is about Christina’s and Valhalla’s characterizations. The second is
about the ideas of liberal feminism revealed through two female characters.
The method of this thesis is library research. The primary source is the novel
The
Valkyries
itself, while the secondary sources are references books, the sites from internet,
and other resources that supported the discussion of this thesis. There are two theories
applied, they are theories of character and characterization, and theories of feminism,
especially theories of liberal feminism. The approach that is used to analyze the problem
formulation is feminist approach.
xii
ABSTRAK
CARLITA DEWI (2009).
The Ideas of Liberal Feminism Revealed Through
Christina’s and Valhalla’s Characters in Coelho’s
The Valkyries. Yogyakarta:
Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Meneliti perkembangan feminis berarti mengamati peran wanita baik sebagai
pribadi maupun sebagai anggota masyarakat. Oleh sebab itu, ketika masyarakat
mengalami perubahan, peranan wanita juga mengalami perubahan. Skripsi ini
berhubungan dengan salah satu novel karya Paulo Coelho yang berjudul
The Valkyries
.
Novel tersebut menarik untuk dibahas karena berkaitan dengan permasalahan wanita di
jaman modern dalam kehidupan sosial.
Tujuan penulisan skripsi ini adalah untuk mengetahui bagaimana ide-ide
feminisme liberal yang disampaikan melalui dua karakter wanita yaitu Christina dan
Valhalla. Skripsi ini membahas dua pokok permasalahan, yang pertama adalah tentang
karakter Christina dan Valhalla. Pokok permasalahan yang kedua adalah ide-ide
feminisme liberal yang disampaikan melalui kedua karakter wanita tersebut.
Metode yang digunakan dalam skripsi ini adalah penelitian pustaka. Sumber
utamanya adalah novel itu sendiri,
The Valkyries
; sedangkan sumber keduanya adalah
buku-buku referensi, situs-situs dari internet, dan sumber lainnya yang mendukung
pembahasan ini. Ada dua teori yang diterapkan yaitu teori karakter dan karakterisasi, dan
teori feminisme, terutama teori feminisme liberal. Pendekatan yang digunakan untuk
menganalisa pokok permasalahan adalah pendekatan feminisme.
1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
As stated by the jury of Bambi Award 2001 which took place in Germany, the jury gave the Germany's most prestigious prize to Paulo Coelho. They also announce that Coelho is not only one of the most widely read, but also one of the most influential authors writing today (www.paulocoelho.com). Paulo always presents his great ideas, impressive plot, and new views. His uncommon ideas become interesting things for the readers in their daily life.
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Feminism is one of many issues that can not be kept away from daily life. In The Valkyries through Christina and Valhalla’s characters, the novel illustrates the ideas of liberal feminism which are related to the nineteenth century. Both characters show particular personalities which arise against the common society in which they live and the moment when they try to complete the expedition. The novel interests the writer to explore the story, especially analyzing Christina’s and Valhalla’s characters and some ideas of liberal feminism that are illustrated through their characterization.
The idea of liberal feminism appears since it deals with women’s efforts to get equality in all aspects in life, such as education, human rights, work fields, etc. It is particularly hard to find out what equality means when it comes to gender, since there are real differences between men and women. Men and women are created equal with their own excess and deficiency; therefore they have to complete each other. However, there are many unfair treatments toward women in the practice. It seems that women are not given chance to develop themselves. Whether they like it or not, they have to be dependent on men to make a living because the society and its norms do not support women in reaching better life independently.
In The Natural Superiority of Women, Ashley Montagu states that women are conditioned to think that men are naturally superior and women are naturally inferior to men.
Women have been conditioned to believe that they are inferior to men and they have assumed that what everyone believes is a fact of nature (1953:23).
They recognize the social view and come to the wrong conclusion that their weakness is a fact of nature (Montagu, 1953:23). On one occasion, women start to react against the unfairness. Women start making efforts to reach their rights and equality between men and women, and it is called feminism. It affects every aspects of human life, such as economic, lifestyle, social, and literature.
From the reasons above, the writer is interested to analyze Coelho’s The Valkyries from feminist’s viewpoint and elaborate the idea in this thesis. The writer will analyze the personalities of two major female characters to see how their characters reveal the ideas of liberal feminism.
B. Problem Formulation
1. How are Christina and Valhalla characterized in the novel?
2. What are the ideas of liberal feminism revealed through these female characters?
C. Objectives of the Study
This study aims to find out the satisfying answers of the problem formulation. First, the objective of this thesis is meant to find out the characteristics of Christina and Valhalla as the major female characters in The Valkyries. The second objective is to identify how the characters of Christina and Valhalla illustrate the ideas of liberal feminism.
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D. Definition of Terms
In order to avoid misunderstanding in reading this study and to give the right focus for the readers while reading this study, there are some terms that the writer needs to define.
1. Feminism
In Feminism: A Reader, Maggie Humm describes feminism as the basic thing that women should have political, economic, and social rights equal to what men have (1992: xi). While, Lizbeth Goodman in her book, Approaching Literature: Literature and Gender states that feminism is “a politic: a certain kind of a recognition of the historical and cultural subordination of women and a resolve to do something about it” (1996: X). In other words, feminism is also defined as a form of rebellion against the patriarchal ideology which has placed women in its harsh power for centuries.
2. Liberal Feminism
The liberal feminist believes "All women are capable of asserting their ability to achieve equality; therefore it is possible for change to happen without altering the structure of society". The liberal feminist also believe that the equality of men and women can only be achieved by changes being brought through political and legal reform (www.ezinearticles.com).
3. Character
Murphy states that people’s characters (who are written by an author) cover what sort people they are and how the author makes the readers get to know and understand those characters (1972:161). According to M.H Abrams in his book, A Glossary of Literary Terms, describes characters as “persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say- the dialogue- and by what they do- the action” (1985:23).
