Using the method of qualitative textual analysis, this research aims to analyze the portrayal of female characters in selected stories of Manek Mischiefs: Of Patriarchs, Playboys, and Paramours and to identify the forms of resistance used by these women against the Peranakan patriarchal system. society. Manek Mischiefs: Of Patriarchs, Playboys and Paramours” consists of traditional cultural practices and gender roles related to the Peranakan community (Babas and Nyonyas) starting from the era of British colonization, Japanese occupation and the post-independence era of Malaysia.
Statement of Problem
An important goal of postcolonial feminists is to bring justice to the subjugation faced by Third World women and to critique the dominant, exclusionary perspective of Western feminists. Based on the narrative of the protagonists, Lee's "The Antics of Manek: Of Patriarchs, Playboys and Mistresses" carefully observes the roles of men and women in relation to the practice of the Chinese patriarchal system to explore and evaluate how female characters are portrayed. and how they defend themselves against unfair treatment arising from non-human observations and social environments.
Research Objectives
Moreover, men's position, privilege and power given by the patriarchal system are the necessary factors to determine the impact of Chinese patriarchal culture on women's progress to gain empowerment by regaining their civil rights. To identify the forms of resistance demonstrated by the female characters in the selected stories by resisting patriarchal oppression.
Research Questions
Research Significance
The influence caused by the multi-ethnic cultural practices on the portrayal of women should not be overlooked. They represent the gender that is oppressed, controlled and exploited in the Peranakan community, facing severe challenges to balance predetermined gender roles.
Definition of Terms
Oppression – “The imposition of stigmatized ideology and imperialism that exercise a culture of discrimination against the target group by denying them their human rights, freedom and the restoration of basic requirements that include access to health care, education and employment”. (Leaven, 2003). Self-awareness - the state of being aware of ourselves and our personal existence, including our character traits and attitudinal traits, our set of thoughts, and the feelings we experience (Kriegel, n.d.).
Scope and limitation of study
In this paper, it refers to women's awareness of the negative effect of colonial and patriarchal oppression, which is important for them to build their identity (Gardiner, 1981). This study simply covers the discussion on the representation of women in fiction and the thematic aspects identified by looking at how women characters defend themselves against the repeated Chinese patriarchal oppression.
Conclusion
As a result of the trade relationship between China and the Malay world, the Chinese Peranakan literature is being developed among the new generation of Chinese Peranakans who are educated and able to write. The period from the 1890s to the 1930s is known as the "golden age" of Chinese Peranakan literature as it marks the flourishing performance in terms of great support from the local printing press and.
Background of Malaysian Literature in English (MLE)
At the time, the practice of writing literature in English was still considered a marginalized activity, despite the efforts of the students of the University of Malaya who took the initiatives to promote Malay writings (Nimura, 2016). This demonstrates the need to explore more literary works by local women authors to understand women's struggles in a holistic way.
Malaysian female writers and their writings
Virgin Killer" literally refers to women who frequently engage in intercourse resulting in loss of chastity. It uncovers the sufferings that contemporary Malaysian women face in order to live up to society's expectations and accept the necessary changes until they see delusions of city life due to excessive loneliness, which then affects their psychological and sentimental states.
Lee Su Kim and her Writings
Manek Mischief belongs to the last piece of Lee's writing that completes the trilogy of the Peranakan stories after Sarong Secrets and Kebaya Tales. Lee adapts the first-person perspective to tell the stories of the three women in The Merry Wives and Concubines of Patriarch Baba Gan, the youngest daughter of the Lim clan in The Stump in the Hole under the Casuarina Tree in the Garden of the Mansion by the sea, and Sau Ping, who is the female protagonist in A Light Bulb Moment. This research aims to apply postcolonial feminism as the theoretical framework to analyze how women resist the pressure exerted by living under the control of Peranakan society and the forms of resistance shown by them to to be freed from the chains of patriarchal oppression.
