i ABSTRACT
WARDHANA, THERESIA ANGGARANI. Criticisms towards the Idea of Proper Woman in Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2016.
A discussion about a proper woman always includes the discussion of the concept of separate spheres. In Victorian Age for instance, a proper woman is perfectly described by the term ‘Angel in the House’. Seventeenth century Netherlands also expected the same thing for women in that era. The concept of separate spheres along with its expectations of women’s proper roles is an example of social construction of gender which defines women. This study is conducted to reveal the criticisms towards the idea of proper woman in The Miniaturist.
This study has two objectives. The first objective is to analyze the female characters thoroughly to find out the description of a proper woman in the 17th century Dutch society in the novel. Another objective is to show the criticisms addressed towards the idea of proper woman.
The method used in conducting this study is library research. Burton’s The Miniaturist becomes the primary source of this study. The secondary sources include Barry’s and Bressler’s books about literary criticism, Tong’s and Humm’s books about feminism, and Andersen’s book about social construction of gender. Feminism is used as the approach of this study as the criticisms found in the novel has similar principles with the idea of feminism.
ii ABSTRAK
WARDHANA, THERESIA ANGGARANI. Criticisms towards the Idea of Proper Woman in Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2016.
Pembahasan mengenai perempuan ideal di mata masyarakat tidak dapat dipisahkan dari pembahasan mengenai konsep pemisahan ruang. Di zaman Victoria contohnya, perempuan ideal dideskripsikan dengan tepat melalui istilah ‘Angel in the House’. Masyarakat Belanda pada abad 17 juga mengharapkan hal yang sama kepada perempuan. Konsep pemisahan ruang publik dan ruang domestik bersama dengan ekspektasi terhadap peran ideal perempuan adalah contoh dari konstruksi sosial dari gender. Studi ini dilakukan untuk mengungkap kritik terhadap gagasan perempuan ideal di The Miniaturist.
Terdapat dua tujuan penelitian pada studi ini. Tujuan pertama adalah menganalisis tokoh dengan rinci untuk mengetahui deskripsi perempuan ideal di masyarakat Belanda abad 17 yang terdapat di teks. Tujuan kedua yaitu untuk menunjukkan kritik terhadap gagasan perempuan ideal.
Metode yang digunakan dalam studi ini adalah studi kepustakaan. Sumber utama dari studi ini adalah novel The Miniaturist oleh Burton. Sumber kedua dari studi ini meliputi buku oleh Barry dan Bressler mengenai kritik literatur, buku oleh Tong dan Humm mengenai feminisme, dan buku oleh Andersen mengenai konstruksi sosial terkait gender. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam studi ini adalah feminisme karena kritik yang terdapat di novel memiliki prinsip yang sama dengan gagasan feminisme.
CRITICISMS TOWARDS THE IDEA OF PROPER WOMAN
IN JESSIE BURTON’S
THE MINIATURIST
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
THERESIA ANGGARANI WARDHANA Student Number: 124214041
ENGLISH LETTER STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
ii
CRITICISMS TOWARDS THE IDEA OF PROPER WOMAN
IN JESSIE BURTON’S
THE MINIATURIST
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
THERESIA ANGGARANI WARDHANA Student Number: 124214041
ENGLISH LETTER STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
vii
“THE WAY TO RIGHT WRONGS IS TO TURN
THE LIGHT OF TRUTH UPON THEM”
viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to acknowledge the enormous help given to me in writing this thesis. I would like to thank my advisor, Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, M.Hum. for her patience and her guidance. Without her full support and encouragement, this thesis would not have been possible. I also would like to thank my co-advisor, Dr. Gabriel Fajar Sasmita Aji, M.Hum. for his help in improving this thesis. I also express my appreciation to other lecturers who have taught and supported me a lot for these past four years.
I am thankful for my fellow undergraduate students, Cicilia Dwi Saputri, Putri Ekarini, Mikael Ari, Dita Dwipujowati, Rosa Vania, and Bambang Listyanto for our friendship and being my source of motivation throughout my undergraduate thesis completion process. I am also grateful to my old friends, Adee Ayu, Rossa Adrianti and Kikin Nur Atikah who have always been there for me.
Last but not the least, I express my endless gratitude to my parents. This undergraduate thesis is proudly dedicated to my mother who always watches me from above and, mostly, to my father who always believes in me more than I do and always thinks that my life must be what I make of it.
ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ... ii
APPROVAL PAGE ... iii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ... iv
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH ... v
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ... vi
1. Theory of Characterization ... 12
2. Theory of Patriarchy and Social Construction of Gender ... 13
3. Social Construction of Gender in 21st Century ... 18
x
B. The Criticisms towards the Idea of Proper Woman ... 40
1. Criticism towards Women’s Expected Roles ... 43
a. Nella’s Unexpected Marriage Life ... 44
b. Marin’s Mindset about Being a Wife ... 45
2. Criticism towards Women’s Obedience... 47
3. Criticism towards Women’s Powerlessness, Submissiveness, and Dependence ... 48
a. The Miniaturist and Her Notes ... 49
b. Nella’s Actions ... 51
4. Criticism towards Women’s Domestication ... 53
a. Marin’s Ability ... 54
b. Nella’s Ability ... 55
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ... 58
xi ABSTRACT
WARDHANA, THERESIA ANGGARANI. Criticisms towards the Idea of Proper Woman in Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2016.
A discussion about a proper woman always includes the discussion of the concept of separate spheres. In Victorian Age for instance, a proper woman is perfectly described by the term ‘Angel in the House’. Seventeenth century Netherlands also expected the same thing for women in that era. The concept of separate spheres along with its expectations of women’s proper roles is an example of social construction of gender which defines women. This study is conducted to reveal the criticisms towards the idea of proper woman in The Miniaturist.
This study has two objectives. The first objective is to analyze the female characters thoroughly to find out the description of a proper woman in the 17th century Dutch society in the novel. Another objective is to show the criticisms addressed towards the idea of proper woman.
The method used in conducting this study is library research. Burton’s The Miniaturist becomes the primary source of this study. The secondary sources include Barry’s and Bressler’s books about literary criticism, Tong’s and Humm’s books about feminism, and Andersen’s book about social construction of gender. Feminism is used as the approach of this study as the criticisms found in the novel has similar principles with the idea of feminism.
xii ABSTRAK
WARDHANA, THERESIA ANGGARANI. Criticisms towards the Idea of Proper Woman in Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2016.