4. Valkyries
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CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW
In this chapter, the writer gives review of related studies and review of related theories. They are given to support the writer’s idea in analyzing her topic and also to give more information so that the writer would not be misleading in her analysis. In the review of related theories, the writer provides theories on character and characterization and theories on feminism. These theories help the writer in studying and analyzing her topic.
A. Review of Related Studies
The Valkyries by Paulo Coelho is a story about women’s struggle to get the recognition and respect from men. There are two major female characters that become objects to be discussed. Christina is Paulo’s wife who faces her new experience through a journey in seeking out the angels. She is not often entrusted by her husband because she is a woman. While, Valhalla is often insulted by people around her and her troopers because people consider them as the women who are more powerful than men in their city.
There have been many comments on this literary work which is made by Paulo Coelho, one of international bestselling authors. However, since this novel has not been discussed yet by many people, the writer finds there is limited information or source related to the idea of the work available on books or internet.
http://www.kritikfeminis2005.blogdrive.com/ clarified there are three things that are related to feminism theories that uniquely depict in the writing of a male author. First, the symbolism of the insane that lives inside a cage of the mental hospital. Second, Veronika’s relationship with her parents. Third, sexuality as Veronika’s way in finding the true meaning of her life. The last point leads to Veronika’s and her friends’ mental and psychological enlightments that give her the idea of what it means to be alive. Even though, Paulo Coelho did not show these ideas explicitly, we can see that the enlightenment that Veronika gets from the mental hospital creates a more positive and enlightened human being.
8
and this difference natural characteristic leads to the patriarchy social assumption that masculinity is more superior than femininity (Tong, 1998:190).
Nilam Maharani, one of the former students of English Letters in Sanata Dharma University, wrote a thesis based on feminism study. Her thesis entitled
The Ideas of Feminism as Seen through The Major Characters in Mark’s Rutherfold’s Clara Hopgood emphasizes on feminism ideas that the two characters hold. A part of analysis can be seen in the quotation below,
The society can not accept progressive things easily. Clara is not like other women who are supposed to obey rules in the city. As a woman living in patriachal society, Clara should not talk too much in public. She should be as speechless as the other women. The second reason is that although Clara knows her reaction in speaking in public is prohibited, she neglects it. She continues her habits in expressing herself courageously (Maharani, 1999:63).
Clara ignores the patriarchal society. She also rises up against it by doing thing which is prohibited by the patriarchal society. She uses her right freely and struggle against the patriachal society so that she reveals idea of feminism through her personality.
Another review of study which is related to the writer’s idea in her thesis comes from in the undergraduate thesis of Rosalina Dau who was also the former student of English Letters in Sanata Dharma University, and it is entitled Ideas of
Feminism Revealed Through the Main Character in Clewlow’s Not Married Not Bothered. She emphasized the idea of feminism through a strong female character named Riley. A part of analysis can be seen in the quotation below,
Riley wants to show her self as independent woman by not allowing men surround her oppress her life. Her persistence in reaching fredoom and declaring her self as independent woman reveals the idea of feminism.
The topics of the above papers are interesting and the writer will not argue those conclusions had been made by them. From the opinions given, the writer is motivated to investigate this thesis based on the review that women as the main characters and they struggle to have an equality between men and women. The characteristics of the main characters are illustrated well through this story. The writer is trying to identify the characterization and exploring the idea of liberal feminism which is illustrated through the female characters.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
Since the writer wants to analyze the characteristics of Christina and Valhalla related to the ideas of liberal feminism, therefore it is important to present theories of charater and characterization.
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Holman and Harmon in A Handbook to Literature classifies fictional characters into two: static and dynamic characters. Static character means the person or character does not undergo any changes although he or she faces many problems in his or her life. They will have the same characteristics from the beginning until the end of the story. In contrast to static characters, dynamic characters or is also called as developing characters undergo changes in some aspects of their characters, personalities, or outlooks from the beginning until the end of the story. The changes could be for better or for worse, maybe a large or a small one, but it is something important and basic, and more than a minor changes in opinion (1986:83).
Main character is the most important character in the story. A story is about the main character but he or she cannot stand on his or her own. He or she needs other characters of less important than those do the main. The writer supports the explanation by underlying Sylvan Barnett’s statement in Literature for Composition, that we as the readers can get a clear desription, not only by the character’s appearance but by the personality as well (1988:71).
includes a character’s economic status, profession or trade, religion, family relationship – all those factors that place him or her in the environment. The third level is psychological. It reveals the character’s habitual response, attitude, desire, motivations, like and dislikes the inner working of mine, both emotional and intellectual, which precedes action. The forth level is moral. More nearly than other kinds, moral decision differentiates characters because the choices they make when facing moral crisis show whether they are selfish hypocritical, or person of integrity (1974: 39-40).
Based on M.J Murphy, there are several ways in which an author attempts to make his or her characters clear and come alive for readers:
a. Personal description
The author describes a character through person’s appearance and may also describe the character from the person’s clothes which show his economical situation.
b. Characters as seen by another
The author uses another character’s eyes and opinion to describe a character. Through this, the reader would be able to know the characterization of character.
c. Speech
The author describes the characteristic of one character through what another character says. Whenever a character is in conversation with another or puts forward an opinion, he or she is giving clue to his or her character.
d. Past life
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life. This can be done by direct comment by the author, through the person’s thoughts, through the conversation or through the medium of another character.
e. Conversation of other
The author uses the conversation of other people and the things about a character to know the characteristic of one another.
f. Reactions
The author gives the reader clues to one’s characters through the way he or she reacts to various situations and events. Reactions here mean the way that a person cries, laughs, or angry.
g. Direct comment
The author gives the description or comment on a person’s characteristic directly.
h. Thoughts
The author can give us direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. i. Mannerism
A person’s mannerism, habits, or idiosyncrasies can be described by the author to fill his readers something about the person’s characteristic
(1972:161-173).
