VIOLENCE TOWARDS SAYURI IN ARTHUR GOLDEN’S MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA: A SOCIALIST FEMINISM APPROACH

Nurlita Puspa Hani Ichwan Suyudi Hawasi Gunadarma University Gunadarma University Gunadarma University jl. Margonda Raya 100 jl. Margonda Raya 100 jl. Margonda Raya 100 D e p o k , 16424 D e p o k, 16424 D e p o k , 16424 [email protected]

ABSTRACT Violence, an assault on a person’s control over her/his body and life, can take many forms and has varying consequences depending on the type of assault, its context and interpretation, the chronicity of violence, and availability of support. Feminist theory is becoming the dominant model for explaining violence towards women. The problems of this study are; what kinds of violence that happened towards Sayuri and what the reasons of violence that happened towards Sayuri from Socialist Feminism point of view are. The aims of this study are; to find out the kinds of violence that happened towards Sayuri and to find out the reasons of violence that happened towards Sayuri from Socialist Feminism point of view. This study used qualitative descriptive method in analyzing the data. Qualitative descriptive studies is a comprehensive summarization, in everyday terms, of specific events experienced by individuals of groups of individuals. After analyzing the data it can be concluded that Sayuri experienced four kinds of violence; physical violence, psychological violence, sexual violence, and economic violence and the reasons of violence that happened towards Sayuri from Socialist Feminism point of view are because of the difference of social class and economic status. Keywords: Sociolinguistics, Code Mixing, Types of Code Mixing, Alternation, Insertion, Congruent Lexicalization, The Reason of Using Code Mixing.

Through this novel which told 1. INTRODUCTION about a memoirs of a geisha itself, the 1.1 Background of the Study writer chooses “Violence Towards Sayuri Violence against women has continued and in Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha: throughout history unreported and A Socialist Feminism Approach” as her unchallenged. Of all the violations of study because the writer wants to learn human rights, violence against women is more about violence against women and to the most common despite the violence show to the reader the kinds of violence against men. Women are commonly seen as towards Sayuri and to find out the an object or property rather than as a reasons of violence that happened to human being because some believed that Sayuri from Socialist Feminism point of women are born to only bear children and view. as an object to satisfy man, women also 1.2 Problems of the Study expected to be soft, obedient and loving at the same time. a) What kinds of violence that happened towards Sayuri? Violence, an assault on a person’s control over her/his body and life, can b) What are the reasons of violence that take many forms and has varying happened towards Sayuri from consequences depending on the type of Socialist Feminism point of view? assault, its context and interpretation, 1.3 Objectives of the Study the chronicity of violence, and a) To find out the kinds of violence availability of support. (Susan & Janet, that happened towards Sayuri. 2009).

