Canting by Arswendo Atmowiloto: the Potrayal of Javanese Patriarchy and Women's Challenge Towards the Patriarchal System

CANTING BY ARSWENDO ATMOWILOTO: THE POTRAYAL OF JAVANESE PATRIARCHY AND WOMEN’S CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE PATRIARCHAL SYSTEM

THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan

Listiarini Dwi Oktavia 112008058

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY SALATIGA 2012

This thesis contains no such material as has seen submitted for examination in any course or accepted for the fulfillment of any degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and my belief, this contains no material previously published or written by any other person except where due reference is made in the text.

All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be reproduced by any means without the permission of at least one of the copyright owners or the English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature, Satya Wacana Christian University, Salatiga.

Listiarini Dwi Oktavia:

Listiarini 1

Canting by Arswendo Atmowiloto: the Potrayalof Javanese Patriarchy

andWomen’s Challenge Towardsthe Patriarchal System

Listiarini Dwi Oktavia

Abstract Patriarchy is one of the phenomena that are found in the Javanese society, who believe and do the patriarchal practices. The inequality between men and women and oppression is the problem that women must face because of the idea of the men’s authority, and women should be subject to the authority of men. Canting, a novel written by Arswendo Atmowiloto, is one of very interesting novels which reflects the phenomena that happen in the society. It portrays how the patriarchal practices work in Javanese society and the effort from a woman character, Ni, to fight for her rights as the reaction to the oppression towards her. This study is aimed to analyze how the novel portrays Javanese patriarchy and how it challenges Javanese patriarchy through the characters in the novel. Feminist criticism is used to conduct this research and this novel is analyzed using characters analysis. The finding is that patriarchy is still a culture that is held by the Javanese society represented by the character Pak Bei. He becomes the head of the family and thus he rule over his entire family member, and has the power over his wife’s live to decide everything in her life. Bu Bei, is the victims of the patriarchal practices. Though, through the character Ni, it shows that within the oppression of the system, women can fight against the patriarchy, and struggle so that their lives are not driven by the men authority. Education becomes important factor that brings Ni to the point where she struggle and protest against the system, to open Ni’s mind to see the gender unfairness and redefining herself as an equal creature compares to men. Keywords: Javanese Patriarchy, Feminism, Patriarchal Challenge

Introduction

Patriarchy, as Knauss defined, is “a hierarchy authority that is controlled and

dominated by males in which women is subordinated to the role of permanent minors”

(1987). Patriarchal system as we know has been rooted in most of the culture in the world,

including Javanese culture. Literature is a reflection of the society which can represent the condition of the society at the time it is written. According to Wellek and Warren, literature contains the life of the society, reflects the problems that happens in it and sometimes the

Listiarini 2 writer gives solution to the problem (Semi, 1990). Then, we can see the reflection on how the patriarchal system works in the society through literature.

Canting, a novel by Arsewondo Atmowiloto, is a literature work that reflects the life of a Javanese family and the patriarchal practices in the Javanese society. This novel narrates about the family life of Pak Bei, a priyayi, the functionary of the King, who married the daughter of his batik laborer. After years of marriage Bu Bei pregnant the sixth child, but the pregnancy is not expected and suspected as a result of an affair. After born, the child becomes different from her brothers and sisters. Ni, the child, wants to break the custom and challenges the culture of her family. The novel shows the Javanese hierarchal society. The hierarchy is not only shown between the high-status people (the bourgeois- priyayi) and the low-status people (batik laborer), but also the hierarchy between the men and women (in family).

This novel leads to the issue of how the patriarchal system works in the Javanese culture. Though the novel setting is in the beginning of 1960, the issue of women subordination and the patriarchal system are still relevant to the Javanese society right now.

As Brenber (1988) argues, though Java has gained achievement in industry, however, this achievement does not automatically give any contribution positively in the relation of men and women. Women are still in the lowest place in the hierarchal system of Javanese culture.

As the feminist argued, women are defined by the men and they were confined into a

‘cage’ of ‘what they should and should not do’. They feel the oppression of the men over their life. Within a set of constraint, women actually strategize in dealing with them. They are actively or passively resist to the face of their oppression (Kandiyoti, 1988). The resistance varies from one to another. However, the resistances and challenges have been delivered by

Listiarini 3 women, and it is worth to see how the woman character in this novel also challenges the patriarchy in Javanese society

The objective of this study is to scrutinize how the novel portrays Javanese patriarchy through the character ‘Pak Bei’ and how the novel challenges Javanese patriarchy through the character ‘Ni’.

Literature study based on feminist criticism is used in the research. Other relevant sources needed as an aid to analyze the data are also gathered. Using feminist point of view in this research, the novel will be analyzed using character analysis. The data will be taken from the dialogue between the characters, the narratives from the writer, the point of view of the other characters about the characters Ni and Pak Bei. Then the data will be analize to the see the patriarchal practices in the Javanese society and the struggle to challenge patriarchy.

The aim of this study is to help students, especially English Department students, to gain a better understanding on the patriarchal practice and how the women strategize within the Javanese society. Understanding the patriarchal system and how it affects the women’s life, the students are expected to value and honor women, and not to make discrimination by gender. It is also aimed to open readers’ horizon that education is important, especially for women. Through education, women will gain broader knowledge that will open up their minds about who they are and the rights that they have. Thus, they will not accept the patriarchal system, but fights against it to gain their rights and equality in the system. As educators, it is hoped that English Department students will help women who do not have the chance to experience school to have education, so they will not live under the suppression of the patriarchal system.

