AN ANALYSIS OF FEMINISM VALUES ON THE CHARACTER OF JENNA: A FIGHT AGAINST PRIVATE PATRIARCHY IN ADRIENNE SHELLY’S WAITRESS.
DIANA KHAIRIAH AZIZAH 105026000892
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH JAKARTA 2010
1 AN ANALYSIS OF FEMINISM VALUES ON THE CHARACTER OF JENNA: A FIGHT AGAINST PRIVATE PATRIARCHY IN ADRIENNE SHELLY’S WAITRESS.
A Thesis Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Degree of Letters Scholar
DIANA KHAIRIAH AZIZAH 105026000892
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH JAKARTA 2010
2 ABSTRACT
Diana Khairiah Azizah, An Analysis of Feminism Values on the Character Of Jenna: A Fight Against Private Patriarchy in Adrienne Shelly’s “Waitress”. Thesis. Letters and Humanities Faculty, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta, June 2010.
The research is aimed at finding out the feminism values on Jenna’s character and her fight against private patriarchal culture which appears in the Waitress movie by Adrienne Shelly. The writer uses the qualitative descriptive analysis as the method of the research in analyzing the relationship between Jenna (the main character) and feminism values specifically on her fight against private patriarchal culture dominate her domestic life. The data are obtained from the books and websites which are related to feminism and its issues. In this analysis, the writer finds out the final result shows Jenna reflected feminism values in her fight against private patriarchy that dominate her domestic life. Jenna is always intimidated, she is domestically abuse, so that, she tries to liberate herself from it by taking a decision to divorce from her husband. Jenna is an independent woman, She earns her own living by working at joe’s pie diner. Using her extraordinary talent in pie baking, she succeeded to show the world that she can do a thing to take a part in the public sphere, and owned everything afterwards. The important thing to be emphasized is finally she gets her freedom to express and determine her way and her thought.
i APPROVEMENT
AN ANALYSIS OF FEMINISM VALUES ON THE CHARACTER OF JENNA: A FIGHT AGAINST PRIVATE PATRIARCHY IN ADRIENNE SHELLY’S WAITRESS.
A Thesis Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for Degree of Letters Scholar
DIANA KHAIRIAH AZIZAH 105026000892
Approved by:
ELVE OKTAFIYANI, M.Hum NIP. 19781003 200112 2 002
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH JAKARTA 2010
ii LEGALIZATION
The thesis entitled “An Analysis of Feminism Values on the Character of Jenna: A Fight against Private Patriarchy in Adrienne Shelly’s waitress” has been defended before the Letter and Humanities Faculty’s Examination Committee on June 17, 2010. The thesis has already been accepted as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Letters Scholar.
Jakarta, June 17, 2010
Examination Committee
Signature Date
1. Dr. Muhammad Farkhan, M.Pd (Chair Person) ______19650919 20000 1 002
2. Drs Asep Saefuddin, M.Pd (Secretary) ______19640710 199303 1 006
3. Elve Oktafiyani, M.Hum (Advisor) ______19781003 200112 2 002
4. Dr. Muhammad Farkhan, M.Pd (Examiner I) ______19650919 20000 1 002
5. Drs. Asep Saefuddin, M.Pd (Examiner II) ______19640710 199303 1 006
iii DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which to substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text.
Jakarta, June 17 2010
Diana Khairiah Azizah
iv ACKOWLEDGEMENT
All praises be to Allah SWT the lord of the lord, who gives all favor and mysterious guidance and help for the writer in the process of making this thesis.
Many thanks to Him the cherisher and the sustainer of the world who always expend all of His grace for ‘aalamiin especially the writer, so, gradually the writer can finish this paper writing. Many salutations and benedictions be to our greatest prophet Muhammad SAW and all of his followers.
In this occasion, I would like to express many thanks to my parents, especially for my mother, the most beautiful and lovely mother ever, who always gives me her material, moral, and spiritual support during my study and the process of making this paper, even though, currently, she cannot shows her real support for me because of her condition. The writer is also gratefully thanks to my beloved father for the full financial support during my study and a thanks to my brothers and sisters for the encouragement given to me when i was down.
The writer gratefully thanks to Mrs.Elve Oktafiyani, M,Hum, the writer thesis advisor. Thanks for the guidance, supervision, and criticism for the writer during the accomplishment of the thesis making.
In term of completion her study, the writer would like to deliver her deepest gratitude to the following people:
1. Dr. H. Abdul Wahid Hasyim, M.Ag, the Dean of Faculty of Letters and
Humanities, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta.
2. Dr. Muhammad Farkhan, M.Pd as the Head of English Department.
v 3. Drs. Asep Saefuddin, M.Pd, as the Secretary of English Letters Department.
4. All the lecturer of English Letters Department whom i cannot mention the
name one by one who have taught and educated her during her study in UIN.
5. My beloved partner Wahyu for his support delivered to me in every detail,
Thanks for the entire heart and soul given to me during our togetherness.
6. All my beloved bestfriends, Tini, Wia, Ino, Dina, Sarah for sometimes had
been passed together. A thanks delivered to some special bestfriends, Novri,
Fany, Ami, Amah, Elvira who always cheer me up in any condition and offers
me the best friendship ever. And also Besti, for the greatest time within the
college years up to now.
7. Thanks to Cio for every discussion about the difficulties of the thesis making
and for our togetherness when we fight to find some important references
books in some NGO (Kapal Perempuan, Jurnal Perempuan). My beloved
younger sisters, Any and Ria for the spirit delivered to me in facing all kinds
of life stage.
8. All of her fellows of BSI.A 2005, Qushoy, Kasmir, Aden, Hisby, Ali, Uri,
Agus, Andri, Zul, Novi, Iyut, Nia, Lena, Graha, Ika (alm), Ary, Qoyyim,
Nuhe, who had become my friends during the college years. Especially to
Machy, Hajar, Anggy, for such nice and pleasant time within the college
years.
Jakarta, June 17 2010
The writer
vi TABLE OF CONTENT
ABSTRACT...... i
APPROVEMENT…...... ii
LEGALIZATION…...... iii
DECLARATION…...... iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT…...... v
TABLE OF CONTENTS…...... vii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ...... 1
A. Background of the Study ...... 1
B. Focus of the Study...... 5
C. Research Questions ...... 5
D. Significance of the Research...... 6
E. The objective of the Research...... 6
F. Research Methodology ...... 6
1. Research Method ...... 6
2. Technique of the Data Analysis ...... 6
3. Research Instrument...... 7
4. The Data Analysis Unit...... 7
5. Place and Time of the Research ...... 7
vii CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK...... 8
A. Historical Background of Feminism...... 8
1. First Wave Feminism ...... 8
2. Second Wave Feminism ...... 9
3. Third Wave Feminism ...... 10
B. Feminism...... 11
C. Patriarchy ...... 14
CHAPTER III RESEARCH FINDING...... 17
A. Data description...... 17
B. Analysis ...... 25
CHAPTER IV CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ...... 43
A. Conclusions...... 43
B. Suggestions ...... 45
BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 46
APPENDICES...... 48
viii CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the study
Most discussion about women is about their role in a domestic and public sphere. Throughout history, women generally have had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men have. Wifehood and motherhood were regarded as women’s most significant professions, because, maternity (the biological role of women) has traditionally been regarded as their major social role as well. The resulting stereotype that “a woman’s place is in the home” has largely determined the ways in which women have expressed themselves. So, women have less right to actualize themselves in a public sphere.
Women in the world are lack of support for fundamental functions of human life. Explaining it, in her book, Woman and Human Development the
Capabilities Approach, she says:
“They are less nourished than men, less healthy, and more vulnerable to physical violances and sexual abuse. They are likely much less than a man that has to be literate, and still less likely to have professional or technical education. They should attempt to enter the work place, they face greater obstacles including intimidation from family or spouse, sex discrimination in hiring, and sexual harrasment in the workplace-all, frequently, without effective legal recourse.”1
Women were long considered naturally weaker than men, squeamish, and unable to perform work requiring muscular or intellectual development.
Historically, women’s oppression problem is based on a patriarchal culture that
1Martha C Nussbaum. Woman and Human Development the Capabilities Approach (Cambridge: Cambridge university press, 2000), p.1
1 2
has been internalized in most culture of every country in this world. The patriarchal culture locked our mind; even some women think that men are superior while women are inferior. Women are always intimidated, many kind of exploitation can attack women such as sexual harrasment, sexual abuse (rape, etc)
, domestic violances, physical violances, etc. This all can happen to women anytime and anywhere since men still give their bad sight over woman and put women position in subordinate position.
We could even see it through Jean Jacques Rousseau work, Emile.
