IS IT TRUE THAT FEMINIST WHICH MADE LIFE EQUAL? WHICH SHOWED IN NOVEL BELENGGU

IS IT TRUE THAT FEMINIST WHICH MADE LIFE EQUAL? WHICH SHOWED IN NOVEL BELENGGU

By

Rizki Restu Permana

NIM: 1211503118

            Man and woman are same but different. Many people said that man is stronger and smarter than woman, but woman can accept that statement because woman also feel that they are can doing what man do. Modern feminism began with Mary Wollstonecraft’s in essay Vindications of Rights of Woman (1792) talk about gaffe of woman’s degree. In her essay began with questions that man like controlled woman in eighteen century. She asked in her essay why woman have to still at home and doing everything just at home like reading the novels which write by man, why woman become a foolish people who follow what man view. Wollstonecraft in a same essay talking about thing of inequality of woman especially in education, power and idea with several question of women thought that woman inequality with man.

Mary Wollstonecraft with her essay which become basic for the theory of feminism because many theory about feminism which based to Wollstonecraft like Walters (2005; 2) argued that feminists had hardly begun to articulate, let alone address, women’s special problems: issues to do with childbirth and child-rearing, or the strain on women who had to combine housework and/or childcare with work outside the home, its mean that Walter want to say that woman also not always for doing childbirth and child-rearing but also can doing something like man at outside at home.

This topic showed in Novel “Belenggu” by Armijn Pane which publish in 1991. Belenggu’s novel has interest side, because in this novel showing about problems of woman which relation with portraying society in 1940 era. Woman who was get educate want equality with man and this can made the tradition has grew on become dilapidate the tradition which has grew on.  

In feminism, Walters (2005; 2) argued that woman was fighting the tyranny of the patriarchal state as you are fighting the tyranny of the Fascist state. Its mean that woman was against a tyranny for her better future like in Belenggu’s novel, Tini who hoping Sukartono can be a good wife with stay at home and become servant for Sukartono although Sukartono was have a servant in his home but Sukartono need Tini stay at home but Tini choose be a career woman.

“Engkau boleh keluar-keluar, mengapa aku tidak? Apa bedanya engkau dan aku? Mestikah aku diam-diam duduk menjadi nona penjagga telepon dekat-dekat telepon? Aku kawin bukan hendak menjadi budak suruh-suruhanmu menjaga telepon. Buat apa bujang sebanyak itu disini?”(Belenggu; 65)

            That cited who Tini said that she need equality with man, because Tini as feminist in this novel against man superiority. She asking why man can do what he wants but woman can’t. Is like Wollstonecraft who asking why woman isn’t same with man. Tini said that he want do what man do, because Tini think that Sukartono has had a servant in his home, but Sukartono as man and husband need Tini be a special servant like give he attention like opened his shoes or at least give he some drink when Sukartono came home because Sukartono feel that if Tini can doing like that, Sukartono can feel so glad to back home.

Feminism is problem in all the world, because many woman in the world need equality of man because woman has a right for equality after she get same education not like Wollstonecraft era which woman didn’t get same education like woman just at home and just has one way to get education is with reading the novel and that novel is wrote by man. Walters (2005; 2) adding her argument that over the centuries, and in many different countries, women have spoken out for their sex, and articulated, in different ways, their complaints, their needs, and their hopes. Its mean that woman every country needs equality with man.

“….Selalu perempuan, perempuan yang mesti menyukakan hati orang, apa yang terasa dalam hati kecilku, tiada orang peduli, bukan buat itu orang menghampiri aku, untuk kata di bibir dia datang.”(Belenggu; 52)

            That cited can justified Walter’s argues that woman have spoken out for their sex, their complaint, their needs, and their hopes like Tini do/said. Tini complaint why always woman who have to make man glad and Tini as feminist in Belenggu’s novel need man also can made woman glad. From this we should know that Tini as feminist want against what that was happened toward her.

            In Belenggu’s novel also any woman whom obeys to the tradition in Indonesian or become traditional woman who’s not against man superiority like Tini, her name is Rohayah. Rohayah is talked as Traditional woman who always make Sukartono feel happy if meet or thinking about Rohayah, because Rohayah known how to make man feel glad with her obey. I think Pane made character of Rohayah in Belenggu  is want to comparing between traditional and modern woman that’s called feminist.

“Msih bangun, Yah,” Kata Tono dengan napas sesak.

Yah memeluknya. “Benar, Tono, aku menunggu engkau. Kau tadi rusuh, aku merasa kau akan datang lagi. Mengapa rusuh, Tono?” katanya membelai-belai Tono. (Belenggu; 97)

            That cited is showing that Rohayah as traditional woman is can make man or Tono feel happier, because man need woman be woman like Rohayah who obey to man. Rohayah had known what man need, that man need affection from woman like Rohayah give. Those mean that man can accept feminist like woman want become career woman. This why Sukartono more like live with Rohayah than live with his wife Tini, because Tono needs woman who can be woman ought to not become a feminist.

 Precy Bysshe Shelley’s in her essay, A Defense of Poetry said that imagination is more important than reason, its mean that feeling is more important than knowledge. It same very different with feminism that reason of woman is have to equal, but in the accent of woman, woman is more use her heart than her reason.

