Tugas THE REAL WOMAN SIDE IN ARMIJN PANE’S NOVEL BELENGGU

   Sarah Fitri Rabbani

1211503125

Bahasa Sastra Inggris/V/D

UIN Sunan Gunung Djati

THE REAL WOMAN SIDE IN ARMIJN PANE’S NOVEL

BELENGGU

            The discussion about woman is timeless. Every period the discussion about woman has its ‘magnet’ to make people interest on it. Woman has the uniqueness which makes her become an interesting object of the discussion. The uniqueness of woman can be seen from her sides in which woman has many sides.

            For a long time woman is considered as the weakness creature. Woman becomes an object of the oppression because woman is considered powerless. The powerless of woman make some people underestimate her. Those thoughts have occurred in the society for a long time moreover until now woman is still considered like that.

            The thoughts of woman in which woman is weakness, powerless, make woman is treated improperly. Woman is considered as the precisely object of the oppression. It also makes woman rely on man. This problem has a connection to gender inequality. Talking about gender inequality certainly we know that man has a higher position than woman as Ridgeway (1992) states that the basic problem of gender inequality is the distribution of power between men and women, men have greater power than women.  Woman is considered doesn’t have the ability like man. Instead in the past, before emancipation, woman doesn’t have a freedom like man. Woman becomes shackle with those thoughts. The woman’s thought is always constructed by man thus woman doesn’t have her own real thought.

The enlightenment comes along with Mary Wollstonecraft’s thoughts about the role of woman. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman which published in 1792 is Mary Wollstonecraft’s work. In A Vindication of the Rights of Woman Mary asks and reveals about the role of woman. Mary’s thought through her work is considered as the early feminist thought and work. Mary makes some questions about the role of woman and one of them is why woman retreat like that. Then Mary also reveals what woman should do.

As has been talked earlier, woman always retreats improperly. Improperly here means that woman has powerless position in society. In society, especially for man, there is assumption that woman without man is nothing. They always underestimate woman’s ability. In fact in colonialism era, especially in Indonesia, woman is banned to get education. Woman is always fooled. Woman’s thoughts are restricted. Woman’s thoughts and feelings are ignored. Those common problems of woman makes Mary wants to change the woman’s thought that woman should has her own thought and her stance. Thus that is a real woman should do.

Armijn Pane’s Belenggu (2010) is really fascinating because it shows us the other side of women. As we know that woman is identical with the powerless, weakness, and doesn’t have her stance, however Belenggu is really different from those assumptions. Belenggu shows that there is a side of woman which makes woman looks as a real woman. Mary Wollstonecraft’s thought about the role of woman is really showed by the main character of woman. There are two main characters of women, the first is Tini and the second is Rohayah (aka Ny. Eni, or Siti Hayati).

In Armijn Pane’s Belenggu, two main characters of women, Tini and Rohayah show the real woman side. The real woman side means that Tini and Rohayah’s thought and behavior shows as the real woman. Abrams (1999) clearly defines characters as the persons represented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with particular moral, intellectual, and emotional qualities by inferences from what the persons say and their distinctive ways of saying it—the dialogue—and from what they do—the action. Thus the message of the story is expressed by the characters. The woman characters of Tini and Rohayah show that even woman in the weak position and in the oppression of the man, woman is actually strong. Strong woman is the woman who has strong thought and stance. It is accordance with the theory of Mary Wollstonecraft about the role of woman.

According to Mary Wollstonecraft in Nurrachman that “we must, at least, have our curiosity excited by knowing, in some degree, what we admire; …(Nurrachman, 2013: 88)”. Woman must has knowledge. Mary wants woman becomes intellect thus she can has her own thought without is constructed by the man. “Education thus only supplies the man of genius with knowledge to give variety and contrast to his associations;……….. (Nurrachman, 2013;87)”. As Mary has revealed from the quotation above that man is always become number one to get education, but woman is not. It makes Mary wants women have desire to get knowledge like what the men get. The two characters of women in Belenggu, Tini and Rohayah, have the good thoughts. Both of them have a desire to acquire knowledge even from different ways. Tini is the educated woman. The quotations below indicated that Tini is well educated woman. Tini has a good position because of her education.

