RASHEED’S AGGRESSION OVER HIS WIVES IN KHALED HOSSEINI’S A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS
A THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Andreas Indra Pangarsa Student Number: 051214098
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
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RASHEED’S AGGRESSION OVER HIS WIVES IN KHALED HOSSEINI’S A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS
A THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Andreas Indra Pangarsa Student Number: 051214098
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
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STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY
I honestly declare that this thesis, which I have written, does not contain the work or parts of the work of other people, except those cited in the quotations and the references, as a scientific paper should.
Yogyakarta, 20 September 2010 The Writer
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LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma:
Nama :Andreas Indra Pangarsa Nomor Mahasiswa: 051214098
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:
RASHEED’S AGGRESSION OVER HIS WIVES IN KHALED HOSSEINI’S A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, mempublikasikanya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal: 20 September 2010 Yang menyatakan,
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This Thesis is dedicated to
Bapak Silvester Sukirman, and Ibu Anastasia Sri
Susilawati
&
My lovely sister, Cicilia Rosilaningsih
vii ABSTRACT
Pangarsa, Andreas Indra (2010). Rasheed’s Aggression over His Wives in Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.
This study lifts husband-to-wife aggression theme from Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. This theme is hopefully relevant to some recurring cases that literally happen in real life and expected to reflect and explain what the reasons are behind this very act. The writer opts to have Rasheed’s aggression as the central attention and intends to reveal what can possibly generate his cruel behavior toward his wives.
The problems formulated to solve in this thesis are (1) how are Rasheed’s aggressive behaviors over his wives described in the novel? and (2) what are the reasons of Rasheed’s aggression over his wives?
This study applied psychological approach to solve both of the problems formulated. The former was solved by the theory of aggression in regards to the kinds of aggressions that Rasheed commits on his wives. Meanwhile, the latter was resolved by the theory of aggression in which it provides the particular views to trace reasons of someone’s aggression.
The result of the study of Rasheed’s aggressive behavior yields findings that Rasheed’s is both psychologically and physically aggressive towards his wives. His psychological aggression can be sensed in his acts which are: keeping silent toward Mariam, responding to Mariam’s questions by harsh tone and sarcastic replies, faulting Mariam’s cooking, hurting Mariam when he reaveals his intention to marry Laila, undervaluing Mariam with unfavorable comparison to Laila, unjust faulting towards Mariam when Laila gets problems, and turning away his attention from the three (Mariam, Laila, and Aziza). While his physical aggression are physically insulting Mariam after repeatedly faulting her cooking, severely punishing both Mariam and Laila over leaving the house, and getting more abusive towards Laila, Mariam and Aziza. The second findings are of the second problem formulation solving which coins the reasons of Rasheed’s aggressive behavior by the help of the three points of view—ethological theory, drive theory, and social learning theory. The ethological theory provides Rasheed’s physical appearance and the presence of gun as the factors influencing Rasheed’s aggressiveness. The drive theory concludes that Rasheed’s act of aggression is generated from his frustration over his bitter ordeal in the past— once he lost his beloved boy, Zalmay. Besides, his frustration also comes from the food deprivation as a recurring result of losing his jobs. In this same case the social learning theory views the male domination over woman and the influence of Taliban’s ruling have given the role model to all husbands in Afghanistan to practice aggression on woman or wife.
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second suggestion is an offer of teaching material for Intensive Reading II developed from A Thousand Splendid Suns’ excerpts.
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ABSTRAK
Pangarsa, Andreas Indra (2010). Rasheed’s Aggression over His Wives in Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Studi ini mengangkat tema agresi suami pada istri dari novel A Thousand Splendid Suns karya Khaled Hosseini. Tema ini diharapkan relevant dengan berbagai kasus yang sering terjadi di kehidupan nyata dan diharapkan juga dapat menjadi cerminan yang bisa memberikan penjelasan-penjelasan dibalik tindakan agresi. Penulis memilih agresi yang dilakukan oleh Rasheed sebagai perhatian utama dan ingin mengungkap alasan-alasan apa saja yang mendasari perlakuan-perlakuan kejamnya terhadap istri-istrinya.
Rumusan masalah yang akan dijawab dalam skripsi ini adalah (1) bagaimana tindakan-tindakan agesif Rasheed terhadap istri-istrinya? dan (2) apa saja alasan-alasan dibalik agresi-agresi Rasheed pada istri-istrinya?
Studi ini menggunakan pendekatan psikologi untuk menjawab kedua masalah yang telah dirumuskan. Rumusan masalah yang pertama dipecahkan dengan teori agresi dalam hal pengelompokan jenis-jenis agresi yang dilakukan Rasheed pada istrinya. Sedangkan rumusan masalah yang kedua dijawab dengan teori agresi dimana teori ini memberikan beberapa cara pandang dalam menemukan alasan agresi manusia.
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memberikan role model pada semua suami-suami di Afghanistan untuk meng-agresi wanita atau istri.
Saran pertama yang dikembangkan dari studi ini adalah tawaran untuk meneliti tentang sisi religius Mariam yang membantunya tetap kuat meghadapi berbagai pergulatan-pergulatan hidupnya, atau peran orang tua dalam membesarkan anak-anaknya seperti pada perbandingan antara keluarga Mariam dan Laila. Saran yang kedua adalah materi yang ditawarkan untuk megajar Intensive Reading II yang dikembangkan dari penggalan cerita dalam novel A Thousand Splendid Suns.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are a thousand splendid helpers that help me bring this quite burdening thesis into a finish line. Without all of them I would have never managed to get this done and this is my happiest moment when I have a chance to single them out one by one to say thank you.
My first gratitude is toward my Almighty God who I know as Jesus Christ who gives me splendid blessings and loves spread through all people around me.
The second, I would like to express a big thank you to my parents, Bpk Silvester Sukirman and Ibu Anastasia Susilawati who never forget to worry about their son’s study and of course who never forget to pray for his beloved son. Without their supports—materially and spiritually—I would never been able to get my study done.
The third, I would like to say thank to my beloved sister, Cicilia Rosilaningsih, and all my big family who always give their hands once I need it.
The fourth, I am indebted to all lecturers at English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma who make me learn English as well as grow up to be a fully human. My deepest thank you goes to Mrs. V. Triprihatmini, S.Pd., M.Hum., M.A. for her guide to me in composing my thesis.
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Ari, Bunga, Frans, Rere who happen to be in my small but coziest speaking class. Big thanks also I would like to express to all my great friends Bagus, Chandra, for their spirit and modesty I can learn that we are necessary to say thank you.
The sixth, I feel indebted to be a part of my village community at Jatiningsih which provides me with many good examples along with some chances to learn and grow up. It has been a real pleasure to befriend with all people in my neighborhood.
The seventh, I would like to personally express my gratitude to Andre for planting the seed of loving reading in my habit and providing me many useful information which really helps me so I could confidently start and finish my thesis. My personal gratitude also goes to Ucik who provides consultations about psychological matters, especially aggression which is my topic of study.
