The 6th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS October 2017

FEMALE CUTTING: TASHI‘S STRUGGLES TO GET IDENTITY IN ‘S POSSESSING THE SECRET OF JOY

L. Dyah Purwita Wardani S.W.W. FIB Universitas Jember [email protected]

Abstract This article discusses female genital cutting/female cutting (FGC/FC) which is performed by a group of people by cutting off the genitals girl under the age of twelve years as a womanhood initiation in Alice Walker‘s Possessing the Secret of Joy. By using representation theory by Stuart Hall, the analysis performed by the constructionist approach which is based on Foucauld‘s discourse analysis. Possessing the Secret of Joy novel is a primary source of data regarding female genital cutting combined with American conditions in the late 1990s. Representation of female cutting presented in the novel is then used to read the ideological position of the author as a member of American community. The results of this study shows female cutting is seen as a huge loss for women so America makes a strict law in order to ban this practice. However, on the other side this law encourages the female cutting to be done secretly so this novel fails to hegemonic the female cutting doer.

Keywords: representation, female genital cutting, discourse, USA

Introduction remove all clitoris, 2) excision of the clitoris Female cutting phenomenon in Alice with partial or total excision of the labia Walker‘s novel inspires the government to minora, 3) excision of part or all of the forbid the female cutting practice in America. external genitalia and stitching/narrowing of The policy taken by the government since the vaginal opening (), 4) female cutting (FC) practice are taken as unclassified: includes pricking, piercing, or something primitive that against universal incising of the clitoris and/or labia; law; humanism. Female cutting is considered cauterization by burning of the clitoris and as a barbarian practice for objectifiying surrounding tissue (Goldman,2000:404). women in reproduction activities; they Furthermore, Sir Richard Burton in Brum cannot feel the sensation of intercourse proposed an assumption that female cutting because they lose their clitoris in the cutting. was invented by Sarah who mutilated Hagar for jealousy (Brum,2005:56). Practically, it A French anthropologist Marcel Griaule is not only done by Moslems but also done wrote Conversations with Ogotemmeli that by Christians, Jews and other indigenous explains a female cutting as a cultural religious. Based on the UNICEF statistical practice. The myth behind the cutting story report, 79 per cent of Moslem women have also becomes one of many reasons why the undergone FC meanwhile 16 per cent of woman and man must be cut. Woman Christian women experienced this practice. circumcision is different from man circumcision. Man circumcision has only one There are three reasons why female cutting type by removing the prepuce, but woman still happen and take an important event for circumcision has many types according to the African woman. First is to construct part of the removal. Toubia in Goldman, femininity. The myth that clitoris is part of classified female genital cutting in four male organ become the trigger to trim the types: 1) excision of the clitoral prepuce or clitoris in order to be a fully woman. Klein

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The 6th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS October 2017 reported that the Sudanese believe that mental representation and language. Mental uncropped clitoris will harm a man while representation is a system in our head which intercourse and kill baby when the clitoris will expressed through language. There are touch its head during delivery (379). Second three approaches in this theory. Reflective is stick the old woman and the young approach to understand that language is a woman relationship. In this community the mirror to reflect the true meaning in the elder woman hold the strong influence to the world. Next is intentional approach after younger‘s lives. By joining the same seeing the world, the author express their experience with the elder, the younger idea through language. The last is woman will gain respect and recognition Constructionist approach which presents the from the peers also. The last is female cutting social character of the language and construct becomes a necessary part of their religious the meaning of the object through language. life. Hall stated: ―Things do not mean: we construct meaning, using representational Female cutting becomes an interesting topic systems, concept, and signs called the because it will give a new perspective to see constructivist or constructionist approach ( the role of society shaping their mindset to Hall, 1997 : 25) do something. People are afraid not to follow the social order although it is a severe Finding and Discussion decision. For explore about female cutting, Tashi needs to join such kind of circumcision the researcher reveals two questions, first is because she wants to be a part of the tribal how is Tashi‘s struggle to get her identity, community. When her mother rejects this the following discussion explores the circumcision, Tashi becomes an invisible for ideology of the author. the tribal where she belongs. They ignore Tashi who is considered as a rebel for their By discussing the two aspects, the researcher custom. Tashi is alienated by her friends and hopes to give new understanding for the the elders in her neighbourhood. reader. In a social milieu, cultural identity sometimes harmful if the society members Cultural identity is related to self concept. It only follow the elder tradition without asking involves the process to construct the personal the loss and the benefit of it. identity which point to the self- esteem (Usborne: 2010). It will build the identity of Methodology the member of society. So the ignorance This is a qualitative research which uses from the society means the loss of identity. It words, sentences and also paragraph as data shows that identity is important to get along analyzed. There are three steps to research with their neighbourhood. the this novel. The first part is talking about the representation of female cutting. The data Tashi is rejected by her society. So she had involve about what is female cutting, how is many bad experience such as: Tashi‘s experience by joining her circumcision and also the narration about 1. Stigma Africa and American opinion about female In the Glossary of Psychological Terms, cutting. Finally it will be found the data stigma is the negative reaction of people to about the writer‘s position in this novel. an individual or group because of some assumed inferiority or source of different that Representation theory by Stuart Hall is degraded. Whereas Goffman in Weinstein proposes two systems to understand the revealed the term stigma as follow: ―those discourse behind the literary work. They are with some attribute that leads them to be