“Kawin dengan cinta, memang itulah yang harus menjadi cita-cita, tetapi cinta belum tentu membawa kita kejalan kawin. Lihatlah aku, bukankah dahulu …” tidak, biarlah kutulis: “siapa keras hati, akan mendapat kehendaknya. Kita perempuan masih segan diejek orang, tiada tahan diperkatakan orang dikatakan tiada laku. Apakah perlunya kita takut? Kata saja, tidak dapat membinasakan. Pertetaplah hatimu, tentulah asmara jaya!” (Belenggu; 75)

            That cited is Tati as Tini friend said that’s married needs love and love is based on heart. If in married without love or heart can made the relationship unpleasant like Tini and Tono feel in their family. Tono always hope Tini can be like Rohayah although Tono give Tini a change to be feminist but Tono still needs Tini can give a pleasant with become a woman who obey to husband or man.

Tini tiada menanti jawab, terus berkata, sama sendirinya: “ kalau didalam hati layu, perasaan kasih sayang hilang dalam hati perempuan, sudah menjadi beku, seolah-olah hatinya air beku saja…perempuan itu, bukan perempuan lagi……”(Belenggu; 122)

            Tini also was realize that woman is more using heart than reason, because of that Tini said like cited before that if heart of woman is pale that’s can’t call woman again.

            Tini whose showed by Pane in Belenggu’s novel still want equal with man because she feel that she educate that was she get is enough for get right to be equal with man. Tini never want to surrender for obey man. Walter (2005; 21) argued that woman are kept like birds in cages to hop up and down in our houses, not suffered to fly abroad ... we are shut out of all power and authority, by reason we are never employed either in civil or martial affairs, our counsels are despised and laughed at, the best of our actions are trodden down with scorn, by the overweening conceit men have of themselves and through despisement of us. It’s mean that woman isn’t like bird whose still in cages but women need a freedom like man.

Because of that Tini always go from home and work in her organization which she placed an important position in that’s organization like Hook  (2000; 48) said that  the emphasis on work as the key to women's liberation led many white feminist activists to suggest women who worked were ‘already liberated.' It’s same like Pane’s draw that Pane makes character Tini for showing that feminist can feel free with working out of home.

Finally, a woman is woman who is more using her heart. Woman can’t be like man who is more use the reason than his heart.  Walters (2005; 3) added that women also have to expose and eradicate the misogyny inherent in feminism itself.  This statement can explain that woman always has weakness although in feminism itself.

Tini memandangnya dengan marah.

“bukan kau diam saja?” kata dokter Sukartono akan mempertahankan diri.

“perlulah lagi aku buka mulut? Mestikah aku menyembah-nyembah lagi? Meti berlutut dimukamu?

Patient, patient, selamanya patient, istrinya terlantar, tidak malu engkau isterimu sendiririan pulang?”(Belenggu; 36)

That cited was showed that Tini is as feminist characters need an attention and wants to be seen as a woman although in the other side Tini want be equal with man. Its mean that woman is still in an accent of woman there is woman still more using her heart than her reason.

Different with Tini as feminist, Rohayah whose obey to man or follow the traditional woman who receives her accent as a woman. Sukartono as a man who needs affection from woman is founded in Rohayah, because Rohayah can understand what she should be and what tradition in her place.

”buku apa saja kubaca” dia tersenyum: “ Karena itulah banyak pikiran dalam kepalaku, yang tiada berketentuan, yang tiada patut disimpan dalam kepala perempuan.”(Belenggu: 53)

                That cited, like I was told that Rohayah is receive her accent as a woman and man is more like a women like Rohayah. Tini also is a woman, Tini is same like Rohayah whose still using their heart and their can be like man because woman accent is life with more using her heart not like man whom life more using a reason.

“Memang dik Ti, memang kita perempuan mesti suka merunduk, seperti…”

“….Jembatan gantung, kalau dipijak-pijak, menurut saja. Itulah yang mesti menjadi cita-cita kita.”

            Sehabis menulis kalimat itu air matanya titik kemudian terbit rasa lega. (Belenggu; 76)

Tini whom as a feminist realize that her accent, but he still needs equal with man because he think he can after she get same education although Pane make character Tini still showing women side like crying. Not like Tini, Tono as a man is not crying although his heart was destroyed by Tini who leave he.

Dalam hati tono terasa sedih, bercampur duka, seolah-olah baru membaca buku yang sedih penghabisannya, kemudian ditutup….hendak disimpan atau dikembalikan, seperti baru mendengar lagu yang sedih-sedih, kemudian knop diputar lagi ke stasionlain, karena stasion dulunya sudah berhenti.(Belenggu; 151)

               

In the end, Pane made character Tono is show that man is cannot be equal wit woman because woman and man is same but has different basic like woman is more using heart than reason and man is more using her reason than his heart. This reflects that woman cannot be equal because woman still needs the man to be independent. Wollstonecraft’s theory is just concerned on woman’s reason than feeling. And I think in Belenggu’s novel, Pane want to say that feminism is cannot make a woman equal but just can make tradition dilapidate as I think Pant to say. 

               

           

REFERENCES:

Hooks, Bell. 2000. Feminism is for Everybody; Passionate Politics. Gloria Watkins; Canada

Nurrachman, Dian. 2013. Classical Critical Theory: A Student Course Book by ELSA: Writes Publishing; Bandung (Using theory Mary Wollstonecraft in essay Vindications of Rights of Woman (1792) and  Precy Bysshe Shelley: A Defense of Poetry )

Pane, Arjimn. 2012. Belenggu. Dian Rakyat; Jakarta

Walters, Margaret. 2005. Feminism; A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University          Press; New York