REVEALING CONSEQUENCES OF PRACTICING LIBERAL FEMINIST IDEAS AS EXPERIENCED BY THE MAIN CHARACTER NOE ITO IN HARUMI SETOUCHI’S BEAUTY IN DISARRAY AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters By DESY PRAMUSIWI Student Number: 054214084 ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2009 REVEALING CONSEQUENCES OF PRACTICING LIBERAL FEMINIST IDEAS AS EXPERIENCED BY THE MAIN CHARACTER NOE ITO IN HARUMI SETOUCHI’S BEAUTY IN DISARRAY AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters By DESY PRAMUSIWI Student Number: 054214084 ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2009 i ii A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis iii iv Intelligence plus Character, That is the Goal of True Education (Dr. Martin Luther king) None but Us can Change Our Destiny (Anonym) Don’t be Afraid (Pope John Paul II) v g{|á |á ãÜ|ààxÇ gÉ ã{ÉÅ |à Åtç yâÇvà|ÉÇ vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, my gigantic expression goes to Jesus Christ and Mother Mary for their never ending blessing and guidance throughout my whole life, and especially during the years I spent in finishing my study. I would like to thank to the writer’s advisor, Modesta Luluk Artika Windrasti, S.S. for the advice and guidance which had helped me in the process of writing my thesis. I also would like to thank my co-advisor, Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum., for giving me a precise correction and suggestion to complete my thesis. I thank my thesis examiner, Adventina Putranti, S.S., M.Hum, for her questions and useful suggestions to enrich my thesis. My gratitude expression for Sanata Dharma University, a place where I can develop my intellectuality, a springboard how to be a real human through the people I have met there. All the lecturers of the Department of English Letters of Sanata Dharma University deserve my thankful expression since they had given me knowledge when I was still a student. I say ‘thank you’ to the secretariat officer, Mbak Ninik, since she had helped me do all the administration process patiently and friendly. I would also thank Jhoni Frederikus for his help in searching the source- books from websites since hardly could I find them in the library. The books are very useful. I also thank Mbak Sari for the discussion and the books she lent. I realize that without those books, it is hard for me to finish her thesis. My best gratitude goes to my friends in “Komunitas Tari Bali Sekar Jepun” for the beautiful dancing experience, since I could release my burden in vii every move and every step I take. For all of my friends in 2005, I say ‘thank you’ for their friendship. I would also thank Efrida Ita (Lori) and Ratri Nugraheni. I say ‘thank you’ for their supports, friendship and all of the experiences that we have done. I would never forget my best friends, Septiana Ratna Dewi (Brind), Norie Paramitha (Oie), and Nila Sukmaning Rahayu (Ella). I say ‘thank you’ for their supports, their shoulders when I am crying, and having problems. I feel very grateful for the moment that I have shared together. My gigantic gratitude goes to my soul mate, Wahyu Adi “Putra” Ginting, who has played some roles in my life: he is a ‘brother’ who gives guidance and advice to make decisions in my life, a ‘teacher’ who helps read my thesis, give sharp yet constructive comments, and edit my thesis, an ‘intellectual mate’ in discussing everything, and the ‘darling’ whom I hope to spend more time with. Lastly, to my brothers: Eko Prasetyo, Dwi Indarjo, and Tri Yuliadi Budianta, I say ‘thank you’ for their supports and their funds so that I can continue and finish my study here. Finally, I give my gratitude and affection to my mother M.X Sukarni, and my father F.X Suradja, to whom this thesis is dedicated. DESY PRAMUSIWI viii TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE…………………………………………………………… i APPROVAL PAGE …………………………………………………… ii ACCEPTANCE PAGE……………………………………………..….. iii Lembar Pernyataan Persetujuan Publikasi Karya Ilmiah .................. iv MOTTO PAGE………………………………………………………… v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………… vii TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………… ix ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………….. xi ABSTRAK …………………………………………………………… xii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION …………………………………… 1 A. Background of the Study ……………………………………….. 1 B. Problem Formulation …………………………………………… 5 C. Objectives of the Study …………………………………………. 5 D. Definition of Terms …………………………………………….. 6 CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ………………………..... 8 A. Review of Related Studies……………………………………..... 8 B. Review of Related Theories…………………………………….. 12 1. Theory of Character and Characterization………………….. 