Pembahasan mengenai perempuan ideal di mata masyarakat tidak dapat dipisahkan dari pembahasan mengenai konsep pemisahan ruang. Di zaman Victoria contohnya, perempuan ideal dideskripsikan dengan tepat melalui istilah ‘Angel in the House’. Masyarakat Belanda pada abad 17 juga mengharapkan hal yang sama kepada perempuan. Konsep pemisahan ruang publik dan ruang domestik bersama dengan ekspektasi terhadap peran ideal perempuan adalah contoh dari konstruksi sosial dari gender. Studi ini dilakukan untuk mengungkap kritik terhadap gagasan perempuan ideal di The Miniaturist.
Terdapat dua tujuan penelitian pada studi ini. Tujuan pertama adalah menganalisis tokoh dengan rinci untuk mengetahui deskripsi perempuan ideal di masyarakat Belanda abad 17 yang terdapat di teks. Tujuan kedua yaitu untuk menunjukkan kritik terhadap gagasan perempuan ideal.
Metode yang digunakan dalam studi ini adalah studi kepustakaan. Sumber utama dari studi ini adalah novel The Miniaturist oleh Burton. Sumber kedua dari studi ini meliputi buku oleh Barry dan Bressler mengenai kritik literatur, buku oleh Tong dan Humm mengenai feminisme, dan buku oleh Andersen mengenai konstruksi sosial terkait gender. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam studi ini adalah feminisme karena kritik yang terdapat di novel memiliki prinsip yang sama dengan gagasan feminisme.
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
What is a proper woman? In England‘s Victorian age, for example, in
defining a proper woman, the concept of separate spheres cannot be excluded. Gerard Koot states
It has long been understood that industrial capitalism brought with it an increased separation between places of work and the family home, and that this played a large role in the development of a social ideology and reality of separate and domestic spheres for bourgeois women (2015: 2).
The term ‗Angel in the House‘ then might perfectly describe a proper woman. ‗Angel in the House‘, a title of a popular poem written by Coventry
Patmore which reflects his mindset of a perfect wife or woman, became the popular Victorian image of the ideal wife or woman (academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu, 2011). It is not surprising then if a proper woman is the one who is confined to home. The Victorian image of the ideal wife or woman was based on the image of Queen Victoria. ―Queen Victoria's devoting herself to her husband Prince Albert
and to a domestic life encouraged the ideal to spread throughout nineteenth century society‖ (academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu, 2011). A woman was expected to be ―devoted and submissive to her husband … passive and powerless, meek,
charming, graceful, sympathetic, self-sacrificing, pious, and above all—pure‖ (academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu, 2011).
Women inhabited a separate, private sphere, one suitable for the so called inherent qualities of femininity: emotion, passivity, submission, dependence, and selflessness, all derived, it was claimed insistently, form women‘s sexual and reproductive organization (2003).
Women‘s being dependent on men resulted in the idea that marriage was the
ultimate goal for women. Marriage meant survival in Victorian era. Because society prevented women from making their own living, there was an inescapable dependence upon men‘s income (webpage.pace.edu, 2003).
The object of the study, The Miniaturist, takes place in 17th century Netherlands. It is clear that the story happens before the Industrial Revolution. It then becomes a question whether there was separation of spheres or not in the 17th century Netherlands. In fact, the separation of spheres happened in Netherlands earlier than any country. As Koot writes:
During the seventeenth and the first half of the eighteenth century, the Dutch Republic enjoyed the highest per capita income in Europe, and probably in the world … [which] resulted in a greater separation between the place of work and the home than elsewhere and, thus, it should not be surprising that a strong ideology of separate spheres for middle class women was articulated in the Dutch Republic already in the seventeenth century (2015: 2).
Similar to Victorian ideal of women, in the 17th century Netherlands, ―the Dutch believed that women were viewed ―as the weaker sex who confine their duties to the home while men function in the world at large‖‖ (Johansen, 2007: 1). Being ‗the weaker sex‘ means that women are dependent to men. It is no wonder that 17th century Dutchwomen also saw marriage as their goal.
The concept of separate spheres along with its expectations of women‘s
what the society expects them to be or in other words a proper woman, or for Patmore, ‗Angel in the House‘.
Burton, the author of the novel, got the inspiration for The Miniaturist from the real dollhouse of the real Petronella Oortman (1656–1716) in the Rijksmuseum. After doing research about the society of the period, she describes
17th century Netherlands as a ―repressive, judgmental society‖
(www.jessieburton.co.uk, n.d.). As a self-acclaimed feminist, through her book, she wants to
create women who are not more ‗strongly female‘ or ‗stronger than other females‘, or ‗strong‘ because they are braver than men … I [Burton] just wanted some women who for once are not defined by any other ideal than that they are human … I wasn‘t drawn to a historic setting in order to set up the issue of a rounder female character, but it does help (Lee, n.d.).
This statement is indeed interesting as the female characters in a ‗repressive and judgmental society‘ are created in contrast to the socially constructed expectations towards women.
newly-published novel (published in 2014), so there is no other study which discusses about this novel yet.
B. Problem Formulation
Problem formulation is the core of a thesis to which a writer must return if they lose track during the writing process. The problem formulation for this undergraduate thesis is listed as follows:
1. How is a proper woman in the seventeenth-century Dutch society depicted in The Miniaturist through its female characters?
2. What criticisms are addressed towards the idea of proper woman?
C. Objectives of Study
The objective of the study is, firstly, to thoroughly identify and analyze how the portrait of proper woman in the 17th century Netherlands in the novel is described through the female characters. Secondly, it aims to show the criticisms addressed towards the idea of proper woman.
D. Definition of Terms
This part contains explanations of important terms related to the topic of the undergraduate thesis. Understanding the terms will help the reader comprehend the analysis.
‗Criticism‘ in Merriam-Webster is ―the act of expressing disapproval and
the word ‗proper‘ as ―correct according to social or moral rules‖ or ―behaving in a
way that is correct according to social or moral rules‖ (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2015). Woman, in Humm, is defined as ―the term for the social construction of the female whose identity (of femininity) is imposed and constructed through representation‖ (1990: 238). Therefore, proper woman can be defined as female whose identity and behavior are constructed by the society. The society determines whether the identity and behavior are correct or not based on its rules.
This study also frequently uses the term ‗separate spheres‘. The separation of public and private spheres is ―popularly understood to be the separation of
work [public] and home [private] in an individual life‖ (Humm, 1990: 179).
