Criticisms Towards the Idea of Proper Woman in Jessie Burton’S the Miniaturist

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CRITICISMS TOWARDS THE IDEA OF PROPER WOMAN IN JESSIE BURTON’S THE MINIATURIST

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters

By THERESIA ANGGARANI WARDHANA Student Number: 124214041

ENGLISH LETTER STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2016 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

CRITICISMS TOWARDS THE IDEA OF PROPER WOMAN IN JESSIE BURTON’S THE MINIATURIST

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters

By THERESIA ANGGARANI WARDHANA Student Number: 124214041

ENGLISH LETTER STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2016

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

“THE WAY TO RIGHT WRONGS IS TO TURN

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH UPON THEM”

IDA B. WELLS

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to acknowledge the enormous help given to me in writing this thesis. I would like to thank my advisor, Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, M.Hum. for her patience and her guidance. Without her full support and encouragement, this thesis would not have been possible. I also would like to thank my co-advisor, Dr.

Gabriel Fajar Sasmita Aji, M.Hum. for his help in improving this thesis. I also express my appreciation to other lecturers who have taught and supported me a lot for these past four years.

I am thankful for my fellow undergraduate students, Cicilia Dwi Saputri,

Putri Ekarini, Mikael Ari, Dita Dwipujowati, Rosa Vania, and Bambang Listyanto for our friendship and being my source of motivation throughout my undergraduate thesis completion process. I am also grateful to my old friends,

Adee Ayu, Rossa Adrianti and Kikin Nur Atikah who have always been there for me.

Last but not the least, I express my endless gratitude to my parents. This undergraduate thesis is proudly dedicated to my mother who always watches me from above and, mostly, to my father who always believes in me more than I do and always thinks that my life must be what I make of it.

Theresia Anggarani Wardhana

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE ...... ii APPROVAL PAGE ...... iii ACCEPTANCE PAGE ...... iv LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH ..... v STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ...... vi MOTTO PAGE ...... vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... viii TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... ix ABSTRACT ...... xi ABSTRAK ...... xii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ...... 1 A. Background of the Study ...... 1 B. Problem Formulation ...... 4 C. Objectives of the Study ...... 4 D. Definition of Terms ...... 4

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ...... 6 A. Review of Related Studies ...... 6 B. Review of Related Theories ...... 12 1. Theory of Characterization ...... 12 2. Theory of Patriarchy and Social Construction of Gender ...... 13 3. Social Construction of Gender in 21st Century ...... 18 4. Theory of Feminism ...... 19 C. Review of Related Backgrounds ...... 20 D. Theoretical Framework ...... 22

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ...... 25 A. Object of the Study...... 25 B. Approach of the Study ...... 25 C. Method of the Study ...... 27

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ...... 29 A. The Depiction of a Proper Woman in the 17th Century Dutch Society in The Miniaturist ...... 29 1. Women’s Roles ...... 30 a. Wife ...... 30 b. Mother ...... 31 2. Women’s Characteristics ...... 33 a. Obedient ...... 33 b. Powerless ...... 34 c. Submissive ...... 36 d. Dependent ...... 36 e. Domesticated ...... 38

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B. The Criticisms towards the Idea of Proper Woman ...... 40 1. Criticism towards Women’s Expected Roles ...... 43 a. Nella’s Unexpected Marriage Life ...... 44 b. Marin’s Mindset about Being a Wife ...... 45 2. Criticism towards Women’s Obedience...... 47 3. Criticism towards Women’s Powerlessness, Submissiveness, and Dependence ...... 48 a. The Miniaturist and Her Notes ...... 49 b. Nella’s Actions ...... 51 4. Criticism towards Women’s Domestication ...... 53 a. Marin’s Ability ...... 54 b. Nella’s Ability ...... 55

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ...... 58 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 62

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ABSTRACT

WARDHANA, THERESIA ANGGARANI. Criticisms towards the Idea of Proper Woman in Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2016.

A discussion about a proper woman always includes the discussion of the concept of separate spheres. In Victorian Age for instance, a proper woman is perfectly described by the term ‘Angel in the House’. Seventeenth century Netherlands also expected the same thing for women in that era. The concept of separate spheres along with its expectations of women’s proper roles is an example of social construction of gender which defines women. This study is conducted to reveal the criticisms towards the idea of proper woman in The Miniaturist. This study has two objectives. The first objective is to analyze the female characters thoroughly to find out the description of a proper woman in the 17th century Dutch society in the novel. Another objective is to show the criticisms addressed towards the idea of proper woman. The method used in conducting this study is library research. Burton’s The Miniaturist becomes the primary source of this study. The secondary sources include Barry’s and Bressler’s books about literary criticism, Tong’s and Humm’s books about feminism, and Andersen’s book about social construction of gender. Feminism is used as the approach of this study as the criticisms found in the novel has similar principles with the idea of feminism. The results of this study are: first, women who are considered proper by the society in The Miniaturist have two roles, which are being a wife and being a mother. Moreover, women are also expected to have five characteristics: obedient, powerless, submissive, dependent, and domesticated. Second, The Miniaturist, using the setting in the 17th century Netherlands as a tool to criticize people in the 21st century, tries to redefine the way society thinks, including women, about women’s life. The criticisms found in the novel cover four things: criticism towards women’s expected roles; criticism towards women’s obedience; criticism towards women’s powerlessness, submissiveness, and dependence; and criticism towards women’s domestication. The text tries to make women more aware of their own value. Women are also suggested to have self-dominion over themselves, and be more critical, independent, and tougher. Society’s mindset regarding women’s value and capability in the present time is also redefined. The most important thing is the text tries to make people in the 21st century understand women as individuals or persons who have their own right and independence.

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ABSTRAK WARDHANA, THERESIA ANGGARANI. Criticisms towards the Idea of Proper Woman in Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2016.

Pembahasan mengenai perempuan ideal di mata masyarakat tidak dapat dipisahkan dari pembahasan mengenai konsep pemisahan ruang. Di zaman Victoria contohnya, perempuan ideal dideskripsikan dengan tepat melalui istilah ‘Angel in the House’. Masyarakat Belanda pada abad 17 juga mengharapkan hal yang sama kepada perempuan. Konsep pemisahan ruang publik dan ruang domestik bersama dengan ekspektasi terhadap peran ideal perempuan adalah contoh dari konstruksi sosial dari gender. Studi ini dilakukan untuk mengungkap kritik terhadap gagasan perempuan ideal di The Miniaturist.

Terdapat dua tujuan penelitian pada studi ini. Tujuan pertama adalah menganalisis tokoh dengan rinci untuk mengetahui deskripsi perempuan ideal di masyarakat Belanda abad 17 yang terdapat di teks. Tujuan kedua yaitu untuk menunjukkan kritik terhadap gagasan perempuan ideal.

Metode yang digunakan dalam studi ini adalah studi kepustakaan. Sumber utama dari studi ini adalah novel The Miniaturist oleh Burton. Sumber kedua dari studi ini meliputi buku oleh Barry dan Bressler mengenai kritik literatur, buku oleh Tong dan Humm mengenai feminisme, dan buku oleh Andersen mengenai konstruksi sosial terkait gender. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam studi ini adalah feminisme karena kritik yang terdapat di novel memiliki prinsip yang sama dengan gagasan feminisme.

Hasil dari studi ini adalah: pertama, perempuan dianggap ideal oleh masyarakat jika ia memiliki dua peran, yakni sebagai seorang istri dan seorang ibu. Selain itu, perempuan diharapkan memiliki karakteristik yang patuh, tidak berdaya, tunduk, bergantung, dan hidup di ruang domestik. Kedua, The Miniaturist, yang menggunakan latar belakang Belanda abad 17 sebagai alat kritik yang ditujukan pada masyarakat abad 21, mencoba mendefinisikan ulang cara pikir masyarakat, termasuk juga cara pikir perempuan, mengenai kehidupan perempuan. Kritik terbagi menjadi empat bagian: kritik terhadap peran yang diharapkan kepada perempuan; terhadap kepatuhan perempuan; terhadap karakteristik tidak berdaya, tunduk, dan bergantung dalam diri perempuan; dan terhadap pembatasan hidup perempuan di ruang domestik. Kritik di dalam teks berusaha membuat perempuan lebih menyadari nilai diri. Perempuan juga disarankan agar mempunyai wewenang terhadap diri sendiri, dan menjadi lebih kritis, mandiri, dan tangguh. Pemikiran masyarakat tentang nilai dan kemampuan perempuan juga didefinisi ulang. Hal pokok dalam kritik ini adalah teks berusaha membuat masyarakat lebih memahami perempuan sebagai individu dan manusia yang memiliki hak dan kebebasan.

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

What is a proper woman? In England‘s Victorian age, for example, in defining a proper woman, the concept of separate spheres cannot be excluded.

Gerard Koot states

It has long been understood that industrial capitalism brought with it an increased separation between places of work and the family home, and that this played a large role in the development of a social ideology and reality of separate and domestic spheres for bourgeois women (2015: 2).

The term ‗Angel in the House‘ then might perfectly describe a proper woman. ‗Angel in the House‘, a title of a popular poem written by Coventry

Patmore which reflects his mindset of a perfect wife or woman, became the popular Victorian image of the ideal wife or woman (academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu,

2011). It is not surprising then if a proper woman is the one who is confined to home. The Victorian image of the ideal wife or woman was based on the image of

Queen Victoria. ―Queen Victoria's devoting herself to her husband Prince Albert and to a domestic life encouraged the ideal to spread throughout nineteenth century society‖ (academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu, 2011). A woman was expected to be ―devoted and submissive to her husband … passive and powerless, meek, charming, graceful, sympathetic, self-sacrificing, pious, and above all—pure‖

(academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu, 2011).

The separate spheres framework holds that, as Kent in webpage.pace.edu says:

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Women inhabited a separate, private sphere, one suitable for the so called inherent qualities of femininity: emotion, passivity, submission, dependence, and selflessness, all derived, it was claimed insistently, form women‘s sexual and reproductive organization (2003).

Women‘s being dependent on men resulted in the idea that marriage was the ultimate goal for women. Marriage meant survival in Victorian era. Because society prevented women from making their own living, there was an inescapable dependence upon men‘s income (webpage.pace.edu, 2003).

The object of the study, The Miniaturist, takes place in 17th century

Netherlands. It is clear that the story happens before the Industrial Revolution. It then becomes a question whether there was separation of spheres or not in the 17th century Netherlands. In fact, the separation of spheres happened in Netherlands earlier than any country. As Koot writes:

During the seventeenth and the first half of the eighteenth century, the Dutch Republic enjoyed the highest per capita income in Europe, and probably in the world … [which] resulted in a greater separation between the place of work and the home than elsewhere and, thus, it should not be surprising that a strong ideology of separate spheres for middle class women was articulated in the Dutch Republic already in the seventeenth century (2015: 2).