The eighth, my deepest gratitude goes to the board of examiners of my thesis defense. They are Mrs. C. Tutyandari, S.Pd., M.Pd., Miss Made Frida Yulia, S.Pd., M.Pd., Mrs. V. Triprihatmini, S.Pd., M.Hum., M.A., Mrs. Henny Herawati, S.Pd., M.Hum., and Mr. Bambang Hendarto, S.Pd., M.Hum. I thank them for the opportunity they give to me to come to my final steps in my study along with their priceless advises both on my thesis and on my preparation to face my future.
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I have just realized that it is impossible to name all my helpers, therefore, let this tenth gratitude comes to those I have mentioned and I have not as my
prayer and may God bless them and pay back for their kindness to me.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE PAGE ... i
APPROVAL PAGES ... ii
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ... iv
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS………... v
PAGE OF DEDICATION ... vi
ABSTRACT ... vii
ABSTRAK ... ix
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ... xi
TABLE OF CONTENTS………...xiv
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study ... 1
B. Problems Formulation ... 3
C. Objectives of the Study ... 3
D. Benefits of the Study ... 4
E. Definition of Terms ... 4
1. Aggression and Aggressive behavior ... 4
2. Taliban ... 5
3. Hazara ... 5
xv CHAPTER II. THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Theories ... 7
1. Theory of Literary Approach ... 7
2. Theory of Aggression ... 9
a. Aggression and Its Types ... 9
b. Tracing the Views, the Concomitants and Foreground of Aggression ... 10
1) Some Points of Views to Address Aggression ... 10
a) Psychoanalytic Instinctual Theory’s Point of View ... 11
b) Ethological Theory’s Point of View ... 12
c) Aggressive Drive Theory’s Point of View ... 13
d) Social Learning Theory’s Point of View ... 14
2) The Concomitants and Instigators of Aggression ... 15
B. Review of Related Studies ... 16
1. Studies of Aggression ... 16
2. Studies of Thousand Splendid Suns ... 17
C. Theoretical Framework ... 18
CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY A. Subject Matter ... 20
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C. Method of the Study ... 21
CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS
A. Rasheed’s Aggressive Behaviors over His Wives ... 23 1. Psychological Aggression ... 24 a. Keeping Silent toward Mariam ... 24 b. Responding to Mariam’s Question by Harsh
Tone and Sarcastic Replies ... 25 c. Faulting Mariam’s Cooking ... 26 d. Hurting Mariam when He Reveals His Intention
to Marry Laila ... 26 e. Undervaluing Mariam with Unfavorable
Comparison to Laila ... 27 f. Unjust Faulting toward Mariam when Laila Gets
Problems ... 28 g. Turning Away His Attention from the Three
(Mariam, Laila, and Aziza) ... 29 2. Physical Aggression ... 30
a.Physically Insulting Mariam
after Repeatedly Faulting Her Cooking ... 30 b. Severely Punishing both Mariam and Laila
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c. Getting More Abusive towards Mariam, Laila,
and Aziza ... 32
B. The Reasons of Rasheed’s Aggression over His Wives……… ... 34
1. Reasons Viewed from Ethological Theory ... 35
a. Rasheed’s Physical Appearance ... 35
b. The Presence of a Gun ... 36
2. Reasons Viewed from Drive Theory ... 37
a. Frustration Generated from Rasheed’s Bitter Ordeal in His Past ... 37
b. Deteriorated by Frustration of Food Deprivation and Lost of Jobs ... 39
3. Reasons Viewed from Social Learning Theory ... 40
a. The Male Domination over woman ... 40
b. The Influence of Taliban’s Ruling ... 41
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS A. Conclusions... ... 43
B. Suggestions…….. ... 45
1. Suggestion for Future Researchers ... 45
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REFERENCES...47
APPENDICES Appendix A: The Summary of A thousand Splendid Suns ... 49
Appendix B: Biography ... 51
Appendix C: Syllabus of Intensive Reading II ... 52
Appendix D: Lesson Plan ... 54
Appendix E: The Implementation of the Excerpts of A Thousand Splendid Suns in Teaching Intensive Reading II ... 56
Appendix F: The excerpts of A Thousand Splendid Suns (chapter 16) ... 59
1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this chapter is to provide the reader orientation of the selected topic, aggression in A Thousand Splendid Suns. This chapter will comprise five subdivisions, namely, background of the study, problem formulation, objective of the study, benefits of the study, and definition of terms.
A.Background of the Study
This literary study is aimed to study of human’s deviant behavior within the scope of household generated from a make-belief case of husband-to-wife aggression. The concern to converse with is a portrayal of a life after marriage— that will be proven it is not always so sweet to be enviable—taken from A Thousand Splendid Suns. The author who previously has borne The Kite Runner
far clearer. The bitter cloud in their hearts pathetically cloud the smoke hovering above devastated Kabul and their tears dampen the noises of bombs raining from the sky. Fundamentally thus, the war aggression storied in this novel feels inundated by the calamity of husband-to-wife aggression undergone by the star-crossed victims. One of the clenching parts of this issue would be on the side of the perpetrator albeit the major people’s attention would be on the victims. The awareness of the rationale behind the aggressor to rest to that unpopular act is the goal to be derived in this study. Despite the host understandings that may generate, the least that this novel can do—even though it can be labeled as this very novel special rarity—is likely to educate people to learn that aggression in whatever sorts are deteriorating but uplifting. Indeed, indubitably, the sort is more catastrophic or at least has its personal degree when the assailant is a person who is very personal to the victims—their husband. .
Hosseini submerges profoundly in some particular details of a family life,
3 relationship still often covered in news headlines. psychology and sociology seem also perennially take this matter as a favorite which shows that aggression has been as matter of course general but always interesting to study. Eventually, managing to provide a good writing I would try to avoid impartial and hopefully more focused judgments of the alleged aggression by providing justifications derived from the border of psychological reasoning. Despite of this fact of choice, it would probably be a difficult detachment of other scopes of studies with familiar features i.e. sociology and anthropology. However, since the focus of interest of this study is more to human personal relation as a specific case within a family than the society with its generality, the psychological approach is taken as the choice that fits to adjudicate this very issue.
B.Problems Formulation
Based on the preceding orientation, then I formulate the problems for this study as follows:
1. How are Rasheed’s aggressive behaviors over his wives described in the novel?
2. What are the reasons Rasheed’s aggressions over his wives?
C.Objectives of the Study
D.Benefits of the Study
I hope the analysis of this study can share information to readers especially for lay persons of one phenomenon of marital aggression in real life—to exchange a way of vision to the readers. As Nicolson and Wilson’s (280) survey research on domestic violence shows that it seems less frequently than what it is in fact does. By garnering the necessary explanations from psychology I hope I can neutrally address what it calls aggression so as to provide appropriate justifications of it— what, why, to whom, when, where, it possibly occurs. In other words it is expected to make people aware, and make people find certain ways they can manage to diminish the possibility of its occurrence. Another wish is to enrich people’s moral value to see this phenomenon as a general human’s problem with many similarities among many races and region, and indubitably its culture. I believe everything can be learned if we understand it, thus, this analysis is expected to be one of many. This trial is in line with Lynch and Warner’s argument that publishers and teachers, as well as critics and authors ascribe to fictions is more elevated to cultural functions—to the moral improvement of readers and representation of reality (4).
