THE CONSTRUCTION OF POST-FEMINIST WOMEN’S IDENTITY BY CONSUMING LIFESTYLES: A STUDY OF FOUR CHICK-LIT NOVELS
A THESIS
Presented as a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Magister Humaniora (M. Hum) Degree in English Language Studies
by
Ruth Bunga Ongi Karyanto Student Number : 066332001
THE GRADUATE PROGRAMME IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDIES SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2009 ii iii STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY
This is to certify that all ideas, phrases, and sentences, unless otherwise stated, are the ideas, phrases, and sentences of the thesis writer. The writer understands the full consequences including degree cancellation if she took somebody else’s ideas, phrases, or sentences without proper references.
Yogyakarta, September 10, 2009
Ruth Bunga Ongi K.
iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks God that the writer has finally completed her thesis. This is because of
God’s blessing and charity that the writer was able to do her best. The writer confesses that it is such a miracle for her to finish her thesis despite her busy days as a new mom and wife, to coincidentally, parallel with the main characters in the novels under study.
The writer would like to show her great gratitude to her advisor, Dr. Novita
Dewi, M.S., M.A. (Hons.) for her kindness, cooperation, and hard work in guiding, advising, and examining this thesis carefully and patiently. She has given the writer a lot of motivation to finish this thesis quickly as well. Here, the writer also would like to apologize for disturbing her privacy with her frequent calls and visits to her house for advice.
The writer would also like to thank her lecturer, Prof. Dr. C. Bakdi Soemanto,
SU as he has inspired the writer to think critically in doing this thesis. His lecture gave a lot of contributions and enlightment to the development of the writer’s ideas.
A special thank is also addressed to Dr. St. Sunardi. As the writer’s reviewer, who is well-experienced in cultural studies, he has given a lot of contributions to the progress, suggestions, and ideas of this thesis. He also has helped the writer in searching and providing some significant books on theories to use in this thesis.
The writer would also like to thank Dr. B. B. Dwijatmoko, M.A., her other reviewer who helped her to revise this thesis.
v A special thanks goes to the writer’s parents for they always took care of the writer’s little baby, Karen, when the writer had to go to the campus and do her thesis.
Thanks to the writer’s husband, Tjiam Tek Siang, who always got mad when she persistently ignored anything else when she had to concentrate in finishing her thesis.
However, it was such a challenge for the writer to finish this thesis as soon as possible. Thanks to the writer’s baby, Karen, who always cried when the writer was far away from her. It means that she loves the writer very much.
This thesis is dedicated to Jesus Christ, the writer’s family, friends: John,
Venti, Johan, Dian, Tigor, Hanita, Katharina, Rosa, Jatmiko, etc, and all lecturers who have participated in filling her life with loves and prayers.
vi TABLE OF CONTENT
TITLE PAGE ...... i PAGE OF APPROVAL ...... ii DEFENSE APPROVAL PAGE ...... iii STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ...... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...... v TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... vii ABSTRACT ...... ix ABSTRAK ...... x
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study...... 1 1.2 Research Questions ...... 9 1.3 Objectives of the Study ...... 9 1.4 Definition of the Terms...... 10 1.5 Benefits of the Study ...... 12 1.6 Research Methods ...... 13
CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Review on Related Studies...... 16 2.2 Review on Related Theories ...... 28 2.2.1 On Popular Culture ...... 28 2.2.2 On Post-Feminism...... 35 2.3 Thereotical Framework ...... 42
CHAPTER III:THE QUESTION OF EDUCATION AND OCCUPATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF POST-FEMINIST WOMEN’S IDENTITY 3.1 Post-Feminist Women’s Identity ...... 44
vii 3.1.1 Education ...... 45 3.1.2 Occupation ...... 53 3.2 The Limits Experienced by Post-Feminist Women in Relation to the Construction of Their Identity...... 69 3.2.1 Solitary Lives ...... 70 3.2.2 Insufficiency ...... 74 3.3 Concluding Remarks ...... 76
CHAPTER IV: LIFESTYLES: NEW WAYS OF POST-FEMINIST WOMEN TO DEFINE THEIR IDENTITY 4.1 Post-Feminist Women’s Lifestyles ...... 78 4.1.1 Body Image ...... 79 4.1.2 Tech-Savviness ...... 86 4.1.3 Residence ...... 88 4.1.4 Social Affiliation and Companionship ...... 90 4.2 Problem of Lifestyles ...... 107 4.3 Concluding Remarks...... 110
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION...... 112 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 117 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 : Summary of Lauren Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada 120 APPENDIX 2 : Summary of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic Takes Manhattan 122 APPENDIX 3 : Summary of Alberthiene Endah’s Jodoh Monica ...... 124 APPENDIX 4 : Summary of Alberthiene Endah’s Cewek Matre ...... 126
viii ABSTRACT
Ruth Bunga Ongi K. 2009. The Construction of Post-Feminist Women’s Identity by Consuming Lifestyles: A Study of Four Chick-Lit Novels. Yogyakarta: The Graduate Program in English Language Studies. Sanata Dharma University.
Considered as women’s literature, chick-lit novels examine the women’s world and its complexity through the representation of the female characters. The four novels under study, Lauren Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada (2003), Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic Takes Manhattan (2002), Alberthiene Endah’s Jodoh Monica (2005) and Cewek Matre (2005), portray the construction of the post-feminist women’s identity and lifestyles inseparable from the idea of consumerism. This study, therefore, is to answer two questions. First, how is the identity of post-feminist women defined in these four novels? Secondly, how are women’s lifestyles defined in these novels? As this study is qualitative research, close-reading is required to analyze how post-feminist women’s identity and lifestyle are depicted. This thesis employs theory of popular culture and a post-feminist perspective to examine the idea of consumerism and post-feminism invariably found in the novels. The construction of the post-feminist women’s identity in the novels converges in two categories: occupation and education. For post-feminist women, occupation and occupation are very important. Occupation is not only a means to earn money, but also to show the existence, prestige, respect, and self-legitimation of the women. Education is the requirement to participate in the post-modern lifestyles. Both occupation and education become post-feminist women’s lifestyles which cannot be separated from consumerism However, these post-feminist women still face problems in the form of solitary lives and insuffeciency, hence the limits of post- feminism. This study also discusses the post-feminist women’s lifestyles in pronouncing their identity. Lifestyles of these women can be classified into four categories: body image, tech-savviness, residence, and social affiliation and companionship. Consumerism which still becomes the ideology of the lifestyles is also explored herein. However, post-feminist women’s engagement to such lifestyles also invites some negative effects as to put them into different social groups that result in social status distinctions. Lifestyles, thus, also intensify these women’s solitary lives. Finally, it can be concluded that the construction of the post-feminist women’s identity cannot be separated from the consumption of lifestyles. The problems which emerge caused by their action in defining their identity and lifestyles also show the limitations of them being post-feminists
ix ABSTRAK
Ruth Bunga Ongi K. 2009. The Construction of Post-Feminist Women’s Identity by Consuming Lifestyles: A Study of Four Chick-Lit Novels. Yogyakarta: The Graduate Program in English Language Studies. Sanata Dharma University.
Dianggap sebagai sastra wanita, novel-novel chick-lit membicarakan dunia wanita and kompleksitasnya melalui gambaran tokoh-tokoh wanitanya. Empat novel yang digunakan dalam studi ini, The Devil Wears Prada karya Lauren Weisberger (2003), Shopaholic Takes Manhattan karya Sophie Kinsella (2002), Jodoh Monica (2005) dan Cewek Matre (2005) karya Alberthiene Endah, menggambarkan konstruksi identitas dan gaya hidup wanita post-feminist yang tidak bisa dipisahkan dari ide konsumerisme. Studi ini, kemudian, menjawab dua pertanyaan. Pertama, bagaimanakah identitas wanita post-feminist ditunjukkan di empat novel ini? Yang kedua, bagaimanakah gaya hidup wanita ditegaskan dalam novel-novel ini? Karena studi ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif, membaca dengan teliti diperlukan untuk menganalisa bagaimana identitas dan gaya hidup wanita post- feminist digambarkan. Tesis ini menggunakan teori budaya pop dan cara pandang post-feminisme untuk menguji ide konsumerisme dan post-feminisme yang sama- sama ditemukan dalam novel-novel ini. Konstruksi identitas wanita post-feminist di novel-novel ini muncul dalam dua kategori: pekerjaan dan pendidikan. Bagi wanita post-feminist, pekerjaan dan pendidikan sangatlah penting. Pekerjaan tidak hanya sebagai alat untuk mencari nafkah, tetapi itu juga untuk menunjukkan eksistensi, gengsi, kehormatan, dan legitimasi diri wanita tersebut. Pendidikan adalah syarat untuk berpartisipasi dalam gaya hidup post-moderen. Baik pekerjaan maupun pendidikan menjadi gaya hidup wanita post-feminist yang tak bisa dipisahkan dari konsumerisme. Namun demikian, wanita post-feminist tersebut masih menghadapi beberapa masalah dalam bentuk kehidupan yang terisolasi dan ketidakcukupan, karena itu merupakan keterbatasan post-feminisme. Studi ini juga mendiskusikan gaya hidup wanita post-feminist dalam membicarakan identitas mereka. Gaya hidup wanita ini dapat diklasifikasikan menjadi empat kategori: citra tubuh, kepintaran teknologi, tempat tinggal, dan penyatuan dan pertemanan sosial. Konsumerisme yang masih menjadi ideologi gaya hidup juga dieksplorasi di dalamnya. Tetapi, keterikatan wanita post-feminist kepada gaya hidup semacam itu juga mengundang beberapa efek negatif seperti untuk menempatkan mereka ke dalam kelompok-kelompok sosial yang berbeda yang berakibat pada perbedaan status sosial. Gaya hidup, kemudian, juga memperkuat keterasingan hidup wanita. Akhirnya, dapat disimpulkan bahwa konstruksi identitas wanita post-feminist tidak bisa dipisahkan dari konsumsi gaya hidup. Masalah-masalah yang timbul disebabkan aksi mereka dalam menegaskan identitas dan gaya hidup mereka juga membuktikan keterbatasan-keterbatasan mereka menjadi post-feminist.
x CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
‘Chick-lit’ as a genre in literature has its unique characteristics and styles as to invite enjoyment in reading it. The popularity of chick-lits has become an epidemic spreading among young women or teenagers and has attracted public attention. Chick- lit can be defined as women’s writing about their own world and it represents many issues concerning with young women’s life alongside its complexity in social life and interaction. Mahesh defines chick-lits as “[books] about single women who are juggling a career and a social life. The protagonists are in their late twenties to early thirties without a perfect job or a perfect body or a perfect boyfriend, and are eternally trying to find the love of their lives”1. That is why this genre invites a lot of attention among young female readers who enjoy reading chick-lit. Furthermore, chick-lit apparently conveys a realistic portayal or look into their own world. This genre of writing depicts women’s everyday’s life with its attributes including their frustations, financial life, singlehood, life styles, insecurities, shopping habits, love matters, social status, and so on. As such, readers are able to find some similarities, situation, and condition in their life with the characters in chick-lits so that they can identify
1 Vani Mahesh is the properietor of EasyLib.com, an online library operating in Bangalore. See Mahesh, Vani. “Post-feminist, or more fondly, Chick-lit.” Deccan Herald (Sunday Herald. 25 April 2004. 28 January 2009
1 themselves definitely as if they, themselves, were the active participants engaged in the story.
Chick-lit novels are significant to study in the English Language Studies as an alternative to English canon literature, for example. Written in the form of narrative fiction, chick-lits are used as tools by the writers to perpetuate and convey their ideology and imaginative adventures. The readers of chick-lits, who are young women, become the target of the authors to share and perpetuate their imagination, ideas, dreams, and idealism. Therefore, chick-lits are useful to feel the heartbeats of people nowadays in responding to such women’s current issues or facts in responding to some current situation and condition.
Thus, what makes such genre is different from other women’s writing, for instance Jane Austen’s works? It is laid on the tone. The tone of chick-lits is more personal, humorous, and relaxed than other women’s writings which seems formal, serious, and sometimes awkward. Even, if the writing style used in regular women’s novels is straightforward, the using of language in chick-lits is less formal and rather vulgar. The quotation below taken from a homepage of chick-lits available would give us a distinctive characteristic of chick-lits from other women’s writing.
So how does that differ from regular woman’s fiction, you might be wondering? Well, it’s all in the tone. Chick lit is told in a more confiding, personal tone. It’s like having a best friend tell you about her life. Or watching various characters go through things that you have gone through yourself, or witnessed others going through. Humor is a strong point in chick lit, too. Nearly every chick lit book I have read has had some type of humor in it. THAT is what really separates chick lit from regular woman’s fiction.2
2 See one of the many chick-lit homepages, for example, “What is Chick-it” on http://chicklitbooks.com/what-is-chick-lit/.
2 In addition, it is also stated in this homepage that chick-lit is also a character study which makes it different from other women’s writing. It focuses on the character’s life and everything around her which ends in details and happily. The plot of the chick-lit may embrace and portray a lot of the readers’ emotion and life as it deals with various topics in women’s world. Therefore, it can be observed that the study of chick-lits is very useful to enrich the world of English literature as the window of the world which reflects the complexity of women’s current lives.
Chick-lits can be best regarded as a tool of transmission for ‘popular culture’ or ‘people culture’ since they comprise a large scale of social phenomena. This culture provides a framework for social changes in which it admits any different individual perspective, manners, and attitudes. Therefore, popular culture allows some diversities in social life as unique characteristics because it gives freedom for its adherents in expressing and identifying themselves through various ways such as their styles of dressing, taste, modes of behaviors, musical preference, etc. In short, chick-lits also talk a lot about post-modern women’s lifestyles which mirrors the life of real young women in our society. Lifestyles, thus, are very important for these women in order to define and show who they are, as it also refers to the characteristics of popular culture.
However, these young women in the novels under study never realize that they have followed the pattern of consumerism which allows and offers them freedom to spend their money as they like. One main issue raised related to the diversity in individual expressions through lifestyles is consumerism that plagues
3 different societies and is absorbed much by young people in urban areas. Regarded as one hot global issue, consumerism becomes a quite interesting topic to discuss. The use of internet, email, and credit cards, for instance, illustrates global consumerism in which its existence cannot be denied as a part of our current daily life.
Moreover, as a global culture which exists in different parts of the world, the ideology of consumerism is constructed and transmitted in a particular society as one characteristic and feature of popular culture. Metropolitan society plays an important role in spreading such ideology which influences and forms people’s mind, behaviors, perspectives, and values.
Based on the characteristics shown by popular culture, indeed, popular culture has an interrelationship with post-feminism. Both of them pay the same attention in providing a space for individual diversity in expressing and identifying themselves.
Thus, it can be observed that post-feminism is a part and production of popular culture. It reflects the spirit of popular culture which has embodied within young women’s characteristics at present.
Post-feminism can be considered as a new product of feminism. It is supposed as the backlash against feminism itself instead of its failure in echoing women’s equity. Meanwhile, feminism itself has a lack in improving the quality of women’s life in all sectors. Thus, the essence of post-feminism is the liberation and maintainance of women’s differences to have their own style and beauty while they have succeeded in making some achievements. Considering the differences between feminism and post-feminism, Schwichtenberg states as follows.
4 In the process, feminist thinkers ... often reified female differences through essentialist (or universal) categories that excluded the determinants of race, class, and sexual preference. Post-feminism, by contrast, focused on the differences between women rather than their sameness and emphasized the socially constructed (not to mention fluid and ad hoc) nature of all sex and gender categories.3
This research takes two western chick-lit novels, Lauren Weisberger’s The
Devil Wears Prada (2003) and Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic Takes Manhattan
(2002), and two Indonesian novels, Alberthiene Endah’s Jodoh Monica (2005) and
Cewek Matre (2005) as the objects of the research. In these four novels, these characters are depicted to be closely engaged in consumer culture as they live within consumerist capitalist society. Consumerism has become the lifestyle for the main characters in the novels. Concerning with the issue of post-feminism, the main characters of these four novels can also be considered as post-feminist women. They are portrayed as being independent, young, smart, and expressive along with their success marks them as post-feminist characters. Therefore, this study is going to examine how these post-feminist women in the novels construct their identity by consuming lifestyles produced in consumerist capitalist society
Meanwhile, lifestyles become a dominant factor in the construction of these post-feminist women in these four novels. They construct their identity by consuming certain lifestyles. In this case, they are not the producers of their own lifestyles, but they consume and follow lifestyles provided by consumerist capitalist society surrounding them. The term women’s lifestyles can be understood as the ways they live and interact with their surrounding as a part of social system. As such,
3 See Cathy Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection (St. Leonards: Westview Press, Inc., 1993), p. 131.
5 consumerism is inseparable from their lives as it has become the spirit of this current era universally. Thus, lifestyle of post-modern women in question may also reflect the spirit of the consumer culture.
Therefore, post-feminist perspective which brings a great influence in these women’s lives liberates them to fulfill the demands of capitalist society. It seems that those women who have been successful in particular area, running their own bussiness, career, education, and high position in their workplace are inclined to be consumer due to several reasons. They unconsciously become the agents and also the objects of this ideological culture. Although it cannot be separated from the consequences and compensation of their jobs, they perpetuate this culture without knowing its dangers and risks.
Invariably, these novels discuss a lot on how young women reach their career and get some achievements, and how they are seduced by a glamourous world surrounding them as to change their lifestyles, personality, attitudes, and social life.
Andrea Sachs, the protagonist in The Devil Wears Prada who works in Runway
Magazine in New York, experiences some challenges in her workplace as her boss,
Miranda Priestley, is a ruthless perfectionist and has an absolute power to command and control the fashion world. Andrea has to work hard to meet her boss’ criteria. As her position arises, her personality and life also change and she is transformed into a sexy, glamorous, and also metropolitan woman. The cost of her rising career is that she loses her intimate relationship with her boyfriend, family, and friends.
Meanwhile, Becky Bloomwood in Shopaholic Takes Manhattan is also depicted as a middle class career woman who experiences a financial problem caused
6 by her obsession in shopping and purchasing some commodities with famous brands.
Her consumer attitudes in purchasing excessive commodities and using credit cards are insufficiently paid by her present job as a financial consultant, and this creates some problems that almost destroy her own future career and relationship with her boyfriend, Luke Brandon. These two novels which take place in America as the setting of the story can be considered as the presentation and reflection of western consumerism existing in that society. The metropolitan society in the novels become the models and the representative of the real metropolitan society in which money and wealth have an authority in changing someone’s identity, personality and life.
Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada and Kinsella’s Shopaholic Takes Manhattan are worth-discussing as both are reflection of western society in responding to the consumer culture.
The phenomenal topic of consumerism is not only asserted in western chick- lit novels, but also in some Indonesian popular novels such as Jodoh Monica and
Cewek Matre. These two novels are interestingly written by the same author,
Alberthiene Endah. Both novels expose the same issue of consumerism existing in the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta. The background of the novel, Jakarta, is depicted as a metropolitan city which offers a lot of amusements for its dwellers as well as the new comers. Jakarta helps to represent how a material world tempts the main characters and challenges them to be involved in a high class association, and how the city captures the life of the characters, Monica Susanti in Jodoh Monica and
Lola in Cewek Matre. Endah’s Jodoh Monica tells about a successful career woman,
Monica Susanti, who has achieved everything in her life, but is still unmarried; and
7 how she finds a horrible thing concerning with her single status in her thirty-four. She experiences a kind of phobia in being single on her late thirty-four. As a consequence, she is trapped in consumerism by consuming commodities in order to increase her
“self-market” and status. Meanwhile, in Endah’s Cewek Matre, the main character,
Lola, who works in an advertising company is in competition with her collegues at work. She feels envious to those who can afford some brand clothes, shoes, cosmestic, and thanks to the financial supports of their husbands and wealthy boyfriends. Later, despite her inability to compete with her collegues, Lola tries to change and construct her new identity into a materialistic woman along with the bad effects.
These four novels are very interesting to study as they deal with a phenomenal problem shown and experienced by many young women in search of their identity by consuming lifestyles. The construction of these women’s identity here cannot be separated from this consumer attitude, hence irony in their life. They even have no power to resist this culture even though they may know about its risks.
This post-feminist perspective signals on how women who have embraced the so- called “girl power” and success may also experience some difficulties in identifying themselves and replacing themselves in a cultural context through their social mingling. Inevitably, they have been trapped deeply in a social and cultural patron and disorder as the negative effects of this life style and consequences of their jobs.
8 1.2 Research Questions
Related to the topic of this thesis, there are three formulated questions to discuss in this research:
1. How is the identity of post-feminist women constructed in two western novels:
Lauren Weisberger’s The Devils Wears Prada, Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic
Takes Manhattan compared to other two Indonesian novels: Albertiene Endah’s
Jodoh Monica and Cewek Matre?
2. How are post-feminist women’s lifestyles defined in these novels?
1.3 Objectives of the Study
In relation to the research problems aforementioned, this thesis has two objectives. Firstly, this research aims to analyze the construction of post-feminist women’s identity in two western novels compared to two Indonesian novels. Thus, problems that appear as the causal effect of the establishment of their identity is also explored in order to notify the readers the same situation and condition they may face in their life so that they will be able to find out the best solution by learning a lot from the texts.
Secondly, this research also aims to highlight lifestyles of the post-feminist women represented by the main characters in the novels. As consuming lifestyles can also be considered as a form of the consumption done by the main characters in these novels, thus, this study also seeks to observe and investigate how consumerism as a part of these post-feminist women’s is inseparable as the cost of their lifestyles. The problem which appears as the effect of their lifestyles is also explored in the hope that
9 the readers will also have a critical mind in responding to and positioning themselves appropriately by reconsidering its negative effects.
