Rabu, 11 Juli 2012

AN ANALYSIS OF DETECTIVE SHORT STORY “TERPINCUK MUTIARA” WRITTEN BY MIGNON G. EBENHART


AN ANALYSIS OF DETECTIVE SHORT STORY “TERPINCUK MUTIARA” WRITTEN BY MIGNON G. EBENHART

Hiqma Nur Agustina



Abstract

Detective short story is a part of literature works which are liked by the readers nowadays. As a form of literature works, detective short story reveals the curiosity, tense, and suspicious feeling to guess who the criminal character is at the end of the story. The strength of the writer in revealing the complicated and marvelous story and sometimes followed by unpredictable story made this detective short story has a lot of loyal fans. This writing took Terpincuk Mutiara as the object of the research to reveal some aspects of detective story criteria. Then, we can know whether the main aspects of this detective story which are criminal character, victim character and detective character are really existed in the story. To describe the main aspects of the story, the writer uses structural method while Barthes’ theory about syntagmatic and paradigmatic unsure are used to analyze it and Todorov’s theory about detective story is also used. 


Key words: roman a enigma, roman noir, roman a suspense, syntagmatik, paradigmatic



Detective short story is one of the popular and conventional forms of stories. As a conventional story, it has some specific norms seen in the story structures. It also tells about an investigation of criminal action involving the detective character, witness characters, and revealed by the criminal action at the ending. The revelation of criminal action done by the detective characters step by step through a rational investigation method and sometimes can be scientific method.
Actually detective short story arose in the nineteenth century, but it just became popular in the next century. The most popular era was in 1920-1940. Even most people like to read detective story, but not all the countries can produce this genre. Some countries are famous in producing this story, such as Britain, French and America. Each country produced with the different style. As the flash description, the style of Britain focused on the mystery aspects, meanwhile the style of French is more on psychology aspects and the relationship among the characters. In America, the detective story tends to focus on action and violence aspects. (Boileau-Narcejac, 1964).
            The research on literary work can be done by researching it from the genre aspects or the kind of literature itself. The way of the research seen from the kind of literature is putting the story into a group of specific literature. In this case, the most important thing is the application of the existing norms which are in the specific kind into the story not the value of the literature.
In his article “les genres litteraires”, Todorov saw in every literary work in connecting with other literary work, there are two important matters, the same unsure and the unsure which are deviant from the same unsure. The tendency to deviant caused by the dynamic characters of the literary work. Although those two different aspects always arose in the every literary work but still they have different degree. One stresses on the obedience toward convention and others stressed on the deviation of convention. (Todorov: 1970).
Based on those aspects, Todorov presented two groups to differentiate it. First, it is literature de masse or popular literature. This type focused on the obedience toward convention which is about routine work while the second is literature d ‘exemplaire unique or single literature. This kind of literary work focused on the deviant of convention. (Todorov: 1970).
The research on literary work from the kind aspect can be done to literary works which followed certain style, for instance the popular literary work spionase story and fantastic story.
I. 1. 1. Terpincuk Mutiara by Mignon G. Eberhart
            Terpincuk Mutiara told about suicide done by a secretary of vice president of a bank known the lost pearls of loyal customer who has died. In fact, inside her “common” suicide open the truth, that is the real murderer of the victim. A detective character in this short story act as her boss could reveal the truth about the murderer and the motif of the criminal.
            The presentation of the story give impression as a detective story a enigma, it because there are some unsure of this kind of detective story, such as murderer and certain analysis to expose or disclose the criminal motif which became the mystery.
I. 2 Data Source
            Data source of the analysis is a short story written by Mignon G. Eberhart with the title Terpincuk Mutiara. It is published in monthly magazine Intisari, August edition 1990 No. 325 XXXVII.
I. 3. Problem formulation
            Is Terpincuk Mutiara included a detective story of a enigma, roman noir or a suspense in related with the norm?
I. 4 Theory Base
            The method used in the analysis is structural method. In basic, this method focused on structural concept that is every unsure in a literary work always functional, connecting and forming a total unity. Meanwhile, the theory will be applied in this analysis is Barthes theory about syntagmatic and paradigmatic unsure, and from Todorov is theory about detective story.
1. 4. 1. Syntagmatic and Paradigmatic Unsure
            Barthes differentiates two groups of unsure in the narrative work based on syntagmatic and paradigmatic relationship.
            Syntagmatic unsure is the unsure which arise step by step in one linier chronology. Syntagmatic relationship is also in the events for both in forming the main function named core event or in the events which have function to fulfill or support the main function named catalisator.
            Paradigmatic unsure is a spread unsure and has choosing characteristic. This unsure is not bounded on the causal relationship, but it just bounded the completing concept. Paradigmatic unsure consists of the adverb of characteristic, identity, thought and the character’s feeling named index, and the setting of place and time named informan. (Barthes: 1966).
1. 4. 2. Detective story of Todorov
            Todorov saw in the development of the history, there are three kinds of detective stories, they are a enigma, roman noir and a suspense. The detective story a enigma is the oldest type stressed on puzzle factors. It is because there is not information about the murderer, the reason and how to murder it. Roman noir stressed the suspense because the detective character in this story always threatened by danger in disclosing the criminal. It is also fulfilled by the description of cruel and hard actions. The detective story of a suspense is the last type stressed both the puzzle factors and the suspense (Todorov in Puitika: 1995).
            To clarify more about Todorov theory, it will be explained the norms of the sub-kind of the detective story in this part.
(1) Roman a enigma (Puzzle Detective Story)
            Roman a enigma is a sub-detective story stressing in puzzling discursive factors, that is the certain unsure which coincidence revealed to the readers and it arose the mystery. Those unsure are the criminal actors, motivation and how the criminals done.
            In the basic story of puzzling detective story or roman a enigma is duality. These dualities guide us to analyze it. Another characteristic is the multiple chronological stories: the first story is the criminal story and the second is the tracing story. In the pure style, those stories do not have the meeting point. (Todorov in Puitika: 4). 
            The criminal story is the main story which goes to the readers spread in additional information forms used for clue to investigate the criminal mystery. This story is ended when the investigation or tracing act began. The second story is the subordinate and present as the mediator to reveal the first story. The characters in the second story or the investigation can act. They only learn. Nothing can attack them, and it becomes one of the norms of detective story a enigma that the detective character does not threaten. This puzzling story tends to have the complicated architecture purely in geometric characteristic.  It will be explain clearly in this scheme:


Explanation of the scheme:
            The first story is described with severed lines reflected the criminal story that is still mysterious and does not reveal to the readers directly. The second story is described with the continuous lines that is investigating story and present to the readers directly.
In the puzzling story stated two stories, the one is not present in the real way but the other is present but not too important. The presence and absence explain the existence of them in the continuity of story. The first is the artificial fulfilled with many convention and literary formalities (it just refers to the aspect of “subject” of the story) need the further explanation from the writer. Here, those formalities consist of two types that must be given attention, they are temporal returning and the special point of views: the content was determined by the doer, because there is no investigation without tracing.
The presentation of detective story a enigma move from cause to effect and use the flash back technical. In the second story or investigation story, there is the investigator or detective character which has duty to search the information. To break the source of criminal rationally and objective, also cannot forget the summary of the psychology of the characters. Besides, in roman a enigma does not reveal about love relationship and the detective character always free from any kinds of danger, being attacked, hurt or even murdered by the criminal character. There also some other characters such as criminal character, victim character, witness character and suspect character in the story.
2) Roman Noir (Black Roman)
            Roman noir is a detective story which melting the two stories or in other word abolish the first story and revive the second one. The story was revealed together and binding one to another or having connectivity. There is not any roman noir which revealing in a form of a memoir or recording of events. It means that there is not stopping point where the speaker tries to catch a past event, moreover the readers also do not know whether the detective is still alive or not in the end of the story. Prospective substitutes for retrospection (Todorov in Puitika: 7). 
            Roman noir is a sub-type of detective story which stressing on suspense and sadistic factors. It can be stated like this because this type of story show the violence action much, immoral and brutal actions and love with full of lust and rudeness, and it does not exist in roman a enigma.
            Another difference from the previous story is there is only one story in roman noir stressing on investigating story or the process of catching the criminal character. Besides, in roman noir, even there is not mystery but still attract the readers to feel confuse about the plot. The story move from cause to effect with the tight plot so the suspense still maintaining, the detective character threatened by the danger continuously. The scheme of roman noir was described as follows: 