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Theoretical Discussions

1. Feminism

According to Humm, feminism is the definition incorporates both of doctrine of equal rights for women (the organized movement to attain women’s right) and ideology of social transformation aiming to create a world for women beyond simple equality (1992). Feminism argues that the roles of social life principles are defined by the men and women are subordinate under men control.

Feminist movement has been delivered in many country. In Indonesia, though it is not as loud as in western countries, the movement is also present. According to Arivia (2006), the movement can be divided into four stages. At the first stage, the movement raised the issue of voting right and education for women. In this stage, the fight for voting right was not as strong as in the other countries. However, the fight for education has been started from the colonial era in 1912. The second stage raised the political issue and mass association to develop woman political and skill. In this stage, Indonesian women focused themselves in the issues of equality and asked the government to revised marriage constitutional, education rights, and women’s work condition. Woman association grew so fast, and Kongres Wanita

Indonesia and Gerwani appeared in this era. The third stage, in the Orde Baru era, the goverment emerged the discourse of woman domestic duty. In this stage, the goverment decided the criterias of a good woman.Therefore, because of the discrimination, woman social organization grew very well and fought against the oppression. The fourth stage, in the reformation era, liberal movement emerges and fights against violence to women.

2. Patriarchy

Patriarchal system is a system that we can find in almost all over the world.

According to Bashin and Said Khan (1995), patriarchy is derived from patriach, which means the authority of father. In the relation with the social system, it is where the father has

Listiarini 5 authority over all his family member, all wealth and economic resource, and make all decision. The social system should be under man’s power and woman is part of man’s belonging.

The practice of patriarchy in Javanese society has some aspects, which start with the gender construction. The tradition and culture have constructed an ideal both for woman and man. The general concept of men and women, women are known to be gentle, beautiful, and emotional, while men are known to be strong, rational, valiant and courageous.

From the construction of the society about characteristic of men and women above, the issue of hierarchy arises. Because of the characteristics of women are thought to be weaker than men, generally women are considered to be second to men, less refined, less spiritual, less potent, more spontaneous, more emotional, and thus less deserving of prestige

(Mulder, 2005).

In eastern culture, including Javanese, marriage indeed place men in a more beneficial, higher, and dominant position (Prabasmoro, 2006). Kate Millet in Prabasmoro stated that marriage or family is the main patriarchal instrument which rules the behavior and attitude of the cultural members so the maintaining of the patriarchal ideology happened

(2006).

Therefore, in the family, the position and role of the father and mother are created.

The father, being the elder and the progenitor, is entitled to the highest honor, and hierarchically far away. The father embodies prestige per se. The men area is outside the world of politics and power, of work, position, prestige and hierarchy. In the other side, woman is an approachable and emotional mother, a symbol of warmth and homeliness, who earn her honor because of self-sacrifice care. Women center at home, children and care

(Mulder, 2005).

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In the family, then, men or fathers become the decision maker (Murniati, 1992). The authority belongs to the father so the wife and the children should submit and honor the father.

The teaching about women which is aimed for Keraton women (those who live in the palace circle and or as part of the royal family) becomes a general guidance for every

Javanese woman and strengthens the subordinate position of women in the family. Serat

Centhini taught “The Analogy of Five Hand Fingers” for women, stated that:

1. Thumb means “Pol ing tyas”. As a wife, women have to give all her life

to the husband. Every husband’s wish should be granted.

2. Index finger means do not ever dare to refuse “tudhung kakung” (advice

from husband). Husband’s advice should not be mattered.

3. Middle finger means always inviolate husband and maintains husband’s

prestige.

4. Ring finger means wives should always be skilled in every service for

husband. In serving the husband women should be quick but gentle.

5. Little finger means that wife should always be skilled and clever in serving

husband. In serving husband, a wife should do it fast but gentle (Hadidjaja

and Kamajaya in Murniati,1992)

Javanese patriarchal culture also includes polygamy in its practice. Men tend to

married more than once and are allowed to have more than one wife. Men can marry again

with or without their wives permission. In the other side, the Javanese culture does not

allowed women to marry more than one man. She has to be loyal to her husband and serve

her husband with all her life.

Polygamy happens also because of women are only seen as phallic satisfaction which

can be thrown away at any time. Women as human are only appreciated for their beauty and

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vagina. Women in society is only object and workmanship of men (Heriyanto in Hellwig,

2003)

3. Patriarchy Bargain

Within the patriarchal system, women will feel such a pressure and inequality

between the male and female. The different right and the images that men construct about

women make women feel not free and cannot be ‘herself’. As Kandiyoti said, within the

oppression, women will strategize to deal with patriarchy. Women’s resistance is various, but

wherever and whenever men dominate women, women will resist through different strategies

(1988).

Realizing their position that are being oppressed and subordinated, women will fight

against patriarchy to gain their power over their own life and get their rights as an equal

partner with men. Thus, women should gain a power to take decision. The ability of women

to influence the decision making is not merely happen at the time the decision is made,

indeed it is a long process from adaptation, redefining, and negotiating strategy (Handayani

and Novianto, 2004). In order to get the authority, women should be able redefining herself

as an equal creation to do negotiation with men.

