Main Character in Hannah Shah’s The Imam’s Daughter.Yogyakarta; Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2016.
This thesis discusses Hannah Shah’s The Imam’s Daughter. Mainly this study is aimed at revealing the ideas of feminism revealed through the main character, Hannah. The novel tells about a woman who lives in patriarchal society that causes her to experience oppression from her surrounding. She has to survive in order to be free and equal to men.
There are two objectives of the studies that become the main discussion of this thesis. The first objective is to find out the characteristics of Hannah as the main character in The Imam’s Daughter. The second objective is to reveal the ideas of feminism through Hannah’s characteristics.
In this discussion, the researcher uses the library researches. This resource is divided into two types: primary and secondary sources. The primary source is the novel The Imam’s Daughter itself, while the secondary sources are the reference books and sites from internet that support the discussion of this thesis. For the theories, there are three theories applied. They are Theories of Character and Characterization, Theory of Patriarchy, and Theory of Feminism. Related to the topic of the thesis, the approach that is used to analyse the problems is feminist approach.
ABSTRAK
BINTI, ANGELINE REBECCA.The Ideas of Feminism Revealed Through The Main Character in Hannah Shah’s The Imam’s Daughter. Yogyakarta; Program Studi Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2016.
Tesis ini berhubungan dengan novel karangan Hannah Shah yang berjudul The Imam’s Daughter. Tujuan utama dari pembelajaran novel ini ialah untuk menyajikan ide-ide feminisme melalui tohoh utama wanita di dalam novel The Imam’s Daughter. Novel ini bercerita tentang seorang wanita yang tinggal di masyarakat patriarkhal yang menyebabkan dia mendapat tekanan dari sekitarnya. Dia harus berjuang untuk mendapatkan kebebasan dan kesetaraan dengan pria.
Ada dua pokok bahasan yang akan dibahas di dalam tesis ini.Yang pertama adalah untuk mencari tahu karakterisktik dari Hannah sebagai tokoh utama dalam novel The Imam’s Daughter. Yang kedua adalah untuk menemukan ide-ide feminisme yang tersirat melalui karaketristik Hannah sebagai tokoh utama di dalam novel tersebut.
Penulis melakukan penelitian pustaka di mana terdapat dua macam sumber, sumber utama dan tambahan. Sumber utamanya adalah novel itu sendiri, sedangkan sumber kedua adalah buku-buku referensi dan situs-situs yang mendukung pembahasan tersebut. Sementara itu, ada tiga teori yang digunakan yaitu teori karakter dan karakterisasi, teori patriarkhi, dan teori feminisme. Berkaitan dengan topik tesis ini, pendekatan yang digunakan adalah pendekatan feminisme.
THE IDEAS OF FEMINISM REVEALED THROUGH THE MAIN
CHARACTER IN HANNAH SHAH’S
THE IMAM’S DAUGHTER
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
ANGELINE REBECCA BINTI
Student Number: 124214035
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA 2016
THE IDEAS OF FEMINISM REVEALED THROUGH THE MAIN
CHARACTER IN HANNAH SHAH’S
THE IMAM’S DAUGHTER
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
ANGELINE REBECCA BINTI
Student Number: 124214035
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA 2016
vii
I CAN DO ALL THIS THROUGH HIM WHO
GIVES ME STRENGTH
4:13-viii
I
DEDICATE THIS UNDERGRADUATE THESIS:
TO MY BELOVED PARENTS
ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all I would like to express my gratitude to my Jesus Christ for His everlasting love, miracle, and blessing for me, so that I can finish my undergraduate thesis.
My greatest thanksis also dedicated to Mam Elisa DwiWardani, S.S., M.Hum. as my advisor for her advice, understanding and kindness in supporting me to finish my thesis. I would also say thanks to my co-advisor, Dr. F.X. Siswadi, M.A. for giving me suggestion on this thesis.
I would like to thank my beloved parents, Papa Leo Victor Binti and Mama AgustinaSuryati, BapakAgustinusKasmayani and Mama TheresiaSuntawho always give me big support, love, and prayer to finish this thesis. I also would like to say thankyou to my older sister Arleta SyntiaFebria, and my younger sister Michelle Olivia for the love and support that you have given to me. My nephews, Aldrich and Achilles, thankyou for cheering me up when I get bored. I am very lucky to have them as my family.
I thank Bituk Family, Hawai Pink, PuriGading, and my best friends BanyakAnginfor giving me motivation. ToYudha,I am thankful so much for the support and beautiful moment that we share together.
To all my English Letters’12 family especially Renie, Tjia, Sr. Liza, Fay, Maria, and Ryan thankyou so much for the friendship and togetherness we share. For those whose names I cannot mention here, I want to thank them for everything they have done for me.
x
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE... ii
APPROVAL PAGE... iii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE... iv
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH...v
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY... vi
C. Objectives of the Study ... 3
D. Definition of Terms ... 4
CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE... 5
A. Review of Related Studies... 5
B. Review of Related Theories ...7
Theory of Character and Characterization... 7
2. Theory of Patriarchy... 9
C. Review of Feminism and Patriarchy in Pakistani Society... 16
xi
3. Independent ... 36
B. The Ideas of Feminism ... 39
1. Freedom from patriarchy... 39
2. Pursue equality ... 48
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION... 56
BIBLIOGRAPHY... 58
xii
ABSTRACT
BINTI, ANGELINE REBECCA. The Ideas of Feminism Revealed Through The
Main Character in Hannah Shah’s The Imam’s Daughter.Yogyakarta;
Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2016.
This thesis discusses Hannah Shah’s The Imam’s Daughter.Mainly this
study is aimed at revealing the ideas of feminism revealed through the main
character, Hannah.The novel tells about awoman who lives in patriarchal society that
causes her to experience oppression from her surrounding. She has to survive in order to be free and equal to men.
There are two objectives of the studies that become the main discussion of this thesis.The first objective is to find out the characteristics of Hannah as the main
character in The Imam’s Daughter. The second objective is to reveal the ideasof
feminism through Hannah’s characteristics.
In this discussion, the researcher uses the library researches. This resource is
divided into two types:primary and secondary sources. The primary source is the
novel The Imam’s Daughter itself, while the secondary sources are the reference
books and sites from internet that support the discussion of this thesis. For the
theories, there are three theories applied.They are Theories of Character and
Characterization, Theory of Patriarchy, and Theory of Feminism. Related to the topic of the thesis, the approach that is used to analyse the problems is feminist approach.