E.Definition of terms
1. Aggression and aggressive behavior
5 of aggression). In this study the conception of aggressive behavior is simply the same with the term aggression, which is a behavior which causes someone’s injury and destruction of someone’s property both psychologically and physically. One article in Kompas agony column written by Sawitri Supardi Sadarjoen (22) classifies human aggression into verbal and non verbal aggression. His classification in fact is close in meaning with the psychological and physical aggression notion held by Bandura. While in this study, the aggressions or aggressive behaviors are all sorts of acts that are intended to hurt others either psychologically or physically.
2. Taliban
The Taliban is a Sunni Islamist group. This group ruled Afghanistan in between 1996 to 2001 until it was ousted by the American-led invasion. The group which was based in Pasthun region in the country’s southeast grew out of a student movement dedicated to purifying Afghanistan. During its time in power, the Taliban outlawed the education of woman.
(http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/t/taliban, updated on October 14, 2010)
3. Hazara
According to Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume IX Africa and the Middle East Hazara is an ethnic group of people who numbers between 1 to 1.5
most impoverished ethnic groups and one of the most resistant to central government control. (115)
4. Pasthun
Pasthun, based on the Encyclopedia of World Culture Volume III South Asia, is an ethnic group in Afghanistan who inhabits southern and eastern Afghanistan and also an area roughly bounded by Kabul. Pasthuns have earned reputation as successful traders and businessmen who have dominated the society as well as the politics of the country for the past 200 years.
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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter lays all the foundations for reasoning the problems selected which is garnered from the reviews of books and journals. This chapter will be parted into three divisions which are review of related theories, review of related studies, and theoretical framework.
A .Review of Related Theories 1. Theories of Literary Approach
Totozy de Zepetnek (100) pinpoints that literary theory is used as a tool to understand, contextualize, extract meaning when we analyze a literary text or texts or a problem of literature. He adds that in “Approach to literature” a range of phenomena are considered as interrelated and therefore designated for description and interpretation. As he elucidates that
“heuristic model indebted to Semiotics, Semi-Semiotics, Sociology of literature, and Communication theories, based in dynamic, operational, functional, and open or semi-permeable, system theories, and strong preference for observation and verification instead of intuition, speculation and metaphorical description are a priori postulates” (100).
study of literature and it differentiates it from research in the basic sciences where it is facts that determine the research. Totozy de Zepetnek highlights the crucial thing both in natural science research and innovative framework for literary research, which is “exacting determination of points of entry for intuition in the process of analysis and not that intuition is misplaced in either” (100). He then concludes the object of the empirical study of literature is not only the text in itself but also the roles of action within the literary systems in which its methods used are taken from psychology and social sciences. Another author Culler in Literary Theory A Very Short Introduction fortifies what Zepetnek has claimed by
9 2. Theories of Aggression
a. Aggression and Its Types
Bandura in Aggression a Social Learning Analysis (2-3) posits that variations in defining aggression pervade because some authors describe aggression solely in terms of attributes of the behavior but others include assumptions about the instigator, emotional concomitants, or the intent of potentially injurious action. The similar judgment of aggression comes from Social Psychology by Jonathan L. Freedman et al which regards this very issue as
“behavior that is designed to hurt others” (103) and from A Survey of Social Psychology by Leonard Berkowitz as “the intentional injury of another” (337).
types of aggression. It is Instrumental aggression which is aimed at securing extraneous rewards other than the victim suffering and hostile aggression which counts as the sole aim of which presumably to inflict injury on others on which injuries result from it will be psychological or physical or both. However the major advanced studies—refer to its thoroughness and depth—believe most cases of aggression is due the first reason or instrumental aggression which later will be extended more in detail through the assessment by the help of four points of view. b. Tracing the Views, The Concomitants and Foreground of Aggression 1) Some Points of View to Address Aggression
11 highlight more at healing and fixing of what considered as the deviation at the end product not just the understanding. In other words the external factors—love, trust, good esteem—will do more to heal the sick. Then, back to the 4 vantage points—psychoanalytic, ethological, drive and social learning—I find it hard to subcategorize it whether into a realm of internal factor or external factor. The things result from the present of their role of both factors virtually in these first 3 stated view points while we can merely regard the fourth as boldly external factor—the social learning theory. However, to bear in mind these 4 aspects looks developing sequentially from era to era to revise the past understanding and fix with the current understanding in addition to the practical problem solving to be the core of attention. Eventually, due to the need of presence of those four aspects to appraise aggressive behavior I keep following their genuine order of elucidation as follow:
a) Psychoanalytic Instinctual Theory’s Point of View
by-product of thwarting libidinal striving. Although he believes that aggression is unavoidable he also states that it can be attenuated in term of the intensity and the form of expression—it is modifiable. One most important thing that Freud maintains is that aggression is a regulatory device which protects individual from destructing themselves (13). Most psychoanalysts have compromised with Freud’s theory as they take the position that aggression is an instinctual drive but not the self-directed death instinct/ Thanatos (14).
b)Ethological Theory’s Point of View
13 the aggression would be the size of the body, color, territorial area. Hormonal control of sexual behavior also decreases with advancing evolutionary status. Therefore, there is every reason to believe that the evolutionary decrease in innate determinants of behavior holds true for aggression as well (21). And the last the heritability of characteristic of individual (related to genes) also plays a great role—whether it is man and woman in comparison and also their emotional characteristic. Subsequently, the further elaborations of this view are on human chromosomal matter—X and Y factor—physical look and characteristic (strength, muscles) as the determinant of any combative attack. To sum up, the conditions that exhibit male characteristic have more possibility to render aggression. c) Aggressive Drive Theories’ Point of View
that is assigned by the prominent role in drive theories (36). The elaboration is that once aggressive drive has been aroused, it presumably remains active as a motivating force till it is then discharged by some forms of aggressive behavior. The discharged energy is then called catharsis (37). Bandura concludes the explanation of drive theories is much similar with instinctual theories in their implications for the regulation of aggressive behavior. The main difference between these two is whether the motivation is innately stimulated as in psychoanalytic instinctual theories or it is externally stimulated as in drive theories.
d) Social Learning Theories’ Point of View
15 variable. However social learning view man is neither driven by inner forces nor buffeted helplessly by environmental influences (43).It is the psychological functioning which will help elaborate the terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between behavior and its controlling condition. As a matter of course initially researchers view aggression is simply caused by these two aspects— individual behavior and his environment—as independent variables before they finally incorporate them into one entity. Therefore, it is revised that environment is only potentiality, it is not fixed property that inevitably impinges upon individuals and to which their behavior eventually adapt. Therefore it is reciprocally influencing.
2) The Concomitants and Instigators of Aggression
understanding and its arousing incidents, destruction (suicide), self-enhancement, and self expectation and also the effect of alcohol, rewards and the cost in aggression. And eventually the third notion is family as a role model which if it has punitive characteristic not only it can generate frustration but also a reward and a courage to elicit aggression.