2. Theory of Feminism
a. The Definition of Feminism
Feminism, according to Helen Terry in Women’s Studies Encyclopedia, can be described as a belief and commitment to equal rights and opportunities for women (1989:139). While Maggie Humm stated that feminism is defined as the principal that women should have political, economic, and social rights equal to men (1992:xi). The first idea that is likely to occur in the course of any historical thinking about feminism, it is a social force. Social force appears because the consciousness of feminists to understand that in all societies which divide the sexes into differing cultural, economic or political spheres, women are less valued than men. Maggie Humm also says that feminism also depends on the principle that women could conciously and collectively change their social place. The word feminism could stand for a belief in sexual equality combines with a commitment to eradicate sexist domination and to transform society (1992:1). In brief, it can be said that feminists’ desire is to reform the patriachal society, not to replace it with matriarchy, they only struggle to get equality. The goal of feminism is to change the degrading view of women so that all women will realize that they have the same right with men in all fields. Feminist theories reveal the rights that women should have, women’s oppression, and also their effort to get the equality toward men.
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women in society. The basic assumption of feminism is a movement that starts from the women’s consciousness to be free from discrimination, oppresion, maltreatment, and they are trying to end these treatments to get the same rights and dignity with men.
Virginia Woolf says in Bressel’s Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice 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 a female discourse that will accurately potray their relationship ‘to the world of reality’ and not ‘to the world of men’ (1994:182). Women are born free and equal to men in the sense of human rights. Unfortunately, in the male-dominated world, women’s rights are not fully acceptable because what women do is limited due to their sex. In the ‘world of men’ or it is known as patriachal society, there is a belief that men are superior and women are inferior. The misinterpretation that occurs in the stereotypes of women states that women are weak, dependent, passive, and sensitive in their society. This misinterpretation makes women seen inferior to men.
Fakih in his book Gender Analysis and Social Transformation, states that the existence of stereotypes in the society, especialy those who keep fastened firmly the patriarchal values, always puts women in disadvantage. Stereotype based on gender differences are usually found in society. In society, women are considered to be fragile, sensitive, submissive, dependent, and emotional while men are aggressive, independent, strong, and rational. These stereotypes create the negative effect on women as women are not allowed to participate in larger social life. The consequence is that their status of social life is lower than men (1996:14).
b. Varieties of Feminism
The first women movement comes out during the 1800’s. It was time of geographic expansion, industrial development, and philoshopical emphasis on individual freedom and universal education (Freeman, 1979:533). However, the first feminist movement dies in 1920 for about forty years (1979:543). Feminism arises from death in 1960. It is signed by the establishment of some feminist organizations such as Commisssion on the Status of Women in 1961 by President Kennedy and National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966 by Betty Friedan (1979:545).
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of women’s liberation is equality of opportunity. While, Maggie Humm in The Dictionary of Feminist Theory says that “Liberal feminism argues for individual fulfillment free from the structures of highly defined sex roles” (1990:119).
Another kind of feminism is marxist feminism which is organized around the basic conflicts between capitalism versus patriachy and class versus gender oppression. Marxist feminism combines the study of class with the analysis of gender (Madsen, 2000:65). This type of feminism argues that source of women’s oppression comes from the patriachal capitalism. Women are exploited sexually and economically.
There is another kind of feminism, it is called radical feminism. This term refers to the feminist movement that sprung out of the civil rights and peace movements in 1967 until 1968. The reason of getting the radical label is that their viewpoint to the oppression of women as the most fundamental form of oppression, the one that cuts across boundaries of race, culture, and economic class (www.uah.edu/woolf/feminism_kinds.htm). Radical feminist reject all forms of male domination. Radical feminists do not agree with the idea that women have to get married, live under men’s governance, and run the household.
injustice suffered by women. Liberal feminism argues in favor of complete fredoom of expression and such strategies as women to reform the patriachy system and to change the structure of a male-dominated society. Madsen clearly affirmed that liberal feminist theory is limited in various ways on how women have their nature, natural rights and self-evident truths, a biological essentialism that leads inevitably to a basic distinction between the public masculine world and the private feminine world (Madsen, 2000:35-37).
Mary Wollstone Craft in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman states that a woman, as an individual being should have her own choice in her life. She also states that the middle classed women that have no choice and opportunity in their life are not luckier that the pet animal. They sacrifice their freedom and morality for prestige and power that their husband own (2000:18-19).
c. The Ideas of Liberal Feminism
There are many kinds of feminism with many kinds of specific ideas and sometimes the ideas are contradictory between one kind of feminism and another. The writer focuses on the ideas of liberal feminism which accepted by all kinds of feminism and minor kinds of feminism and feminism that is still raising many conflicts.
Ideas of liberal feminism are the observable representations of feminism which is containing the social action in which the action deals with the political, economic, social, cultural, spiritual, intellectual, artistic, racial, sexual, and
hegemonic institutionalized inequity of women (http://www.chowk.com/articles/85211). The ideas of liberal feminism are listed
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i. Freedom to Choose
Ashley Montagu in her book, The Natural Superiority of Women, states “Women have been conditioned to believe that they are inferior to men and they have assumed that what everyone believes is a fact of nature” (1953:21).
People tend to have assumption that men have power over women, they control women in many ways, and women can not do work better than men do. As the result, women have to realize that they are not inferior to liberate themselves from the wrong assumption. Woman must be aware of their rights and should be able to make decisions in order to be independent. In Women: a Feminist Perspective, Jo Freeman says that women are free to make decisions and choose what work or activity they want to do. “All human beings, including women, should enjoy the rights they have as human beings. Women have freedom of argument that maintains them free to choose” (1975:39).
While, according to Zillah Einstein in her book The Sexual Politics of the New Right: Understanding the “Crisis of Liberalism”, liberalism as an ideology has promised certain crucial values, such as individual anatomy, freedom of choice, equality of opportunity, and so on (1982:189)
ii. Equality
because in fact, men and women created equal as stated in the following statement in Women: a Feminist Perspective,
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness (Freeman, 1979:439).