Discussion

In eastern culture, including Javanese, marriage indeed placed men in a more

beneficial, higher, and dominant position (Prabasmoro, 2006) which means that men have

power over women to control and rule either in society or family.

Canting itself is the story of a Javanese family, who live in the Keraton (Javanese

Palace) area. The novel shows intense patriarchal practices between the characters, Pak Bei,

Bu Bei and Ni.

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1. Pak Bei: The Javanese Patriarch

In this story, Pak Bei is clearly showing patriarchal characteristics, acting out as the

actor who practices and adopts the patriarchal system. Pak Bei has shown a man’s control over his house and family, where everyone living under him has to live in fear of him and submission. His supremacy was obvious in the way he controls the lives of the people in his house.

The patriarchal practices and the power to control are mostly shown in the relationship between Pak Bei and Bu Bei, which means that patriarchy is mostly reflected in the family, especially in the marriage. Millet in Prabasmoro stated that marriage or family is the main patriarchal instrument which rules the behavior and attitude of the cultural members so the maintaining of the patriarchal ideology happened (1991).

The most visible characteristic of patriarchy is that the separation of roles and realms

of men and women. As stated by Mulder, men area is the outside the world of politics and

power, of work, position, prestige and hierarchy (2005). Pak Bei shows the same

characteristic of being socialy active, as what has been shown in this part of the novel.

Pak Bei berjalan ke dalam rumah.Berbicara lewat telepon mengenai jumlah kertas yang dikurangi untuk penerbitan majalah. Lalu menelpon temannya yang lain, sambil bercerita mengenai kunjungannya selama seminggu ke Singapura.

[Pak Bei walked into the house. Speaking through the telephone about the reduced number of papers for the magazine publication. Then called his other friend and told him about a week visitation to Singapore.] (Canting, 8)

Pak Bei is active in the society and involved in the issue that is happening in the

society, like the issue of reducing paper for magazine. Moreover Pak Bei’s world is far

beyond Bu Bei’s world. He is not limited to house and market, but his world is outside the

house. He can travel abroad to Singapore.

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Pak Bei also has influence toward the society in the area of politic and involves in many important events in Indonesia. For example he fights as a soldier to fight for

Indonesia’s liberty and gets reward as a honorable soldier, contributes money for the construction of National Monument, helps building State’s Stadium for Asian Games, honored to guide General Soedirman, and many other (2005).

Another characteristic that is shown in Pak Bei is he becomes the first priority in the family. According to Prabasmoro, woman is constructed to serve men, in social and sexual sectors, without considering the economic power, different social class or even seniority

(2006). It indicates that men have higher position than the women, so they are deserved to be served by women. In Javanese culture, men (as husband and father) are regarded as the king in the house, that have to be honored, respected and served as the first priority.

Ingin minum apa adalah sambutan yang pertama. Pak Bei tak perlu menjawab. Karena biasanya dimeja sudah disediakan.…. Bu Bei bisa memperhitungkan saat Pak Bei pulang dari tirakatan, atau merenungkan keprihatinan… Bu Bei telah menyiapkan segalanya. Pun andai saat saat itu Pak Bei menghendaki sarapan bubur.

….. Pak Bei pasti kekamar mandi.Bu Bei sudah menyediakan air hangat – yang dijerang di atas kompor. Tinggal membawa dan menuangkan ke bak ember. Lalu menuangkan air dingin dari bak kamar mandi yang besar sekali.Menyentuh dengan tangannya untuk merasakan bahwa airnya cukup hangat – tidak terlalu dingin dan tidak terlalu panas. Ujung kuku Bu Bei bisa mengetahui dengan persis suam yang dikendaki Pak Bei. Seperti juga kepekaan Bu Bei bisa mengetahui handuk apa yang dipilih saat itu, kain sarung tenun yang mana, ataupun kasu dan piyama apa yang dipilih.

[“What would you like to drink?” was the first greeting. Pak Bei did not have to answer because it usually had been prepared on the table…. Bu Bei could predict when Pak Bei would get home from tirakatan, contemplating thoughtfulness…. Bu Bei had prepared everything, even if Pak Bei wanted to have porridge for breakfast.

…Pak Bei would go to the bathroom for sure. Bu Bei had prepared the hot water – which had been boiled before. It had already prepared, and she only had to take it and

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pour it into the bucket, then pour cold water from the tub. Then touch it with her fingertip to measure the warmness so that it will not be too cold or too hot. Bu Bei’s fingertips knew exactly the warmness that Pak Bei wanted. It was similar to Bu Bei sensitiveness to know what towel would be used, which woven sarong or pajamas would be chosen at that time by Pak Bei.] (Canting, 32-33)

From the quotation above we can see that Pak Bei is served very well by his wife. He even does not have to lift his fingers to fulfill all his needs because it has been done by Bu

Bei. Also, Bu Bei is very sensitive to the preferences, also the like and dislike of Pak Bei, which are very carefully noticed. It indicates how Pak Bei should be served very well in accordance to his preferences.