Similar to Victorian ideal of women, in the 17th century Netherlands, ―the

Dutch believed that women were viewed ―as the weaker sex who confine their duties to the home while men function in the world at large‖‖ (Johansen, 2007: 1).

Being ‗the weaker sex‘ means that women are dependent to men. It is no wonder that 17th century Dutchwomen also saw marriage as their goal.

The concept of separate spheres along with its expectations of women‘s roles is socially constructed. The concept is indeed an example of social construction of gender. Women are defined by the society and they should be like PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

what the society expects them to be or in other words a proper woman, or for

Patmore, ‗Angel in the House‘.

Burton, the author of the novel, got the inspiration for The Miniaturist from the real dollhouse of the real Petronella Oortman (1656–1716) in the

Rijksmuseum. After doing research about the society of the period, she describes

17th century Netherlands as a ―repressive, judgmental society‖

(www.jessieburton.co.uk, n.d.). As a self-acclaimed feminist, through her book, she wants to

create women who are not more ‗strongly female‘ or ‗stronger than other females‘, or ‗strong‘ because they are braver than men … I [Burton] just wanted some women who for once are not defined by any other ideal than that they are human … I wasn‘t drawn to a historic setting in order to set up the issue of a rounder female character, but it does help (Lee, n.d.).

This statement is indeed interesting as the female characters in a ‗repressive and judgmental society‘ are created in contrast to the socially constructed expectations towards women.

The Miniaturist is chosen as the object of the study as it contains interesting criticisms towards the idea of proper woman. Moreover, what makes it more interesting is that the setting in 17th century is used as a tool to criticize the 21st century in which women are still defined by the society. Thus, this topic is worth discussing. As its aim is to reveal the criticisms towards the idea of proper woman, the focus of the study is on the female characters, especially Petronella Oortman, the main character of the novel. Moreover, rarely is there undergraduate thesis discussing about women in the 17th century Netherlands. The Miniaturist is also a PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

newly-published novel (published in 2014), so there is no other study which discusses about this novel yet.

B. Problem Formulation

Problem formulation is the core of a thesis to which a writer must return if they lose track during the writing process. The problem formulation for this undergraduate thesis is listed as follows:

1. How is a proper woman in the seventeenth-century Dutch society depicted in

The Miniaturist through its female characters?

2. What criticisms are addressed towards the idea of proper woman?

C. Objectives of Study

The objective of the study is, firstly, to thoroughly identify and analyze how the portrait of proper woman in the 17th century Netherlands in the novel is described through the female characters. Secondly, it aims to show the criticisms addressed towards the idea of proper woman.

D. Definition of Terms

This part contains explanations of important terms related to the topic of the undergraduate thesis. Understanding the terms will help the reader comprehend the analysis.

‗Criticism‘ in Merriam-Webster is ―the act of expressing disapproval and of noting the problems or faults of a person or thing; the act of criticizing someone or something‖ (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2016). Merriam-Webster defines PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

the word ‗proper‘ as ―correct according to social or moral rules‖ or ―behaving in a way that is correct according to social or moral rules‖ (Merriam-Webster

Dictionary, 2015). Woman, in Humm, is defined as ―the term for the social construction of the female whose identity (of femininity) is imposed and constructed through representation‖ (1990: 238). Therefore, proper woman can be defined as female whose identity and behavior are constructed by the society. The society determines whether the identity and behavior are correct or not based on its rules.

This study also frequently uses the term ‗separate spheres‘. The separation of public and private spheres is ―popularly understood to be the separation of work [public] and home [private] in an individual life‖ (Humm, 1990: 179).

Within gender studies, the interest in the dichotomy of public and private spheres

―arises from its gendered nature, from the association of masculinity and the public and of femininity and the private‖ (Pilcher and Whelehan, 2004: 124-5). PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A. Review of Related Studies

The Miniaturist can be considered as a new novel as it was firstly published in 2014. Thus, the writer has found no other studies with the same object of study. Considering that reviews of related studies are paramount to gain better understanding on the object of the study, the writer uses four studies. Firstly, two studies about women portrayal in Dutch Golden Age art are reviewed.

Secondly, an article discussing Victorian women depicted in a novel is studied.

Lastly, the writer reviews an undergraduate thesis which also analyzes Victorian women portrayed in a novel by applying feminist approach.

The first study reviewed is Gerard Koot‘s writing focusing on the portrayal of women in Dutch art in the Dutch Golden Age in terms of courtship, marriage and old age. His writing is largely based on an important study by

Wayne E. Franits titled Paragons of Virtue: Women and Domesticity in

Seventeenth-Century Dutch Art. Franits in Koot writes when one studies about domestic-themed painting in Dutch art it must be about women, since they were portrayed doing sewing, spinning, supervising servants, and taking care of children. Koot also states that

[Franits‘ study] is grounded in the assumption that the paintings were carriers of cultural significance, that they shaped and in turn were shaped by a formally established system of beliefs and values about women that were endorsed within the patriarchal social order of the day (2015: 3-4).

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Koot who specifically analyzes about women‘s role in courtship, marriage, and their old age depicted in 17th century Dutch art writes that, in terms of courting, courtship paintings and amatory literature of the period were not just beautiful works of art or depictions of courting reality, but ―an ideal set of rules and customs, rooted in a particular tradition of courtly love and patriarchal society, to help guide young women to become virtuous housewives and good mothers‖

(2015: 35). It can be seen in paintings, for example, that women have similar passive poses, since ―custom allowed them to participate in courtship by deploying their proper behavior, beauty, and elaborate clothes … but all further initiatives in courtship belonged to the suitors [men]‖ (2015: 35).

Regarding to marriage, conduct books of the period quoting classical writers and Bible explained that separate spheres for men and women ―were rooted in nature and Divine creation‖ (2015: 39). Therefore, an ideal housewife was the one who remained at home. The ideal housewife was often depicted in a symbolism of turtle, for Franits in Koot states that ―the turtle is always at home, and carries its house along under all circumstances‖ (2015: 39). There are also paintings which provide an ideal of how to bring up children and, Koot notes, a reflection of the ideals in hortatory books of the time (2015: 59). Child-rearing was seen as a way to preserve the moral of the society for one of the most important duties of parents was ―to inculcate moral and spiritual precepts in their children‖ (2015: 71). PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

Concerning women in old age, Koot also mentions about Jacob Cats, a

Calvinist moralist of the period whose writings were considered as ―Dutch family

Bible‖ (Cong, 2014: 6), who wrote that when old women became widows,

they should lead secluded lives, shunning all problematic people and profligate behavior. They should be careful when attending gatherings where men are present and even when going to the market. Ideally, they should stay at home, engaged in domestic tasks (2015: 89).

Widows were also expected to be role models for young women both in domestic matters and proper moral behavior.

Koot writes that 17th Dutch art shows an understanding about the nature of the Dutch art, the structure of Dutch society in the given time, and the role of women in society at that period. Male Dutch artists, working in a patriarchal society, represented women as ―objectified and generalized types‖ (2015: 8).

Their works were constructed by the ideals of the time and place in which the works of art were produced. As stated in Koot, Franits writes that ―these pictures nonetheless reverberate with an entire system of values, ideals and even prejudices, all of which reflect men‘s attitudes toward women that were commonplace in seventeenth-century culture‖ (2015: 10). The paintings also contributed in constructing the established belief by offering the construction of domesticity and ideal femininity of the period through the pose, clothes, and expression of the object of the painting. Not only paintings, contemporary literature and popular treatises also offered idealized expectations of how men wished women to behave in patriarchal society (2015: 3).

The second study by Brenda Johansen also discusses about 17th century

Dutch art, particularly the nit-picking in the Golden Age of Dutch Art. She states PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

that ―in seventeenth century Dutch Republic, becoming a wife and mother were the pinnacle of achievement for a woman, regardless of her social class‖. This was due to the Dutch belief that women were the weaker sex whose duties were to remain at home, which wholly substantiated during the Golden Age. However, women‘s duties at home were not underestimated by men, particularly in terms of raising children, since

the home was viewed as the first line of defense against the wily ways of the world; the home was the refuge where children were to be instructed in the spirit of affection and comfort; the home was to be a place of cleanliness and order where children could grow to be Dutch citizens who were socially compliant … (Johansen, 2007: 2)

Dutch artists in this period, as also suggested in the previous reviewed study, created art to reflect the expectations of the society, influenced by social, religious and political leaders of the period. Paintings featuring mother-child relationship described the expectation that ―women are the ideal nurturers of little

Dutch citizens‖ (2007: 4). One of painting themes involving mother and child was nit-picking. Delousing or nit-picking was a metaphor to say that the ability to keep the home and a child‘s mind flawless was expected for every Dutchwoman. The nit-picking paintings were illustrated with a child who knelt with her head on her mother‘s lap and her mother deloused her child‘s hair. The message, Johansen argues, is that

it is a mother‘s duty, first and foremost, to see to her child‘s physical, mental and spiritual well being—it is nit-picking at its very best … The role of mother was unmistakably portrayed as that of the caregiver and the keeper of the moral foundations of the home, and by extension, the nation (2007: 11).

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The studies about Dutch Golden Age art are helpful to this research as they provide an understanding of how 17th century Dutchwomen were treated and expected to behave in the patriarchal society. The theme of nit-picking in Dutch art, in particular, supports the idea that mother‘s role is significant to shape her child‘s view about life as seen in The Miniaturist.

The third study reviewed in this research is about Mary Elizabeth

Braddon‘s Aurora Floyd. The heroine, Aurora Floyd, is described as having rebellious behavior against the accepted rule of society regarding women. The author of the study (not mentioned) argues that ―Braddon challenges the conventions of women, marriage, and sexuality of the Victorian age through Aurora Floyd by looking at the way that she confronts the ‗ideal woman‘‖

(webpage.pace.edu, 2003). Aurora refuses to be submissive—she is full of passion and aggressiveness. ―Aurora‘s strong sense of freedom, her passion and sexuality set against a background of the purity and submissiveness of other Victorian women make her clearly stand out as the heroine in an oppressive society‖

(webpage.pace.edu, 2003).

In fact, many Victorian women started rebelling against the established views which restricted their lives through their writings to evoke women‘s desire for individuality and power. The anonymous author of the study argues that the women characters of the novels ―voiced the necessity of transformation in regard to women‘s property rights, the need for better education and jobs, and change in marital relations‖ (webpage.pace.edu, 2003). PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

The study about Aurora Floyd has the same topic with this research as both use object of study whose concern is on criticism of an established view regarding an ideal woman, though the setting of the two novels are different.