Within gender studies, the interest in the dichotomy of public and private spheres ―arises from its gendered nature, from the association of masculinity and the
6
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A. Review of Related Studies
The Miniaturist can be considered as a new novel as it was firstly published in 2014. Thus, the writer has found no other studies with the same object of study. Considering that reviews of related studies are paramount to gain better understanding on the object of the study, the writer uses four studies. Firstly, two studies about women portrayal in Dutch Golden Age art are reviewed. Secondly, an article discussing Victorian women depicted in a novel is studied. Lastly, the writer reviews an undergraduate thesis which also analyzes Victorian women portrayed in a novel by applying feminist approach.
The first study reviewed is Gerard Koot‘s writing focusing on the
portrayal of women in Dutch art in the Dutch Golden Age in terms of courtship, marriage and old age. His writing is largely based on an important study by Wayne E. Franits titled Paragons of Virtue: Women and Domesticity in Seventeenth-Century Dutch Art. Franits in Koot writes when one studies about domestic-themed painting in Dutch art it must be about women, since they were portrayed doing sewing, spinning, supervising servants, and taking care of children. Koot also states that
Koot who specifically analyzes about women‘s role in courtship, marriage,
and their old age depicted in 17th century Dutch art writes that, in terms of courting, courtship paintings and amatory literature of the period were not just beautiful works of art or depictions of courting reality, but ―an ideal set of rules and customs, rooted in a particular tradition of courtly love and patriarchal society, to help guide young women to become virtuous housewives and good mothers‖ (2015: 35). It can be seen in paintings, for example, that women have similar
passive poses, since ―custom allowed them to participate in courtship by
deploying their proper behavior, beauty, and elaborate clothes … but all further initiatives in courtship belonged to the suitors [men]‖ (2015: 35).
Regarding to marriage, conduct books of the period quoting classical
writers and Bible explained that separate spheres for men and women ―were
rooted in nature and Divine creation‖ (2015: 39). Therefore, an ideal housewife
was the one who remained at home. The ideal housewife was often depicted in a
symbolism of turtle, for Franits in Koot states that ―the turtle is always at home,
and carries its house along under all circumstances‖ (2015: 39). There are also paintings which provide an ideal of how to bring up children and, Koot notes, a reflection of the ideals in hortatory books of the time (2015: 59). Child-rearing was seen as a way to preserve the moral of the society for one of the most
important duties of parents was ―to inculcate moral and spiritual precepts in their
Concerning women in old age, Koot also mentions about Jacob Cats, a
Calvinist moralist of the period whose writings were considered as ―Dutch family
Bible‖ (Cong, 2014: 6), who wrote that when old women became widows,
they should lead secluded lives, shunning all problematic people and profligate behavior. They should be careful when attending gatherings where men are present and even when going to the market. Ideally, they should stay at home, engaged in domestic tasks (2015: 89).
Widows were also expected to be role models for young women both in domestic matters and proper moral behavior.
Koot writes that 17th Dutch art shows an understanding about the nature of the Dutch art, the structure of Dutch society in the given time, and the role of women in society at that period. Male Dutch artists, working in a patriarchal society, represented women as ―objectified and generalized types‖ (2015: 8). Their works were constructed by the ideals of the time and place in which the works of art were produced. As stated in Koot, Franits writes that ―these pictures nonetheless reverberate with an entire system of values, ideals and even
prejudices, all of which reflect men‘s attitudes toward women that were
commonplace in seventeenth-century culture‖ (2015: 10). The paintings also contributed in constructing the established belief by offering the construction of domesticity and ideal femininity of the period through the pose, clothes, and expression of the object of the painting. Not only paintings, contemporary literature and popular treatises also offered idealized expectations of how men wished women to behave in patriarchal society (2015: 3).
that ―in seventeenth century Dutch Republic, becoming a wife and mother were
the pinnacle of achievement for a woman, regardless of her social class‖. This was due to the Dutch belief that women were the weaker sex whose duties were to remain at home, which wholly substantiated during the Golden Age. However,
women‘s duties at home were not underestimated by men, particularly in terms of
raising children, since
the home was viewed as the first line of defense against the wily ways of the world; the home was the refuge where children were to be instructed in the spirit of affection and comfort; the home was to be a place of cleanliness and order where children could grow to be Dutch citizens who were socially compliant … (Johansen, 2007: 2)
Dutch artists in this period, as also suggested in the previous reviewed study, created art to reflect the expectations of the society, influenced by social, religious and political leaders of the period. Paintings featuring mother-child
relationship described the expectation that ―women are the ideal nurturers of little
Dutch citizens‖ (2007: 4). One of painting themes involving mother and child was
nit-picking. Delousing or nit-picking was a metaphor to say that the ability to keep
the home and a child‘s mind flawless was expected for every Dutchwoman. The
nit-picking paintings were illustrated with a child who knelt with her head on her
mother‘s lap and her mother deloused her child‘s hair. The message, Johansen
argues, is that
The studies about Dutch Golden Age art are helpful to this research as they provide an understanding of how 17th century Dutchwomen were treated and expected to behave in the patriarchal society. The theme of nit-picking in Dutch
art, in particular, supports the idea that mother‘s role is significant to shape her
child‘s view about life as seen in The Miniaturist.
The third study reviewed in this research is about Mary Elizabeth
Braddon‘s Aurora Floyd. The heroine, Aurora Floyd, is described as having
rebellious behavior against the accepted rule of society regarding women. The
author of the study (not mentioned) argues that ―Braddon challenges the
conventions of women, marriage, and sexuality of the Victorian age through Aurora Floyd by looking at the way that she confronts the ‗ideal woman‘‖ (webpage.pace.edu, 2003). Aurora refuses to be submissive—she is full of passion
and aggressiveness. ―Aurora‘s strong sense of freedom, her passion and sexuality
set against a background of the purity and submissiveness of other Victorian
women make her clearly stand out as the heroine in an oppressive society‖
(webpage.pace.edu, 2003).
In fact, many Victorian women started rebelling against the established
views which restricted their lives through their writings to evoke women‘s desire
for individuality and power. The anonymous author of the study argues that the
women characters of the novels ―voiced the necessity of transformation in regard
to women‘s property rights, the need for better education and jobs, and change in
The study about Aurora Floyd has the same topic with this research as both use object of study whose concern is on criticism of an established view regarding an ideal woman, though the setting of the two novels are different.