1.4 Definition of the Terms
1. Identity
According to Angela McRobbie in Postmodernism and Popular Culture, the concept of identity is “a kind of guide to how people see themselves, not as class subjects, not as psychoanalytical subjects, not as subjects of ideology, not as textual subjects, but as active agents whose sense of self is projected on to and expressed in an expansive range of cultural practises, including texts, images and commodities.”4
Furthermore, Barker states that identity is “deemed to be both personal and social and to mark us out as the same and different from other kinds of people.”5
Based on the two definitions above, the writer defines the concept of identity as the reflection of someone as the way he/she sees himself/herself and other people see him/her which can be expressed into several ways similarly or differently from one to another. Thus, identity does not remain static, but it always changes.
2. Consumerism
The term ‘consumerism’ is identical with consumption. Barker states that “the greater part of consumption is the consumption of signs, which are embedded in the
4 Angela McRobbie, Postmodernism and Popular Culture (London: Routledge, 1994), p.58. 5 Chris Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practise (London: Sage Publication Press, 2000), p. 166.
10 growth of commodity-culture, niche marketing and the creation of lifestyles.”6 In this study, the writer defines consumerism as an ideology which allows people to consume as many as they can. Thus, the act of consumption refers to a human condition which takes it as the way of life.
3. Lifestyles
In summarizing Bourdieu’s ideas on social status and lifestyles, Turner defines lifestyles as “the totality of cultural practices such as dress, speech, outlook and bodily dispositions”7 The writer is inclined to explain this term as the way people live and interact with their surrounding in order to express their identity.
4. Post-feminism
Barker in Cultural Studies defines that “postmodern feminist, the other name for post-feminism, argues that sex and gender are social and cultural constructions which are not reliable to biology. This is an anti-essentialist stance which argues that categories but are discursive constructions.”8
Schwitchtenberg states that “post-feminism, ..., focused on the differences between women rather than their sameness and emphasized the socially constructed
(not to mention fluid and ad hoc) nature of all sex and gender categories.9
6 See Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practise, p. 166. 7 Richard Jerkins, Pierre Bourdieu (New York: Routledge, 1992), p. 130. 8 Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practise, p. 173. 9 Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 133.
11 The writer defines it as a women’s movement which encourages women to express themselves freely and differently without being constrained to any gender reason such as equal rights between men and women. Such a movement takes back women’s nature to their own capital and selling points as female.
5. Popular culture
Barker states that popular culture is “regarded as the meanings and practices produced by popular audiences at the moment of consumption and the study of popular culture becomes center on the uses to which it is put.”10
Therefore, the writer defines popular culture as a mass culture which has become the characteristics of a large amount of people as the way they identify themselves in close relation to their consumption of commodities.
1.5 Benefits of the Study
As this study examines the construction of post-feminist women’s identity in consuming lifestyles, first of all, this study helps the readers to have an awareness and understanding on how women’s identity is constructed into several categories such as education and occupation. Note must be taken that the progress of the era, the role and meaning of education and occupation have shifted. Education and occupation are not only used to define their identity, but also to show women’s lifestyles. Here, the readers will get a portrait of a consumser society through the representation of the
10 Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practise, p. 47.
12 main characters in these chick-lit novels under study along with the problems rise due to their identity.
This study is also meant to inform the ‘new’ concept of feminism, in this case is post-feminism. Through this study, the readers will get the understanding on how women in these chick-lit novels are defined as post-feminist through the ways they construct their identity and lifestyles.
This study gives a lot of benefits to show how current lifestyles portrayed in the novels have rooted and spread in our social circumstances. Meanwhile, from the problems experienced by the main characters, the readers will recognize that lifestyles also have limits. Thus, lifestyles do not always become the solution for their problems, hence lifestyles worsen their communication one to another.
1.6 Research Methods
This research took two western chick-lit novels, Weisberger’s The Devil
Wears Prada (2003) and Kinsella’s Shophaholic Takes Manhattan (2002), and two
Indonesian chick-lit novels, Endah’s Cewek Matre (2005) and Jodoh Monica (2005) as the objects of the study. The writer selected Cewek Matre and Jodoh Monica because both chick-lit novels reflect the idea of consumerism coincidentally written by the same author. The source of Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada was taken from the omnibus edition published in 2008. The discussion of the research focused on the construction of the post-feminist women’s identity and the consumption of lifestyles as part of their identity seen in the novels which is examined through a post- feminist perspective.
13 As this research was concerned with the identity and lifestyle of post-feminist women in the novels, theories on popular culture including identity, lifestyles, and consumerism, and theory on post-feminism were used to find the answers of the research problems. Theories on popular culture applied in this research were taken from Barker’s Cultural Studies (2000), McRobbie’s Postmodernism and Popular
Culture (1994), Strinati’s An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture (1995) and
Jerkins’ Pierre Bourdieu (1992). These theories were used to get the understanding of the concepts of popular culture, identity, lifestyle, and consumerism Meanwhile, theory on post-feminism were taken from Schwichtenberg’s The Madonna
Connection (1993). Theory of post-feminism was used to explore the idea of post- feminism. As an additional source for post-feminism, the writer took Douglas’s article entitled “Manufacturing Post-feminism”. In analyzing the problems, post- feminist perspective was used as the approach of this thesis, given that post-feminism itself is part and production of popular culture which also shares similar characteristics to popular culture. The writer chose to employ theory of post- feminism as the approach of this thesis since it is the most appropriate theory which discusses a lot about women’s identity and its relation to lifestyles and consumerism.
As the writer conducted a qualitative research, the writer employed a library research. A close reading activity was done to gain the data, quotations, and supporting ideas about the concepts of chick-lits, popular culture, identity, lifestyle, consumerism, and post-feminism. The data collection was divided into two categories: primary and secondary data. The primary data were taken from the chick- lits novel themselves. The translation for the quotations of Indonesian chick-lit novels
14 was done by the writer herself as this was a research in the English Studies. The secondary data were taken from some articles, journals, and written interviews with the authors of the chick-lits culled from internet and books in the library. Dictionaries were used to find out the meanings of any difficult words.
The writer took three steps in conducting this research. The first was explication. The writer had attempted to understand and master the primary data in details in order to get a complete understanding about the essence of the novels in relation with identity, post-feminism, and lifestyles before making the explication.
The writer also sought some supportive data, quotations, and articles which helped the writer to answer the research problems. The second step was interpretation.
Having mastered all data, the writer attempted to make a post-feminist interpretion.
The analysis of women’s identity, lifestyles, and consumerism was done through a post-feminist perspective. The third step was contextualization. The writer attempted to contextualize the issue of women’s identity and lifestyles with the present condition in social life.
15 CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
This section is divided into three parts. The first is review on related studies.
This part consists of the discussion of the nature of chick-lits, the works of the authors of the chick-lit novels under study, the critics’ comments, judgements, and opinions about the works.Previous study on the works done by other researchers will also be discussed here. The second is review on related theories. Here, theories on popular culture and post-feminism are discussed, since this thesis deals with the issue of lifestyle and consumerism in the construction of post-feminist characters in the novels. The third is theoretical framework. The writer needs to determine certain theories and approach used in answering the research questions. Thereotical framework is needed in order to avoid any misunderstanding about the concept of popular culture and post-feminism since there are a lot of theories dealing with such topics.
2.1 Review on Related Studies
As this study takes chick-lits as its primary sources, the concept of chick-lits is necessary to explain first. Chick-lit is defined by Mahesh as follows.
A term that represents a new genre of books and would make a feminist turn in her grave. It is about single women who are juggling a career and a social life. The protagonists are in their late twenties to early thirties without a perfect job or a perfect body or a perfect boyfriend, and eternally trying to find the love of their lives. These books are marked
16 with a sharp with that is mostly self depreciating humour with always a bright ending.”1
The definition of chick-lits above gives the markers which differentiate these books from any other women’s writing in the past, or even marks it differently with the idea of post-feminism, in contrast to feminism. Such differences between these two women’s movements will be discussed in the next section of this chapter.
The study on chick-lits in literature is controversial as there are many speculations which consider chick-lits as trashy and not qualified works. However, as a genre written by women and for women, chick-lits can be considered as women literature. The tone of chick-lits, which is humorous and light, encourage them to be well accepted by young women as the readers of chick-lits. Chick-lits are usually writtten and narrated by using the first person point of view which make them like a personal writing of the author.
Chick-lits take a lot of issues closely related to women’s world such as friendship, love, birth, pregnancy, activities, dilemmas, shopping habits, etc.
Therefore, the readers will get enjoyment and their place within the story as if they were the participants of the story. This idea is closely related to the essence of chick- lits which emphasizes on the characters’ life as quoted in the following chick-lit homepage. It says, “Chick lit is also a truly fascinating character study. A chick lit author takes a character and puts them through a series of mostly realistic ordeals –
1 See Mahesh, Vani. “Post-feminist, or more fondly, Chick-lit.” Deccan Herald (Sunday Herald. 25 April 2004. 28 January 2009
17 many that many women can relate to. The end result is usually very interesting, detailed, fun-to-read and satisfying.”2
As such, the quotations above mark the quality of chick-lits which allows women to have insights toward their own life and imaginations. The sub genres of chick-lits such as mommy lit, mystery lit, mystery lit, lad lit, marriage lit, etc encourage chick-lit to become the best seller fiction. A lot of various topics in chick- lits make the readers experience and learn themselves about every single relevant aspect in their life as told in the aforementioned chick-lits homepage as follows.
Another thing about chick lit is that regardless of the type of fictionalized story you are looking for – you can usually find it. Want to read about a young woman going to school in another country? There is at least one chick lit book about that. Are you interested in exploring pregnancy, childbirth, and related issues in a variety of different scenarios? Try a chick lit novel. Want to read about a woman who wants to lose weight, right a wrong in her life, make new friends, find a new place to live, get ahead in her career, figure out how to fix problems in her life by opening her heart, or get over an ex- boyfriend/husband who has really messed up her life? Try a chick lit book! These books range in topics all the way from dating and relationships to grieving over lost family members, cancer and miscarriages. And everything in between you can imagine. There are even chick lit books that explore religion and the paranormal.3
Based on the nature of chick-lits which has been discussed above, chick-lit novels are deserved to be studied as they are very phenomenal to our present life. It is shown by the enthusiasm of the readers interested in buying and reading the books.
Besides, the contents of the chick-lits which expose various themes and issues in
2 See “What is Chick-lit”. Chick Lit Books. October. July 23, 2009. < http://chicklitbooks.com/what-is- chick-lit/>. 3 “What is Chick-lit”
18 women’s life enable the readers to rethink about their world. What follows are brief overviews of chick-lit novels under study.
Kinsella, the author of Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, is a British author whose real name is Madeleine Wickham. She also worked as a financial journalist like her heroine Becky, who works as a financial guru, before she began to write her
Shopaholic series. Formerly, Kinsella wrote several books such as The Tennis Party
(1995), A Desirable Residence, Swimming Pool Sunday (1997), The Gatecrasher, and
The Wedding Book under her real name. Only later did she begin to introduce Becky as a shopping addicted woman in the following series: Confessions of Shopaholic
(2001), Shopaholic Takes Manhattan (2002), Shopaholic Ties the Knot (2003),
Shopaholic & Sister (2005), Shopaholic & Baby (2007) through her pseudonym
Sophie Kinsella. Each Shopaholic novel has a different plot, but the heroine of the novels is still similarly trapped in financial matter caused by her shopping habits in consuming a lot of branded commodities beyond what she could afford.
Besides, Kinsella also wrote other novels entitled Can You Keep a Secret? and The Undomestic Goddess published in 2005. Then, she also wrote Remember Me in 2008. Recently she has just released a new novel entitled Twenties Girl in 2009.
More or less, each of Kinsella’s heroines in these novels also have the same features as Becky in Shopaholic series. They are characterized as middle to upper class women who loves shopping commodities and having problems with their boyfriends and jobs although each character has their own story. Hence, there is intertextuality among her novels.
19 Kinsella’s Shopaholic Takes Manhattan was firstly published in the United
Kingdom in the year of 2000, and sold well on both sides of the Atlantic so that
Kinsella created mini-genre featuring her heroine, and some million copies of the series were in print four years later. It was initially entitled Shopaholic Abroad and changed to Shophaholic Takes Manhattan for its American publication in 2002.4 This novel exemplifies consumerism through the representation of the female character,
Becky Bloomwood. It tells of how she is addictive to the pleasure of shopping activities and how she gradually owes Endwich Bank to satisfy her shopping desire.
In Scanlon’s article entitled “Making Shopping Safe for the Rest of Us:
Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic Series and Its Readers”, it is stated that the Shophaholic series similarly emphasize on Becky’s life including her career, love with Luke, relationship with her family and friends, troubles, and attention in shopping habits.
Becky’s trip to New York is also commented herein. It says:
From book to book, Becky’s whirlwind existence includes career deliberations and changes, the angst of romance, and the trials and tribulations of relationships with family and friends, but above all, her life centers around shopping. Becky declares in Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, not about Luke or her family of origin but about the upscale shops she encounters on her first trip to New York city. Again, Becky fervently and repeatedly displays the behaviors that seem most likely to lead more and more Americans along the road to bankruptcy, and on this level the books seem to do little more than provide readers with roadmaps for economic servitude to credit card companies.5
4 Review: Brennan, Carol. “Sidelights.” Sophie Kinsella Biography. 16 Nov. 2004. 03 March 2009.
20 The article also mentions at length about the involvement of consumerism in the novels and its relevance in women’s life as a contemporary social and cultural phenomenon in order to define women’s characteristics which differentiate them from men as follows.
The books and their readers reveal that reading about shopping, as well as engaging in it, provides contemporary young women with a space within consumer culture in which to explore and to respond to contemporary cultural mandates about the self. In this reading, representations of shopping provide something of an oppositional practise, oppositional to some of the mandates of contemporary heterosexual culture, namely the body defines the female and that having a man in one’s life defines a woman. Arguably, however, the books offer more that is compensatory than oppositional, in that consumer capitalism in the end seems a less than utopian alternative to the shortcomings of either contemporary media-driven expectations of womanhood or contemporary heterosexual relationship.”6
Another reviewer, Jones, also gives an appraisal to Kinsella’s Shopaholic
Takes Manhattan as a novel which deserves to read, as it has an excellent quality, attractions, and involvement of the readers’s emotion while reading it. She also exposes the existence and role of Luke in Becky’s life as her boyfriend. This plot gives a romantic touch to the novel as a lot of young girls experience the same feeling as Becky.
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan engages all the reader’s emotion, unpredictable dialogue, hilarious high jinks, enough melancholy to inspire sympathy with an undercurrent of poignancy that ties it together. Readers of Kinsella’s previous stories will be delighted to know that Luke plays a larger role. His character has been skillfully fleshed out and comes with a few surprises of his own. This slight intrique involving a business collegue moves the story along without detracting from the main plotline. On the contrary, it plays an important role in Becky’s
6 See Scanlon, Jennifer. “Making Shopping Safe for the Rest of Us: Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic Series and Its Readers”
21 journey to financial maturity. You’ll laugh at Becky antics, weep for her when her world comes crashing down, and cheer for her when she triumphs over life’s dilemmas.7
Speaking of the financial problem experienced by the main character, Becky,
Kinsella has her own opinion in viewing this matter as quoted in the Sunday Times as follows: “Money is an emotional subject, which affect people’s lives, even though they think it shouldn’t ... I find that interesting.” Kinsella believed that the financial woes chronicled in the books were part of their appeal. That is why she took money as a significant issue in Shophaholic as it is a kind of configuration of power and pride in the world that all people have business with. She also confessed that her idea in writing Shopaholics came in a simple way as she told the San Fransisco writer,
Laurel Wellman as follows.
It was the initial ‘Visa bill scene’ that spurred her, ... . “It came into my head, opening a visa bill and being a total denial about the whole thing. And once that happened I could see the character, I could see where it was going, and I could see the potential for comedy.”8
The second novel which also deals closely with consumer culture is Lauren
Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada. It was published in April 2003 and spent six months on “The New York Bestseller List”. Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada as the source of this thesis was taken from the omnibus edition published in 2008.
Weisberger’s second novel entitled Everyone Worth Knowing was published in
October 2005 and also became a New York Times Bestseller. Chasing Harry
Winston was her third novel published in May 2008.
7 Jones, Kelly. “Mayhem and Sample Sales.” The Best Review. 5 February 2002. 3 March 2009
22 Because of its popularity as a best-selling novel, The Devil Wears Prada is also made into a film directed by Frankel. In short, the novel and film similarly portray the same thing that both are really concerning with woman’s power as represented by Miranda as the boss and the creation of the world surrounding her which is full of American consumerism and glamour. However, there is a slight different portrayal on the character of Miranda that she is described to be more human in the film than in the novel. One main issue in this novel is American consumerism which gives us the depiction of the imagined community through the presentation of the characters, setting, and the tone of the story.
Other main issue exposed in Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada is about the difficulties experienced by the characters in balancing their new careers with their personal relationships in which at the end of the story they have to choose one of them. Weisberger herself stated in an interview held at a book publisher, California
Barnes and Noble that she also experienced the same thing as Andrea in her twenties.
She finds that it was very hard for her to make a balance between her work and social life including her love life as anybody else also suffered from, saying:
“It is a long road. But I think that the main thing facing people is trying to get that balance between work and social life and love life. And you can’t ever seem to get all three to play at the same time. You sort of fix one and the other one falls apart. So, I think that’s something I try to write about my books. And it’s something that I definitely had trouble with in my twenties and it’s something that me and my friends are always talking about.”9
9 The interview was quoted by University Chic on: “University Chic”. My Interview with Lauren Weisberger. October 26, 2005. March 03, 2009
23 There are also some speculations among the critics that the character of
Miranda Priestly is the result of the real description of the Vogue’s editor-in-chief,
Anna Wintour. Anna Wintour was the employer of Weisberger in the Vogue magazine in which Weisberger was her assistant at that time. Then, The Devil Wears
Prada is considered as a true story revealing some similarities with the real character,
Anna Wintour, that both of them are British and work as the editor-in-chief of famous fashion magazines, Wintour in Vogue and Miranda in Runway. Physically, they have the same fashion quirk (Wintour wears large and dark sunglasses, while Miranda wears a white Hermes scarf). Both of them also have the same family backgrounds such as having two children and marital problems which end up in divorce. They also enjoy playing tennis as their hobby, and both serve on the board of the metropolitan
Museum of Art. The two women are also personally described as cold persons and talk incisicely.10
Based on an interview with Anna Wintour about the launching of the film The
Devil Wears Prada in which she also attended and watched, she thought that the film was a satire toward herself. Meanwhile, Weisberger describes and positions herself as the character of Andrea Sachs in the story as the novel is also the reflection of her own life. Started from her first entrance to New York after her graduation, she also applied for a job at Vogue. She states the follows is:
I see a lot myself in Andrea ... from her love of writing to her tendency to get so wrapped up in things that she somehow finds it difficult to see the big picture. It was only natural for me to have her grow up in a
10 Chasing the Frog. Com was a site which presents a lot of factual news related to the background of the novel writing: “Questioning the Story.” Chasing the Frog. Com. 28 January 2009
24 small town, study English at university, and move to New York after graduation, because that’s clearly a familiar path for me. But I think she’s a hell of a lot stronger than I could ever be ... And while, like Andrea, I care very little about high fashion. I, of course, wouldn’t turn down an afternoon of shopping with my friends. I definitely like clothes as much as the next girl, just not to the extent of people who work in the fashion industry.”11
The emergence of the Indonesian chick-lits such as Jodoh Monica (2005) and
Cewek Matre (2005) is inspired by the publication of the English chick-lit such as
Bridget Jones’ Diary being the pioneer and its success stimulates Indonesian writers to create their own version in Indonesian. Commenting on this issue, Djunjung in her article entitled “The Construction of Urban Single Career Woman in Indonesian
Chick-Lit, Jodoh Monica” states that the writers of respectively, Jodoh Monica and
Cintapuccino – Alberthiene Endah and Ica Rahmanti, acknowledge that it was the popularity of the English chick-lits which inspired them to write their own version and interpretation of what constitute as Indonesian chick lit. She also adds that there is also another aspect which makes the novel deserve to read, i.e. its serious attention to the issue of singlehood commonly feared by most of women, thus:
Even though Jodoh Monica has the characteristics of British chick lit in its format, and explicitly admits the influence of Bridget Jones’ Diary and In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner as the model of its writing, such as the age, profession and the superficiality of the protagonist, the similarities stop there. It is the very aspect that makes this novel interesting to be read as a text in regards of its ‘seriousness’ in dealing with the problem of being single.12
11See Chasing the Frog. Com “Questioning the Story”
25 With regard to the issue of consumerism in Jodoh Monica, Djunjung also states about the cultural products that the main character, Monica Susanti, consumes and the leisure activities she leads, confirm her postion of belonging to a certain class.
The place where she lives, the apartment as well as the location, indicates her identity as a middleclass member of the society. She is an independent single who becomes a producer as well as a consumer in the economic activity of a cosmopolitan city like
Jakarta.
Djunjung in her other article, “The Commodification of the Body in Sophie
Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic and Alberthiene Endah’s Cewek Matre” also explores and comments about the similarity reflected by the two protagonists. Both
Becky Bloomwood in Shopaholic Takes Manhattan and Lola in Cewek matre are obsessed with shopping and lifestyles that they cannot afford. She also mentions the reasons of both characters in committing to such shopping activities as follows:
Most of the things they buy are intended for body adornment, which is very much related to their self-esteem in the social and professional circles they want to belong to. They believe that all the things they buy are essential weapons to raise their market value. At the same time they also treat the men as commodities in how they like the men as commodities to choose from.13
She also mentions that shopping activities shown by Becky and Lola are not merely consuming commodities such as cosmetics, fashion or lifestyles. As such, everything can become a commodity including all social relations, activities and objects. She continues on the similarity between those two novels that in consumer
13 Djunjung, Yenni M. The Commodification of the Body in Sophie Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic and Alberthiene Endah’s Cewek Matre. 31 May 2008
26 culture, the bodies are treated as the commodities that can be “bought” and “sold” with the attachment of specific values.