The last study concerns about the spirit of liberal feminism seen in the character Eliza Doolittle in Shaw‘s Pygmalion. Handayani (2009) in her undergraduate thesis firstly analyzes Eliza‘s characteristics, which later is described as poor and uneducated, yet confident, keen, independent, and tough woman. She argues that Eliza Doolittle‘s life as a woman is dominated by two men—her father and Henry Higgins. As Eliza‘s father, Alfred Doolittle has ―an authority over Eliza‘s life. He feels that Eliza belongs to him because she is his daughter‖ (2009: 39). Thus, it is no wonder that he takes advantage from her when knowing that Eliza has entered Higgins‘ house since Eliza is his property. He is also described as an irresponsible father as he does not care about his daughter‘s life. Higgins can also be considered dominating Eliza‘s life. Handayani argues that since Higgins buys Eliza from her father, he thinks Eliza belongs to him and makes her his object of experiment.

Considering the fact that Eliza is a victim of men‘s domination, she argues that Eliza‘s characteristics present the ideas of liberal feminism. Firstly, the idea can be seen from Eliza‘s personal independence. She lives independently and does not depend on her father and Higgins. Moreover, she chooses her own future by marrying a man who really loves her. Secondly, Eliza‘s demands for education reflect the idea of liberal feminism. By gaining education, ―Eliza regains her pride and improves her standard of living … enter[s] the man‘s world and depends on PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

herself‖ (2009: 53). Thirdly, Eliza reflects the idea of liberal feminism in a way that she accepts the existence of men in her life. She does not mind to cooperate with Higgins to learn about English pronunciation and marry Freddy. Lastly,

Handayani argues that Eliza reflects the idea of liberal feminism by showing that she is a full human person. ―As a woman, Eliza is not the property of someone else … She has to be considered as a human being who has to be respected‖

(2009: 58).

The study about Shaw‘s Pygmalion is similar with this research in terms of using feminism as the approach of the study. Reviewing Handayani‘s undergraduate thesis is important as it provides a profound example of how feminism works in literary reading. Though the approach used is the same, the object of the study for this research is different from Handayani‘s.

B. Review of Related Theories

1. Theory of Characterization

Character is one of the important elements in literature. In defining what character is, Abrams says that

characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say—the dialogue—and by what they do—the action. (1985: 23)

In addition, Gill (1995: 127) proposes that a character has identity made up by appearance, conversation, action, name, and (possibly) thoughts going on in the head. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

Characterization is the way in which a character is created (Gill, 1995:

127). In other words, they have been made in a particular way. Conversations, things they do, and their appearance, for example, are profoundly needed to be analyzed in order to determine how the author characterizes a character.

To be more specific on understanding how an author characterizes a character, Murphy (1972: 161-73) provides nine ways of characterization. First of all, personal description by the author is used to describe a person‘s appearance and clothes. Second, the author describes the character through the eyes and opinions of another. Third, the author gives an insight into the character through that person‘s speech. Fourth, the author provides the character‘s past life to give a clue to events that have helped to shape that person‘s character. Fifth, the characteristics of the character can be seen from the conversations of other people and the things they say about him. Sixth, the character‘s reactions towards various situations and events can be used to identify that person‘s character. Seventh, the author can describe or comment on a person‘s character directly. Eighth, the author gives direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. Last, the character‘s mannerisms, habits or idiosyncrasies are described.

2. Theory of Patriarchy and Social Construction of Gender a. Theory of Patriarchy

It is generally understood that feminism deals with any attempt which is against patriarchy. Thus, it is important to have profound understanding about patriarchy. Indeed, the term ‗patriarchy‘ was first introduced in Millet‘s Sexual PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

Politics (1970). Quoting Weedon, Hodgson-Wright in her work writes ―the term

‗patriarchal‘ refers to power relations in which women‘s interests are subordinated to the interests of men‖ (2006: 3). These power relations manifest in many forms, from the sexual division of labor and the social organization of procreation to the

―internalised norms of femininity‖ (Hodgson-Wright, 2006: 3) by which we live.

French in Wilson provides more elaborate definition of patriarchy by saying that

―[patriarchy] implies that men hold power in all the important institutions of society and women are deprived of access to such power‖ (2000: 1494). In other words, patriarchy takes away women‘s power which makes them inferior to men.

Moreover, patriarchy holds established norms of femininity which, of course, limit women‘s behavior in society.

Patriarchal power in society is based on biological sexual difference.

―Patriarchal society uses certain facts about male and female biology (chromosomes, anatomy, hormones) as the basis for constructing a set of masculine and feminine gender identities and behaviors that serve to empower men and disempower women. (Tong, 2009: 51)

Moreover, Tong notes that patriarchal society believes its cultural constructions are somehow ―natural‖ and thus that a person is considered normal depends on their ability to show their gender identities and behavior culturally linked with their biological sex.

b. Theory of Social Construction of Gender

Terms ‗sex and gender‘ are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are in fact is clearly different in meaning. Sex deals with the fact that one is either female or male, considering their biological facts. Gender, on the other hand, is PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

―socially learned behaviors and expectations that are associated with the two sexes‖

(Andersen, 1997: 20). Andersen continues with stating that becoming a woman or a man is a cultural process (1997: 20). In other words, gender is constructed by the society. This gender construction begins after one‘s sex is discovered biologically at birth, then the sex category becomes their gender status through the use of gender markers like naming and clothes. Psychologically, one‘s gender identity, or ―a sense of one‘s own sexual identity, is acquired culturally … [and] independently of … the anatomical ‗facts‘ … It was arrived at in response to the environment of the family, to the interaction between parents and child‖

(Eisenstein, 1983: 7). The gender status sticks with them and since gender is constructed, expectations about being a man and a woman are given by society.

They should behave just like what the society expects them to. The social expectations are learned from parents, peers, the media, schools, religious organization, and other aspects of society which ―create a concept of what it means to be a ‗woman‘ or be a ‗man‘‖ (Andersen, 1997: 20). Therefore, people have to learn to be women or men. Society gives them gender roles ―based on the different expectation that individuals, groups, and societies have of individuals …

[regarding] their sex and each society's values and beliefs about gender‖

(Blackstone, 2003: 335). The expectations deeply influence what they become later, what other people think about them, and what kind of opportunities and choices available for them. These processes which constitute the social construction of gender, Lorber argues, ―shape women‘s and men‘s life experiences, and these experiences produce different feelings, consciousness, PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

relationships, skills—ways of being that we call feminine or masculine‖ (2006:

55).

The concept of separate spheres is considered socially constructed (Kerber,

1988: 13). This concept firstly emerged after the Industrial Revolution which resulted in a major economic transition. The workplace and the home having previously been the same now began to separate. As the workplace moved from the home, male and female spheres of activity also separated. Lorber in her writing states that due to gendered roles, men work in economic production and

―dominate the positions of authority and leadership in government, the military, and the law; cultural productions, religions, and sports reflect men‘s interests‖

(2006: 61). Women, on the contrary, are told that their respectable place is at home. The concept of separate spheres defined the ‗characteristics‘ of women, as

Hughes puts it,

Women were considered physically weaker yet morally superior to men, which meant that they were best suited to the domestic sphere. Not only was it their job to counterbalance the moral taint of the public sphere in which their husbands laboured all day, they were also preparing the next generation to carry on this way of life (n.d.). These expectations of women, in other words, construct what is proper or natural for women to do or behave. Wollstonecraft (1793) writes that women are told from their infancy and taught by the example of their mothers, that a little knowledge of human weakness and softness of temper are important to win men‘s attention or protection. Beauty is the main virtue of woman. In this way, mothers shape and mold their daughter‘s characters. It is also stated that women‘s goal is to get married and to raise children. Compared to men, Wollstonecraft mentions PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

―men, in their youth, are prepared for professions, and marriage is not considered as the grand feature in their lives; whilst women, on the contrary, have no other scheme to sharpen their faculties‖ (1793: 61). If they try to cross the boundary of the spheres, they will be identified as ―unnatural, as well as unwelcome challenges to the cultural assumptions‖ (Lewis, 2015).

The ideas of women‘s place are internalized and perpetuated by many women themselves. Janeway states that women accept the roles given to them and make ―a secret bargain with men: they [agree] to exchange ‗private power in return for public submission. That is the regular, orthodox bargain by which men rule the world and allow women in their own place‘‖ (Eisenstein, 1984: 10). The chance of ruling the domestic sphere is considered enough for some women in exchange of power available in public sphere.

Nevertheless, the concept of separate spheres limits women‘s domain and life since it dictates that home is the best place for women. This limitation can be considered as gender inequality, ―the devaluation of ‗women‘ and the social domination of ‗men‘‖ (Lorber, 2006: 62). Regarding gender inequality, Lorber writes that it is not due to women‘s biological facts.

Gender inequality … is not the result of sex, procreation, physiology, anatomy, hormones, or genetic predispositions. It is produced and maintained by identifiable social processes and built into the general social structure and individual identities deliberately and purposefully … I contend, therefore, that the continuing purpose of gender as a modern social institution is to construct women as a group to be the subordinates of men as a group (Lorber, 2006: 62).

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3. Social Construction of Gender in 21st century

The traditional gender roles which say that women‘s place is at home and men‘s domain is the outside world, in fact, have started to diminish. ―The 21st century has seen a dramatic shift in ‗traditional‘ family dynamics and greater recognition of gender in legislation has helped pull apart gender-role divisions‖

(Player, 2013). Women may expand their domain to the public sphere and go to work. In UK for example, women are far more economically independent and socially autonomous, representing 42% of the UK workforce and 55% of university graduates (Player, 2013). By 2010 a record number of female CEOs in the US were included in the Fortune 500 companies, though ―you still don‘t need all of your fingers and toes to count them‖ (Bell, 2010).

Yet, unconscious biases still exist in the society. These unconscious biases

―arises from the implicit assumptions and unspoken attitudes, beliefs and expectations that we all have about others‖ (Player, 2013). The role of stereotypes, reinforced by social and cultural norms, which underline certain expectations about gender, becomes a factor which has a huge impact on people‘s beliefs about gender roles (Player, 2013). Men are perceived as more competent than women and more capable leaders, for example. This view also can be found in

Netherlands as men are more associated with leadership positions in politics and economy than women (www.everyculture.com, n.d.). Many women have experienced income inequality or gender pay gap (GPG) for the same work as men. The GPG is caused by four main causes: ―occupational segregation, pay discrimination, the fact that women still bear the main responsibility for looking PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

after children, and the undervaluing of women‘s work‖

(www.equalpayportal.co.uk, 2016). In Netherlands for example, many

Dutchwomen still experience the GPG for the same work as men (Gowling, 2014).