The last study concerns about the spirit of liberal feminism seen in the
character Eliza Doolittle in Shaw‘s Pygmalion. Handayani (2009) in her
undergraduate thesis firstly analyzes Eliza‘s characteristics, which later is
described as poor and uneducated, yet confident, keen, independent, and tough
woman. She argues that Eliza Doolittle‘s life as a woman is dominated by two
men—her father and Henry Higgins. As Eliza‘s father, Alfred Doolittle has ―an
authority over Eliza‘s life. He feels that Eliza belongs to him because she is his
daughter‖ (2009: 39). Thus, it is no wonder that he takes advantage from her when
knowing that Eliza has entered Higgins‘ house since Eliza is his property. He is
also described as an irresponsible father as he does not care about his daughter‘s
life. Higgins can also be considered dominating Eliza‘s life. Handayani argues
that since Higgins buys Eliza from her father, he thinks Eliza belongs to him and makes her his object of experiment.
Considering the fact that Eliza is a victim of men‘s domination, she argues
that Eliza‘s characteristics present the ideas of liberal feminism. Firstly, the idea
can be seen from Eliza‘s personal independence. She lives independently and does not depend on her father and Higgins. Moreover, she chooses her own future by
marrying a man who really loves her. Secondly, Eliza‘s demands for education
reflect the idea of liberal feminism. By gaining education, ―Eliza regains her pride
herself‖ (2009: 53). Thirdly, Eliza reflects the idea of liberal feminism in a way
that she accepts the existence of men in her life. She does not mind to cooperate with Higgins to learn about English pronunciation and marry Freddy. Lastly, Handayani argues that Eliza reflects the idea of liberal feminism by showing that
she is a full human person. ―As a woman, Eliza is not the property of someone
else … She has to be considered as a human being who has to be respected‖
(2009: 58).
The study about Shaw‘s Pygmalion is similar with this research in terms of
using feminism as the approach of the study. Reviewing Handayani‘s undergraduate thesis is important as it provides a profound example of how feminism works in literary reading. Though the approach used is the same, the
object of the study for this research is different from Handayani‘s.
B. Review of Related Theories 1. Theory of Characterization
Character is one of the important elements in literature. In defining what character is, Abrams says that
characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say—the dialogue—and by what they do—the action. (1985: 23)
Characterization is the way in which a character is created (Gill, 1995: 127). In other words, they have been made in a particular way. Conversations, things they do, and their appearance, for example, are profoundly needed to be analyzed in order to determine how the author characterizes a character.
To be more specific on understanding how an author characterizes a character, Murphy (1972: 161-73) provides nine ways of characterization. First of
all, personal description by the author is used to describe a person‘s appearance
and clothes. Second, the author describes the character through the eyes and opinions of another. Third, the author gives an insight into the character through
that person‘s speech. Fourth, the author provides the character‘s past life to give a
clue to events that have helped to shape that person‘s character. Fifth, the
characteristics of the character can be seen from the conversations of other people
and the things they say about him. Sixth, the character‘s reactions towards various
situations and events can be used to identify that person‘s character. Seventh, the
author can describe or comment on a person‘s character directly. Eighth, the author gives direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. Last, the
character‘s mannerisms, habits or idiosyncrasies are described.
2. Theory of Patriarchy and Social Construction of Gender a. Theory of Patriarchy
It is generally understood that feminism deals with any attempt which is against patriarchy. Thus, it is important to have profound understanding about
Politics (1970). Quoting Weedon, Hodgson-Wright in her work writes ―the term
‗patriarchal‘ refers to power relations in which women‘s interests are subordinated
to the interests of men‖ (2006: 3). These power relations manifest in many forms, from the sexual division of labor and the social organization of procreation to the
―internalised norms of femininity‖ (Hodgson-Wright, 2006: 3) by which we live.
French in Wilson provides more elaborate definition of patriarchy by saying that
―[patriarchy] implies that men hold power in all the important institutions of
society and women are deprived of access to such power‖ (2000: 1494). In other
words, patriarchy takes away women‘s power which makes them inferior to men.
Moreover, patriarchy holds established norms of femininity which, of course,
limit women‘s behavior in society.
Patriarchal power in society is based on biological sexual difference. ―Patriarchal society uses certain facts about male and female biology (chromosomes, anatomy, hormones) as the basis for constructing a set of masculine and feminine gender identities and behaviors that serve to empower men and disempower women. (Tong, 2009: 51)
Moreover, Tong notes that patriarchal society believes its cultural constructions
are somehow ―natural‖ and thus that a person is considered normal depends on
their ability to show their gender identities and behavior culturally linked with their biological sex.
b. Theory of Social Construction of Gender
Terms ‗sex and gender‘ are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are
―socially learned behaviors and expectations that are associated with the two sexes‖
(Andersen, 1997: 20). Andersen continues with stating that becoming a woman or a man is a cultural process (1997: 20). In other words, gender is constructed by the
society. This gender construction begins after one‘s sex is discovered biologically
at birth, then the sex category becomes their gender status through the use of gender markers like naming and clothes. Psychologically, one‘s gender identity,
or ―a sense of one‘s own sexual identity, is acquired culturally … [and]
independently of … the anatomical ‗facts‘ … It was arrived at in response to the
environment of the family, to the interaction between parents and child‖ (Eisenstein, 1983: 7). The gender status sticks with them and since gender is constructed, expectations about being a man and a woman are given by society. They should behave just like what the society expects them to. The social expectations are learned from parents, peers, the media, schools, religious
organization, and other aspects of society which ―create a concept of what it
means to be a ‗woman‘ or be a ‗man‘‖ (Andersen, 1997: 20). Therefore, people
have to learn to be women or men. Society gives them gender roles ―based on the different expectation that individuals, groups, and societies have of individuals… [regarding] their sex and each society's values and beliefs about gender‖ (Blackstone, 2003: 335). The expectations deeply influence what they become later, what other people think about them, and what kind of opportunities and choices available for them. These processes which constitute the social
construction of gender, Lorber argues, ―shape women‘s and men‘s life
relationships, skills—ways of being that we call feminine or masculine‖ (2006: 55).
The concept of separate spheres is considered socially constructed (Kerber, 1988: 13). This concept firstly emerged after the Industrial Revolution which resulted in a major economic transition. The workplace and the home having previously been the same now began to separate. As the workplace moved from the home, male and female spheres of activity also separated. Lorber in her writing states that due to gendered roles, men work in economic production and
―dominate the positions of authority and leadership in government, the military,
and the law; cultural productions, religions, and sports reflect men‘s interests‖ (2006: 61). Women, on the contrary, are told that their respectable place is at home. The concept of separate spheres defined the ‗characteristics‘ of women, as Hughes puts it,
Women were considered physically weaker yet morally superior to men, which meant that they were best suited to the domestic sphere. Not only was it their job to counterbalance the moral taint of the public sphere in which their husbands laboured all day, they were also preparing the next generation to carry on this way of life (n.d.).