12 2. Theory of Liberal Feminism…............................…………… 15 C. Review of Patriarchal Society in Japan in the Taisho Era (1912-1926) …………………………………………………….. 18 D. Review on Women Movement in Japan ……………………….. 21 E. Theoretical Framework ………………………………………… 24 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY………………………………….. 25 A. Object of the Study……………………………………………... 25 B. Approach of the Study………………………………………….. 26 C. Method of the Study……………………………………….…… 27 CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS………………………………………….. 30 A. The Characterization of Noe Ito………………………………... 30 1. Intelligent…............................................................................ 30 2. Critical…………………………………………………….... 35 3. Courageous……….……………………………………….... 38 B. B. Noe Ito’s Background of Feminist Ideas...………………….. 45 1. Patriarchal System ……………...…………………………. 45 2. Education Development…………………………………..... 49 3. Intellectuality Development ……………………………….. 51 C. Noe Ito’s Ideas of Feminism Implemented in her Life………… 57 1. Balking the Arranged Marriage……………………….…..... 57 ix 2. Refusing Domestic Chores…...……………………………… 59 3. Developing Female Writers…………………………………. 61 4. Criticizing the Subordination of Women…………......... …… 62 5. Declaring Herself as ‘New Woman’ of Seito……………….. 64 6. Influencing Women’s Liberation……………………………. 66 D. The Consequences that Noe Ito and her Families Had as the Result of Practicing Feminist Ideas ………………………… 69 1. Humiliation ……………………………………………...…. 69 2. Disharmonious Relationship ……………….………………. 73 3. Poverty ……………………………………………………… 75 4. Murder ……………………………………………………… 76 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION …….…………………………………. 79 BIBLIOGRAPHY …………………………………………………….. 84 APPENDICES ………………………………………………………….. 86 Appendix 1 Summary of “Beauty in Disarray”………………. 86 Appendix 2 Review on the Biographical Background of Harumi Setouchi ………………………………………………… 89 x ABSTRACT DESY PRAMUSIWI. Revealing Consequences of Practicing Liberal Feminist Ideas as Experienced by the Main Character Noe Ito in Harumi Setouchi’s Beauty in Disarray. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2009. The Taisho era (1912 - 1926) in Japan was a period of the socio-liberal turbulence and radical change. Almost all of radical movements were done by the socialists, anarchists, and feminists. They demanded changes in governance system, from feudal into democratic one, and also changes in the social order of the society. They got much opposition from the government. Many of them ended up being murdered because of their actions. Based on this background, this research tries to reveal the life of one of the feminists living in that era, Noe Ito, in Harumi Setouchi’s Beauty in Disarray. The complex life of Noe Ito – beginning from the development of her way of thinking and her characterization, the liberal feminism ideology she practiced, her involvement in the huge movements in Japan, and the consequences as the result of her actions – are very interesting to be discussed. There are four problems formulated in this research. The first problem is how Noe’s characteristics are described in the novel. The second one is how Noe Ito got the idea of feminism and the background of her learning feminist thoughts perceived from her experiences and the education she got from her closed influential people. The result of the analysis of the second problem will be used to answer the third problem: how the ideology of liberal feminism was practiced in Noe Ito’s everyday life through her way of thinking and her attitude. The fourth problem is revealing what kind of consequences Noe experienced and her family as the result of practicing the ideology of liberal feminism. The writer used feminism approach to surge those problems above. In addition, the theory of character and characterization, theory of liberal feminism, background patriarchal society in Taisho era, and review on women movement in Japan were needed in this research. Meanwhile, the method used was library research. The result of all the analyses after answering those four formulated problems above showed that Noe’s intellectuality, one of her characteristics, made her easier in comprehending feminist ideas as well as being responsive about women’s problem in her society. Noe’s critical attitude was shown through her attitudes, for examples, her criticism toward the arranged marriage system, subordination of women, and the old-fashioned idea which positioned women just in the whirlpool of domestic jobs. Her courageous characteristic, supported by feminism thought, was reflected in her actions: balking the arranged marriage, declaring herself as New Woman, and influencing women’s liberation. The culmination of Noe’s life, after the sequence of the consequences – humiliation, poverty,