T1_112009144_Full text

ABSTRACT
This paper analyzes Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk using feminist theory of the
second sex as Simone de Beauvoir described. The analysis is focused on the
minor women characters that Srintil, the dancer, meets. Through the minor
women characters’ ideologies, the existence of patriarchal system will be
analyzed. There are two ideologies found. Firstly, the myths in Dukuh
Paruk lead the women to sexual freedom. Secondly, the dependency of
women to men make them feel and believe themselves to be incomplete
without men. These ideologies result in men’s domination on sexual,
economic, and voice factors.
Keywords; Feminism, Patriarchy, Ideology
INTRODUCTION
Ronggeng Dukuh Parukand the English version The Dancer, with Srintil as the woman
major character and the minor women characters’ attitudes toward her, inspire this paper to
analyze patriarchal system in the novel. The minor women characters here are women in
DukuhParuk, women in Alaswangkal hamlet, women sellers in Dawuan Market, and
officials’ wives.
For all married women in DukuhParuk, their husbands’ sexual relationship with other
women is not considered as problems, especially if they have itwith Srintil – the dancer.
Indeed, Dukuh Paruk women are proud of their husbands’ relationship with Srintil because it
shows their husbands’ masculinity and the families’ wealth. The similar thing happens to the
Alaswangkal women, they are feeling satisfied when a ronggeng is playing with men’s sexual
desire. In fact, what happen to them is the opposite. Alaswangkal women see Srintil as a
woman who sexually has a power over men’s. Another thing happens to women in Dawuan
market, they work hard for their families, because their husbands are unemployed. It seems
like they do not want to know what their husbands are doing when they are working. As long
as they do not know their husbands’ relationship with other women, it is all right for them.
Since for those women, it is lucky enough to have a husband. Official’s wives also show their
attitudes in facing polygamy. They have two choices whether they accept polygamy or get
divorce. These conditions show the way women having relationship with men. For some
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women, driven by their ideology, do not hate their husbands’ relationship with other women.
For some women, their husband relationship with other women is a problem. Both of the
women’s attitudes show that they believe that they need men. All the attitudes of those
women indicate that the women are afraid to lose their husbands. These are the evidences of
patriarchal attitudes underlying by women’s ideology. According to Beauvoir (16), women
cannot think of themselves without men, but men can think of theirselves without women.
This ideology is part of the patriarchal system.
Ideology, according to Goldstein as cited in Barry’s Beginning Theory an Introduction to
Literary and Cultural Theory (110), is a system of a way society thinking, that is represented
by images, myths, ideas, or concepts that historically exist in the society. With different
images, myths, ideas, and concepts of thinking, women act different way in attract men’s
attention in order to keep the men by their side. Therefore, like Beauvoir’s concept of
women’s ideology saying that women cannot live without men (16), women try to be
attractive to get men’s attention. Women tend to do everything, such as making the men’s
happiness as a priority, and becoming angry to show their fear of losing them. As a result,
some women hate other women who are more attractive, some give full freedom for their
husbands, and some others make men’s happiness as priority. This ideology reflects that
women allow men to rule their lives, and then it leads to patriarchal attitudes.
Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk has many phenomena of patriarchal attitudes. There are four
attitudes that are reflected patriarchal ideologies in Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk. First is about the
people inside Dukuh Paruk. They have the point of view of life that is different to the people
in other villages surrounding it. Dukuh Paruk people do not see the prostitution -in this case,
in the form of peronggengan and cheating as bad things. The second is women in
Alaswangkal. They are tolerating their husbands to see a ronggeng performance. Dukuh
Paruk and Alaswangkal women’s attitudes that are likely in the opposite side to the idea of
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patriarchal system. The third is women sellers in Dawuan market. They are also kind to
Srintil because they do not worry that their husbands will have affair with Srintil. They have
no worry because their husbands do not have enough money to do it. In the other hand, the
officials’ wives will hate if their husbands have sexual relationship with Srintil or other
women. However, these four women’s attitudes show the men’s power over them. The men’s
power develops ideologies that support the existence of patriarchal system. The women’s
attitudes show that their ideologies are influenced by patriarchal attitudes that make women
believe they cannot live without men (Beauvoir, 16).