B. Review of Related Studies 1. Studies of Aggression
17 model/expectation placed upon men. They elucidate that long-term domestic violence will yield low-self esteem, feeling of guilt, shame, depression and stress to its victim. Therefore they will need medical treatment for psychological, physical and sexual problems. The perpetrator happens to be a man and also a husband who according to general studies tend to be more aggressive than women in a host of circumstances. The affirmation comes from Bettencourt and Miller as cited in Zeichner et al. who posit that men are more provoked by frustration, negative intelligence feedback or physical attack while women respond more on the provocation of insult or negative evaluation.
2. Studies of Thousand Splendid Suns
C. Theoretical Framework
This study of novel is exercising a psychological approach to attribute the problems formulated in preceding chapter. All the theories reviewed above have been selected to help the writer to account for the analysis therefore all those theories will be taken into consideration. One thing to bear in mind is that the psychological literatures consulted above are quite broad theories. The theories, somehow, overlay other field of study, especially social study. It is due to the development and revolution of theories that—from the summary above—are always augmenting its formers.
Aggression as the main topic of this study would be judge by 3 out of 4 points of views albeit its utter complexity—it drops the psychoanalytic instinct theory—derived from the review of Bandura’s work. As concluded before, both the inner and outer aspects of character compose the rationale of his aggressive behavior. The explanation from Berkowitz is expected to ease and lever the difficulties traced in Bandura’s concept as it provides more practical examples and simple explanation. However the clearly stipulated belief from the two authors is that aggression comprises some factors, namely performance catharsis; aversive treatment both physical and verbal threat and insults; unfavorable changes in positive reinforcement; thwarting of goal-directed behavior as the instigators by which converge in the three notions—biological influences, psychological influences, and family influences.
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CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
This chapter serves as the bases of the protocol taken by the writer in conducting his study. Besides, this chapter also provides a synopsis of the novel in conjunction with the topic elevated and gives the highlight of the approach addressed to his study. This chapter is composed from three parts which are subject matter, approach of the study, and method of the study.
A. Subject Matter
This thesis studies the second novel by Khaled Hosseini, A thousand Splendid Suns—a-402-content-page-novel published by Bloomsbury in 2007. The
21 Mariam. Rasheed also releases his anger in physical force like battering, forcing Mariam to eat pebbles, and sexual abusing her. After married to Laila, Rasheed seems like multiplying his aggression and both of his wives then become the targets. In short, Rasheed’s intolerable anger has led him to his death at Mariam’s hand.
B. Approach of the Study
The focus of this study is seeking the explanation of man’s aggression in relation to his psyche condition—Rasheed’s mental condition to aggress against his wives. Vast choices actually are provided to approach human aggression i.e. psychology, sociology, culture, antropology but since it focuses on personal matter Psychology is chosen to approach the problems. Psychology then is expected to reason all the hidden answers behind someone’s doing aggression. However, the thing to keep in mind is that the features of Psychology would inevitably overlap features of other field of studies due to the development of research and archives of psychological study.
C. Method of the Study
is affected by his environment—also appraised in attempt to get more understanding of human aggression.
The steps in conducting this literary study are as follow. First of all, the writer reads the novel for several times to get a profound understanding of the novel. Secondly, the writer searches for topic and decides the aspect that he wants to study. The third, the writer solicits advices from his supervisor in the terms of the title and research questions he wants to address. The fourth, the writer reviews the books, theories, researches related to his topic. The fifth, the writer begins composing the proposal of his research along with regularly consultation of the developments of his study to his supervisor. The sixth, the writer applies the reviewed literature to deal with the problems formulated and writing the analysis. The seventh, the writer concludes the result of his study and completes all the requirements to face the thesis defense. The eighth, the writer gets the ratification from the supervisor to defense his thesis in front of the examiners.
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CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
This chapter will provide the analysis and elaboration to answer the two problems formulated in chapter I. The first will be the exemplification of how Rasheed’s aggressive behaviors over his wives are described in the novel and the second will be the elucidation of the reasons of Rasheed’s aggression over his wives.
A. Rasheed’s Aggressive Behaviors over His Wives
Mariam and Laila. The elaborations to detail those two categorizations are presented in these following subsections.
1. Psychological Aggression
Regarding to the review of aggression from Bandura’s explanation the unwelcome effects that the victim possibly suffers from aggression are sadness, fear, anxiety, bad confidence, low self-esteem even the victims can also turn out to be abusive and aggressive. The exemplifications of the facts that support the label that Rasheed is psychologically aggressive towards his wives are as follow: a. Keeping Silent toward Mariam
The first kind of aggression that Rasheed bestows upon Mariam is psychological aggression by the form of not responding to Mariam “Most nights when he came home he hardly talked anymore” (Hosseini, 93) and “He walked quickly and always a few steps ahead of her, without speaking, unmindful of Mariam who almost had to run to keep up with him” (Hosseini, 93). While being almost never talking to Mariam Rasheed seems irritated by Mariam’s question as in this following finding.
“Then stop pestering me!”
“I’m sorry. Bebakhsh, Rasheed. I’m sorry.”
He crushed out his cigarette and lit another. He turned up the volume on the radio. (Hosseini, 94)
25 The subsequent act shows how Rasheed gives no attention to Mariam where he does not answer Mariam’s inquiry on the government’s condition “What is going to happen?” (Hosseini, 99) instead “Rasheed shot her a sidelong glance. He made a sound between a sigh and a groan, dropped his legs from the table, and turned off the radio. He took it upstairs to his room. He closed the door.” (Hosseini, 99). Rasheed’s being silent obviously marks the onset of his aggression over Mariam which is later on followed by more severe and increasingly frequent aggressions.
b. Responding to Mariam’s Questions in Harsh Tone and Sarcastic Replies When Mariam asks for Rasheed’s permission over the proper burial to forget the miscarried baby, Raheed reacts with offensive words “What for? It’s idiotic” (Hosseini, 94). Then he continues sharply with the words “then you do it”, “I‘ve already buried one son. I won’t bury another. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m trying to listen” (Hosseini, 94) after that he turns up again the volume of the radio while leaning his head back and closing his eyes. Rasheed also answers Mariam question with intimidating and abhorring words thanks to Mariam’s lack of information about Afghanistan‘s political condition.
“What is a communist?” she asked.
Rasheed snorted, and raised both eyebrows. “You don’t know what a communist is? Such a simple thing. Everyone knows. It’s common knowledge. You don’t….Bah. I don’t know why I’m surprised.” Then he crossed his ankles on the table and mumbled that it was someone who believe in Karl Marxist?” (Hosseini, 97).