Mothers‘ chances of getting job are reduced by 70% (Player, 2013). Many people also still negatively evaluate career women and stay-at-home dads (Player, 2013).

Ironically, women are just likely as men to show unconscious biases towards women in ―in hiring practices, salaries and professional mentorship‖

(Christakis, 2012). Research also finds that women prefer to have a male boss. A study also suggests that female scientists are likely to favor male scientist to have lab-manager job. It can be seen that the perception that women are less competent than men for certain jobs held by both sexes still exists in the 21st century society

(Christakis, 2012).

4. Theory of Feminism

Feminism, which entered common parlance in English use around 1890s, stands for ―a belief in sexual equality combined with a commitment to eradicate sexist domination and to transform society‖ (Humm, 1992: 1). It mainly describes a culture where women are treated differently and less valued than men, which puts women at disadvantages. Humm defines feminism as a ―social force‖ (1992:

1). The emergence of feminist ideas and feminist politics relies on the understanding that women are less valued than men, in all societies dividing the sexes into differing cultural, economic or political spheres (Humm, 1992: 1). It PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

also holds the premise that, as Humm puts it, ―women can consciously and collectively change their social place‖ (1992: 1).

The feminist movement in 19th and 20th century shares ―an urgent desire for equal rights and equal opportunities for women‖ (Humm, 1992: 2). In their article, Stacey and Price state that ―they [women] have been … trying to gain some independence as persons and to exercise some power as individuals in their own right‖ (1980: 33). Women should be treated as person or individual and not based on their sex. They also voice the need of women‘s rights which include political, economic, social, cultural, civil and other spheres (Lewis, 2014). In political rights, for example, women seek the right to vote. Access to jobs, trades, and professions; equal pay for equal work; and equal pay for work of equal value are included in economic rights for women. For civil rights, one of the issues raised is women‘s ability to sue in court, in other words, the equality before the law. One of the considerations for social and cultural rights is that women have control over her own life. It means that women should live her life based on their own choosing, without any interference from others.

C. Social and Cultural Background of 17th Century Dutch Society

Since The Miniaturist is a historical novel, it is important to understand the social and cultural background of 17th century Dutch society. Thus, brief history of 17th century Netherlands regarding women is provided below.

Generally, in the Western society, 17th century was not an era where women could enjoy the change of status or conditions. In the Early Modern

England, in particular, ―the period 1550–1700 saw no legislated improvement in PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

the position of women‖ (Hodgson-Wright, 2006: 3). In 1560-1760, there was

―persecution and execution of thousands of European women‖ (Hughes, 1997: 73) called ‗Witchcraze‘, a term coined by Barstow, making women choose to be in domestic spheres. The witches usually were poor women, over fifty, past childbearing, single, independent, and outspoken (Hughes, 1997: 77). Women retreated to safer domesticity: ―one had better stay to oneself, mind one‘s business—and obey one‘s husband‖ (Hughes, 1997: 78). This witchcraze thing only meant one thing: men‘s ultimate control over women. In terms of working,

―the worldwide voyages of exploration, trade, and conquest were mainly male ventures‖ (Hughes, 1997: 79). Women were also excluded from high-status labor.

Seventeenth-century Netherlands in particular, enjoyed its Golden Age after getting their independence from Spain. As stated previously, separation of spheres in Netherlands made women confined at home and their ―moral virtues and modesty … were highly emphasized in society‖ (Cong, 2014: 6). Therefore,

―women‘s best role for fitting into the 17th century‘s Dutch world was undoubtedly as housewife‖ (Cong, 2014: 6).

It can be seen that the ‗early‘ separation of sphere did contribute to the limitation of women‘s power, especially in the public realm. Yet, it was not the only thing which limited women. Seventeenth-century Dutch society was patriarchal and it was influenced by the current state religion of the era, Calvinism.

As ordinary people now could read Bible, not only priests like before, many literal interpretations of Bible appeared, including those of women‘s role. The interpretation resulted in women‘s marginalization since it was stated in, for PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

instance, Ephesians 5:22 ―Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands …‖

In other words, women were always under male authority.

Religious view of women influenced Dutch view regarding marriage in the

Golden Age. Besides paintings, contemporary literature, and popular treatises, which are already explained previously to have influenced Dutch view of women, guidebooks about marriage and proper sphere for men and women were fostered.

These guidebooks focusing on the belief that a Christian marriage was patriarchal held up the ideal of marriage (Koot, 2015: 38). As mentioned by Koot, Protestant theologians urged wives to be submissive to their husband and that each partner should perform their respective duties as a man and a woman. Koot also states that there were ―[popular] admonitory literature as well as in art, which provided specific guidance for young women. The goal was to help the parents instill moral habits and domestic skills in young women and prepare them for marriage and domestic duties‖ (2015: 11). Besides guidebooks, Jacob Cats‘ writings were also considered as reference to marriage life in 17th century Netherlands. Cats argued that ―all virgins are meant to marry‖ (Pipkin, 2007: 118). Cats also argued that women had no choice but accepting proposal because it is all already predetermined (Pipkin, 2007: 121). It is also suggested by him that women should be dependent on men by saying that women must be protected and steered by fathers and husbands (Pipkin, 2007: 114).

D. Theoretical Framework As listed above, theories used in this research are theory of characterization, theory of patriarchy and of social construction of gender, social PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

construction of gender in the 21st century, and also theory of feminism. In this part, the contributions of the theories to solve the problems in this research are explained.

First of all, theory of characterization is needed because the purpose of this research, as already mentioned in chapter I, is to identify and analyze thoroughly the portrait of proper woman in the 17th century Netherlands in The Miniaturist.

To be able to do so, understanding characterization is very important as the idea of proper woman is described through the characters in the novel. Based on

Murphy‘s ways of characterization, the author of the novel uses six out of nine ways of characterization—with the characters‘ past life and their thoughts given as the dominant ones.

Second, the purpose of using the theory of patriarchy lies on the fact that

Dutchwomen in the 17th century Dutch society depicted in The Miniaturist lives in a patriarchal society. Therefore, the theory provides the background understanding about the 17th century Dutch society where men‘s domination exists. Theory of patriarchy is useful to analyze how women live their lives and are treated in the

17th century Dutch society based on the novel. The theory of patriarchy is also significant in order to understand the society in the 21st century in which women are still bound by the social construction of gender. The theory of social construction of gender is also important to discuss for it gives the understanding of how, in this case, women are expected to fulfill their roles in society based solely on their sex. The concept of separate spheres proposes similar idea with the theory of social construction of gender—women are confined to home while men PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

deal with the outside world. These two theories provide background understanding for analyzing the idea of proper woman in 17th century in The

Miniaturist and also women‘s condition in the 21st century.

Third, the description of social construction of gender in the 21st century gives an understanding of the current situation of gender equality in the world.

The description helps figure out to whom the criticisms towards the idea of proper woman is likely directed.

Last, the theory of feminism is significant to this study. This study deals with criticisms towards the idea of proper woman, which in fact is influenced by patriarchal society and the gender construction in the society. The writer believes that The Miniaturist reflects the same ideas with the theory of feminism, which criticizes about the limitation in women‘s lives. Therefore, it gives a good contribution to a better understanding about the criticisms towards the idea of proper woman. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

The object of the study for this undergraduate thesis is Jessie Burton‟s debut novel titled The Miniaturist. It was first published in 2014 by Picador. The book used in this paper, however, is the first edition published in 2015. It won

“Book of the Year” by Waterstones and Specsavers National Book Awards. Also, it won Italy's Edoardo Kihlgren International Prize. Burton, who was born in 1982, won “New Writer of the Year” in 2014 by Specsavers National Book Awards.

In brief, the story of The Miniaturist revolves around a naïve young girl named Petronella Oortman who holds high the idea of proper woman. After marrying a wealthy merchant, she finds out that life as a woman is not as easy as the idea promises. Things, in fact, do not turn out as Nella wishes. This fact makes her question again about her right role as a woman. With the help from a mysterious miniaturist, she slowly but surely changes her mindset of proper woman and eventually frees herself from the chains of idea that bind her.

B. Approach of the Study

The approach used in this research is feminism. As stated by Barry, feminist literary criticism is the result of women‟s movement in 1960s whose concern was about “images of women promulgated by literature” (2002: 121). To elaborate more, Tyson in Millikan states that “feminist criticism examines the ways in which literature (and other cultural productions) reinforces or undermines

25 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

the economic, political, social and psychological oppression of women” (Millikan,

2011). This criticism is unique because, as Bressler puts it, it is more “divided than unified, housing more internal disagreements…” (1999: 188), which means it consists of a variety of feminist theories. Nonetheless, feminism has a set of principles uniting the differences: feminist critics declare that “women are people in their own right, they are not incomplete or inferior to men” (Bressler, 1999:

189) though they live in patriarchal societies. Moreover, he writes “women must break free from such oppression and define themselves” by re-examining literary canon which establishes the views of “female inferiority and oppression”

(Bressler, 1999: 189). Feminist critics include many literary schools such as historical and psychoanalytic to increase people‟s understanding of women‟s experience in the past and present and also to promote people‟s appreciation of the value of women in the world. The practice of feminist criticism typically involves examining how the gender roles of literary work reflect or subvert the „traditional‟ gender roles (Millikan, 2011).

Feminist criticism is applied to analyze women characters living in the male-dominated society in the novel. It helps the writer identify the way the women characters behave in such society. Feminist criticism also contributes to identifying the criticisms of the idea of proper woman in the novel as they have similar principles. Furthermore, since the novel deals with a patriarchal society which defines a „proper‟ woman, it makes feminist criticism the most suitable approach for this research.

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C. Method of the Study

The study conducted is a library research since all sources used are documents taken from both online sources and printed sources. The primary source of this study is Burton‟s The Miniaturist. The secondary sources of the study include Barry‟s Beginning Theory and Bressler‟s Literary Criticism: An

Introduction to Theory and Practice, Tong‟s Feminist Thought: A More

Comprehensive Introduction, Humm‟s Feminisim: A Reader, and Andersen‟s

Thinking About Women: Sociological Perspectives on Sex and Gender.

In conducting this research, the writer took six steps. First of all, the primary source was closely read while some notes focusing on the idea of proper woman were taken. The focus of the reading was mainly on the female characters.

This step was repeatedly done in so that the writer did not miss any important details. Second, two problems were formulated, consisting a question regarding the depiction of proper woman through the female characters and also a question about the criticisms towards the idea of proper woman. Third, some related studies were read in order to make sure that the topic of this research had not been written. Since there were no other studies discussing the same work, studies about

Dutch Golden Age art and studies discussing similar topic were reviewed. Fourth, theories related to the topic of this research were studied in order to gain profound understanding and be able to answer the problem formulation.