Based on minor women characters’ attitudes in Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk, I am interested
to analyze the ideology of Javanese society that is affected by patriarchal system. Usually
novel analysis focuses in the main character. However, this analysis will focus on the minor
women characters. It is because the minor women characters reveal the ideology of the
Dukuh Paruk residents, Alaswangkal residents, Dawuan market people, and the officials’
wives. Using Second Sex by Simon de Beauvoir, I will analyze the patriarchal ideology that
is showed by the minor women characters in Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk. I attempt to analyze
patriarchal system through the characterization of minor women characters and the ideas
expressed through their dialogues, monologues, and action toward the main as stated in The
Dancer.
The analysis will answer two questions which become the focus of this study. The first
question is: what are minor women characters’ ideologies that influenced by patriarchal
system in Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk? After finding out minor women character’s ideology, I
will attempt to analyze how the minor women characters’ patriarchal ideologies in Ronggeng
Dukuh Paruk correlate with the patriarchal ideologies which are explained in the Second Sex
by Simone de Beauvoir?
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This paper attempts to reveal some evidences of patriarchy found in Ronggeng Dukuh
Paruk. The minor women characters’ ideology will be analyzed to see how powerful
patriarchy determines these women’s point of view. From analyzing this novel, I hope
women will realize that gender inequality happens in many different ways. In Indonesia, even
though many people have been against it, in reality patriarchy is still take place. It is due to
sometimes, as Beauvoir (19) wrote, women’s effort against the inequality just ended in the
symbolic affirmation from men. This paper tries to show gender inequality in the 1960s. The
expectation is people will know whether women have gained real equality or just symbolic
affirmation from men by comparing the gender inequality in the past to today similar
practices using literary works. This paper tries to show to Javanese women what happened to
women in Java in 1960s, so they can compare it to today’s women treatment and attitudes
around them, such as; in literary work, social media, or environment. Through this paper, I
also attempt to make women recognize Javanese ideology which is also linked to patriarchal
ideology as Simone de Beauvoir describes. By recognizing Javanese ideology hopefully it
makes women realize how big the impact of patriarchal ideologies in their lives. Since in
Indonesia, especially in Central Java, women are still under men’s rules, this paper is
expected to inspire women in making themselves free from patriarchal ideology. It is hoped
that they can start to make a choice for themselves. Therefore, they can change the way they
think and get the position, right, and chance in their lives are equal as the men’s.
LITERATURE REVIEW
NOVEL AS A POP CULTURE
In the popular culture definitions, novel is one of the cultural products in form of
documentary. As other cultural products, culture can be described and valued through
thoughts, experiences, languages, and conventions that are written in documentary products
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such as novel, (Williams: 1961). So novels are worthy to be analyzed because they contain
thoughts, experiences, languages, and conventions of a society.
As one of the cultural products, a novel reflects the culture of a specific place. Ronggeng
Dukuh Paruk indeed reflects Central Java, especially north coastal area, cultural life in the
1960s era. This novel is worthy to analyze because it reflects many values of the Central Java
culture on how women see and live their lives. Central Java cultures and values are reflected
in Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk through its dialogues, monologues, and prologues that describe its
language, experience, social relationship and social structure. This paper challenges the
readers to explore Central Javanese women experiences in the past and in the present through
novel as literary work.
IDEOLOGY
This paper will focus on some definitions of ideology, according to Eagleton. Those
definitions are “a body of ideas characteristics of a particular social group or class, idea or
false idea which legitimate a dominant political power, format of thought motivated by social
interests, socially necessary illusion, and action-oriented set of belief” (Eagleton, 1-2).
Ideology then is an illusion of social necessity that develops format of thought or idea, in
order to legitimate a dominant political power. The idea determines an action-oriented of a
particular social group or class that believes it. So, ideology makes social groups or classes
different one to another because they have different set of ideas which makes them act
differently.
In this paper, I also attempt to show, that some ideologies are made for the men’s
advantage. The topic of ideology, according to Eagleton (6), is determined by dominant
modes. The topics of the ideology are such as; socialism ideology, feminism ideology, and
political ideology. The feminism ideology includes patriarchal ideology which mentions that
the dominant political power is the men. So, the ideology in men-centered society is
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legitimating the men’s power toward women. Eagleton (6) also said that all the ideologies are
oppressive and legitimating dominant political power. In feminism ideology, women are
oppressed through the ideology of social group history and beliefs, or religious view. More
over in Indonesia religious views and state are strengthen the patriarchal ideologies (Hellwig,
17).