“You know nothing, do you? You’re like a child. Your brain is empty. There is no information in it” (Hosseini, 97) and in the mean time when Mariam asks more he interrupts “Chup ko”. Shut up.”( Hosseini, 97). From the findings, it is learned that Rashed’s level of aggression is increasing from just being silent into responding with hateful manner.
c. Faulting Mariam’s Cooking
Rasheed’s aggressive behaviors over Mariam are also felt in his way undervaluing her work especially passing intimidating judgment of her cooking. This following fact is taken from the writer narration:
Mariam remembered a time when she had enjoyed, even looked forward to, cooking for Rahseed. Now cooking was an exercise in heightened anxiety. The qurmas were always too salty or too bland for his taste. The rice was judged either too greasy or too dry, the bread declared too doughy or too crispy. Rasheed’s faultfinding left her stricken in the kitchen with self-doubt. (Hosseini, 99)
Rasheed really turns down Mariam’s confidence in preparing food for him. It is so sad for a wife when a husband always finds a problem with the food she prepared for her husband. The wife likely hurts upon her husband humiliating remark and another possibility is she responds her husband in attacking manner— to aggress him back. Since Mariam considers that she is the one who makes Rasheed change due to his disappointment of her recurring miscarriages she opts to give in to Rasheed’s aggression.
d. Hurting Mariam when He Reveals His Intention to Marry Laila
27 boldly insist against Rasheed’s plea to her agreement. However, Rasheed with his high tempered tone reproaches her argument “Don’t be so dramatic. It’s common thing and you know it. I have friends who have two, three, four wives. Your father had three. Besides, what I’m doing now most men I know have done it along ago. You know it’s true.”(Hosseini, 209)
Rasheed also gives Mariam additional ordeals to puzzle her mind since another choice for Mariam is to let Laila leave their house with the possible consequence she likely fails to make it due to the difficult condition outside. This is what Rasheed says to threaten Mariam
There is another option, “ he said, scratching the sole of one foot with calloused heel of the other.” She can leave. I won’t stand in her way. But I suspect she won’t get far. No food, no water, not a rupiah in her pockets, rockets and bullets flying everywhere. How many days do you suppose she’ll last before she’s abducted, raped, or tossed into some roadside ditch with her throat slit? Or all three?” (Hosseini, 209)
It is evidently seen that Rasheed wants to attack Mariam compassionate feeling. He wants to blame Mariam if she lets Laila stay away from their house and die due to war factors. Rasheed successfully soothes down Mariam’s complain with that difficult choice. Mariam then helps to lure Laila to accept Rasheed’s proposal.
e. Undervaluing Mariam with Unfavorable Comparison to Laila
on to name Mariam “a harami” (Hosseini, 216) which reminds her of her disdainful memories back to the date when she shares life with his only mother. Not yet enough with that, Rasheed titles Mariam a Volga which is a kind of old-fashioned car. ”She is sturdy, for one thing, a good worker, and without pretensions. I will say this way: if she were a car, she would be a Volga.” (Hosseini, 216). Then in front of Mariam, Raheed plainly praise Laila with the mere opposition claim
“you on the other hand, would be a Benz. A brand-new, first-class, shiny Benz. But. But.” He raised one greasy index finger. “One must take certain ….cares….with a Benz. As a matter of respect for its beauty and craftsmanship, you see. Oh, you must be thinking that I am crazy, diwana, with all this talk of automobiles. I am not saying you are cars. I am merely making point. ” (Hosseini, 216-217)
Still Rasheed once again consciously or unconsciously deteriorate Mariam self-estimation upon Laila by overvaluing Laila with the calls of queen, and malika. “As for you, you are the queen, the malika, and this house is your palace.
Anything you need done you ask Mariam and she will do it for you. Won’t you Mariam.” (Hosseini, 217) Those sorts of comparisons have been delivered to Mariam and by our own conscience we are able to feel how unfortunate the sorrow Mariam should bear.
f. Unjust Faulting towards Mariam when Laila Gets Problems
29 quarrel between her and Mariam. He abruptly convicts Mariam as the reason of that scene “Wallah o bilah, I’ll go down and teach her a lesson. Who does she think she is, that harami treating you—“ (Hosseini, 223). Rasheed is about to dash toward Mariam but fortunately Laila can stop him.
Then when it comes to quarrel between Laila and Rasheed, Mariam again comes as the victim of accusation and blame of what the unsatisfying conduct Laila performs to Rasheed. He once unfairly punishes Mariam as he believes she teaches Laila to be rebellious.
“It’s your doing. I know it is”. He snarled, advancing on her. Mariam slid out of her bed and began backpedaling. Her arms instinctively crossed over her chest, where he often struck her first.
“What are you talking about” she stammered “Her denying me”. You’re teaching her to”.
…”I should have known that you’d corrupt her, “Rasheed spat at Mariam. He swung the belt, testing it against his own thigh….(Hosseini, 234-235) Though, once again Laila can manage to interrupt in Rasheed trial to beating Mariam. This threat again and again psychologically shapes Mariam into condition when she has to bow to Rasheed in fear and helplessness. These continual conditions from the first encounter of psychological aggression could have developed to kind of serious anxiety which is too much to take.
g. Turning Away His Attention from the Three (Mariam, Laila, and Aziza) After the foiled attempt of fleeing to Peshawar two and a half years ago
both Mariam and Laila almost always undertake Rasheed’s disregard, meaning to say Rasheed has ignored their presence. The facts garnered are as on following excerpt.
disregard. When he spoke, Mariam had the sense that he was having a conversation with himself, or with some invisible presence in the room, who, unlike her and Laila, was worthy of his opinion. (Hosseini, 267) Ever since that incidents Rasheed prefers more listening to the Voice of Shari’a aired by Taliban than taking his wives into his attention. And his favor to Taliban sparks debates with Laila who can’t help arguing him in his supports to Taliban’s brutal punishment.
After the presence of Zalmay—a boy madly longed by Rasheed— Rasheed’s attention is more extricated from the rest family members. Rasheed overindulges his boy that later lead to his son deviances from his mother. Rasheed really loves his boy and has ever once rebuked harshly at Aziza on her act of turning on Zalmay’s TV “Aziza pushed the TV’s power button. Rasheed scowled, snatched her wrist and set it in the table, not gently at all.” (Hosseini, 290)
2. Physical Aggression
The second kind of aggression to follow Bandura’s explanation is physical Aggression. This aggression causes the victims suffer physical defects i.e. body’s injury, body’s defect, and body’s disability. This aggression is possibly in all forms of physical attacks like battering, leashing, forcing the victims to hurt their self, and still not to mention killing. The facts of Rasheed’s physical aggression over his wives are as follow:
31 marks the first physical deformity that she suffers—to crush down some of her teeth.
Rasheed made a ball of rice with his fingers. He put it in his mouth, chewed once, then twice, before grimacing and spitting it out on the sofrah….Then she heard the front door opening and Rasheed was back in the living room.
“Get up,” he said. “Come here. Get up.”
He snatched her hand, opened it, and dropped a handful of pebbles into it. “Put these in your mouth.”
.…“CHEW!” he bellowed….