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b) To find out the reasons of violence theory for her research. This study that happened towards Sayuri from refers to examine about subordination Socialist Feminism point of view. that happened to Japanese women in the growth of high economic era because of 1.4 Scope of the Study the social condition which occurred in This study is limited by finding out the that era. The purpose of her study from kinds of violence that happened to the Socialist Feminism theory is to describe main character in the novel Memoirs of a and analyze it through women as a Geisha by Arthur Golden and to find out subordinated object. Moreover, she used the reasons of violence that happened Socialist Feminism by Iris Young, used towards Sayuri from Socialist Feminism ‘a work which differentiated by gender’. point of view. Socialist Feminism by Iris Young is about oppression of women from 1.5 Significance of the Study capitalist patriarchy which is gender This study contributes about kinds of biased. In her study, she also examine violence and Socialist Feminism point of social status or a condition that made a view to find out the reasons of violence subordination of Japanese women and also that happened towards the main character as a capitalist society and patriarchy in Memoirs of a Geisha. The writer hopes point of view in that era. that this study will be useful for people who are searching and learning about violence and Socialist Feminism 1.7 Position of the Study theory. This study also provides This study is similar to the previous knowledge and information about the study by Mentari Andriani, she used her writer’s research topic. research topic about domestic violence from Feminism perspective. The difference with this study is that this 1.6 Previous Study study is using violence as its topic and find out the kinds of violence that 1.6.1 Mentari Andriani (2014) happened in the main character in Mentari Andriani study entitled Memoirs of a Geisha. This study also “Domestic Violence As Experienced by uses Socialist Feminism as its theory to Katie in Nicholas Sparks Safe Haven: A find out the reasons of violence towards Feminism Study”. Mentari Andriani is the main character in Arthur Golden’s from Faculty of Letters, Gunadarma Memoirs of a Geisha, which is similar to University and she submitted her study the previous study by Retno Savitri, she in 2014. Mentari Andriani used Feminism used Socialist Feminism as the theory of Perspective for her research about her study. domestic violence in the character of This study provides only to find the novel she researched. The aims of out the kinds of violence that happened her study are to describe what kinds of towards Sayuri in Arthur Golden’s domestic violence that happened to Katie Memoirs of a Geisha and to find out the and to describe the reason of domestic reasons of violence towards Sayuri from violence that happened to Katie in Socialist Feminism point of view. Feminism Perspective. Katie got domestic violence, such as, physical violence, emotional violence and psychology 2. LITERATURE REVIEW violence. From the reasons of domestic 2.1 Literature and Feminism violence that happened to Katie in The first of the recent works on female Feminism Perspective can be associated stereotypes in literature cannot with one of the Marxist theory of actually be classified as feminist Feminism. criticism: Leslie Fiedler’s Love and Death in the American Novel, rev. Ed. 1.6.2 Retno Savitri (2006) (New York: Stein and Day, 1966), employs Retno Savitri study entitled a Jungian type of national character “Subordinasi Perempuan Jepang dalam analysis that is scarcely compatible Dunia Publik di Era Pertumbuhan Ekonomi with feminism. Fiedler’s own assumptions Tinggi Tahun 1960-1980-an: Di Analisis about female nature and his dengan Teori Feminis Sosialis-Iris interpretation of the few works by women Young". Retno Savitri is from Fakultas that he chooses to discuss call for a new feminist reading. Mary Ellmann’s Ilmu Pengetahuan Budaya, University of Thinking about Women Indonesia, she submitted her study in (New York: 2006. She used Socialist Feminism as her Harcourt, Brace and World, 1968) moves

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beyond Fiedler’s two types, finding an 2. Psychological violence is the form of intricate mythological pattern of violence that is more insidious. In stereotyping in the works of American this case, women are directly writers. According to Ellmann, the affected in their dignity. It attributes that literature commonly includes, blackmails, threats, false ascribes to women are formlessness, accusation, isolation from friend and passivity, instability (hysteria), family. All this is done in order to confinement (narrowness, practicality), manipulate and control the victim. piety, materiality, spirituality, 3. Sexual violence is the one nobody irrationality, compliancy, and talks about, but which is often incorrigibility (the shrew, the witch). devastating. It includes all actions Feminist criticism can now go on—to deal performed by resorting to force with the reasons behind this without the consent of the person. proliferation of female stereotypes and For example, there are may be the lack of realistic women characters; unwanted touching, harassment, to discuss the political uses of derogatory slurs, the infliction of literary stereotypes; and to describe pain and refusal to protect their effects on individual female themselves against family transmitted consciousness. (Donovan, 1975:3) disease.