Ashley Montagu states that men and women need to cooperate each other in order to gain equality. They should help each other because they are mutually dependent. Feminism claims equality in every aspect of life. Women also struggle to collect their courageousness to reach the fairness (Montagu, 1953:152). The equality between men and women can be reached if there is good relationship between both sexes.
Basically, man and woman are created with equal rights. Therefore, they should be given equal opportunity. Actually, women are treated unjustly, almost of them do not have chance to develop their potentials. As Ashley Montagu states that “women are considered as less intelligent and inferior because they are not given enough opportunities or chances to develop themselves” (1953:187). Therefore, women need the same chances as the chances given to men in order to explore themselves optimally.
Lucy Brookes stated that Liberal Feminism has been called the mainstream form of feminism out of all the sub types. It is said that the liberalism is an individualistic form, concentrating on women having the ability to maintain their equality through being responsible for their own actions and choices. The ideology of liberal feminist is that women will transform society, through their own personal interactions with the opposite sex.
20
altering the structure of society". The liberal feminist also believe that the equality of men and women can only be achieved by changes being brought through political and legal reform (www.ezinearticles.com).
C. Theoretical Framework
In this thesis, the writer provides some reviews that are related with what the writer will discuss in her thesis. These reviews are mainly taken from the source from internet and thesis written by two formers students of English Letters Departments from Sanata Dharma University. They are used to support the writer’s analysis.
The theories on character and characterization, and feminism are used to help the writer to answer the first and second questions in the problem formulation. The writer uses the theories of character and characterization to explore the main character in the novel. While, feminism theories are used to examine the feminism ideas. Therefore it will help the writer in analyzing some ideas of liberal feminism as revealed through the main character in the literary work involved.
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METHODOLOGY
In this chapter, the writer presents the methodology in analyzing Coelho’s
The
Valkyries
. There are three parts in this chapter. The first part describes the object of
the study concerning the topic of the thesis. The second part is the approach used to
answer the problem formulation and the last part is the steps which discuss the
process of answering the problem formulation.
A.
Object of the Study
The object of this study is a novel written by a man writer named Paulo
Coelho. The title of the novel is
The Valkyries
. Paulo Coelho is the Brazilian writer
and the author of the international best-seller novel,
The Alchemist
that has became
one of the most widely read books in the world.
The Valkyries
was published in 1992
in Brazil by Editora Rocca, Ltd. (Rio de Janiero). It was translated into English by
HarperCollins Publishers in 1995.
The Valkyries
is an English version of
As Valkirias,
the Portuegese original edition. This novel contains 209 pages and 2 pages of author’s
note.
In general,
The Valkyries
is a novel that represents the spritual journey of the
author and his wife. The main characters are Paulo, Christina, and Valhalla. In the
beginning of the story, Paulo got task from his Master to seek people who will help
him to find his guardian angel. On forty days of journey they passed Mojave Desert
22
on motorcycles. During the journey, Christina wanted to show her identity as a
woman and a wife. She wanted to be entrusted more by her husband. While, Valhalla
was known as brave and strong woman and she often gave command to men to obey
her and her troopers’ tasks. Paulo and Christina have to do several missions to meet
their guardian angels. In the end of the story, they met their guardian angels and their
journey has changed their life.
B.
Approach of the Study
Since the writer deals with feminism revealed through two female characters
in the novel, the approach used by the writer in this undergraduate thesis is feminist
approach. The writer uses feminist criticism to emphasize on feminism in literary
work involved. Feminism is used as an approach to explore the works of literature
such as novel, drama, and poem. Women’s literary works, men’s works related to
women role and the work that require the position of men and women in society will
be the object of feminist criticism. While, Paglia in
Feminist Theory and Literary
Practice
said that feminism denies the legitimacy of social intervention in any area of
life that would constrain the right of the individual to pure self-determination
(Madsen, 2000:24). In other words, the individual should be granted the freedom to
do anything which does not limit the freedom of any other individual to do anything
as long it does not break the law.
Feminism is an approach which concerns on women and their position.
Wilfred Guerin stated that the feminist approach guides the study to find that
differences, others believe that entire concept of female difference is what has caused
female oppression (1999:200). The use of this approach is to understand the short
stories and the message especially the women oppression in marriage and society. As
the result, the approach is not merely exploring men and women relationship in the
society but also explaining the discrimination potential between men and women.
C.
Method of the Study
In writing this undergraduate thesis, the writer used a library research in order
to gather the information and theories. The theories and the result of the research are
gathered through books, dictionary, websites, and any other written sources related to
the study to support the analysis. The data were taken from two sources, primary and
secondary. Paulo Coelho’s
The Valkyries
was taken as the primary source, while
other books and websites about theories and criticism related to the analysis were
used as the secondary data.
There were several steps were taken to write this undergraduate thesis. The
first step was reading and re-reading
The Valkyries
as the object of the study several
times in order to understand the story. Then, the comprehension of the whole story is
necessary to produce the answers of the problem formulation. While reading the
story, the questions were already formulated and were kept in mind. The aim of
reading the literary work was focused on specific issue. In this case, the writer
focused on the topic of feminism. After that, two problem formulation were raised
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The second step was finding the answer of the first problem formulation. The
theory of character and characterization which were stated by M.H. Abrams in the
Glossary of Literary Terms
led to answer the first problem, how Christina and
Valhalla are characterized. It can be seen through their physical appearance, another
character’s opinion, and their actions.
The third step was finding the answer of the second problem formulation. It is
about how some ideas of liberal feminism are illustrated through the two female
characters in this novel. The writer examined Christina’s and Valhalla’s
characterization in order to relate their attitudes and thoughts with the aspect of
feminism features. The ideas of liberal feminism are revealed through Christina and
Valhalla’s struggle in their society. It was important to find the connection between
the female characters and the idea of liberal feminism to make the research
comprehensible.