The result of this study concludes that Hannah is a young woman who is
critical, courageous, and independent. She lives under patriarchal society.As a result,
she gets oppression from her surrounding, especially her father. The oppressions that
Hannah gets are physical, verbal, and sexual abuse. Through Hannah’s
characteristics, it can be seen that she reflects the ideas of feminism that are freedom from patriarchy and pursuing equality. The story reveals that women have freedom to
xiii
ABSTRAK
BINTI, ANGELINE REBECCA.The Ideas of Feminism Revealed Through The
Main Character in Hannah Shah’s The Imam’s Daughter. Yogyakarta; Program
Studi Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2016.
Tesis ini berhubungan dengan novel karangan Hannah Shah yang berjudul
The Imam’s Daughter. Tujuan utama dari pembelajaran novel ini ialah untuk
menyajikan ide-ide feminisme melalui tohoh utama wanita di dalam novel The
Imam’s Daughter. Novel ini bercerita tentang seorang wanita yang tinggal di masyarakat patriarkhal yang menyebabkan dia mendapat tekanan dari sekitarnya. Dia harus berjuang untuk mendapatkan kebebasan dan kesetaraan dengan pria.
Ada dua pokok bahasan yang akan dibahas di dalam tesis ini.Yang pertama adalah untuk mencari tahu karakterisktik dari Hannah sebagai tokoh utama dalam
novel The Imam’s Daughter. Yang kedua adalah untuk menemukan ide-ide
feminisme yang tersirat melalui karaketristik Hannah sebagai tokoh utama di dalam novel tersebut.
Penulis melakukan penelitian pustaka di mana terdapat dua macam sumber, sumber utama dan tambahan. Sumber utamanya adalah novel itu sendiri, sedangkan sumber kedua adalah buku-buku referensi dan situs-situs yang mendukung pembahasan tersebut. Sementara itu, ada tiga teori yang digunakan yaitu teori karakter dan karakterisasi, teori patriarkhi, dan teori feminisme. Berkaitan dengan topik tesis ini, pendekatan yang digunakan adalah pendekatan feminisme.
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
It is understood that the novel can be based on the reality found in life. It can reflect on what’s happening in society where the author lives. One of the realities of social condition that can be identified is the issue about women. Mostly in all aspects of life, women have lower position compared to men because of a constant discrimination that put women to a disadvantaged position, for example limitation of women’s independence, violence, and sexual abuse. Montagu 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 (1999:23). It shows the situation that women are in gender inequality or gender discrimination and in the second position after men. Therefore, there is a need of women to empower their position through a feminism movement that glorifies feminism (women empowerment).
Patriarchy is the inequality between man and women in society so that creates oppression of women. The term “patriarchy” literary means “the rule of the father”. It has been adopted by the majority of feminist theories to refer to the way in which societies are structure through male domination over, and oppression of women.
Women are put on lower place than men and also considered as weaker human beings who have less power than men. Thus, it gives the justification for men to dominate women in which it oppresses women through physical threat or physical violence for instance.
To repel this unfair traditional view of gender, feminism comes up to get freedom and equality between man and women in both private and public spheres. Humm states that feminism is the ideology of women’s liberation since intrinsic in all its approaches is the belief that women suffer injustice because of their sex (1990: 74).
3 misery by leaving his house to get her freedom and equality. This research would like to reveal the women position based on Hannah’s action to live freely from oppression and patriarchy which happened around her. However, the researcher wants to reveal the ideas of feminism through the main character, named Hannah, a woman who lives in a society that is dominated by male due to patriarchal system which lets her to be free from patriarchy and pursue the equality.
B. Problem Formulation
Two problems that the researcher intends to analyzing this thesis are: 1. How is Hannah characterized in the novel?
2. How are the ideas of feminism revealed through the main character in the
novel?
C. Objectives of The Study
D. Definition of Terms
In analyzing this novel, it is important to define the terms to avoid misunderstanding and give clear explanation. The experts defines two main terms that are used for this study, as follows:
1. Feminism
Barrow and Millburn argue that feminism is defined as women’s struggle and movements to achieve women’s equality to men: therefore, women have the equal rights and positions as men (1990:128). So, feminism is defined as a women’s movement to be free from any oppression from male domination to achieve women’s equality to men.
2. Character
5
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A. Review of Related Studies
After conducting some research on the internet, the researcher does not find any theses, journals, and articles that talk about the novel. However, the researcher finds two related studies that help to think more about the novel. The first study related to the current study belongs to Dona Windasari Septiana
entitled “A Woman’s Struggle against Patriarchy in Kate Chopin’s The
Awakening: A Feminist Perspective.” This study aims to reveal the struggle
against patriarchy through the characterization of the main character in the story, Edna Pontellier. Septiana’s study comes with the conclusion that Edna Pontellier is a submissive wife who always obeys her husband’s will. After the rebellion happens, Edna frees herself from the patriarchal culture that makes her remain silent. Edna learns to believe that if she moves from her old house and earns her own money, she can get better education and she can stand alone without depending to her husband. In short, Edna wants to be recognized well as an independent human being who has her own rights.
norms that are often stricter than the western patriarchy. The researcher’s and Septiana’s study have the similar discussion, that is researches focus on the condition of patriarchy around the main character and the religious norms that control the society using feminist perspective.
The second study is entitled The Ideas of Feminism Revealed through the
Major Female Characters in My Ancestor’s House written by Erlyn Theresa
Nugroho (2014). This study discusses about two major female characters who are aware of gender equality in a play with the setting in Pakistan. Nugroho compares two major female characters, Bindia and Roona in her study. Both of them are hard-working women who give their best to provide their family. The difference is Bindia has the refusal on men domination by taking a distance from her family in Pakistan and move to America. Deedi is obedient to her husband and runs the patriarchal tradition. Although Deedi does not agree with the tradition, she cannot do anything since she does not want to be perceived as a defector and alienated by society in Pakistan.
Deedi is the figure the figure that most of the character discusses. She is the victim of tradition: she suffered of the patriarchal culture that surrounded her life. She is the figure that captured the exact situation in Pakistan when women have less of freedom and ruled by men. While Bindia is the character that reflects the idea of feminism: she leaves her homeland to America as the form of her refusal about men’s domination. Bindia also has the awareness of gender equality that women and men should have the same rights and position (Nugroho, 2014: )
7 not only on the patriarchal system but also on religious norms of Muslims living in a western society. Thus, this research is more extensive in terms of using the feminist approach because the condition of patriarchal around the main character and the religion norms that control the society.
However, the researcher wants to reveal the ideas of feminism through Hannah’s characteristics, a girl who is dominated by her father and lives in patriarchal society. She lives around Pakistani society with strong Islamic rules. This situation leads her to repulse patriarchy to get her freedom and being equal with men by her own choices and actions. This study does not only tell about gender inequality but also feminism in the context of strong Pakistan culture, religioun, and society. Moreover, this thesis develops the ideas of feminism through Hannah’s characteristics.