The service that he got is not merely stop on the daily routine. His need of sexual life also has to be satisfied. One of the demands that woman should fulfilled is capable in serving the husband’s sexual desire, so that Pak Bei also deserves the same rights over Bu Bei sexual service.

Bu Bei menutup pintu kamar dan tanpa diminta pun akan memijati Pak Bei mulai dari kaki. Kalau kemudian Pak Bei mematikan rokoknya dan memandang ke arahnya, Bu Bei menerima getaran yang aneh,…Merasa dipanggil untuk berbakti. Bu Bei akan melepaskan sarung Pak Bei dan mengikuti kemauannya. Baginya, Jumat Kliwon ini adalah pagi yang membuatnya bahagia, karena sekian lama Pak Bei tak menjamahnya. Tak menjadi soal benar apakah ia mengalami kepuasan atau tidak. Itu tak penting benar, walau ia akan melakukan apa saja yang di isyaratkan oleh suaminya.

[Bu Bei closed the door and would initiatively massage Pak Bei from his feet. When Pak Bei blew off his cigarette and looked to her, Bu Bei felt a strange pulse… She felt that she was called to dedicate herself. For her, this Friday is the happiest morning because it had been a long time since Pak Bei wanted to make love with her. It did not matter whether she felt satisfied or not. It was not important, though she would do everything that her husband asked.] (Canting, 34-35)

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Pak Bei has a very strong authorithy over Bu Bei.Only by looking at her, Pak Bei can

‘order’ her to serve him, because what Bu Bei does might not be as voluntary as it seems. The motive behind it is not purely love, but also fear or asking for acceptance from Pak Bei “…

Sehingga Bu Bei yang memijati kaki suaminya dengan tabah, setia, bekti, penuh kasih sayang, dan juga ketakutan…[So that Bu Bei who massages his husband’s feet with endure, loyalty, lovingly, and also fear...] (Canting, 47-48). Pak Bei, being honored and well-thought- of, his desirability will be granted without questioning.

Pak Bei is also the decision maker for the all the family members as the head of the

family. A sentence from the novel below proves the strong domination of Pak Bei.

Kalau ayahnya sudah memutuskan sesuatu, tak ada yang mempertanyakan. Tidak juga Ni yang merasa paling dekat dan bisa terbuka.

[If his father had decided something, no body would dare to question his decision neither Ni who felt as the closest person and can speak openly to her father.] (Canting, 231)

No one can change his decision; even his closest daughter, Ni, cannot influence him.

The Javanese value that father is deserved the highest honor has created fear among the other

family members. Nobody will dare to question Pak Bei’s decision because it will be seen as

disrespectful. He is fully authorized in his kingdom, which is in his house. Thus, he becomes

the tyrant for all his family member.

Pak Bei also shows the characteristic of typical patriarchal man when he decided to

take a mistress. Polygamy is a common practice that is done by the priyayi in Javanese

society and a wife should accept the decision of her husband to take a mistress. Pak Bei

mengambil seorang gadis desa sebagai selir. Pak Bei tahu bahwa Bu Bei tahu. [Pak Bei took

a girl from a village as a mistress. Pak Bei knew that Bu Bei had already known.] (Canting,

66)

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Pak Bei’s sexual life outside the house is also shown the patriarchy characteristic.

Most of the men valued woman as the object of phallic sexual satisfaction which can be used and thrown away at anytime. Woman, as a human, is only valued by her vagina and beauty

(Heriyanto in Hellwig, 2003).

“Wanita adalah makhluk yang paling jahat di seluruh dunia.Ia berhasil memikat laki-laki anjing betina tidak, Minah. Anjing betina hanya minta dikasih ketika berahi. Burung betina hanya minta dicarikan makan saat mengerami telurnya. Tetapi wanita mengikat selamanya. Seumur hidupnya. Dan lelaki adalah makhluk-makhluk yang paling bodoh di seluruh dunia. Hanya karena digoda oleh sepotong daging ia rela diterkam seumur hidupnya. Padahal apa artinya daging kewanitaan semua itu? Omong kosong. Sedetik setelah kamu merasakan, sama saja. Tak ada bedanya dengan yang lainnya.

“Kamu wanita mulia seperti anjing betina, yang minta dikasihi sesaat saja. Kamulah wanita sesungguhnya itu, Minah.”

[“Women are the cruelest creature in the world. They successfully attract men but they are not better than female dogs. Female dogs only ask for sex when they are lustful. Female birds only ask for food when it protects its eggs. However, women bound men forever for all his life. Men are the most stupid creatures in the world. Just because of a lump of flesh, they are willing to be gripped for all their lives. What is the meaning of vagina? Nonsense. After you taste it, it is all the same. There is no difference with the other.

“You are the real woman like a female dog, who ask to be loved just for a moment. You are the real woman, Minah.”] (Canting,29)

In this part of the novel, Pak Bei shows his value about the sex and the relationship in marriage. He values a woman only as a tool to satisfy his sexual desire, and he actually does not want to be bound with woman in marriage and take the responsibility as a husband. He also describes a good woman as ‘a female dog’, which is associated to a prostitute. He also compares marriage to the relationship of the dogs. Dogs do not have a permanent partner; the

Listiarini 13 male dogs will come to any female dogs in the breeding season; which is so different with marriage where we have to be loyal to our partner for all our lives. It shows that Pak Bei neither values marriage nor respects his wife.