The explanation of the scheme:
            In the scheme of roman noir, there is not severed line because of the mysterious factor in its norms. The plot of criminal story signed by the thick line while the thin line is signed the plot of investigating story. Those plots happen simultaneously where one to another placed parallel. The small circles in the scheme is used to sign the events happened in each plot while the big circles is used to sign the events involving both the criminal and the investigator character.
            In roman noir, there is not story which unpredictable and not mysterious like in roman a enigma. However, the readers’ interests are still extraordinary and in this part we just realize there are two interest that totally different. The first named curiosite: the story moves from cause to effect, that is starting from one effect (dead body or some clues) must be found the causes (the guilty people and support to do the crime).
            Like also in roman a enigma, roman noir also has detective, victim, witness and suspect character which being suspected as the criminal and also the criminal character. The difference is, the detective character in roman noir is vulnerable, because he must face the payment murderer. And the additional is there is description about the common culture of the setting taken place in the story.
3) Roman a suspense
            Roman a suspense is a sub-type of detective story which emerge after the glorious of roman noir ended. In roman a suspense, there are characteristics of roman a enigma and roman noir until roman a suspense often said as in between form of those stories.
            In the historical background, the detective story appear in two moments, they are becoming the transition between puzzling roman and roman noir, they also present in the same time with roman noir. At those periods also emerge two sub-type of roman a suspense, the first named “the detective story threatened by danger” and it was represented by Hamlet and Chandler stories. The main characteristic is the detective character lost his invulnerability, he can be punched, injured, and threatened physically continuously. In short word, he is being integrated in other characters’ world, and does not become the observer like the readers. Those stories usually grouped as black noir, it is because describe the certain milieu (the environment or place) but the arrangement tends to be roman a suspense.
            On contrary of the second motif, roman a suspense precisely release from the conventional milieu of the professional criminal, and back to individual crime in the puzzling detective story even it must adapt to the new structure. As the result, a roman called “a suspect detective story” emerged. In this matter, a crime happened on the first pages and the police suspicious went to a character, a main character. To prove that he is not guilty, this character must find the real criminal by himself even he must pawn his soul. It can be stated that in this type of detective story, the character is also the detective character, the guilty character (in the police’s point of view) and the victim (the potential character of the real criminal) (Todorov in Puitica: 12).
            Like in roman a enigma, there is a double story in roman a suspense, they are criminal story which is a mysterious story and the investigation story. But, in roman a suspense, the investigation story is not only the expose of the criminal story, but it is stronger on the story itself. The detective character in roman a suspense focuses on his role in wrecking the criminal case. On the investigating story, the crime is still happening and the detective character is on the dangers situation continuously. The scheme of roman a suspense described as following:



Explanation of the scheme:
The straight line sign the investigating plot and the severed line sign the crime plot which become the mystery and it does not connect to the readers indirectly. Those plots happened simultaneously, because the plot of criminal described linier with the investigating plot. The small circles in the scheme signs the events happening in each plot, while the big circles signs the even that involving the character both in the plot of investigation nor the plot of crime story.
II. ANALYSIS
II. I. Analysis of Syntagmatic in Terpincuk Mutiara
            In this part, the writer will analyze the series of events in the short story Terpincuk Mutiara by arranging the chronology of the stories or based on the technique.
The Chronology of the stories of Terpincuk Mutiara
1. The story of Frances Dune about Wagstaff pearls toward phone to James Wickwire at midnight.
2. The voice of falling thing and long and terrible scream heard by Mr. Wickwire on the phone.
3. The voice of Muriel Evans which was trying to contact the police on the phone that was not close by Frances Dune heard by Mr. Wickwire. Miss Evan was in Miss Dune apartment when she was suicide by jumping out of the window on the ninth floor.
4. The arrival of Mr. Wickwire in Miss Francess Dune’s apartment with his hunches on his mind about the cause of Frances Dune suicide.
5. The description of Mr. James Wickwire is as a middle age man which has strong and sturdy body and sympathetic.
6. The description of Mrs. Wagstaff as an old and rich woman and she has many pearls called as Wagstaff pearls.
7. The problem of Mrs. Wagstaff pearls is they must be out and worn by a woman all day long twice in a year.
8. Twice in a year a woman employee sent to the saving valuable room to wear the pearls by turns.
9. Mr. Wickwire’s memory is the last meeting with Mrs. Wagstaff.
    9. 1. Mrs. Wagstaff asked Mr. Wickwire to assign his woman employee to wear her
            pearl.
    9. 2. Mr. Wagstaff memory for her husband words that only a woman who really
            loves pearl. “The beauty needs the beauty, too”. A woman sometimes does
            ridiculous act for jewelry like these.
10. Mr. Wickwire memory is about the previous event before Frances Dune suicide in his office.
       10. 1. Miss Dune’s turn to wear Mrs. Wagstaff peals.
       10. 2. The description of Frances Dune is as a young and beautiful woman likes
                 to wear jewelry and make up.
       10. 3. Mr. Wickwire’s message to Miss Dune to hand over the pearl when the office
                 is closed to Mr. Wazey, the manager of the valuable saving room. 
11. The guess of Mr. Wickwire for Miss Dune’s death.
12. The difference of the pearl price when Mrs. Wagstaff got from his husband and the price of the pearls in the market now.
13. The arrival of Mr. Wickwire in Frances Dune’s apartment.
14. Mr. Wickwire was asked to recognize Miss Dune’s corpse.
15. The description of Francess Dune apartment on the ninth floor which is small, has a bedroom and sitting room in one place, a small and tidy kitchen and everything is clean and simple. There are not luxurious things there.
16. The description of Muriel Evans physically; she is slim and wearing grey cloth, matching between the lipstick and nail painting but she looks sit in tense style on her chair. 
17. The explanation of Miss Evans about her arrival on Frances Dunes apartment to the police and Mr. Wickwire is because of Frances Dune request on 11 pm.
18. Mr. Wickwire short explanation about the source of Mrs. Wagstaff pearl to the police.
19. Miss Evans’ explanation about what she has done while Miss Dune was calling with Mr. Wickwire.
20. The police lieutenant question toward Mrs. Wagstaff pearl to Miss Evans.
21. The unknown which is interlude of surprise Miss Evans on the existence of the pearl.
22. Miss Evans’ objection is to the police lieutenant if she was not the murder of Miss Dune.
23. Mr. Wickwire departure and Mr. Wazey goes to the bank.
24. The shock of Mr. Wickwire when he knew the pearl in the valuable saving room are the imitation cheap pearl.
25. The afraid of Mr. Wazey after knowing the pearl are not the pure one.
26. Mr. Wickwire’s hunch that the stealing action not from the sudden impulse but the planning crime.
27. Mr. Wickwire asked the list of women employee which ever wearing Wagstaff pearl to Mr. Wazey
28. Mr. Wickwire went back to Miss Dune apartment (after less than one hour leaving to go to the bank).
29. The police checked all parts of that small apartment and Mr. Wickwire reminded of Mrs. Wagstaff’s words suddenly. 
30. Mr. Wickwire permitted to the police to go back to his house and asked Miss Evans going with him.
31. Mr. Wickwire asked the questions to Miss Evans and took the revolver out from the drawer.
32. Mr. Wickwire surprise and also the evidence are the questions about Wagstaff pearl kept by Miss Evans.
33. Miss Dunes was the last person wearing Wagstaff pearl knowing the pearl necklace was imitation so she asked Miss Evans to return to her apartment at that night.
34. Miss Evans took the revolver and tried to shoot Mr. Wickwire because Mr. Wickwire knew her trick.
35. The police arrival to Mr. Wickwire house after hearing the missed shoot.
36. Miss Evans could be caught by the police successfully.
37. Mr. Wickwire’s trick open his door house so the police can enter when he trapping Miss Evans to admit her action.
38. The police lieutenant’s compliment that Mr. Wickwire is a genuine detective but he denied it; according to him the real detective is Mrs. Wagstaff.
            From the chronological of the story seen the short story Terpincuk Mutiara has two stories, they are crime story which are mystery and the investigating story. And those stories happened simultaneously and related one to another.
II. 2. Analysis of Paradigmatic Relationship in Terpincuk Mutiara
            In this paradigmatic analysis, it will be discussed the information about the identity, role and characters. Remembering the issue will be analyzed in this paper is a detective short story so the characters involved are a few. It will be different with the detective novel which involved many characters and their characteristics. The characters talked are the prominent in the syntagmatic analysis, they are James Wickwire, Mrs. Wagstaff, Frances Dune, Muriel Evans and Wazey.
            Relating with the whole story, the role of every character is different. There are some characters grouped as supporting characters. Stanton (1965: 17) stated that every story has a central character, a character which related with every event in the story. Stated more clearly, Nurgiyantoro (2000: 176) explained that central character or main character is a character whose has superiority in the story.
            Seen from the performance function, the characters can be differentiated into protagonist and antagonist. Protagonist character is an embodiment of norms and ideal values for us (Altenbern & Levis via Nurgiyantoro, 2000: 178). Protagonist character reveals something which is fixed with the reader opinion and hopes. In other side, the character who emerged the conflict named antagonist. Antagonist characters opposite with protagonist character both in direct or indirect, inner self or the outer world. If there are two opposite characters, the character given opportunities to state the vision will get greater sympathy and attention from the readers, and they are called as protagonist character (Luxemburg, dkk. Via Nurgiyantoro, 2000: 178-180).           
II. 3. Character Analysis in Terpincuk Mutiara
1. James Wickwire
            James Wickwire is a banker, single old man and become a vice president in his working place. He got trust to maintain the widow wealth. (Intisari, 1990: 79). Mr. Wickwire character has a good position at the bank, smart, respected by employees, and has enough role based on his capacity as the vice president of a bank. Mr. Wickwire is also a detective character who is able to solve the mystery and also held the investigation toward the murder of his private secretary, Frances Dune.
As a detective character, Mr. Wickwire is a main or central character; he always connects with every event in the story. From the beginning until the end, Mr. Wickwire always being told many times and arose in every event. It can be seen in the chronological order of the story; they are number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 37 and 38.
            From the frequency of the appearance Mr. Wickwire could be summarized that besides having role as the main character which became the detective character, he also has role as the protagonist character related with the appearance function.
2. Mrs. Wagstaff
            Mrs. Wagstaff is a wealth widow who has died twelve years ago. He inherited her wealth to some under-ages inheritances that must wait for some periods to have the total inheritance. Among the inheritances, Wagstaff pearl are the famous one. Mrs. Wagstaff asked the bank at least twice in a year, the pearl must be worn by a woman; especially the pearl must be adhered to the woman’s skin. According to Mrs. Wagstaff, the real pearl will lost its light if it never touched by human body.
            The role of Mrs. Wagstaff in this story is as the supporting protagonist character. Her appearance is not too often in the story. She becomes the complement especially she just told has passed away twelve years ago when the main event the mystery of the loosing pearl and the death of Frances Dune happened. It just from the main clue that she has stated before to the detective character, Mr. Wickwire, before she died became the tool to open the mystery of murder: “The beauty needs the beauty too”. A beautiful woman sometimes does determined for jewelry, these pearl … (Intisari, 1990: 87).   
3. Frances Dune
            Frances Dune is James Wickwire secretary which has worked for ten years. She was described as a tall woman, forties, not beautiful, but she is very neat, efficient, over thorough, and talkative. She is included the important person at the bank because of her position as the secretary of bank vice president. She is the last woman employee wearing Wagstaff pearl. (Intisari: 1990: 80).
            Frances Dune role in the story is as the victim character. The victim character which died became the mystery and tried to be covered up by the detective character, Mr. Wickwire. Her prudent and thorough is really fit with her character and made her could differentiate between the real and the imitation one. As the result, Frances Dune became the victim of the murderer which never guessed her action could be revealed Muriel Evans.

4. Muriel Evans
            Muriel Evans is also a woman employee at the bank where Frances Dune worked. She is taking accounting division. Miss Evans was described as a slim and beautiful woman, matching in making the appearance. Miss Evans lives two blocks from Miss Dune apartment (Intisari, 1980: 81).
            The role of Muriel Evans is as the criminal character; she is the single criminal character in the story. She stole the Wagstaff pearl and also exchange with the imitation pearl. After the victim character knew her terrible trick, she killed by seeking an excuse that the victim character was suicide by her own desire.  
            When we see the function in the story, Muriel Evans is categorized as the antagonist character, the character which became the source of conflict. She opposites with the other protagonist characters in the story. She has desire to have Wagstaff pearl and emerged the conflict with the bank especially Mr. Wickwire as the responsible person who must in charge with those pearl and also with Frances Dune as the last person got turn wearing Wagstaff pearl and knew that the pearl are the imitation one.
5. Wazey
            Wazey is the bank employee who has position as the valuable deposit room manager. He is the responsible person taking the box deposit key at the bank. In this story, Wazey has a secondary role and not too important influencing the story. 
            As the protagonist supporting character, Mr. Wazey just emerged in some chances in the story. It can be seen in the chronology of the story, they are in number 25 and 27.
II. 4. Background Analysis
II. 4. 1. Background of Space
            Beside the analysis of character, the paradigmatic unsure also discuss the backround. The background unsure was differentiated into two main unsure, place and time. These each unsure offered different problem and discussed separately. In fact, each of them connected and influenced one to another. The background of place is related with the area of event that happened in a fiction work. 
            The background of the place in Terpincuk Mutiara took three places. The first is the apartment where Frances Dune was suspected killed by herself but she was murdered at the end, the second is the bank where the Wagstaff pearl kept and the third is James Wickwire’s house as the last place where the thief and the murder of Frances Dune, Muriel Evans was trapped and caught by the police.  
            Dari ketiga keterangan tempat tersebut dapat disimpulkan bahwa latar tempatnya adalah ruang tertutup dan tidak berada di ruang terbuka.
            From those three background of places can be summarized that the background of place is the closed space.
II. 4. 2. Background of time
            The background of time related with the events told in the fiction works happened. The background of time in this story is not too much and simple. Simple is because it is only a detective short story with eight pages which is different with the common background of the detective novel. The dominant time background which emerged in this short story is in the night started with the arrival of Muriel Evans to Frances Dune apartment around 11 pm (the chronology of story number 19) before she found killed, then when the telephone rang at Mr. Wickwire’s house as the detective character and the main character in the story at midnight, 12 pm (the chronology of story number 1). It was ended by the caught of Muriel Evans as the crime character in Mr. Wickwire house after some hours of Frances Dune’s murderer. But, it is not so certain about the time, it just informed about Mr. Wickwire which was left the apartment to check Wagstaff pearl with Mr. Wazey is less than an hour (the chronology of story number 29). Then, it continued with Mr. Wickwire effort to ask Muriel Evans going to his house (the chronology of story number 31) until the last story, the caught of the single crime actor in this story. There is not a certain time when the story is ended.
III. Summary
            Syntagmatic analysis proved that Terpincuk Mutiara consists of two stories. The first story is the suicide act done by Frances Dune was not the common suicide but it has another supporting motif. It can be sameness with the crime story in the detective a enigma. The story just revealed in the second story step by step or through mindset processing, searching the evidence and relating the facts done by James Wickwire. The last story can be sameness with the investigating story. The investigating story should consists of supporting story, has equal position with the crime story because it also form the main plot.
            Besides having two stories, this short story also has mystery unsure about who become the criminal character did the crime toward the victim character. The solution of the mystery has purpose to find whose stolen the pearl necklace or called Wagstaff pearl and also do the killing to the victim character which known the secret of stolen.
            In paradigmatic analysis, this short story also performs detective character, crime character and victim character. As the detective character, James Wickwire tried to solve the mystery by doing the investigation and trying summarizes the chain eye which became the mystery in the short story. The one that is also important is to expose who the real killer does. Fixed with the puzzling detective short story or a enigma is the detective character described as a genius, has important role and was not in danger. Meanwhile, the victim character is Frances Dune that became the victim of crime act by the crime character Muriel Evans which is afraid her action known by someone else. In order hiding her stealing act and killed Miss Dune, she decided to kill her.
            The crime character is not the professional type. She is only an employee of a bank who tempted owning the pearl necklace which belongs to the bank customer where she worked, the muder motif is personal and done individually. From the detective character, he is not in danger situation while in the story side the investigating story is done by the detective character is more important. The investigating story is more dominant comparing with the act and the crime story is ended by revealing the actor of crime (not the death).
            The unsure like the crime act, motivation and the method of the crime was seen in this short story. Beside that, there is not love problem which become the background of the crime but there is another motif. 
            As the closing of this paper, from the analysis can be summarized that Terpincuk Mutiara categorized as detective story a enigma which has same characteristics with roman a enigma norm. All criteria mentioned above made Terpincuk Mutiara can be categorized as roman a enigma or puzzling detective story.
Refferences:
Main Source:
Intisari, Majalah. Agustus 1990. Cerita detektif “Terpincuk Mutiara”. No. 325. Tahun XXVII.