B.Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
Arp and Johnson (2012: 12) mention some types of characters as below:
a. static character does not change throughout the work, and the reader’s
knowledge of that character does not grow. While a dynamic character undergoes some kind of change because of the action in the plot.
A A
b. flat character embodies one or two qualities, ideas, or traits that can be readily described in a brief summary. They are not psychologically complex characters and therefore are readily accessible to readers. Round characters are more complex than flat characters, and often display the inconsistencies and internal conflicts found in most real people. They are more fully developed, and therefore are harder to summarize.
According to Robert and Jacob, there are four ways to characterize or make characters understandable for readers:
a. What the characters themselves say and think
What characters say or think may reflect a momentary emotional or intellectual state. However, this reflection should be considered on the situation or contexts of a statement.
b. What the characters do
9 c. What other characters say about them
As in real life where people are accustomed to gossiping others, in fiction an author also presents that situation. Other characters give their opinion of a character.
d. What the author says about them
Usually what the author says about character is accepted accurately. By correctly interpreting the tools of characterization used by an author, readers can arrive at clear understanding of what characters in stories are like. It is important to have a good understanding of a character because the personality of the character contributes to the plot development, conflict in a story, and the description of a character.
2. Theory of Patriarchy
Patriarchy refers to a social structure where the action and ideas of men are dominant over women. Walby defines patriarchy as a system of social structures and practices in which men dominate, oppress and exploit women (1990:20). It can be seen that patriarchy is a social structure that creates the superiority of men.
and live under men’s control. They are forced to be dependent and inferior to men. Women have to stay at home and do the house household chores. Patriarchal value in society sees women to do the household like cleaning the house, caring the children, and other activities done inside the house.
Louis Tyson states that a patriarchy is any society in which men hold all or most of the power. Usually a patriarchy gives men power by promoting traditional gender roles. Patriarchal men and women believe that anyone who violets traditional gender roles is in some way unnatural, unhealthy, or even immoral (20011:141). So, women who live in patriarchal society should follow this rule or they will be categorized as unnatural, unhealthy, or even immoral women and they will be alienated.
3. Theory of feminism
a. Feminism in General
Women are being treated unfairly and unequally until now. This unfair treatment has started centuries ago where women have to be silenced no matter what the circumstances are. Women are often considered as second class. Then, feminism appears because these unfair treatments toward woman in society.
11 struggle and movements to achieve women’s equality to men, therefore, women have the equal rights and positions as men (1990:128). So, feminism is defined as a women’s movement to be free from patriarchal society and any oppression from male domination to achieve women’s equality to men.
As time goes by, women starts to realize this unfair treatment and starts to fight to be free and gets the same equality with men. The ideology to get the same right and opportunity then is called feminism. According to feminist criticism, gender discrimination has begun since the first human is created, it is when Eve is blamed for the fall of humanity through the sin she made. In ancient Greek, gender discrimination is seen from Aristotle’s statement, “the male is by nature superior, and the female inferior, and the one rules and the other is ruled.” For centuries, men become the one who has the power for everything, they determine the social role, cultural and personal significance of women. In the late
17000, Marry Wollstonecraft with her book Vindication of The Right of Women
which was published in 1792 is said to be the first feminine philosopher. She states that women must stand up for their rights. Wollstonecraft also states that education becomes the way to change women’s oppressive condition and men should not define what women should be. Women must take the lead, define themselves and take their role in society. Women must also reject the assumption that women have lower position compared to men (Bressler, 1999:181)
feminism was often illustrated into waves models, the first, second, and third wave feminism. First wave feminism was counted during the period of middle
19th century until the passage of Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. French
revolution in 1789 is often identified as the event when the first demands for women were made. First wave feminism concerns with equality in education, employments right, and the improvement of the legal rights of married women. The first wave of feminism is considered to have ended with the passage of Nineteenth Amendment of The United State Constitution in 1919 granting women’s right to vote.
The Second Wave Feminism refers to a period of feminist activity beginning in the late 1960’s until early 1970’s. The feminist movement demands their previous right for greater equality across the board, for example in education and work place. Besides struggling for the demand of first wave feminism, second wave feminism focuses the demands on the liberation of the oppressiveness from patriarchy system. This wave of feminism is struggling for women’s freedom in society in relation with the liberation from women’s biological right (Pilcher and Whelehan, 2004: 144-145).
Third wave feminism is the recent feminist movement, it criticizes the second wave feminism because of their lack attention to the differences among women in race, ethnicity, class, nationality, religion (Haslanger and
Tuana, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism_topics). Men and
13 world using the patriarchal indicator of success such as money and fame (Pilcher and Whelehan, 2004:171).
In order to get freedom and equality, women rebel against men as their oppressor and the wrong perspective in society. The rebellion itself happens through a process. Women become more aware of themselves and their society. The struggle against patriarchy begins as the voice of women is found. By becoming conscious women find the chance and use the chance to speak against injustice. Humm once states that struggle against patriarchy started after women becoming conscious of themselves and criticizing their symbolic misinterpretations in society (1990: 3). Women who rebel become the defences as it is called by Tyson. Tyson argues that the defence will keep themselves from becoming conscious of the experiences where they have been repressed (2011: 83). After gathering their consciousness, women are ready to start their struggle. Elizabeth Ann Bartlet adds that women start to refuse to be abused because they have realized their fundamental worth. They do not want to be oppressed anymore and they want to be threated by the full measure of dignity that humanity demands (2004: 5).
b. Ideas of feminism
Patriarchal system and feminism are hard to be separated because patriarchal system is in the side of men and feminism is an idea that struggle for women’s freedom and equality. Jo freeman states that a feminist perspective that the idea of universal equality is that behind the differences, either men or women are born free and want to be placed equal (1995:439).
There are some theories of feminism that talk about women’s struggle to be from any oppression from men that appears in patriarchal society. Those ideas of feminism are freedom from patriarchy and pursuing equality, which are captured in this novel. The ideas of feminism are listed as follows:
i. Freedom from Patriarchy
Simone de Beavoir states that a woman must break the bonds of her patriarchal society and define herself if she wishes to become a significant human being in her own right and defy male classification as the other. Women must realize that they have freedom to be significant human being not inferior human being. (Madsen, 2000: 182)
15 have as human beings. Women have freedom of argument that maintains them free to choose (Freeman, 1999: 39).