From the two quotations above it can also be concluded that Pak Bei stands as an independent being, not depending on woman. He has authority over his own sexual life that cannot be disturbed by his wife because Pak Bei’s sexual life is not under the authority of his wife. He can do sex with prostitute and take mistress without asking permission from Bu Bei.

2. Bu Bei: Submissive Woman

In the relation with Pak Bei, as the Javanese patriarch, Bu Bei becomes the sufferer of the patriarchal system. She has to submit under the authority of her husband, and shows women subordination to men very clearly in this novel.

It has been mentioned above that women tend to center at home, children and care

(Mulder, 2005). Bu Bei is kind of passive, never being in the social gathering, except going to market to sell batik; and taking care of the children. Bu Bei is depicted to be centered at home. She is taking care of the children, serves the needs of Pak Bei and the children, and goes out only to work in the market. Her society is not as prestige as Pak Bei. She never knows the outside world. All that she knows is the world inside her house.

In Serat Centhini (Hadidjadja and Kamajaya 1979 in Murniati, 1992), one of representative of what a woman should do is symbolized by little finger, which means that a wife should be skilled in serving the husband. Bu Bei is focused to serve the best and it should be flawless; all should be in accordance with the husband’s desirability. Never in the story mentioned that Pak Bei serves Bu Bei and knows her favorites. It seems to be normal in the Javanese family that wife serves the husband. In fact, women are made like a servant,

Listiarini 14 placing men above women, that men is a more honorable and holy creation than women. The relationship is never mutual because it is only the men who get the benefits from the women.

As his wife, Bu Bei also has to serve his husband’s sexual life. One of the demands that woman should fulfilled is capable in serving the husband’s sexual desire. As has been quoted in Pak Bei section (Canting, 34-35), the sentence “Tak menjadi soal benar apakah ia mengalami kepuasan atau tidak.” [It did not matter whether she felt satisfied or not] really express that sexual enjoyment is only important for the men. The feeling or containment of the women are not counted and cared about because serving husband’s sexual desire is counted as the wife’s dedication to men. However, sexual relationship should be satisfy both wife and husband.

As Serat Candradini (Suara Karya: 12 Juni 1988 in Muniarti) denotes, a wife should lay down all her life to husband and should obey the entire husband’s will. It means that woman should be in a total submission to the husband. In this part of the novel, it shows how

Bu Bei submits to all Pak Bei’s decisions.

“Ibu berkarya di rumah, di pasar. Tapi satu kata melarang dari Rama, selesailah semuanya. Ibu akan menerima kata Rama dengan ikhlas dan total. Itu akan menjadi nilai ibu juga.”

[“Your mother worked in the house and market, but only with one word of prohibition came out from my mouth, it is all done. Your mother would sincerely and totally accept my word.”] (Canting, 192).

This is an example of total submission of Bu Bei to Pak Bei. As we see from the quotation above, no place for Bu Bei to make decision even for her own life. All decisions are made by Pak Bei, then, Bu Bei has to submit whether she wants it or not.

It is described in the novel that Bu Bei’s career in the market is good; she has the freedom and power. She is Bu Bei “…who can be fierce and curse the police, joke, poke and

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being poked, and bravely make decision in difficult matters. Making decision over things valued over thousand hundreds rupiah in a breathtaking.” (Canting, 48). However, when she

got home, she turns into the wife of Pak Bei, she gets back into her position in the house,

where she have to be submit under the authority of her husband.

“Saya semakin sadar bahwa ibumu tak pernah merintangi saya.Tak pernah sekali pun. Segalanya serba iya, serba inggih, serba sakkersa, serba semau saya. Belum pernah ibumu menolak apa yang saya inginkan. Tidak dengan kata-kata, tidak juga dengan suara hatinya.”

[“I realize that your mother never hampered me. Never at all. She always agrees, and she lets everything as I wanted to be. Your mother never refused what i want, neither in her utterance nor her heart.”] (Canting, 260-261).

There is no objection or refusal from Bu Bei toward Pak Bei’s decision or will.

However, it is not because of the willingness of Bu Bei to submit to Pak Bei. The reason why

Bu Bei totally submits is because her will and desire are made silent. She is sealed by the

constructed value in the culture that give men more honored position and the tradition that

makes man should be obeyed, lest, woman will be regarded as a ‘bad’ woman. It is one of

the characteristic of a mother that are state by Mulder that a mother (and wife) “....earn(s) her

honor because of self-sacrifice care.” (2005). She has to sacrifice her own will and desire in

order to be accepted as a good woman and wife.

In Serat Candrarini, the second concept of Javanese women is that they should be

willing to accept the polygamy. Polygamy is a common practice that is done by the priyayi in

Javanese society and a wife should accept the decision of her husband to take a mistress.

Pak Bei mengambil seorang gadis desa sebagai selir. Pak Bei tahu bahwa Bu Bei tahu. Tapi Bu Bei tidak pernah menanyakan, tidak pernah mengurusi. Hanya Bu Bei tidak pernah menunjukan sikap manis di dalam kamar. Namun sehari-hari tetap sama…. Bu Bei pasti tahu siapa Karmiyem…. Tapi tak pernah terucap satu patah kata pun dari Bu Bei.