2.2 Violence 4. Economic violence is the least known, but it must still be taken seriously. Violence is probably the most obvious and visible form of oppression. Members This form of violence can be defined of some groups live with the knowledge by the total control of the finance that they must fear random, unprovoked of the family’s aggressor. He attacks on their persons or property. monitors how women spend their money. These attacks do not necessarily need a He decides where money should be motive but are intended to damage, spent or saved. He forces her to give humiliate, or destroy the person. her earnings and may even stop her (Young, 2004) The literature on from working. All this leads the woman to be dependent on her spouses. anthropology has often seen violence as a necessary and foundational 5. Spiritual violence is not negligible. precondition for the social bond, which The aggressor can prevent the woman takes us a long way from the ideas we to go to the church, he can denigrate have discussed thus far. From this religious beliefs or even require a point of view, violence is not referred religious practice other than his to the subject, but to the functional own. requirements of the system, of the (escalemadavic.com/typesofviolence.ht community it binds together, and of the ml) collective life it makes possible. 2.4 Violence Against Women as a (Wievieorka, 2009: 159) Violence is often an excecptional Feminism Study Violence against women is particularly event, the crime is not repeated and the insidious crime against humanity. It is outbreak of nothing quickly dies down. pervasive, appearing as frequently in In other cases, it has to thought of as the houses of the rich as in those of a process that can last for a certain the poor. It knows neither racial nor lenght of time, and that has its high ethnic limitations only cultural points and its low points. Violence is variations, such as female genital itself a process of change, so much so mutilation or dowry burnings. that some of its manifestations have Furthermore, neither age nor physical been described as a spiral or an attributes protect women from violations infernal machine. (Wievieorka, 2009: such as rape, battering, or 162) prostitution. Some of the “classic” text 2.3 Kinds of Violence on violence against women, written 1. Physical violence is probably the between 1971 and 1985, were among the most visible violence. It includes first in North America to examine the slaps, burns, kicks, bites, and any issues of violence against women, and to objects that may be used to do arm. do so from an avowedly “feminist” In fact, the aggressor may prevent standpoint. A decade later we are well the woman to get medical help. placed to consider how violence against women came to be conceptualized by

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feminists such as Susan Brownmiller, Oppression.” Young maps out an analysis Andrea Dworkin, Diana Russell, and Susan of the function of oppression that is of Griffin, and to understand how much of great value to diversity teachers in the our thinking and our language was drawn academe and “on the streets” alike. from their work. (Frence et. al., 1998: (solidarity-us.org/node/540) 182)

2.5 Feminism 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Oxford dictionary explains feminism as 3.1 Research Design the belief and aim that women should The field of this research is have the same rights and opportunities qualitative research. The writer used as men. (Oxford Advanced Learner’s “Qualitative Descriptive” research as Dictionary) the type of this research. The goal of qualitative descriptive studies is a 2.6 Socialist Feminism comprehensive summarization, in everyday Socialist Feminism arose in the late terms, of specific events experienced by 1960s and 1970s. It tries to combine individuals of groups of individuals. insights from radical feminism and from According to Sandelowski, qualitative Marxism. According to Marx, the most descriptive research: should be seen as human activity is the activity of a categorical, as opposed to non- producing things to satisfy our needs. categorical, alternative for inquiry; is The social relationships within which less interpretive than an ‘interpretive people carry out this activity make up descriptive’ approach because it does the ‘economic structure’ or ‘economic not require the researcher to move as base’ of a society, from which other far from or into the data; and, does not institutions—such as law and the state— require a conceptual or highly abstract arise. Throughout most history, these rendering of the data, compare to other ‘social relations of production’ have qualitative designs. been class relations in which some (http://www.tnc.or.th/files/2014/03/tnc_ peeople control and exploit the journal- productive activity of others. (Stone, 7642/pacific_rim_vol_16_no_4_pdf_15802.p 2007:13-14) df) 2.6.1 Socialist Feminism Approach 3.2 Source of Data The write conclude that Socialist The writer took the data from Arthur Feminism Approach is a method of dealing Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha novel as or to achieving women’s equality and the source of the data. Memoirs of a analyzed the connection between the Geisha was published on 1997. oppression of women and other oppression in society that happened because of sex 3.3 Data Collection Procedure discrimination with their work to a) Reading Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a achieve justice for women. Geisha novel.