Through his Emile, he wrote:
“Men and women are made for each other, but their mutual dependence is not equal. We could survive without them than they could survive without us. They are dependent on our feelings, on the price we put on their merits, on the value we set on their attractions and on their virtues. Thus women’s entire education should be planned in relation to men, to be useful to them, to win their love and respect, to raise them as a children, to care for them as adults, counsel and console them, makes their lives sweet and pleasant.”2
From the text above, We could clearly see that rousseau work put women in subordinate position, it mentioned above that “...Women’s entire education should be planned in relation to men, to be useful to them, to win their love and respect, to raise them as a children, to care for them as adults, counsel and console them, makes their lives sweet and pleasant.”
Nancy Tuana in filsafat berperspektif feminis explains that western phylosophy has seen women inferior toward men as a weak creature, as the second sex. Insufficient in a definition of human being, that is: irrational, and
2 Susan Alice Watkins, et al., Introducing Feminism, (London: Icon Book, 1999), p.11 3
have an incomplete morality.3 So, that is why, In the past, western women were not recognized to have a better life out of their household affairs. Although some developments have freed women for roles other than motherhood, the cultural pressure for women to become wives and mother still prevents many talented women from finishing college or pursuing careers.
This myth of the natural inferiority of women greatly influenced the status of women in law. For example, under the common law of England, an unmarried woman could own a property, make a contract, or sue and be sued. But, a married woman, defined as being one with her husband, gave up her name, and virtually all her property came under her husband’s control. During the early history of the
United States, a man virtually owned his wife and children as he did his material professions. If a poor man chooses to send his children to the poorhouse, the mother was legally defenseless to object. Some communities, however, modified the common law to allow women to act as lawyer in the courts, to sue for property, and to own property in their own names if their husband agreed.4
Women have fewer opportunities than men to live free from fear and to enjoy rewarding types of love, especially when, as often happens, they are married without choice in childhood and have no recourse from bad marriage. This is seems an unfair regulation for women, and this condition often inspires some of a film director to produce a movie related to the unfair treatment received by women. Adrienne Shelly, through her movie, waitress, tries to describe woman’s
3 Gadis Arivia, Filsafat Berperspektif Feminisy (Jakarta: Yayasan Jurnal Perempuan, 2003), P.25 4 Women’s History of America presented by women’s international center. Accessed on april 22, 2009. http://www.wic.org/misc/history.htm. 4
oppression because of man’s arrogance. The movie starring, Keri Russell, Jeremy
Sisto, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines, Andy Griffith and Adrienne Shelly.
Jenna (Keri Russell) a small town woman who works at joe’s pie diner as a waitress and pie maker also. Jenna possesses an extraordinary talent for baking delicious and savory pies, inspired by her reaction to events in her life. She is unhappily married to a freak control man, earl (Jeremy Sisto). Earl used to force
Jenna to serve him in bed, but, jenna does not want it at all. Jenna feels like sleeping with the enemy, because earl has never give her any happiness during their togetherness. Until someday, Jenna found that she is pregnant, and It is a bad news for her. Unlike most woman where she becomes pregnant and it promptly changes her life for the better, Jenna spends her whole pregnancy displeased about it, because she does not want the baby. Another Earl bad behavior can be seen through Earl attitude who always makes Jenna gives her own tip money after she finished her work. Earl has never gives jenna a chance to do what she wants to do and relieve her dreams. He told that the only thing that Jenna needs to do is serve him well. This isn’t the life she wanted for herself but it’s the one she got.
Jenna struggles to find happiness in spite of her undesireable circumstances. From then on, Jenna deals with her pregnancy with the help of her awkwardly uncommunicative gynecologist (Nathan Fillion). Jenna is eager to be part of that pie-making contest, so, the revolt started, she’s been hiding money under furniture and in cabinets all over the house.
Her plans revolving around entering a pie-making contest in a nearby town and using the winnings to help fund her free from Earl and the start of a new life.
As the baby born, she looked that the baby was the cutest baby ever. Since that 5
time, Jenna had a bravery to decide what she goes to take for her life with the baby then. She decides to divorce from her husband, Earl, and make her affair with her gynecologist, Dr. Pomatter over.
Furthermore, she won the pie bake-off contest, and later she owned her pie shop that she runs with Dawn and Becky, then change it name into Lulu’s Pies
(based on her daughter name). Afterwards, her life becomes happily ever after with her cute little baby and she can finds her own destiny and determines her own way.
It will be quite interesting to scrutinize various efforts by jenna for liberating herself from any kinds of subordination especially from private patriarchy tied up in her domestic life. This film packaged and well done played by Kery Russel, make Waitress enthusiastic to be discussed. This is the reason why the writer intends to examine feminism values which is reflected through the character of jenna and her attempt to achieve a better life quality of hers.
B. Focus of the study
Based on the background of the study above, the research exploring what kinds of intimidations experienced by Jenna in Waitress movie and how the movie depicted the feminism values through the character of Jenna does especially in her fighting agains private patriarchy. This focus is aimed to make the research becomes guided and simplified the discussion.
C. Research Questions
The research question of this study is: 6
1. How does Jenna reflect feminism values in her fighting against the
intimidations she experienced in Waitress movie?
D. Significance of the Research
By analyzing this movie, the researcher hopes that she can share her perception about feminism, women movement, and women fight to get an equality, and the same right as men do to the other researchers or readers.
Furthermore, the researcher wishes that it can give the enlightenment to the other researchers in applying feminist theory in doing literary research/art research.
E. The objectives of the Research
The objective of this research is to understand how do Jenna reflect feminism
values in her fight against the intimidations she experienced in Waitress
movie.
F. Research Methodology
1. Research Method
Based on the research question and the significance of the study
above, the writer applies qualitative method with descriptive analysis. The
writer tries to find the answer of the research question through the data
analysis and relates it to the feminism theory.
2. Technique of the Data Analysis
In this research, the data that is collected is qualitatively analized.
The writer uses feminism and patriarchy theory as an approach. First, the 7
writer watches the movie carefully for the several times. This is aimed to
learn the contents of the movie intensively so it can prevent
misunderstanding in analysis process. Then, the writer gives annotations
about the movie. Finally, the writer relates it to the feminism and
patriarchy theory.
3. Research Instrument
In this research, the writer uses herself as a human instrument. The
writer tries to get qualitative data about the intimidations faced by the
character of Jenna and how she represents feminism values in her fighting
against it in Waitress movie. The writer has been watching the movie
carefully. Then she marks the intimidations experienced by jenna and her
fight against it to find out the evidence of feminism values in the movie.
4. The unit of Data Analysis
The unit of the study uses in this research is waitress movie.
Waitress is a 2007 American movie that was produced by Fox Search
Light pictures and Night and Day Pictures in New York, directed by
Adrienne Shelly and written by Adrienne Shelly.
5. Place and Time of the Research
This research is executed on the ninth-tenth semester of 2009-2010
academic year at the English letters department in the faculty of Adab and
Humanities, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta. CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Historycal background of feminism
Feminism, in the most generic of definitions, is the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes, and organized activity on behalf of women's rights and common interests. There are many "feminists" and many different theories. However, feminism can be divided into three waves; first, second and third wave feminism. Here are some stories about feminism waves for the further understanding.
1. First wave feminism
As a movement and philosophy, feminism can be detected through the
history of Europe enlightenment age lead by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
and Marquis de Condorcet . The word feminism, firstly created by utopian
socialist activist, Charles Fourier in 1837. This European center movement
soon moved and well developed in the United States since John Stuart Mill’s
the subjection of women in 1869.5 According to mill in introducing feminism
by Susan Alice Watkins, et.al, he said that women and men are
fundamentally equal; he wrote “what is now called the nature of women is an
entirely artificial thing”. He supported women’s equal right in work,
education, property and suffrage. Their struggle remarked as the start of first
wave feminism.
5 First Wave Feminism, Accesed on January 10, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First- wave_feminism
8 9
In England, it was an important influence on Mary Wollstonecraft, she
sat down to write her own famous Vindication of the rights of woman in
1792.6 The book reflects the ideas of women’s situation at the first
enlightenment time. At that time women’s right in politic, economic, social,
and education were repressed. It was a foundation stone of modern feminism.
Her book has greatly affluence, since her book published, women’s right
began to be concerned, and women have an easier access to education,
suffrage and profession.