The above mentioned studies have discussed the similar characterization of both characters which emphasizes on body-marketing and adornment, but this present research is going to explore more on how the identity of women is constructed by consuming lifestyles. This research is concerned with the issue of post-feminism and consumerism inseparable from women’s present lives that has not been discussed yet before.
Meanwhile, other studies discuss the construction of female identity as a result of patriarchal system in society and the commodification of the body, for example Djunjung’s study entitled “The Commodification of the Body in Sophie
Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic and Alberthiene Endah’s Cewek Matre”.
Since the production of Indonesian chick-lit novels obtains the idea of western chick- lit novels in which more or less they have some similarities in presenting the issue of consumerism within post-feminist perspective, thus, it is very interesting for the writer to make a comparative study between these English and Indonesian novels. In doing so, some articles about the exploration of consumerism in a post-feminist perspective are taken as supportive materials in developing this research. It is worth mentioning that the translation of Jodoh Monica and Cewek Matre is done by the writer of the thesis.
27 2.2 Review on Related Theories
In this section, theories on popular culture will be discussed first in order to know and understand the concept of popular culture or pop-culture. Thus, the concepts of identity, lifestyles, and consumerism are also discussed under the sub- heading “popular culture theory”. It is because each of them is considered as parts of popular culture, and this research would make an analysis around these topics. Next, theories on post-feminism are also discussed in this part as to analyze the construction of women’s identity. Yet, it is also used as the approach applied in this research.
2.2.1 On Popular Culture
The study of consumerism as one of social phenomena cannot be separated from the concept of popular culture. This is because consumerism is recognized as one feature of popular culture which engages in a large part of consumerist capiltalist society. Thus, the study of popular culture is very significant in making a foundation for this research. It is through the study of popular culture that we explore the idea of lifestyles and consumerism. It is also popular culture which allows people to identify themselves differently from one to another given the constantly changing situation and condition.
Barker states that popular culture is “regarded as the meanings and practices produced by popular audiences at the moment of consumption and the study of
28 popular culture becomes center on the uses to which it is put.”14 He continues to explain that popular culture “represent a reversal of the traditional question of how the culture industry turns people into commodities that serve its interests in favour of exploring how people turn the products of industry into their popular culture serving their interests.”15
The quotation above shows that popular culture emerges alongside with the growth of industries and the marketing of the commodities. Popular culture enourages people to a mass consumption of the commodities for certain reasons and interests as
‘Commodities confer prestige and signify social value, status and power in the context of cultural meanings which derive from the wider ‘social order’. Thus, codes of similarity and differences in consumer goods are used to signify social afiliation.’16
It can be conceived therefore that there is a correlation of popular culture with lifestyles, and consumerism as it gives identity and status to its bearers.
The concept of identity is explained by McRobbie in Postmodernism and
Popular Culture as “a kind of guide to how people see themselves, not as class subjects, not as psychoanalytical subjects, not as subjects of ideology, not as textual subjects, but as active agents whose sense of self is projected on to and expressed in an expansive range of cultural practises, including texts, images and commodities.”17
14 See Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practise, p. 47. 15 Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practise, p. 47. 16 Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practise, pp. 108-109. 17 McRobbie, Postmodernism and Popular Culture, p.58.
29 The creation of identity can be considered to be the target of popular culture which allows differences in expressing individual’s identity through tastes, attitudes, and lifestyles. As Barker comments on this as follows.
We take identity to be expressed through forms of representation which are recognizable by ourselves and by others. That is, identity is an essence which can be signified through signs of taste, beliefs, attitudes and lifestyles. Identity is deemed to be both personal and social and to mark us out as the same and different from other kinds of people. We may agree that identity is concerned with sameness and difference, with the personal and the social and with forms of representation.18
Furthermore, Barker explains that “the greater part of consumption is the consumption of signs, which are embedded in the growth of commodity-culture, niche marketing and the creation of lifestyles.”19 Through the creation of lifestyle and the growth of commodity markets, people encourage themselves to consume the signs in which they will be useful to increase their own values and social status. As such,
Featherstone also comments on this as quoted by Barker as follows.
... The creation of lifestyles is centred on the consumption of aesthetic signs associated with a relative shift in significance from production to consumption. Indeed, “it is important to focus on the growing prominence of the culture of consumption and not merely regard consumption as derived from production.’... That is, the culture of consumption has its own logic which is not reducible to production and which loosens the connection between social class group and lifesyles/identities.20
Lifestyles considered as another impotant term in popular culture is also reflected through Jerkin’s Pierre Bourdieu. Bourdieu’s ideas on social status and lifestyles are summarized in this book as follows.
18 See Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practise, p. 166. 19 Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practise, p. 109. 20 Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practise, p. 109.
30 Social status involves practices which emphasize and exhibit cultural distinctions and differences which are a crucial feature of all social stratification ... Status may be conceptualised therefore as lifestyle; that is, as the totality of cultural practices such as dress, speech, outlook and bodily dispositions ... While status is about political entitlement and legal location within civil society, status also involves, and to a certain extent is, style.21
Featherstone also explains on the activation of social status in a consumer culture influenced by lifestyles. He states that individual status in society is fluid in which it depends on the performance of their lifestyle through their consumption. He states as follows.
We are moving towards a society without fixed status groups in which the adoption of styles of life fixed to specific social groups and divisions is becoming irrelevant as they give way to lifestyles in which ‘the new heroes of consumer culture make a lifestyle a life project and display their individuality and sense of style in the particularity of the assemblage of goods, clothes, practices, experiences, appearances and bodily dispositions they design together into a lifestyle.’22
From the quotation above, it is clear that lifestyles as the contextualization of social status creates diversity among its bearers. This idea is very closely related to the essence of post-feminism which allows the differences among women which will be discussed in the next section in this chapter. Featherstone also comments on the importance of body image in popular culture. He says that, “the body is “proclaimed as a vehicle of pleasure and self expression. Images of the body beautiful, openly sexual and associated with hedonism, leisure and display, emphasizes the importance of appearance and the ‘look’. . . . for more marketable self.”23
21 See Jerkins, Pierre Bourdieu, p. 130. 22 Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practise, p. 109. 23 Mike Featherstone, The Body: Social Process and Cultural Theory (London: Sage, 1991), p. 170.
31 Furthermore, Bourdieu (via Jerkin) also takes the notion of taste to discuss dictinctions among individuals. He explains it as “a sort of naturally occuring phenomenon – to mark and maintain (in part by masking and marking) social boundaries, whether these be between the dominant and dominated classes or within classes.”24
Bourdieu also presents a three-zone model of cultural tastes: ‘legitimate’ taste, ‘middle-brow’ taste and ‘popular taste’. He uses it as “a map of tastes and preferences which correspond to education level and social class; in short, it is the beginnings of a model of class life-styles.”25
Like every sort of taste, it unites and separates. Being the product of the conditioning assiciated with a particular class of conditions of existence, it unites all those who are the product of similar condition while distinguishing them from all others. And it distinguishes in an essential way, since taste is the basis of all that one has – people and things – and all one is for others, whereby one classifies oneself and is classified by others.26
Thus, taste can be used as the key signifiers and elements of social identity as summarized by Jerkins. He argues about the importance of taste in lifestyles that “it is one of the primary interactional determinants of class endogamy: individuals tend to meet and marry, or so Bordieu argues, within rather than between life-styles (and, hence, within rather than between social classes).”27 He continues to argue that “it is
24 See Jerkins, Pierre Bourdieu, p. 137. 25 Jerkins, Pierre Bourdieu, p. 138. 26 Jerkins, Pierre Bourdieu, p. 139. 27 Jerkins, Pierre Bourdieu, p. 139.
32 taste mediates the correspondence between classes of products and classes of consumers, in a relationship of ‘elective affinity’ ...”28
Bourdieu also argues that occupation is also an indicator of individual social class. He made a survey which proved that the dominant class possessed the economic capital such as home and luxury car ownership and cultural capital such as newspaper read, frequency of theatre-going, enthusiasm for classical music.29 Thus, it can be understood that the social difference between groups creates a kind of domination and dominated relationship. Bourdieu argues that “the manner in which the routine practices of individual actors are determined, at least in large part, by history and objective structure of their existing social world, and how inasmuch as the nature of that social world is taken to be axiomatic, ... “30 In understanding
Bourdieu’s notion of ‘competitive struggle’, the following quotations would help us to understand.
the form of class struggle which the dominated classes allow to be imposed on them when they accept the stakes offered by the dominant classes. It is an integrative struggle and, by virtue of the initial handicaps, a reproductive struggle, since those who enter this chase, in which they are beaten before they start ... implicitly recognize the legitimacy of the goals pursued by those whom they pursue, by the mere fact of taking part.31
Meanwhile, Strinati in An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture gives the hallmarks of post-modern popular culture in several aspects of life, such as architecture, cinema, television, advertisement, and pop music. The emergence of
28 See Jerkins, Pierre Bourdieu, p . 142. 29 Jerkins, Pierre Bourdieu, p. 140. 30 Jerkins, Pierre Bourdieu, p. 141. 31 Jerkins, Pierre Bourdieu, p. 141.
33 popular culture can also be observed from television advertising. Although the purpose of advertising is still to sell products, post-modern adverts are more concerned with the cultural representations of the adverts than any qualities the products advertised. Strinati states clearly as follows.
Postmodern adverts are more concerned with the cultural representations of the advert than any qualities the product advertised may have in the outside world, a trend in keeping with the supposed collapse of ‘reality’ into popular culture. The stylish look of advertisements, their clever quotation from popular culture and art, their minisagas, their concern with the surface things, thier jokey quips at the expense of advertising itself, their self-conscious revelation of the nature of the advertisements as media construction, and their blatant recycling of the past, are all said to be indicative of the emergence of postmodernism in television advertising.32
Strinati also points the existence of consumerism in post-modern era as there is a shift in the economic needs of capitalism from production to consumption.
Consumption becomes the target of capitalists as the target of production has been reached. She states:
But the point being made is that in an advanced capitalist society like Britain, the need for people to consume has become as important, if not strategically important than the need for people to produce. Increased affluence and leisure-time, and the ability of significant sections of working class to engage in certain types of conspicuous consumption, have in their turn served to accentuate this process. Hence, the growth of consumer credit, the expansion of agencies like advertising, marketing, design and public relations, encouraging people to consume, and the emergence of a post-modern popular culture which celebrates consumerism, hedoism, and style.33
Furthermore, Strinati explains that the emergence of middle working class occupations as post-modern occupations helps to promote consumerism. Her ideas
32 See Dominic Strinati, An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture (London: Routledge, 1995), p. 233. 33 Strinati, An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture, p. 236.
34 here are very significant for this research as it deals with women’s identity. She explains:
Hence, it can be suggested that certain ‘postmodern’ occupations have emerged which function to develop and promote postmodern popular culture. These occupations involve the construction of postmodernism. They are claimed to be both creating and manipulating or playing with cultural symbols and media images so as to encourage and extend consumerism, This argument tries to account for the growing importance of occupations like advertising, marketing, design, architecture, journalism and television production, others like accountancy and finance associated with increased consumer credit, ... associated with the definition and selling of notions of psychological and personal fulfilment and growth. All these occupations are said to be among the most important in determining the taste patterns for the rest of the society. They exert an important influence over other people’s life-styles, and values or ideologies (while expressing their own well).34
2.2.2 On Post-Feminism
The term ‘post-feminist’ was initially introduced by Susan Bolotin in 1982, through her article in New York Times Magazine entitled “Voices of the Post-
Feminist Generation”, which is used to describe a backlash against the second-wave feminism. The concept of post-feminism is appealing to women who do not yet realize its damaging effect. Thus, the rise of post-feminism signals a world in which feminism has been transcended, occluded, and overcome.35
Nedeau notes in his article “Is Feminism Dead? An overview of Post-
Feminism” that the concept of feminism is irrelevant in this present society where gender inequality is hardly a current problem. Therefore, after feminism has achieved
34 See Strinati, An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture, p. 237. 35 Douglas, Susan J. “Manufacturing Post-feminism.” In These Times. 26 April 2002. January 29, 2009
35 its goals, the time is for post-feminism to take a turn and distance themselves from the movement. It says:
Post-feminist believe in taking charge of their own success-economic, political, and sexual power- without admitting any limited scope... . Still, regardless of admitting there is or is not a glass ceiling, removing oneself from the collective women’s rights movements can also mean umwittingly engaging in the post-feminist movement. 36
Other definition of post-feminism is also discussed by Tamer. He defines it as the best way to give name of a discourse of feminist concerns informed by the neo- liberal era. Furthermore, he explains that “this movement is perhaps one from which women may speak critically without having to defend themselves as properly positioned in relation to the cause. Women, in this so called post-feminist age, may passionately embrace girl power, rock’n’roll and porn, and do not for gender-specific reason, but they mustn’t call themselves as feminist.”37
Meanwhile, according to Genz in her article entitled “The Politic of Post-
Feminism”, “the notion of a post-feminist micro-politics complicates the critical perception of post-feminism as a depoliticized and anti-feminist backlash and offers a dynamic model of political action that takes into account the multiple agency positions of individuals today.”38 Furthermore, it is also explained that post-feminism adopts a thirdway perspective to reconcile a number of conflicting concerns, from feminist calls for female equality and theoretical debates on anti-essentialism to the consumer demands of capitalist society. It is very obvious that post-feminist
36 Nedeau, Jen. “Is Feminism Dead? An Overview of Post Feminism”. 04 October 2008. 15 Jan 2009
36 perspectives allows women to reach their achievements along with their compensatory and consumer attitude is a price that must be paid as a significant factor to declare their identity in a social life.
Mazza also comments about the essence of post-feminism which gives liberation to woman to have their own demands and choice and to be themselves with their own characteristics. Therefore, post-feminism works as an ideology of the consumer society. Mazza has this to say:
Post-feminist says we don’t have to be superhuman anymore. Just human. Furthermore, post feminism liberates women from the demands not sexism but of feminism. Post feminism works as well as a label, a brand, in a consumerist society in which ideology now as longstanding as feminism is surely due for a makeover. It is also called as lipstick feminist. It is wholly compatible with marketplace approach to women’s choices. One of the points here is that women don’t have to be one kind of human being with one kind of pleasure.”39
The term feminism is, according to Douglas, now irrelevant, because it has made millions of women unhappy, unfeminine, childless, lonely, and bitter. It is because women who pursue a career first and postpone having babies too long will end up barren and miserable. In the past 20 years, the print screams, there has been a
100% rise in childless women ages 40-44. This fact is supposed to be the consequences or the impact of feminist attitude of women toward the notion of equity between men and women in all fields. To substitute, post-feminism resists this weaknesses of feminism. To substitute, it emphasizes in the notion that whatever challenge that women face in juggling work and family are indeed their individual
39 Mazza’s comment about post-feminism was quoted by Scanlon in her article “Making Shopping Safe for the Rest of Us: Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic Series and Its Readers.” Americana: The Journal of American Popular Culture (1900-present). Fall 2005. Volume 4. Issue 2. 25 March 2009
37 struggles, to be conquered through good planning, smart choices, and an upbeat outlook.40
According to Douglas, the term post-feminism itself is very political in the sense that it is used as the weapon of the manufacture companies in advertising their prcoducts. It affects our paradigm and leads women back to the nature of feminity in which it exposes the beauty image, body, and posture, as they are identical to the construction of being modern women for their benefits. It is a kind of propaganda used by the manufacture companies themselves to sell their products and in order to make their products well accepted by society, especially by young women who pay much attention to their beauty and ideal body. Mass media such as magazines hold an important role in spreading this concept through the advertisement of those products.
Douglas says the following in her article “Manufacturing Post-feminism”.
Post-feminism is, in fact, an ongoing engineering process promoted most vigorously by the right, but aided and abetted all along the way by the corporate media. Post-feminism is crucial to the corporate media because they rely on advertising. ... It is Vogue’s job (and the job of countless other women’s magazines) to remind women that their most important task it to police the boundaries of their bodies.41
The concept of post-feminism is also discussed by Schwichtenberg in her book entitled The Madonna Connection. In the sub-heading of “Madonna’s
Postmodern Feminism: Bringing the Margins to the Center”, she tries to explore the idea of post-modern feminism, a term which also stands for post-feminism, through the representation of Madonna, a famous superstar. She is highlighted to break the
40 “Manufacturing Post-feminism” was a term introduced by Douglas in her online article: Douglas, Susan J. “Manufacturing Post-feminism.” In These times. 26 April 2002. January 29, 2009.
38 boundaries over sexes by performing her multiple personae on television screen.
Barker also comments on Madonna’s video ‘Express Yourself’ which ‘continually shifts the focus of the camera, and thus the audience, to adopt a variety of subject- viewer positions so that identification is dispersed and multiple.’42 The issue of
Madonna’s multiple identity which crosses the boundary of gender and body is related to the essence of post-feminism. Post-feminism mentioned as post-modern feminism is explained by Schwichtenberg as follows.
Madonna’s postmodern feminism is a part of a larger postmodern phenomenon which her videos also embody in their blurring of the hitherto sacrosanct boundaries and polarities such as male/female, high art/pop art, film/TV, fiction/reality, private/public. Madonna’s shifting persona and stylistically seductive aesthetic are hallmarks of a postmodern commodity culture where modernist notions of authenticity surrender to postmodern fabrication.43
Through the representation of Madonna, post-modern feminism takes the idea of women’s multiple personae as its essence. Multiple personae becomes one of post- feminism’s characteristics which differentiates it from feminism. Schwichtenberg comments on this by taking the patron of Madonna’s multiple personae viewed by feminist as follows.
Madonna’s postmodern reinvantions are of particular concern for some feminists who view her multiple personae as a threat to women’s socialization, which entails the necessary integration of female identity. ... Here, perhaps the most troubling to feminist criticism is Madonna’s role as an envoy of a postmodernism that, in its lack of authenticity, unity, and stable categories, challenges the more modernist foundational tenets of feminism itself.44
42 See Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 129. 43 Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 130. 44 Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 130.
39 Therefore, the different perspective between feminism and post-modern feminism is also explained by Schwichtenberg as follows.
In the process, feminist thinkers ... often reified female differences through essentialist (or universal) categories that excluded the determinants of race, class, and sexual preference. Post-feminism, by contrast, focused on the differences between women rather than their sameness and emphasized the socially constructed (not to mention fluid and ad hoc) nature of all sex and gender categories.45
Moreover, simulation is an important keyterm mentioned by Schwichtenberg in her book in explaining the concept of post-modern feminism. She states as follows.
Simulation, which stresses the artificial as “dress-ups”, “put-ons”, and make-overs,” is not a political liability for a postmodern feminism intent on reclaiming simulation for the “other.” ... Madonnna’s gender-bending, pin-stripped suit and crotch grabs in Express Yourself, her scene of apphic titillation on “Late night with David Letterman,” and her languid French Kiss with l’autre femme in Justify all represent a deconstruction of lines and boundaries that fragment male/female gender polarities and pluralize sexual practices. This is a postmodern, unbounded feminism that unifies coalitionally rather than foundationally.46
Furthermore, feminity is also used as a masquerade in post-modern feminism.
Schwichtenberg states that the arrangement of signifiers on the body’s surface that act in a part-to-whole relationship of a “look” signifies feminity.47 Herein, feminity is
“marked by the arrangement of signifiers on the body’s surface that act in a part-to- whole relationship in the construction of a look.”48 In short, the look is an important key for women to simulate their appearance and give attraction to other sex.
45 See Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 133. 46 Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 132. 47 Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 133. 48 Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 133.
40 Moreover, Schwichtenberg also relates Madonna’s drag dance associated with masculinity as a post-modern dance. It “directs attention away from any specific image of the body and towards the process of constructing all bodies.” She states that,
”Madonna’s body, caught in the flux of destabilized identities, deconstructs gender as a put-on, a sex toy. Thus, due to Madonna’s multiple representation of her body, it is stated that “her postmodern body, in disguise and in process, is unstable, fleeting, flickering, transcient – a subject of multiple representation.” 49
Such post-feminist ideas described above can be easily found in chick-lit novels. They are about the relationship between identity and sexuality, the contemporary fixation on consumer capitalism, the injustice of being measured against the imposed standards of physical beauty for women, the potential liberation produced by sexual freedom, the comforts of female friendship, and the pressure on women to balance work with intimate relationship.50 These characteristics are very helpful for the writer in that they contribute a lot to the redefining of the construction post-feminist women’s identity in certain categories.
The four chick-lits analyzed in this research are typically talking about these common issues that will be discussed later in the analysis chapters. Therefore, it can be observed that those chick-lits are really engaged to post-feminist topic as naturally chick-lits themselves centre on women’s world and anything around young women.
49 See Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 135. 50 Ferris was a professor of English at Nova Southeastern University, and Young professor of English and French at Tarleton state University. The excerpts were taken from: Ferris, Suzanne , and Mallory Young. “A Generational Divide Over Chick Lit.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. 27 December 2008
41 2.3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Since this study aims to analyze the construction of post-feminist women’s identity by consuming lifestyles in the four chick-lit novels studied, this study employs theories on popular culture. Theory on popular culture is needed as it deals with the identification of women’s identity, lifestyles, and consumerism.Each is essential element that can be found in popular culture.
Next, theory on post-feminism is also applied to know the concept of the so- called post-feminism and its characteristics. As post-feminist ideas are derived from the essence of popular culture, these two theories can be considered as having interrelationship. Post-feminism takes lifestyles and consumerism, including heterosexual relationship and female body, as parts of contemporary women’s identity.