The theory that supports women to remain their right is from Stanton states about freedom. They said that personal freedom is the first right to be proclaimed, and that does not and cannot belong to the relation of wife, to the mistress of the isolated home, and to the financial dependent. It must become the basic idea that must be applied in women’s lives. Personal freedom is the important thing for human being includes women (Madsen 2000: 40).
ii. Pursuing Equality
Due to the stereotype held by the patriarchal society, women are often seen as weak creatures compared to men and therefore women should work at home. This condition made women to be dominated by men and as the time goes by, women fight for this inequality so that they have the same opportunity and rights together with men in both private and public spheres. Feminism demands women to have their right to do the outside activity beside at home. If women used to stay at home and only do the household, now they can do the outside activity besides doing the household.
husband should earn money outside the house. Only by then, they will not be the objects of men, the servants. Women should have the same education as men have because all human beings deserve the equal chance to get better development on their rational and moral capacities. Thus, women can achieve their full personhood by getting their education (2009: 28-31). Men and women should have the same opportunity to explore themselves. Basically, men and women are created with equal rights. Thus, they should be given equal opportunity. In fact, women are treated unjustly. They have so far lesser opportunity than what men have. One of feminism goals is that women have to get the same opportunity as men in every sphere so that they can develop their potentials.
C. Review of Feminism and Patriarchy in Pakistani Society
The Imam’s Daughter is set around Pakistani migrant community in the
17 Gender inequality still happens in Pakistani society. Pakistan has strong patriarchal culture. The society still believe that men are more powerful than women.According to Isran:
In south Asia societies, of which Pakistan is part, there are different social controls applied to control women’s social and economic behaviour at every level of society. A central and systematic form of control is patriarchy, which, as argued in this study, is the main cause of women’s subordination. With regard to women’s position and status in Pakistani society, women still find themselves struggling to be treated as gender equals. (2012:835)
It shows that the system of patriarchy causes women in Pakistan to have no right to use their freedom and live their own lives. It happens because the society controls women’s life. They should struggle to be free from patriarchy and equal to men.
According to Authir in Pakistan society (2016):
name of Islam in order to legalize them. Those old traditions are alive in some villages in Pakistan (Weiss, 1985: 863-878). Pakistani society does Islamic law strictly. Women should do what their fathers ask, in the name to close to God, and family honour. It clearly shows that, in Pakistan, gender inequality happens in many aspects including women discrimination in social practice. Women in Pakistan do not have the same position and right as men have in the society.
Pakistani society is also controlled by an Imam. Imam is a leader of mosque and Muslim community that controls the rule in his community. At home and community, people should respect and follow his rule because he is believed as appointed by God and free from sin.
Feminism in Islam is a controversial issue, as Badran states that in the 1990’s, the notion of Islamic feminism – and, indeed, the term itself – has been surfacing in parts of Middle East. The term, however, is controversial and not necessarily well thought out, and there is no consensus about its meaning on the part of either advocates or adversaries (2009: 221).
Some traditions practiced in Pakistan also show men’s superiority. Authir states:
Men’s superiority is also seen in perception that men’s honour resided in the actions of the women in their families. In other words, women preserved her family’s izzat (honour). To maintain their family’s izzat, women were being limited in the daily life, for examples in choosing the clothes they wear, in making relationship with other men, being expected to have good attitude, restriction to go to many places as well as limitation in mobility.
19 honour, and avoid bringing shame on themselves and their family.
Patriarchy system resulted in women discrimination. Women discrimination or women inferiority in Pakistan appeared in the obstacles of getting higher education, position in job or politic; honor killings and poor living standards. Furthermore, women were judged not only to be subordinated to men but also inferior to men in West (Robinson, 1989: 374).
Pakistani women are considered second-class citizen and have far from equal opportunities to men. The discrimination towards women appears in the difficulties to get higher education, positions in job or even in politics since there are many limitations even in daily life. Women are also put in a poor living standard due to the obstacles of being restricted to go to many places including school. Furthermore, women are also being treated to be subordinate to men. Moreover, it also can be categorized as the symbol of the patriarchal system based on religious fanaticism.
Related with the patriarchal system, marriage in Pakistan is mostly seen as a trade between families both in the rural and urban areas. According to Marxist (2016):
“Most of women in Pakistan do not have the right to choose their own husband since their marriage were already arranged by their parents. Their parents will choose based on the background of the family including wealth, social status, and religion.
The Imam’s Daughter describes Pakistan women living in western
family’s home and converts her religion. Hannah is one of Pakistani girls who are brave to make a decision to get her freedom from patriarchal society and get equality to live her own life.
D. Theoretical Framework
There are some theories that are used and related in this study. Those theories are: theory of character and characterization, theory of patriarchy, and theory of feminism. Each of these theories will be applied in the analysis to help the researcher answers the questions in problem formulation.
21
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The researcher chooses a novel entitled The Imam’s Daughter as her
object of study written by Hannah Shah and published by Rider. The novel is an autobiographical novel which is published in 2009. The novel is divided into 29 chapters and it consists of 272 pages. The Imam’s Daughter is one novel that is very interesting and also inspirational. It inspires all women to fight for their rights to get equality, freedom of choice, opportunity, and rights to be herself.
The Imam’s Daughter tells a story about Hannah Shah, a woman who
patriarchal and pursue equality. Hannah later finishes her school and takes a degree in Theology and Religious Studies. Now Hannah Shah lives in the south of England where she helps and motivates other women who have the same experiences as hers to give talks and support so that they can have a better life.
B. Approach of the Study
In analyzing the problem formulation, the researcher uses feminist literary approach. It is the most appropriate one since the researcher focuses on the ideas of feminism reflected through the characteristics of the main character. Feminist literary approach is used to explain how women’s experiences in lives are dominated by men reflected in the work of literature. Goodman describes feminist approach as an academic approach to the study of literature which applies feminist thought to the analysis of literary texts. Feminist literary criticism tries to explain how power imbalances the relationship between women and men. It also presents how gender stereotype which is shaped by culture, are reflected in or challenged by literary text (1999:195).
23 domination. Thus, feminist approach helps the researcher to reveal the ideas of feminism reflected through the main character named Hannah Shah.
C. Method of the Study
This study was conducted by gathering and colleting data from the primary sources and secondary source. The primary source of this study was a novel entitled The Imam’s Daughter. Meanwhile, the secondary source was some books and selected non printed sources on the internet. The data were combined to analyze and finally written into a thesis.
There were some steps in order to analyze The Imam’s Daughter. The
first was reading this novel as the object of the study for several times in order to understand the story well. After that, the researcher found something interesting with the issue of the ideas of feminism reflected by the main character throughout the course of the story. The researcher focused on the main character and noticed that the ideas of feminism could be revealed by analyzing the character. Then. the researcher formulated some questions based on it. In order to analyze the novel, the researcher used some theories from proper books after collecting the data from novel.