….Then was gone, leaving Mariam to spit out pebbles, blood, and the the fragments of two broken molars. (Hosseini, 102-103)
b. Severely Punishing both Mariam and Laila over Leaving the House Although Mariam and Laila have carefully plotted a plan before they bring Aziza out of the house it still leaves high level anxiety. Those are the fear of being noticed by Rasheed that they are fleeing away and also the fear of getting busted by Sharia police. Then indeed, the fact is that finally they are handled by officer thanks to a man who has affected helping their getaway. Eventually, Mariam and Laila are sent home and handed to Rasheed to make them pay their ill-fated effort. Rasheed high level-physical aggression is all the cost
Laila did not see the punch coming. One moment she was talking and the next she was on all fours, wide-eyed and red-faced, trying to draw a breath. It was as if a car had hit her at full speed, in the tender place between the lower tip of breastbone and the belly button. She realized she had dropped Aziza, that Aziza was screaming. She tried to breathe again and could only make a husky, choking sound. Dribble hung from her mouth. (Hosseini, 261)
It is still continuing that Rasheed seems to accumulate all his effort to make the torture on Mariam worse
hands, blood on Marias’s face, her hair, down her neck and back. Her shirt had been ripped down the front.” (Hosseini, 262)
Rasheed then locks Mariam in the tool shed while Laila and Aziza in a light-closed room and deprives them from food and water for four days. (Hosseini, 263-265).
Finishing those all dying punishment he wraps it by uttering words of threat that if she does it again he will surely punish her again starting from Mariam, then Aziza and finally Laila herself. “I will make you watch” (Hosseini, 265). “And, with that, he left the room. But not before delivering a kick to the flank that would have Laila pissing blood for days.”(Hosseini, 265)
c. Getting More Abusive towards Laila, Mariam and Aziza
In opposition to Zalmay, Aziza turns in her own fate as unlucky since Rasheed insist to have Laila send her to be a beggar in one mosque—that later will be an orphanage instead. Since Laila refuses to agree, Rasheed then without much doubt unleashes his angry in the form of physical force.
Laila did nit notice that Rasheed was back in the room. Until his hand was around her throat. Until she was lifted off her feet and slammed against the wall. Up close, his sneering face seemed impossibly large. Laila noticed how much puffier it was getting with age, nose. Rasheed didn’t say anything. And, really, what could be said, what needed saying, when you’d shoved the barrel of your gun into your wife’s mouth? (Hosseini, 293)
33 He slapped Aziza. He kicked Mariam. He threw things. He found fault with Laila, the way she smelled, the way she dressed the way she combed her hair, her yellowing teeth”. (Hosseini, 297) Another instance of his aggression is
And then he was on Laila, pummeling her chest, her head, her belly with fist, tearing at her hair, throwing her to the wall….He went on kicking, kicking Mariam now, spittle flying from his mouth, his eyes glittering with murderous intent, kicking until he couldn’t anymore. (Hosseini, 298)
Learning that Laila has met with Tariq at his back from Zalmay, Rasheed is very angry. Rasheed responds it with “Well, what do you know? Laili and majnoon reunited. Just like old times” (Hoseini, 328)
Then Rasheed gradually asks his boy the more detailed explanation. Soon after he considers it has been clear enough he releases his anger in merciless attack toward Laila after escorting his boy to go upstairs, locking all doors and unbuckle his belt to put it on his knuckles. (Hosseini, 337)
Without saying a word, he swung the belt at Laila. He did it with such speed that she had no time to retreat or duck, or even raise a protective arm. Laila touched her fingers to her temple, looked at the blood, looked at Rasheed, with astonishment….Rasheed swung the belt again….He caought her, threw her up against the wall, and struck her with the belt again, the buckle slamming against her chest, her shoulder, her raised arms, her fingers, drawing blood wherever it struck.(Hosseini, 337-338) Seeming like marking the fighting that it will reach the climax, Rasheed— more burned by the serious physical reproach from Laila—intensifies his attack to deadly squeezing around Laaila’s neck.
didn’t notice her coming back into the room. He was still on top of Laila, his eyes wide and crazy, his hands wrapped around her neck. Laila’s face was turning blue now, and her eyes had rolled back. Mariam saw that she was no longer struggling. He is going to kill her, she thought. He really means to. (Hosseini, 340)
Then the peak of all of this is the finishing from Mariam that she shoves on Rasheed by the shovel she has taken before from the tool shed. Mariam’s monumental decision is drifted by the dread that Rasheed will dash to his gun to end all of this fighting. “if she let him walk now, how long before he fetched the key from his pocket and went for that gun of his upstairs in the room where he’d locked Zalmay?” (Hosseini,340)....”But in Rasheed’s eyes she saw murder for them both”. (Hosseini, 340)
B. The Reasons of Rasheed’s Aggression over His wives
35 1. Reasons Viewed from Ethological Theory
Ethological theory traces man’s aggressiveness from their physiological conditions. It will consider how Rasheed looks like and what properties he possesses which support Raheed’s adherence to commit aggression. From Berkowitz this explanation is categorized as biological influence.
a. Rahseed’s Physical Appearance
The novel describes Rasheed in overall as a big old guy by the details as follow:
“Mriam saw a tall man, thick bellied and broad shouldered, stooping in the doorway.” (Hosseini, 52)….”Then his slow, heavy-footed movement across the room the candy bowl on the table clinked in tune with his steps. With a thick grunt he dropped on chair beside her. He breathed noisily.” (Hosseini, 52)….”His harsh, raspy voice reminded Mariam of the sound of dry autumn leaves crushed underfoot.” (Hosseini, 52)….” In the mirror, Mariam had her first glimpse of Raheed: the big, square, ruddy face; the hooked nose; the flushed cheeks that gave the impression of sly cheerfulness; the watery, bloodshot eyes; the crowded teeth, the front two pushed together like a gabled roof; the impossibly low hairline, barely two finger widths above the bushy eyebrows; the wall of thick, coarse, salt-and-pepper hair.” (Hosseini, 53)…”His nails were yellow-brown, like the inside of a rotting apple, and some of the tips were curling, lifting”….(Hosseini, 53)
Compared to Rasheed his two wives are also at least a half smaller than him. From the novel we can see how the impaired power balances between the strong Rasheed and the weak Mariam and Laila. That is the way they come to be the victims since they bear a weaker status.