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The 6th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS October 2017 reduced in our minds from a whole and usual today. Whites dictated the activities and the person to a tainted and discounted one‖ behaviors of many blacks such as pleasing (636). So stigma is a negative label for a white people became the pattern with some person who is not considered has the same blacks. The relationship between whites and qualities with the society where she/he lives. blacks above trigger the supremacy of on Whereas stigmatized is the person who gets whites and the subordination on blacks. stigma because considered has a deeply discrepancy with the other people around After married, Adam brings Tashi move to him /her. In the case of Tashi, the core America. As her new country, she finds problem of stigma is how the (normal) world many experiences as a black. People stare to accepted her. her as if she is an ―other‖. But Tashi responses by staring them back. This In her tribe, Olinka (the imagery tribe in behavior belittles the black people as if has PTSOJ), all the girls are circumcised before become a part of the white attitude. As Adam nine. Tashi is different. Her mother decides says ― No no he used to correct me. They not to circumcise her after the death of her behave this way not because I‘m black but sister, Dura. The decision of Nafa, Tashi‘s because they are white ― (PTSOJ: 38) . mother, gives great impacts to Tashi. She is excluded from the tribal activities. The Tashi gets a racial oppression when she is people called her as a monstrous girl who has treated as an object by the whites medical a tail. practitioners. The doctor is so surprised how Certainly to all my friends who‘d can the little hole produce a baby. For many been circumcised ,my uncircumcised days in hospital, Tashi is examined by the vagina was thought of as a doctor and the nurse who very astonished by monstrosity. They laughed at me. the kind of her circumcision. Although there Jeered at me for having a tail. is also a circumcision for the white woman to (PTSOJ: 121) cure the hysteria but it is different for Tashi Uncircumcised girl also has a stigma as a because she is black. The western considered loose girl. It will lead her to have a wild the black as other. The black is a different characteristic which dishonor her family. The creature who always attracts their curiosity to Unicef report in 2005, widespread belief be explored in the name of science. among women who support female genital cutting is that practice preserves the girl‘s The incident in the hospital gives more virginity, protect her for becoming a wild/ burdens to Tashi. The pain and the promiscuous and also prevents her from humiliation from the doctor make her engaging in immoral behavior (17). questioning her decision to get female circumcision. Then she comes to the 2. Racism conclusion that the guilty person is M‘Lissa In United States the old fashioned racism who never tells her about the effect post starts in the early of century and the last is circumcision. modern racism which starts after 1965 as the But you never said anything about the result of civil right movement. The first type woman, did you, M‘Lissa? About the of racism stressed on segregation and pleasure she might have. Or the miscegenation whereas the second type focus suffering. (PTSOJ: 224) on the equal right and discrimination. Cleanliness is a part of civilized people in America. After dwelling in The scenes between blacks and whites above America, Tashi has a cleanliness syndrome. create the pattern of racism and stratification She regularly takes a bath because she does