After the secondary sources were collected, the fifth step was the most important part of this research, which was doing the analysis. For the first part of the analysis, the depictions of proper woman in The Miniaturist were analyzed. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

The analysis focused on proper woman seen as women‟s roles and proper woman seen as characteristics or qualities expected by the society in the novel. After the depictions of proper woman were figured out, in the second part of the analysis, the writer discussed what criticisms were addressed to the idea of proper woman.

The last step was drawing conclusions based on the analysis. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

A. The Depiction of Proper Woman in the 17th Century Dutch Society in

The Miniaturist

De Beauvoir says that “one is not born but rather becomes a woman”

(Humm, 1990: 238). In other words, being a woman is something that one learns.

The identity of a woman is socially constructed. Society demands her to behave and live her life like what is considered to be proper. For example, a woman should stay at home and take care of domestic activities. However, what is considered proper here depends on the culture or society one lives in. It may vary from one society to another.

In order to find out about what a proper woman is in The Miniaturist,

Murphy‟s theory of characterization is applied. In this chapter, the writer only focuses on four characterizations: the characters‟ past life, their speech, their reactions towards various situations and the character‟s thoughts used in the novel since those characterizations provide a great deal of information about the depiction of proper woman in the novel. The writer, in the first part of the analysis, tries to figure out what kind of roles and characteristics are considered proper for a woman in the 17th century Dutch society in The Miniaturist.

To determine the proper roles and characteristics, the focus of the first part of the analysis is on the three female characters who are Nella, Nella‟s mother, and Marin. The explanation is divided into two elements: the meaning of proper

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woman seen as women‟s roles and the meaning of proper woman seen as characteristics or qualities expected by the society.

1. Women’s Roles

Words „proper woman‟ are repeatedly mentioned in the novel, especially by the main character, Nella. There are two criteria of being proper woman, as it is clearly stated by her, that “a proper woman marries—she has children” (161).

These criteria are the roles expected from every woman in the society. a. Wife

In the very beginning of the story, Nella is very enthusiastic about becoming a wife in Amsterdam. For her, becoming a wife equals getting a new life as a woman. Her mindset of proper woman is given by her mother who keeps telling her the importance of getting married. Her mother, however, gives a certain requirement for Nella‟s future husband, which is “you [Nella] need to marry a man who can keep a guilder in his purse” (17). In other words, Nella has to marry a wealthy man. Her mother‟s statement is quite reasonable since, after Nella‟s father dies heavily in debt, Oortman family becomes poor.

According to her mother, “life is hard if you‟re not a wife” (22). She then continues with comparing the locals to city people, which of course leads to the fact that the latter is wealthier. Mrs. Oortman always complains there are no suitable candidates in the village for Nella as she describes the locals as „hay chewers‟. Nella cannot understand why her mother keeps telling this and, therefore, asks her the reason why it is very important to marry „city people‟. The city people are „city shepherds‟, her mother says, while the locals, like Nella‟s PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

father is only „a sheep‟. Mrs. Oortman indeed says such interesting statements.

The locals are described as mere “hay-chewers” and “sheep”, the ones who obey the city “shepherd”. The “shepherd”, on the contrary, becomes the one who makes sure the “sheep” will do everything they want them to do. It shows that the locals lack authority or power over others and also lack the most important thing, money, which makes Nella‟s mother prefer the city people to the locals since they hold her daughter‟s future better.

At first, Nella is quite shocked with her mother‟s blunt statements, she even questions her mother. Not only that, she even feels the urge of escaping her village. Yet in the end, she does what is told anyway, as she “concerned about her mother‟s nerves just enough not to rebel” (18). Therefore, when Johannes Brandt asks for her hand, she gladly accepts him, because, as Nella says herself, being a wife is the only option she has in life. This statement implies that being a wife is the fate of women. Besides, Johannes is a rich man who is a perfect husband for

Nella. Then, it becomes Nella‟s goal to be a proper woman. It can be seen from her attempt to practice being a lady for two years—she tries to walk like a lady and wears a newly tightened corset. b. Mother

After a woman becomes a wife, another requirement of becoming a proper woman is having children or in other words being a mother. When her mother tells her to marry a rich man, Nella once says that she does not have anything to give him in return. Surprisingly, her mother replies “look at you. What else do we women have?” (17). Implicitly, her mother tells Nella that women only have their PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

body to be „offered‟ to men. Nella indeed does grieve because of her mother‟s statement and feel that she is „reduced‟ as a woman by her own mother. From her mother‟s statement, it can be said that her existence as a woman is simplified.

Nella‟s existence, or women‟s existence in general, is merely for the purpose of procreation. Therefore, commenting Nella‟s first menstruation, her mother says that the purpose of that blood is “the security of children” (23) or in other words a promise of motherhood. Nella fails to see how it is possible to feel secure if she has to experience labour pains which sometimes lead several women to death. Mrs.

Oortman also tells her what wives can hope for—“a rising rod of pain, the chance it won‟t go on too long, the wet clam dribble between your legs” (30). When Nella refuses to be that kind of wife, her mother says there is no other kind of wife. She states that Nella‟s body is the key, while patting Nella‟s stomach. So, a woman may function well if she can produce children.

From the explanation above regarding a proper woman, it can be seen that the role of Nella‟s mother is very crucial in terms of shaping her daughter‟s characteristics. Though she tells Nella to get married to a rich man partly because of their family‟s condition, what she says regarding how a woman should live implies that she constructs her daughter‟s way of thinking so that Nella is socially compliant. Nella‟s mother acts as the “keeper of moral foundation” (Johansen,

2007: 11) of Nella. What Nella‟s mother does reflects seventeenth-century Dutch society‟s expectation towards a mother, which was “keeping the family home and a child‟s mind spotless” (Johansen, 2007: 4), just like what Johansen argues in her study regarding Dutch art. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

2. Women’s Characteristics

Through Nella and her mother, it can be seen how women are expected to live their life in the society. The society‟s expectation towards women is described through Nella‟s mother, who keeps telling her that women‟s roles are to be a wife and to be a mother. That is the idea of proper woman, which is an “internalised norms of femininity” (Gamble, 2006: 3) found in the Dutch society in the novel.

The idea already becomes the part of the society, the part in which they think or behave. However, talking about being a proper woman is not only about the roles of being a wife and a mother. It also involves characteristics or qualities expected from the society. The appropriate characteristics of women in the 17th century

Dutch society in the novel are obedient, powerless, submissive, dependent, and domesticated. a. Obedient

As stated in chapter II, the social construction of gender is learned through many aspects of society. In Nella‟s case, she learns it from her parents, especially her mother. Nella‟s obedience is related to her reaction towards idea of proper woman given by her mother. As stated before, Nella‟s mother is the character who repeatedly tells Nella to get married and have children—the one who plants the idea of proper woman. Nella, at first, questions the idea of proper woman given by her mother—even she feels the urge of escaping her village when she practices being a lady. Up to this point, her „little rebellion‟ can be seen. „Little rebellion‟ here means there is a small part of Nella that rejects the idea of proper woman.

This „rebellion‟ is weak since Nella does not entirely disobey her mother. Yet, it PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

stops at that point because at the end, Nella chooses to believe what her mother says since she concerns about her mother‟s nerves. It results in Nella‟s accepting the idea of proper woman and, in the end, she clings tightly to this idea. It can be seen from how she perceives her marriage with Johannes and her life as a woman.

Nella‟s obeying what her mother says also implies her naivety, since her decision to obey her mother lacks careful consideration. She believes her mother always tells her the truth, including the idea of proper woman, without giving any thoughtful consideration. She is naïve in this context.

In brief, though Nella has this „little rebellion‟ at first, she eventually admits the idea of proper woman. She obeys her mother to be a proper woman without giving any thoughtful consideration. In other words, she obeys the social construction of gender by accepting the idea of proper woman. b. Powerless

In the novel, women have less power than men for, as Wilson states, “men hold power in all the important institutions of society” (2000: 1494). Since they have less power, it is not surprising that they are willingly married, as marriage is believed as “the only possible form of influence a woman may have” (317) and a way—or the „only‟ way to increase woman‟s power. Moreover, Marin‟s statement that says

we can do nothing, Petronella—we women … some of us can work … back-breaking work, for which they won‟t even pay us half of what a man could earn. But we can‟t own property, we can‟t take a case to court. The only thing they think we can do is produce children who then become the property of our husbands (160)

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implies the powerlessness women have in their lives. Women do not have power or authority which makes them less appreciated by the society, for example in the context of women‟s salary. Women are also not supposed to own property. The example is stated in the novel where Agnes, the wife of Frans Meermans,

Johannes‟ colleague, inherits her father‟s land after he dies. Commenting on that matter, Johannes says, “a woman‟s name on the papers [of her father‟s acres of cane fields], despite all her father‟s best efforts” (86). It shows that owning property is not women‟s right. After being married to Frans, Agnes hands the papers to her husband, who is more „suitable‟ to have them. Women‟s inability to take a case to court also implies that women do not have equality before the law.

Undoubtedly, this fact will result in women‟s powerlessness. From Marin‟s statement, women‟s important role is only on procreation and the rest, they are powerless.

In the novel, women‟s powerlessness is also seen in Nella‟s reaction towards the first note the miniaturist sends read: EVERY WOMAN IS THE

ARCHITECT OF HER OWN FORTUNE. She is confused with it because she thinks “women don‟t build anything, let alone their own fates. All our fates are in the hands of God, and women‟s in particular, after their husbands have passed them through their fingers …” (76). Nella‟s reaction conveys that women are entirely powerless to the extent that they cannot have their own lives without men‟s interference. Their fates lie in their husbands‟ hands. It is not surprising as it is widely believed in the novel that “men are the makers of the world” (289). As the word „makers‟ suggests, men undoubtedly hold power in the society. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

c. Submissive

Women‟s mindset that they are not the owner of their own fates also implies their submissiveness to men. The very fact that they let men have their fates shows they willingly accept men‟s authority in their life. They admit the idea as if it were natural. It is similar with what Tong states in her book that in patriarchal society, cultural constructions are considered natural and being a normal person means one is able to show their gender identity and behavior based on their biological sex (Tong, 2009: 51). In other words, the idea is already internalized in women‟s mind. Therefore, the miniaturist‟s first note is not „natural‟ since it differs from what is constructed in the society, much to Nella‟s confusion. d. Dependent

Women‟s being powerless always eventually leads to another problem, which is their dependence upon men. Women‟s dependence can be seen from the fact that marriage is the ultimate goal for women. Indeed, since a proper woman marries and becomes a mother, it implies that women need men in order to be a proper or perfect woman. In the real 17th century Dutch society, admonitory guidebooks fostered for women prepared them for marriage and domestic duties.