“Boleh jadi, dia dulu di Bandung, sekolah Lyceum (Belenggu, 2010; 109)”.

“Tadinya dalam angan-angan Tini dia akan berjumpa dengan perempuan biasa; perempuan yang dapat dikalahkannya dengan semangat saja, semangatnya sebagai perempuan yang berpelajaran…. (Belenggu, 131)”.

However Rohayah (or Siti Hayati) get knowledge in different way from Tini, Rohayah is not the educated woman. She gets knowledge from her experiences of being mistress. It is showed from this quotation “Kata Tini menyela: ‘pandai berfirasat..’ (Yah tersenyum, katanya seterusnya) ‘kuperoleh dalam pengalaman, di bawah kaki kehinaan.’ (Belenggu, 134)”. Tini who is the educated woman is stupefied when Rohayah give her opinion or her thoughts. Woman has to full of knowledge. Hence woman has her own thought, like Tini and Rohayah which have her own thoughts.

“Bukankah lakiku juga pergi sendirian? Mengapa aku tiada boleh? Apakah bedanya?” (Belenggu, 53).

 “Engkau boleh keluar-keluar, mengapa aku tidak? apa bedanya engkau dan aku? (Belenggu, 62)”.

The quotations above are showed that Tini questioning why there is an inequality between her and her husband, Sukartono. Tini’s thought about the role of woman in society life, could be called as feminism. Gamble (2006) defines feminism is the belief that women, purely and simply because they are women, are treated inequitably within a society which is organised to prioritise male viewpoints and concerns. Within this patriarchal paradigm, women become everything men are not (or do not want to be seen to be): where men are regarded as strong, women are weak; where men are rational, they are emotional; where men are active, they are passive; and so on. Tini feels that she is also have a same freedom like man.

“Kami lain, kami bimbing nasib kami sendiri, tiada hendak menanti rahmat laki-laki.” (Belenggu, 53).

The statement of Tini above expresses that she is not relies on man. Tini as if doesn’t need her husband because she still can do it everything even without her husband, Sukartono. It is accordance with what Mary Wollstonecraft reveals in Nurrachman that “……; and the confused consciousness of humility may render the dependent creature an interesting object, in some points of view ;….(Nurrachman, 2013: 88)”. Mary opens the mind of woman that woman can be the dependent creature. Woman doesn’t have to rely on man. The characters of Tini prove it. It obviously expresses the feminism side of Tini.

As has been talked earlier that woman as if is restricted in society life. Woman doesn’t have the freedom like man. Wollstonecraft claims in Nurrachman that “Females, in fact, denied all political privileges, and not allowed, as married women,…..(Nurrachman, 2013;91)”. Mary wants woman have the same opportunity with man in society life. Tini expresses what she feeling about the role of woman in this quotation “Aku berhak juga menyenangkan pikiranku, menggembirakan hatiku. Aku manusia juga yang berkemauan sendiri. (Belenggu, 53)”. Tini wants she feels the freedom for her feeling. Tini thinks that there is no different between man and woman. Man and woman have the same opportunity. However the society, especially the man still consider that it is not true. Sukartono, Tini’s husband, questioning “Mengapa Tini hendak berkemauan sendiri,… (125)”. What Tini done and Tini’s thought about her rights is considered taboo. Tini just wants to struggle for her right as woman. Tini’s thought is accordance with Madsen (2000) who reveals that feminism as authoritarian and invasive of individual rights. It is clear that Tini just wants to express herself as what she wants.

“Sikapnya tegap dan pasti, selalu dapat melakukan kehendaknya, menundukkan usul orang lain  (Belenggu, 69)”.

 “Aku mesti menang, kata hatinya dengan tegap (Belenggu, 85)”.