2.6.2 Figure behind Socialist b) Finding statements and examples about violence towards Sayuri in Arthur Feminism Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha novel. IRIS MARION YOUNG (1949-2006) c) Marking the statements and examples Iris Marion Young is one of the leading about kinds of violence towards feminist and political philosophers in Sayuri in Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of this century. Iris Young’s life work a Geisha novel. could perhaps be summarized by: an intense ethico-political commitment to d) Making a table to classify the praxis philosophy; and attentiveness to statements and example about violence group differences; and a curiosity about towards Sayuri in Arthur Golden’s the embodied experience. Her ground Memoirs of a Geisha. breaking recognition of the value of group difference has led to new ways of 3.4 Data Analysis Procedure theorizing about justice. Young reminds a) The writer classified the kinds of us to be wary of idealizing community at violence that happenend toward the expense of ignoring oppressive Sayuri. circumtances of marginalized people. In b) The writer analyzed the statement and her brilliant essay “The Five Faces of examples about violence thst hsppened

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towards Sayuri from Socialist 4.1.2 Psychological Violence Feminism point of view. c) The writer gave explanation about He had taken me from my mother violence that happened towards Sayuri and father, sold me into slavery, in Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a sold my sister into something Geisha novel. even worse. I had taken him for a d) The writer gave a conclusion about kind man. I had thought he was so the study of Violence towards Sayuri refined, so worldly. What a in Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a stupid child I had been! I would Geisha. never go back to Yoroido, I decided. Or if I did go back, it 4. RESULT AND DISCUSSION would only be to tell Mr. Tanaka how much I hated him. (Memoirs of 4.1 Kinds of Violence that a Geisha:82) Happened Towards Sayuri Sayuri has sent to Gion to be a geisha by Mr. Tanaka, it can be said 4.1.1 Physical Violence that Mr. Tanaka was the cause of Sayuri she tried to spread my was being sold to be a geisha. Mr. knees apart, she had to Tanaka has controlled Sayuri’s life by slap me on the leg. . .She selling her to be a geisha without her put a finger between my permission and has forced her to leave legs and gave what felt to her family, Sayuri said if she would go me like a pinch, in such a back to Yoroido and meet Mr. Tanaka she way that I cried out. wanted to tell how much she hated him, it can be showed that Sayuri held her she looked around to be angry towards Mr. Tanaka which can be sure no one was watching mean that she holds her angry, upset, and then hit us the tops and even hateful feeling towards Mr. of our heads. Tanaka and it conclude that she got a (Memoirs of psychological violence. a Geisha, 1999:33) 4.1.3 Sexual Violence And then just as I’d feared, she reached out soon began to unwind the broad and began pinching me so obi, wrapping and unwrapping his hard on the side of my arms around my waist. . . In a neck that I couldn’t even moment the Baron let the obi fall tell which part of me in a pile of the floor, and then hurt. (Memoirs of a unfastened the datejime—the Geisha, 1999:33) waistband underneath. I felt the sickening sensation of my kimono Sayuri got hit, slapped, and releasing itself from around my pinched by Mrs. Fidget who is not even waist. I clutched it shut with my her family or the person that known arms, but the Baron pulled them Sayuri personally, she is a fortune apart. (Memoirs of a Geisha, teller but she treated Sayuri like that 1999:261) even when they first met. Sayuri also got pinched again when Sayuri tried to From the statement above, it is ask where she was going to the person proved that Sayuri got unwanted touching next to her, but Mrs. Fidget pinched her and force to undress herself because it to make Sayuri shut up. Sayuri did not can be said that Baron wanted to rape make any mistake but she got pinched and her. Sayuri did not want to have a slapped, it is because she was a poor sexual interaction with Baron but Baron kid from a really poor family and she wanted to have it with Sayuri, he tried was being sold by her father to be a to undress her. Sayuri as a woman can do geisha, so she got these bad treatments nothing when a man approach her with an from the people who have more power than intention to rape her. her.