In other words, as also stated in Wollstonecraft‟s book, they were not prepared for professions in public realm, since it was men‟s domain. Since they are not prepared to work, women need security in order to survive their life. Security here means protection against poverty. Nella needs security from a wealthy merchant in order to survive from her „previous‟ life, which is covered with her father‟s debt. “You‟ll have a roof over your head, thanks be to God” (30), Nella‟s mother PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

once says to Nella, indicating her future must be safe if she marries. It also can be seen from Marin‟s statement that Nella‟s purpose of marrying a merchant is due to the need of having a secure life. It means women are financially dependent on men. Nella is dependent on Johannes to „secure‟ her life.

Besides financial dependence, women are also dependent on men in order to have authority. It is widely believed by many women in the novel, including

Nella and her mother, that “… [marriage is] the only possible form of influence a woman may have. Marriage is supposed to … increase a woman‟s power” (317).

Nella wants to make Amsterdam her own, considering the fact that Johannes is an influential and charismatic merchant in Amsterdam. In the novel, an example of power women may have if they get married is having household to run. Marin‟s statement implies that the reason why she does not marry is that “I had a household already. When Johannes was away, I was the head” (315). She does not need to marry as she already has what other women seek in marriage.

Nevertheless, even though Marin says so, she cannot officially own a house since women cannot own property (160). Marin only has the authority to run the household because she is Johannes‟ sister. Commonly, a household can only be obtained when a woman is a wife or a widow (315).

However, if a woman ever needs to work outside the home, she only has limited choice of work available for them. The possible works she can have are, as

Cornelia, Johannes‟ servant, says “no guild except the seamstresses or stinking peat-carriers would have her” (289). It reflects, without a doubt, the social construction of gender regarding what jobs are proper for women. It is believed PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

that “no woman can be an apprentice … No man is keen to train a woman” (288-

9). Women are not allowed to gain knowledge or skills required for men‟s job.

They do not have the same chance as men to learn. Being a peat-carrier does not really need a skill or knowledge. The skill of a seamstress is gained when she learns to do domestic activities. Those jobs fit women perfectly. With such jobs, the money they earn will not be enough for their life and this condition leads to their dependence on men. e. Domesticated

To be a wife means a woman becomes the mistress of the household. Yet, it cannot be defined as simple as that. She as a wife has the authority of the household and, as stated earlier, this kind of authority is what a woman can dream of. It likely refers to Janeway‟s argument which states about women‟s agreement about exchanging private power in return for public submission. Men rule the public domain, while domestic sphere is under women‟s authority (Eisenstein,

1984: 10). Nella‟s job as Johannes‟ wife is to become the mistress of the household whose job is “keeping us [people living in Brandt‟s house] all in order”

(174). The fact that women can only rule the domestic sphere or the household means the idea of separate spheres exists in the society in The Miniaturist.

The idea of separate spheres not only can be seen through Nella, but also from another female character, Marin. As her brother works in VOC (Vereenigde

Oost-Indische Compagnie), Marin seems to know about the inside and outside of the VOC (29). Nella is rather surprised finding out about this fact, she even thinks that “Johannes is surely crossing a forbidden boundary” (29) as he seems to let his PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

sister know about his works. From Nella‟s thought it can be concluded that outside world is, in fact, not women‟s business. This is a very important fact since, up to this point, Nella‟s thought and the idea she has about proper woman reflects what society thinks about what a proper woman is and how she should behave.

Nonetheless, in spite of her interference in Johannes‟ work, she still is not allowed to work just like her brother because, as a woman, she should remain at home.

Another proof can be found from what Nella‟s father says about women who work together with men: “it is a good thing that ladies no longer sail so much.

Women on board bring bad luck” (53). His words also reflect the current society‟s belief that women should stay at home, that women should know their place.

Nella‟s mother agrees with her husband and adds, “they [women] only bring the luck men give them” (53). Nella‟s mother‟s words imply that a woman cannot live without a man as she herself is „luck-less‟. Women are also prohibited to come and visit their husbands‟ workplace. The guards at VOC workplace prevent Nella to visit her husband. Women are never seen at the VOC because no women are allowed. Moreover, a wife cannot go to her husband‟s warehouse unannounced.

Nella describes Brandt‟s warehouse as “her husband‟s domain” (298), indicating it is not hers. From all proofs given here it can be seen that society demands women to live in private or domestic sphere. Due to this restriction, no women are allowed to interfere in men‟s public sphere.

The separation of sphere means separation of women‟s and men‟s domain, domestic sphere and public sphere respectively. This separation can also be pointed out when women and men attend a feast together. It should be noted that PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

women cannot always attend feasts. They are only allowed to attend those feasts for social occasions. In the feast, “wives glide to their places, seeming to know where to sit” (90), while the husbands gather in a different spot and talk about business. From these it can be seen that even though women are allowed to attend feasts, their place or domain is still different from men‟s. They know where to place themselves in this kind of occasion, far from where men gather and talk about business—or the public spheres. The separation, as it can be seen, occurs even outside the home.

To sum up, in The Miniaturist to be a proper woman, women should have the role as a wife and a mother. Besides those roles, women are also expected to be obedient, powerless, submissive, dependent, and domesticated. In other words, the concept of what it means to be a „woman‟ created by the society is what the idea of proper woman is. It expects every woman in the society to behave just like the society‟s expectation.

B. The Criticisms towards the Idea of Proper Woman

The previous part of the analysis discusses about what it means to be a proper woman—the roles and characteristics expected by the society. This second part of analysis deals with the criticisms towards the idea of proper woman presented in The Miniaturist.

Johannes describes the 17th century Dutch society in the novel as

an invisible cage … [which makes] any person‟s behaviour mutate under such constant scrutiny, such bigoted piety—neighbours watching neighbours, twisting ropes to bind us all … Well, it‟s a prison (264).

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

His statement implies that the novel is set in a “repressive and judgmental society”

(www.jessieburton.co.uk, n.d.). The society always watches what each person does and judges whether it is appropriate or not. Therefore, it in a way binds everyone, including women who are bound to the idea of proper woman which make them have no freedom over their life. Since women are expected to follow the rule, then what happens to those who are against society‟s expectation? There are two women who, from the very beginning, disobey the rule: Marin and the miniaturist.

Being a wife is essential for Dutchwomen in the 17th Netherlands in the novel. As stated earlier, becoming a wife can be said as an inevitable fate for women. Cong, whose writing is about an insight into women‟s roles in 17th century Dutch culture, also states that “women‟s best role for fitting into the 17th century‟s Dutch world was undoubtedly as housewife” (2014: 6). Marin, however, chooses not to marry and this leaves bad impression to others. The society‟s view of Marin is described through Nella‟s eyes, who thinks that Marin is “the perfect

Dutchwoman, immaculate, handsome and walking with purpose. The only thing missing is a husband” (117). So, though a woman is portrayed beautiful and lady- like, she is not yet complete without being a wife. Johannes, commenting Marin‟s not being married, says, “the only thing you had to do, Marin—marry rich, marry well—oh, God, just to be married…” (241). Johannes‟ statement makes a clear understanding that society demands women to live under the authority of men. In addition to being an „incomplete woman‟, commenting on Marin‟s single life as a woman, Pastor Pellicorne once says Marin‟s decision of not being married is a PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

waste (399). Pellicorne‟s statement reflects society‟s mindset which believes that women waste their life if they do not fulfill society‟s expectation. In short, even a beautiful woman like Marin leaves bad impression because her decision of not being married.

The miniaturist receives bad reputation since she is not married and lives alone. She seems to enjoy disobeying rules, Nella says, since she does not live up to the idea of proper woman. The society‟s view about her is delivered through an unnamed man called Hole-Face. For him, a woman who lives independently like the miniaturist only means one thing: “a strumpet” (131). He even thinks that she‟s got devil in her (132). Society gives “punishment” for those who do not follow its rule by giving them awful label. Consequently, women have no choice but follow society‟s rule if they do not want to receive awful label from the society.

The Miniaturist tries to criticize the idea of proper woman which restricts women‟s lives. However, before the criticisms are analyzed, it is important to figure out to whom the criticisms are actually addressed. In chapter I, as stated earlier by Burton herself, she “wasn‟t drawn to a historic setting in order to set up the issue of a rounder female character…” (Lee, n,d.). It means that the setting is not the focus of her novel, though she admits that the setting helps her create a rounder female character. Her focus is that she wants to create female characters who “for once are not defined by any other ideal than that they are human” (Lee, n,d.). From those statements, it can be said that the concerns of the criticisms are directed to people in the 21st century. The setting in the 17th century Netherlands PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

is used as a tool to criticize the social construction of gender which still binds women in the 21st century. The Miniaturist wants to show that the idea of proper woman or, in other words the social construction of gender, still exist today—a situation which is not very different from the 17th century. The criticisms are not only addressed to the society, but also to women themselves who are still chained by the social construction of gender. Through the female characters, the text tries to redefine the way people think about women and also the way women think about their own value. It has the same purpose with feminist critics who want to

“promote people‟s appreciation of the value of women in the world” (Millikan,

2011).

The criticisms found in the novel cover four things: criticism towards women‟s expected roles; criticism towards women‟s obedience; criticism towards women‟s powerlessness, submissiveness, and dependence; and criticism towards women‟s domestication.

1. Criticism towards Women’s Expected Roles

The society‟s demands regarding women‟s roles are voiced through

Nella‟s mother. She is the character who puts the idea of proper woman into

Nella‟s head. The point of what she teaches to Nella is that there is no other choice but life as a wife. A woman does not have to worry about her future as long as she marries. After that, she bears children and she will have a good Dutch family along with security of her future and authority of the household. However, these roles in other words give no freedom to women. The 17th century Dutch society in the novel defines women‟s life by assigning the roles of being a wife PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

and a mother. The „punishment‟ to those who disobey its demands gives women no choice but live up to its expectation. Women lose their self-dominion as they cannot decide what kind of life they have by themselves. It is already determined for them.

The Miniaturist criticizes the way of thinking about women‟s expected roles. In delivering the criticism, it employs two ways of criticizing: first, through

Nella‟s unexpected marriage life and second, through Marin‟s mindset about being a wife. a. Nella’s Unexpected Marriage Life

Nella comes to Brandt‟s house with high hopes to become a merchant‟s wife. Ironically, it turns out her marriage is not like what her mother says. She feels ignored as nobody pays attention to her and is disrespectfully treated her, even though she is Johannes‟ wife. She is untouched by Johannes even though she wishes to immediately do her proper role as a wife and have children. It is not that kind of marriage which her mother tells her—the “ideas of true love, of marriage beds, laughter, and children” (110). She feels shipwrecked between the idea of her marriage and its actual state (126). The security of life she seeks in marriage cannot be obtained as she finds out that Johannes is often slack in his works which, eventually, results in his having no money left. Moreover, Marin holds the authority of the household, another thing Nella pursues. Its climax is when she finds out that her husband is a gay which undoubtedly seals away the promise of motherhood. The reality leads her to think that she is idiot to believe what her mother says regarding the idea of proper woman. The idea of proper woman loses PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

all its meaning. Knowing there will be no promise of being a proper woman, she starts asking herself what it means to be a proper woman.