This writer prefers to apply theory of popular culture taken from Mc.Robbie’s
Postmodernism and Popular Culture (1994) and Strinati’s An Introduction to
Theories of Popular Culture (1995). Additional information is taken from Barker’s
Cultural Studies (2000) and Jerkins’ Pierre Bourdieu (1992). These theories are used to get the understanding of the concepts of popular culture including the concepts of identity, lifestyles, and consumerism. Meanwhile, theory on post-feminism used as a pespective in analyzing women’s issues on identity and lifestyles are taken from
Schwichtenberg’s The Madonna Connection (1993). Douglas’s article on
“Manufacturing Post-feminism” is also used as an additional source to show the role of the mass media in perpetuating the concept of post-feminism.
42 This research is to apply a post-feminist approach in order to investigate the impact of consumerism which has rooted in contemporary lifestyles inseparable from women’s lives. Treated as characteristics of current lifestyles, consumerism has a great influence towards women. By applying this post-feminist perspective, we may know how far women who have reached high achievements in society through their education and career may also experience some difficulties in identifying themselves.
Therefore, in order to establish their identity, consumerism becomes a trend that represents women’s real life, because they have made a substantial contribution for their effort, but they also create their own problems or cavity.
43 CHAPTER III
THE QUESTION OF EDUCATION AND OCCUPATION IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF POST-FEMINIST WOMEN’S IDENTITY
In this chapter, the construction of women’s identity will be looked at closely through two categories. The first is the women’s education, and the second is their occupation. However, for these post-feminist women, the role and meaning of education and occupation in this current life in constructing their identity have experienced some changes. Thus, such issues are discussed in this chapter. Here, the concept of post-feminism will be explored further in order to show its diffferences from the previous movement, i.e. feminism. Meanwhile, the construction of these post-feminist women’s identity also inevitably meet some limit which will also be discussed in this chapter in view that they are related to one another.
3.1 Post-Feminist Women’s Identity
In defining and analyzing the construction of women’s identity, the concept of identity will be discussed first. According to McRobbie in Postmodernism and
Popular Culture, identity is defined as:
A kind of guide to how people see themselves, not as class subjects, not as psychoanalytical subjects, not as subjects of ideology, not as textual subjects, but as active agents whose sense of self is projected on to and expressed in an expansive range of cultural practises, including texts, images and commodities.1
1 See McRobbie, Postmodernism and Popular Culture, p. 58.
44 Based on the quotations above, the term identity can be conceived as the projection of someone’s self. The projection of women’s identity in these novels are expressed into at two categories: education and occupation. Each of them can be used to show the projection of the main characters’ selves in the novels. In this section, the meanings of education and occupation for each main character will be discussed in details by taking some related quotations from the texts. Thus, these two categories of women’s identity will be analyzed through a post-feminist perspective to differentiate the meaning and attitudes to education and occupation from feminism in relation with consumerism.
3.1.1 Education
Education is the first important factor thought to have given women some bargaining power. They have been aware of the importance of education in supporting their future career or occupation. By having education, they have had their own asset. Therefore, the dynamics and challenges of current life encourage them to prepare and equip themselves with some academic titles, skills, and knowledge through their own education which will help them to reach their ideal jobs, as experienced by the four characters under study.
Education is considered as one of the main factors to support and secure the future success of the characters. Through education, they can get broader insight about what they should do to build their future life as exemplified by Andrea. She says: “My goal was not so lofty: I was intent on finding a job in magazine publishing.
Although I knew it was highly unlikely I’d get hired at The New Yorker directly out
45 of school. I was determined to be writing for them before my fifth reunion. It was all
I’d ever wanted to do, the only place I’d ever really wanted to go.”2
Education has also formed women’s mindset and patterns of their thinking which will be used as a tool to maintain their identity as educated persons. Besides, the importance of education in women’s lives is that it gives an enlightment as not to ignore the progress of the era and technology. It is the role of education which allows them to have a tech saviness as represented by Andrea from following quotations:
“Ping! You have a new e-mail from Alexander Fineman. Click here to open. Oooh, fun. Elias-Clark had firewalled instant messenger, but for some reason, I could still receive instant notification that I’d received a new e-mail. I’d take it. (DWP, 96) It is the role of education that makes people be able to adjust themselves to the progres of the era by acquiring a tech savviness.
In this present life, having a high education has become the priority and requirement demanded by many companies in recruiting qualified employees. Thus, a lot of people compete to equip themselves with proper education even supporting skills intentionally with an expectation that they will get a good job with fine salary as white collar workers. The white collars will get more opportunities than the blue collar ones, as the former are appreciated for their mind capability, whereas the later for the physical works. Thus, the organization of their mind can contribute a lot to the development and progress of the companies themselves. Such experience is evident in Monica. She states: “I am a brilliant enough and strategical woman. ... That makes
2 Lauren Weisberger, The Devil Wears Prada. (London, 2008, p. 9). All subsequent references to this work, abbreviated DWP, will be used in this thesis with pagination only.
46 me join this big company easily. That makes me scoop the clients’s reliance sucessfully. ... That makes me being promoted smoothly to the tender seat of creative director.”3
Therefore, it can be said that achievement in career life must also be supported by attempts to reach academic success. In other words, education must be acquired by these women not only as a provision and enlightment to reach their success, but also to compete with their rivals for jobs as the world is full of competition. Education, then, is used as a ‘weapon’ to struggle to achieve their dreams.
Likewise, Andrea’s college background in literature encourages her to start her career by joining Runway even if it is not the same as her initial dream to be a good writer at The New Yorker. However, it is her educational background in literature which enables her and provides a lot of kowledge and information for her about the world of literature and journalism. That is why applying a job in Runway is not a difficult thing for her, as her educational background also gives more than enough competence to understand the world of journalism and publication.
Eventhough her position there is more like a personal assistant to Miranda, educated and sophisticated minds are needed in order to be able to handle her jobs well. It is also the stand of education which enables her to have a self confident to speak forthrightly in her first interview. The measurement in judging someone as a
3 Alberthiene Endah. Jodoh Monica. (Jakarta, 2004, p. 95). All subsequent references to this work, abbreviated JM, will be used in this thesis with pagination only. Aku wanita yang cukup pintar dan strategik ... itu yang membuatku masuk dengan mudah ke perusahaan besar ini. Itu yang membuatku dengan sukses meraup kepercayaan klien. ... itu yang membuatku dipromosikan tanpa rintangan ke kursi empuk sebagai creative director.
47 cultivated and potential person can be considered through her ability in articulating herself. She states that, “I continued to answer her question about myself with a forthrightness and confidence that surprised me. There wasn’t time to be intimidated.” (DWP, 20) Her peaceful minds in facing such a situation is the result of the way she forges herself and belief that she gets from her education as an important aspect which can secure her life.
Furthermore, Andrea’s ability in acquiring Hebrew also gives her an additional asset as an educated person. In brief, she is a woman who equips herself with several skills useful to support her success. In fact, writing as her fondness can be observed as an activity which needs a lot of intelligence and knowledge for a writer to be able to produce a qualified and creative writing material. Thus, through writing people will be able to know the writer’s point of views, opinions, ideas, and attitudes which categorizes her as an educated person as Andrea herself states, “... I was an English major, concentrating on creative writing. Writing has always been a passion.” (DWP, 20) Thus, her possesion of briliant ideas as the result of her education pursuit is commented by Alex, ‘Baby, you’re a brilliant, wonderful writer, and I know you’ll be fantastic anywhere. And of course it’s not selling out. It’s paying your dues.‘(DWP, 23)
Education has a close relationship with occupation. It can be used as the capital for the persons to deliver them to their next carrer step or to get their ideal job.
Andrea’s father also comments about it that Andrea still can get the benefits from complicated jobs for her to take as lessons to improve her capability as well as her insights.
48 ‘I think you lucked out with this one. People go their entire lives and don’t see the things you’ll see this year. Just think! Your first job out of college, and you’re working for the most important woman at the profitable magazine at the biggest magazine publishing company in the entire world. You’ll get to watch it all happen, from the top down, if you just keep your eyes open and your priorities in order, you’ll learn more in one year than most people in the industry will seein their entire careers.’ (DWP, 75)
Like Andrea’s father’s comment on Andrea’s job as quoted above, precious experiences in committing to her job is got through education. That is also the role of education which creates an understanding on a never ending lesson learning in entire life. Only such educated persons are aware that learning and studying can only be obtained at schools, but also from their surroundings.
Similar to Andrea, Becky’s degree in Business and Accounting which leads her to a career in a television program, “Morning Cafe”, is also evidence of her identity as an educated person. It is her education in Bussiness and Accounting which enables her to give advice and suggestion for the audience who find some difficulties and problems in managing their financial life as exemplied by her following suggestion to her client, “.... If you invest in the stock market, yes, you risk losing some money in the short term. But if you simply tuck it away in the bank for years and years, an even greater risk is that this inheritance will be eroded over time by inflation.”4 Thus, without a suitable education which enables her to give correct advice in financial matters for the audience, she is impossible to act as a financial expert who can explain the financial phenomens in details.
4 Sophie Kinsella, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan. (New York, 2002, p. 41). All subsequent references to this work, abbreviated STM, will be used in this thesis with pagination only.
49 It is also a knowledge that she obtained from her education which gives her awareness and recognition of such financial problems and inspires her to write a self- help book as guidance for people to manage and take care of their money wisely.
Thus, it can be inffered that the opportunity for other career, in this case as a writer of a financial guidance book, is the result of her educational background. Here, education gives her some respects and appreciation so that she is reliable to produce such financial concepts which can influence the readers’ mind and attitude in seeing their money. Besides, the purpose of her writing is also for the benefits that she gets, in this case is money. Still, it can be observed as the idea of right wing or capitalist which exists in this novel. Even, it is influenced the characterization of the character,
Becky. Here, the importance of education is also influenced by capitalism that the skills and knowledge they get from their education become the capital for women to
‘sell’. The quotations below reflect such a concept of capitalism.
I’m writing a self-help book! Just after I’d become a regular on Morning Coffee, I met these really nice publishers, who took me out to lunch and said I was an inspiration to financially challenged people everywhere. Wasn’t that nice? They paid me £1,000 before I’d even written a word – and I get a lot more when it’s actually published. The book’s going to be called Becky Bloomwood’s Guide to Money. Or possibly Manage Money the Becky Bloomwood Way. (STM, 18)
Similar to Andrea and Becky, Monica in Jodoh Monica also comes across as an educated person who enables herself to have an important position in her respectable company. She is characterized as an alumnus of a socio political science faculty in Indonesian University. However, her ability and brainy mind enable her to finish her study and doing her job well. She states:
50 I am a brillliant enough and strategical woman. Creating brilliant and logical sentences, influencing other people’s emotion, mastering all ears and minds, and making all who heard applauded while nodding contentedly. That’s the assest I have had since my study. That made me become a famous person at the level of FISIP senate. That made the thesis jury shake my hand tightly with a proud laugh.5 (JM, 96)
Monica’s achievements on education shown from the quotations above prove herself as an educated women. It is only the competent and smart people who are able to take control over her own and other people’s live. Even Monica herself considers that her knowledge and education have become her assests to invite respects from other people.
Monica’s career as a creative director at Bellezie Advertising Company is indicative on how her education smoothens her career paths. Her initial career as a scriptwriter until her current career as a creative director prove her quality as a brainy person, because only such a brilliant and diligent person with hard work and ambition can make some achievements like that. Indeed, Monica is characterized as a bookworm and a student who always obtained good marks and her GPA was almost four. Again, this shows that education is a significant aspect in positioning herself as an admirer of intelligence and a rasionality. Her point of view in seeing that women should be brilliant can be considered also as the way she looks at herself, hence the essence of Cogito Ergo Sum meaning ‘I think therefore I am’. Therefore, her characteristics as a brilliant person must be the result of her perspective and idealism
5 Aku wanita yang cukup pintar dan strategik. Menciptakan kalimat-kalimat cerdas dan masuk akal, mempengaruhi emosi orang lain, menguasai semua telinga dan pikiran, dan membuat semua yang mendengar bertepuk tangan sambil mengangguk-angguk puas. Itu harta kekayaan yang kumiliki sejak kuliah. Itu yang membuatku menjadi salah satu personel top di jajaran senat FISIP. Itu yang membuat juri skripsi menjabat tanganku keras-keras dengan tawa bangga.
51 of maintaining an intelligence as a priority more than anything else. Here, the establishment of her identity is determined through the way she thinks of herself. Her criticism to Angelica as a less intelligent person is considered as the realization of her view in seeing what modern women should be. She says: “But afterward my heart chuckled when Angelica began to talk a lot in the meeting. Less brainy, she even looks like an empty barrel that sounds super loudly. Such is women’s classical failure. Less brainy. (JM, 23)6 Monica’s standardization on the idea of a brilliant woman must be affected by her education as it has a role in the improvement of her logical thinking and standard in analyzing something as represented by her comment above in examining other people’s capability. She continues:
When I attended the lecture, I was not as panick as this time. Or more appropriately, never panicking at all. That’s what I regret. At that time I felt to be the most popular girl. My GPA always came near four. Admired by students of the same cohort, as a brainy girl. Popping up to and fro in the senate office. I thought, that’s the best condition for a young woman like me. ... I spent my time for studying, taking an English course, a French course, meeting in senate. (JM, 85)7
In Cewek Matre, education as part of her self-development is less emphasized than the other three novels, as the plot of the novel focuses more on the materialistic point of view and its effects that will be discussed in the next chapter. Here, the educational background of Lola, the main character, in public relation also delivers her to her current job as a manager of public relation in City Girl FM. However, the
6 Tapi kemudian hatiku tertawa kecil ketika Angelica mulai banyak berkata-kata di dalam rapat. Kurang cerdas, bahkan cenderung tong kosong berbunyi super nyaring. Kesalahan klasik perempuan. Kurang cerdas. 7 Waktu aku kuliah, aku belumlah sepanik ini. Atau lebih tepat lagi, sama sekali tidak panik. Itulah yang aku sesali. Ketika itu aku merasa jadi cewek paling top. IP selalu mendekati angka empat. Dipuja-puja mahasiswa se-angkatan, sebagai cewek cerdas. Rajin wira-wiri di senat. Kupikir, itulah kondisi terbaik bagi seorang wanita muda seperti diriku. ... Waktuku habis untuk belajar, les Inggris, les Prancis, rapat di senat.
52 reader still can get a clue that Lola is also an educated person for the fact that she studied public relation. Thus, although she is not offered a high position as Monica, public relation is also considered as one significant position in a company, where she handles cooperation with other companies, arranges press releases, prepares the programs and materials, orders the food, and so on. All of her job described above must also be supported by her knowledge obtained from her formal education that has given her basic understanding and framework. Therefore, as a women Lola cannot set herself from the requirement to have a good education beneficial for her career itself.
She deserves to be given such responsibilities even though she satirizes her position just as a ‘victim’ to do all the ordered jobs from other divisions in her office. Related to this matter, she herself makes this comment: “But, for whatever reasons, in the office, a public relation like me is positioned as a versatile god. Not in its meaning of being acknowledged for her versatile capability, but instead of being plunged to the ravine of all works.”8 This comment serves as clue that the reliability given to her in doing such works can be seen as evidence of her capability and intelligence.
3.1.2 Occupation
Having certain occupations is considered to have given women bargaining power which differentiates their characteristics from some other women. For working women, having brilliant careers or jobs is significantly considered as a life-guarantee,
8 Alberthiene Endah, Cewek Matre. (Jakarta, 2005, p. 85). All subsequent references to this work, abbreviated CM, will be used in this thesis with pagination only. Tapi entah bagaimana di kantor ini humas seperti saya diposisikan sebagai dewa serbabisa. Bukan dalam artian diakui kemampuannya yang mahaserbabisa, tapi justru diceburkan ke dalam jurang segala kerja.
53 and this gives them an expectation for a better life and future. Moreover, such jobs are greatly linked with glamourous and materialistic world as experienced by Andrea
Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada, Becky Bloomwood in Shopaholic Takes
Manhattan, Monica Susanti in Jodoh Monica, and Lola in Cewek Matre. All of them are depicted as being young and working women who show great efforts to lay down their life to secure their future careers.
For most people, having fixed occupations is basically important to start their life and give them financial strength. Here, people need money to fulfill their daily needs and make a living for their family, even when they face such a financial crisis which forces them to work, like Becky. She herself confesses as follows.
OK, I did really have a very slight financial crisis earlier this year. In fact, at one point, I was in debt by ... Well. Really quite a lot. But, Then I landed my job on Morning Coffee, and everything changed. I turned my life around completely, worked really hard, and paid off all my debts. Yes, I paid them off! I wrote out check after check – and cleared every single outstanding credit card, every store card, every scribbled IOU to Suze. (STM, 15)
On the contrary, the significance of having certain occupations for the main characters studied is not restricted to these ideas. Unlike the common paradigm, the women in the novels like and want to work not only to spend their spare time, but also to define their existence as successful and worthy persons. They put their career as the priority to gain their idealized position and appreciations even if it sounds promising for their future similar to Andrea.
Emily had just been promoted to the position of senior assistant, leaving the junior assitant position open for me. She explained that she would spend two years as Miranda’s senior assistant, after which she’d be skyrocketed to an amazing fashion position at Runway. The three-year assistant program she’d be completing was the ultimate guarantee of
54 going places in the fashion world, but I was clinging to the belief that my one-year sentence would suffice for The New Yorker.(DWP, 38)
The importance of their job also influences their personalities, attitude, and manners. The adjustment of their personalities, point of views, and manners to their job is significantly considered as their responsibility to fulfill the requirements and the demands of their jobs as represented by Andrea. She is aware that she has to change her performance to be fashionable, as her job deals with fashion and trend.
It took me twelve weeks before I gorged myself on the seemingly limitless supply of designer clothes that Runway was just begging to provide me. Twelve impossibly long weeks of fourteen-hour work days and never more than five hours of sleep at a time. Twelve miserable long weeks of being looked up and down from hair to shoes each and every day, and never receiving a single complimant or even merely the impression that I had passed. Twelve horrifically long weeks of being stupid, incompetent, and all-around moronic. And so I decided at the beginning of my fourth month (only nine more to go!) at Runway to be a new woman and start dressing the part. (DWP, 119)
Furthermore, they also want to be counted and acknowledged for their achievements in their successful careers that they deserve to be respected for their reliability and capability in committing to their jobs. They have succeeded in establishing their own values by converging their life to their occupations as the priority, and have holding on their jobs without ever surrendering to any difficult situations as experienced by Andrea. Due to her over time working hours, she never bothers in skipping from her meal time, contemplating: “Skipping a single meal won’t kill you, I told myself. In fact, according to every single one of your sane and stable coworkers, it’ll just make you stronger. And besides, $2,000 pants don’t look so hot on girls who gorge themselves, I rationalized.” (DWP, 177)
55 Andrea’s occupation as a junior assistant in the Runway magazine, Becky’s financial advisor, Monica’s creative director, and Lola’s public relation are the evidences of these characters’ great attempts to build their career life through their hard works. They prove themselves as useful and worthy persons. For Andrea, her job in Runway is a very important step taken after graduating from her college. Her ability in handling the job can be considered as the development. She trains herself to reach a higher position with more responsibility than before. She confesses as follows.
“My goal was not so lofty: I was intent on finding a job in magazine publishing. Although I knew it was highly unlikely I’d get hired at The New Yorker directly out of school. I was determined to be writing for them before my fifth reunion. It was all I’d ever wanted to do, the only place I’d ever really wanted to go.” (DWP, 9)
Here, her competence and willingness to work underpressure also serves to prove her high motivation. She is not easily defeated when she has to face her occupational burdens. Furthermore, her job is not only used to measure her competence and willingness, but more than that, it offers a future chance for her which later smoothens her brilliant career path. Whoever are able to finish well any jobs given by Miranda, the editor-in-chief of Runway where Andrea works, are considered as qualified and chosen persons. They deserve to have a promotion or take other job they themselves request, for they successfully prove their persistence and autonomy to defend their job and commit their best. Andrea is such a person in her view about occupation. Thus, she convinces the world about her qualified competence for a promotion. She persistently prioritizes on her job by ignoring anything else outside it by arguing: ‘All of what? Is missing a homecoming weekend
56 when there will be dozens more worth it to do something I’m required to do my job?
A job that is going to opendoors for me I never thought possible, and sooner than I ever expected? Yes! It’s worth it!’ (DWP, 284)
Similar to Andrea, occupation also plays an important role in the construction of Becky’s identity. Becky’s occupation as a financial advisor in “Morning Cafe” also gives such opportunities for her to show up her virtues through her career. It is clearly seen through her decision to follow Luke, her boyfriend, to move to New York, for the new city will offer her greater opportunities to earn twice than in London. It is because America is considered as the most powerful country in control of the world economy. It offers a lot of dreams and chances for its citizens as well as immigrants to come there to have a better life. Thus, it is very reasonable to say that job opportunities with a properous salary become Becky’s motivation to move to New
York, as her existence will turn into nothing if she loses her job. Here, the importance of an occupation for women is highlighted as the way they can earn money, because money is needed as a means of payment for the transaction they committed in order to fulfil their daily needs. Moreover, Becky takes it as an opportunity that she sees
America as the promising land for herself. She expects that she can get better careers and salary there than in London in order to improve her life and pay all her debts caused by her overdrafts.