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[Pak Bei took a girl from a village as a mistress. Pak Bei knew that Bu Bei knew. But Bu Bei never asked and cared about it. However, Bu Bei never showed a sweet attitude in the bed, although in the daily life, she acted as usual… Bu Bei certainly knew who Karmiyem was… However, she never speaks a word.](Canting, 66-67).

When Pak Bei decides to take a mistress, Bu Bei also doesn’t have the right to reject

Pak Bei’s decision, although it can be seen that she does not like the decision when it is stated in the novel that “Bu Bei tidak pernah menunjukan sikap manis di dalam kamar” [However,

Bu Bei never showed a sweet attitude in the bed]. She only can fight against the decision by not serving nicely in the bedroom, but not in any single utterance or direct protest to Pak Bei.

It is also shown Pak Bei’s supremacy, that he should be obeyed by his wife; no matter what decision he takes.

Regarding the treatment that she receives in her marriage, she actually feels the depression of living under the unfair and oppressive system towards her. However, she cannot deliver a rejection or protest over the system. Seeing from the background of Bu

Bei’s lives, it can be conclude why she does not have the strength to fight against the unfair and oppressive treatments towards her.

Bu Bei is only a daughter of the batik laborers in Ngabean (house of the priyayi inside the palace’s wall). Therefore, in her childhood she does not have the opportunity to join a school. As a result, she can’t read and write well. She never knows what happened in the world outside Ngabean and her village. The knowledge she gets from her childhood is limited to the batik making. In her teenage, her parents prepare her to be Pak Bei’s wife; she is taught to be a good wife according to the Javanese value about marriage. Thus, her mindset is shaped by her surrounding who runs the Javanese value, and she holds the values as guidance for her life. Her simple way of thinking will not bother to think about her subordinate position because she accepts the values that exist in the society.

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3. Ni: Chain-breaker of Patriarchy

Within the patriarchal system, women will feel such a pressure and inequality between the male and female. The different right and the images that men construct about women make women feel not free and cannot be ‘herself’. As Kandiyoti (1988) said, within the oppression, women will strategize to deal with patriarchy.

Serat Centhini depicted the perfect characteristics of Javanese woman which have been constructed by the patriarchal society. Yet, there will be women who feel that the demands of a good girl as an oppressive, and they will fight for equality. Kandiyoti stated that:

“These patriarchal bargains exert a powerful influence on the shaping women’s gendered subjectivity and determine the nature of gender ideology in different context. They also influence both the potential for and specific forms of women’s active or passive resistance in the face of their oppression.” (1988, 275)

Within the culture and tradition of Javanese that bounds woman which is depicted in the novel Canting, Ni is a representation of the group of women who fight for their rights; she shows the patriarchal bargain and challenges the oppresor. For that reason, Ni’s characterization is made different from Bu Bei’s characterization. If Bu Bei tends to be submissive and calm, Ni is characterized as a rebellious and brave woman; she fights against the patriarchal system.

Bu Bei and Ni are born in different eras. Bu Bei was born three decades before she was pregnant her last child, Ni. Ni was born in 1962 after the World War II was over, and

Indonesia has its liberty. Pak Bei described Ni’s birth as follow:

“Saya bahagia karena ini adalah anak yang lahir pada zaman kemerdekaan. Anak yang merdeka. Kelima anak saya lahir sebelum dan sesudah proklamasi. Tapi sesungguhnya belum merdeka betul. Sekarang ini zaman kemerdekaan itu.”

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[“I am happy because this child was born in independence era. The liberated child. My five children were born before and after the proclamation of independence, but actually we had not completely independent. Now is the independence era.”] (Canting, 82).

Born in a more modern era, Ni definitely has different way of thinking compared to her mother. As a younger person, Ni has more liberal thinking and not really sticks to Javanese tradition and values. His father saying about her that she is a liberated child may imply that she has a more liberated thinking and also she is free from the tradition that bounds her family. The era where Ni is living gives her new perspective of live, what it is means to stand as a free creature, and her dignity as a woman.

When Ni was born, she is portrayed as unique and special.

Secara aneh sekali, waktu brokohan dulu, di belakang memasak lodeh kluwih. Itu tak pernah terjadi pada anak perempuan. Hanya anak laki-laki yang biasanya dibuatkan kluwih, buah timbul, karena buah itu mempunyai makna agar si bayi bisa linuwih, bisa menonjol kelak di kemudian hari, buah kluwih itu memang tidak disengaja merupakan kiriman dari desa.

[Strangely, in the ‘brokohan’, people cooked ‘lodeh kluwih’ in the kitchen. It never happened in a girl birth celebration. Only in a boy birth celebration people would cook ‘kluwih’, a timbul fruit, because that word means the boy will be prominent in the future. The fruit was unintentionally because it was a gift from the relatives in the village.] (Canting, 109).

Ni’s birth is something unusual. She is a girl, but in the celebration the food being cooked is unintentionally made if a boy baby was born. It is a symbolization that Ni has been made equal to men. The symbolization of ‘lodeh kluwih’ is like a prophecy that she will have the characteristic like a man: prominent, which is not like a nature of a woman who has to be modest. Ni is not a character that is unseen; she is visible and prominent.