As an addition, Sylvia Walby view, that the first wave feminist
movement in Britain was a central importance in bringing about a change
from private to public patriarchy, via the struggle for the vote, for access to
the education and profession, to have a legal rights of property ownership,
rights in marriage and divorce and so on.7
2. Second wave feminism
The second wave feminism emerged in 1960, at the end of World War
II. Even though generally, first and second wave feminism have a similar
main key struggle such as gender inequality, women’s right (in politic,
economic, reproductive) , gender role, gender identity and sexuality. The
second wave generally focused heavily on the activist goals of the day, such
as sex discrimination law, abortion rights, and the attempt to ratify the Equal
Rights Amendment This wave encouraged women to understand aspects of
their personal lives and deeply politicized, and reflective of a sexists structure
6 Susan Alice Watkins (1999), op. cit. p. 15. 7 Jane pilcher and Imelda Whelehan, Fifty key concepts in gender studies (Wiltshire: The Cromwell Press Ltd, 2004),p.53. 10
of power. The writer could see that the Second Wave feminism refers to the
Women’s Liberation Movement that reached its height in the 1970s. The key
word of this wave was education, of women and of men. 8
During the second wave feminism, two famous authors published their
well known book and their books become a basic principle of modern
feminist thought later. It was, de Beauvoir’s the second sex (1949) and Betty
Friedan’s the feminine mystique (1963). In her second sex, the Beauvoir
stated that “one is not born, but rather, becomes, a woman.”9. While, in her
Feminine mistique, Betty Friedan concerned to women’s problem with their
motherhood and wifehood role.
3. Third wave feminism
Third Wave feminism is a philosophy, the failure of the second wave
leads to the third-wave feminism which began in the early 1990's and is
continuing until today. Like all feminism, the Third Wave focuses on the
economic, political, social, and personal empowerment of women. This newer
form of feminism focuses more on the individual empowerment of women
and less on activism. It celebrates women’s journeys to build meaningful
identities in the complex contemporary world.
Most women who identify themselves as Third Wave feminists or
who are drawn to this philosophy is young. Many Third Wave feminists
continue this tradition of activism, but the philosophy is more oriented
8 Feminism in Waves: A Brief Overview of the First, Second and Third Wave. Accessed on January 26, 2010. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/392800/feminism_in_waves_a_brief_overwiew.html?cat =75 9 Jane Pilcher and Imelda Whelelehan (2004), op. cit. p. 144. 11
towards individual empowerment than it is towards activism and social
change.
B. Feminism
Feminism becomes very controversial discussion since long times ago until nowadays. There are many definitions of the term feminism because the definition of feminism is always changing according to the reality of sociocultural background, the conscious rate, perception and the movement done by the feminists themselves. They focused on the issues to the time and location they inhabit so that feminists have different ideas about the term of feminism.
Feminism arises from women’s assumption and consciousness that women is basically oppressed and exploited, because, historically, since long years ago women regarded as an inferior to men, women suffers social and material inequalities, and therefore, must be a great effort to end it all. As a movement, feminism has taken to define the women who join themselves altogether, share their commitment to end the male oppression, suppression and repression over female. Besides, it is to answer women’s question about the inequality they have experienced in many fields of their life and struggle for getting their full rights as a human being.
The main concern of feminism is women’s equality in social, politic, economic, and law. Furthermore, this movement tries hard to set women free from any kinds of oppression they have suffered, encourage women to have their own destinies and to choose their own way of life freely, and also to help women to reach their greatest happiness. In addition, according to Jane Pilcher and
Imelda Whelelehan, in Fifty Key Concepts in Gender Studies, feminist writers and 12
activists shared the will to imagine a world where women were able to realize their potential as individuals before the term of feminism came into popular usage10. It shows how much feminism is needed by any women to help them in reaching their own destiny.
Those are only a few things are represented explanation about feminism and its aim. As women’s question is a serious problem, many people who then so- called themselves as feminist contribute their ideas for feminism. However, the various definition and meaning about feminism is a normal, because, many feminist comes from different time, social and cultural background. As long as it is still in the right circumstances and suited to the aim of feminism, no one could argue that it is right or wrong. In this case, based on the explanation above, the writer could see the feminism as the movement that helps many women to struggle for their full rights and equality in social, political, economic and cultural order, on the other hands it is also to set women free from any kinds of subordination in the private or public area.
Feminism is not a simple philosophy. Many different women (and men) call themselves feminists, and the beliefs of these groups of people vary quite a bit.
According to Feminist thought book by Rosemary Putnam Tong, there are many kinds of feminism, they are: liberal feminism, marxist feminism, radical feminism, socialist feminism, psychoanalitic feminism, extentialist feminism, and postmodern feminism.11 Each group has its own basic principle in developing their ideas about feminism.
10 Jane pilcher and Imelda Whelehan ( 2004), op. cit. p.49. 11 Rosemarie Tong, Feminist Thought: A Comprehensive Introduction (Colorado: Westview Press, 1989), p. 1 13
As Tong stated in introduction part of her book, she said “ what continous to fascinate me, however, is the way in which this partial and provisional answer intersect, joining together both to lament the ways in which women have been oppressed, repressed and supressed and to celebrae in the ways in which so many women have “beaten the system”, taken charge of their own destinies and encouraged each other to live, love, laugh, and be happy as women.” 12
1. Ecofeminism
Ecofeminism mainly discussed about the quality of feminine
character. An ecofeminist concern on the quality of their femininity. For
them, woman’s entrance to a masculine world results the domination of
masculine quality in modern civilization. A quality of self presentation of
seizing some status and material, used to bring a competition, self centered,
domination and exploitation. In turn, there are many women neglected their
children. Women should develop a quality of their femininity like loving,
nurturing, caring, and protecting. At first, the feminine quality admitted as an
inferior, up now, these characteristics of femininity is regarded as superior.
Ecofeminist thought that women could change the world with their feminine
quality with their role as a mother, caretaker for their family and
surroundings. So that, the damage happened to our ecosystem could be
decreased.13
12 Ibid. p.1. 13 Fadilah Suralaga, dkk. Pengantar Kajian Gender. (Jakarta : Pusat Studi Wanita UIN Syarif Hudayatullah Jakarta, 2003) p.p.108-110. 14
C. Patriarchy
Patriarchy literally means rule by the male head of a social unit legitimate power over others in the social unit, including other (especially younger) men, all women, and children. However, since the early twentieth century, feminist writers have used the concept to refer to the social system of masculine domination over women. Patriarchy has been fundamentally important concept in gender studies, leading to the development of a number of theories that aim to identify the root of women’s subordination.
In radical feminist analyses, patriarchy is regarded as the primary and fundamental social division in society. In some radical feminist analyses, the institution of family is a key means through which men’s domination is achieved
(millet 1977). In other radical feminist accounts of patriarchy, the control men have over women’s bodies is regarded as important. In other radical feminist analyses, it is masculine control over women’s bodies through sexuality or male violence in the form of rape that is regarded as being of central importance (rich
1980: brown miller: 1976).
While, Marxist feminism thought that patriarchy is argued to arise from the workings of the capitalist economic system: it requires and benefit from, women’s unpaid labor in the home.
Sylvia Walby also contributes her ideas about patriarchy. In her theory, patriarchy is a system of social structures in which men dominate, oppress and exploit women. Walby identifies six structures of patriarchy that together are argued to capture the depth, pervasiveness and interconnectedness of women’s subordination, those are: household production, paid work, the state, male 15
violence, sexuality and culture. Walby argues that in Britain during the twentieth century, patriarchy change from the private form to the public form. Private patriarchy is based around the family and the house hold and involves individual men exploiting the labor of individual women. Women are largely confined to the household sphere and have limited participation in public life. In public patriarchy, women are not excluded from public life but face inequality and discrimination within it.
For Walby, the feminist movement was a key factor in bringing about the change from private to public patriarchy, via the struggle for the vote, for access to education and to the professions, to have legal rights of property ownership, rights in marriage and divorce and so on. Walby also critisizes patriarchy in terms of how the concept has been applied in the analyses of particular forms of men’s domination over women, including paid work, sexuality and the state.14 Pateman have her own idea about patriarchy, she says:
“To argue that patriarchy is best confronted by endeavouring to render social difference politically irrelevant is to accept the view that the civil (public) realm and the ‘individual’ are uncontaminated by patriarchal subordination. Patriarchy is then seen as a private familial problem that can be overcome if public laws and policies treat women as if they were exactly the same as men.”15
Patriarchy is actually a system comes from ancient Mesopotamian.16 By the fourth millennium BC, most agricultural societies had developed new forms of inequality between men and women in a system often termed patriarchal with husbands and fathers dominant. In patriarchal societies, men were held to be
14 Jane Pilcher and Imelda Whelelehan (2004), op. cit.p. 96. 15 Jane Freedman, Feminism: Concept in the Social Sciences. (Buckingham: Open University Press, 2001), P.27. 16 Fadilah Suralaga, Perempuan dari Mitos ke Realitas (Jakarta: Pusat Studi Wanita UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, 2002), p. 2. 16
superior creatures. They had legal rights lacking to women (though law codes protected women from some abuse, at least in principle). Women’s lives became defined more in term of pregnancy and childcare, besides, in many agricultural societies prevented women from owning property independently.