Secondary Source:
Boileau-Narcejac. 1964. Le Roman Policier. Paris: Payot
Djokosujatno, Apsanti. Dr, 1996. Puitika Prosa, dan Penelitian-penelitian Baru atas Cerita. Jakarta: Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa.
Fokkema, D.W. & Elrud Kunne-Ibsch. 1998. Teori Sastra Abad Kedua Puluh. London: C. Hurst & Company.
Intisari, Majalah. Agustus 1990. Cerita detektif “Terpincuk Mutiara”. No. 325. Tahun XXVII.
Nurgiyantoro, Burhan. 2000. Teori Pengkajian Fiksi. Yogyakarta: Gadjah Mada University Press.
Rimmon-Kenan, Shlomith. 1983. Narrative Fiction. New York: Methuen & Co. Ltd.
Stanton, Robert, 1965. An Introduction to Fiction. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc.

Teeuw, A. Prof. Dr. 1984. Sastra dan Ilmu Sastra. Jakarta: Pustaka Jaya. 
Todorov, Tzvetan. 1985. Tata Sastra. Jakarta: Djambatan.
Todorov, Tzvetan. 1970. Theorie de la literature. P



Minggu, 08 Juli 2012

WOMEN POSITION IN DRAMA PREH BY ASMA NADIA

WOMEN POSITION IN DRAMA PREH BY ASMA NADIA


Hiqma Nur Agustina, SS, M. Hum, M. Si.

Dosen Tetap Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris FKIP Universitas Islam Syekh Yusuf (UNIS) Tangerang


Abstrak

Drama sebagai salah satu produk satra selalu menarik untuk diperbincangkan berbagai kalangan secara umum dan oleh penikmat sastra secara khusus. Terlebih pembahasan drama Preh yang ditulis oleh salah satu penulis naskah drama Indonesia yang sedang naik daun dewasa ini, Asma Nadia.

Drama Preh menonjolkan cerita tentang para perempuan Aceh beserta konflik yang berkaitan dengan relasi dan ideologi patriarki. Sisi menarik dari drama Preh ini adalah peran perempuan yang (lagi-lagi) dilindas oleh ideologi patriarki sehingga mereka tidak mampu untuk menyuarakan keinginan, harapan bahkan menentukan nasibnya di atas relasi kuasa laki-laki. Pembahasan tentang relasi patriarki akan selalu menarik untuk dikaji. Melalui drama ini, kita bisa melihat sebuah tradisi bisa menjadi kebiasaan yang secara turun-menurun dan berurat-akar diturunkan dan dilakukan dari generasi ke generasi berikutnya tanpa ada keinginan untuk melepaskan diri dari belenggu tradisi yang membudaya yang berlaku di masyarakat tersebut.


Kata kunci: ideologi patriarki, relasi kuasa, tradisi


INTRODUCTION

            Drama is one of the great parts of literature which always attract people to enjoy it. It has some superior values such as a part of performing arts. The variety of themes made the development of drama is really lustrous. In 1970-1980, the theme was about poverty for the lowest and middle group in Indonesia. In 1990 until now, the theme tends to be variation, but still relates with the problem of humans in the society.[1]
            The problem of poverty arose two main attitudes and behaviors, they are critical mind toward government policy and the deviation done by the government institution and the aparatus. It became worse when those bad characters also followed by desperate attitude which made the poverty be metaphysic problems. They did not protest with the destiny; they tend to accept all the conditions even they can make it up.[2] It also can be seen through Tsunami effects for Acehnesse reflected in drama Preh.
            The same with drama Kena Batunye that is also from the collection of drama Tiga Naskah Drama, Hasil Lokakarya Perempuan Penulis Naskah Drama, drama Preh also takes the women’s problem which is seen from the women perspective mixed with the beauty of local culture. If drama Kena Batunye reveals about Poligami that is much influenced by Betawi culture, moreover in drama Preh takes the Acehnesse problem when they have to be waiting their beloved men (can be their son or husband) after Tsunami happened.
            Drama Preh written by Asma Nadia became one of the winners in Lokakarya Penulisan Drama held by Dewan Kesenian Jakarta at six areas around 2004/2005. Ratna Sarumpaet as the the script writer of drama and also as the Chairman of Dewan Kesenian Jakarta said that the position of women on the Indonesia Theatre Stage has experienced an empty period for a long time. She wants Indonesian women can become the pioneer in writing the script of drama not only as the facilitator and the assistant for the Indonesian man script writer. Becoming the central of substance which will be expressed on the stage, determined the color, form, spirit and soul on the stage in the future. That is supposed to be the women’s role to contribute to the advance of Indonesia drama.[3]
            Drama Preh is a tragic drama consists of five parts. Preh has a meaning waiting (in Aceh) is a symbol of in between position, a territory between (betwixt and between). It is stated between exist and no exist, one territory that causes a liminality problem.[4] In this drama, all the women characters put on that positions, the only different is the variation of the intensity. Among the other characters, the character Limah is the main trapped character in this situation.
            All the characters in this drama are women. The existence of men characters only are represented by Zein; while the character Father, Cutbang and Bang Nurdin are present through the story from other characters. After looking all those conflicts, the writer are interested to compare the women characters one to another related with the men characters, which are present direct or indirect in the story.
II. ANALYSIS
1. The character of Mak
            Mak is one of the women characters who has already 50 years old and lived in   very difficult condition in Aceh. She lives and thinks in patriarchy ideology. This ideology was inherited and internalized to her daughters implicitly, especially to Limah.
            This ideology really appears when Mak always be patient in waiting her son, Cutbang, even she has two daughters, Bibah and Limah. Bibah wants to let their village, Kajhu to get some better life. Moreover, Mak has known that probably Cutbang is died, but she still insists herself to stay in the kampong. This information is revealed by Cutbang’s friend, Zein. Zein has been looking for Cutbang starting from Takengon until Langsa (p. 28). In fact, there is not any information about Cutbang. The social construction that is full with patriarchy insists Mak not leaved Kajhu. For Mak, this kampong, hometown, mother village (feminist area) has given her a life, husband and son (masculine) also two daughters which she neglected. The two daughters were put in the lower position than men. As a result, when the masculinity symbolized through her husband and son leaved, Mak is alike lost her life, her soul. These sentences describe Mak’ suffer when she thinks that she has lost her main hope in her life:
            “Saat kehilangan laki-laki pertama dalam hidup Mak, Mak mencoba tegar, karena menganggap itu adalah sesuatu yang biasa terjadi, toh laki-laki itu sudah menurunkan kepada Mak seorang laki-laki lagi, juga dua anak perempuan. Tapi ketika laki-laki pemberiannya itu pun harus pergi, membawa semua harapan yang lama Mak bangun, …”.[5]