25
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
A.The Characteristic of Hannah
In this section, the researcher discusses Hannah’s characteristics as the main character in this novel. Arp and Johnson state that there are four types of characters, a static character, which are a dynamic character, flat character, and round character (2012: 12). Hannah in this story is characterized as a dynamic character because during the story she experiences character changing.
To understand the characteristics of the main character in this story, the researcher uses Robert’s and Jacob’s theory of characterization. According to them, there are four ways to analyze the characteristics of the character in the story. The researcher then applies two of four ways to analyze the characteristics. They are what the characters say and think, and what the characters do.
1. Critical
Hannah is a Pakistani young girl who is born in England. She is a daughter of a local Imam. Her father is very close-minded and strict. Although Hannah’s father does not live in Pakistan, his mind is still not progressive. In contrast to Hannah, she starts her life in England which makes her life influenced by western custom. By living there, Hannah has conflicting views and ideas from her father about many things. Being part of western people causes Hannah to be critical.
Pakistani society where Hannah lives does not like English people. They are determined not to allow English culture to spill over and ‘pollute’ into their community. Hannah’s father never reads anything about England, from the newspaper, magazines, or books, and he tries to maintain a strict insularity. All members of Hannah’s family have to do as what her father says because it is the will of Hannah’s father who rules in the house. Hannah is also asked to stop playing with English friends and none of her family is allowed to have white visitors (2009: 9)
As a person who has a critical mind, Hannah does not follow this old tradition rules, she does not seem to share such fear at all with Western society. She still has many Western friends, which help her to think widely about many things through many perspectives offered by her friends.
27 follow what her father says. She likes to compare her life to her friends’ and question about everything around her.
I do not know whether it was Skip’s example or not, but at the age of thirteen I really began to question why my world was like it was. How could my life be so abusive, and so dark? Why was my spirit so crushed with drudgery? I started to question everything around me: my culture, my family, my father, my religion, and of course the abuse (2009: 61) When Hannah was 13 years old, she begins to question why her world is so abusive. She starts to ask about her culture, family, father, and the abuse that are not normal. Then, Hannah opens her mind and makes herself curious and search for the truth around her society. She asks about how her life is supposed to be and how she should deal with her problems in patriarchal society. She has learned other religions to start questioning her own family’s faith system. Hannah is curious about the equality in her society. There is a struggle in her mind that must be answered. She is being critical about everything around her.
Hannah’s critical mind can be seen from the way she learns many things from Quran. When she was a child, she learns Quran from what her father says without understanding what the Quran actually says. She just reads for many times without thinking about the meaning. The family member also just believes what the Quran says by listening to Hannah’s father as their Imam. They believe what the father says without considering the truth because he is believed as a holy man. For example, when the abuse happens, Hannah’s father does it in the name of his belief and says that Hannah must get punishment to maintain honour. Because of this condition, Hannah needs to know the truth about the Quran itself.
of being told by holy men – like my father – what to believe, I just needed to see what it said for myself. As a child I had memorised many of the verses of the Quran in Arabic, yet without understanding more than a few words. Now I wanted to know the truth, and to understand. Sure enough, there was the wrath and anger that my father had vented on me at every turn. But there were also many more gentle, humane verses, including ones about giving money to the poor, and looking after windows and orphans. Why had my father never told me those? (2009: 120)
As Hannah reads the Quran in language that she understands, she begins to realize a lot of the things that her father has told are not included in the Quran. Hannah cannot find what her father has taught. After reading the Quran from cover to cover, and she is really angry when she discovers that there are nothing whatsoever in there that reflect what her father has taught. For example, the issue of arranged marriage. Her father has told her repeatedly that the Quran preaches that every Muslim woman should have an arranged marriage, and parents should be responsible to arrange it for their children. In truth, Hannah finds that there is no single reference to this in the entire Quran. Indeed, the Quranic view of marriage involves a legal contract with women having rights, she cannot be forced to marry against her will. Hannah finds what her father has taught to them is irrelevant to what the Quran has preached. By understanding the Quran itself, Hannah concludes that what her father has said is a total lie. The truth is that the value of religion in her society is irrelevant. This condition is not about religion, but it is all the result of culture and tradition, and of course, it is about to maintain ‘honour’.
29 faces covered. In truth, Hannah finds that the content of the Quran only says men and women should dress modestly. Hannah believes that the Quran is certainly not the Quran that is taught to her by her father. She spends much time studying what the Quran actually says. She finds that what her father has tought is more about the community’s tradition of honour and shame. Starting from her curiosity and critical mind, Hannah finds the truth about her society, the society where she lives only follows the rule of culture and tradition. They do not really understand know what it actually says.
2. Courageous
Hannah is the main character in this story who gets verbal, physical, and sexual abuse from her father. It can be seen that Hannah’s suffering and oppression are caused by her sex. She gets oppression because she is a woman who is considered as weak, small, and unwanted human being. In Hannah’s culture, girls are less welcome than boys. Hannah lives in Islamic patriarchal culture that constructs this awful and unfair stereotype on women.
In the beginning of the story, Hannah chooses to remain silent when she gets oppression and she must be obedient to her father. She is also afraid if people know about the oppression and abuse, it will attract dishonor to the family or to the community, and her father’s good name as an Imam (2009: 43). Hannah likes to keep her problem in secret and never wants to express what she feels. Her father beats Hannah if Hannah does not do household chores properly. He also sexually abuses her. He rapes his daughter from the age of five until fifteen. He justifies raping as part of her daughter’s “punishment” because being “disobedient” to him. Hannah feels that she should follow what her father says to maintain the family’s honour. Hannah’s father has an authority on Hannah’s body and does whatever he wants to Hannah.
31 in the society. It can be seen both in her appearance and also in her behaviour.
2.a. Courageous to Visit Her Western Friends
The society where Hannah lives do not like Western people. They do not like the ‘disrespectful’ way that English children speak to their parents and they choose to believe that western people are dirty, godless, and immoral and might even serve the Muslim pork to eat. But Hannah does not follow this old tradition rules. For example, Hannah is brave to visit her western friend’s house, such as Jane’s and Susan’s house.
My visit to my friends’ house had been true rebellion. It felt frightening and dangerous, and I was relieved that no one had actually caught me. But it was also exciting, and somehow liberating. That evening, I thought to myself that it was good to have done it. I had broken the rules and it felt good. It was my first secret rebellion, and I would keep it all to myself. I vowed there would be more (2009: 31).