Culturally, the patriarchal system emphasizes women’s frailty and inferiority. They urged largely domestic duties and sometimes restricted women’s right to appear in a public. Patriarchy’s reach was powerful and extensive. Many women were so intimidated and isolated by the system that protest was unlikely though it was also true that individual women could achieve some satisfaction by manipulating husbands and sons or by lording it over inferior women in the household. Patriarchy also shaped the development of boys. Encouraging complex relationship with mothers and fathers alike. At least in the upper classes, fathers appeared as remote, authoritarian figures in their son’s lives. Emotional test to mother often lifelong could be intense.17
The writer points out that woman are relegated to a subordinate status in the family and the society. They are expected to be dutiful daughter, loving mothers, submissive daughter in law and faithful wives. So, we conclude that patriarchy is more at the application of male dominated, male identified and male centered of our whole life.
17 Peter N. Stearns, Gender in World History (Wiltshire: The Cromwell Press Ltd, 2006) 2nd ed, p.10. CHAPTER III
RESEARCH FINDING
A. Data description and analysis
A. The intimidations experienced by Jenna related to her role as a
housewife in Waitress film.
No Corpus Minute Remark
1 Jenna: well dawn, I hope sure it’s making you 00:58:59 Jenna trapped happy Dawn: you don’t mean that in an unhappy Jenna: yes I do Dawn: nope married I know what you’re thinking ‘cause you called him an elf Jenna: only ‘cause you initially called him an elf Dawn: you’re jealous Jenna: no Dawn: you are Because you have the most mean, controlling husband in the world, and you are stuck there!
Jenna: dear baby.. Somewhere in the space between 01:17:19 the pie baking and earl eating it later that night, began the most intimate conversation in my life. About my mama, about how much she loved me, how sad she’d be to see my life turned out like this, about earl, and how he changed after we married become someone I feared. About how long it is to be so poor and so afraid…
Dawn: I don’t care if she’s a pie genius I wouldn’t 00:05:37 trade places with her Becky : no, me neither 2 Earl: where’s that money you made today? 00:06:12 Earl makes Jenna: right here in my pocket Jenna handed Earl: well, now, hand it over. over all of her Jenna: not much here, is there? money to him Jenna: slow day you know
17 18
Earl: yeah, you been having more and more of those
3 Earl: you didn’t ask me how my day was? 00:07:12 Earl angry that Jenna: how was your day? Jenna doesn’t Earl: ask me like you care about it. hear what he Jenna: how was your day, earl? said and ask Earl: well, you know, johnson’s on my case again, jenna to repeat about the mortgages and everything but i don’t all the words make the bank policy, i told him that but he doesn’t he said listen. correctly. (he Jenna: i hate my husband pie.... did a [...] psychological Earl: you are not listening to me violence Jenna: yeah, i am toward jenna) Earl: what i say Jenna: you were bitcing about mr. Johnson Earl: what were the exact words i said? Jenna:well, i mean, i can repeat them verbatim.. Earl: you don’t listen to me Hurts my feelings Please just say you are sorry So i can let you out this car so you can make my dinner Jenna: I’m sorry earl for not being able to repeat your words verbatim, something i should be able to do Earl: whenever i need it Jenna: whenever you need it Earl: all right then. 4 Earl: where you going Jenna? 00:45:33 Jenna Jenna: i-i mean, to work. Earl: then why you got a suitcase? experienced a Jenna: (groans) earl! Earl: shut up and get in the car domestic Jenna: (sobbing) Earl: pie baking contest huh? violance from Jenna: yeah, i was just going to go up there and win and surprise you earl (physical Earl: no, you’re lying You ain’t never gone to a contest before in your violance) life. Jenna: earl, don’t.. Earl: why you lying to me? Jenna: i’m pregnant! Earl: when was you goin g to tell me? 19
Jenna: after i won the pie contest Earl: well, you ain’t going to no pie contest You know what? You ain’t going nowhere Here’s the thing. Wife- what if you decide to love the baby more than you love me? They have a baby and then it’s to hell with the man Jenna: you’re jealous of the baby? Earl: no, i don’t get jealous. It’s below me. I’m talking my feelings out and i know how women get and I’m just not sure i want that happening. I’d tell you to get rid of it. As me in the hereafter, if you know what i mean. Maybe, if you promise me that you wouldn’t love the baby more than you love me. You know? That you’d make a real effort to love me more.if i need something you’d taking care of it. You hold on to me more. I come first-not any baby.well, can you make early that promise? Jenna:i promise Earl: say “ i will not love the baby , more than i love you, early.” Jenna: i will not love the baby more than i lo ve you early. How about that? Earl: we’re going to have ourselves a baby.
(Clattering) (Music stops) 01:23:38 Earl: Jenna... I’m very upset with you. I’ll be waiting in the car. You have 30 seconds to get your ass in gear and join me Thirty seconds (door slams) Old Joe: you wasn’t exaggerating, your husband is terrible Dawn: Jenna... Earl: no, you don’t say nothing, you don’t say one word, not one word. Jenna: earl, that hurts Earl: open the cabinet where the coffe and sugar jars are, ust open it! What is that? Jenna’ what is that? Money. It’s all over the fucking house. In cabinets’ in drawers, under chairs, in closets. Money hidden all over my house 20
5 Earl: yeah, you been having more and more of 00:06:25 Earl never let those I’m really not sure it’s worth you working there jenna have a anymore I think i might have you be at home and making me big pies all day long. participation in Cal: why doesn’t your damn husband buy you a 00:13:26 car already? a public sphere Jenna: ‘cause he don’t want me goin’ nowhere
Jenna: i’m thinking i want to borrow some money 00:08:10 from you. Earl: and my answer to that is no. Jenna: there is a big pie bake-off in jonesville in a couple if months. And i’d like to go Earl: and my answer to that ofcourse is no Jenna: prize money is pretty good Earl: (fork clatters) why do you need money?i give you everything you need, dont’i? Jenna:absolutely Earl: you want for nothing, don’t you? Jenna: yes earl, i want for nothing Earl: but what’s so important about that when you got me to take care of? Jenna: that’s a good point earl.
Earl: when was you goin g to tell me? 00:47:07 Jenna: after i won the pie contest Earl: well, you ain’t going to no pie contest You know what? You ain’t going nowhere
6 Jenna: i-i feel sick in my stomach. You know, it’s 00:25:59 Earl ask jenna been over a month. I feel about as sexy as a tree stump to do a sexual Earl: you ain’t never been sexier I’m imagining it, or are your boobies getting bigger? contact with a Like they grew a size practically overnight Jenna: that’s crazy earl. compulsion Earl: i got to be with you or i’m going to die
Earl: why don’t you treat me like a man? Jenna: i don’t feel like it 01:09:36 Earl: “i don’t feel like it” Well, what makes you think you have that option, hmm? 21
I feed you. I pay for this house. I put clohes on your back. Come on, just do what i tell you. I won’t get too mad Jenna: earl, that hurts, come on.
B. Feminist ideas in Jenna’s character
The following table gives some information about feminism values in Jenna.
Those intimidations shows that private patriarchy tied up in her domestic life. so
that, jenna is supposed to fight to liberate herself from it.