He said he’s been wanting to ask me all along to come with him – but he knew I wouldn’t want to give up my career just to trail along with him. So – this is the best bit – he’s been speaking to some contacts in televisions, and he reckons I’ll be able to get a job as a financial expert on an American TV show! In fact, he says, I’ll get “snapped up” because American loves British accents. Apparently one producer has
57 already practically offered me a job just from seeing a tape Luke sent him. Isn’t that great? (STM, 153)
The character of Monica Susanti in Alberthiene Endah’s Jodoh Monica can be identified as a workaholic that she takes her career seriously and chases it incessantly at the expense of anything outside it. Similar to Andrea and Becky who maintain their career as an important part in their life, Monica works not only because she likes and wants to work, but her occupation is also noted as her way to define herself in a metropolitan city, Jakarta. In such society, having career becomes one important aspect to have in order to demonstrate her existence as a human being. Her perspective about work is closely related to the virtue of independence to measure precisely individual’s identity as well as to create an assurance to survive in such a competitive society. In such a place every person will compete with each other to reach the highest occupation. Like for others, occupation is supposed to be the marker of their identity for Monica as commented by Arya. He says: “Urban woman. Brainy, independent, energetic. All depiction of successful urban women is with you.” (JM,
233)9 Therefore, it can be supposed that a higher level of occupation possessed by each person will also invite more appreciation and respect from others.
Monica is respected because of her achievement and contribution to her company. Her persistent struggle to crawl from her lower position as a screenwriter to her current position as a creative director is not an easy thing to do. It is but a hard work. Such attempts which can also be used to train her mentality to prepare herself to have her current position are applauded and respected not only by her collegues,
9 Wanita kota. Cerdas, mandiri, penuh semangat. Semua gambaran wanita perkotaan yang sukses ada pada dirimu.
58 but also from her clients, believing that not everyone is able of achieving similar things like Monica. They commonly praise her: “You’re great. Our product succeeds because of your creativity.” (JM, 96)10 Her target in having a briliant career cannot be separated from her idealism of having a secured and promising future life. Due to her possession as the result of her work hard, she confesses that: “... My salary as a creative director, not only suffiecient to rent a double room apartment at part of
Kuningan areas. But also to finance the need of my performance, ...”11 (JM, 11) Thus, her loyalty to carry on her job well is supposed to be the reflection of her commitment to her occupation. She confesses thus, “Yes, eight years working faithfully for Bellezie perhaps has taken away all my attention and mind only to think about the world of advertisement so that I don’t know what happened in the world.”
(JM, 111) 12
Similarly, the character of Lola in Alberthiene Endah’s Cewek Matre also loves working very much not only as a matter of obligatory, but also passion of life.
Her life would be so monotous if she did not work at all. The challenges of her job are taken as her way to forge her mentality and competence. She can learn a lot from her jobs. Besides, it seems that working can give her a new atmosphere and spirit to go on her life. Through her work, she also finds friendship with some of her collegues, hence giving her enjoyment and togetherness she could not find in other places. It is known that in current life, especially in a metropolitan city, the
10 Kamu hebat. Produk kami sukses gara-gara kreativitasmu. 11 ... Gajiku sebagai creative director, bukan hanya cukup untuk menyewa apartemen berkamar dua di bilangan Kuningan. Tapi juga untuk membiayai kebutuhan penampilanku, ... . 12 Ya, delapan tahun bekerja penuh loyalitas pada Belezie barangkali telah merampas seluruh perhatian dan pikiranku untuk hanya memikirkan dunia periklanan, sehingga aku tak tahu apa yang terjadi di dunia.
59 relationship between individuals is getting wide apart because each of them seems to show such individualism. Therefore, the sense of togetherness that she gets from her occupation can be observed as a form of the beneficial relationship she gets from her job. Related to this matter, Lola herself confesses thus, “This office is my paradise.
Whatever the reason is. Inside I find the world of work that I love. Inside I get some job pressures which forge me. Inside, I find the love of my best friends who share with me the same feeling.” (CM, 48)13
Moreover, similar to that of Monica, Lola’s position as a public relation encourages her to have a broad link to a lot of people, some of which may be very potential to strengthen her career or give her some privileges. This is to say that having such an occupation means a prestige that a modern women should have.
Occupation means self-legitimation in the process of socialization in that they represent the spirit of urban girl with comfortable life as commented by Palupi,
Lola’s colleque, “Working in our office is more for prestige of socialization. You know, almost all famous people ever set foot on the floor of our office. Our radio becomes the trendsetter for fashion review, lifestyle, and everything about sophisticated urban girls.” (CM, 66)14
Although the four characters in the four novels invariably have different purposes and motivations in commiting to their jobs, they all take their occupation
13 Kantor ini surga saya. Apapun alasannya. Di dalamnya saya menemukan dunia kerja yang saya cinta. Di dalamnya saya mendapat tekanan kerja yang menempa. Di dalamnya saya menemukan cinta dari sahabat-sahabat yang punya rasa. 14 Kerja di kantor kita ini lebih karena gengsi akan sosialisasi. Lu tau kan, hampir semua orang top pernah nginjek ubin kantor kita ini. Radio kita jadi trendsetter untuk ulasan fashion, gaya hidup, dan segala-segala tentang cewek kota yang canggih.
60 seriously as it gives them a lot of benefits and facilities. Therefore, it can be inferred that occupation or career is an important aspect for them in order to define their identity. For them, identity means participation in developing their own competence and quality of life through professional works.
The construction of women’s identity in these four novels through education and occupation which has been discussed above can be used as the markers of their identity as post-feminist women. Actually, occupation and education have been the fields that the previous feminist movements struggled for years. In order to reach women’s equity with men, feminists attempted to define themselves as successful persons through education and occupation. Occupation and education are fought for by the feminists as tools to break down the partriarchal system. They want to eliminate gender matters and different conceptions between men and women, even subordination of women. Thus, based on the feminist perspective, education becomes a fundamental aspect in women’s life to show women’s emancipation. Feminist women pursued education only for the reason to acquire knowledges and scholar degrees in which they are used to equalize their position to men. They assumed that education become a guarantee to get jobs to have a better life so that they would not be subordinated anymore by men. However, as the result of their pursuit is that they ignore any other aesthetic and entertaining aspects in their life which mark their nature as women and humans. Schwichtenberg’s explanation below will signify the difference between feminism and post-feminism.
In the process, feminist thinkers ... often reified female differences through essentialist (or universal) categories that excluded the determinants of race, class, and sexual preference. Post-feminism, by
61 contrast, focused on the differences between women rather than their sameness and emphasized the socially constructed (not to mention fluid and ad hoc) nature of all sex and gender categories.15
Unlike feminism, post-feminism includes the nature of sex and gender as a social construct without trying to eliminate the differences between men and women.
The four women in the novels do not pursue their education and career in the sense of competition with men or gender matter any longer. It seems that they accept their sex as being female without problematize it. Thus, these women of the four novels under study can be considered as post-feminist followers. Furthermore, as quoted above that post-feminism respects to the differences among women, these women in the novels also shows different characteristics and motivations in presenting themselves. Thus, each of them can be observed to represent multiple representation of tastes, styles, and images related to their occupation and education.
Post-feminist’s idea on women’s multiple representation is criticized by feminism which marks another different perspective between post-feminism and feminism. From feminist perspective, women’s multiple representation is considered as to give women unstable and ununified entity as commented by Schwichtenberg below.
Madonna’s postmodern reinvantions are of particular concern for some feminists who view her multiple personae as a threat to women’s socialization, which entails the necessary integration of female identity. ... Here, perhaps the most troubling to feminist criticism is Madonna’s role as an envoy of a postmodernism that, in its lack of authenticity, unity, and stable categories, challenges the more modernist foundational tenets of feminism itself.16
15 See Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 133. 16 Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 130.
62 Meanwhile, from the post-feminist perspective, it seems that women’s multiple representation gives a chance for women to represent themselves dynamicly as they experience a flux in their identity. These four women in the novels continously explore and develop themselves through their education and occupation.
Thus, they have no static identity as the reflection of their identity also means their exploration to lifestyles which will be discussed in the next chapter.
Furthermore, post-feminism can be considered as the product of post-modern era which gives the importance of social symbol and image as self expression. The occupations which appear in this period are said to reflect the spirit of post- modernism. The main characters in the four novels under study are described as middle-working women. They were not born from bourgueis families, yet poor person. According to Strinati, the needs for consumption and media provokes the emergence of new occupation in which these occupations also give a lot of contributions to encourage people to consumption as it plays, creates, and manipulate with cultural symbols and images.17 She states:
Hence, it can be suggested that certain ‘postmodern’ occupations have emerged which function to develop and promote postmodern popular culture. These occupations involve the construction of postmodernism. They are claimed to be both creating and manipulating or playing with cultural symbols and media images so as to encourage and extend consumerism, This argument tries to account for the growing importance of occupations like advertising, marketing, design, architecture, journalism and television production, others like accountancy and finance associated with increased consumer credit, ... associated with the definition and selling of notions of psychological and personal fulfilment and growth. All these occupations are said to be among the most important in determining the taste patterns for the rest of the society.
17 See Strinati, Dominic. An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture, p. 237.
63 They exert an important influence over other people’s life-styles, and values or ideologies (while expressing their own well).18
Here, the affiliation of post-feminist idea to consumerism also differentiates it from feminism which only focuses on women’s achievement itself by ignoring other aspects in life. The drive for consumption is used to provide women with entertainments viewed also as their needs as humans. Thus, entertainment as a form of consumerism can also be defined as other characteristics of post-feminism as reflected in these four women in the novels. Meanwhile, feminism has created a type of human without entertainment as if they were living machines who go on a monotonous life – as they call as sameness.
Post-feminist women’s jobs in the novels concerned with journalism, advertising, marketing, and finance show the characteristics of post-modernism and popular culture. Their jobs play an important role in influencing people’s tastes and preferences by creating and manipulating cultural symbols and images. Meanwhile, the construction of their identity is also influenced with such concepts. They consume the goods to strengthen their identity. Thus, it can be conceived that images are very important for these women. Their involvement in educations and occupations are observed as the way they take to produce their image. As their occupations also influence other people’s taste, values, and ideologies as lifestyles, they are also influenced by such social constructs. Thus, they also take their occupation and education as their lifestyles in correlation with consumerism. It is because consumerism is considered as the responsibility of their jobs inseparable from their
18 See Strinati, An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture, p. 237.
64 lives. Even, their study to get their scholastic degree is also the example of consumption, in that they spend their money in order to consume their scholar degree.
The choice on occupation taken by post-feminist women discussed above indicates entertaining aspects as marked by post-modern popular culture ideas which emphasizes and celebrates consumerism, styles, and hedoism. Why is it an entertaining job? It is because consumerism, styles, and hedoism can be supposed to bring a lot of amusements to them and they are characterized as the admirers of such things. Thus, such entertainments as well as consumerism can be taken as their self- release.
Moreover, the jobs they choose are considered to be able to increase their selling points and image as their self-fulfilment. Such condition is clearly stated by
Lola. Her job as a public relation of a radio station encourage her to consume as well as to establish her own image. Although she knows that her salary is not sufficient to fulfill her needs, she keeps holding on it. She knows that the only reason for her to maintain her job is only the matter of prestige as commented by Palupi, Lola’s colleque, “Working in our office is more for prestige of socialization. You know, almost all famous people ever set foot on the floor of our office. Our radio becomes the trendsetter for fashion review, lifestyle, and everything about sophisticated urban girls.” (CM, 66)19 Lola has been aware that working for such a radio station is benefial for her in order to give her a prestige and selling point. Thus, her job as a
19 Kerja di kantor kita ini lebih karena gengsi akan sosialisasi. Lu tau kan, hampir semua orang top pernah nginjek ubin kantor kita ini. Radio kita jadi trendsetter untuk ulasan fashion, gaya hidup, dan segala-segala tentang cewek kota yang canggih.
65 public relation considered as her self-expression also enables her to consume many commodities as the consequence of her job. .
Likewise, Andrea also has an awareness that her job in Runway as a famous magazine is a prestigious one, eventhough at first she is characterized as a naive person who never bothers about it. Her job as a junior assistant for the most influential person in the fashion world, Miranda Priestly, is given remark enthusiastically by people surrounding her, including her family as something incredible. One of her friends gives a remark follows.
‘Ohmigod, are you kidding? You work for Miranda Priestly? And she drinks our lattes? A tall? Every morning? Unbelievable. Oh, yes, yes, of course! I’ll tell everyone to help you right away. Don’t worry about a thing. She is, like, the most powerful person in fashion,’ Marion gushed as I forced myself to nod enthusiastically. (DWP, 135)
Like Lola, Andrea’s job also gives her a prestige. Due to her important position, it gives her a more selling point than anyone else has as not every body is able get the job. In spite of her beneficial position, Andrea’s presumed future job as the liaison between Hollywood celebrities and Runway clearly signifies the entertainment aspect preferred by post-feminists.
In signing my contract at Elias-Clark, I’d agreed to stay with Miranda for a year. ... – And if I fulfilled my obligation with class and enthusiasm and some level of competence – ... then I would be in a position to name the job I’d like next. It was expected, of course, that whichever job may be would be at Runway or, at the very least, at Elias-Clark, but I was free to request anything from working on book reviews in the features department to acting as a liaison between Hollywood celebrities and Runway.(DWP, 71)
Being a liason between Hollywood celebrities and Runway can be considered as a type of job which helps to maintain the importance of image and the construction
66 of multiple identity. Such a job needs a lot of cultural practise with symbols and images – two useful means to secure someone’s acceptance in the world of the celebrity, the rich, and the famous. Therefore, the adjustment of her appearance and attitude represents a multiple identity that she must have to be able to cope with the wills of both parties. Besides, as a liason between two bourgeois parties, body performance is considered as an important aspect in wich it plays with symbols. The symbols are useful to signify her as a prestigious person. Besides, occupation as a lifestyle which can enhance post-feminist women identity has been implanted in
Andrea’s mind. She herself states concsiously that, “A stint in Miranda’s office was considered to be the ultimate way to skip three to five years of indignity as an assistant and move directly into meaningful jobs in prestigious places.” (DWP, 71)
Similar to the three characters discussed above, Monica’s job as a creative director in an advertising company signifies one of jobs which emerges in the post- modern era. As advertisements play and manipulate people with the images of the products, Monica’s awareness of such images also encourages her to consume her occupation as her lifestyles.
Meanwhile, Becky’s workplace on a television screen, Andrea’s in a fashion magazine, Lola’s in a radio station, and Monica’s in an advertising company are the example of places which offer a lot of amusements, enjoyments, and entertainment for their employees. They work as cultural institutions which teach and transmit entertainment and lifestyles to the employees. They can also be considered as the institutions whose expertise in creating images and identity are followed by the society. Therefore, various choices and images offered by such institutions give a
67 contribution to the multiple identity highlighted by post-feminist women. Even, the glamourous world around their workplaces creates an entertaining atmosphere which gives a lot of amusement to its workers. The result is that they also accept the images and cultural symbols imposed to them.
Education as the background of these women’s jobs is also taken as their lifestyles. Beyond their dream to have a better life by acquiring education, women need academic degrees as their lifestyles as a seal of proof of becoming educated persons. These women in the chick-lit novels take education as their lifestyle.
Monica, for instance, is characterized as a brilliant woman in her school days and admired by her schoolmates and friends because of her achievement in education. As such, she also gets the prestige of her education pursuit. She is proud of her achievement as her self-fulfilment shown by the quotations below.
At that time I felt to be the most popular girl. My GPA always came near four. Admired by students of the same cohort, as a brainy girl. Popping up to and fro in the senate office. I thought, that’s the best condition for a young woman like me. ... I spent my time for studying, taking an English course, a French course, meeting in senate. (JM, 85)20
The quotations above show us that she builds her prestige through her education. Living in a popularity and respect from other people as the fruit of her educational success becomes Monica’s lifestyles. She feels such an enjoyment of other people’s admiration and appraisal to her as her pride. Popularity is the
20 Ketika itu aku merasa jadi cewek paling top. IP selalu mendekati angka empat. Dipuja-puja mahasiswa se-angkatan, sebagai cewek cerdas. Rajin wira-wiri di senat. Kupikir, itulah kondisi terbaik bagi seorang wanita muda seperti diriku. ... Waktuku habis untuk belajar, les Inggris, les Prancis, rapat di senat.
68 appreciation that she enjoys from her education pursuit which can increase her bargaining power and style.
Similarly, Lola is a person of the same kind. Her educational background on public relation can be observed as the way she tries to define her prestige in the middle of upper class social interaction. She may have an awareness of her choice in taking public relation as her education. She does not merely like the world of public relation, but she also knows that such an education will deliver her to a future job which will deal with a wide range of upper class interaction, including some links with famous persons and celebrities.
Meanwhile, the correlation of education as lifestyles for the characters of
Andrea and Becky are less depicted than those two characters above. However,
Business and Accounting as the major taken by Becky and English letters by Andrea are not common majors. These majors are all concerned with the matter of worldliness. Thus, it can also be interpreted that the specialization of their study is used to define their identity as valuable persons. Again, this degree pursuit in those majors is also a kind of lifestyle.
3.2 The Limits Experienced by Post-Feminist Women in Relation to the
Construction of Their Identity
In their attempts to define and pronounce their identity, however, these post- feminist women also experience some limits. Such limitations cannot be avoided.
This condition places them as human beings with their own weaknesses in spite of the success of their educations and occupations. As for effects of their occupations and
69 educations, they are sometimes put in such problematic situations in balancing their personal lives and responsibility in handling their duties and jobs. Therefore, the obstacles and difficulties they face can be seen as as the consequences to their attempts to construct their identity. Therefore, the limits faced by these female characters portray the reality of the educated and working women. Their career life is hurdled by several obstacles, tensions, and difficulties as the risks. In other words post-feminism is good to lead women out from the concept of feminism which positions women as humans without entertainment. Such a condition is not good for women as it reduces them into a kind of machine. This section is to discuss these problems at length which can be seen as the limitations and weaknesses of post- feminism.
3.2.1 Solitary Lives
Being solitary becomes the first problem experienced by the characters under study. It refers to the situation and condition which keep them in their own world and separate them from their outside world, including their interaction and relationships with their family and friends. On the one hand, these women are sometimes described as perfect individuals with good careers, social roles, and pleasant personality as their positive side. On the other hand, with regard to their careers, education, and roles imposed to them, they also face some limits paradoxically caused by the responsibilities they have to committed to. Such a condition implies pressures and challenges to their personal life, of which the result takes them to be solitary persons.
70 The characters of Andrea and Monica specifically perform such a solitary living rather than the two characters, Becky and Lola. Andrea conveys such a solitary situation because of the demands of her jobs. She is well qualified for her jobs and roles she must play and has a good future career prospect. Nevertheless, she has to pay heavily as to sacrifice her personal life if she prioritizes her career. She bets her personal life for her idealism and ignores anything else outside her jobs. As a consequence, she hardly has time to share her feeling with her family, friends, and boyfriend as to lead her in an isolation. Therefore, it can be understood that a career pursuit can create a selfishness in each individual’s life as experienced by Andrea.
She has chosen what the best thing for herself is, but at the same time she has to ignore other persons’s feelings, demands, and so on. Therefore, in this case, Andrea’s inability in balancing her personal life and occupation makes her not humane to her friends and family anymore and live in isolation. That she is selfish is shown from her confession below:
Not because I didn’t care or wasn’t concerned, but because all things non-Miranda somehow ceased to be relevant the moment I arrived at work. In some ways I still didn’t understand and certainly couldn’t explain – never mind ask someone else to understand – how the outside world just melted into nonexistence, that the only thing remaining when everything else vanished was Runway. It was especially difficult to explain this phenomenon when it was especially difficult to explain this phenomenon when it was the single thing in my life I despised. And yet, it was the only one that mattered. (DWP, 222)
Like Andrea, Monica also shows a limit as a woman by being solitary from her social intercourse owing to her ambition in pursuing a high education. It is her ambition which prevents her to have an intimate relationship with a man that she
71 never bothers before. She herself realizes that her singlehood is the price to pay for her education pursuit that makes her to ignore the outside world as shown by the quotations below.
When I attended the lecture, I was not as panick as this time. Or more appropriately, never panicking at all. That’s what I regret. At that time I felt to be the most popular girl. My GPA always came near four. Admired by students of the same cohort, as a brainy girl. Popping up to and fro in the senate office. I thought, that’s the best condition for a young woman like me. ... I spent my time for studying, taking an English course, a French course, meeting in senate. (JM, 85)21
Even, her jobs have also drawn her attention away from other business or affair. She has spent her time in focusing her attention to the progress of her company which also means the development of her career. As such, it is her ambitions which isolate herself from social interaction or from having a partner. Monica herself confesses that, “Yes, eight years working faithfully for Bellezie perhaps has taken away all my attention and mind only to think about the world of advertisement so that
I don’t know what happened in the world.” (JM, 111) 22
The limit experienced by the two women above with regard to their being solitary is highlighted by feminism. Solitary lives can be considered as the impact of women’s multiple personae. Feminists defines such a condition as a threat to women’s socialization. It is pointed by Schwitchenberg as follows.
21 Waktu aku kuliah, aku belumlah sepanik ini. Atau lebih tepat lagi, sama sekali tidak panik. Itulah yang aku sesali. Ketika itu aku merasa jadi cewek paling top. IP selalu mendekati angka empat. Dipuja-puja mahasiswa se-angkatan, sebagai cewek cerdas. Rajin wira-wiri di senat. Kupikir, itulah kondisi terbaik bagi seorang wanita muda seperti diriku. ... Waktuku habis untuk belajar, les Inggris, les Prancis, rapat di senat. 22 Ya, delapan tahun bekerja penuh loyalitas pada Belezie barangkali telah merampas seluruh perhatian dan pikiranku untuk hanya memikirkan dunia periklanan, sehingga aku tak tahu apa yang terjadi di dunia.