After the revelation concerning the idea of proper woman comes to her, she realizes that she has pulled her wings off. She even thinks “for some of us, it‟s a waste to be married” (399). The reality of her marriage makes her aware that she has given up her freedom for such foolish idea which makes her life worse than before. She realizes she has wasted her life trying to live up to society‟s demands. b. Marin’s Mindset about Being a Wife

When Marin is still young, she makes a brave decision of not being married. It is a brave decision indeed, since it differs from the idea of proper woman in the society. When asked, she feels reluctant to marry. She does not want to live her life under the authority of a man since she “couldn‟t tolerate being a wife” (316). She thinks that as a single woman she already has a household without being a wife and she can interfere in Johannes‟ works. This means everything to her—especially her capability of interfering with her brother‟s works in which she is very interested in—she even considers it as a freedom. She does not want to give up who she is and what she has (315). Despite her being a woman whose life is full of restriction from the society, she has freedom in her life. If she gives up on her current life and lives as a wife, she will lose her freedom as she will live under the authority of her husband. Indeed, Marin is an interesting female character in this novel. Even in her youth, she shows self- dominion—a thing which is rarely found in women‟s characteristic in that time.

The idea of feminism is reflected through this character. She shows the PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

independence as a person. She makes her own decision regarding her life without being bound by any ideal in the society. Society does not define her existence as a woman. She, in this context, is free.

By showing Nella‟s marriage life, the text tries to change the way people think, including women themselves, about women‟s roles. Her marriage makes

Nella aware that such idea has taken her self-dominion. The text shows the importance of having independence as a person or self-dominion. Women should have their own decision regarding their lives.

Nella‟s unexpected marriage life and Marin‟s way of thinking can also be interpreted as the text‟s way of mocking the idea of proper woman. The unexpected marriage life of Nella implies that the idea is indeed foolish and makes no sense. There is no way an idea like that can guarantee women‟s life to be perfect. It is merely a socially-constructed idea which defines women. The text also uses Marin as a character to show its mockery towards the idea of proper woman. When Nella states that a proper woman marries and has children, Marin gives an interesting comment: “Then what does that make me? Am I not a proper woman? Last time I looked I certainly was” (161). Marin has a different opinion about the word „proper‟. She identifies „proper woman‟ based on the biological appearance of a woman, a female human being. Her comment implies that the social construction of gender which assigns women to do proper role does not define a woman. Being a proper woman does not mean she is a wife or a mother.

Marin is a woman character who is not defined by any other ideal than that she is human. However, it is important to note that the text does not forbid women to PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

marry and become a mother. The point is that it wants to show that no one can define the life of a woman besides her own self. Women may become housewife and mother, as long as it is their own choice.

2. Criticism towards Women’s Obedience

In the previous part of the analysis, Nella‟s obedience to her mother‟s words is already explained. Even though there is „little rebellion‟ inside her at first, for the sake of her mother Nella eventually obeys what she says. Her obedience also implies her naivety in accepting the idea of proper woman.

The text criticizes women‟s obedience in accepting the idea of proper woman. Nella is the character used as an example of a woman who willingly obey the society‟s expectation or in other words, the social construction of gender.

They believe that doing women‟s proper roles and having appropriate characteristics are the best choice for their life. The Miniaturist tries to redefine this way of thinking by showing Nella‟s marriage life and how she looks like a fool to believe in such idea.

Another way the text uses to show its criticism is by showing the importance of having critical thinking. It is presented through Nella‟s action when she buys Christmas presents for her family. These presents are considered as proof that she is a successful merchant‟s wife. When she tries to find the perfect gift for her little sister, Arabella, she thinks her sister will love to have finest Christmas biscuits. “… but better, she thinks, that Arabella should have a book and learn a little” (195). Nella tells herself that “you wouldn‟t have thought such a thing back in August” (195). What kind of book she buys is not mentioned, but her intention PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

to buy a book for Arabella means she thinks her little sister needs to have wider knowledge. Nella does not want her little sister to willingly accept the idea of proper woman. Nella admits that, back in August, she does not feel the necessity of learning as she only focuses on becoming a wealthy merchant‟s wife. Now, after knowing that she is an idiot to believe such idea, she does not want Arabella to experience the same thing as her. By learning, she hopes her little sister will have wider knowledge about the world, so that she will be more critical about deciding what kind of life she really wants. In brief, the text shows that women should be more critical when deciding what their life is going to be and not naively obeying the social construction of gender.

3. Criticism towards Women’s Powerlessness, Submissiveness, and

Dependence

Women are told that their fate does not belong to them. Men are believed to have the authority over women‟s fate. This mindset reflects the system of patriarchal society where construction of feminine gender identities and behaviors serve to empower men and disempower women (Tong, 2009: 51). This results in women‟s powerlessness and inferiority, as well as their dependence upon men.

The mindset also implies their submissiveness which can be seen through their willingness to accept men‟s authority over their life.

The text criticizes this kind of mindset since women, again in this context, are defined by ideals made by the society. The criticism is directly addressed to women themselves. Women‟s submissiveness to this idea implies the absence of self-dominion in women‟s life as they believe their fate belongs to men. The one PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

who decides their life, then, is men not women themselves. Furthermore, it also implies the lack of struggle or willpower in women‟s life. The mindset makes women dependent since men hold their fate. This results in their accepting men‟s domination with resignation. The text tries to redefine the way women think about their fate by employing two things: first, through the existence of the miniaturist and her notes, and second, through Nella‟s action influenced by the miniaturist. a. The Miniaturist and Her Notes

The miniaturist is a character who holds the important key of Nella‟s mindset changing. Apart from her marriage life, the miniaturist is another factor who makes Nella change her mindset about the idea of proper woman. Nella has the first contact with the miniaturist when she orders some miniatures to furnish her wedding gift from her husband, a cabinet-sized replica of their home. Along with miniatures, she sends notes which bring out Nella‟s self-awareness. Through these notes, the mindset of women‟s fate is redefined.

The first note, as already mentioned in the previous part of the analysis, says that “EVERY WOMAN IS THE ARCHITECT OF HER OWN FORTUNE”.

There is a contradiction between the popular mindset about fate and this miniaturist‟s note. The miniaturist rejects the former and tries to tell Nella that the current belief that women have no authority over her fate is wrong. Through this notes, she states that every woman is the creator of her own fate. Their fates belong to nobody but in their own hands. They have full authority of their own fates. The miniaturist wants Nella to rethink about her self-dominion which indeed is pulled off by the idea of proper woman. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

After telling Nella that women‟s fates lie on their own hands, she sends the second and third note—“I FIGHT TO EMERGE” and “THINGS CAN

CHANGE”, respectively. As their fates belong to them, they should fight for their own life instead of depending on men. However harsh or difficult the situation is, women should struggle since they are the ones who determine their own life. The belief that women‟s fates are in men‟s hands makes women think that they do not need to struggle for their life. The miniaturist, through her notes, encourages Nella to fight for her life because things can change.

The fourth note says “NELLA: THE TURNIP CANNOT THRIVE IN

THE TULIP‟S PATCH OF SOIL”. It is directly stated in the novel that turnip and tulip are completely different plants—“one practical and simple in its structure, the other decorative and engineered by man” (226). Through the miniaturist‟s note, the symbolism of turnip and tulip is used. A „turnip‟ woman is practical which means that she fights and deals with the real situation rather than clinging to idea of proper woman. A „tulip‟ woman, who likely refers to a proper woman, is

„engineered‟ by man. It means her life is being controlled by men. She is dependent to be able to live. The „decorative‟ word in „tulip‟ woman may refer to its function which serves eye‟s pleasure. A proper woman behaves just like what the society demands them. Since she follows the rule and she has the attitudes expected from her as a woman, the society sees her as a pleasure. The „turnip‟ woman, on the contrary, is „simple‟. Turnip is a plant which grows out of sight, so it has no decorative function. However, it nourishes its body inside the soil. A

„turnip‟ woman gives no pleasure to the society. Yet inside she has a quality PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

which the „tulip‟ woman lacks: self-dominion. The „turnip‟ is critical, independent, strong-willed and not defined by anything else except herself. „The soil‟ may refer to mindset or way of thinking. The „tulip‟ woman grows in the society where she is taught to be an ideal woman based on the society‟s perspective. The „turnip‟, therefore, cannot fully develop in the „soil‟ in which the „tulip‟ grows. The point of the fourth note is that, with such different characteristics with a proper woman, the „turnip‟ will not be able to grow if she follows the idea of a proper woman like what the society expects them to. The miniaturist conveys that Nella has to leave behind her mindset about proper woman because each woman has their own self- dominion.

The miniaturist‟s characteristics are similar with Marin in a way that they are women who are not defined by the ideals from the society. The miniaturist in particular, with her notes and behaviors, is a character whose purpose is to free women caged by the idea of proper woman. Apart from Nella, she helps other women, though it is not explained in detail in what way she helps them. b. Nella’s Actions

With her marriage life goes unexpectedly wrong and, especially, with the influence of the miniaturist‟s words in her life, Nella changes her mind regarding the idea of proper woman. From her actions, it can be seen that she has taken back her self-dominion which previously has been lost because of the idea of proper woman. There are three actions which show her self-dominion: her action regarding Meermans‟ sugar, her action concerning Thea, Marin‟s illegitimate daughter, and her action about her dependence on the miniaturist. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

Johannes is imprisoned while leaving behind his unfinished business regarding selling Meermans‟ sugar. Marin is incapable of doing something about it since she is pregnant with an illegitimate child. The only one who can save

Brandt‟s family name and wealth is Nella. With her new mindset that her fates lie in her own hands, she fights to emerge from this difficult situation. She no longer shows the lack of self-dominion which makes her accept her fate with resignation.

She believes that things will change if she does something about it. Her struggle pays off since she is able to sell the sugar, all by herself.

Nella‟s self-dominion also can be seen through her decision regarding

Marin‟s illegitimate daughter, Thea. Marin dies after delivering her daughter. This exacerbates the current situation Nella faces as it will certainly difficult for her to raise an illegitimate child. However, she shows her self-dominion during this difficult time. She positions herself as the answer of the current situation. “We must endure. For Thea‟s sake, we must emerge from this” (389). It means that whatever she does, it will determine how things will end up. She chooses to endure and emerge from the situation. She expresses self-dominion since, instead of giving up and believing that this is all her fate, she struggles and fights for her life.