No Corpus Minute Remark 1 Jenna: I ain’t never going to get away from earl 00:03:51 Liberate her now. self from the Becky: does earl have any clue at all that you’re 00:20:20 pregnant? tight of Jenna: no, he don’t notice nd i’m never going to tell him private I’m just going to runaway and i can save another couple hundred before the jonesville bake-off patriarchy
Jenna: If my plans come true and i can make my 00:04:04 By running big escape from him in a couple of months, may be he never even has to know. away from
Earl: don’t you go loving that baby too much. her husband Jenna: i don’t love you, earl. I haven’t loved you 01:35:24 for years. I want a divorce. bad treatment Earl: that’s not a funny joke. We got this new baby here. Shouldn’t be making jokeslike that. and divorce Jenna: i want you the hell out of my life. You are never to touch me ever again.i’m done with you. If from him. you ever come within six yards of me, i will flatten your sorry ass and i will enjoy doing it. Earl: now, hold on a second. 2 Jenna: no, he don’t notice and i’m never going to 00:20:50 Self tell him I’m just going to runaway actualization Dawn: how much money you got saved? Jenna: not much, $1,200 in a public and i can save another couple hundred before the 22
jonesville bake-off sphere by Dawn: how much is that prize money? Jenna: $ 25000, hon. taking a part Dawn: wow. What pie you going to bake. Jenna: I’m not sure in pie bake-off I was thinking I’d make one of real unusual ones like my mama used to make One where you wouldn’t think the ingredients would all go together but they do. Dawn: huh […] Dawn: I know what you should do with that prize money, Jenna, You should open your own pie shop. Jenna: wow..my own pie shop Becky: Jenna’s pie palace Dawn: Jenna’s pastry heaven
3 Jenna: no, he don’t notice and i’m never going to 00:20:50 Becoming tell him I’m just going to runaway independent Dawn: how much money you got saved? Jenna: not much, $1,200 by working at and i can save another couple hundred before the Jonesville bake-off Joe’s pie
Earl: open the cabinet where the coffe and sugar 01:24:35 diner and jars are, just open it! What is that? save the Jenna: what is that? Money. It’s all over the fucking house. In cabinets’ money to earn in drawers, under chairs, in closets. Money hidden all over my house her own living
4 Dr. Pomatter: when can I see you again? 01:05:07 Jenna is a Jenna: Dr. Pomatter, I’ve been thinking. I think we need to end this gentle woman Dr. Pomatter: no Jenna: yes Dr. Pomatter: why? Jenna: because I feel like a bad person and I can’t live with that. Dr. Pomatter : jenna… Jenna: no, don’t get all nervous and sweet. Don’t talk me out of it. Just, please, finish your pie and go. Please. 23
Becky: I didn’t plan it, Jenna. It just happened. 01:03:54 He’s got such nice, strong hands. Jenna: your poor husband Becky: my poor husband wears a diaper curses constantly and sleeps in a separate room. Jenna; so why don’t you just divorce with him then Becky; I can’t just leave a sick crazy old man. What kind of person would do that? Jenna: I don’t know. What kind of person has an affair with cal, who’s married to Ethel who we see all the time? Becky; he says she’s awful Jenna: maybe anyone you stay married to Ethel for 15 years starts to seem awful, but we know Ethel, she’s not awful. She tells cal not to yell at us. Becky: hey, you’re supposed to be my friend, not Ethel’s. Jenna: having an affair is a terrible thing to do, it destroys people’s lives, and I don’t want you messed up with all that
Jenna: no, I don’t. That’s a lie. Dr. Pomatter: what are you thinking? Jenna: I’m thinking...that I could never thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me. I’m thinking your wife’s around and you probably 01:39:50 shouldn’t kiss me. The way she looks at you, so much trust. Dr.pomatter: so, that’s it. Jenna: it’s over! Dr. Pomatter: I don’t have any say in this? Jenna: We could have a big drama here that gets drawn out for a couple years makes everyone miserable or we could just end it right here you know? Nobody count, just saying bye-bye. I’m saying bye- bye. 24
5 Jenna: lulu- that’s your name 01:36:22 Jenna win the We’re going to have so much fun little girl We’re going..to..have..so..much..fun.. pie contest, Jenna: lulu, love of my life have her own Jenna: (singing) baby don’t you cry, gonna make a 01:42:20 pie with a heart in the middle.. pie shop and Baby don’t you cry gonna make a pie hold you forever in the middle of my heart.. live happily Finally, jenna can relief her dreams by winning that pie contest and have her own pie shop (untold with her through by the character’s dialogue) daughter
indicate her
success in
reaching
feminist goal 25
B. Analysis
1. The intimidations experienced by Jenna related to her role as a
housewife in Waitress film.
Patriarchy literally means rule by the male head of a social unit legitimate power over others in the social unit, including other (especially younger) men, all women, and children. However, since the early twentieth century, feminist writers have used the concept to refer to the social system of masculine domination over women.
The writer sees Earl behaviors are include as patriarchal characteristics.
Earl always asks Jenna to hand over her money that she earned from a long day work time in Joe’s pie diner to him, he will not let Jenna hold her own money herself. (See figures 1).
Earl : where’s that money you made today? Jenna : right here in my pocket Earl : well, now, hand it over. Jenna : not much here, is there? Jenna : slow day you know Earl : yeah, you been having more and more of those (Waitress:00:06:12)
Those are the dialogue between Earl and Jenna in the car when earl makes
Jenna to give him all over her money. In this case, Jenna is reflected as an inferior because she could not reject earl’s demand. This myth of the natural inferiority of women greatly influenced the status of women in law. Under the common law of
England, an unmarried woman could own property, make a contract, or sue and be sued. But, married woman, defined as being one with her husband, gave up her name, and virtually all her property came under her husband’s control. During the 26
early history of United States, a man virtually owned his wife and children as he did his material possessions. If a poor man chose to send his children to the poorhouse, the mother was legally defenseless to object.18 As the writer seen, the similar case happened to Jenna, Earl ask Jenna to not to save any money herself and to not to love the baby more than she loves him.
Another that, Earl shows his anger to Jenna if he feels Jenna doesn’t respect him as a husband. Earl will treat Jenna badly, he will shout in to Jenna, and even, he does some physical violence (domestic violence). (See figures 2).
Earl : you didn’t ask me how my day was. Jenna : how was your day? Earl : ask me like you care about it. Jenna : how was your day, earl? Earl : well, you know, Johnson’s on my case again, about the mortgages and everything but i don’t make the bank policy, I told him that but he doesn’t listen. Jenna : i hate my husband pie.... Earl : you are not listening to me Jenna : yeah, i am Earl : what i say Jenna : you were bitching about Mr. Johnson Earl : what were the exact words i said? Jenna : well, I mean, I can repeat them verbatim.. Earl : you don’t listen to me Hurts my feelings Please just say you are sorry So i can let you out this car so you can make my dinner Jenna : I’m sorry earl for not being able to repeat your words verbatim, something i should be able to do Earl : whenever I need it Jenna : whenever you need it Earl : all right then. (Waitress:00:07:12)
On the dialogue between Earl and Jenna, we can see that Earl shows his anger to Jenna when Jenna does not hear what he said and cannot repeat it
18 Women’s International Center, Women’s history of America. Accessed on April 22, 2009. http://www.wic.org/misc/history.htm. 27
verbatim, so earl makes Jenna to ask him an apologize for what she did to him.
We could correlate this case into Jacques Rousseau work, Emile, he wrote:
“Men and women are made for each other, but their mutual dependence is not equal. We could survive without them than they could survive without us. They are dependent on our feelings, on the rice we put on their merits, on the value we set on their attractions and on their virtues. Thus women’s entire education should be planned in relation to men, to be useful to them, to win their love and respect, to raise them as a children, to care for them as adults, counsel and console them, makes their lives sweet and pleasant.”19
From the text above, We could clearly see that Rousseau work put women in subordinate position, it mentioned above that “...Women’s entire education should be planned in relation to men, to be useful to them, to win their love and respect, to raise them as a children, to care for them as adults, counsel and console them, makes their lives sweet and pleasant.” This is happened to Jenna, as a wife,
Jenna should always respect, love and care about her husband, those are what earl wants from Jenna, Earl wants Jenna treats him in a good way, he will never let
Jenna make him angry and feels unpleasant because of her did.
Women were long considered naturally weaker than men, squeamish, and unable to perform work requiring muscular or intellectual development.
Historically, women’s oppression problem is based on a patriarchal culture that has been internalized in most culture of every country in this world. The patriarchal culture locked our mind, till everybody, even woman herself thinks that men are superior while women are inferior.
19 Susan Alice Watkins, et al.( 1999), op. cit. 11. 28
Women are being intimidated; many kind of exploitation can attack women such as sexual harassment, sexual abuse (rape, etc), domestic violence, physical violence, etc. This all can happen to women anytime and anywhere since men still give their bad sight over woman and put women position in subordinate position. For feminist researchers, it is men’s violence against women that has especially been the concern. Violence maybe narrowly defined, as in the legal sense of it being the unlawful use of physical force by an individual against others. A broader approach defines violence as behavior which harms others, either physically or emotionally. Violence has been identified as a key mechanism in the subordination of women by men.20 For example, it happened when Jenna tries to run away, but, unfortunately, earl finds her while she was waiting the bus on a bus stop. (See figures 3).