Patriarchy on Subordination and Oppression on Women
Past research using the theme of patriarchy
The two novels below namely Things Fall Down by Chinua Achebe (1958) and Season of Migration in the North by Tayeb Salleh (1966) highlight the impact of patriarchy on both genders. The gender division of patriarchy is strongly portrayed in this novel when Okonkwo conforms to traditional gender roles in a family. Men as victims of patriarchy are subtly shown as the main focus is drawn from the oppression imposed on women and how badly they are affected to adhere to their gender roles.
Introduction
History of Postcolonial Feminism Theory
The study of Third World feminism has refuted Western feminism's assumption about universality of feminism which precludes further exploration of how cultural differences affect the 'authentic' representation of women. Both fields strove to increase the presence of women in terms of their voice, marginalized status and rightful authority in society. The feminists are more concerned about the marginalized status of women in society and are mobilized around the ideology of "New Woman" (Malinowska, 2020) where women suffer because they have limited authority in education, occupation, property distribution and decisions regarding marital status and reproduction .
Elements of postcolonial feminism
Social class is the pre-constructed perception of society's hierarchy, where the resources of men and women are unequally distributed. Most of them, including the daughters of the Lim family and patriarch Baba Gan's two wives, have no proper names, depicting the fact that women are placed in a low social class level without receiving the slightest recognition. Similarly, the elders of three other short stories have insisted on the Chinese patriarchal practices of Peranakan culture by restraining the younger generation of women from deviating from their respective duties and roles in the family.
Methodology
Using the framework of postcolonial feminism to conduct a textual analysis of the portrayal of female characters in the four selected short stories of "Manek's Antics: Of Patriarchs, Playboys, and Lovers," the researcher aims to identify, integrate, and discuss the various forms of resistance that Lee evidently portrays in the stories that they play a role in resisting the practice of Chinese Peranakan patriarchy. The next chapter discusses the findings and discussion of Lee's work. This chapter presents the findings and analysis done in Lee Su Kim's book "Manek Mischiefs: Of Patriarchs, Playboys, and Paramours" to show various issues related to feminism in society.
Position of Lee’s Short Stories in the Historical Timeline
As mentioned above, the researcher sought to achieve two objectives: (1) To identify the change in the portrayal of women over time in Lee Su Kim's Manek Connections and (2) To identify how women show resistance to patriarchy in Lee's Manek Su Kim The handicaps. The two remaining short stories, which were The Stump in the Hole under the Casuarina Tree in the Garden of the Mansion by the Sea and A Light Bulb Moment respectively, belonged to this time frame. That meant she was in the 1970s when she started talking about her past.
Portrayal and Resistance of Women in the Selected Short Stories of Manek Mischiefs
Portrayal of Women in Selected Short Stories
This is evident in the following dialogue taken from "The Bride Who Refused to Undress": "She is a few years younger than you…, ..she knows how to cook, onions, jaga. Similarly, in "Cung in the hole under the Casuarina tree in the garden of the seaside mansion", except for the only son, Lim Gan Seong, who is mentioned in the story, neither his three sisters have their names. mentioned throughout the story. In "Cung in the Hole under the Casuarina Tree in the Garden of the Mansion by the Sea", the only named character was the only son and elder brother in the Lim family, Lim Gan Seong.
Resistance of Women in Selected Short Stories
However, as the story progresses, the frustration gradually builds in Sau Ping as she has recounted her experiences on many occasions, as evidenced by the following: (1) “I wondered why my husband needed a wife at all!” (p This constant scrutiny was harmless yet annoyingly harmful, like listening to someone scratch their fingernails across a blackboard. I didn't have the time or energy to explain, nor was she in the mood to to listen” (p. 159) Now that Lee's Manek Mischiefs is written in the 21st century, it is clear that Lee continues to express the concerns of the women's community in today's society by emphasizing the patriarchal oppression she faced in the past.
Conclusion
Evidently, in the selected short stories from Lee Su Kim's Manek Mischiefs over the span of at least 50 years, Lee depicted female characters gradually resisting patriarchy and gaining more voice through her work. From the way Lee portrays the circumstances men and women living in patriarchal society face, the. It is found that women in the selected short stories do suffer from the oppression and subordination, regardless of their family background, social position and races.