These expectations of women, in other words, construct what is proper or natural for women to do or behave. Wollstonecraft (1793) writes that women are told from their infancy and taught by the example of their mothers, that a little knowledge of human weakness and softness of temper are important to win men‘s attention or protection. Beauty is the main virtue of woman. In this way, mothers
shape and mold their daughter‘s characters. It is also stated that women‘s goal is
―men, in their youth, are prepared for professions, and marriage is not considered
as the grand feature in their lives; whilst women, on the contrary, have no other
scheme to sharpen their faculties‖ (1793: 61). If they try to cross the boundary of
the spheres, they will be identified as ―unnatural, as well as unwelcome challenges
to the cultural assumptions‖ (Lewis, 2015).
The ideas of women‘s place are internalized and perpetuated by many
women themselves. Janeway states that women accept the roles given to them and
make ―a secret bargain with men: they [agree] to exchange ‗private power in
return for public submission. That is the regular, orthodox bargain by which men rule the world and allow women in their own place‘‖ (Eisenstein, 1984: 10). The chance of ruling the domestic sphere is considered enough for some women in exchange of power available in public sphere.
Nevertheless, the concept of separate spheres limits women‘s domain and life since it dictates that home is the best place for women. This limitation can be
considered as gender inequality, ―the devaluation of ‗women‘ and the social
domination of ‗men‘‖ (Lorber, 2006: 62). Regarding gender inequality, Lorber
writes that it is not due to women‘s biological facts.
Gender inequality … is not the result of sex, procreation, physiology,
3. Social Construction of Gender in 21st century
The traditional gender roles which say that women‘s place is at home and
men‘s domain is the outside world, in fact, have started to diminish. ―The 21st
century has seen a dramatic shift in ‗traditional‘ family dynamics and greater
recognition of gender in legislation has helped pull apart gender-role divisions‖ (Player, 2013). Women may expand their domain to the public sphere and go to work. In UK for example, women are far more economically independent and socially autonomous, representing 42% of the UK workforce and 55% of university graduates (Player, 2013). By 2010 a record number of female CEOs in the US were included in the Fortune 500 companies, though ―you still don‘t need all of your fingers and toes to count them‖ (Bell, 2010).
Yet, unconscious biases still exist in the society. These unconscious biases
―arises from the implicit assumptions and unspoken attitudes, beliefs and
after children, and the undervaluing of women‘s work‖ (www.equalpayportal.co.uk, 2016). In Netherlands for example, many Dutchwomen still experience the GPG for the same work as men (Gowling, 2014).
Mothers‘ chances of getting job are reduced by 70% (Player, 2013). Many people
also still negatively evaluate career women and stay-at-home dads (Player, 2013). Ironically, women are just likely as men to show unconscious biases
towards women in ―in hiring practices, salaries and professional mentorship‖
(Christakis, 2012). Research also finds that women prefer to have a male boss. A study also suggests that female scientists are likely to favor male scientist to have lab-manager job. It can be seen that the perception that women are less competent than men for certain jobs held by both sexes still exists in the 21st century society (Christakis, 2012).
4. Theory of Feminism
Feminism, which entered common parlance in English use around 1890s,
stands for ―a belief in sexual equality combined with a commitment to eradicate
sexist domination and to transform society‖ (Humm, 1992: 1). It mainly describes
also holds the premise that, as Humm puts it, ―women can consciously and
collectively change their social place‖ (1992: 1).
The feminist movement in 19th and 20th century shares ―an urgent desire
for equal rights and equal opportunities for women‖ (Humm, 1992: 2). In their
article, Stacey and Price state that ―they [women] have been … trying to gain some independence as persons and to exercise some power as individuals in their
own right‖ (1980: 33). Women should be treated as person or individual and not
based on their sex. They also voice the need of women‘s rights which include political, economic, social, cultural, civil and other spheres (Lewis, 2014). In political rights, for example, women seek the right to vote. Access to jobs, trades, and professions; equal pay for equal work; and equal pay for work of equal value are included in economic rights for women. For civil rights, one of the issues
raised is women‘s ability to sue in court, in other words, the equality before the
law. One of the considerations for social and cultural rights is that women have control over her own life. It means that women should live her life based on their own choosing, without any interference from others.
C. Social and Cultural Background of 17th Century Dutch Society
Since The Miniaturist is a historical novel, it is important to understand the social and cultural background of 17th century Dutch society. Thus, brief history of 17th century Netherlands regarding women is provided below.
the position of women‖ (Hodgson-Wright, 2006: 3). In 1560-1760, there was
―persecution and execution of thousands of European women‖ (Hughes, 1997: 73)
called ‗Witchcraze‘, a term coined by Barstow, making women choose to be in
domestic spheres. The witches usually were poor women, over fifty, past childbearing, single, independent, and outspoken (Hughes, 1997: 77). Women retreated to safer domesticity: ―one had better stay to oneself, mind one‘s business—and obey one‘s husband‖ (Hughes, 1997: 78). This witchcraze thing
only meant one thing: men‘s ultimate control over women. In terms of working,
―the worldwide voyages of exploration, trade, and conquest were mainly male
ventures‖ (Hughes, 1997: 79). Women were also excluded from high-status labor.
Seventeenth-century Netherlands in particular, enjoyed its Golden Age after getting their independence from Spain. As stated previously, separation of spheres in Netherlands made women confined at home and their ―moral virtues
and modesty … were highly emphasized in society‖ (Cong, 2014: 6). Therefore,
―women‘s best role for fitting into the 17th century‘s Dutch world was
undoubtedly as housewife‖ (Cong, 2014: 6).
It can be seen that the ‗early‘ separation of sphere did contribute to the
limitation of women‘s power, especially in the public realm. Yet, it was not the
only thing which limited women. Seventeenth-century Dutch society was patriarchal and it was influenced by the current state religion of the era, Calvinism. As ordinary people now could read Bible, not only priests like before, many literal
interpretations of Bible appeared, including those of women‘s role. The
instance, Ephesians 5:22 ―Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands …‖ In other words, women were always under male authority.