The final step was concluding. The conclusion was made after all the problem
formulation were completely answered. Some further clarification were also put and
25 CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
This chapter covers the analysis that is required by the study in order to answer the questions stated in the problem formulation in chapter one. This chapter is divided into two parts. The first part starts with the description of the female characters of this novel, Christina and Valhalla. Their characteristics are observed by applying theory of character and characterization. According to Holman in A Handbook to Literature, fictional characters could be divided into static and dynamic characters. In this novel, Christina and Valhalla are categorized as dynamic characters. According to Holman in dynamic characters, characters undertake changes in some aspects from the beginning until the end of the story. The characteristics of Christina and Valhalla will also be analyzed deeper by using Murphy’s theory on characterization. According to Murphy in Understanding Unseen, there are several ways in which author attempts to make their characters understandable and come alive for the readers such as from personal description, as seen by another, past life, thoughts, etc. We could find out the characterizations of Christina and Valhalla from personal description, other character’s opinion, and from their thoughts.
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They are clearly seen through her struggle in dealing the oppressions which come from people in society surround them.
A. The Characterizations of Christina and Valhalla. 1. Christina.
This analysis starts with the description of one of the main characters in this novel, Christina. Christina is a good-natured woman. She started to have deeper relationship with Paulo. At the first time, Chris was told by their friends that Paulo was a sorcerer. Then in the first year of their marriage, Paulo concealed something about magic. On the next year, their life was the same and Christina did not make a complaint about that. As their third year together, her husband left his job again and decided to write scripts for television. Lastly, the way of her husband changed jobs every year made Christina confused because he gave no explanation about it. However, she did not consider it as big problem.
Christina is a loyal wife. She married a man named Paulo and she stays with him in Brazil. One day Paulo has a new and strange task from his Master, he has to find someone named Gene in California Desert and Christina accompanies Paulo. They drop everything, jump on a plane, fly for twelve hours from Brazil to Los Angeles, and pass Mojave Desert for forty days to seek out the guardian angels. After she knew about her husband’s strange activity as a magus, she shows firm support to her husband, as the following lines,
“Chris remembered that day. Paulo had wept. He said that he was being called but didn’t know how to respond.
Besides that, Christina also gives firm statement to Gene that she wanted to accompany her husband during the journey. She said that she did not come to the Mojave Desert to learn about magic or converse with angels, but she came only to be with Paulo (Coelho, 1992:25).
After they passed several places and did some rituals, Paulo left Christina for a while. Paulo saw unpredictable and peculiar thing in the desert which shaken up him. Gene tried to make a joke but Christina still shows good respect and her loyalty. She tries to understand her husband’s condition. As the following quotation:
“What a waste of water, out in the middle of the desert,” Gene joked. Chris asked him not to kid around, since her husband was still feeling the impact of his vision.” (pg.202).
In her life, Christina wants to be entrusted more by her husband. Paulo underestimates her and it is hard for her to get trust from her husband. Paulo thought that Chris had to be submissive to him because Paulo is her husband.
“Chris knew that it wasn’t necessary to stop at the gas station, because they were on the right road - even if the scenery around them was completely different from what they had expected. But she knew her husband well. Paulo was nervous and uncertain, thinking that she was misreading the map. He would feel better if they stopped and asked.” (pg.11).
In this case, it seems that Chris was trapped in her status as a woman. Paulo thought that woman can not read the map well and he was afraid if they were lost. The society where they live has formed their status by the stereotypes of gender passed from generation.
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magic and a person who is able to help Paulo in finding more information about the angel. The process of learning and being sensitive about second mind are not easy, but she is quick to detect and practice about it. Chris has two minds and she can manage them at the same time. She also had spent several hours studying her second mind and had learned to control it much better than before.
Furthermore, Chris is a smart woman. She shows intelligent actions when they are seeking out the angels, she always tells and gives him some precious suggestions. It happened when Paulo was confused of his next steps whether those steps he did were really correct or not. Christina gave suggestion to him to give himself some credits and she also said that Paulo was doing the best he could in finding their angels. She also reminded her husband to do the next steps (Coelho, 1992:125).
“The young man laughed. “You’ll find out. But it would have been a lot better if you hadn’t brought your wife along.”
“Why is he making such a big thing about your coming here alone?” she asked, speaking Portuguese. “Do you want me to leave?”
Gene went on with what he was saying to Paulo, paying no attention whatsoever to Chris’s interruption. She waited for Paulo’s answer- but she might just as well have been invisible. “Give me the keys to the car,” she said, at the limit of her patience.” (pg.24-25)
From that conversation, Christina is also an insistent person. Chris felt dissatisfied and she became aware of the unfair treatments and thoughts from them. When Gene and Paulo do not allow her to continue the journey, she insists to join the journey and she does not want Gene and Paulo regard her as less capable than she really is. She wants to prove her role as a woman who has essential role in their spiritual journey. Christina struggles to learn about second mind which becomes one of the important methods during the spiritual journey and she is able to do that. Surprisingly, Gene asked Paulo to take care of Christina and confessed that it was a good thing that she came with him.
For the next expedition, Gene asked them to find the Valkyries who are the messengers of God and they are capable to help Paulo in seeking of his guardian angel. After Paulo and Christina had passed several places, they met Valhalla, she is the oldest of the Valkyries. They met for the first time in the small diner next to the gas station in the middle of desert, and at this moment Chris was startled for many times. She did not believe if her husband made confession and shared secret things to the unknown people. She thought it was an unusual thing if Paulo did such thing, as the following quotations display,
30
“Chris was startled. Paulo had given his magic name! Very few people knew that secret, since the only way to cause a certain kind of evil to a magus is by using his magic name. Only those were completely trustworthy were allowed to know the name.
Paulo had just met this woman. He couldn’t trust her that much.” (pg.84).