            Mak is described to keep staying in her kampong even she has persuaded to leave it by some refugee who passed her house. Furthermore, Mak still does not torment even she has to face the terrible death. Mak prefer waits her only son to save her life and her two daughters. The interesting part is Limah also agrees with that decision. The only person who resists with that decision is Bibah. It is really a choice which is connected with phalusentris orientation. The man is described has over power through woman’s life. The saddest thing is when the man does not exist, the power still can push Mak and her two daughters to stay and wait without any certainty.

2. The character of Limah
            Limah is the youngest daughter of Mak who has already 25 years old. Limah is described as a patient, fully attention and very close to her mother. Limah is presented as an ideal woman in man’s eye. She is a beautiful, young and obedient woman. In her power relation with the man, Limah always place herself as a subordinate position. With her brother, Cutbang, she always put herself as the saving sister. Cutbang acts as her savior for her life, financial and physical (p. 13). Meanwhile Zein, Limah always depend on Cutbang. Actually, Limah can find her bother through her relations but she kept asking for help to Zein every day.
            Limah’s character is being trapped on dilemmatic situation on the liminality position, they are between the decision to go to chase her dreams or keep staying in her kampong waiting for her brothers. Limah has a lot of confusing thoughts, if she will leave the kampong so she will let her mother stay alone but if she keep staying, she can not actualize herself. It is because she wants to teach at Meunasah (Moslem school in Aceh) in other area in Aceh. The previous meunasah in her kampong was destroyed by Tsunami.
            The relation of power between Cutbang and Limah through Mak has power to kill herself or even the actualization potential. The worst thing is can uproot her rights as a woman. This relation has impeded her to search the happiness to marry with Zein. In fact, she knew that Zein has loved her silently through Zein’s attitude and Bibah’s satire. Limah is too busy to think about her brother and her mother’s happiness without thinking her happiness. Toward Limah’s attitude, we can see that Limah’s choice was oriented in phalusentris. The man who did not exsist had power to control women’s life. The greatest part is the man power has made Limah never stop to embody her dreams.

3. The character of Bibah
            Bibah is the second daughter of Mak who is 28 years old. She has a tough, temperament, impulsive, indifferent and careless character. She is not like Limah who has an ideal type for a woman. Bibah is not as beautiful as Limah. Bibah is quite brave in asking and fighting against through the discriminative threat given by Mak. If Limah insists to stay, it is not happened to Bibah. Bibah changed her mind after going back to the refugee camp, she tried to search Cutbang. She did not want to only wait without knowing the certainty.
            The character of Bibah is really different with other women characters in this drama. Limas is described as a character who really knows her real wish and dreams, in order to achieve those matters she kept fighting to chase them, not only kept waiting like others. Bibah’s sentences reflect the point of surfeited which has tight herself and intend to stay away for her kampong.
            Kalau begitu sampaikanlah dengan caramu, bahwa saya tak bisa terus menunggu, apalagi jika tak jelas sampai kapan harus menunggu.[6]

Bisa gila saya kalau menunggu terus! Orang harus berusaha mengubah keadaan, bukannya diam. Apa tak lihat orang-orang yang mengungsi? Bahkan Haji Leman yang kaya, punya took mas yang besar, dan kemana-mana selalu berkendaraan, saya dengar rela tidur berhimpit-himpit dengan banyak macam orang di pengungsian. Ini malah … Heh … Pokoknya saya tak bisa terus larut dalam kesedihan. Saya harus pergi.[7]

Bibah also thinks that she never gets enough love and affection from Mak. She thought Mak only gave attention to Cutbang and Limah. Moreover, by knowing Mak intention to keep staying in her house and did not want to join with other refugee arose her spirit to leave.
Limah, cuma kamu anak perempuan kesayangannya. Mak selalu pilih kasih. Hanya kamu dan Cutbang. Saya tak pernah dapat tempat di hati Mak. Apa karena saya tak secantik kamu? Apa karena saya tak pernah menyenangkan Mak? Apa karena saya tak selalu menuruti apa kata Mak? Apalagi setelah Cutbang hilang. Cuma dia saja yang Mak risaukan sekarang. …[8]

Seen Bibah effort to fight the resistence over the power relation by leaving her mother and sisters is not really pure a feminist realization. Bibah has ambivalent action when she takes to the decision. This action is not merely because she wants to show her resistance to her brother, Cutbang and her mother and sisters; but because she is afraid when Bang Nurdin will postpone in marrying her. In her mind, Bang Nurdin will be fallen in love to other woman if she does not follow Bang Nurdin. (p.12). This matter is also influenced by the culture values when woman must marry before 30s. And Bibah is almost thirty years old. For the villagers, those ages was not categorized as young ages anymore, it comes to the limitation for the girls to get marry, to release her status become a wife for a man. This matter is really fixed with the villagers thought whose still have those opinion tightly and made it become a strict rule for their daughters. No body tried to change the determined tradition; even some of them disagree with that tradition. They have a tendency to be agreed.
            In other side, Bang Nurudin shows the different attitude. He does not want to join with Zein to see Bibah in Kajhu. He tends to go to Medan alone without asking permission to Bibah. This behavior is not proper when Bang Nurdin really love Bibah. Through Bang Nurdin behavior, we can see Bibah also participates to form unparallel relationship between man and woman. Bibah also strength the patriarchy ideology because she thought that it is the woman job to keep a relationship not the man did. It is included when he leaved the family and searched for her couple, meanwhile the man does not have to do the same like the woman does.

4. The character of Cut Intan
            The role of Cut Intan in this drama seem not appear directly; but this character cannot be neglected. Cut Intan is a woman character described to strength Bibah desire to leave the kampong. Cut Intan goes farther than other girls, she decided to go to Jakarta. Jakarta is famous with a big metropolitan city that offers hopes and dreams for the villagers. Jakarta is symbolized as the achievement for the villagers who can be the conqueror. Cut intan decision by leaving the kampong and find a new place shows an effort of a woman to struggle their choice. Through Cut Intan character, the script writers wants to reveal that the woman can do and chase their dreams, hopes and ambitions. They are deserved to have the same attitude like the man had.