Earl : where you going Jenna? Jenna : i-i mean, to work. Earl : then why you got a suitcase? Jenna : (groans) earl! Earl : shut up and get in the car Jenna : (sobbing) Earl : pie baking contest huh? Jenna : yeah, I was just going to go up there and win and surprise you Earl : no, you’re lying You ain’t never gone to a contest before in your life. Jenna : earl, don’t. Earl : why you lying to me? Jenna : I’m pregnant! Earl : when was you goin to tell me? Jenna : after i won the pie contest Earl : well, you ain’t going to no pie contest You know what? You ain’t going nowhere Here’s the thing. Wife- what if you decide to love the baby more than you love me? They have a baby and then it’s to hell with the man
20 Jane pilcher and Imelda whelehan (2004), op. cit. 173. 29
Jenna : you’re jealous of the baby? Earl : no, i don’t get jealous. It’s below me. I’m talking my feelings out and i know how women get and I’m just not sure i want that happening. I’d tell you to get rid of it. As me in the hereafter, if you know what i mean. Maybe, if you promise me that you wouldn’t love the baby more than you love me. You know? That you’d make a real effort to love me more. if i need something you’d taking care of it. You hold on to me more. I come first-not any baby. Well, can you make early that promise? Jenna : I promise Earl : say “I will not love the baby, more than I love you, early.” Jenna : I will not love the baby more than I love you early. How about that? Earl : we’re going to have ourselves a baby. (Waitress:00:45:33)
At that time, Earl pulls away Jenna to his car hardly, shouts and roughly, beats her face. In the dialogue above we can see that earl emphasizes that Jenna would not go to any contest, it means indirectly earl will not allow Jenna to develop a career in the public sphere. In the past, western women were not recognized to have a better life out of their household affairs. Although some developments have freed women for roles other than motherhood, the cultural pressure for women to become wives and mother still prevents many talented women from finishing college or pursuing career. Another that, something we could find on the dialogue that many times Earl ensure whether Jenna will never love the baby more than she love earl. As what mentioned before, during the early history of United States, a man virtually owned his wife and children as he did his material possessions. If a poor man chose to send his children to the poorhouse, the mother was legally defenseless to object. In this case, as a husband who’s owned his wife has a right to decide anything. Earl wants Jenna to be faithful in 30
her words for not loving the baby too much and as a wife that is belongs to her husband, Jenna was legally defenseless to object.
Once again, domestic violence emerges clearly in this film, it occurs when earl found that Jenna save money around the corner of the house. At the time,
Jenna was at Dawn wedding. Instantaneous, Earl raging and screaming at Jenna and ask her to get into the car soon.(See figures 4).
(Clattering) (Music stops) Earl : Jenna... I’m very upset with you. I’ll be waiting in the car. You have 30 seconds to get your ass in gear and join me Thirty seconds (Door slams) Old Joe : you weren’t exaggerating, your husband is terrible Dawn : Jenna... Earl : no, you don’t say nothing, you don’t say one word, not one word. Jenna : earl, that hurts Earl : open the cabinets where the coffee and sugar jars are just open it! What is that?Jenna’ what is that?Money. It’s all over the fucking house. In cabinets’ in drawers, under chairs, in closets. Money hidden all over my house. (Waitress:01:23:38)
The dialogue above shows how means Earl behave toward Jenna. As a husband, He thought all of his will should be respected, and should not deserve treatment like this from Jenna. In addition, we can also infer how tormented Jenna married earl who always wants to win over himself. Words that can be cited from
Jenna’s statement such as "Earl, that hurts" and earl’s statement "no, you do not say nothing, you do not say one word, not one word" prove how rough earl’s behavior toward Jenna so that hurt Jenna physically and mentally. As a husband who has a full authority and power over his wife, Earl was feeling worth doing it to Jenna for the mistake she did. It can be seen that women have fewer 31
opportunities than men to live free from fear and to enjoy rewarding types of love, especially when, as often happens, they are married without choice in childhood and have no recourse from bad marriage.
As a husband who is really freak to control every detail that made by his wife, explicitly, earl also will not allow Jenna to leave the house without his permission, except for working at Joe’s pie diner. Jenna really tries to use her time properly to chat with friends and find some happiness with a coworker, Dawn and
Becky. Jenna often shares the grief and pours the entire of her heart to her friends.
Those are the things which can only be done by Jenna to overcome the life saturation with earl. Although, Earl allows Jenna to go outside the house by reason of work, Earl will not let Jenna out of the house in a longer period of time outside of her work time, because Earl would pick her up as soon as possible to the place where she works in. The only thing that earl really wants from Jenna is just stay at home to serve him well.
Earl : yeah, you been having more and more of those I’m really not sure it’s worth you working there anymore I think I might have you be at home and making me pies all day long. (Waitress:00:06:25)
Cal : why doesn’t your damn husband buy you a car already? Jenna : ‘cause he don’t want me goin’ nowhere. (Waitress: 00:13:26)
Jenna : I’m thinking i want to borrow some money from you. Earl : and my answer to that is no. Jenna : there is a big pie bake-off in Jonesville in a couple of months. And I’d like to go Earl : and my answer to that of course is no Jenna : prize money is pretty good. (Waitress:00:08:10) Earl : (fork clatters) why do you need money give you everything you need, don’t I? Jenna : absolutely Earl : you want for nothing, don’t you? Jenna : yes earl, i want for nothing 32
Earl : but what’s so important about that when you got me to take care of? Jenna : that’s a good point earl. (Waitress:00:47:07)
From some dialogues above we could take a conclusion that Jenna has never have a freedom to state her will, as a wife, she supposed to always follow her husband, Earl. This has similar correlation to Jean Jacques Rousseau work,
Emile, where in his work he told that “…Thus women’s entire education should be planned in relation to men, to be useful to them, to win their love and respect, to raise them as a children, to care for them as adults, counsel and console them, makes their lives sweet and pleasant.”
Rousseau's work was born in the Victorian era, when the patriarchal system dominates the whole society. At the time, women were only allowed to stay at home, with all the household affairs, dress up and keep his body stay clean and beautiful and waited for her husband's return from work. As well as with girls, at that time, the children of women more emphasis to learn from what her mother used to do at home, do the things that relate to women in household tasks, such as cooking, sewing, embroidery and prepared to welcome the suitor who wanted to propose. While, in contrast, education is precedence for boys, and boys have the right to taste the formal education outside the home.
However, since the early twentieth century, feminist writers have used the concept of patriarchy to refer to the social system of masculine domination over women. For Sylvia Walby, patriarchy is a system of social structures in which men dominate, oppress and exploit women. She divides patriarchy into two types, public and private patriarchy. Private patriarchy is based around the family and 33
the house hold and involves individual men exploiting the labor of individual women. Women are largely confined to the household sphere and have limited participation in public life. In some radical feminist analyses, the institution of family is a key means through which men’s domination is achieved (millet 1977).
As the embodiment of private patriarchy, a husband who have an authority and power over his wife, earl also used to force Jenna in doing sexual relationship with him, and for whatever reason, Jenna is not entitled to refuse. Earl is always trying to reveal the reasons that make Jenna feel indebted to him like I feed you, I pay for this house and put clothes on your back, so that finally, she did it coercively.
Jenna : I-i feels sick in my stomach. You know, it’s been over a month. I feel about as sexy as a tree stump. Earl : you ain’t never been sexier. I’m imagining it, or are your boobies getting bigger?Like they grew a size practically overnight. Jenna : that’s crazy earl. Earl : i got to be with you or I’m going to die.(Waitress:00:25:95)
Earl : why don’t you treat me like a man? Jenna : i don’t feel like it Earl : “i don’t feel like it” Well, what makes you think you have that option, hmm? I feed you. I pay for this house. I put clothes on your back. Come on; just do what i tell you. I won’t get too mad Jenna : Earl that hurts, come on. (Waitress:01:09:36)
In the dialog above, we can quote Jenna’s statement that she was sick and hurt, but that did not prevent Earl intention to perform sexual relationship with her
(see figures 5). Jenna is domestically abuse by a form of spousal rape (a rape between a married or de facto couple), because there was coercion in it. In radical feminist accounts of patriarchy, the control men have over women’s bodies is 34
regarded as important. In other radical feminist analyses, it is masculine control over women’s bodies through sexuality or male violence in the form of rape that is regarded as being of central importance (Rich 1980: Brown Miller: 1976).
2. Feminist ideas in Jenna’s character
History provides many individual examples of women who possessed an extraordinary power, courage and talent, like artist, queens etc. but they stand out individual exceptions that did not significantly affect or improve the status of the vast majority of ordinary, oppressed women. The history of changing the subordinate condition of women begins with feminism. It begins when women organize themselves consciously on a scale large enough and effective to improve their situation.21
Jenna’s will to run away from her terrible life with earl often postpone because she has a lack of bravery to do it. Many years she runs her married life with earl and no love inside it. As a husband, earl has never give her any chance to do what she wants to do freely, anything she done should be in Earl’s permission.
She faces a bitter life, so, she experienced many obstacles around it. Step by step, Jenna struggles to earn her own living and pursuing a career for her better life. And the only way to get the freedom in choosing the better way of life for her is run away from her terrible life with Earl.