Hannah is brave to take a risk to visit her western friend although the society around her dislikes her attitude. She is not afraid if her father catches her because she likes the sense of being free to live her own life by doing that.
2.b. Courageous to Make Decision about Dressing
Pakistani society. She controls her own life and does something by her control and choice.
This was the most delicious rebellion that I’d yet experienced, and it both thrilled and frightened me. From now on, whenever it was non-uniform day I did the dressing-up routine at Sonia’s house. But I was willing to take that risk. The reward was a simple. Blissful sense of freedom, and that was incredibly valuable to me. Everything else in my life seemed to be beyond my control: who I worshipped, what I thought, how I was treated physically as the de facto family slave. Even my own body was someone else’s to control and misuse in horrible ways. At least I had managed to do something that was by my choice, and under my control. I wasn’t about to give that up very easily (2009: 67).
2.c Courageous to Escape from Arranged Marriage
Hannah is also brave in making a decision although she has to take many risks in order to get her freedom. She is also brave to accept all the consequences. In Hannah’s community, girls are supposed to be married at the earliest possible age before they are tempted into ‘dishonouring’ the family by falling in love. She wants to be free from the arranged marriage. Hannah is also brave to liberate her life from patriarchal society, Hannah is brave to escape from her house and leave her family. She cannot be silent about what has happened to her, and what is still happening to other young girls and women in her society. She realizes that she cannot tolerate the silence in a family and community. She does not like to suffer the same fate as her mother who experiences an arranged marriage, according to Pakistani tradition.
“My dad was on the phone last night and I heard him and its all arranged for this evening and they’re flying me out to Pakistan for an arranged marriage and I’m not going and there’s no way I can go home tonight! No way! I had to get away. I had to escape. I couldn’t afford too make a mistake the next day. I only had the one chance (2009: 91).
33 make a decision to leave home. She uses her chance to escape and be free from patriarchy.
Hannah also wants to help women who are trapped in patriarchal culture to be free from the arranged marriage itself. It can be seen when Hannah helps her best friend, Skip, to escape from the arranged marriage. Towards the end of the first year their friendships, Skip tells Hannah that she is going on holiday to Pakistan. Two days after Skip has left Pakistan, there is a phone call at Hannah’s home. Skip gets a trouble there. She tells Hannah how she is taken to visit in some distant relatives somewhere in the northwest Pakistan and she is presented with a Pakistani man whom she has never met before. They are going to marry each other. Skip is determined to escape. She asks Hannah to get help by talking to her older sister.
Just soon as I could I hurried over to Saira’s place. If my father found out that I was helping Skip escape an arranged marriage, then I would be punished terribly. Once again, I would be rebelling against everything that he stood for. But I didn’t care. I had to help skip. Anyway, what worse was there he could d to me? Only kill me (2009:52).
She does not want to end up like her mother whose life is under the control of her husband.
For my whole life I had dreamed about running away and escaping my family. Now I was finally doing it. I hadn’t had time to think or process anything. The shock was starting to overwhelm me (2009: 64).
Hannah has a big dream about running away and escaping from her family because she cannot find happiness there. Because of her bravery, she can do that.
2.d. Courageous to State Her Argument
35 “What are you doing? Bringing that gori into the house? A dirty gori
infidel! In my house! How dare you!”
“You are not hitting Mummy!” I cried out. I held up my arms to try to stop him. “Stop it! Stop it! Leave Mummy alone!”
“Get out of the way!” he screamed. I do what I like in this house! I’m your father! You do as I say! Get out of the way!”
“I had started to cry, but I kept repeating the same words through my tears: You’re not hitting Mummy. You’re not hitting Mummy. You’re not hitting…”
My brothers were upstairs. They must have been able to hear Mum’s screams, but they didn’t react. I guess they didn’t feel they could challenge my father’s authority in the family, or within the wider community as a whole (2009: 22).
Hannah shows her bravery from her reaction to face her family when she fights against her father. Hannah is brave to state her opinion when her father asks her to keep silent when her father feels that he has the authority in the house that no one can deny it.
Another example that shows Hannah is brave in stating her argument is when Hananh’s father comes to school. After escaping from her house, Hannah lives in her teacher’s house, Felicity. Hannah still continues her study at school. One day, her father comes to school. He begs Hannah to go home. She knows that her father only does that to maintain his pride and family honour. When Hannah’s father cries, Hannah knows that it is fake tears. To Hannah, escaping from house is a right thing to do. She wants to be free from oppression and abuse. Women who live in patriarchal society usually cannot give her opinion. However, Hannah does not afraid to speak up about what she thinks is true.
“The shame, the shame! He railed. “Look what you’ve done to us…. Look at the shame you’ve brought on the family. Please come home. How can we live with the shame?’
“No way,” I answered him, in Punjabi. “I’m not coming home today, and I’m not coming home tomorrow. I’m never coming home” (2009: 95) Hannah’s father only thinks about the shame and honour for her family. Hannah does not want to be trapped into patriarchal society anymore. He is brave to say no and leaves her family to get a better future.
3. Independent
Women in Hannah’s society should stay at home and do the house household chores, they are forced to be dependent on men and live under men’s controls. As an independent woman, Hannah does not want to depend herself on others. She has to face the problem inside her family alone and finds the solution. Hannah’s independence can be seen since her childhood through her action that does not want to be trapped in the patriarchal society. She wants to be an independent woman and wants to do anything as best as she can without men’s control. She does not want only do house things, but also something else that men can do.
I wanted to experiment my life and rally push boundaries of my independences and freedom. I wanted to stand on my own two feet more than ever, and to do so I felt that I had and to do so I felt that I had – reluctantly – to leave my home (2009: 25).
Hannah wants to experience her life to be independent and liberated. She wants to do everything by herself without depending her life on others. She wants to explore her life by herself. Then, Hannah makes a decision to leave her family and challenges herself to live her life to the fullest.
37 because she lives under her father’s control. In order to bee free from this unfair situation, Hannah should study harder to get opportunity at school. Hannah uses her opportunity at school to get better life. From the beginning of the story, she loves school and tries to do her best in class. To Hannah, school is a much happier place than home. She studies as hard as she can, so she can escape from home and live independently. She finishes her school and gets a good grade. Being successful at school, Hannah gets the opportunity to continue her study in a university that she wants.
I finally graduated with a 2:1. I was immensely proud of what I had achieved. I had studied hard and felt I really deserved my degree mark. It was sad that I couldn’t share my success and happiness with my family, but there it was (2009: 126).
Hannah is successful in finishing her senior school and gets a good mark. After finishing her school, Hannah wants to start her new life without depending on others. At the end of that year, she uses the opportunity in education to take Theology and Religious Studied, at Lancaster University. She follows her interest that she loves the philosophy module in A-level Religious Studies.