Religious view of women influenced Dutch view regarding marriage in the Golden Age. Besides paintings, contemporary literature, and popular treatises, which are already explained previously to have influenced Dutch view of women, guidebooks about marriage and proper sphere for men and women were fostered. These guidebooks focusing on the belief that a Christian marriage was patriarchal held up the ideal of marriage (Koot, 2015: 38). As mentioned by Koot, Protestant theologians urged wives to be submissive to their husband and that each partner should perform their respective duties as a man and a woman. Koot also states that
there were ―[popular] admonitory literature as well as in art, which provided
specific guidance for young women. The goal was to help the parents instill moral habits and domestic skills in young women and prepare them for marriage and domestic duties‖ (2015: 11). Besides guidebooks, Jacob Cats‘ writings were also considered as reference to marriage life in 17th century Netherlands. Cats argued
that ―all virgins are meant to marry‖ (Pipkin, 2007: 118). Cats also argued that
women had no choice but accepting proposal because it is all already predetermined (Pipkin, 2007: 121). It is also suggested by him that women should be dependent on men by saying that women must be protected and steered by fathers and husbands (Pipkin, 2007: 114).
`
D. Theoretical Framework
construction of gender in the 21st century, and also theory of feminism. In this part, the contributions of the theories to solve the problems in this research are explained.
First of all, theory of characterization is needed because the purpose of this research, as already mentioned in chapter I, is to identify and analyze thoroughly the portrait of proper woman in the 17th century Netherlands in The Miniaturist. To be able to do so, understanding characterization is very important as the idea of proper woman is described through the characters in the novel. Based on
Murphy‘s ways of characterization, the author of the novel uses six out of nine
ways of characterization—with the characters‘ past life and their thoughts given as the dominant ones.
deal with the outside world. These two theories provide background understanding for analyzing the idea of proper woman in 17th century in The Miniaturist and also women‘s condition in the 21st century.
Third, the description of social construction of gender in the 21st century gives an understanding of the current situation of gender equality in the world. The description helps figure out to whom the criticisms towards the idea of proper woman is likely directed.
Last, the theory of feminism is significant to this study. This study deals with criticisms towards the idea of proper woman, which in fact is influenced by patriarchal society and the gender construction in the society. The writer believes that The Miniaturist reflects the same ideas with the theory of feminism, which
criticizes about the limitation in women‘s lives. Therefore, it gives a good
25
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The object of the study for this undergraduate thesis is Jessie Burton‟s debut novel titled The Miniaturist. It was first published in 2014 by Picador. The book used in this paper, however, is the first edition published in 2015. It won
“Book of the Year” by Waterstones and Specsavers National Book Awards. Also,
it won Italy's Edoardo Kihlgren International Prize. Burton, who was born in 1982,
won “New Writer of the Year” in 2014 by Specsavers National Book Awards.
In brief, the story of The Miniaturist revolves around a naïve young girl named Petronella Oortman who holds high the idea of proper woman. After marrying a wealthy merchant, she finds out that life as a woman is not as easy as the idea promises. Things, in fact, do not turn out as Nella wishes. This fact makes her question again about her right role as a woman. With the help from a mysterious miniaturist, she slowly but surely changes her mindset of proper woman and eventually frees herself from the chains of idea that bind her.
B. Approach of the Study
The approach used in this research is feminism. As stated by Barry, feminist literary criticism is the result of women‟s movement in 1960s whose
concern was about “images of women promulgated by literature” (2002: 121). To
the economic, political, social and psychological oppression of women” (Millikan, 2011). This criticism is unique because, as Bressler puts it, it is more “divided than unified, housing more internal disagreements…” (1999: 188), which means it
consists of a variety of feminist theories. Nonetheless, feminism has a set of
principles uniting the differences: feminist critics declare that “women are people
in their own right, they are not incomplete or inferior to men” (Bressler, 1999:
189) though they live in patriarchal societies. Moreover, he writes “women must
break free from such oppression and define themselves” by re-examining literary
canon which establishes the views of “female inferiority and oppression” (Bressler, 1999: 189). Feminist critics include many literary schools such as historical and psychoanalytic to increase people‟s understanding of women‟s
experience in the past and present and also to promote people‟s appreciation of the value of women in the world. The practice of feminist criticism typically involves examining how the gender roles of literary work reflect or subvert the „traditional‟
gender roles (Millikan, 2011).
Feminist criticism is applied to analyze women characters living in the male-dominated society in the novel. It helps the writer identify the way the women characters behave in such society. Feminist criticism also contributes to identifying the criticisms of the idea of proper woman in the novel as they have similar principles. Furthermore, since the novel deals with a patriarchal society which defines a „proper‟ woman, it makes feminist criticism the most suitable
C. Method of the Study
The study conducted is a library research since all sources used are documents taken from both online sources and printed sources. The primary
source of this study is Burton‟s The Miniaturist. The secondary sources of the
study include Barry‟s Beginning Theory and Bressler‟s Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice, Tong‟s Feminist Thought: A More Comprehensive Introduction, Humm‟s Feminisim: A Reader, and Andersen‟s Thinking About Women: Sociological Perspectives on Sex and Gender.
In conducting this research, the writer took six steps. First of all, the primary source was closely read while some notes focusing on the idea of proper woman were taken. The focus of the reading was mainly on the female characters. This step was repeatedly done in so that the writer did not miss any important details. Second, two problems were formulated, consisting a question regarding the depiction of proper woman through the female characters and also a question about the criticisms towards the idea of proper woman. Third, some related studies were read in order to make sure that the topic of this research had not been written. Since there were no other studies discussing the same work, studies about Dutch Golden Age art and studies discussing similar topic were reviewed. Fourth, theories related to the topic of this research were studied in order to gain profound understanding and be able to answer the problem formulation.
29
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
A. The Depiction of Proper Woman in the 17th Century Dutch Society in The Miniaturist
De Beauvoir says that “one is not born but rather becomes a woman” (Humm, 1990: 238). In other words, being a woman is something that one learns. The identity of a woman is socially constructed. Society demands her to behave and live her life like what is considered to be proper. For example, a woman should stay at home and take care of domestic activities. However, what is considered proper here depends on the culture or society one lives in. It may vary from one society to another.
In order to find out about what a proper woman is in The Miniaturist,
Murphy‟s theory of characterization is applied. In this chapter, the writer only
focuses on four characterizations: the characters‟ past life, their speech, their
reactions towards various situations and the character‟s thoughts used in the novel
since those characterizations provide a great deal of information about the depiction of proper woman in the novel. The writer, in the first part of the analysis, tries to figure out what kind of roles and characteristics are considered proper for a woman in the 17th century Dutch society in The Miniaturist.
woman seen as women‟s roles and the meaning of proper woman seen as characteristics or qualities expected by the society.