Jenna :I ain’t never going to get away from earl now.(Waitress:00:03:51)
Becky : does Earl have any clue at all that you’re pregnant? Jenna : no, he don’t notice and I’m never going to tell him
21 Susan Alice Watkins, (1999), op.cit. 4. 35
I’m just going to runaway and I can save another couple hundred before the Jonesville bake-off. (Waitress:00:20:20)
Jenna : If my plans come true and i can make my big escape from him in a couple of months, maybe he never even has to know.(Waitress:00:04:04)
On the dialogue above, most of Jenna’s statements are about her plan to escape from Earl. One of the reasons is to join the Jonesville bake-off contest.
She could only express it to her friends, because women talked freely and made more discoveries about themselves when men were not around them. Things they would never realize or said aloud before were facets of a common experience.
This film is set in this modern era, but we can see that patriarchy is still ruling this world well through the hands of a husband. Under the patriarchy, a woman is never regarded having a voice to state her will; woman is dependent human being. A daughter must obey her father, after she is going to be mature and decides to marry; she is supposed to follow her husband. So it can be concluded that woman never has a freedom for directing herself. But, Jenna won’t it happen, she tries to be independent woman by earning some money so she can figure her plans out with it.
Earl : don’t you go loving that baby too much. Jenna : I don’t love you, earl. I haven’t loved you for years. I want a divorce. Earl : that’s not a funny joke. We got this new baby here. Shouldn’t be making jokes like that. Jenna : I want you the hell out of my life. You are never to touch me ever again. I’m done with you. If you ever come within six yards of me, I will flatten your sorry ass and I will enjoy doing it. Earl : now, hold on a second. (Waitress:01:35:24) 36
The above dialogue is a dialogue between Jenna and Earl shortly after Jenna gave birth to a baby that has not wanted because of his fear of earl. The dialogue between Jenna and Earl above represent Jenna’s persistence in taking a part in that pie bake off contest eventhough Earl never even has to allow and give her support materially and morally, but, Jenna still run on her plan seriously with her conviction. Jenna’s life paradigm is different from her another two friends Becky and Dawn where they also experienced a flat life, but they do not even know of how to make it going better, while Jenna, always dream of her brand new happily life after she leaves Earl. Jenna is going to leave Earl and welcoming a new life, she has been arranged it by earning some money (a rest of the service tip after a part of it given to Earl). She also tries to find her new life by taking a part in a pie bake off contest in Jonesville.
In the dialogue above, explicitly, Jenna reveals the actual contents of his heart. This is the first time for Jenna in showing her courage to actualize her existence as a human being in front of earl, all her very hateful husband during their marriage life. Jenna's self-awareness of her domestic life that is full of demands and control of her husband, in turn, makes Jenna dare to take the perfect decision for her life in the future despite having to deal with a husband who is very fearful of all this. One of the aims of feminist criticism is to expose patriarchal premises and resulting prejudices. It also aims to identify and oppose the various ways women are excluded, suppressed and exploited. The stereotype of woman that “a woman’s place is in the home” has largely determined the ways in which women have expressed themselves. So that, the movement of feminism 37
focuses on removing the self awareness of women about their under developed position in society. It is important, because most women who live in patriarchal culture do not aware that they are opposed by patriarchy.
As a woman, who have been considering becoming the second sex, begin to criticize the paradigm. Jenna tries to emancipate herself from domesticity. She opposed the patriarchal culture and she would not let her husband rule over herself. Jenna does not allow herself to depend on her husband, therefore, in many ways Jenna aspire to develop herself to be independent and not dependent upon earl mentally and intellectually, one way to liberate herself from Earl is by taking a part the pie contest in Jonesville. On the other hands, Jenna wants to raise her position and dignity to a level with men so she can show that woman can also do the best thing as well as man does to the society. Jenna wants to take a part in the public sphere where she can improve herself and in touch with world in many ways freely.
Jenna : I’m thinking i want to borrow some money from you? There is a big pie bake-off in Jonesville in a couple of months. And I’d like to go. Earl : and my answer to that of course is no. (Waitress:00:08:10)
Jenna on the above dialogue, dared to express her desire to follow
Jonesville bake-off, but earl showed his objection on Jenna's plans. At the time,
Jenna was still looked like a woman who is very weak and unable to defend her argument. It was all caused by Earl’s attitude toward Jenna who always treated her in a bad way. However, clandestinely, Jenna began to take the fight against
Earl, that is by collecting and hiding money around the corner of the house (see figures 6), so that she can still follow the Jonesville bake-off even without money 38
loaned by Earl. Jenna's dream of winning the contest, because on her thought, through her victory in the contest, she can probably start her new life.
Jenna : no, he don’t notice and I’m never going to tell him I’m just going to runaway Dawn : how much money you got saved? Jenna : not much, $1,200 And I can save another couple hundred before the Jonesville bake- off. (Waitress:00:20:50)
Earl : open the cabinets where the coffee and sugar jars are just open it! What is that?Jenna’ what is that?Money. It’s all over the fucking house. In cabinets, in drawers, under chairs, in closets. Money hidden all over my house. (Waitress:01:24:35)
The proliferation of popular literature and the expansion of communications through the press and other means could not have helped and do not enlighten the awareness of women to the opportunities opening up for their gender. Their lives, however, were tied to house and children, endlessly unacknowledged work, little opportunity for outside contact or variety of experience, and little relief from everyday triviality. In the patriarchal family, a woman does not have a freedom to determine what she wants to choose. Women are entitled to a will of their own, for they must obey their parents in childhood, their husbands when they are marry and their children when they grow up.22 Father’s authority to his daughter and husband authority to his wife are very powerful.
Besides her expertise in making a descent pie, through this movie, Jenna is also described as a gentle woman. Therefore, it worth that both of her best friends and another people in her surroundings are really adored and admired her very much.
22 John J Macionis, Sociology (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996) p.378. 39
Dr. Pomatter : when can I see you again? Jenna : Dr. Pomatter, I’ve been thinking. I think we need to end this Dr. Pomatter : no Jenna : yes Dr. pomatter : why Jenna : because I feel like a bad person and I can’t live with that. Dr. pomatter : jenna… Jenna : no, don’t get all nervous and sweet. Don’t talk me out of it. Just, please, finish your pie and go. Please. Becky : I didn’t plan it, Jenna. It just happened. He’s got such nice, strong hands. Jenna : your poor husband Becky : my poor husband wears a diaper curses constantly and sleeps in a separate room. Jenna : so why don’t you just divorce with him then Becky : I can’t just leave a sick crazy old man. What kind of person would do that? Jenna : I don’t know. What kind of person has an affair with cal, who’s married to Ethel who we see all the time? Becky : he says she’s awful Jenna : maybe anyone you stay married to Ethel for 15 years starts to seem awful, but we know Ethel, she’s not awful. She tells cal not to yell at us. Becky : hey, you’re supposed to be my friend, not Ethel’s. Jenna : having an affair is a terrible thing to do, it destroys people’s lives, and I don’t want you messed up with all that (Waitress:01:03:54)
Jenna : no, I don’t. That’s a lie. Dr. Pomatter : what are you thinking? Jenna : I’m thinking...that I could never thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me. I’m thinking your wife’s around and you probably shouldn’t kiss me. The way she looks at you, so much trust. Dr.pomatter : so, that’s it. Jenna : it’s over! Dr. Pomatter : I don’t have any say in this? Jenna: We could have a big drama here that gets drawn out for a couple years makes everyone miserable or we could just end it right here you know?Nobody count, just saying bye-bye. I’m saying bye- bye. (Waitress:01:05:07)
The character like this supposed to be a characteristic of ecofeminist.
Ecofeminism mainly discussed about the quality of feminine character. An 40
ecofeminist supposed to concern on the quality of their femininity. For them, woman’s entrance to a masculine world results the domination of masculine quality in modern civilization. A quality of self presentation of seizing some status and material, used to bring a competition, self centered, domination and exploitation. In turn, there are many women neglected their children. Women should develop a quality of their femininity like loving, nurturing, caring, and protecting. At first, the feminine quality admitted as an inferior, up now, these characteristics of femininity is regarded as superior. Ecofeminist thought that women could change the world with their feminine quality with their role as a mother, caretaker for their family and surroundings. So that, the damage happened to our ecosystem could be decreased.23
Jenna characteristics like kind hearted, gentle, even tempered are reflected her good feminine values, while her characteristics such as independent, decisive, optimistic and critical, smart are a part of her good masculine values. By combining those values Jenna can achieve a better quality of her life. The combination also gives the resolution for Jenna toward the needs fulfillment of both domestic and public sphere. She fairly aware that both of it could be done in a time. Those characteristics refer to the etymology called androgyny.
Shortly after the newly baby born, and her decision to leave Earl, Jenna begin to start her new life. For temporary time, Jenna lives at Dawn’s house.