III. SUMMARY
            Among the four characters in this drama, the writer can summarize that there are three characters related with the men power relation. The first type is the fight of a woman who tried to run away from the bound of ideology patriarchy. It is represented by Cut Intan and Bibah. Even Bibah also has an ambivalent character but she has tried to release from this matter. The second type is the typical of woman who made the ideology patriarchy kept continued over and over; they never tried to release from this boundary. This position is presented by Mak’s character. And the last type is the kind of women who has in the intersection position, they place themselves between the invention and the rebellion toward patriarchy values and gave up over men’s power at the end. This character is represented by Limah. One character who has in between situation; it can be expressed in this drama, Preh means Waiting. Through all the women characters revealed in this drama, we still can see the varieties of women character in the kampong with their own strict mind, being trapped by patriarchy ideology strictly and also there are others who want to release and find new way of thought and life.

REFERRENCE:
Dipayana, Agus. Arya (penyunting) 2005. Tiga Naskah Drama. Hasil Lokakarya Perempuan Penulis Drama. Jakarta: Dewan Kesenian Jakarta.
Nadia, As,a. 2005. Preh (dalam Tiga Naskah Drama, Hasil Lokakarya Perempuan Penulis Naskah Drama). Jakarta: Dewan Kesenian Jakarta.
Sumardjo, Jakob. 1992. Perkembangan Teater Modern dan Sastra Drama Indonesia. Bandung: Citra Aditya Bakti.
Turner, Victor. 1985. The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-structure. New York: Cornell University Press.



[1] Sumardjo, Bandung: 1992, page 363.
[2] Sumardjo, Bandung: 1992, page 363
[3] Dipayana, Jakarta: 2005, page. iv
[4] Tucker, New York: 1985, page. 95
[5] Nadia, Jakarta: 2005, page. 31
[6] Nadia, Jakarta: 2005, page. 6
[7] Nadia, Jakarta: 2005, page 9
[8] Nadia, Jakarta: 2005, page 12

Sebuah Essay atas Cerpen karya ROIDAH PEMBANTU & PELACUR


Sebuah Essay atas Cerpen karya ROIDAH
PEMBANTU & PELACUR


Hiqma Nur Agustina


Tiada henti Parni mengagumi kecantikan majikannya, Serenita, dari ujung rambut hingga ke ujung kaki. Tubuh yang bertinggi seimbang dengan berat badan dan berbalutkan blus tanpa lengan berwarna merah marun dan rok hitam setengah paha itu, dipandangnya lekat-lekat. Serenita sedang menyapukan spon besar ke pipinya. Lalu rambutnya yang bergelombang disisirnya ulang, serta blusnya ditarik-tariknya sedikit sehingga menyatu dengan atasan roknya yang berenda putih. Parni yang duduk di lantai kamar Serenita sambil menunggui majikannya itu selesai berdandan, teringat akan boneka Barbie. Serenita diibaratkannya seperti boneka tersebut, namun berambut hitam.
            Demikian petikan paragraf dari cerpen Pembantu dan Pelacur karya Roidah, yang menjadi judul kumpulan cerpennya. Petikan ini membawa pada suatu nuansa cerita dengan kekentalan bahasa berbau visualisasi atas diri perempuan. Lewat deskripsi kemolekan dan kecantikan fisik khas perempuan malam yang bernama Serenita semakin membuat cerpen ini kaya akan penokohan tokoh perempuan yang cenderung dilihat dari penampilan lahiriahnya saja.
            Pengarang cerita ini lewat cerpennya berhasil mengangkat karakter tokohnya menjadi tokoh sentral yang berusaha untuk melepaskan beban dan penderitaan hidup melalui jalan pintas, yaitu dengan bunuh diri. Hal ini dikarenakan kekelaman masa lalu yang mencengkeram hidup Serenita, membantingnya tanpa daya ke atas tanah sehingga dia tidak dapat berpikir secara waras untuk menemukan jalan keluar yang terbaik bagi hidupnya. Kerinduan Serenita akan cinta dan kehidupan yang normal seolah menyadarkan dirinya bahwa Parni, pembantunya, jauh lebih terhormat ketimbang dirinya.
            Cerpen ini menempatkan dua orang perempuan yang karena mempunyai kesamaan nasib, sama-sama berasal dari kampung dan mempunyai latar belakang pendidikan yang rendah, yang pertama adalah Serenita yang mempunyai nama kecil Sarti yang kemudian mengubah namanya menjadi Serenita memiliki masa lalu yang kelam atas peristiwa pemerkosaan atas ayah tirinya. Serenita hanya seorang lulusan SMP tanpa memiliki keterampilan apapun untuk bekal hidup di kota metropolitan Jakarta, dia kemudian terperosok sebagai perempuan malam sedangkan perempuan yang kedua adalah Parni, sosok perempuan lugu yang baru berumur 15 tahun yang bekerja sebagai pembantu di rumah Serenita majikannya, yang merasa beruntung atas segala kebaikan yang diperolehnya selama bekerja dan mengabdi di rumah Serenita. Suatu hal manusiawi yang tidak diperolehnya di tempat sebelumnya dimana dia pernah bekerja.
            Sebagaimana pernah dikemukakan oleh Budi Darma, baik novel maupun cerpen popular yang terkenal di Indonesia yang pada umumnya ditulis oleh penulis-penulis perempuan justru mengukuhkan ideologi jender dan memposisikan perempuan sebagai subordinasi laki-laki. Dengan demikian, salah satunya dalam cerpen yang berjudul Pembantu & Pelacur, tokoh perempuannya merupakan “korban” dan merupakan “pihak yang menderita”.
            Tokoh mempunyai arti penting dalam cerita karena tokoh-tokoh tersebut saling berhubungan sehingga menimbulkan konflik yang akan membawanya pada masalah-masalah yang menjadi dasar cerita. Kedua tokohnya terlibat intensif dalam setiap peristiwa yang muncul dalam cerita ini. Lebih lanjut lagi, dapat dikatakan bahwa model penderitaan tokoh perempuan dalam cerpen ini. Lebih lanjut lagi, dapat dikatakan bahwa model penderitaan tokoh perempuan dalam cerpen ini mengemukakan bahwa ideologi jender pada umumnya menempatkan perempuan sebagai jender kelas dua sehingga perempuan terposisikan sebagai subordinasi laki-laki. Hal ini dapat dilihat dari tokoh Serenita yang pekerjaannya selalu dikaitkan dengan ketergantungannya terhadap lelaki hidung belang yang “memakai” tubuhnya hanya sebagai alat pemuas nafsu sesaat. Ketakutannya untuk berhenti dari pekerjaannya yang telah dia lakoni selama tiga tahun dan juga kenikmatan serta kemewahan yang telah dia jalani semakin memperkuat anggapan bahwa perempuan hanya terkondisikan sebagai makhluk yang lemah, tidak dapat mandiri, dan selalu tergantung kepada laki-laki.
            Tokoh perempuan dalam cerpen Pembantu & Perempuan dapat dikatakan merupakan gambaran makhluk kelas dua sehingga keduanya seakan tidak memiliki hak pilih untuk menentukan pilihan terhadap pekerjaan yang diinginkan. Sosok Serenita yang tidak memiliki keterampilan apapun dan ditempa dengan kekelaman masa lalu dan pekerjaan yang dia lakoni saat ini semakin menenggelamkan dirinya ke dalam dunia hitam yang kelam. Sedangkan sosok Parni sebagai pembantu yang lugu dan mengagumi sosok cantik Serenita sebagai figur yang didambakan oleh banyak perempuan adalah seorang perempuan desa yang tidak memiliki pilihan atas pekerjaan yang dapat dijadikan sandaran hidup. Orangtuanya tidak mempunyai uang untuk menjadikan hidup Parni lebih baik dari sekarang. Setamat sekolah dasar, dia langsung mencari uang demi ikut membiayai hidup keempat adiknya di kampung.
            Kehadiran tokoh dalam cerita ini berfungsi memberikan gambaran karakter setiap tokoh. Kehadiran tokoh secara langsung membuat pembaca berpikir kreatif untuk menentukan gambaran tokoh yang ada dan secara tidak langsung dapat menuntun pembaca untuk dapat mengetahui bagaimana karakter tokoh yang sesuai dengan teks Pembantu & Perempuan.
            Dua tokoh utama yang ada adalah tokoh yang secara intensif terlibat dalam peristiwa yang membangun cerita. Dari awal sampai akhir kedua tokoh ini selalu hadir dan berinteraksi satu sama lain. Hal yang menarik dalam cerpen Pembantu & Perempuan ini adalah kondisi akhir yang digambarkan cukup tragis dengan kematian Serenita yang membunuh dirinya sendiri karena tidak sanggup menahan penderitaan batin akibat beban berat yang ditanggungnya sebagai konsekuensi logis atas pekerjaan yang dia jalani sebagai perempuan malam. Tindakan bunuh diri ini semakin memperkokoh pandangan sebagian masyarakat Indonesia yang masih menganut feodalisme, bahwa perempuan adalah makhluk yang lemah, yang hanya pasrah pada nasib sehingga tidak dapat mencari jalan keluar terbaik atas segala persoalan pelik yang menimpa hidupnya. Yang tentu saja hal ini sangat berlawanan dengan isu-isu feminisme yang dihembuskan dewasa ini yang berusaha menjadikan perempuan sebagai sosok yang kuat dan setangguh laki-laki dalam segala hal.
            Implikasi dari cerpen ini adalah menggambarkan sosok perempuan yang dijadikan sebagai makhluk lemah atau makhluk yang dapat dipermainkan oleh laki-laki. Karena kekurangan materi perempuan rela menjual dirinya demi kelangsungan hidup. Padahal, kalau kita dapat memanfaatkan dan menggali potensi yang lain yang diberikan Tuhan kepada setiap makhluk ciptaannya, hal semacam itu tidak akan terjadi.
Daftar Pustaka
Roidah, 2005. Pembantu & Pelacur, Sebuah Kumpulan Cerpen. Yogyakarta: Labuh.