72 Madonna’s postmodern reinvantions are of particular concern for some feminists who view her multiple personae as a threat to women’s socialization, which entails the necessary integration of female identity. ... Here, perhaps the most troubling to feminist criticism is Madonna’s role as an envoy of a postmodernism that, in its lack of authenticity, unity, and stable categories, challenges the more modernist foundational tenets of feminism itself.23
The possession of education and occupation encourage women to have multiple representation. Women’s multiple representation forces them to fulfil various responsibilities and roles imposed to them. Such identities also put them to some problems and prevent them to have a socialization. These women have to be able to manage and divide their attention to several things all at once as pointed out by the feminists. Furthermore, based on the quotation above, a solitary condition experienced by these post women women can be regarded as the result of unstable identity which thus questions the maturity of their identity as adult women.
Therefore, it can be observed that certain occupations and educations have contributions in constructing someone’s identity and building her image. However, they also take a lot of time for the employees to relax and have their personal life, including social interations with their family as experienced by Andrea and Monica.
Andrea hardly has her freedom to share her time with her family, friends, and boyfriend. This happens because the responsibility of her job limits her space. Similar condition is experienced by Monica. She cannot enjoy a relationship with a man as a consequence of her success in education and occupation. Thus, Andrea’s and Becky’s solitary condition here can be regarded as examples of a conundrum faced by women
23 See Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 130.
73 in keeping the balance of their work, personal, and social life. They sacrifice their own life, family, and friends because of the double roles imposed to them.
3.2.2 Insufficiency
Insufficiency also becomes another big problem experienced by the post- feminist women in the novels in identifying themselves as succesful and independent employees. Such insuffeciency can be related to their demand and desire in consuming commodities more and more. Consumption becomes an important activity for these women, at the same time when manufacturers made efforts to increase the consumption of their products as commented by Strinarti below.
But the point being made is that in an advanced capitalist society like Britain, the need for people to consume has become as important, if not strategically important than the need for people to produce. Increased affluence and leisure-time, and the ability of significant sections of working class to engage in certain types of conspicuous consumption, have in their turn served to accentuate this process. Hence, the growth of consumer credit, the expansion of agencies like advertising, marketing, design and public relations, encouraging people to consume, and the emergence of a post-modern popular culture which celebrates consumerism, hedoism, and style.24
The need of women to consume as explained through the quotations above is due to the multiple representation they have. They persistantly attempt to seek new methods to construct and reinvent their new identities and present themselves differently through the consumption of the goods. Thus, what is meant by women’s insuffeciency here is not due to their salary insuffeciency objectively, but rather due to their unsatisfied demands to show their own capital as succesful persons. Thus,
24 See Strinati, An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture, p. 236.
74 insuffeciency becomes the effect of their attempts in presenting their multiple identities. Due to their affluence, they are never satisfied with their possessions. In short, their possession of money supposrt them to consume anything they need.
The four characters in these novels never hestitate to consume commodities.
However, Becky and Lola represent such an insuffeciency more clearly than the two other characters, Andrea and Monica. Becky takes her job for granted due to her consumption of the goods. Becky has an awareness that by consuming something, she also earns something. She comments directly that, “You see, this is the reward for taking such a controlled approach to shopping. When you buy something, you really feel as though you’ve earned it.” (STM, 20) Becky’s comment on her shopping habit indicates that she consumes commodities to produce her own capital. That is why she is never satisfied with her possessions. Consumption becomes her priority with which she strengthens her identity.
Lola also faces an insuffeciency due to her shopping habit while her salary is not sufficient enough to fulfil her needs and desire. She feels unsatisfied with her condition by saying, “I realize, there is something I have to change inside myself. It seems impossible for me to survive constinously in such situation, stay with an incompatible salary to buy my basic need.”25 (CM, 69) The demands of her jobs and surrounding persuade her to consume more and more. The problem here is not due to the amount of the salary she gets. However, her consumer attitudes and habits are the main cause of this condition. As the result, she is never sufficient enough with her
25 Saya menyadari, ada yang harus saya ubah dalam diri saya. Saya tidak mungkin terus-terusan bertahan dalam kondisi seperti ini, hidup dengan gaji yang tidak sepadan dengan kebutuhan hidup saya.
75 salary. Furthermore, the consumption of the commodities in order to give her a new capital also becomes the main reason of her insuffeciency. She is never satisfied with her possesion as she always tries to reform herself into her new identities.
The problems faced by post-feminist women above can be observed as a reflection of the reality in women’s lives written in the texts. In explaining about post-feminism, Schwichtenberg uses as example the multiple personae of Madonna in her video which is criticized by feminism as follows.
Here, perhaps the most troubling to feminist criticism is Madonna’s role as an envoy of a postmodernism that, in its lack of authenticity, unity, and stable categories, challenges the more modernist foundational tenets of feminism itself.26
Solitary lives and insuffeciency which lead the characters to some deviations is the result of the fragmented and unstable identity as shown by the concept of post- feminism. As it echoes the differences which results in women’s multiple identities, these post-feminist women are also expected to have multiple roles. The different roles imposed to her actually are not easy things to do, as they have to divide their attention, time, and life for different purposes and occasions. Thus, unstable entity possesed by these post-feminist women has prevented them from enjoying their socialization and integrity as females.
3.3 Concluding Remarks
The attempt of the post-feminist women in the four novels studied in identifying themselves as successful, independent, and educated persons which
26 See Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 130.
76 significantly gives them a lot of opportunities to develop themselves should be applauded. Having careers is considered as a very important thing and a keyword for women’s success in their life after their academic pursuit. However, the meaning of education and occupation for these post-feminist women is not only for the purpose of their future life, but both education and occupation are taken as lifestyles too for these women. Besides, they prefer to choose only education and occupation which have entertaining characteristics as each of them will give them prestiges and privelleges. Prestiges and privelleges they take from their jobs and education are considered as their lifestyles, too.
Paradoxically, these four characters face some limits in constructing their identities. Such limits can be seen as women’s weaknesses in the middle of their successful achievement. These women are still considered as ordinary humans, not superhumans who can otherwise avoid problems of any kinds and always live prosperously. Therefore, the limits arise here can be taken to mean the lack of post- feminist women in presenting the unity and stability in the concept of post-feminist’s multiple identity. Hopefully the readers would be able to anticipate such situation and condition by being critical to their decision and step to take as valuable lessons in life.
The declaration of their identity is significantly reinforced through their lifestyles as the way they live and behave in social life. The discussion of lifestyles is presented in the next chapter to further clarify the metropolitan phenomena as represented by the main characters.
77 CHAPTER IV
LIFESTYLES: POST-FEMINIST WOMEN’S NEW WAYS OF
DEFINING THEIR IDENTITY
Based on the way post-feminist women identify themselves through the two categories that have been discussed in the previous chapters, this chapter is to discuss three important points. The first point is women’s lifestyles. Lifestyles give a lot of contributions for women in defining their identity. By consuming lifestyles, these post feminist women are able to present and express themselves differently one to another as well as to show their social status. The consumption of lifestyles is inseparable from the idea of consumerism. The second point is consumerism.
Consumerism will be discussed under the subheading “lifestyles” as the consumption of listyles shown by these post-feminist women is also characteristic of the consumer culture. The third problem arising from their lifestyles are discussed in the next section of the chapter.
4.1 Post-Feminist Women’s Lifestyles
Lifestyles can be conceived as the way people live and interact with their surrounding and is used to express their identity. For the post-feminist women in the novels, embracing lifestyles is very important as their multiple identities are also constructed by consuming lifestyles. From a post-feminist perspective, lifestyles are useful to indicate the differences among women. This is because the concept of identity here is considered as a non static thing, hence it is always in flux. Lifestyles
78 here implies the individual’s preferences and taste which are not noted by the feminists as commented by Schwichtenberg below.
In the process, feminist thinkers ... often reified female differences through essentialist (or universal) categories that excluded the determinants of race, class, and sexual preference. Post-feminism, by contrast, focused on the differences between women rather than their sameness and emphasized the socially constructed (not to mention fluid and ad hoc) nature of all sex and gender categories.1
Based on the quotations above, it can be inferred that feminists emphasized the sameness and unity of women’s identity. Therefore, feminists ignored the practises of lifestyle which will always bring some changes in women’s identity. The sameness among women excludes lifestyles as the realization of women’s preferences and tastes. Therefore, there are four important categories of post-feminist women’s lifestyles found similarly in these novels. The first is women’s body image, as beauty and body performance are the main topics in women discourse. The second is women’s tech saviness in dealing with the progress of technology which also means their smartness. The third is women’s residence. The fourth is women’s social affiliation or companionship to certain groups of people. Each of them is to be discussed one by one.
4.1.1 Body Image
Body image is very important for these post-feminist women in order to show their characteristics as females. There is a tendency that the achievement of their success comes along not only through their financial success, but also with the values
1 See Schwichtenberg, Cathy. The Madonna Connection, p.133.
79 of their body performance. The concept of body performance reveals an image for its owner: they are not only successful women in their occupation, educations, and life, but it also influences other people’s assessment and view to them. This perspective on body image in consumer culture is closely related to Featherstone’s idea when he says that the body is “proclaimed as a vehicle of pleasure and self expression. Images of the body beautiful, openly sexual and associated with hedonism, leisure and display, emphasizes the importance of appearance and the ‘look’ [. . .] for more marketable self.”2
From the quotation above, it can be said that body image has an exchange value. It will talk much about women’s identity and leave some impressions to the viewers as well as the benefits that they get from the possesion of their body exchanged with something else such as prestige, money, and so on.. Thus, body image becomes women’s commodity useful to increase their bargaining power. The presentation of the ideal bodies can be achieved through some ways which are generally conveyed in these four novels such as regulating eating portion, having diet, eating some healthy food, wearing some brand commodities, applying cosmestics, having body treatment, and so on.
The concepts of beauty and body image has been implanted in the mind of these characters who identify themselves as post-feminist women. In spite of their success in all fields of life, they persistenly maintain their own body as their asset as female through their beautiful and elegant appearances. However, there are some
2 See Featherstone, The Body: Social Process and Cultural Theory, p. 170.
80 interesting points which essentially differentiate their respective concept of body performance in accordance to the different background of each character.
For a certain social group or class, body image becomes a requirement that must be possessed and taken care of by its members to deserve to be part of that community. Runway, “Morning Cafe”, Bellezie, and City Girl FM can be considered as social groups in the novels which maintains and perpetuate the concept of beauty to its members. It is because all of these companies act as the producers of the body image which also present the profile of their companies consumed as lifestyles by its employees.
The presentation of such ideal body image established in Runway is related to its image as a famous magazine which produces and promotes concepts of women’s body and beauty through the presentation of its models, designers, and employees. As each of these women are depicted to have important position in their own company, body image is important in order to emphasize their attractiveness not only for themselves as a woman, but also for the image of the company through their presentation. Such unspoken rules are imposed by Miranda who obliges her employees to dress well and present the spirit of Runway at all times and occasions. It is shown by the quotation below.
‘Andrea!’ she called as I ran past her, an ice cube flying out of the glass and landing outside the art departmemnt. ‘Remember to change your shoes!’ I stopped dead in my tracks and looked down. I was wearing a pair of funky street sneakers, the kind that weren’t designed to do anything but look cool. The rule of dress – unspoken and otherwise – were obviously relaxed when Miranda was away, and even though every single person in the office looked fantastic, each was wearing something they would swear up and down that they’d never, ever wear in front of
81 Miranda. My bright red, mesh sneakers were a prime example. (DWP, 101)
“Morning Cafe” as a television program and City Girl FM as a radio station also maintain the importance of good body performance through its presenter, broadcasters, actress, actors, and so on. Similar to Runway, both of these companies produce body image as a capital to show lifestyles. If Andrea is determined to improve the quality of her performance, Becky has awareness to present herself well in front of her audience as it will influence their remarks on her, and so does Lola due to her responsibility as a public relation which has to meet her clients, arrange public conferences, and etc.
The character of Becky also tries hard to maintain her beauty and elegant performance by considering much to what she wears in order to present her immaculate image not only to the audience, but also to the interviewer when she is about to have a screen test for American television. As a public figure she has to present her best in front of her public as to boost her ‘selling value’ which is important for her career continuance. Thus, having a gorgeous body is seen as an investment in her career. She has to appear attractively in order to win the attention of the public and the interviewer. This can be observed through her own statement,
“OK. What am I going to wear tomorrow? What am I going to wear? I mean, this is the most important moment of my life, a screen test for American television. My outfit has to be sharp, flattering, photogenic, immaculate ... I mean, I’ve got nothing.
Nothing.” (STM, 241)
82 The concept of body image is interpreted differently by Lola. It is used to improve her self-confidence when she appears in front of her colleques who also maintain the importance of body image for their attractiveness. She confesses it by saying, “On my body, there are some amulets which can prevent me from any inferiority. Branded bags, branded clothes, branded shoes. And of course, the smile of the haves is different.” (CM, 219)3 Besides, body image is also used to increase her market value in order to get rich boyfriends who will finance her life for her daily needs and the commodities she wants. In contemplating her friends’ ideas about the use of body to attract the other sex’s attention, Lola takes it seriously as shown by the quotations below.
So actually, there is still a potential that I haven’t dug out yet completely. Physical appearance. The potential never taught by my former school teachers. The potential not praised by the hypocrites. ... The potential often supposed as a foolish thing, but in fact it exactly produces a fortune not foolish at all.” (CM, 70)4
Meanwhile, Bellezie as an advertisement company is well regarded as the expert in producing the body image which will also influence the public’s acceptance of certain products. It is confessed by Monica herself, “Bellezie is well-known as a product specialist. Healing the image of the old products which have flunked in marketplaces, packing and dressing them up again in asuch a manner, and
3 Di tubuh saya sudah ada jimat-jimat penangkal rasa minder. Tas branded, pakaian branded, sepatu branded. Dan tentu, senyum orang banyak duit memang beda. 4 Jadi sebetulnya, masih ada potensi yang belum saya gali seutuhnya. Penampilan fisik. Potensi yang tidak pernah diajarkan guru-guru sekolah dulu. Potensi yang oleh orang-orang munafik disebut sebagai hal yang tak terpuji. ... Potensi yang sering kali dianggap hal tolol, tapi pada kenyatannya justru menghasilkan rezeki yans sama sekali tidak tolol.
83 representing them like an erotic widow.” (JM, 143)5 Therefore, the concept of image is very relevant to this company. Moreover, it also ‘sells’ its own image as the profesional company in manipulating the image of the products. Although there is no direct quotation refering to the obligatory in this company to dress well, Monica is also characterized as having an awareness to present herself well and elegantly due to her position as a creative director and self-market.
For the character of Monica, body image is useful to declare her position as an independent and succesful person who can appear elegantly and beautifully. Although she also has the same motive with Lola about the function of body image in increasing her self-market, she tends not to explore her own body as a commodity to satisfy men’s sexual desire as Lola does. Furthermore, she treats it to find her best- man that in fact every man must also appreciate and like to see women’s beautiful body and face. Thus, she cannot ignore such opinion by maintaining and treating her body well in order to impress and attract men’s attention which can be observed through her own contemplation as follows.
Before, I furiously blamed my physical appearance as a curse for the low-market of marital prospect. It causes me to stay in front of the mirror every morning like a fool. Observing every shortcoming on my face, and being strained to choose suitable outfits as if there were an imprisonment for the wearer of incompatible outfits. (JM, 172)6
5 Bellezie memang dikenal sebagai dokter produk. Menyembuhkan image produk lama yang terlanjur jatuh di pasaran, mengemas dan mendandaninya lagi sedemikian rupa, dan menampilkannya seperti janda kembang yang seronok. 6 Sebelum ini aku mati-matian menuding penampilan fisikku sebagai biang kerok sepinya pasaran jodoh dalam hidupku. Itu yang menyebabkan aku seperti orang tolol setiap pagi di depan cermin. Mencermati segala kekurangan wajahku, dan tegang memilih baju seolah di luar sana tersedia hukuman penjara bagi pemakai baju yang tidak benar
84 Not only does body image show the possession of beautiful body and appearance, but it also refers to the way they behave and present themselves to public. As all characters in the novels have important positions in their respective company, they have to always present themselves well to the public. The way they present themselves would also influence other people’s judgements and comments.
Thus, they have to speak and behave politely, dress and make up themselves well by following the up to date fashion trends. These women are aware that the respects and appreciations of the society do not only depend on their achievements, but also on how they treat and maintain their body performance to appear elegantly.
A particular description on presenting individual’s image is noted more obviously through the representation of Andrea than the other three novels. At her initial interview in Runway, she is not allowed to bring any briefcase, or she would be eliminated soon. In this case, individual’s image in representing such credibility is considered as an important thing to join Runway. Here, ‘briefcase’, for example, is considered as the symbol of old fashion world which does not match to this current and progressive era as it will lessen and destroy her personal image and its attractiveness. Meanwhile, Runway symbolizes a modern world. Andrea realizes that
Emily’s action in seizing her briefcase before entering Miranda’s room is considered as an attempt to “save” her life as follows: “Just as I was about to walk through the doorway that would lead me to the assistants’ suite outside of Miranda’s office,
Emily grabbed my briefcase and tossed it under her dress. It took only a moment for me to realize that the message was Carry that, lose all credibility.” (DWP, 17)
85 Body image, thus, becomes an important factor for these post-feminist women, for it determines the process of their socialization to their environment. They would be well accepted as part of a certain group if they met the requirement of having an ideal body image. Here, performance is considered as the visualization of their image which would talk a lot about their identity as well as their prestige. People would be able to judge or decide who they are from their first impression at the first encounterment, in addition to their sexual appeal.
Sexuality is also seen as the expression of these post-feminist women’s body image. They intentionally tend to present themselves as sexy women through how they dress, speak, and present their body. Besides, they have their own pride to have such body image as it is their precious asset to invite and attract the attention of the men to approach and possess them.
4.1.2 Tech-Savviness
The use of sophisticated technology also becomes lifestyles of the main characters in the novels as post-feminist women. The growth of their success comes along with the application of technology which confirms their ability to adopt to the progress of the era. It is viewed as advantegous tools and facilities that must be possessed to simplify their jobs and ease their performance. The use of handphone, internet, email, and luxurious cars is generally found in these novels which proves their identity as fashionable persons and shows their existence in this advanced era.
The involvement of the main characters in using technology is seen as consumption of technology which marks the identity of capitalist and sophisticated society through
86 a great amount of inventions. Besides, their ability in using sophisticated technology also marks their identity as smart persons. They do not only afford those things, but they can also operate the products.
Lola is also aware of the progress of technology which encourages her to demand a Communicator handphone from her boyfriend. This new type of handphone is very sophisticated as it provides a lot of features which can serve the function of the agenda, internet link, and so on. Thus, it is not only used to facilitate her to commit her jobs easily, but it also facilitates her performance. For this, she has to pay its expensive cost. Lola herself states in responding Anggara’s question about her favorite handphone, “You see? I have such a high taste,” ... “I want the newest
Communicator. More suitable with my bustle.” (CM, 153)7 Her ability in operating a
Communicator also identifies her characteristic as a smart women.
The special features of sophisticated technology can be clearly found in The
Devil Wears Prada. The application of ID card which tracks all the employees’ movement, purchases, and absences in the buiding, and an instant messanger which conveys directly new coming messages, mark consuming culture surrounding
Andrea. It seems that the life in Elias-Clark, especially in Runway is designed completely to perform a great consumption in human life by applying high technology in organizing the whole systems. Emily herself explains to Andrea about such phenomena, saying, ‘I don’t think they actually look at the cameras unless something’s missing, but the cards tell everything. Like, everytime you swipe it
7 “Itu dia. Selera saya tinggi sih,” ... “Saya pengin Communicator terbaru. Lebih cocok dengan kesibukan saya.”
87 downstairs to get past the security counter or on the floor to get in the door, they know where you are. That’s how they tell if people are at work, so if you have to be out ... .’(DWP, 57) Andrea’s tech-savviness also indicates her identity as a smart woman. She is a quick learner to such a sophisticated technology that she never knows before and able to adjust herself to the progress of the technology in her workplace.
Furthermore, it is described in the beginning of the story in The Devil Wears
Prada that Andrea is asked to pick up Miranda’s cat with a luxurious car, Porsche. It is very amazing that a luxurious car like that seems worthless at all. The label of
Porsche here signifies a brand of a luxurious car equipped with a lot of sophisticated technology affordable only for the rich persons. Besides, Elias-Clark also installs an instant messanger which tells the employees if the new message comes in order to facilitate their work. Andrea’s knowledge of such technology also marks her tech- savviness as a modern person: “Ping! You have an e-mail from Alexander Fineman.
Click here to open. Ooooh, fun. Elias-Clark had firewalled instant messanger, but for some reason I could still receive instant notification that I’d received a new e-mail.
I’d take it.”(DWP, 96)
4.1.3 Residence
The posession of residence has also become the choice of these post-feminist women to show their lifestyles. The area where they live, the size of their house, and the status of the ownership become the measurement of their lifestyles. All main characters in these four novels are depicted to stay away from their parents
88 eventhough they are still single. They choose to stay within apartments like Andrea,
Becky, and Monica. Meanwhile, Lola chooses a boarding house as her residence.
The possession of such residences becomes economic capital for these women as it shows their wealth. Due to economic capital they possess, they follow a hierarchy stratification which put them into the level class of social hierachy. Such conditions will give them a social status and class. Thus, it reflects their lifestyles as independent and rich persons.
The importance of residence ownership in enhancing individual social status as well as reflecting their lifestyles is clearly seen in Jodoh Monica rather than the rest three novels even though each of them are described to live in apartment.
However, there is no further information which emphasizes on the importance on residence ownership rather than what is commented by Arya, Monica’s collegue, about Monica’s apartment as follows.