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4.1.4 Economic Violence because her father was a fisherman and she lived in a little town. “I came to tell you that this time next month you’ll have a 4.2.2 Economic Status danna.” “Mameha thinks I should Socialist Feminism has seen economic establish my reputation first, class can be the reason of women’s just for a few years.” “Mameha! oppression such as violence. In Sayuri’s What does she know about case, Sayuri was became a geisha because business? The next time I want to she lived in a poor family and she got know when to giggle at a party, the violation when she lived in geisha’s I’ll go and ask her.” “Leave the district in Gion. This is the statement business decisions to me,” Mother that Sayuri has lower economic status: went on. (Memoirs of a Geisha, 1999: 291-292) “The time has come to say something to you, Sakamoto-san.” Mother told Sayuri that Nobu danna Dr. Miura began. You need to have wanted to be her (a wealthy man a talk with one of the women in who wants to accommodate a geisha’s life the village. Mrs. Sugi, perhaps. by stick with him), but Sayuri refused Ask her to make a nice new robe by saying that she said she was only for your wife.” eighteen but Mother said “leave the business decisions to me”, she said about a danna as a business while “I haven’t the money, Doctor.” My actually it was about Sayuri’s future father said. and life, because a danna will be like a husband to a geisha. It means that “We’ve all grown poorer lately. I Mother still the one who controlled understand what you’re saying. Sayuri’s life and her financial. But you owe it to your wife. She shouldn’t die in that tattered 4.1.5 Spiritual Violence robe she’s wearing.”(Memoirs of a Spiritual violence is not negligible. Geisha, 1999:12) The aggressor can prevent the woman to go to the church, he can denigrate From this statement it can be said religious beliefs or even require a that Sayuri’s family is poor. Sayuri’s religious practice other than his own. father said that he has no money to buy (escalemadavic.com-typesofviolence.htm) a new robe to his sick wife. This proved that Sayuri raised in a poor family and In this research the writer did has lower economic status. not find any spiritual violence in Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha novel, Arthur Golden did not tell or 5. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE RESEARCH write about a religious side of Sayuri. 5.1 Conclusion Sayuri got a lot of kinds of violence, 4.2 Reasons of Violence that from the five kinds of violence, Sayuri Happened Towards Sayuri from got four kinds of violence that she experienced; there are physical Socialist Feminism Point of View violence, psychological violence, sexual violence, and economic violence. But 4.2.1 Social Class Sayuri did not experience spiritual Socialist Feminism explains that class violence because the author of the society and capitalism caused women’s novel, Arthur Golden, did not tell or oppression such as violence against write about religious aspect about women. Sayuri or Sayuri’s religion and so other I wasn’t born and raised to be a characters’ religions. From the four Kyoto geisha. I wasn’t even born kinds of violence that Sayuri has in Kyoto. I’m a fisherman’s experienced, the most violation that daughter from a little town called happened towards Sayuri is physical Yoroido on the Sea of Japan. violence. Sayuri got physical violence (Memoirs of a Geisha, 1999:7) such as beating, hitting, slapping, It means that Sayuri was not born pinching, and other physical violence. in a middle-class or a wealthy family The reason of violence that happened towards Sayuri from Socialist Feminism

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point of view are mainly because of the The University Press of Kentucky. difference of social class and economic Lexington, Kentucky. status of Sayuri, it made her experienced the violence. Socialist Ferguson, A. (1991), Sexual Democracy: Feminism explains that class and Women, Oppression, and Revolution. capitalism caused women’s oppression, such as violence against women. Westview Press. Inc. United States of America. 5.2 Future Research Memoirs of a Geisha is a very Gelles J., Richard, and Loseke R.D. interesting and fascinating novel, it is (1993), Current Controversies On a historical novel that flows with Family Violence. SAGE Publication, romantic story of Sayuri’s love life. Inc. United States of America. There are a lot of aspects that some Memoirs of a Geisha researchers can be analyzing through Golden, A. (1999), . this novel. The writer suggests to other Vintage Books. New York. researchers who want to analyze this novel to make sure the aspects that the Habib, M.A.R. (2008), A History of researchers want to analyze have not Literary Criticism and Theory: From been taken by other researchers because Plato to the Present. Blackwell this novel is an old novel and Publishing. United Kingdom. historical novel, it makes this novel more known and interested by so many people to analyze. The writer hopes that Jaggar M., Alison, and Rothenberg, S.P. this study can be inspiring and useful (1993), FEMINIST FRAMEWORKS. for the reader and people who are McGraw-Hill. United States. writing or making a research.

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