Those events made Christina became jealous of Valhalla. She also felt a stab in her heart when his husband shows different manner which presents his pleasant feeling to Valhalla. Although she knew that Valhalla has important information about angels, she started to be afraid if her husband turned to Valhalla. She became skeptical woman; she had doubts and started to ask herself about her marriage-life. She wants all the good things but she is certain that Paulo has destroyed her perfection. Paulo’s reluctance with the marriage leads to how marriage life becomes unimportant to him, whereas Chris shows effort to go through it well.
Christina is also a curious woman; she has big sense of curiosity, especially about the Valkyries. She is eager to know something and she never gave up before she found the answers. She tried to gain information about the Valkyries, she looked for the nearest store and though she became lost in the traffic several times, she found a huge shopping mall. In a bookstore, she found that she was looking for: facts about Valkyries (Coelho, 1992:87). She needs to know more everything relating to the Valkyries so that she can understand the reason why Paulo would want talk to them genuinely, especially to Valhalla.
impulsive woman. In the beginning of the story, Christina did not get pleasure from the strange activity of her husband; she distrusted him when Paulo answered her question about the reason of seeking their angel. Chris As the following quotation:
“I didn’t have to come here,” Paulo answered. “Any place would do. But I have a contact here.”
Of course. Paulo always had contacts. He referred to such people as members of the Tradition; but when Chris described them in her diary; she referred to them as the “Conspiracy”. Among them were sorcerers and witch doctors- the kind of people one has nightmare.” (pg.14-15).
As the time goes by, she changed her mind and realized that she is interesting with what her husband did. It happened when Chris kept her eyes fixed on the horizon, even though it was an easy thing to be doing and something strange was happening. She felt her internal energy had been increased. In fact, she regretted not having taken more intense interest in Paulo’s “Conspiracy” which she did not like because she thought it is strange and difficult rituals that only those who were prepared and disciplined could perform (Coelho, 1992:36). She begins to love it because she realized that her husband’s profession as a magus will carry big impact to her life indirectly.
32
walked the path of love, regarding it as the only possible road to wisdom (Coelho, 1992:164).
During the spiritual journey, Christina also becomes a bold woman; she takes the next step of ‘The Ritual That Demolishes Rituals’ although it was full of dangers, she was showing ability to take risks and brave. She tried to survive as the following lines,
“Chris began to walk slowly toward the precipice. Valhalla did the same, and both approached the abyss. A fall from here would be fatal. But they were women who would recognize no limits. Chris stopped at the very edge, allowing time for Valhalla to do so, as well…
“I’m going to take one more step,” Chris continued. “I’ll survive. I’m a courageous woman.” (pg.165).
In the other hands, if Chris supported her husband to return to the magic in the beginning of their journey, eventually she’s being a rebellious woman. She does not feel afraid to express her own opinion, thought, and feeling within her action. When they went to a mountain which is not far away from place called Ajo and they would initiate their channeling activity, Christina asked her husband about his reason of seeking of his angel. Christina knew that Paulo wants to see his angel but she never asked about it before. In fact, her husband answered it with sarcastic tones. Sometimes Paulo did not understand her and he talked too much about his spiritual world. When she asked again about their marriage, Paulo acted as he knew nothing. Since at the first time, Christina was hesitant to him because her husband did not give enough clear explanations about his strange job. Although she regretted of having brought up this subjects of conversations to her husband but she was going to see it through.
“But Chris interrupted.
“It’s been that way with our marriage, too,” she said. “And I’m exhausted.”
“The only reason I’m able to understand what you’re saying is because I know your love,” she said. “We’ve been together for a long time. But after the first two years of joy and passion, every day began to be a challenge for me. It’s been very difficult to keep the flames of our love alive.” (pg.177)
She started to ask to herself and she made great effort to continue her marriage-life with Paulo.
At last, she still goes together with her husband until the end of their journey. After Chris met and spoke to her angel, she turned into a mindful woman who aware of his husband’s acts.
“Chris hid the key, he thought. She was a different woman now – she was speaking to her angel, and her intuition had increased considerably. Perhaps she had guessed at what his plans were and was frightened.” (pg.189).
Actually, Chris would like to prove herself as a good wife, but Paulo often got the wrong impression of it. As a woman, Christina can decide what she wants to do and to say. She tries the best way to be her self and the best wife in her marriage-life. Chris has a tough personality that is in some way unlike from the other characters in the novel. Her personalities make her tend to have different ideas of life that leads to the ideas of liberal feminism.
2. Valhalla.
34
of bravery and rest of the warrior, the adventure of love in battle, encounter, and loss (Coelho, 1992:87). Based on Chris’s thought, they are like angels.
In the other sides, the society has big influences in someone life. Whether or not someone is accepted in the society depends on how he or she acts according the pattern determined by the society. When one society already determines its point of view of something, it is really hard to change that point of view. The residents of Gringo Pass recognized them as strange warrior women who travel the desert on powerful motorcycles. They are recognized as brave and powerful women. They also considered the Valkyries as crazy women and “the bunch of lesbians”. They said that the Valkyries are lesbians because they are always together wherever they go. Although people judged them as lesbians and crazy, the Valkyries had no particular responds to their cruel opinion. Through the following quotations, the Valkyries are described as women with rare style. They tend to show their masculinity sides with their powerful motorcycles and outfits.
“The women, on their powerful motorcycles, spun one way and then the other, dangerously close to one another, their machines shimmering in the gloved hands toying skifully with danger…” (pg.79).
“The Valkyries dismounted, shaking the desert from the bodies. They pounded the dust from their black leathers, and removed the colorful bandannas that they wore over the faces like bandits to keep the desert out of their lungs.” (p.79).
“The Valkyries rode from city to city on their motorcycles, with their trappings, their kerchiefs, and their strange outfits.” (pg.124).
“The Valkyries drank beer and talked to God. They performed sacred rituals and made love out among the rocks. In the larger cities, they went to some public places to perform their miracle play – getting those who were in the audience to participate.
At the end, they asked for contribution. Valhalla never played a role, but she directed everything that was happening. Afterwards, she would pass her kerchief around, and she always received money.” (pg.130).
