FEMINISM THOUGHTS IN DREAMS OF TRESPASS: TALES OF A HAREM GIRLHOOD BY FATIMA MERNISSI By: MUDRIKA ANISAHRI 105026000983 ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY “SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH” JAKARTA 2011 FEMINISM THOUGHTS IN DREAMS OF TRESPASS: TALES OF A HAREM GIRLHOOD BY FATIMA MERNISSI A Thesis Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Strata One By: MUDRIKA ANISAHRI 105026000983 ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY “SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH” JAKARTA 2011 ABSTRACT Mudrika Anisahri, Feminism Thoughts in Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatima Mernissi. A Thesis: English Letters Department. Letters and Humanities Faculty, State Islamic University "Syarif Hidayatullah" Jakarta, 2009. This research is aimed at analyzing a literary work which is written by woman writer who has written about woman's experiences. It is novel Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatima Mernissi as the object of the research. This novel is memoir about Fatima Mernissi's childhood in domestic harem in Fez in the late 1940s recounts the life experiences of her female relatives and her own reactions to the world around her. The novel demystifies the harem and puts a face on Arab Muslim women in a personal and highly entertaining manner, exploring the nature of women's power, the value of oral tradition and the absolute necessity of dreams and celebrations. Within the novel described how the culture of the harem grows and develops. Harem culture is considered as the causing of a patriarchal system where women are restricted to do activities outside and they are required to follow the rules. Obviously it is very detrimental for women including family of Fatima Mernissi. However, there are some female characters who do not keep silent, in fact they protest because they have been oppressed. They do not perform movements around environment, but only within the home. They try to convey some ideas of feminism thoughts to Fatima Mernissi with different manner. For instance, Mernissi's mother gives the storytelling with the moral message inside, her grandmother gives some advices and experiences and her aunt and cousin who hold a theater show about the great women that inspire many women in the harem to get the equality and the true of freedom. Thus, it can be concluded that gender equality and freedom are the feminism thoughts that appear through some female characters. Those are shaped by the various ways, such as by the storytelling, education and theater. i APPROVEMENT FEMINISM THOUGHTS IN DREAMS OF TRESPASS: TALES OF A HAREM GIRLHOOD BY FATIMA MERNISSI A Thesis Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Strata One MUDRIKA ANISAHRI 105026000983 Approved by: Inayatul Chusna, M. Hum Advisor ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY “SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH” JAKARTA 2011 ii LEGALIZATION Name : Mudrika Anisahri NIM : 105026000983 Title : Feminism Thoughts in Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatima Mernissi The thesis has been defended before the Faculty of Letters and Humanities’ Examination Committee on August 16, 2011. It has been accepted as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of strata one. Jakarta, August 16, 2011 The Examination Committee Signature Date 1. Drs. Asep Saefuddin,M.Pd (Chair Person) _____________ _____________ 19640710 199303 1 006 2. Elve Oktafiyani, M.Hum (Secretary) _____________ _____________ 19781003 200112 2 002 3. Inayatul Chusna, M. Hum (Advisor) _____________ _____________ 1978 0126 200312 2 002 4. Dr. H. M. Farkhan, M.pd (Examiner I) _____________ _____________ 1965 0919 200031 1 002 5. Elve Oktafiyani, M.Hum (Examiner II) _____________ _____________ 19781003 200112 2 002 iii DECLARATION I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgment has been made in the text. Jakarta, June 2011 Mudrika Anisahri iv PREFACE In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. First of all, the writer would like to thank Allah SWT for all His favor and guidance in completing this thesis. All praises belong to Him, the Creator of living things from being nothing to existence. Many salutation and benediction be unto the noblest of the prophet and messenger, Muhammad SAW. In this occasion, the writer also would like to express a special thank to: 1. Inayatul Chusna, M. Hum. as her advisor, for her guidance and contribution in finishing this thesis. 2. Dr. H. Abdul Wahid, M.Ag. as the Dean of Faculty of Adab and Humanities. 3. Drs. A. Saefuddin, M.Pd. as the Head of English Letters Department. 4. Elve Oktafiyani, M.Hum. as the Secretary of English Letters Department. 5. All of the lecturers in English Letters Department who have taught and educated her during her study in UIN Jakarta. 6. The beloved parents, her lovely dad "Karta Wijaya" and lovely mom "Siti Khodijah" for their full-financial, attentions, prays, loves and all the contribution. She loves them so much. 7. The great brothers, Wawan Kurniawan and his wife, Budi Hermawan and his wife and Abdul Khotib for their supports, attentions, suggestions, and loves ever after. They are the best brothers that she has ever had. 8. The big family, her grandfathers (Ba'o), grandmothers (Ma'o), uncles, aunts, cousins, and all relatives for their supports, materials and prays. God bless them. v 9. The best friends in communities, Persatuan Alumni Darul Abror (PADA'98), all classmates of class-C in English Letters Department, Komunitas Restoe Boemi (KRB) Indonesia, and all the best friends that she cannot mention one by one for whole supports, new experiences, joy and fun they have shared together. Let's keep fighting to reach all of dreams and to get the brighter future. Finally, the writer realizes that this thesis is not too perfect to read, but shehopes that it can be used as well as possible. Jakarta, June 2011 Mudrika Anisahri vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................... APPROVEMENT ............................................................................................. ii LEGALIZATION ............................................................................................. iii DECLARATION .............................................................................................. iv PREFACE .......................................................................................................... TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................. vii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION .................................................................... 1 A. Background of the Study .............................................................................. 1 B. Focus of the Study ........................................................................................ 7 C. Research Questions ....................................................................................... D. Objectives of the Study ................................................................................. 8 E. Significance of the Study .............................................................................. 8 F. Research Methodology ................................................................................. 8 CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS ...................................... 11 A. Feminism Theory .......................................................................................... 11 B. B. Feminist Literary Criticism Theory .......................................................... 14 CHAPTER III: RESEARCH FINDINGS ..................................................... 21 A. Data Description............................................................................................ 21 B. Data Analysis ................................................................................................ 26 a. Feminism Thoughts in Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood ................................................................................................. 26 b. The Ways of female Characters Shape the Feminism Thoughts in Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood ................................... 34 CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION ................................. 43 A. Conclusion ................................................................................................... 43 B. Suggestion ..................................................................................................... 44 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................. 46 vii APPENDICES ................................................................................................... 49 A. Appendix 1: Synopsis ................................................................................... 49 B. Appendix 2: Biography of Author ............................................................... 51 viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study Since nineteenth century, the literary