Then she continues her own life to work and becomes a public speaker. By working and becoming a public speaker, Hannah begins to make her own money to live independently.
I wanted to learn to manage my own finances, to cook and care for myself, to become totally self sufficient, and to be able to manage my own freedom. That’s what most people my age could do, and I wanted the same. I wanted to be like them. PAB put you with people who could help you learn all those ‘life skills’ and make the transition into a free and independent person (2009: 106).
As an independent person, Hannah learns to manage her money to continue her own life. She learns to manage her own finance, to take care for herself, to be a self-sufficient, and to be able to manage her own freedom. She also helps any homeless people who come into her and teaches them a little independence, so they can survive in their lives.
I was actually very busy with work, and it was hard to find time out for anything, let alone oddball Tom. I had started running a series of workshop about Islam and cross-cultural issues. It was part of my work with a tiny charity called Crossways. Crossways helps people from different backgrounds to better understand Islam – both the belief system and the culture that so often goes with it. I ran the workshop for Muslim girls focusing on how to communicate with their parents on issues like arranged marriages, and other problems they might face. The aim was to get dialogue going, before ‘shame and honour’ came into equation (2009:133).
39 girls focusing on how to communicate with their parents on issues like arranged marriages, and other problems they might face. She helps women how to face the same problem like hers independently. She knows how to find a job. She thinks she can do anything without bothering anyone. The reason why she becomes independent woman is that she believes in her own strength. She has to decide everything by her own.
B.The Ideas of Feminism Revealed through the Main Character.
To provide this thesis with a clearer explanation, the researcher focuses on the ideas of feminism in general, which accept all kinds of feminism. The ideas of feminism themself are based on Hannah’s characteristics, the way of she thinks, and the way she struggles against the patriarchal society where she lives in. The researcher finds two ideas of feminism based on it, which are freedom patriarchy and pursuing equality
1. Freedom from Patriarchy
the bonds of her patriarchal society and define herself if she wishes to become a significant human being in her own right and defy male classification as the other. Women must realize that they have freedom to be significant human being not inferior human being (Madsen, 2000: 182).
The first characteristic of Hannah that shows the idea of freedom from patriarchy is her being critical. Living in patriarchal society makes Hannah sceptical and curious about her life, which is not inappropriate. She criticizes something that she thinks is not true and illogical for her. It happens when she criticizes the condition between men and women in her society. Hannah uses her own right to be free from patriarchal society. Being part of western society, it makes Hannah to be more critical. Humm states that women become more aware of herself and her society. The struggle against patriarchy begins as the voice of women is found. By becoming conscious women find the chance and use the chance to speak against injustice. Struggle against patriarchy starts after women becoming conscious of themselves and criticizing their symbolic misinterpretations in society (1990: 3).
41 Hannah’s. According to Sonia’s society, it is normal and expected for women to get educated, employed, and be independent. Sonia’s life has more sense of freedom than Hannah’s. Sonia is allowed to go down town, meet her friends, hang out and get dressed in western clothes. By comparing these two conditions of society that are totally contradicting to each other, just like Sonia, Hannah wants to use her freedom and right to live her life to the fullest.
She gave me the freedom and support I needed to make my own way, to make my own religious choice, to follow my own free will – and to make my own mistakes if necessary. I had been rigidly controlled and punished for so long. Now, at least, I had the freedom to discover who and what I wanted to be. I was learning to become my own person (2009: 105) Based on the quotation above, it indicates that Hannah used to be controlled and punished for so long by her family. After escaping from her house, she is given freedom and support to live her own life to convert her religion, follow her own free will, and make her own mistake.
As being a critical person, Hannah finds the truth about what her father has taught in Islamic religious scripture called Quran. She starts to read the Quran in the language that she understands. Hannah learns what the Quran actually means and it assists her to start fighting for her freedom. By being a critical person, Hannah leads herself to the state of freedom which is in line with the idea of feminism, it can be indicated by Hannah’s thought below:
us – Dad, the Imam, included – understood Arabic didn’t seem to concern him (2009:62).
Being critical is a form of freedom. By doing so, Hannah finds her new freedom to be herself, right to be loved, and feels an inner peace because she constructs a newborn mindset that debunks the expectation of patriarchal system.
In actualizing her freedom from patriarchy, Hannah converts her religion based on her consent because she does not want live under her father’s dark shadow. She finds a freedom and happiness from her new life after escaping from her family. She wants to live her life to the fullest, be independent and be liberate which is proven by her thought:
For the first time, I felt truly free. I didn’t want my father ‘s dark shadow cast over me again, even if it was just memory. Whenever I was at the Jonese’s home on Sunday and they set off to church I would go with them. Week after week, I sat quietly in my pew and watched and listened. The care and the love that I experienced in the Jones family, and at their church, had to come from somewhere, I reasoned. If it come from their God, then perhaps I should try to get to know him, I started attending church youth group, where I met a girl called Rachel. She helped ease me into the process of being a free young woman. Toward the end of my gap year I decided to get baptized. It was something I felt I had to do, to both celebrate and reaffirm my conversion. It was another step towards growing in my faith and celebrating my free choice as a free person in a free society (2009:116).
43 cannot accept the unfair treatment by her father. Throughout rejection of her father’s unfair treatment, she criticizes the oppression and unfairness instead of taking them for granted. Therefore, she plans to escape and prove that she has a right to be free of her life which is emphasized by her thought “It was another step towards growing in my faith and celebrating my free choice as a free person in a free society” (2009: 67). Freedom here means that, as women, they have their rights to make a decision for their happiness and live their life to the fullest.
continue her own life.
In my new life I had so much freedom from the very start. I almost didn’t know what to do with it. In the suburb where the Joneses lived no one knew me. I could wander around at will, quite unnoticed. I was suddenly free of all the slave-life chores that I had been forced to do at home. I could still help out, of course, but I wasn’t forced to, and I wasn’t beaten if I made a mistake. Freedom, choice, and anonymity were new things that I would have to learn to cope with (2009: 96).
Hannah releases herself from the wrong assumption about women should be inferior and dependent on men. She becomes aware of her right and freedom. She decides to be independent.
The third characteristic of Hannah that supports this idea of feminism is her being courageous. As a courageous woman, she dares to do what she likes. The courage on herself drives her to break the old tradition and fight against the norms in patriarchal society. According to Barlet, after gathering their consciousness, women are ready to start their struggle. Women start to refuse to be abused because they have realized their fundamental worth. They do not want to be oppressed anymore and they want to be threated by the full measure of dignity that humanity demands (2004: 5). Hannah is brave to break the patriarchal rule in her society. Louis Tyson argues that patriarchal men and women believe that anyone who violets traditional gender roles is in some way unnatural, unhealthy, or even immoral (20011:141). As a courageous person, Hannah is brave to take risks and does not care if the society judges her as dishonoured woman and brings shame to her family.