b. The Presence of a Gun
The novel’s page 81 describes that Rasheed possesses a gun that he places inside a drawer in his room. Miriam encounters this fact when she was cleaning that room:
Guiltily, she slid open the top drawer of his dresser. She saw the gun first. It was black, with a wooden grip and a short muzzle. Mariam made sure to memorize which way it was facing before she picked it up. She turned it over in her hands. It was much heavier than it looked. The grip felt smooth in her hand, and the muzzle was cold. It was disquieting to her that Rasheed owned something whose solely purpose was to kill another person. But surely he kept it for their safety. Her safety. (Hosseini, 81)
37 2. Reasons Viewed from Drive Theory
a. Frustration Generated from Rasheed’s Bitter Ordeal in His Past
Drive theory basically adjudicates the act of aggression is preceded by the rise of aggressive drive. This psychological matter is defined from the notion of frustration-aggression. This tension is basically the accumulation of frustration that leak out in the form physical force or to be more specific it is an intentional attack that will inflict injury. Therefore in attempt to understand Rasheed’s source of frustration lets trace the citation bellow of Mariam’s relection of Rasheed afer she finds his gun, improper magazines, and photo of his deceased wife and child:
He too had had hard life, a life marked by loss and sad turns of fate. Her thought returned to his boy Yunus, who had once built snowmen in this yard, whose feet had pounded these same stairs The lake had snatched him from Rasheed, swallowed him up just as a whale had swallowed the boy’s namesake prophet in the Koran. It pained Mariam—it pained her considerably—to picture Rasheed panic-stricken and helpless, pacing the banks of the lake and pleading with it to spit his son back onto dry land. (Hosseini, 83)
86). And he said too Mariam “You can’t bee too careful. Boys are reckless creatures.” (Hosseini, 86). It is a proof that Rasheed really loves a boy and longs madly for it from Mariam. But the fate turns off Rasheed’s hope along with the turning on of his aggressive behavior after all and everything for Rasheed perishes away with the bloody incident in a bathing house. Rasheed’s early frustration is shown by his denial
“What kind of answer is that?” he said again. That is what a mullah is supposed to say. You pay a doctor his fee but, you find a better answer than a God’s will”….”God’s will” he simmered. He sat in his room smoking cigarette all day. (Hosseini, 89)
It is learned that Rasheed has been heavy smoker and he becomes heavier to smoke to reduce his tension. If we trail back to the first meeting beetwen Rasheed and Mariam “Mariam smell him before she saw him. Cigarette, smoke and thick, sweet cologne, not faint like Jalil’s.” (Hosseini, 52), it shows that rasheed loves to smoke. Cigarette now and then is often linked with frustration where it can reduce someone’s tension but it can as well make aggression worse when it is deprived.
39 released it finally spews out. We can observe here through what Rasheed’s level of aggression is developed. Reviewing what I have traced to answer the first problem formulation Rasheed begins spilling his aggression by keeping silent to Mariam then responding with devaluing answer, faulting her cooking, and finally to the physical aggression. Here the frustration of losing of the expecting son overlays the aggression that is levered to Mariam. All the hatred over Mariam is inflamed by the frustration that he cannot see a boy that will be named Zalmay. Infuriating remarks is continually named to Mariam based on everything that Rasheed can use as an excuse. The physical appearance is the worse because Rasheed compares the old Mariam with his new beautiful wife, Laila. The aggression instigated by other frustration is detected from the story when Laila and Mariam’s conspiration to leaves Rasheed is foiled by Sharia Police. Rasheed is very angry then he delivers physical threat to teach them a lesson. However, a bigger quarrel which leads to Rasheed’s death is instigated by Tariq and Laila reunion.
b. Deteriorated by Frustration of Food Deprivation and Lost of Jobs
the way she combed her hair, her yellowing theet”. (Hosseini, 297)—it is shown that he is frustrated by the jobless condition.
3. Reasons Viewed from Social Learning Theory
The social learning theory advises us to view aggression from the surrounding of the aggressor—the role, the social role, the job, education and other environment that can influence someone’s choice of delivering aggression acts. Berkowitz choose a family influences to stick more on the explanation of the power role modeling from familial relation. However, we will exceed to the society since the story only provide the depiction of Rasheed from the age of near 40 “Forty-five at the most” said Afsoon on page 47. Here now we are tracing Rasheed’s social surrounding with its impartiality which is apt to man.
a. The Male Domination over Woman
The male domination is shown in the marriage system on which man can marry more than one woman. It is told in the novel that Jalil has three wives which stay together and still more he is the illegitimate father of Mariam. When it counts still a hypothesis then the statement of Rasheed over his insisting proposal to marry Laila can boost it to get the conclusion:
41 That domination upon woman can generate to a more inhibition toward woman. There is a possibility for the domination to generate to more improper acts and even an aggression—behavior that inflicts injury. Rasheed in this story is familiar with the understanding that Man is more respected than woman that woman shall bow before man’s will. Therefore, it seems not too difficult to disrespect woman with aggression.
b. The influence of Taliban’s Ruling
In the novel we can learn that Rasheed is a fan of Taliban as many of other people, especially men. He listens to the Voice of Sharia—a radio owned by Taliban—and he is quite cooperative with their command. The page 271 stories that Laila is grunting over the Shari’a manifesto sounded by Taliban on the radio and also delivered in written fliers. She says “This isn’t village. This is Kabul. Women here used to practice law and medicine; they held office in the government” (Hosseini, 271-272) but Rasheed reproaches her argument by saying that that is the real Afghanistan. And other Rasheed’s adherence to Taliban is shown by this following citation:
Therefore in Rasheed’s tendency to Taliban it is not surprising when Rasheed can commit a lethal-physical attack to his wives just like he love to watch the same thing performed by the Taliban. The conclusion is that the Taliban’s punishment becomes the role model for Rasheed to commit aggression.
43
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
This last chapter will, first, provide the conclusion of the analysis previously explicated in chapter four. Secondly, this chapter would also like to offer future researchers who are interested in dealing with A Thousand Splendid Suns some suggestion of focus of the possible studies. Suggestion also
materialized for English teaching learning activity in the form of reading material that a teacher may resource.
A. Conclusions
(Mariam, Laila, Aziza). While the second, Rasheed’s physical aggression are recorded as physically insulting Mariam after repeatedly faulting her cooking, severely punishing both Mariam and Laila over Leaving the house, and getting more abusive towards Laila, Mariam and Aziza. The trace of Rasheed’s aggression over his wives is reviewed from chapter to chapter in parallel with the development of the plot storied. From that analysis the gain is an understanding that aggression tends to grow bigger and bigger in the terms of intensity and quality which usually evolves from psychological to physical aggression.
45 least is the social learning theory which proposes a help to see the surrounding of aggression as also the consideration for its initiation. The conclusion of this view is that male domination—especially in the marriage system—in Afghanistan provides more spaces for man to aggress against woman as a wife. The story implies that it has been common in Afghanistan to find polygamous husband living under one roof. The second conclusion is that Taliban’s ruling is a possible role model for the male Afghans to commit harassment towards woman as Taliban tends to force women into corner by enacting many banning and restriction upon them. Without cessation on that, this group sets a deadly punishment to a-find-guilty woman by stoning them to death on a football field surrounded by large of people (men) who favor to Taliban.
B. Suggestions
There are two suggestions to offer to the readers. The first is suggestion for future researchers who are about to study this novel. The second is the suggestion for an implementation of this novel into teaching learning activities.
1. Suggestion for Future Researchers
2. Suggestion for an Implementation in English Teaching Learning
Novel according to Setiono Sugiharto (36-37) is one form of light reading of Free Voluntary Reading (FVR) or recreational reading. He contends that light reading provides the background knowledge necessary for understanding of heavier reading. He also cites Krasen argument that FVR is the most powerful tool we have for accelerating literacy development (35). I hope by providing learner a pleasurable reading material they can really make the utmost use by using it as a recreational material to improve their ability to read and write. Within this research it is enclosed a material for Intensive Reading II which the reader may find the detail on the appendix. Since the Intensive Reading II concerns more on helping the learner to gain new vocabulary the material is adjusted to meet its goal.