Parallelism in the Novel The Bonesetter’s Daughter: Representation of East Women who are in the West


Parallelism in the Novel The Bonesetter’s Daughter:
Representation of East Women who are in the West


Hiqma Nur Agustina, SS, M. Hum, M. Si
Dosen Tetap Yayasan Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris FKIP UNIS Tangerang


Abstrak

Banyak novel karya penulis perempuan Cina beredar di tengah-tengah penikmat sastra dewasa ini. Karya penulis perempuan Cina ini sedikit banyak mengetengahkan beragam isu dan permasalahan yang berkaitan dengan tradisi dan budaya Cina. Seperti halnya novel yang menjadi bahasan dalam tulisan ini yang berjudul The Bonessetter’s Daughter karya Amy Tan juga memaparkan konflik para perempuan Cina yang mewakili perempuan Timur yang tinggal di wilayah Barat. Barat disini direpresentasikan oleh Amerika, sebuah wilayah yang kita kenal sebagai wilayah yang menjunjung tinggi pola hidup dan pemikiran yang liberal. Konflik yang mengemuka dipaparkan dalam bentuk parallel atau kesamaan nasib antara perempuan yang muda usia dan yang sudah berumur dan juga representasi perempuan muda Cina yang tinggal dan berada di wilayah Barat.


Key words: Parallelism, Representation, East, West


Introduction

            Parallelism is the aspects in human’s life which can be formed as the background, the conflict or problems that happened in coincidence or not. According to Cuddon, parallelism is a matter that stay contiguous one to another. The novel The Bonesetter’s Daughter is a novel written by a Chinese woman, Amy Tan which reveals about parallelism between the main characters, Ruth Young and her mother, Luling Liu Young.
            The similarities or parallelism of destiny and the conflict of life between these characters made the novel are really interesting. Tradition and the Chinese culture are represented well connected with the position of the writer that is a Chinese. She does really understand about the detail of her tradition and culture and that made this novel can present the unity of Chinese culture.
            This writing has purpose to discuss the parallelism in the novel The Bonesetter’s Daughter and the representation of East Women who are staying in the West. The representation of East Women is revealed as an effort to show the characterization of women who are searching for their personality and identity in the country which is full with multiculturalism aspect.

The Bonessetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan
           
            The Bonessetter’s Daughter tells about Ruth Young is a Chinese woman stayed in America and worked as “a book doctor”, one term for someone who is able to translate and help other people to put one’s idea or thought into a book. Sometimes Ruthie or Lu Yi (a nick name called by her mother because she can not pronounce Ruth correctly) can produce a better book that the person who order it.
            The The Bonesetter’ Daughter tried to describe the relationship between a mother and her daughter (Luling and Ruth Young) who are not close and harmonious because of her mother burden in the past time which is haunted her all the time. It made their relationship was stuck in a long time. They always have different opinion and way of thought in facing one matter. To understand one to another is not easy for them, they have to passing through all the journeys and conflicts become united.

Parallelism in The Bonesetter’s Daughter
            The matter will be discussed in this paper is about parallelism which is able to arise irritated problem among the characters. The first parallelism in this novel is alike a curse that is pre-marriage relationship between Luling’s mother, Precious Auntie and her lover. From this pre-marriage was born Luling. The same thing also happened by Ruth and her lover, Art. They were not bound in the legal or legitimate marriage. They live together because they have sameness in the name of love, friendship and wish in the beginning of their relationship. Those could make their relationship everlasting.
            The conflict arose when Art’s children (Fia and Dory) from his first marriage always think that Ruth is the main person who makes everything become complicated and difficult for their life.
            It is based on Ruth’s habits which tend to count every action in the number of one until ten. As we know, this tradition is inherited by Chinese culture. The differences between Ruth and her mother in the first parallelism is the presence of a child in Luling’s mother and her lover, Baby Uncle that is Ruth. Meanwhile the love relationship between Ruth and Art does not get descent. It was because they were not young anymore at that time so it is impossible to have a baby from their relationship.
            The feeling of uncomfortable and shame born from pre-marriage relationship is enough disturbed Luling. She felt really depressed and she kept revealing her background of life through writings not communicate direct with her only daughter, Ruth. The difference point of view in thinking about Luling’s fact is “a child from pre-marriage” also made the different factor for Ruth and Luling.
            These differences were from the time where they lived and their way of thinking. Ruth lives in the modern time and tends to think modernly while Luling was from the past period and tent to think about superstitious, ghost, and curse. Those matters were always believed by Luling. She has a way of thinking in conventional way.  
            In the time when Luling knew some truths kept secret about who is her real mother, the story about her mother, Precious Auntie, and her status which is very different with her own mind become the paradox with her condition that lives in the super power country, America. America is a symbol of freedom for everybody who really need and dream about it. America is also a representation of a liberal country that famous with the people who never influence too much in other’s people business.
            The second parallelism in the novel is the conflict happened in the relationship between mother and child. The first conflict is between Precious Auntie – Luling. This conflict arose because Luling does not know who Precious Auntie and her position in her family is. Since the tragic event was experienced by Precious Auntie that is the death of Baby Uncle, the candidate of husband and father for her baby in her stomach made she is introvert to other people. Another event was the attack done by the mask robber before her weeding is meant to fail it. One of the suspects is Chang, the maker of dead box who felt bad hurt and bear a grudge when his proposal refused by Precious Auntie.
            Knowing Baby Uncle and her father were killed in that attack. Precious Auntie also intended to kill herself by drinking hot ink liquid. As the result, her beautiful face changed into burnt and ugly face. Moreover, she got a name a Burnt Wood, a Fried Mouth and many more. This name actually for a joke for Ruth, but for she herself it was really cruel and improper.
            There was a specific moment before Precious Auntie killed herself in tragic way, she wrote a letter for Luling. The letter consists of a message explained that she is Luling’s real mother, not the mother that Luling has known for a long time before. Precious Auntie was also a mother for Gao Ling, a first child from her first uncle and her wife. But because of the self-ego owned by Luling, she insisted to get married with Chang’s son, someone who already killed her father. Since that moment, Luling always be haunted by the guilty feeling. For Luling, the ghost of Precious Auntie always asked her responsibility. This matter made her keep trying to kill herself if her daughter, Ruth started not to obey her.
            The second conflict is about the relationship between Ruth – Luling. They do not have a compatible and harmonious relationship, Luling never tried to understand Ruth’s need and it also happened to Ruth. It is because Ruth always postpones in searching a translator to translate the pieces of paper consists of her mother background of life.
            Luling was told married twice in the novel, the first was with Pan Jaik King, a geologist; and the second was with Edwind Young, Ruth’s father. Kai Jing died because of the cruel abuse done by Japanese soldier. This soldier insisted him to tell where the Communist gone. There was Japanese’ colonial over China which brought great impact for Chinese at that period.
            Little Ruth felt that as the only child for a widow, she always being insisted to become the communicator for Luling. Her ability in speaking English is very minimal and she needs Ruth as her translator. And Ruth never realized that her ability in organizing words because of the training done by Luling. Ruth’s father, Edwind Young was died because of the car’s accident. A car hit him when he was passing through the pedestrian’s way. As the result, Luling guessed the death of her husband because of the curse again. The same curse also made little Ruth’s elbow was broken when she was playing in her school.
            The third parallelism in the novel is when Precious Auntie hides her status as the real mother of Luling. She did this way to cover her scandal because she had a daughter without a husband. The same thing done by Luling; she also hides her status as a daughter of unmarried spouse to Ruth. According to Ruth, a secret for her mother is really shame and become an incredible disgrace which cannot be consumed by the public but not for her. It is because Ruth stays in America which is accustomed with the tradition of living together without the bound of legally marriage.