45 thinks that leaving her old tradition is much better than being trapped in patriarchal system that limits her freedom.
For my whole life I had dreamed about running away and escaping my family. Now I was finally doing it. I hadn’t had time to think or process anything. For the first time, I felt truly free. I didn’t want my father ‘s dark shadow cast over me again, even if it was just memory. The only way to truly break free had to ne to get out of the north of England completely. I had to move somewhere where I wouldn’t always be stumbling into people with links to my community and my past (2009: 126).
Hannah feels truly free to live her own life. She does not want to live under her father’s control anymore. She chooses to get out of the north of England completely and to move somewhere where she cannot be connected with people who links to her father’s community and her past life. This action shows her courage that she dares to get out from her family that constantly oppresses her.
Related to this condition, Hannah‘s bravery is used to take several actions in order to oppose this kind of society. The only way to be free from this situation is to escape from her house. Hannah believes that she has the right to choose her own faith, to follow her own belief, and to listen to her own heart. Little Hannah is a caged butterfly, but she must be brave to be free from the patriarchal society that limits her freedom. She is successful in getting her freedom: freedom to choose on what she believes, freedom to speak out about her belief, freedom to live a life as she can fit, even when others do not agree. She is a free woman in a world where there are many women in her society encage.
had never heard of the word ‘apostasy’. I didn’t know that it says in the Hadiths that anyone who converts out of Islam and refuses to return should be killed. I didn’t know that converting out of Islam was considered one of the greatest sins of all. But even had I known this, I would probably still have invited my family. I wanted them to see where my life was going and where freedom’s journey was taking me (2009: 137).
To Hannah, freedom to believe is a personal thing. She uses her right to choose her own religion. She has a right to choose her own faith, to follow her belief system, to listen her heart, and to believe in herself.
Freedom is important for Hannah, she believes that everyone is born free and has the right to live her own life. Hannah is brave to express herself. She eventually often repels the social custom of old Pakistani that makes her appear very unusual in front of the society without any fear. The way she gets dressed makes her as an object of gossiping. People enjoy gossiping about Hannah because she shows different images of society’s traditional expectation.
Skip rebellion fuelled my own rebellious spirit, although my actions at twelve years old were a little less decisive. My hair was really long and it was all the same length. Everyday I wore it in a big thick plait. A couple of the girls on my street had their hair cut into fringes, and I thought it looked great. But Mum told me that it was bad and that Allah would punish them. Having a fringe was ‘haram’, she said. I’d never read anything in Quran that said it was wrong to cut your hair. The way Mum and Dad went on, everything was ‘haram’. It was surprising that breathing was allowed! I thought fringes looked so fashionable, and I decided I was going to have one. I didn’t care if it was ‘haram’. I would just keep it secret. I always wore a hijab, even at home, so I’d just have to make sure my forbidden fringe was never visible (2009: 53).
47 own family: her body will be controlled by her father and be trapped into painful situations. Those unfortunate situations are situations that want to be avoided by Hannah, for she prioritizes a condition when she has managed to do something that is by her choice, and under her control. She is not about to give up very easily.
Skip and I shared a dream of getting an education – her to her herself from control of the community, me to free myself from the darkness of home. And we fantasised about finding love (2009: 50)
The reason why Skip and Hannah want to be free is because they want to marry by their own choices. They want to marry for love and continue their lives by getting education which lets them be free from any control of their community and be free from the darkness at home.
2. Pursuing Equality
Another idea of feminism is pursuing equality. As Terrey states, feminism means a belief and commitment to equal right and opportunities for women (Terrey 1989:139). Pursuing equality is also the idea of feminism that is revealed through Hannah’s characteristics in the novel. Hannah as the main character in this novel becomes a victim of stereotyping on women. In Pakistan society, where Hannah lives in, women and men do not have the same equality in many aspects of life.
49 unfair treatment by the society itself (2009: 45).
Hannah’s characteristic of being critical is related to the idea of pursuing equality. As the person who has the concept of equality in her mind, Hannah disagrees with this rule. In her perspective, both men and women should be equal to other. She does not agree the way Pakistani society deals with the patriarchal system. This circumstance has led women in Pakistan not to have equal rights. Hannah has proven that a woman can be equal in both public and private sphere by doing what men usually do.
In our culture girls are less welcome than boys. We are presumed to be in need of constant protection. This wasn’t just for our own good: it was for the sake of family’s honour. If a daughter goes off the rails, it brings more shame on your family than if a son does. I never heard any of the women on the street gossiping about boys doing anything wrong. It just wasn’t a big deal. The culture on our street was very much cantered around how you could gain honour, how you could maintain that honour, and how you could avoid bringing shame on yourself or your family. The women were obsessed with honour and shame (2009: 45).
Based on Hannah’s thought mentioned above, women are presumed to be in need of constant protection which is not for their goods: it is for the sake of family’s honour. If a daughter goes off the rails, it brings more shame on your family than if a son does. This shows the inequality between men and women in Hannah’s society because women are expected to be a tool to retain the family’s honour, thus they are imposed with a protection that limits their freedom.
systems which shape her to be a critical in assessing many things. It can be seen from her curiosity about her life. She needs to not only know more about her life but also follow what her father says. She starts to be sceptical about anything that happens around her, like her life, her belief, and how to deal with her problems.
Being social worker in India. And I loved the fact I was doing something to help others, and disregarding my own situation. I loved learning about other people’s lives, culture, and belief systems. (2009: 112 )
Through her thought and action, the ideas of feminism are revealed by Hannah that is her demand for pursuing equality in living her patriarchal society. She has a different perspective from other women in Pakistani society in common. Hannah does not agree with the idea that men dominate women in many spheres of life. Hannah’s childhood experience makes her realize that she has the condition of having no freedom while she lives in the neighbourhood of Pakistan society. She realizes that her family treats her unequally and then she realizes that women should get the same position as men. Feminism demands women to have their right to do the outside activity beside at home. If women are used to be submissive to stay at home and only do the household chores, now they can do the outside activity besides doing the household chores based on their choices in order to pursue equality. As a critical person, Hannah uses her opportunity to be equal to men and helps other women who have the same situation like hers. She works in a workshop for Muslim girls focusing on how to communicate with their parents on issues like arranged marriages, and other problems they might face and being critical about their lives.