From the quotation above can be seen that Tini is strong-willed woman. It certainly makes her extraordinary because as a woman she dares to take the decisions. She has self confidence which makes her becomes persistent in her stance. Beside Tini, Rohayah also an extraordinary woman because she has the strong thoughts. Even though Rohayah is not educated woman, and just a mistress but Rohayah has the strong thoughts. It can be seen from the quotation below that Tini who has strong stance has been stupefied with Rohayah’s thoughts.

“Tadinya dalam angan-angan Tini dia akan berjumpa dengan perempuan biasa; perempuan yang dapat dikalahkannya dengan semangat saja, semangatnya sebagai perempuan yang berpelajaran………..Tidak disangka-sangka dia berhadapan dengan perempuan…yang diluar angan-angannya. (Belenggu, 131)”

 Wollstonecraft states in Nurrachman that “What satisfaction could a woman of delicacy promise herself in a union with such a man,………….Thus does Dryden describe the situation, ‘where love is duty, on female side,..’ (Nurrachman, 2013;89)”.

 “Memang Tini tidak senang mendengar kabar, Tono bergaul dengan perempuan lain (Belenggu, 129)”.

Woman is same with man, has the rights. Woman has the rights to feel satisfaction in the love relationship. Woman is also has heart which have to be respected. In the relationship, especially in love, there should be a deal that has to respect each other, love each other. Woman is not the party to endure the duty of love. Tini prove it. She is not satisfied with her relationship. Her husband Sukartono, has a mistress.

            Because of she feels not satisfied with her marriage, Tini with her strong stance makes a decision, it can be seen from the quotation “Tono, tidakkah baik kalau..….., kalau aku pergi saja. (Belenggu, 137)”. What Tini has done is accordance with what Wollstonecraft reveals in Nurrachman that “Were women more rationally educated, could they take a more comprehensive view of things, they would be contended to love but once in their lives;…… (Nurrachman, 2013;89)”. Tini is not a woman which relies on man. She has her own thought, her own stance. Thus, she is not afraid to make a decision to end her marriage with Sukartono. Moreover Tini emphatically says good bye to Hartono whom she loves so much, it can be seen from this quotation “Kata Tini dengan cepat…,tidak perlu dihiburkan, aku sendiri akan mendapat jalan, di tengah-tengah padang pasir, di hari panas ini. Selamat jalan…., beranikan hatimu (Belenggu, 117)”. Tini is the tough woman. She is tough because she has her stance.

 “Tidak, tinggallah, kamu akan berbaik juga, kalau aku sudah tidak ada lagi. (Belenggu, 135)”.

 “Ada kertas putih, bertulisan dengan tangan : Nyanyian selamat tinggal oleh Yah untuk Tono. (Belenggu, 144)”.

Same with Tini, Rohayah is not afraid to make a descision. She thinks that her relationship with Sukartono cannot be forever. The quotations above indicates that Rohayah feels that it is for the best if she left Sukartono. Even Rohayah loves Sukartono so much, but if it will hurt others she decide to left Tono. Rohayah has been in her stance. Rohayah is Strong in her own stance and thought.

            The assumptions that woman is weak, powerless are not true. Tini and Rohayah prove it. Tini and Rohayah are the real woman side in Belenggu. Their thought and behavior are accordance with Mary Wollstonecraft’s theory about the role of woman. The real woman has her own stance, without is constructed by the man. The real woman is the woman who liberalizes her own thought. That is what the woman should do.

References

Abrams, M.H. 1999. A Glossary of Literary Terms-7^th Ed. USA: Earl McPeek

Gamble, Sarah. 2006. The Routledge Companion to Feminism and Postfeminism. New York: Routledge.

Madsen, L. Deborah. 2000. Feminist Theory and Literary Practice. London. Pluto Press.

Nurrachman, Dian. 2013. Classical Critical Theory: A Student Course Book. Bandung: Elsa: Writes Publishing.

Pane, Armijn. 2010. Belenggu. Jakarta: Dian Rakyat.

Ridgeway, Cecilia L. 1992. Gender, Interaction, and Inequality. New York: Springer-Verlag.