Later in the future, she really did fulfill the prophecy. However, education plays an important role as a basic of her bravery in her struggle against patriarchy. People’s mindset

Listiarini 19 and ways of life are mostly constructed by the values in the society where they live. Bu Bei and Ni are living in Javanese culture that maintains the patriarchal system. Surely, their mindset mostly constructed by the Javanese values. However, Ni is living in an era which is far different from Bu Bei’s era. Attending school and finishing her undergraduate study, she learns and gains more knowledge than her mother. Education opens up the gate to a broader knowledge about life and values outside her house and Java. It might open up her mind about who she is as a woman, the rights she has, and the unfairness she sees in her house. Education also gives her a higher social status as an intellectual. Therefore, she knows that she is not a stupid creature so that she can be considered as lower than men; she knows that she is equal to men. Besides, she studies in Semarang which is quite far from her hometown, which means that it gives her a chance to release herself from the boundaries and influences of her family. She has more opportunity to broaden her horizon. Having this knowledge, Ni is able to redefine herself as an equal creature to men so she is able to fight against patriarchy to gain power over her own life and get her rights, as shown in the analysis below.

In her conversation with her fiancé, Himawan, she utters her wish to manage and take over the batik company and stays in Surakarta in the condition where Himawan has told her that he will work in Batam. She will not follow him to Batam, and this decision makes

Himawan a little bit nervous, but still can accept it (Canting, 191). Here we can see that Ni can speak up her feeling and her thought to her fiancé. It is so different with the relationship of Bu Bei and Pak Bei. Bu Bei tends to be silent and hear all that Pak Bei says; Pak Bei dominates the conversation between them.

The differences also can be seen when Himawan gives his opinion to her. It does not become the last word for Ni to be obeyed. It is only as her consideration, but she can think and make decision by her own. It is depicted in the part of the novel below.

“Kamu tahu aku tidak bisa memaksamu, Ni.Tetapi kamu jangan cari menangnya sendiri.”

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“Kan… kan kamu yang berpikir ini soal kalah atau menang?Padahal seharusnya tidak begitu.” “Aku tahu,Ni.Kamu bisa berdebat denganku. Tapi tidak dengan Rama.”

[“You know, I can’t force you, Ni. But you can’t have the last word and win your own will.” “It’s you who talk about winning or lost, aren’t you? But actually it is not like that.” “I know, Ni. You can argue with me, but you can’t argue with your father.”] (Himawan and Ni. Canting,193)

Ni’s wish and will is not made ‘silent’. She can express them and have equal position with her fiancé about her life and their marriage. She can have dialogue with Himawan and not merely listen to her fiancé’s speech and order. This reflects Aquarini idea about marriage.

Marriage should not be a tool of domination. Marriage should be an equal institution for women and men where they have more space for changes, flexibility and continuous negotiation (Prabasmoro, 2006).

Himawan is not the final decision maker. Thus, Ni is the decision maker of her own life, decide what she want to do and about the marriage. Ni refuses to be ruled by her fiancé.

She can make her own decision, and she can argue for her own desire. It is shown in this part of the novel.

“Dik Ni memutuskan untuk tidak ikut ke Batam” “Menyangkut perkawinan kita. Kalau saya mau konsentrasi di perusahaan batik, saya tak bisa ikut kamu ke Batam.”

[“Ni decided not to follow me to Batam.”(Himawan. Canting, 182) “About our marriage. If I want to concentrate to handle the Batik company, I can’t follow you to Batam.”(Ni. Canting, 193)]

The utterances above show that the relationship between Ni and Himawan is equal. Ni does not subordinate and subject to Himawan. Instead, Ni fight for her desire and wish and the result is Himawan accepting her decision.

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Her strugle to be heard and stand as an independent woman who are not subject under the man’s power is not only shown in her relationship with her fiance, but also in her relationship with her father. The part of the novel below shows her fear to her father but also her rejection of being defeated by the fear.

Ini saatnya ia membuktikan bisa dan tetap bisa berbuat sesuatu. Ia akan nekat menyusul ke rumah sakit. Kalau perlu perang terbuka di sana. Tapi niatan itu surut, menyusut sendiri. Di sana ada Pak Bei. Ada Rama – dan ia tak akan bisa leluasa berbicara……

Ni, sekarang saatnya! Saatnya kamu tetap berdiri tegak di depan Rama! Ni meneriakkan sendiri dalam hati untuk memompa semangatnya. Ni mengambil jaketnya, merapikan rambut dengan tangannya. Tekadnya tak bisa dihalangi lagi.

[This is the time she will prove to them that she can and still can do something. She would determine herself to go to the hospital. If it is needed, let’s have an open war. But that intention was decreased. Pak Bei was there. There was Father – and she would not be able to talk freely...

Ni, this is the time! This is the time to stand firmly before father! Ni shouted it to herself in her heart to encourage herself. Ni took her jacket and combed her hair. Her intention could not be stopped anymore.] (Canting, 211)

The other characteristic that Ni has is determination for her decision. She won’t let

anybody and anything including her own fear stop her. Because of it, she has the power to

reject the fear of her father and bravery to fight against his authority. She is not easily give up

to the fear and just to submit to the authority of Pak Bei.