Since this paper using the feminism theory according The Second Sex by Simone de
Beauvoir, feminism ideology is used. The reason is because the feminism theory describes
women oppression as the result of the patriarchal ideology. Further more Ideologies have
important role in the literature works, since it is not only reflected and described but it also
can be strengthen or weaken by literature works (Hellwig, 16).
A FEMINIST LOOK at PATRIARCHY
In this paper patriarchy is the focus. Patriarchy is when the men rule everything, from the
family, region, until the whole country. According to Young, “Patriarchy starts with the role
of father in a family that develops into oppression by men in all of life’s aspects to the
feminine” (417). In a simpler way, patriarchy is a domination of men in the leader position.
When the leaders are dominated by men, it leads to men’s domination over the women’s
lives. The domination makes women’s positions are below men. Figes (23) also says, for
centuries, men pass down the idea that women are intellectually inferior and men are the
superior ones. As the superior and the intellectual ones, men do not consider women as
important as them. Beauvoir (15) states that from the beginning, the masculine is believed as
the absolute human type. If only masculine is considered as the absolute one, then the
feminine one is not absolute. It means that men’s position is higher than women’s position.
This paper will focus on Simone de Beauvoir’s definition of feminism related to patriarchal
ideology that is placed women in the second position. The ideology of believing that women
are weak also maintains the patriarchal system. Believing that they are weak makes women
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feel that they need men. Then to attract men’s attention, women have a tendency to be what
men want them to be.
Being as men want, women become the man’s puppets. As Figes (15) defines, “The types
of women that society has produced in the past, the roles women have played and failed to
play, sprang from the dictates and expectation of men. Women have been largely man-made,
even today numerous psychological studies have revealed that women and girls are still more
dependent on social approval than men.”In patriarchal society, social approval means men’s
approval. To be approved by men, women are likely to be what men want. Following the
social approval, women seem to treat men as the one they need. These women attitudes lead
women to be ruled by men, which belongs to patriarchal system.
The Second Sex defines feminism as the result of the patriarchy that makes women and
men not in the equal position. Beauvoir (171) shows the women positions in patriarchal
system are as “the other” and “the dependent”. Keeping the women’s position to be “the
other” and “dependent”, men set up the world by setting up codes and laws against them.
This condition makes women definitely to be “the other” from the men who define the world,
because women live in the men’s world. As Beauvoir says that, in the patriarchal society,
men’s products are all represented in the world. Men describe the world from their point of
views, so it makes women confuse with the absolute truth (194).Since the world represents
men’s point of view, women know a truth only by what men describe as the truth. Women do
not really know the truth about the myths. As the result of men’s descriptions of the world,
some myths are likely to give advantages to men. As Beauvoir describes, some myths in
patriarchal society lead women to be as men’s hope. It makes women dream through the
dream of men (174). When a myth says that men are priority, women treat men as priority.
Women are established and defined in her relation to men by men in the myth as they are lack
of dignity (194). When a society that described by men defines women as the object, then
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women become the object. In other words, women are just “the other”, because women lack
of dignity, and their relation to men have been defined by men.
As “the other”, women are not as important as men. As the subject, men regard women as
the object (Beauvoir, 173). Therefore, women are the object and men are the subject in many
things, such as sexual, economic, and also social. Normally, women can be taken by the man
for sex at any time, whereas men take women only when they want to (Beauvoir, 395). Here
women are the object of sexual activities, because the ones who have the choice to do the
sexual activities are men. Therefore, men decide whether they are going to have sex or not,
without any consideration of women’s want. This is one of the reasons how women become
the sexual object of the men.
Women in patriarchal civilization dedicate themselves to men’s sexual freedom, but
sexually women are limited by marriage (Beauvoir, 395).So men’s sexual freedom are not
limited by marriage. Since a wife is man’s property, a man can naturally has sex with many
women. This is also the reason of women being the sexual object. Facing this condition,
women can choose between two solutions; either continuing the values of women as their
grandmother inherited, or no longer recognizing any values (Beauvoir, 127). It is a big
possibility that the past generation pass on these values to the next generation. Society tells us
that as the women, we should please the men, fulfill the men’s wants, or agree with men’s
sexual freedom. In the patriarchal society, women have to accept the men’s sexual freedom.