“Gee! Feel like in New York!” Screamed Arya tackily, while moving into the balcony hedge. Indeed, my apartment faces toward Sudirman [street] direction with its skyscrappers. At nights, imaginations will easily fly to New York. I smiled, Not the first –second comment I’ve ever heard. Kasandra frequently praised my apartment and berated herself for never being able to save money to live in an apartment. (JM, 183-184)8
The quotations above indicate that not all people could afford an apartment like that as it needs a lot of money to spend. Having such an apartment can also be
8 “Gila! Serasa di New York!” Teriak Arya norak, sambil beranjak menuju pagar balkon. Apartemenku memang menghadap ke arah Sudirman dengan gedung-gedung pencakar langitnya. Pada malam hari, imajinasi dengan mudah melayang ke New York. Aku tersenyum, bukan komentar yang sekali-dua kali kudengar. Kasandra bolak-balik memuji apartemenku dan memaki dirinya yang tak juga berhasil menabung untuk bisa tinggal di apartemen.
89 said as purchasing lifestyles. The consideration on the strategic location, landscape, interior, etc reflect the taste of the owner.
The issue of residence ownership as to enhance individual’s prestige and social status can be the weapon used by the manufacturers to market their product. In fact, a lot of luxurious apartments are offered as residences for metropolitan people such as in Jakarta. A lot of marketing strategies are used to persuade people to buy them by giving a lot of facilities provided to give a simple access for the residents to do their activities, e.g. swimming pools, sauna, even malls under the buildings.
Although they are sold expensively, people are still interested in purchasing and buying these apartment. By purchasing such expensive apartments, people are also buying a cultural symbol, hence a lifestyle. This is to say that lifestyles become a value traded between the producer and consumer. The producers use a lifestyle as a tool to market their commodity, while the consumers consume a lifestyle in order to give them a prestige.
4.1.4 Social Affiliation and Companionship
As lifestyles can be considered as cultural practises in expressing individuals’ identity, these terms represent a lot of choices offered to social members. Social affiliation which can be interpreted as the way individuals place themselves into certain social groups and interactions also becomes a marker of lifestyles. The concept of body images, technology, and residence possessed by post-feminist women can classify themselves into some affiliations to certain social group that they choose their friends to interact with. It is definitely stated by Barker. He states that,
90 “Commodities confer prestige and signify social value, status, and power in the context of cultural meanings which derive from the wider ‘social order’. Thus, codes of similarity and differences in consumer goods are used to signify social affiliation.”9
Body, technology, and residence can be assumed as forms of commodities.
These commodities become important aspects for women to involve their companionship to certain individuals of certain group. Such an affiliation is regarded as attempts to show the patttern of their living or lifestyles. The companionship they prefer is something beneficial to enhance their identity and prestiges. It will establish a positive sense for them which distinguishes them as the in-group. The interaction of people in the same level or social group will produce the same patterns too that there is such a mutual relationship among them as what is taught by Emily to Andrea in
The Devil Wears Prada. Andrea states that, “... Emily hadn’t left my side yet, seizing every opportunity to teach me something. She provided running commentary on who was really important, whom not to piss off, whom it was beneficial to befriend because they threw the best parties. ...” (STM, 40)
The so-called social affiliation and companionship are more clearly seen in
The Devil Wears Prada and Cewek Matre than the other two novels. The social group lines are drawn to make a boundary among the individual to decide who belong to a certain group or not. They choose to enter a certain companionship or social group intentionally. Thus, there is an inclination shown by individuals to engage to a certain social group considered to have the similar social status to them or to enhance their
9 See Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practise, pp. 108 – 109.
91 social status. Andrea’s following comment shows us such affiliations and companionships which differentiate individuals in Runway to include or exlude someone from their group companionship. She states:
My phone would ring off the hook on a day during a Runway ad sales party with people I didn’t know really well looking for an invite. ‘Um, like, I hear Runway’s having part tonight. Why am I not invited? I always found out from someone on the outside that there was a party that: editorial was never invited because they would go anyway. (DWP, 127)
From the quotations above, it indicates that as a member of a certain companionship or group, someone is treated properly. They classify themselves into a certain group which shares similar characteristics with them as well as gives a beneficial relationship. Thus, lifetyles are their target which become the base of their companionship as their companionship will also increase their social status or value.
In Cewek Matre, such a social companionship and afiliation is experienced by Lola herself. She observes that in her workplace there is a kind of social affiliations and companionship to the ‘strong’ individuals. The comers or followers will stick on the stronger person for the attractiveness of commodities and lifestyles she performs including the benefits that they can get from the person. She states:
Linda, Wulan, and Putri show up in from their own cubicles, and with countable steps I had memorized well, they walked toward the queen. ... Putri and Wulan nodded with motions which had been planned before. Even Putri, in ways often attributed to members of the royal gang, felt neccessary to reach her hand to touch Arintha’s hair. (CM, 86-87)10
10 Linda, Wulan, dan Putri langsung menyeruak dari kubikel masing-masing, dan dengan langkah yang hitungannya sudah saya hafal, mereka bergerak menuju sang ratu. ... Putri dan Wulan mengangguk- angguk dengan gerakan seperti sudah direncanakan. Bahkan Putri, layaknya orang-orang yang butuh diakui sebagai anggota geng yang loyal, merasa perlu menjulurkan tangan dan menyentuh rambut Arintha.
92 Such social affiliations and companionships are sometimes based on the admiration of the image produced by the dominant person or group. As the dominated persons have an awareness on their lack of styles, finacial strength, power, ability, and so on, they will affiliate themselves to the dominant person in order to get any acceleration of their social status as well as prestiges. Thus, social affiliation and companionship will give a social capital to these dominated person, because social capital is formed by whom we know.
Lifestyles which have been discussed above become the consumption of these post-feminist women. The consumption of lifestyles is inseparable from consumerism which have become an ideology unavoidably perpetuated in the process to search for and declare identity. The ideology of consumerism, thus, is to encourage and motivate people to consume as many as they can. Women in the novels embrace consumerism to assert and display their lifestyles as worthy persons.
Consumerism has its own attractiveness which always invites a lot of attentions to discuss as it has become a social phenomena which exists in all different hemispheres. It generally has become a zeit geist as the spirit of this current time which has embodied within post-feminist women’s characteristics. Moreover, it signs the reign of capitalism which has been well spread in this modern life with its enjoyments and amusements.
This nowadays’ consumerism has its own logic. It does not mean that every consumptive activity wastes something and is useless in order to satisfy personal’s demands. However, the trend has moved to the use of consumerism as the way to produce something. The forms of lifestyles above such as body images, tech-saviness,
93 choices on residence, and social affiliation and companionship are used by these post- feminist women to produce their identity. It is closely related to Featherstone’s idea explained by Barker as follows.
.. The creation of lifestyles is centred on the consumption of aesthetic signs associated with a relative shift in significance from production to consumption. Indeed, “it is important to focus on the growing prominence of the culture of consumption and not merely regard consumption as derived from production.’... That is, the culture of consumption has its own logic which is not reducible to production and which loosens the connection between social class group and lifesyles/identities.11
The consumption of aesthetic signs as stated by Barker above is the main target of this post-modern’s consumer culture. The symbolical values are the objects of these post-feminist women in order to enhance their identity. Personal prestige, self-esteem, and respect become the values they consume and produce behind the consumption of the commodities. Thus, such prestige, self-esteem, and respect encourage themselves to have a new capital, that is social status.
Therefore, lifetyles are also the practises used to show social status. The struggle for social recognizition and status reflected through Bordieu’s ideas is also summarized by Bryan Turner in Jerkins’ Pierre Bourdieu as follows:
Social status involves practices which emphasizes and exhibit cultural distinctions and differences which are a crucial feature of all social stratification ... . Status may be conceptualised therefore as lifestyle; that is, as the totality of cultural practises such as dress, speech, outlook, and bodily dispositions ... . While status is about political entitlement and legal location within civil society, status also involves, and to a certain extent is, style.12
11 See Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practise, p. 109. 12 Turner, Bryan as mentioned in Jerkins, Pierre Bourdieu, p. 130.
94 As the main characters in these novels are identified as middle class working women, their consumption of lifestyles is used to promote their social status. The rise of their social status to be the haves inevitably constructs their image as rich and prestigious persons as experienced by the main characters. Even, sometimes they spend money excessively as represented by Becky. Her act of charity in donating her money in her trip to Manhattan clearly indicates the way she tries to identify her social status as a rich woman, “... Because once I started donating, I couln’t stop!
Each time I parted with a bit of money, I felt high.” (STM, 72) It gives an indication that she also tends to declare her social status as a high class person. She considers that the increase of her social status can also be measured through her habit in spending money. That is why it can be said that social status in society is not a fixed one in which it allows elevation and reduction of individual social status as shown by quotations below. It is because it depends on the impression of other people in judging us.
We are moving towards a society without fixed status groups in which the adoption of styles of life fixed to specific social groups and divisions is becoming irrelevant as they give way to lifestyles in which ‘the new heroes of consumer culture make a lifestyle a life project and display their individuality and sense of style in the particularity of the assemblage of goods, clothes, practices, experiences, appearances and bodily dispositions they design together into a lifestyle.’13
The quotation above indicates that there is mobility of individual status through the consumption of lifestyles. Thus, lifestyles become the individual’s projects in that they continually consume and produce new forms of lifestyles as shown by their consumption practices. They do not only consume lifestyles which
13 See Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practise, p.109.
95 means wasting something, but they also produce their own style and image by concuming these lifestyles.
In Cewek Matre, such situation is exemplified by Lola. Shopping abudantly can give an impression that the agents are wealthy persons. For Lola, shopping commodities is like a habit which does not only identify herself as a woman, but it also gives her prestige, because most of her colleques often do similar thing. By having consumptive lifestyles, Lola produces her own image and prestige as wealthy person which also boosts her social status. Thus, she attempts to define her own social class similar to her collegues. It is clear here that Lola is controlled by consumerism.
Seen from the outer performance, our shopping style is not different from rich ladies who are fond of spending money in this mall, one hand carrying a briefcase. The other hand carrying shopping plastic bag busily. ... Who knows our money is only about a million left in a cash dispenser machine. Oh, my God. This is what we call poor, but arrogant. (CM, 52)14
Based on the quotations above, it can be understood that the possession of commodities becomes the standard and measurement to individuals’ values as well as the reflection of their economic and social background. As a result, it determines the social interactions and socialization among them. This condition is obviously stated in Endah’s Cewek Matre. The aspiration of Lola’s consumptive attitude is provoked by her social circumstances. As a member of a high class society, she is much
14 Dilihat dari penampilan luar, style belanja kami tak ubahnya ibu-ibu kaya yang doyan menghamburkan duit lebih di mal ini, sebelah tangan menjinjing tas kerja. Sebelah tangan yang lain kerepotan menenteng tas plastik belanja. ... Siapa sangka duit kami tinggal sejutaan saja di ATM. Oh, my God. Inilah yang namanya miskin tapi sombong.
96 influenced by the behavior of her collegues so that finally she patronizes and imitate them. Unconsciously, she has determined the standardization of her life by comparing hers with other people’s.
... The newest series of BMW car. Worldly branded outfits. Hanging diamonds. Deposit piling up ...” My mind, then, is filled up with Linda’s figure walking elegantly and confidently to her BMW which competes our Boss’ car ... Thus, without being forbidden, my mind visualizes my shadow standing at the edge of the street ... . How extremely different is my image from Linda. (CM, 55)15
The power of consumerism is so strong that it becomes personal obsession and idealism in people’s life, and even can be seen as rejection or self-escape from the real situation in their life. In one side, they may feel dissatisfied, lonesome, and unhappy about their life for their inability to achieve personal idealism, goal, and perfection in the world. However, in another side they want to conceal their weakness by consuming lifestyles. As a result, these people become consumers and live hedonistically because the purpose is for other people to see them as a perfect entity.
They want to be acknowledged by other people through their consumption. This condition is experienced by Monica. The character of Monica is used to follow such a consumer culture as her self-escape from her problem on singlehood. She exposes her attention to such shopping activities in order to entertain herself and cover her weakness. She confesses thus, “ ... I still keep the bills of exclusive traditional treatments of Puri Ayu salon. I also spend much money to buy various whitening product produced by Kanebo. My cosmestic collection perhaps exceeds Krisdayanti’s
15 ... Mobil BMW seri terbaru. Baju merek dunia. Berlian gondal-gandul. Deposito menggunung... “ Benak saya lalu dipenuhi gambaran Linda sedang berjalan anggun dan penuh percaya diri, menuju BMW-nya yang nyaingin mobil Bos kami ... . Lalu tanpa bisa dilarang, benak saya menggambarkan bayangan saya yang berdiri di tepi jalan ... . Betapa jauhnya gambaran saya dan Linda.
97 ... . The wrong thing is, why my soulmate hasn’t COME yet!” (JM, 12)16 However,
Monica still consumes lifestyles in order to establish her image and prestige.
As a global phenomena, consumerism always takes social environments as a determining factor for the spread of this culture. The social setting of these novels have important roles in portraying how consumerism has rooted in the society and influenced its members’ point of view, especially those who live in metropolitan cities. Entertainments available in the large part of the cities have become materials of lifestyles which continue to encourage and attract people to consume much more.
The representation of New York City as a setting for social groups in the western novels and Jakarta in the Indonesian novels can be indicative of consumer society. The consumption of commodities shown by these characters can be regarded as their self-fulfilment through the goods they purchase or display. This idea emerges as if to display someone’s wealth through the purchase of goods. It creates a never ending circle to justify the belief that it is economically correct to purchase goods and to display someone’s image through the goods purchased. For them, by engaging themselves to this consumer culture, it will give some attachment values to their identity. Furthermore, they even sometimes create an opportunity to perpetuate this culture without knowing the cause of their action. It is only because they have been accustomed to such culture. Consumption becomes their self-defense so that other people cannot underestimate them.
16 ... Aku masih menyimpan bon-bon perawatan tradisional yang ekslusif di salon Puri Ayu. Aku juga menghabiskan banyak uang untuk membeli beraneka produk pemutih keluaran Kanebo. Koleksi kosmetikku barangkali melebihi kepunyaan Krisdayanti... . Yang salah adalah, kenapa jodoh belum juga DATANG!
98 The characters of Andrea, Becky, Monica, and Lola can be considered as the agents and victims of this consumer culture. They all act as agents in perpetuating such a concept through their own understanding about consumerism as well as producing and consuming images. The atmosphere of competition at the work place is supposed to be the primary factor which exacerbates their consumer attitudes. Such a feeling of competition is mainly presented by Lola. Her motivation in consuming goods can also be understood as effects of her surrounding. However, her demand to be acknowledged as a prestigious person is also another reason to spur her consumer habit. Consumerism is used here as a tool to equip herself to be equal with other people from a higher level. In this case, her self categorization to the upper level becomes her ideology to enhance her prestiges. It is also prestige that she looks for to define herself.
Meanwhile, Andrea’s consumer attitude is also stimulated by the atmosphere of her surrounding. She nurtures this habit as part of her social peer pressure. That is why in order to make herself fashionable by following every change of the trends, she has to be a consumer of many products. Becky’s consumer attitude is less reasonable.
The idea of consumerism comes to her mind just as a pleasurable idea and action through her shopping habits, as this habit is common in women’s world. Otherwise,
Monica’s consumption of lifestyles is used to increase her self-market and show her social position as well as prestige.
As for Lola’s and Monica’s body marketing in relation to the consumer culture, Again, Featherstone’s comment is useful. He says, “the body is “proclaimed as a vehicle of pleasure and self expression. Images of the body beautiful, openly
99 sexual and associated with hedonism, leisure and display, emphasizes the importance of appearance and the ‘look’ […] for more marketable self.”17 Thus, for these characters body image also becomes the commodities used to seek attention of the other sex. Consuming lifestyles and commodities means producing their image.
The implication to such a condition to women’s lives is closely related to
Douglas’s article “Manufacturing Post-feminism”. She says that all medias contribute a great role in perpetuating the nature of women as the way to legitimate the concept of beauty in the female world through various advertisements aiming to promote their feminine products. Thus, it can be understood that the creation of such television and magazine images by those manufacturers take a great role in influencing women’s response and perspective in viewing their body and performance as if the right and ideal body had been patronized through the presentations of their models. Therefore, this kind of paradigm has been implanted in their mind and unconcsiously formed their mindset to imitate this concept of women’s beauty without being aware of the political economy of the manufacturer behind it. As such, they will compete with each other to improve their body’s bargaining power through the cosmestics they wear, skin treatment, having exercises, and so on. They tend to perform their beauty and ideal body performance to every one they meet in order to show their attractions as they want to be different and unique from any one else. Therefore, for women, their body image also becomes the central of their lives and measurement they use to judge someone’s social class and identity. As post-feminism itself tends to reassure
17 See Featherstone, The Body: Social Process and Cultural Theory, p 170.
100 the concept of femininity that cannot be taken out of women’s live, thus, women’s body also becomes the target of their marketplace. All the involvement of medias in perpetuating body image as women’s lifestyle is also the work of consumerism. Here, women’s body becomes their commodities.
For women who really care about their body image, post-feminism will stand to support it, but for those who give less attention to it, here is the stand for post feminism to criticize it. Post-feminism scrutinizes the lack of feminism in giving progress to women. In fact, feminism has sucessful impacts in bringing women’s life in advance, but it also brings some misery to them as it makes them unhappy, unfeminine, childless, and lonely because of their hard attempt to achieve the equality to men so that they ignore to take care of their own body as their assets. Therefore, it can be understood that post-feminism emphazises on the idea that the success of women does not only come from their achievements, but also how they take care of their body and image. As Douglas says in her article that “the challenges of women to balance their work and family with their good planning and smart choices in great outlooks are abetted along side by the corporate medias.”18 Therefore, it can be said that mass media have a great role in spreading the concept of women’s attractiveness together with their functions in their job and domestic life. Meanwhile, it is also considerable as a political strategy used by manufacturers to market their products.
Such intrique sometimes is not realized by women as they always like to have and present such ideal body attractiveness.
18 See Douglas, “Manufacturing Post-feminism”
101 If Andrea’s affiliation to the consumer world is the result of the social construction, Miranda Priestly, Runway’s editor-in-chief, is totally a symbol of a materialistic world and an actualization of the ideology of consumerism itself eventhough at first she is also a result of a social construction. Miranda’s dealing with a wide range of fashion and make up world, having party gatherings with famous people and celebrities, consuming brand commodities, and spending habits is a typical potrayal of a consumer culture. The establishment of her personal prestige and self esteem through this kind of ideology in enhancing her identity as a very important, successful, and powerful women with high taste can be considered as part and parcel of her job.
The consumption of lifestyles is also used to strengthen Miranda’s position. It gives a portrayal that the more important someone is, the more things she has to show up to her society, as her possessions will speak a lot about her condition. Her successful ambition in declaring herself as a prestigious person and her attempt to juxtapose herself to a higher rank among the socialites put consumerism as her idealism. Her perspective in viewing the most prestigious thing is always related to the glamourous world. Her position to be the number one is obviously stated by herself in commenting Andrea’s ideal job to work as The New Yorker after finishing her one year contract in Runway: “Why ever would you want to do that? No glamour there, just nuts and bolt.” (DWP, 326) From Miranda’s perspective, there is an important clue that to live in glamour has been embodied and constructed inside
Miranda that it becomes her spirit and affects her mentality. Her idealism and conception of an ideal world becomes encouragement for her to view everything from
102 materialistic spectacles. Furthermore, consumerism is also used as power exercised by her. It means that it is practically used to demonstrate her power that she is not common people like either ordinary people. Almost all powerful people attempt to show who the best is, in this case by practising consumer attitudes and manners.
Here, power is consumed as lifestyles while lifestyles are consumed to create power.
Therefore, it can be conceived that first, consumerism is the configuration of power to consume identity itself. Secondly, lifestyles, seen especially in Miranda’s characterization, can also be categorized as that of a post-feminist woman
To compare, currently, the issue of consumerism also exists in Indonesia through ‘Bantuan Langsung Tunai’ (BLT). The distribution of BLT is mainly given to help the poor in order to be able to afford their daily needs. However, it reflects the ideology of consumerism. Cash money given to the poor is objectively designed to fulfil their daily needs because of their inability to afford the things. However, in marketing strategy imposed by the manufacturer, it is intentionally used to increase the sale of the commodities by the manufacturers in which their purpose is to get profits from the sales. Thus, the ideology of consumerism works that BLT is also used to encourage people to consume as many as they can.19
The consumption of lifestyles in constructing the post-feminist women’s identity also involves what Schwichtenberg called as “simulation” being the keyword for women’s multiple representation.20 Simulation refers to an action in imitating someone else’s lifestyles and performace, including celebrities. The process done by
19 The writer is indebted to Dr. St. Sunardi for bringing this current issue to her attention. 20 See Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 132.
103 women to change their styles by imitating styles from several persons produces multiple representation of their identity. However, the emphasis is still on women’s images themselves in which simulation used to build their images and increase their prestiges. Lifestyles become the indicator of their multiple identity as post-feminist perspective emphasizes on the differences between women rather than their sameness. Thus, post-feminist women are inclined to use simulation in presenting their multiple identities. Schwichtenberg says the following:
Simulation, which stresses the artificial as “dress-ups”, “put-ons”, and make-overs,” is not a political liability for a postmodern feminism intent on reclaiming simulation for the “other.” ... Madonnna’s gender-bending, pin-stripped suit and crotch grabs in Express Yourself, her scene of apphic titillation on “Late night with David Letterman,” and her languid French Kiss with l’autre femme in Justify all represent a deconstruction of lines and boundaries that fragment male/female gender polarities and pluralize sexual practices. This is a postmodern, unbounded feminism that unifies coalitionally rather than foundationally.21
Simulation as the process in presenting the mutiple representation of women signifies women’s feminity which break the boundary of gender and body. If feminism attempts to exclude gender, class, and sexuality, post-feminism, on the other hand, directs women’s attention back to their nature as female. Thus, simulation may take feminity to present women’s multiple representation. Feminity is “marked by the arrangement of signifiers on the body’s surface that act in a part-to-whole relationship in the construction of a look” as explained by Schwitchtenberg.22 Thus,
‘look’ is importance to show women’s attractiveness in order to present differences among them.