1. Women’s Roles
Words „proper woman‟ are repeatedly mentioned in the novel, especially
by the main character, Nella. There are two criteria of being proper woman, as it is clearly stated by her, that “a proper woman marries—she has children” (161). These criteria are the roles expected from every woman in the society.
a. Wife
In the very beginning of the story, Nella is very enthusiastic about becoming a wife in Amsterdam. For her, becoming a wife equals getting a new life as a woman. Her mindset of proper woman is given by her mother who keeps telling her the importance of getting married. Her mother, however, gives a certain
requirement for Nella‟s future husband, which is “you [Nella] need to marry a
man who can keep a guilder in his purse” (17). In other words, Nella has to marry
a wealthy man. Her mother‟s statement is quite reasonable since, after Nella‟s
father dies heavily in debt, Oortman family becomes poor.
According to her mother, “life is hard if you‟re not a wife” (22). She then
continues with comparing the locals to city people, which of course leads to the fact that the latter is wealthier. Mrs. Oortman always complains there are no suitable candidates in the village for Nella as she describes the locals as „hay
chewers‟. Nella cannot understand why her mother keeps telling this and,
therefore, asks her the reason why it is very important to marry „city people‟. The
father is only „a sheep‟. Mrs. Oortman indeed says such interesting statements.
The locals are described as mere “hay-chewers” and “sheep”, the ones who obey
the city “shepherd”. The “shepherd”, on the contrary, becomes the one who makes
sure the “sheep” will do everything they want them to do. It shows that the locals
lack authority or power over others and also lack the most important thing, money,
which makes Nella‟s mother prefer the city people to the locals since they hold
her daughter‟s future better.
At first, Nella is quite shocked with her mother‟s blunt statements, she even questions her mother. Not only that, she even feels the urge of escaping her village. Yet in the end, she does what is told anyway, as she “concerned about her
mother‟s nerves just enough not to rebel” (18). Therefore, when Johannes Brandt
asks for her hand, she gladly accepts him, because, as Nella says herself, being a wife is the only option she has in life. This statement implies that being a wife is the fate of women. Besides, Johannes is a rich man who is a perfect husband for Nella. Then, it becomes Nella‟s goal to be a proper woman. It can be seen from her attempt to practice being a lady for two years—she tries to walk like a lady and wears a newly tightened corset.
b. Mother
After a woman becomes a wife, another requirement of becoming a proper woman is having children or in other words being a mother. When her mother tells her to marry a rich man, Nella once says that she does not have anything to
give him in return. Surprisingly, her mother replies “look at you. What else do we
body to be „offered‟ to men. Nella indeed does grieve because of her mother‟s
statement and feel that she is „reduced‟ as a woman by her own mother. From her
mother‟s statement, it can be said that her existence as a woman is simplified.
Nella‟s existence, or women‟s existence in general, is merely for the purpose of
procreation. Therefore, commenting Nella‟s first menstruation, her mother says
that the purpose of that blood is “the security of children” (23) or in other words a
promise of motherhood. Nella fails to see how it is possible to feel secure if she has to experience labour pains which sometimes lead several women to death. Mrs. Oortman also tells her what wives can hope for—“a rising rod of pain, the chance
it won‟t go on too long, the wet clam dribble between your legs” (30). When Nella
refuses to be that kind of wife, her mother says there is no other kind of wife. She
states that Nella‟s body is the key, while patting Nella‟s stomach. So, a woman
may function well if she can produce children.
From the explanation above regarding a proper woman, it can be seen that
the role of Nella‟s mother is very crucial in terms of shaping her daughter‟s
characteristics. Though she tells Nella to get married to a rich man partly because
of their family‟s condition, what she says regarding how a woman should live
implies that she constructs her daughter‟s way of thinking so that Nella is socially
compliant. Nella‟s mother acts as the “keeper of moral foundation” (Johansen,
2007: 11) of Nella. What Nella‟s mother does reflects seventeenth-century Dutch
society‟s expectation towards a mother, which was “keeping the family home and
a child‟s mind spotless” (Johansen, 2007: 4), just like what Johansen argues in her
2. Women’s Characteristics
Through Nella and her mother, it can be seen how women are expected to live their life in the society. The society‟s expectation towards women is described
through Nella‟s mother, who keeps telling her that women‟s roles are to be a wife
and to be a mother. That is the idea of proper woman, which is an “internalised
norms of femininity” (Gamble, 2006: 3) found in the Dutch society in the novel.
The idea already becomes the part of the society, the part in which they think or behave. However, talking about being a proper woman is not only about the roles of being a wife and a mother. It also involves characteristics or qualities expected from the society. The appropriate characteristics of women in the 17th century Dutch society in the novel are obedient, powerless, submissive, dependent, and domesticated.
a. Obedient
As stated in chapter II, the social construction of gender is learned through
many aspects of society. In Nella‟s case, she learns it from her parents, especially
her mother. Nella‟s obedience is related to her reaction towards idea of proper woman given by her mother. As stated before, Nella‟s mother is the character who repeatedly tells Nella to get married and have children—the one who plants the idea of proper woman. Nella, at first, questions the idea of proper woman given by her mother—even she feels the urge of escaping her village when she practices
being a lady. Up to this point, her „little rebellion‟ can be seen. „Little rebellion‟
stops at that point because at the end, Nella chooses to believe what her mother says since she concerns about her mother‟s nerves. It results in Nella‟s accepting the idea of proper woman and, in the end, she clings tightly to this idea. It can be seen from how she perceives her marriage with Johannes and her life as a woman.
Nella‟s obeying what her mother says also implies her naivety, since her
decision to obey her mother lacks careful consideration. She believes her mother always tells her the truth, including the idea of proper woman, without giving any thoughtful consideration. She is naïve in this context.