One of the Valkyries who has significant position is Valhalla; she is the oldest of them. In this novel, she is described as beautiful and firm woman with long and curly red hair. Valhalla is an attractive Valkyrie, she knows the way to attract people surround her. Paulo is almost attracted to her and it makes his wife becomes dizzy and jealous.
She is also described as an easy going woman because it is easy to make contact and deal with her. She can make Paulo trusts in her and told his secret thing to her without any awkwardness feeling.
Above all, Valhalla clearly shows that she is a self-assured woman. Val dares to speak her mind straightforward to others. She also makes compulsion to some people (especially men) to obey her and her troops. When she and her troops enter the luncheonette in Gringo Pass, they show their power.
“Eight women.
They asked for nothing. The counterman seemed to know what they wanted- he was already placing eggs, bacon, and bread on the hot grill. Even with all the commotion, he continued to appear to be the obedient servant.
“Why is the radio turned off?” asked one of them. The counterman turned it on.
“Louder!” said another.
Like a robot, he turned the radio to its loudest setting.” (pg.79)
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Although she is a woman, she proves her role as a good leader. When she becomes the guidance of the journey, she did better than Gene did. She does not want to be inferior to men. She is recognized by people surround her as woman who powerfully affecting the mind, sensed, and emotions. In the society of Gringo Pass, man always gives command to woman to do whatever he wants. She does not want to be weak woman and becomes a tool for man. Valhalla saw that women in Gringo Pass are considered as fragile and submissive. She and the other Valkyries want to omit the viewpoint of men about women in Gringo Pass with their behavior.
Valhalla is a consistent woman. She always has her words or promises. Once she decides on something, she will never change his idea. No one is able to persuade her in rejecting her task as one of the Valkyries. She feels she has a big sense of responsibility to be guidance of Paulo and Christina in searching their angels.
Almost the same as Christina, Valhalla has strong personality. As a woman, Valhalla can decide what she wants to do and to say. She is not influenced by other’s opinion about her and her troops, especially related to the value system about women in her society. Therefore, in the other character’s point of view, Valhalla is a special woman. She had proved to her society that she is a different woman.
indifferent woman. Although people judged her as lesbians and crazy, Valhalla had no particular interests and responds to their cruel opinion.
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B. The Ideas of Liberal Feminism
According to Zillah Einstein in her book “Sexual Politics of The New Right: Understanding the Crisis of Liberalism”, liberalism as an ideology has promised certain crucial values, such as equality, independence and individual anatomy, freedom of choice, equality, opportunity of career and so on (1982: 189). As quoted by Maggie Humm in Feminism: A Reader, Zillah also stated that:
The liberal feminism demands for individual self-determination, freedom of choice, individual autonomy, and equality before the law to indict capitalist patriarchal society. The use of liberal ideology by feminist will permit us to direct the public’s consciousness to a critique of capitalist patriarchy, not merely of the welfare state (1992:191).
Liberal feminism has a purpose to prevent men’s domination in the society. Women should get their individual freedoms and equalities.
These values are important for the achievement of feminists’ goal to restructure the patriarchal system and get the equality in all fields. Stanton also stated about women’s rights. The rights of the individual are natural rights which the individual brings into the world of birth, these rights cannot be taken away because they are constitute of the individual, therefore women’s rights have to be appreciated as men (2000:39).
(Humm, 1992:181). A woman who holds the idea of liberal feminism accepts the existence of man in her life, men can be partners in women’s life.
Christina and Valhalla fight for their rights as women and it can be seen as the reflection of feminist struggle. The ideas of liberal feminism found throughout Christina’s and Valhalla’s characterizations are:
1. Freedom of Choice
40
the most important thing for her is to know about her marriage life. She wants to know more about her relationship with Paulo so she decided to join the journey.
“… But this is my quest. I brought you with me because I wanted you at my side. But there are certain things I have to do alone.”
“I want to go with you,” she said.
“Magic has never been important to you before. Why now?”
“Because I began the journey. And I’ve asked that I not be abandoned in the middle of the road,” she answered, putting the matter to rest.” (p.89)
Christina wants to have her freedom and right in making every single, choice that life gives to her, without men’s control over her. Actually, she does not want to be abandoned and handled by her husband. In her marriage life, she chooses to be a rebellious woman. Patriarchal system manages the society in such ways to give benefit to the men in general. Many married women said although their role has changed when they entered the marriage life, most of men have kept doing what their wives want and put them into difficulties (Mills, 1995: 3).
As a rebellious woman, she also shows her action to be recognized by men. It can be seen when she insists to join the spiritual journey although Gene (Paulo’s friend) responds negatively toward her desire to go with Paulo. Gene seems dislike Christina’s desire to join the spiritual journey. In fact, Christina has right to decide her choice whether she goes together with her husband or not. Furthermore, she warns Paulo when he ignores her question about her desire to join the spiritual journey. She thinks it is important for women to be heard. Another thing is seen when Christina changed her attitude and way of thinking, she wants to get trust from her husband. She wants to be like Valhalla who has strong character and freedom. As the source of liberal feminism stated that as a woman should be respected and has equal role and position with man. These reasons make Christina becomes strong and different woman. She realizes that as a woman who has the same rights with men, she has to struggle for her rights and she wants to be appreciated fully by others.
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People were approaching them curiously. “They’re lesbians,” said one.
“They’re crazy,” said another.
The Valkyries paid no attention but continued with what they were doing. Valhalla was in the middle, on foot. (pg.118)
She chooses not to get married and she will not marry someone only because of a fear of the society is mockery. Valhalla does not regret her choice of being single. She knows that she has already chosen the right one for her. She thinks single women have to be respected as well as married women are, instead of being the object of mockery. She is still consistent woman although the society labels her as lesbian. As liberal feminism requires for a woman as personal independence in all aspects in her life, Valhalla can be considered as a feminist because she is able to prove that she has complete control of her own life, she is independent from men’s authority.