When women recognize no values, women will no longer accept men’s sexual freedom.
All these ideas are underlying on the ideology that women cannot think of themselves
without men (Beauvoir, 16).This ideology places women in the second position under men.
The unequal position between women and men is called feminism.
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FEMINISM THEORY
Feminism happens because of the patriarchal system that leads to the unequal treatment
between genders. Feminism can be defined as “Set of beliefs, values, and attitudes centered
on the high valuation of women as human beings. Women are not valued for attributes
imposed on them by others, but for those that exist in and are chosen by women their selves”
(Bates, 4). Feminists’ goal is to value women as human beings, not like the definition of
patriarchal society toward women. Therefore, feminism is an idea that working on equality
and freedom for women as human beings. Some cultures consider women as weak creatures,
the ones who cannot do something important, the ones who are in the second position and the
ones who have to obey men’s rule. In other words, women are not as important as men. For
men, what women do is simply not very important, so that men always control what women
do (Bates, 8).
In patriarchal societies women unfairness and oppression under the men happens in
almost all aspects of life. According to French (10), in the past, women possessed almost no
human rights- to a political voice, to inherit, to own property, and to do business on their
own. They even lacked right over their own bodies. It means that the movements, rights, and
liberation of women are limited. The condition of women makes the feminists concern on
many social aspect of women’s life, such as: political, cultural, educational, and sexual
issues. According to Bates (4), feminists reject the assignment of social roles according to
whether a person is male or female. Some feminists see women and men as one kind of
species that is human beings. As human beings, they all have the same opportunity, right, and
freedom. They are not differentiated by gender and sex.
In reality, human beings are differentiated based on gender. This differentiation raises the
question whether men and women are essentially different because of biology, or because of
socially constructed. Then the differentiation can be seen by examining the representations of
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women in literature by men and women (Barry, 92). The purpose of the examination of the
women positions through literary works is important in order to make women realize whether
there are socially constructed or essentially different. Since men and women are actually the
same as human beings, they should have the same right and chance to have full liberation to
be happy in this life.
PATRIARCHAL SYSTEM IN CENTRAL JAVA SOCIETY IN THE END OF
NINETIETH CENTURY UNTIL EARLY OF TWENTIETH CENTURY
In Java, women oppression also happens. Especially in Central Java, there is a common
saying among Javanese that women’s responsibilities are only to macak (to put on makeup),
masak (to cook), and manak (to give birth). It means Javanese women only have to do family
business; and their activities are limited by society. In patriarchal society, women often
experience something because they are women (Logan, 643). Javanese indeed follows
patriarchal system because the women’s experiences are limited. All Javanese women in the
past did not have to be clever or have a good job, but they only had to focus on domestic
chores such as; work in the kitchen and cook, to take care of children, and to put on make up
to make themselves beautiful. Most women did what society wanted them to do, and put
behind whatever else they might want.
The Javanese patriarchal rules can be seen from the emancipation heroine R.A Kartini. It
is well known that in the past women were not allowed to have the higher level of education
than elementary and to have jobs outside the house. As Rosyadi mentioned in his book
entitled R.A Kartini Biografi Singkat 1870-1904,Kartiniwent to school until she reached 12,
then she dropped out to do pingitan. Pingitan is the Javanese tradition that does not allow
girls to go out of the house in the certain period of time (Rosyadi, 14). All women did at that
time to obey their husband and father. Women will be considered as bad girls if they do not
follow the social rules. Therefore, when R.A Kartini was asked to leave the school to do the
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pingitan, she did it. Kartini is one example of Javanese women portrayal. Javanse women
rarely broke the rule because they are afraid of the effect and culture. In patriarchal system,
women are oppressed acutely. The oppression even endangers women’s voice, spirit, health,
safety, economic, and emotional security (Logan, 643). The condition of patriarchal culture
makes women hardly have choices in their lives.
