Women’s roles in William Gibson’s the Miracle Worker: A Feminist Literary Criticism

ABSTRACT

God has created human with many differences but He never differentiate human because of those differences. God differentiate human based on faith and devout. But, people always see those differences as distinguish factor to humiliate others. It makes some different right and role for women; women’s role in society is assumed to be in charge of domestic labor and childrearing while men engage in public concerns. In this study, the writer takes the play The Miracle Worker by Gibson as the object of this thesis.

The Miracle Worker presents the roles of women in their daily life. Related to this case, the problems of the study can be formulated; (1) what are the roles of women major characters described in The Miracle Worker?

In this research, the writer uses feminist literary criticism as his research design because feminist literary criticism is the research design that is directly related to this literary work. The writer uses feminism because it is very suitable to find out the roles of women in this play. Since there are many feminism thoughts, the writer uses liberal feminism in this study.

From this research, the writer finds that. Kate, Hellen and Anne in the story represent the women character which has their own role. Kate as wife should depend on her husband decision, and do her task in the house hold. And she as mother has to care her children by her self without her husband taking a part. But in the middle of story she can make a great decision to send a letter and tell to the doctor whom perhaps can help to solve about the condition of her daughter. In this case her husband does not want to do that. But by her effort, she takes her husband’s role that usually makes decision then she makes decision by her self. From this case we can see tha t Kate tries to against the patriarchal culture. Hellen Keller as a feral, blind and dumb child. When people see her condition, people will thing that the child will not be able to do anything, but with her effort finally she can know, speak and interact with other people by her hand language. These fact shows that women can do everything by her definite which people thing that it is impossible to do. And Anne Sullivant as a governess, it means that women can only do the activity inside the house, but by her profession she can ask for everything she need to make her aim get success. By teaching Hellen who feral and blind child she has authority to subjected and teach Hellen as She wants. Anne also works at. The institution which is handles and care children. It also shows that women not only can do the job or house hold task only.

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