In brief, though Nella has this „little rebellion‟ at first, she eventually admits the idea of proper woman. She obeys her mother to be a proper woman without giving any thoughtful consideration. In other words, she obeys the social construction of gender by accepting the idea of proper woman.
b. Powerless
In the novel, women have less power than men for, as Wilson states, “men hold power in all the important institutions of society” (2000: 1494). Since they have less power, it is not surprising that they are willingly married, as marriage is
believed as “the only possible form of influence a woman may have” (317) and a
way—or the „only‟ way to increase woman‟s power. Moreover, Marin‟s statement that says
we can do nothing, Petronella—we women … some of us can work … back-breaking work, for which they won‟t even pay us half of what a man
implies the powerlessness women have in their lives. Women do not have power or authority which makes them less appreciated by the society, for example in the
context of women‟s salary. Women are also not supposed to own property. The
example is stated in the novel where Agnes, the wife of Frans Meermans, Johannes‟ colleague, inherits her father‟s land after he dies. Commenting on that
matter, Johannes says, “a woman‟s name on the papers [of her father‟s acres of
cane fields], despite all her father‟s best efforts” (86). It shows that owning
property is not women‟s right. After being married to Frans, Agnes hands the papers to her husband, who is more „suitable‟ to have them. Women‟s inability to take a case to court also implies that women do not have equality before the law. Undoubtedly, this fact will result in women‟s powerlessness. From Marin‟s statement, women‟s important role is only on procreation and the rest, they are powerless.
In the novel, women‟s powerlessness is also seen in Nella‟s reaction towards the first note the miniaturist sends read: EVERY WOMAN IS THE ARCHITECT OF HER OWN FORTUNE. She is confused with it because she
thinks “women don‟t build anything, let alone their own fates. All our fates are in
the hands of God, and women‟s in particular, after their husbands have passed
them through their fingers …” (76). Nella‟s reaction conveys that women are
entirely powerless to the extent that they cannot have their own lives without
men‟s interference. Their fates lie in their husbands‟ hands. It is not surprising as
it is widely believed in the novel that “men are the makers of the world” (289). As
c. Submissive
Women‟s mindset that they are not the owner of their own fates also
implies their submissiveness to men. The very fact that they let men have their
fates shows they willingly accept men‟s authority in their life. They admit the idea
as if it were natural. It is similar with what Tong states in her book that in patriarchal society, cultural constructions are considered natural and being a normal person means one is able to show their gender identity and behavior based on their biological sex (Tong, 2009: 51). In other words, the idea is already
internalized in women‟s mind. Therefore, the miniaturist‟s first note is not „natural‟
since it differs from what is constructed in the society, much to Nella‟s confusion.
d. Dependent
Women‟s being powerless always eventually leads to another problem,
which is their dependence upon men. Women‟s dependence can be seen from the
fact that marriage is the ultimate goal for women. Indeed, since a proper woman marries and becomes a mother, it implies that women need men in order to be a proper or perfect woman. In the real 17th century Dutch society, admonitory guidebooks fostered for women prepared them for marriage and domestic duties.
In other words, as also stated in Wollstonecraft‟s book, they were not prepared for
professions in public realm, since it was men‟s domain. Since they are not prepared to work, women need security in order to survive their life. Security here means protection against poverty. Nella needs security from a wealthy merchant
in order to survive from her „previous‟ life, which is covered with her father‟s
once says to Nella, indicating her future must be safe if she marries. It also can be
seen from Marin‟s statement that Nella‟s purpose of marrying a merchant is due to
the need of having a secure life. It means women are financially dependent on men. Nella is dependent on Johannes to „secure‟ her life.
Besides financial dependence, women are also dependent on men in order to have authority. It is widely believed by many women in the novel, including
Nella and her mother, that “… [marriage is] the only possible form of influence a
woman may have. Marriage is supposed to … increase a woman‟s power” (317).
Nella wants to make Amsterdam her own, considering the fact that Johannes is an influential and charismatic merchant in Amsterdam. In the novel, an example of
power women may have if they get married is having household to run. Marin‟s
statement implies that the reason why she does not marry is that “I had a
household already. When Johannes was away, I was the head” (315). She does not
need to marry as she already has what other women seek in marriage. Nevertheless, even though Marin says so, she cannot officially own a house since women cannot own property (160). Marin only has the authority to run the
household because she is Johannes‟ sister. Commonly, a household can only be
obtained when a woman is a wife or a widow (315).
However, if a woman ever needs to work outside the home, she only has limited choice of work available for them. The possible works she can have are, as
Cornelia, Johannes‟ servant, says “no guild except the seamstresses or stinking
that “no woman can be an apprentice … No man is keen to train a woman” (288
-9). Women are not allowed to gain knowledge or skills required for men‟s job. They do not have the same chance as men to learn. Being a peat-carrier does not really need a skill or knowledge. The skill of a seamstress is gained when she learns to do domestic activities. Those jobs fit women perfectly. With such jobs, the money they earn will not be enough for their life and this condition leads to their dependence on men.
e. Domesticated
To be a wife means a woman becomes the mistress of the household. Yet, it cannot be defined as simple as that. She as a wife has the authority of the household and, as stated earlier, this kind of authority is what a woman can dream of. It likely refers to Janeway‟s argument which states about women‟s agreement about exchanging private power in return for public submission. Men rule the public domain, while domestic sphere is under women‟s authority (Eisenstein,
1984: 10). Nella‟s job as Johannes‟ wife is to become the mistress of the
household whose job is “keeping us [people living in Brandt‟s house] all in order”
(174). The fact that women can only rule the domestic sphere or the household means the idea of separate spheres exists in the society in The Miniaturist.
The idea of separate spheres not only can be seen through Nella, but also from another female character, Marin. As her brother works in VOC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie), Marin seems to know about the inside and outside of the VOC (29). Nella is rather surprised finding out about this fact, she even thinks
sister know about his works. From Nella‟s thought it can be concluded that outside world is, in fact, not women‟s business. This is a very important fact since,
up to this point, Nella‟s thought and the idea she has about proper woman reflects
what society thinks about what a proper woman is and how she should behave.
Nonetheless, in spite of her interference in Johannes‟ work, she still is not allowed
to work just like her brother because, as a woman, she should remain at home. Another proof can be found from what Nella‟s father says about women who
work together with men: “it is a good thing that ladies no longer sail so much.
Women on board bring bad luck” (53). His words also reflect the current society‟s
belief that women should stay at home, that women should know their place.
Nella‟s mother agrees with her husband and adds, “they [women] only bring the
luck men give them” (53). Nella‟s mother‟s words imply that a woman cannot live
without a man as she herself is „luck-less‟. Women are also prohibited to come and visit their husbands‟ workplace. The guards at VOC workplace prevent Nella to visit her husband. Women are never seen at the VOC because no women are allowed. Moreover, a wife cannot go to her husband‟s warehouse unannounced.
Nella describes Brandt‟s warehouse as “her husband‟s domain” (298), indicating
it is not hers. From all proofs given here it can be seen that society demands women to live in private or domestic sphere. Due to this restriction, no women are
allowed to interfere in men‟s public sphere.
The separation of sphere means separation of women‟s and men‟s domain,