            Did she fear that her own daughter would be ashamed that Luling was illegitimate? Ruth would have assured her that there was no shame, that it was practically fashionable these days to be born a love child (p. 32).
           
According to Luling, having a predicate as “ an illegitimate child” became a great disgrace that is really embarrassing. One huge blessing she got when she could write a Chinese beautiful words from Precious Auntie. This great talent is needed by China immigrant who tried to get luck to stay in America. The strong will and her tight character made her getting upset, envy and angry to Gao Ling, her cousin that she thought as her brother. Luling felt she never gets a fair threat from her mother in law. It was happened since the death of Edwin, her husband. In the reality, because Luling did not have a son from her marriage so her daughter can not continue to bring the name of the family. In Chinese tradition, only the son will continue and bring the name of family and it does not happen to the daughter. In other side, Gao Lin’s husband, Edmund Young was thought as the descent which had a bigger part of the inheritance.

The Representation of East Women who are in the West
            Besides parallelism, this novel also reveals about representation of East Women who are in the West. Representations show the way one person can be a representation of one thing; it can be a place, a period, a tradition, a subject and many other things. This representation is showed by Luling and Ruth Young.
These two characters in this novel are the representation of East women who tried to entrust their faith and kept searching for their personality in West. West here is represented by America. For the East woman especially Chinese, Luling is described to burry her past time and tried to look for a new life in the modern country. Of course it will not be easy to be done if she kept staying in China. Luling tends to represent East culture which does not agree with the way of life in America; such as living together as a spouse without any bound of legitimate marriage. Unfortunately it is done by her daughter, Ruth.

            “Long time ‘go, you first meet him, I tell you, Why you live together first? You do this, he never marry you. You remember? Oh, now you thinking, Ah, Mother right. Live together, now I just leftover, easy throw away. Don’t embarrass. You be honest.” (p. 316).

            Meanwhile for Ruth herself, she tends to stay together with a man without any legitimate marriage. The experience of failure in having relationship with her first spouse, Paul Shinn made her thinking over in order not to marry with her legal spouse. According to her, West territory where she stays now giving many choices to determine her own life included her status of marriage with a man she loved.
            There is one interesting point in this novel, even Ruth also has contribution to determine the way of the relationship with Art but still Ruth’s position is the secondary sex. She becomes the victim of patriarchy relation and she never realizes it. Her realization arose when she decided to move and stay in her mother’s house. She realized that she never has enough time to have her own privacy time. She is only busy taking care with Art and Art’s children. The daily routines such as doing households task, preparing Art and his children’s needs and also with her busy time in working which give a huge role with her money to support the family’s needs made her forgot to enjoy her time. She really forgets to get her real happiness.
            The representation Luling as the East woman is described very clear with the belief through ghost, Precious Auntie’s embittered soul. One thing which has paradox side can we find in the modern life in America. Luling’s belief to soul and ghost Precious Auntie reduce a little bit when she gets married with Kai Jing. Kai Jing is rather able to change Luling’s way of thinking in order not to believe superstitious matters. But, it just changed when Kaing is died, Luling returns to be back with her old belief, really trust the existence of ghost that is the presence of Precious Auntie’s ghost in her life. This matter influences the little Ruth until the adult Ruth. She also becomes the victim of her mother’s influence that is really believed in the presence of ghost Precious Auntie in their life.
            The realization to returns to the real life could be achieved when Ruth realized that her missing voice that happened in every month not because of the curse. Her ability in producing her voice is not controlled by the curse, falling star or even disease. Ruth can get her ability as a writer because she felt that she has many reasons to write. She realized it much that her real mother is the person who really loves and thinks about her so many times. She never thinks about it before. Luling gets her realization and happiness when she could appreciate and thinks the importance of apologizing to others included to Ruthie or Luyi, her only beloved daughter.

Conclusion
            This novel presents the parallelisms among the characters in some ways such as the background of character themselves and also the conflicts or even the problems in daily life. The interesting part in this novel is the presentation of the way of life of people which tend to “free’ for the East women and it is applied when they stay in West (America). Freedom is the symbol of human rights that is echoed in this super power country. They are not really tight in the limitation of East culture which is full with conventional values. For example: living together without legally marriage is a taboo in East culture; but, again it does not become the biggest problem in West. Free is really “free” to determine everything they want or embody whatever, wherever and whenever. Nobody will care about other people’s business. No wonder, there is a tendency for people who live in abroad to be independent in doing many ways.
            This novel really describes the position of women not only as the helping character but they can become the main characters who really have the important portion in the story. The realization that happiness could be had when someone can reveal her secret and privacy life and become the part of someone who really in love can be a great lesson for every humans. Besides, forgetting the bad side and forgiving are the key success to get happiness; those are done by Luling and Ruth.
            The representation of East women who are in the West with all the different aspects of life also influence people’s thought. It cannot be denied that the mindset of East women who stay in East area will be different than East women who are staying in West area. Those different mindsets will bring huge impact for each people in facing and thinking one matter. The nicest part is when the characters can come to the resolution for the problems that they had and haunted their life before. 

References:

Cuddon, J. A. 1987. A Dictionary of Literary Terms. Revised Edition. USA: Penguin Books.
Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia. 2003. Edisi Ketiga. Pusat Pengembangan Bahasa Departemen Pendidikan Nasional. Jakarta: PT. Balai Pustaka.
Tan, Amy. 2003. The Bonessetter’s Daughter. New York: The Ballantine Publishing Group.