47
REFERENCES
Ahmed, A. S. 1992. Pasthun. In Paul Hockings (vol Eds) and David Levinson (Eds in Chief) Encyclopedia of World Cultures. Volume III. South Asia. New York: G. K. 8 Co.
Bandura, A. 1973. Aggression a Social Learning Analysis. Englewood Cliffs:
Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Beck, R. C. 1978. Motivation Theories and Principles. London: Pentice-Hall, Inc.
Berkowitz, L. 1980. A Survey of Social Psychology Second Edition. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
Culler, J. 1997. Literary Theory A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press Inc.
Freedman, L..J., Carlsmith, M. J., and Sears, O. D. 1974. Social Psychology Second Edition. Englewood Cliffs: Hall Inc.
Laar, E. V. D. and Schoonderwoerd, N. 1963. An Approach to English Literature. Hertogenbosch: L. C. G Malmberg.
Lynch, D. and Warner, W. B. 1996. Eds. Cultural Institutions to the Novel. London: Duke University Press.
Middleton, J. and Rassam, A. ( vol Eds). 1995. Hazara, In David Levinson (Editor in Chief). Encyclopedia of World Culture, Volume IX, Africa and The Middle East. New York: G. K. & Co.
Nicolson, P. and Wilson, R. 2004. Is Domestic Violence a Gender Issue? Views from a British City. In Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology. J Community, Appl. Soc. Psychol. 12: 266-283. Published. Online in Wiley Inter Science.
O’ Hearn, H. G. and Margolin, G. 2000. Men’s Attitudes Condoning Marital Aggession: a Moderator between Family Origin Abuse and Aggression Against Female Partners. In Cognitive Therapy and Research, Vol. 24. No 2, 2000, pp. 159-174. By Plenum Publishing Corporation.
Rorhberger, M and Woods, S. H. Jr. 1971. Reading and Writing about Literature. New York: Random House.
Sadarjoen, S. S. 2010. Aggresi pada Manusia. Kompas, Minggu, 1 Agustus 2010. No 034 the year of 46. Penerbit Kompas.
Sugiharto, S. 2009. Read for Pleasure and Acquire the Language. In Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching Volume 5. Number 1, May.
Totozy, d. Z. S. 1996. Literary Theory, Ethnic Minority Writing, and the Systemic and the Empirical Approach. In Canadian Ethnic Studies Vol 28, Iss. 3. pg 100. Canada: Calgary.
Undergraduate Thesis and Final Paper Guidelines.2009. Yogyakarta: Program Study Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Walker, S., Richadson, S. D., and Green, R. L. 2000. Aggression Among Older Adults: The Relationship of Interaction Networks and Gender Role to Direct and Indirect Responses. In Aggressive Behavior Vol 26. pg 145-154. By Wiley-Liss Inc.
Zeichner, A., Parrot, J. D., and Frey, C. F. 2003. Gender Difference in Laboratory Aggression Under Response Choice Conditions. In Aggressive Behavior Vol. 29, pg. 95-106 (2003). Athens: University of Georgia.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/t/taliban, accessed on 14 0ctober 2010.
49 APPENDIX A
The Summary of A Thousand Splendid Suns
A Thousand Splendid Suns recounts the experiences and emotions of two Afghani women, Mariam and Laila, whose lives become entangled with the history of recent wars in their country. Mostly bleak and heart-rending, their story does offer the promise of hope and happiness in a land ravaged by warfare, gender conflicts, and poverty.
The novel begins in 1974, when Mariam is fifteen. She lives with her single mother in an isolated spot outside of Herat, an Afghan community of artists. Mariam’s father, Jalil, runs the local movie theater. He does not live with her. Mariam’s mother, whom Mariam calls Nana, was a servant in Jalil’s home when she became pregnant. Jalil had three other wives and never offered to marry Mariam’s mother. Instead, he built a modest house for her on a hill out of town. Jalil comes to visit Mariam once a week and charms her into believing the he will one day fully claim her. Nana, a bitter and sickly woman, tries to destroy Mariam’s fantasies of her father. Mariam’s mother is fully aware that Jalil will eventually betray Mariam, which he does. Although Jalil finally takes Mariam into his home, he gives in to his wives’ demands to send Mariam away by offering her as a bride to an older man.
Her future husband is Rasheed, a successful shoemaker in Kabul. He is a big man, and his size alone frightens Mariam when she first sees him. Before she leaves her father’s side, Mariam swears she will never again speak to him for not allowing her to stay in his house.
Rasheed believes that a man should rule over his wife. He does not allow Mariam to go outside without him, and she must also dress in a burka whenever they leave the home. Mariam, however, remains in Rasheed’s relative good favor until she has a miscarriage and fails several more times to bear a child. With each of his wife’s miscarriages, Rasheed becomes crueler and more distant. Soon she is routinely beaten for trivial and often made-up reasons.
The story then switches to Laila, who has an adoring father who is a teacher and makes sure that Laila is well educated—one of the new breed of modern Afghan women. Laila’s mother, however, dotes on her sons and mostly ignores Laila. Her mother falls into a deep depression when her sons go off to war and then are killed. The Russian and Taliban armies intensify their clashes, and one day a missile destroys Laila’s house. Her parents are killed, and Laila is injured.
discovers that she is pregnant. Tariq has left with his family for Pakistan to escape the war in Afghanistan. Laila did not know about the pregnancy until after Tariq was gone.
As Laila is recuperating, a stranger comes to visit and claims he met Tariq in a hospital. Tariq was badly wounded, he says, and died of his injuries. (Later, Laila learns that Rasheed paid the man to tell her this story. Everyone, including Rasheed, knew that Tariq and Laila were in love.) After the man’s visit, Rasheed offers to marry Laila. Knowing she cannot make a living for herself and her baby, she agrees. Mariam does not welcome this arrangement.
As time passes, Rasheed guesses that Laila’s daughter, Aziza, is not his. A couple of years later, Laila produces Rasheed’s baby—a son named Zalmai. Rasheed, after the birth of his son, begins to treat Laila much like he has treated Mariam. Laila is now beaten when she talks back to him.
One day, Tariq returns. He expresses his love, and Laila takes him to see his daughter, whom Laila has been forced to place in an orphanage so the little girl would be guaranteed food. Rasheed has lost his business, and money is scarce. When Rasheed finds out that Tariq is back and has been to the house, he beats Laila. His rage intensifies when Laila talks back, and he tries to strangle her. Mariam, fearing for her friend’s life, hits Rasheed in the head with a shovel, killing him. In order to save Laila and the children, who might be implicated in the murder, Mariam turns herself over to the Taliban. She is sentenced to death. Laila and Tariq run away with both children and live in Pakistan. But after the United States invades Afghanistan, the family returns to Kabul. Their love for each other, as well as their love for their homeland, despite its cruelties and harshness and hardships, ends the novel on a high note, suggesting the possibility of a better future.