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Conclusion

What has been shown throughout the novel is that Javanese still holds the patriarchy in his culture and society. It still becomes a common practice that men are valued as the higher creation than women. Though so many things have changed in the matter of women’s right since Kartini declared her through in her book Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang, the practices of patriarchy has not been completely removed from the society. Indeed, the patriarchy has established itself in the society without many women noticing it.

Javanese society, especially in the Keraton area still maintains the value and ideology

of patriarchy. Patriarchal values and its perspective have penetrated in almost every aspects of human life (Arivia, 2006). From the analysis done in the Discussion section, the patriarchal practices that are still done are represented by the character Pak Bei. Pak Bei as the head of the family, the husband and the father, has the full authority to rule his house and the family member. He has the power over Bu Bei – his wife’s life, so that he has the authority to decide for Bu Bei’s life until she does not have the space to decide for herself. He is the one in the family who can take the decision, and once he decides something, it should be obeyed although it may not comfortable for other family member. Moreover, he also does polygamy without asking permission to her wife.

Under the authority of men, women cannot utter their opinion, feeling, and will. For the tradition has bound them and constructed them to be a good woman and wife, they have to follow the value of a good Javanese woman. Then, the result is women subordination

toward men. Whether it is comfortable and in accordance to her heart or not, women should

always submit to men and pressed her feeling in order to be accepted by the society and loved

by their husband, which is really reflected through the character Bu Bei. She is not able to

deliver resistance towards the patriarchal system, so she becomes a submissive woman.

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However, the character Ni shows that women actually can fight against the patriarchy.

Ni, through her characterization, has struggled not to let her life driven by the men authority.

In the perspective of feminism, she succeeds to make negotiation with Himawan to have an

equal position to decide her life. Though at the end of the novel Ni is getting into a marriage, we can see that her struggle in the patriarchal system has brought a new condition of marriage where Ni can negotiate her aspiration and the decisions are made by both of them. Thus, the

marriage institution will not become a tool of domination and be in the favor of men.

Yet, we cannot ignore the important factor that brings Ni into the point where she struggles and protests against the system. Education plays important role in opening Ni’s

mind to see the gender unfairness and redefining herself as an equal creature compares to

men. I believe education is a tool to break the orthodoxy of culture which maintains the

practice of patriarchy which subordinates women’s position. It will give women a new

awareness about their self esteem and power that they actually have inside to pull down the

patriarchal system that are trying to bury them.

R. A. Kartini has opened the way for women to gain better education. Though now

women has gained their rights to have education, there are still many women in the village

and remote area who does not have the chance to get higher education and forced to marry in

young age. We still have to fight for women to be in school and university, so we will see

that every woman will stand and fight for herself and the other women to break the chain of

patriarchal system. Education also give women more opportunities to have strategic positions

in the society, education, and goverment, thus have bigger chances to transform the system

become a fairer system for both men and women.

Other women in other culture may shows different challenges toward patriarchy,

because “...patriarchal bargains are not timeless or immutable entities, but are susceptible to

Listiarini 24 historical transformations that open up new areas of struggle and renegotiation of the relations between genders.” (Kandiyoti 275). This study is one of the efforts to show how woman in Javanese culture attemps to challenge patriarchy and how important education is because it brings opportunity for woman in responding the patriarchy.

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Works Cited

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Bashin, Kmia and Nighat Said Khan. Feminisme dan Relevansinya. Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Umum, 1995. Print

Brenner, Suzanne April. The Domestication of Desire, Women, Wealth, and Modernity in Java. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1988. PDF.

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Hellwig, Tineke. In The Shadow of Change: Images of Women in Indonesian Literature. Trans. Rika Iffati F. Jakarta: Desantara, 2003. Print.

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Kandiyoti, Deniz. "Bargaining with patriarchy." Gender and Social 2 (1988): 274-290. Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/71702053/Bargaining-With-Patriarchy. PDF.

Knauss, P. R. The persistance of patriarchy. New York: Praeger, 1987.

Mulder, Niels. Inside Indonesian Society Cultural Change in Java. Yogyakarta: Penerbit Kanisius, 2005. Print.

Murniati, A. P. "Perempuan Indonesia dan Pola Ketergantungan." Citra Wanita dan Kekuasaan Jawa. Yogyakarta: Penerbit Kanisius, 1992. 19-30. Print.

Prabasmoro, Aquarini Priyatna. Kajian Budaya Feminis Tubuh, Sastra, dan Budaya Pop. Yogyakarta: Jalasutra, 2006. Print.

Semi, Atar. Metode Penulisan Sastra. Bandung: Angkasa, 1990. Print.

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Acknowledgement

This thesis would not have been completed without the help and support from many people. Therefore, I would like to express my appreciation to the following people who have assisted me in completing this study. First, I would like to give thanks to Lord Jesus Christ. Withouth His grace and Spirit, I would not be able to finish this study. Second, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Purwanti Kusumaningtyas, M.Hum as my supervisor, for guiding me pateintly during the process, to Suzana Maria, M.Hum, the examiner of my thesis for examining my thesis thoroughly. Third, my gratitude is addressed to my beloved family Mom, Dad, and my big sister for their support, love and encouragement in every condition and every single day of my life. I would also like to extend my appreciation to all my family in the Lord, for sharing many great things together. I am so grateful for having you all in my life. Thank you all.