Nonetheless, Nella‟s self-dominion reaches its climax when she decides to stop depending on the miniaturist. The miniaturist indeed has a big role in Nella‟s life. She guides Nella to find her self-dominion. This results in Nella‟s dependence on the miniaturist‟s guidance. However, at the end of the story, she decides to stop relying on the miniaturist and start depending on herself. Nella‟s PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

full self-dominion is symbolized by her breaking down the cabinet house and its miniatures, the things which bring the miniaturist into contact with her. This symbolizes the end of the miniaturist‟s involvement in Nella‟s life as she starts her life anew as an independent woman.

Through both the miniaturist‟s mindset seen in her notes and Nella‟s actions influenced by the miniaturist, the idea of women‟s empowerment is applied to criticize their submissiveness, powerlessness, and dependence. The miniaturist‟s way of thinking empowers Nella as a woman to have more control in her own life and confidence when facing the difficult situation she is in. Through the idea of women‟s empowerment applied in the novel, the idea of feminism is reflected. Again, it is about women‟s independence as persons. The text voices women‟s authority over her own self. Women should be able to make their own decision without being bound to the idea of proper woman.

4. Criticism towards Women’s Domestication

The separation of spheres in the 17th century Dutch society clearly exists.

This concept constructs that women‟s best place is at home, while men dominate almost all public domain. Since women‟s domain is in the domestic sphere, they are forbidden to step into men‟s public sphere. In The Miniaturist, women are not allowed to visit their husband‟s workplace. Nella calls Johannes‟ warehouse as her husband domain. It implies that “men hold power in all the important institutions of society and women are deprived of access to such power” (Wilson,

2000: 1494) and undoubtedly it reflects patriarchal system in the society. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

Since this social construction restricts women‟s domain, in other words it limits women‟s freedom. Moreover, women‟s domestication also means the limitation of women‟s potential. As Wollstonecraft suggests, women are prepared to get married and be a good wife. They are not trained to work like men, so they

“have no other scheme to sharpen their faculties” (Wollstonecraft, 1793: 61). This situation is reflected through Nella who, when she still lives in her village, is prepared to be a good wife. In the novel, no men are interested in training women.

Women are not given the same opportunities as men to sharpen their faculties.

The text rejects the mindset regarding women‟s domestication as it restricts women‟s freedom as well as their potential. It tries to redefine the way people think by using two women characters in her novel, Marin and Nella. These two characters display capability of doing men‟s job despite the fact that they are women. a. Marin’s Ability

Marin knows the in and out about Johannes‟ work in VOC. Marin indeed has fascination with her brother‟s work. Marin collects maps of the East Indies and African continent, some books on travelling, a few of animal skulls, beetle carapaces and dried plants and berries. The maps are not for decorative purpose.

She marks the places where Johannes gets the flora and fauna found in her room.

There are questions about weather, food, and god on the map of African continent.

In other words, she studies them. Marin even writes down detailed categorization of the things she collects from her brother journeys. Those are indeed uncommon things for a woman in that time to have—even Nella comments that “this room is PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

not from Amsterdam, though it shows an Amsterdammer‟s drive for acquisition.

This is the republic‟s reach, in four small walls” (51).

Marin‟s collections indeed show her fascination towards Johannes‟ work.

However, it implies something more important: her incapability of having men‟s job. The society believes that women on board bring bad luck. This statement, the writer argues, is a manifestation of the concept of separate spheres which restricts women to remain at home. It also shows the implication of the subordination of women‟s interests. This kind of mindset limits women‟s true potential, including

Marin. Besides studying the things Johannes brings home for her, she masters snippets concerning her brother‟s work as a merchant—those of tobacco sales, silk and coffee, for example. She often gives advices to Johannes about his work and reminds him to work diligently so that his client will not be disappointed. Yet,

Marin only can go as far as that. She cannot go further as she is bound to the concept of separate spheres. b. Nella’s Ability

Nella is used to show women‟s capability in doing what is considered as men‟s job. What makes her different from Marin is that she has the opportunity to do it. As stated previously, Nella is the one who can successfully sell Meermans‟ sugar. This action, besides implying Nella‟s self-dominion, conveys another important fact: she is able to cross the boundary of the separate spheres. Given the fact that women are actually forbidden to step into men‟s domain and she as a wife cannot go to her husband‟s warehouse unannounced, she makes a brave decision to violate the rule and cross the boundary of separate spheres. Not only PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

that, she cleverly decides to whom she sells the sugar after carefully considering the situation. At first, she feels unconfident when she knows she has to bargain as a part of selling the sugar. It turns out she can do it very well, even Arnoud

Maakvrede, the confectioner to whom Nella sells the sugar, is impressed with

Nella‟s ability of bargaining. With her skill, she has the potential to become a good merchant as good as her husband.

Through these two characters, The Miniaturist tries to redefine the mindset in the society that women‟s characteristics make women incapable of functioning in the public realm, so that they are best suited in the domestic sphere (Hughes, n.d.). Through Marin, the text shows that women are also capable of doing men‟s job if given the opportunities of doing so. Marin‟s characteristics prove that she is clever and full of curiosity and has promising ability to be a merchant as good as her brother. However, Marin in this case cannot have the opportunity to let out her potential of being a merchant. Nella proves that she is able of doing men‟s job very well in spite of the fact that she is a woman. The belief that women are not allowed to go into men‟s domain is destroyed through Nella‟s action which proves that it is not impossible to cross the boundary of separate sphere. The criticism reflects the idea of feminism which desires equal rights and equal opportunities for women. It shows that with equal rights and opportunities, women have the same potential as men in public domain. Through Marin and Nella, The

Miniaturist also wants to make women aware about their value. Women should not think that they are less competent than men. They should not feel inferior about their potential. The text wants to show that women are as capable as men. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

The Miniaturist tries to raise women‟s awareness of their value. Women are also suggested to be more critical, independent, and tougher and, above else, be aware that they have self-dominion over themselves. It also tries to redefine society‟s way of thinking regarding women‟s value and capability. Moreover, the most important thing is the text tries to redefine people‟s view of women: women should be understood as individuals or persons who have their own right and independence. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

In order to dissect the depiction of a proper woman in the 17th century

Dutch society in The Miniaturist, the roles and characteristics of women which are considered proper are analyzed. Women are expected to fulfill two roles in their life, which are to be a wife and a mother. Being a wife is believed as the only choice women have in their life. Experiencing motherhood is also seen as the purpose of women’s existence. This idea of women’s proper roles is put into

Nella’s head by her mother, who acts as the keeper of moral foundation in the family. She shapes her daughter’s mindset so that Nella is socially compliant.

Besides fulfilling the roles of being a wife and a mother, women in the 17th century Dutch society in the novel are also expected to have the appropriate characteristics: obedient, powerless, submissive, dependent, and domesticated.

Nella’s obedience is seen through her accepting the idea of a proper woman taught by her mother. Her obedience also implies her naivety as her decision to obey her mother lack careful consideration. Accepting the idea of proper woman means she obeys the social construction of gender. Women’s powerlessness is seen as the result of men’s holding power in all important institutions of society. They are so powerless to the extent that they cannot have their own fates as, they believe, that men hold their fate. Women’s mindset that their fates are not theirs but men’s also implies their submissiveness to men. It shows how they willingly accept men’s authority in their life without questioning anything. Women’s powerlessness also leads to their dependence on men. They need to secure their life financially by

58 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

getting married. Beside financial dependence, women need men in order to get power in the form of running household. Women are also expected to remain at home or in other words, domesticated. Since they should stay at the domestic sphere, they are not allowed to interfere in men’s public sphere.

With such demands on women, society binds them to the extent that if they violate the rule, they will receive ‘punishment’. Marin and the miniaturist, who do not follow the rule given by the society, leave bad impressions and even receive awful label from the society. Consequently, women have no choice but follows society’s expectation if they do not want to receive the ‘punishment’.

Using the setting in 17th century Dutch society as a tool, The Miniaturist criticizes society’s mindset, including women’s in the 21st century which are still chained by the social construction of gender. The text criticizes four things: women’s expected roles; women’s obedience; women’s submissiveness, powerlessness, and submissiveness; and women’s domestication.

First, The Miniaturist rejects the idea that the only choice women have in their life is to get married and be a mother. These roles give no freedom to women or, in other words, they take away women’s self-dominion. The text tries to redefine the mindset by employing Nella’s unexpected marriage life, which shows the importance of having self-dominion or independence as persons for women.

Besides Nella’s marriage life, it also employs Marin’s refusal of being a wife which shows her freedom of choosing her own life. Marin’s decision reflects the idea of feminism as she has self-dominion. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

Second, the text also criticizes women’s obedience in accepting the idea of proper woman. Their obedience implies their naivety because they do not give any careful consideration before accepting such idea. The Miniaturist tries to redefine women’s way of thinking by showing Nella’s unexpected marriage life and how she looks like an idiot to believe in such idea. Also, the text shows the importance of having critical thinking for women by showing Nella’s awareness that learning and having wide knowledge is important for women.

Third, The Miniaturist criticizes women’s way of thinking about being powerless, submissive, and dependent. This mindset implies the absence of self- dominion and the lack of struggle or willpower in women’s life as they believe their fate belongs to men. The text employs the existence of the miniaturist and her notes which contribute to Nella’s mindset changing. The notes reflect the miniaturist’s mindset: that women’s fate belongs to them, so they should struggle for their life. It also uses Nella’s actions influenced by the miniaturist which show her self-dominion. Through the miniaturist’s notes and Nella’s decisions to fight concerning Meermans’ sugar, Thea, and her dependence on the miniaturist, the text applies the idea of women’s empowerment. The application of women’s empowerment reflects the idea of feminism about women’s independence as persons.

Last, The Miniaturist shows its criticism towards women’s domestication which results in the limitation of women’s freedom and also women’s potential. It uses Marin who is clever, full of curiosity about the outside world, and has promising ability to be a merchant to show that women are capable of doing PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

men’s job if given the opportunities of doing so. Nella is used to break the belief that women’s characteristics make them best suited in the domestic sphere. She is able of doing Johannes’ work despite her being a woman. Nella also proves that it is possible for women to cross the boundary of separate spheres and that women have the same ability as men in public domain. It reflects the idea of feminism which demands equal rights and opportunities for women.

The Miniaturist encourages women to recognize their own value, to have self-dominion over themselves, and to be more critical, independent, and tougher.

The text also tries to redefine society’s way of thinking regarding women’s value and capability. Above all else, the text tries to make people in the 21st century understand women as individuals or persons who have their own right and independence.

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

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