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The 6th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS October 2017 not like her smell, she feels always dirty and Since childhood she thinks that she is smelly. It seems that she has a traumatic rejected by the people in her tribe. No one smell after her circumcision. At first coming trusts her. No man will marry her because out from the jungle she produces a smelly she is uncircumcised woman. There is also from her wound and it is helped by the doctor an opinion that the clitoris will make husband in America to reduce the wound. The smelly impotent and the clitoris can kill the baby odor usually comes from the urine or which pricked by. So parents especially menstrual blood which is trapped on the mother will circumcise her daughter in order vagina which is only leaving the small hole. to get husband. By married, the girl becomes Besided pus from the infectious hole can also woman. Her position will higher in society produce the smelly odor ( izett and Toubia: moreover by having many children. They 410). believe that god bless the family who have a lot kids. 3 Alienation As quoted by Dean and Bruton, the meaning Tashi‘s absence in the social activities gives of alienation which is proposed by Otto and a strong social pressure to her. Many kinds of Featherman is "Alienation is a consequence pressure she had. The mockery from her age of inadequate socialization which is group makes her sad. It is also invitation precipitated by social and psychological from the leader. He invites every woman to conditions which either facilitate or impair be a warrior by preserving the different individual learning‖. So alienation is a lack identity with the colonialist by doing female of socialization which is caused by society genital cutting. Moreover the statements and individual herself on learning himself or from M‘Lissa who tell her that there will be herself. A key factor of alienation is no man will marry her. All the pressure gives inadequate socialization. Moreover one her the feeling of rejection. Finally it central characteristics of the emotionally encourages her to join circumcision in her mature person is the ability to cope stress. So twenty. She goes to the liberation camp to alienation here relates to the confrontation of get M‘lissa to circumcise her. It is the Tashi's problems. According to Ellison which beginning of her suffering. as quoted by Dean and Bruton also , person who has a highly alienated feeling have a low After six years living in America, Tashi will to live(223). realizes that her torture is a shape of love for her country. She compares her suffering to Tashi is different to the other girl in her Jesus suffering. So she wants to speak in Olinkan‘s tribe. She is uncircumcised girl front of the church member to share about who is considered as a freak person. Tashi her crucifixion. But Adam rejects her idea. experiences a rejection by her tribe. She is He said the congregation would be excluded from the social web because she is embarrassed to discuss something so considered different, She is uncircumcised so private and that, in any case, he she is unclean. would be ashamed to do so. Certainly to all my friends who‘d I‘d learned to appreciate the sanctuary been circumcised ,my uncircumcised of the Waverly by then (PTSOJ: 276). vagina was thought of as a monstrosity. They laughed at me. Conclusion Jeered at me for having a tail. Tashi must struggle to get her identity as an (PTSOJ: 121) African woman and also as an American Tashi‘s childhood experience gives a when she moved to USA. She finds many big influence in her mature development. obstacles to build her cultural identity. She

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The 6th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS October 2017 stigmatize a loose girl when she does not Izett, Susan and Nahid Toubia. ―Female circumcised by her mother. She is excluded Circumcision/Female Genital from the neighbourhood. She questioes her Mutilation‖. In Women and Health, identity while she is in the prison after killing ed.Marlene B. Goldman and Maureen the circumciser. C. Hatch. California: Academic Press.2000. 404-411 Alice Walker as an American takes her Hall, Stuart. 1997. Representation: Cultural position to judge African culture, female Representations and Signifying circumcision, as a barbarian practice and she Practices. London, Thousand Oaks, tries to hegemonize readers to support her New Delhi: SAGE Publications opinion to prohibit inhuman circumcision. associated with the Open University. The idea of categorizing the FC as inhuman Usborne, Esther&Donald M. Taylor practice is also proof that Walker is in (2010).The Role of Cultural Identity American perspective who sees African as a Clarity for Self-Concept Clarity, Self- primitive people. Tashi‘s marriage brings her Esteem, and Subjective Well-Being. to America; the promise land where science (http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10 and logical thought is dominant. American .1177/0146167210372215) superstructure condition oppressed the UNICEF Press Release (#IN/80/8, 7 July African who still cling on traditional culture. 1980), cited in Ferguson, Ian, and Furthermore, domination of Adam over Pamela Ellis, Female Genital Tashi is also a proof of American thought Mutilation: A review of current domination over ‗other‘ country. literature, unedited working document WD1995-15e, Research, Statistics and References Evaluation Directorate, Policy Sector, Brum, Gabriella E. ―Sexual Blinding of Department of Justice, Canada.15 Women‖. -, 2005 March.2010 < Dean, Dwight G and Brent T. Bruton. http://www.childinfo.org/fgmc.html> "Alienation and Emotional Maturity" UNICEF. Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Sociological Focus, Vol. 22 NO. 4 (Oct A Statistical Exploration. UNICEF. 1989) 221-230. Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 2005. < http//jstor.org/stable/20831520> 25 Walker, Alice. Possessing the Secret of Joy. April 2013. New York: Pocket Books Simon & Klein, Hanny Lightfoot. The Sexual Schuster Inc, 1992. Experience and Marital Adjustment of Weinstein, Eugene. ―Stigma : Notes on the Genitally Circumcised and Infibulated Management of Spoiled Identity. by Females in the Sudan. The Journal of Erving Goffman‖. American Journal of Sex Research, Vol. 26, No. 3 (Aug., Sociology, Vol. 70, No. 5 (Mar., 1965), 1989), pp. 375-392. Lawrence p. 636. The University of Chicago Erlbaum Associates (Taylor & Francis Press.http://www.jstor.org/stable/27749 Group). 94 . accessed: 12/01/2014 http://www.jstor.org/stable/3812643. Accessed: 09/01/2010 01:28

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