Woman’s struggle against gender inequality in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anee Bronte

ABSTRACT

This literary analysis is viewed from the theory of feminist literary criticism. Literary work is the mirror of human life that reflects the kinds of human thoughts, feelings and behaviors. By literary work, people can interpret human creation into something that larger than life beyond imagination.

In this study, the writer analyzes the main character especially woman character in Anne Bronte’s novel The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. This analysis is viewed from the feminism point of view. The inequality culture becomes an issue in the analysis. In this analysis, the writer presents the problem of the women’s struggle against inequality and men’s domination over the women. In accordance with the problems the writers uses feminist literary criticism as the theory in analyzing the novel. The study is aimed to answer the following questions: a) What are the aspects of gender inequality against woman character in novel The tenant of Wildfell Hall? b) How does the woman character struggle against gender inequality in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall?

The mind idea of gender inequality is a struggle to get an understanding of the position and the role of the women characters in the novel. The positions and the role of women characters become the focus of analysis. Moreover the analysis is also aimed to explore the inequality culture which places woman as an inferior.

In his analysis, the writer tries to explore feminism idea is showed in the novel. This idea is portrayed by the woman character, which is represented by Helen. Beside that, the writer also analyzes man character, which is represented by Arthur Huntingdon to get more data to support his analysis. This analysis explores the relation between Helen and Arthur as a wife and a husband.

The writer finds that Helen delivers many ideas of feminism. She states that every woman equal with man to marry with someone whom she loves. In addition, she shows the struggle against man’s marginalization for wife, mother and woman in family. And struggle against subordination in religion.

Finally, the writer hopes that this analysis gives benefits to next researchers as the references or the data supporting.