21 See Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 132. 22 Schwichtenberg, The Madonna Connection, p. 133.
104 Nowhere is simulation as an important idea of post-feminism clearer than in
Becky’s obsession in having Vera Wang dress in Shopaholic Takes Manhattan.
But Oh God. Oh God. That Vera Wang Dress. Inky purple, with a low back and glittering straps. It just looked so completely movie-star perfect. ... I wasn’t me anymore. I was Grace Kelly. I was Gwyneth Paltrow. I was a glittering someone else, who can casually sign a credit card slip for thousands of dollars while smiling and laughing at the assistant, as though this were a nothing purchase. (STM, 251)
Here, patronizing someone’s else even the television image to enhance her own identity is a form of simulation. Consumerism becomes the cost paid by Becky to purchase the commodity as well as the prestiges and images of being such celebrities. Such facts denote a deliberate act of consumption as the essence of the concept of simulation stated by Schwitchtenberg above. That is the role of feminity as women’s characteristics which enables them to imitate. Such imitations can break gender boundary between men and women. Women are also able to represent men’s masculinity through their apperance. Thus, simulation allows women to make reinventions in their life, and the result is that they have multiple representation. As such, consumerism regarded as one of post-feminism’s characteristics which shares a similar function in beautifying women’s world can also be observed from the quotations above. All women’s activities are seen as manisfestation of consumerism which gives them satisfaction and enjoyment through their consumptive actions.
Thus, through a post-feminist perspective women should maintain their nature as female that they actually have their own beauty and body as their capital.
Generally, it emphasized on women’s femininity that they should appear beautifully and elegantly without losing their natural characteristics. They should be able to
105 present themselves with their attractiveness along with their achievements in all fields without forgetting their sexual attractiveness as female by maintaining the concept of body performance as a significant element for them. Thus, it encourages women to appear stylishly all the time that it does not matter if they were old or young, for they can still maintain their attraction. For the aged women, it also suggests them to rejuvenate themselves in order to get back their youth attractiveness. Therefore, the targets of post-feminism are not only young women, but also the aged women that all of them should be aware of their own nature as female by maintaining their face and body being precious assets for them.
Such idea of happy lives which can be partly actualized through consumer culture is perpetuated by mass media such as magazines and televisions. They play an important role not only in visualizing women’s styles and dreams, but also sending the messages about the importance of such pictured ideas in women’s lives. Thus, this reflected idea has rooted as their mindset that also pictures their idealism.
Unfortunately, this proposition is also unconsciously justified by women themselves as they cannot set themselves free from this ideology so that it is very impossible to ban any consumer attitudes and behaviors in women’s life. However, as women’s ideology this term is also political that it can be seen as a power extension of the right wing or capitalism which is very identical with hedonism and worldliness. The capitalist agents would see this movement as the target and opportunity for their bussiness which motivate women to purchase their products. Their manufacturing companies which produce such commodities and sell them to women would take it as a propaganda in order to increase their income by being smart in playing the emotion
106 and taste of women with a lot of choices they offer. The messages are clear. They urge and persuade women to purchase their poducts so that their products will be successful marketed and give them a lot of profits. Therefore, it can be concluded that post-feminism liberalizes consumerism as a tool used by women to maintain their bargaining power.
4.2 Problem of Lifestyles
Problems of lifestyles surface as a consequence of the distinctions of each individual social status. Diversity in individual social status can be gained through their consumption of commodities. As such, the consumption of the commodities can elevate individual’s social status. Here, lifestyles give the bearer a chance to mobile to a certain social group based on their possesion of the commodities, hence their social status. Thus, the individuals who have the same social status will affiliate themselves into social groups. For the individuals who belong to a certain group, they will see their membership to the in-group will bring them a lot of advantages.
However, there is an inclination that such an establishment will also give them such negative feelings and manners to the out group in which they try to distinguish themselves from the out group. Thus, social gaps appear as the negative effect of such social status.
Lifestyles, thus, also create some social boundaries which separate and line individuals’ life as exposed in these novels. Therefore, a competitive struggle exist between these social groups as the real fact that really happens in society. They will compete with each other to prove who the most prestigious and wealthy person
107 among them. The winner will invite the loser’s jealousy as the effect of her exclusion from a certain group with such unacceptacle feeling and belittled for their inability to afford the commodities as well as possessing a high social status. Worsely, the losers are underestimated and excluded from their social interaction as they fail to meet the requirement of their surrounding. This seemingly unspoken rule is experienced by
Lola before her transformation into a materialistic girl. She is formerly often belittled by her collegues because of her inability to afford branded commodity as they do. For the persons who experience such a condition as Lola, they are also prevented to enter a certain group because of their inadequate condition. Lola’s direct comment which shows her jealousy to her collegues can be observed as the effect of social gaps in her workplace. She says:
I begin to feel jealous to several women in my office. Verena, the scriptwriter, Bianca, the broadcaster of the Lunch with Celebrity program in City Girls radio, who always comes with the first class performance (she circulates in the high-class youth associations, and her face frequently appears on lifestyle magazines labelized as a socialite). Miranda, a succesful advertisement manager who becomes the most attractive woman in my office, attractive because she is really pretty and have an up to date performance. (CM, 65)23
The social boundaries created in the main characters’ workplaces, i.e.
Runway, “Morning Coffee”, Bellezie, and City Girl FM can be seen as the representation of real society in which its effects cannot be vanished and still exist in current time. Such a social line is considered to limit the scope of each individidual to
23 Saya mulai merasa iri pada sejumlah perempuan di kantor saya. Verena, si penulis skrip. Bianca, penyiar acara Lunch with Celebrity di radio City Girls, yang selalu datang dengan penampilan kelas satu (dia beredar di pergaulan kalangan muda jetset, dan wajahnya wira-wiri di majalah-majalah lifestyle sebagai manusia berlabel socialite). Miranda, manager iklan yang sukses menjadi perempuan paling menarik di kantor saya, menarik karena dia memang cantik dan berpenampilan up to date.
108 interact with other people outside her group. In relation to social boundaries in
Runway, Andrea herself comments about this, saying, “... As if it wasn’t enough for the Runway girls to mock, territorize, and ostracize any and every person who wasn’t one of them, they had to create internal class lines as well. “(DWP, 127) It is because each person in Runway is identifying themselves as rich persons too in order to cope with the progress of the era and their networks which differentiate them from other common people from the outside groups. Even, Andrea also experiences herself such unpleasant feeling in which she is positioned as the lowest rank person in her office due to her inability to match herself. Added to her failure to meet the requirement determined to become a member of the in-group, is Miranda’s action in calling her with a wrong name for many times as quoted below.
What better way to belittle and marginalize someone than to insist on calling them the wrong name, after you’ve refused to som much as acknowledge their presence in your own home? I knew I was the lowest- ranking life-form at the magazine aloready – as Emily hadn’t yet lost an opportunity to impress upon me – but was it really so necessary for Miranda to make sure I was aware of it, too? (DWP, 112)
The issue of the distinction of social status and group is also noted in Cewek
Matre. The change of Lola’s identity to be a materialistic girl is influenced by the social gaps in her workplaces as the negative effect of post-modern lifestyle. The social line between the middle and high class person are clearly shown in this novel in which the characters who have the same economical background will engroup themselves and keep a distance from those outside their social group. It seems that her inappropriate feeling to exist in a higher level group encourages her to do some
109 fallacies related to her label. Therefore, the process of her search for identity is greatly influenced by the imbalance of social status occurred in her workplaces.
Meanwhile, the line of social boundary in Jodoh Monica and Shopaholic
Takes Manhattan is less explored than those two novels as the characters of Monica and Becky do not experience such internal conflicts as the effect of social boundaries in their workplaces. The representation of the main characters as explained before still characterize their identity as middle class working women.
However, they use and create their lifestyles as a mobility which enable them to reach a high social status.
From the explanation above, it can be inferred that lifestyles as the ways used by women to define and pronounce their identity actually bring women to be more solitary than before. In other words, lifestyles intensify women’s solitary condition. Their membership to a certain group indeed worsens their isolation, so that they only interact with the members of their group while separating themselves away from other people outside their world.
4.3 Concluding Remarks
Lifestyles can be regarded as individuals’ diferring expressions in identifying themselves, as each offers a lot of choices for women to be what they want and reach their idealisms or dreams. The consumption of lifestyles by these post-feminist women through the importance of their body image, tech-saviness, residence, and social affiliation and companionship also reveals their identity. The consumption of lifestyles shown by women in the novels are used to express their prestige and social
110 status as well as to produce their prestige, image, and social status. Thus, examined with the post-feminist perspective, lifestyles produce multiple representation of women while also giving distinctions among women. Hence, consumerism becomes an aspect inseparable from the lifestyles followed and created by these women.
However, there is still a problem resulted from their lifestyle. The different lifestyles performed by each individual, thus, evoke a conflict between social groups.
Social status becomes the gaps between classes which keep the members into such social boundaries. Jealousy is shown by the loser group as their inability to struggle and mobile to a higher social status. Thus, social gaps become the main problem currently. It is because each individual tends to classify themselves into a certain social classification based on their own awareness and measurement. As such, they would also commit to the same thing to other people as it would mark their social differences. Such a case cannot be avoided as it has become a real fact that really happened in every society in the world for ages. Through the existence of social groups as the result of women’s lifestyles, actually the possession of lifestyles make women being more solitary. Lifestyles which mark their social status prevent them to interact with other people outside their own groups. To emphasize, lifestyles encourage women to be more individualistic than before.
Finally, individual’s attempt plays role in placing themselves within their social circumstances, as it will also influence the production of their social behavior and attitude in viewing something. They should keep a balance to live in their society in order to reduce the effect of social gaps by not maintaining their own social status for fear of social jealousy between the poor and the rich.
111 CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
This study has discussed the construction of post-feminist women’s identity by consuming lifestyles in four chick-lit novels, Lauren Weisberger’s The Devil
Wears Prada, Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, Alberthiene Endah’s
Jodoh Monica and Cewek Matre. The women’s identity in these novels is defined through two important categories, namely occupation and education. Each of them has interrelated function in every stage of their life. All the main characters are depicted as educated women. Education is regarded as their passport to knowledge and enlightment. Due to their possession of high academic degrees, these post- feminist women are supposedly characterized by their sophisticated minds and thinking. Thus, education here helps to deliver them to their next career stage by securing ideal jobs to fulfill their aspirations.
Occupation is the second important category in defining the characteristics of the post-feminist women. Seen as a continuance to education, occupation helps to develop the characters in their jobs as that of Andrea. Occupation is not merely a means to earn money for the fulfillment of their daily needs, but it also emphasizes their existence without which they become jobless. Becky, for instance, feels unworthy if she has no jobs at all. Occupation for these women invites more respect and appreciation from other people as experienced by Monica. Having an occupation can also be considered as self-legitimation in the middle of metropolitan social interaction which enables them to have extensive links and accesses to important
112 circle of friends. Such is experienced by Lola in her effort to mingle in metropolitan social interaction. For some people, having certain occupations is also associated with their prestige which allows them to enter into a certain social class as part of capitalist consumerist society.
For these post-feminist women, education and occupation also become their lifestyles. Education and occupation do not only give benefits as described above, but they are also used to enhance their prestige and social status. This is to say that education and occupation are important for these women to become their lifestyles, because the schools and jobs chosen by these post-feminist women are those which have the function of creating and manipulating social symbols and images. Thus, their occupation and education chosen by these post-feminist women signify entertaining values. Meanwhile, these women’s single status is noted only the matter of choice they take.
This thesis has also explored the limits of post-feminist women in identifying themselves. Such limits as solitary lives and insufficiency become indicators of the post-feminist women’s weaknesses as human beings. Solitary lives become the common problem faced by these women. Due to their education and career pursuits, they have not much time to have their personal lives, including interactions with their own friends and family. The second problem is related to their insufficiency. These working women who consume lifestyles in order to define their identity experience insatiable needs. They needs to always reinvent and make their own lifestyles in order to present their multiple identity by consuming commodities more and more. Thus, this study has also proved that women’s unsatisfactory due to their needs is the spirit
113 of consumerism which encourage them to consume as well as to produce their own capital.
Then, this thesis continues to explore post-feminist women’s lifestyles seen in the novels. The construction of post-feminist women’s identity is strengthened and pronounced by consuming lifestyle. Body image is the first important aspect of lifestyle for women. They use their body performance as self-expression to say who they are as well as the responsibility they take from their jobs. The maintenance of their beauty image is also important for the marketing of their body image for it has an exchange value. Besides, it can also be used to improve their self-confidence, hence credibility to enter a social environment of their dream. Tech-savviness is the next aspect in modern women’s lifestyle in adjusting themselves to the progress of the era. Technology is viewed as a handy tool which must not only be possessed by these women in order to equip and facilitate their performance, but also to facilitate and simplify their jobs. Thus, tech-savviness also indicates that these post-feminist women are smart persons through their ability in embracing and operating the technology. The choice of residence also indicates women’s lifestyles as the tastes they show also prove their lifestyles. Women’s affiliation and companionship to certain persons or groups also show their lifestyles which does not only give them some benefits, but also enhances their social status and image.
Problem arising as the negative impact of the possession of such lifestyles in women’s life is also discussed in this thesis. The problem of lifestyles appears as a consequence of the distinction of their social status. Different lifestyles possessed by each individual inevitably also creates a diversity in their social status which finally
114 leads them to a conflict between social group. The conflict between social groups actually also leads them to a solitary life as they are prevented to interact with the outsiders given the social line they themselves create.
This thesis finally shows that consumerism is an ideology inseparable from the post-feminist women’s identity life as well as their consumption of lifestyles. For the main characters in these chick-lit novels, consumerism does not mean wasting something, but it is used to produce something. Thus, the mode of consumption here is to produce prestige and image and status alike. Moreover, consumerism is also considered as the cost of their attempts in defining themselves differently from others.
It also has a role in determining social interaction and socialization of these women as everything in the world is measured by the possesion of the goods.
To conclude, chick-lits as women’s literature talks a lot about women’s world along with its problems through the representation of the post-feminist women under discussion. This study has proved the existence of such issues shown through the analysis of the women’s identity and lifestyles as represented by the main characters of the novels. As such, this comparative study has also successfully proved that both western and Indonesian chick-lit novels similary depict issues on post-feminist women’s identity, lifestyles, and consumerism, as well as the limits thereof. Such issues have actually plagued women all over the world, and reveal the dynamics of the women’s daily life with its attributes. Each novel discussed has contributed to the full depiction of the world of women
By taking a discussion on chick-lits in relation with post-feminist women’s identity, lifestyles, and consumerism, this study gives a lot of contributions to the
115 English Language Studies. Chick-lits are useful to study in the English Language
Studies because it discusses many things about current social and cultural phenomena in relation with women’s world. By reading chick-lits, the readers will be able to get a reflection of their own world and problems. Hopefully, they will be able to take the best decision and solution for their own life by considering the problems faced by the characters in the novels.
116 BIBLIOGRAPHY
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119 APPENDIX I
SUMMARY OF LAUREN WEISBERGER’S THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Andrea Sachs has just graduated from a college when she firstly comes and joins the Runway magazine in New York without knowing what the company’s reputation is. Its office located inside the famous building of Elias Clark is actually a famous magazine in the world which produces and offers a lot of articles on women’s styles, branded clothes, and cosmetics through the presentation of its famous models, designers, and celebrities under the reign of a she-devil boss, Miranda Priestly. The glamorous style of its employees and high class society influences the change of
Andrea’s personality and behaviour. Although, her aspiration is becoming a writer in
The New Yorker, she took Miranda’s offer to work with her. As suggested by Emily,
Miranda’s senior assistant, Miranda is so powerful and influencing a person in the fashion world whose offer is too good to ignore if Andrea wants to pursue her career.
As a junior assistant of Miranda, Andrea’s jobs are fused with tasks related to
Miranda’s domestic life such as looking for the fourth edition of Harry Potter which has not been published, washing her dishes, buying some coffee and lettte for her, etc.
Even she has to accompany her whenever she goes such as having party, ceremony, meeting some famous designers, celebrities, and so on. The intimidation of her boss and the pressure of her jobs which demand her existence whenever she is needed makes Andrea depressed, to say nothing of the broken relationships with her boyfriend, Alex, and best-friend, Lily.
120 The climax of her difficult situation is when Lily gets an accident owing to her drinking habit that sends her to the hospital for several weeks, while Andrea is in
Paris to accompany Miranda to have a great seasonal fashion show. This tragic news comes from Alex and her family which makes Andrea feels guilty because her ignorance over Lily’s condition. Thus, it finally affects her decision to quit from her job. She does it by shouting at Miranda in the middle of the fashion show party to the emberassment of her boss, just before she finishes her contract for her next career step. Altough Lily’s condition is getting better, Andrea’s relationship with Alex ends tragically. Alex feels that she is not the same person that he first fell in love with so that he breaks up their relationship.
Andrea’s next step is that she tries to build her own confident and starts her new job by applying for a position of a writer in the Seventeen magazine of which the first debut is the publication of her own story.
121 APPENDIX 2
SUMMARY OF SOPHIE KINSELLA’S SHOPAHOLIC TAKES MANHATTAN
Rebecca Bloomwood or Becky works as a financial guru in a TV program cable “Morning Coffee”. She is well accepted by her audience as her financial comments and advice are very helpful for them. Her degree in Bussiness and
Accounting enables her to step smoothly on her career. However, her current job is very contradictory to her habit in shopping commodities which has become her characteristics. Although she has tried hard to set herself free from this habit, she fails upon seeing commodities. Thus, it entraps her into some debts to Endwich Bank as her overdraft is beyond the limit.
One day, her boy friend, Luke Brandon, a succesful enterpreneur, asks her to go to New York as he has a project to open a new branch office there. During her trip to Manhattan, Becky’s obsession in shopping cannot be endured anymore as a lot of shops offer sample sales and branded commodities in sensationally half prices and more fashionable than in London at that time. She is challenged to follow the stylish and gorgeous American people in their performance through their wearing of clothes and by unreasonably purchasing the commodities and trying on some new body treatments there.
Becky has passed some meetings with several television stations in New York offering her a promising career, until the news about her shopping habit and debts are exposed in a newspaper. This unfortunate condition jeopardizes her career in London and future career in New York. Even, it also influences Luke’s job to have a deal for
122 it destroys his image too. This situation brings Becky some problems and conflict, hence her return to London.
In order to pay all her debts, Becky sells out all of her possessions. After her last appearance in “Morning Coffee” where she explains and comments on what happened to her so far and what she should do to cope her problem, she flies to New
York. She starts her new job as a personal shopper who gives some advice to people about their clothing styles there.
123 APPENDIX 3
SUMMARY OF ALBERTIEN ENDAH’S JODOH MONICA
Monica Susanti is a succesful career woman who works in Bellezie advertising company as a creative director. Her brilliant ideas, sophisticated mind, and hard working attitude have all been her characteristics. She loves buying some branded commodities, cosmetics, body treatment articles, and everything that deals with femininity. She follows every progress in modern technology eventhough she does not have enough confident to show the beauty and attractiveness of her body in her late age of thirty four. Her possession of a cozy apartment and a car proves herself as a successful woman in her occupation. Her life seems very perfect, but not in her marriage prospect which still keeps her in a single status as she spent the greatest time in her life to pursue her education and career while most of her friends have been married.
Singlehood becomes the biggest problem in Monica’s life. Because of her status, she often feels inferior to anyone she meets as she thinks that it becomes her weakness in which it is very contradictory to what other people think about her as a sophisticated person who never pays attention to such matter. Then, during her attempt to find a lover, she experiences some unpleasant and comical events with some men, some of which only last until the first date. However, she finds an unpredictable event when the director of a snack producer comes to her and confesses his feeling to her. It does not last smoothly that actually Mike, the director, is a free man who does not like to engage and continue his relationship with any woman
124 seriously to lead to a marriage. This fact encourages her to break up the relationship as what has been previously reminded by Arya, her collegue, about who Mike really is.
Finally, the story ends happily. Arya is actually the man who really cares about her. He offers her to marry him as what she has expected and waited for so long.
125 APPENDIX 4
SUMMARY OF ALBERTIEN ENDAH’S CEWEK MATRE
Lola is a public relation of the City Girl radio station who is in charge of various programs. She feels such an inferiority as her collegues display and wear a lot of branded goods. The atmosphere of competition emerges in her office as she envies them for everything they have. Thus, she begins to realize that she needs more money to enhance her body performance. Her salary is indeed inadequte to pay all her shopping habits.
Based on the suggestion of her friends about the concept of a materialistic girl who will get a rich partner to facilitate her, she begins to consider it after she realizes her beautiful face and the selling point of her body. Then, she begins to make a relationship with some guys at the same time. She “markets’ her body to attract men’s attention at the expense of loosing her virginity.
Her next target is a middle aged, handsome, and rich man named Philip who also finances her life and pay for every branded commodities she wears. At the same time, she falls in love with Cliff, a simple man who is far away from her conception of the materialistic world. She faces a problem which almost breaks up her relationship with him, as actually Clift is Philip’s wife’s nephew. Philip intentionally tells Clift who she is in a family meeting to the anger of Clift.
From that tragic moment, Lola changes her mind and tries to fix the situation.
She begins her new life by finding a new job and never wants to be a materialistic girl
126 anymore. Thus, her relationship with Clift improves. He will never attempt to leave her eventhough he has known the real fact about who Lola really is.
127