Feminist literary criticism on Saman by Ayu Utami

ABSTRACT

Naturally or biologically, men and women are different. In social life, actually there is no sex differentiation so they are the equal creatures. Later on, social construction shapes the division of labors based on gender. Women restricted in domestic realm, bearing children and maintaining household. Meanwhile, men freely participate in public sectors. From these adversely statements, feminists take as their point of departure a strong objection to the ways in which women are portrayed. And through her novel Saman, Ayu Utami fights for the women’s emancipations and lets off women’s life under shadow of men. This novel consists of feminist perspectives and that is why, this novel is suitable to be criticized with this perspective.

This research described the detail description about feminist perspective reflected by female characters on the novel, such as sexuality, women in love and myth of virginity, religious, marriage. And also, we found out women's rights reflected by female characters on the novel such as women’s rights in social affairs and women’s rights in making decisions.

In conducting this research, the writer used descriptive qualitative research. It means, the writer described the data systematically, factually, accurately. The essence of this descriptive qualitative research is interested in meaning how people make sense of their lives, and their structures of the world.

From the data we knew about feminist perspective reflected by female characters such as sexuality that naturally women are not passive when they come to sex. Yasmin represents from this view till the conventional assumption that women are passive was not proven in this novel. Women in love and myth of virginity also were found out that women are not taboo to express their special feeling and they did not just wait for men decisions. And Shakuntala represents that virginity is not women’s dedication to her husband. In marriage, women protest the social system that takes aside women position to men position. Shakuntala has criticized Yasmin because she is following the custom that is not appropriate to her culture. Further more, we found out the same rights between men and women. Sex differentiation actually does not influent in social affairs. Women’s life is not only confined in domestic realm. And Laila proves her capability to overcome the problems between company man and the villagers. In making decisions, women should be independent. Laila chooses Sihar, and Yasmin chooses Saman, it means that women are free in making decision.

From this research, the researcher hopes there will be others researchers who concern to this topic and explore the feminist perspective more details. Of course, this topic is still needed extra attention towards wider perspective in viewing feminism and literature.