Many things she dreamed over a year can be figure out one by one. At first, she takes a part in Jonesville bake-off and won that contest (See figures 7), and then
23 Fadilah Suralaga, dkk. Pengantar Kajian Gender. (Jakarta : Pusat Studi Wanita UIN Syarif Hudayatullah Jakarta, 2003) P.108-110. 41
she runs her new own pie shop with her lovely little girl and her beloved friends, dawn and Becky.
Jenna : Lulu- that’s your name We’re going to have so much fun little girl Jenna: lulu the love of my life. (Waitress:01:36:22)
Jenna : (singing) baby don’t you cry, gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle..Baby don’t you cry gonna make a pie hold you forever in the middle of my heart.. Finally, Jenna can relief her dreams by winning that pie contest and have her own pie shop, named ”lulu’s pie diner” (untold through the character’s dialogue). (01:42:20)
The monologues above told by Jenna. Those are represents her happiness that finally she can determine her way and freely state her opinion without anyone who could probably oppressed her anymore whether physically or psychologically. This marks as the turning point of Jenna’s life, her struggle to fight against private patriarchy is succeeded and her effort to be independent and going wealth are the worth thing she should achieve then. By the end of the film,
Jenna could reach feminism goal by becoming an independent human being mentally and intellectually and stands on her feet without her husband interventions.
Mise en scene is going to be changed. The former setting of place is mostly at Jenna’s house which always bounded by a strong dark light color. It shows a sorrowful inside Jenna in facing her flat and fearful life with her husband.
Whereas the setting of Joe’s pie diner is mostly dominate by blue and broken white, it could be mean there is no happiness around it and seemed to be a symbol of the waitresses’ life which most of them should experienced an unlucky life. As 42
Jenna’s new life begin to start, every things around her changed into something more colorful. At first, when the pie diner still belongs to Joe, the color costume
(uniform) of the waitresses dominate by light blue, but, when, the pie diner turn into Jenna’s hand and the name changed into “Lulu’s pies shop” many things surround that pie shop looked brighter, much more colorful. Later setting significantly changed to be natural scenery, outstretching blue sky and evergreen trees around the pie shop of her own, an outdoor lighting or sunlight gives natural impression. Whereas at first the color only consist of one color, up then, the color of the building of lulu’s pie shop consist of many colors. So that with the waitress uniform color, Jenna wears a yellow uniform, Dawn with pink and Becky with blue. We can correlate this with the changing of Jenna’s life where at first her life is sorrowful later it significantly changed into a joyful. CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
A. Conclusion
Waitress movie depicts about woman with an extraordinary talent of pie baking. She makes a pies based on the event happened in her life. Waitress could be put in the list of feminist movie since the writer found many things related to feminist ideas.
Adrienne Shelly, the director and the writer of this movie wants to convince the spectators about feminism values that have to be respected. Woman is lack of freedom to determine something she wants for herself, they tend to be an obedient human being. When they are child they should obey their father and as they grow mature, they ought to get married and supposed to follow her husband. The patriarchal culture created the polarization of sex roles, so that, women could not fulfill the ineradicable of human core. In that time, they simply trap in the big brother.24
Jenna is a woman with a control freak husband who really uses to do something by the reason of his authority as a husband, who has a right to use his power over his wife, Jenna. Jenna wants to become a personhood, so that she does not satisfied to become a housewife only (who spends most of her time in the domestic sphere) but she wants also do some self actualization in the public realm.
Therefore she works as a waitress at Joe’s pie diner; furthermore, she wants to take a part in a pie baking contest in order to have a wealthier and independent
24 (One in authority) just in the house.
43 44
life. In spite of that, her husband never even give her any opportunity to relief all of her dreams.
As we know, the violence, oppression, and subordination and also the gender inequalities are often called as a crucial problems encountered woman’s life in the world. This gender difference brings about the division of labor, which is put a man in the public sphere and woman in the house (domestic sphere).
Jenna is being intimidated, she experienced a physical and psychological violence and domestically abuse by her husband. As a strong minded woman,
Jenna makes all of her bad experience as motivation to get a better life out of the house and resulting an unpredictable decision for her life, she is finally, said that she wants to divorce with her husband and shortly leaves him after she stated that words. Then, afterwards, she welcomes her brand new life with her lovely daughter, lulu, and success in developing Joe’s pie diner and turns the name into lulu’s pie diner. All the aspect of that pie diner is totally changed, the color of the waitresses costume changed from blue to colorful dress, so does with the building, even more the pies color are also changed where at first the ingredients use for the pie making dominate by something with dark color then changed by adding a colorful cream and topping covered the pies.
Briefly, through this film, the director wants to show many people that women should have the right in determining her thought as well as men. Another that, this film represents a feminism values that all human beings belong to the equal position and women struggles in pursuing her freedom.
B. Suggestion 45
Movie is story with the moving object. The strength of the movie than the other literary works is the visualization of the story. It became more attractive thing to watch, because it empowered by the sound and blocking with the real gesture of the character. So, the spectators can understand the stories well.
After doing an analysis of feminism values and woman struggle to fight against private patriarchy in domestic life performed by Jenna as the main character of Waitress movie, the writer takes a note that the research might be continued in analyzing another kind of feminism and gender issues in the character of Jenna and her husband, Earl. On the other hands, for knowing the theory related to those issues, the reader might read Rosemarie Putnam Tong works entitled Feminist Thought a Comprehensive Introduction or other book of feminism and gender studies. Instead of it, this movie also contains psychoanalytical issues, so that, another researcher could use that approach in doing research to this movie. BIBLIOGRAPHY
A. Books
Arivia, Gadis. Filsafat Berperspektif Feminis. Jakarta: Yayasan Jurnal Perempuan, 2003.
Boggs, Joseph M and Dennis W, Petrie. The Art of Watching Films. Fifth Edition. California: Mayfield Publishing Company, 2000.
Djajanegara, Soenarjati. Kritik Satra Feminis. Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 2003.
Evans, Sara M. Lahir untuk Kebebasan: Sejarah Perempuan Amerika. Penerjemah: Sri Kusdyatinah. Jakarta: Yayasan Obor Indonesia, 1994
Farkhan, Muhammad. Penulisan Karya Ilmiah. Jakarta: Cella, 2006.
Freedman, Jane. Feminism: Concept in the Social Sciences. Buckingham: Open University Press, 2001.
Hidayat, Rahmat. Ilmu yang Seksis: Feminisme dan Perlawanan terhadap Teori Sosial Maskulin. Yogyakarta: Penerbit Jendela, 2004.
Macionis, John J. Sociology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996.
Millet, kate. Sexual Politics. London: Virago Press Limited, 1977
Pilcher, Jane and Imelda Whelehan. Fifty Key Concept in Gender Studies. London: Sage Publications LTD, 2004.
Pusat studi wanita UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Perempuan dari mitos ke realitas . Jakarta: Pusat studi wanita UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, 2002.
Putnam Tong, Rosemarie. Feminist Thought: Pengantar paling Komprehensif kepada Aliran Utama Feminis. Yogyakarta: Jalasutra, 2004.
______, Rosemarie. Feminist Thought: A Comprehensive Introduction. Colorado: Westview Press, 1989.
Ratna, Nyoman Kutha. Teori, Metode, dan Teknik Penelitian Sastra. Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar, 2007.
Richardson, Laurel, et al. Feminist Frontiers Sixth edition. New York; Mc.Graw Hill. 2004.
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Stearns, Peter N. Gender in World History 2nd edition. Wiltshire: The Cromwell Press Ltd, 2006.
Suralaga, Fadilah, dkk. Pengantar Kajian Gender. Jakarta : Pusat Studi Wanita UIN Syarif Hudayatullah Jakarta. 2003.
Watkins, Susan Alice, et al., Introducing Feminism. London: Icon Book, 1999.
B. Websites
Anonymous, First Wave Feminism, Accessed on January 10, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-wave_feminism
Anonymous, The History of Feminism, Accessed on February 3, 2010. http://en. Wikipedia.org/wiki/feminism
Feminism in Waves: A Brief Overview of the First, Second and Third Wave. accessed on January 26, 2010. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/392800/feminism_in_waves_a_ brief_overwie.html?cat=75,
Women’s International Center, Women’s history of America, Accessed on February 3, 2010. http://www.wic.org/misc/history.htm. APPENDICES The movie captures 1. These are the captures when Earl makes Jenna hand over all her tip money.
2. The captures below show Earl’s anger toward Jenna because she can not repeat her words verbatim.
3. These are the captures show when jenna get a physical violance from Earl
4. The captures show that Jenna is domestically abuse when Earl found that Jenna save money around the corner of the house
48 49
5. These captures show the time when Earl have Jenna to do a sexual contact with him
6. These are the captures when Jenna and Dawn are talking about the money that Jenna had earned.
7. The captures below show that Jenna finally reach a better life after she divorce from her husband and born her baby (feminism goal). 50