Besides having the idea of freedom and having their rights of choose, Christina and Valhalla also require equality between men and women so that the equality may create a condition to support women’s freedom and right to choose their own options.
2. Equality
feminism is centrally related to the equal rights and holds a viewpoint of women as human being. In this case, women have to be treated equally.
Christina tried to reach the equal position as a wife during the spiritual journey. In her marriage life, she wants to be entrusted more by her husband. Christina’s examination for equality can be portrayed from the way she seek out equality in man and woman’s relationship. A woman who holds the idea of liberal feminism accepts the existence of men in her life. In this case, it can be seen from the relationship between Christina and Paulo as married couple. Actually their relationship is based on the mutual respect, but sometimes Paulo seems selfish and Christina tries to show to Paulo that she can also do the same thing like what Paulo does. Christina proves that she can put her self as the instrument to seek out the way to meet the Valkyries. She takes a risk to pass the dangerous passage for forty days. She does not agree with men domination to married women. For her, being a married woman does not make limitation to what she wants to do or to determine her choice.
Then, Christina wants to do the same thing as what men do during the journey. She shows brilliant actions to gain equal opportunity as her husband has. Christina is an instinctive woman, she is learning about second mind although it is not easy for her. Her effort is not worthless because she is able to understand her angel better than her husband; she wants to prove that she has same position as Paulo and Gene during their spiritual journey. She becomes a rebellious woman, it can be seen from the way she sees that a man and woman should be equal in every aspects of social life.
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be stated that with the same chance women are just as capable of reaching success as men. In The Valkyries, women are given chance as well as men. Female characters prove that women are as qualified as men when given same chance with men. Women become guidance the way during the journey. When Paulo and Christina arrive in a gas station, there is a young Native American woman who filled the tank. Paulo confirmed the route to her and that woman said Paulo and Christina are on the right road (Coelho, 1992: 14). Christina frees herself from the common misleading judgments about women; she goes traveling to Mojave Desert and several places during the spiritual journey. She also experiences many things that cannot be reached by women who are trapped in the house as their duty as wives.
Although in the beginning of the story, Christina is not permitted to continue the journey with Gene and Paulo; she is still insistent and optimistic in the journey. Chris gets that chance and develops herself through several procedures in exploring the guardian angel. As a smart woman, she also explores her identities and roles as wife. Previously, she did not get opportunity to be heard by her husband. She tried to make some brilliant actions and built effort to be more entrusted by her husband. At last, she is given a chance to be a woman who disciple to take his husband’s place. As a curious woman, Christina always eager to know new things and because of her curiosity, she gets a chance to learn about second mind, then it makes Christina becomes important instruments to find the angels.
“Everything Gene told you is important”, Paulo said. “He is already seen and talked with his angel, and he is using you as a means of instructing me. He knows the power of his words, and he knows that advice not heeded is returned to its giver, losing its energy. He needs to be sure that you are interested in what he tells you.” (p.33)
Christina shows that any weak points that lay into woman’s ability must be removed so that woman can explore her abilities. By accompanying Paulo, Chris wants to know who she is, to find out her self identity and her role as a wife. Because of the chance that she gets, she can develop herself and explores her potential.
If Christina is trying to be admitted by man, Valhalla holds the idea that there must be equality of role between woman and man. She does not agree with the idea that behind great women there will be always men. She does not want to be inferior to men. As a self-assured woman, Valhalla shows her power and existence clearly to men. She is recognized by people surround her as strong woman and show the evidence to them. She does not want to be considered as weak woman and becomes a tool for man. In the society of Gringo Pass, man always gives command to woman to do whatever he wants, women are just whispering and silence, they are behind men.
“Their conversation was silenced, and they no longer swayed in the time of music.
“Turn it off,” the eldest (Valhalla) said to the counterman. As always, he obeyed. Now the only sound that could be heard was the sizzling of the eggs ad bacon on the grill.” (p.80-81)
In the quotation above, Valhalla proves that she can give command to men. She shows that she can be a woman who has demonstrated strength in areas which previously only reserved for men.
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connected to her by the society which have discriminated her. This evokes the spirit to achieve equality with her male partners. Although Valhalla is a woman, she got chance as Gene got and she can lead Paulo and his wife better than Gene. She prepares the path and she expects to do it right until the end of the journey. She also fixes up Paulo’s life indirectly through several procedures and she made it effectively.
rights both in speech and action. She shows that men cannot deny the existence of women. Valhalla proves her self as a good leader when she becomes the guidance of the journey and she did better than Gene did.
“In order to see an angel, three things are needed,” said the Valkyrie, turning back to Paulo…
“An in addition to those three things, courage is needed. A woman’s courage, not a man’s.” (pg. 84-85).
Through the quotation above, it proves that Valhalla wants to show that woman has great courage and man may not underestimate woman’s courage. Those three things are break a pact, accept forgiveness, and make a bet (Coelho, 1992: 85). It means that woman has her own personal skill which man does not have.
The idea of liberal feminism is also shown through the way Valhalla dresses. She is described as a woman with unique style. She tends to show her masculinity sides with her powerful motorcycle and removes the feminine sides of women such as wearing outfits like a man.
48 CHAPTER V CONCLUSION
This thesis explores the ideas of liberal feminism through the female characters, Christina and Valhalla in the novel The Valkyries. From the analysis that has been elaborated, the two questions in the problem formulation can be answered. The first problem formulation is about the characterization of Christina and Valhalla. By using Holman’s theory on character, both of them are categorized as dynamic characters since their characters change in some aspects from the beginning until the end of the story. The writer also finds out their characterizations from personal description, other character’s opinion, and from their thoughts.
The second female character is Valhalla who is one of the Valkyries, messengers of god. She is described as a woman who dares to speak her mind straightforward to others. She is also a good leader during the spiritual journey. Valhalla is a consistent woman and has strong personality; she had proved to her society t