In the past, Javanese women’s choices were very limited by traditions. In the same book
Rosyadi states; Kartini described Javanese women suffer because they are trapped by
traditions, abandoned to go to school, alienated, and had to be ready with
polygamy(22).Women do not make any defense of their rights, because women rebellion will
affect in many vital aspects of their lives. As stated by Mulder, Javanese people are not
individualist, they have a high need for social acceptance. They mutually control each other
by giving a social punishment for others’ mistakes. The social punishment is in a form of
labeling to the ones who do bad things. When they are labeled as a bad person, they will feel
embrace and lose their social acceptance (91). In this case, for Central Javanese, women’s
rebellion affects their spirit and emotional security. If they make mistake, people will talk
behind their back and consider them as bad persons. Even worst, they will lose their social
acceptance. For Javanese, others’ opinions are very important. Consequently, they have to
behave and follow the social rules in order to keep their social acceptance. The social
condition makes the women silence happened in Central Java for a long time. They do not
make any defense of their rights because of the social consequences.
The Central Java patriarchal system also can be seen from the Indonesian women
association called “Dharma Wanita”. It explains 5 rules of the women’s tasks: (1) to function
as the assistants of husband, (2) who take responsibility for the household task, (3) rear and
raise the children, (4) as a member of society women serve husband and children, and (5)
women may seek supplement income if necessary (Mulder, 83). The 5 rules are clearly
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shown that the Indonesian women generally focuse on their husband, children, and
household. Although Dharma Wanita still exist today, the focus is changed to social activities
and the 5 rules are omitted. Unfortunately, the change of Dharma Wanita does not mean
Javanese women are free from patriarchal system. Nowadays, some hamlets in Central Java
are still holding to the patriarchal system.
The information about Javanese women treatment is used to give background aboutthe
real social condition at that time when Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk takes place. The social
condition gives background information and strong evidence that the novel is one of the
products of the social condition at that time.
SUMMARY
Dukuh Paruk is a hamlet with all the people that are impoverished, uneducated, rude, and
atheist. When all the other villages around it have known and have followed a particular
religion, Dukuh Paruk people still believe that their entire lives depend on the spirit of their
ancestor, Ki Secamenggala. What all Dukuh Paruk people do are always based on what Ki
Secamenggala said to the previous generation. As Ki Secamenggala told before, a girl that
born there with dancing ability have to be a Ronggeng (dancer). Dukuh Paruk people believe
that the dancer is not created, but the reincarnation of the previous dancer as blessed by Ki
Secamenggala. Srintil, the dancer, makes Dukuh Paruk people proud, because she is the most
beautiful dancer Dukuh Paruk has ever had. Women, men, children, and also the elderly are
kind to Srintil the Dancer, except Rasus, one of her playmates. Rasus is the only one who
does not like Srintil to be a ronggeng.
At a very young age, eleven-year-old Srintil become a ronggeng. Surprisingly,
DukuhParuk women feel proud if their husbands sleep with the eleven-year-ronggeng. For
them, it is prestigious when their husbands can sleep with the ronggeng. It shows their
husbands’ masculinity and families’ wealth. A little bit different from the Dukuh Paruk
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people, the neighborhood villages tend not to like the ronggeng in a way people of Dukuh
Paruk do. However, they still treat the ronggeng well and give her respect. These women’s
attitudes are contradicting to some of the women characters in the novel; they hate Srintil
very much. However there is no minor women’s attitudes that shows their sorry about her, for
being a ronggeng at young age.
When Srintil starts to want to have baby and marriage, she asks Rasus to marry her.
However, Rasus rejects the proposal. Srintil is broken hearted because she gets hurt from
being rejected. After the proposal rejection, she does not want to dance and sleep with men
anymore and it makes Dukuh Paruk people sad. All Dukuh Paruk people are disappointed
because she does not want to dance.
ANALYSIS
Dukuh Paruk Minor Women Characters’ Attitude
From the beginning, DukuhParuk is created by Ki Secamenggala, the ancestor of all
people in Dukuh Paruk. Ki Secamenggala is a criminal but all Dukuh Paruk people honor
him. This condition is mentioned in The Danceras follows:
A tiny area of settlement, situated almost two kilometers from the nearest road, Paruk could only be reached
by traversing the network of dikes bordering the wet rice field. It was perhaps because of this isolation that the
inhabitants of Paruk, over the years, had developed a unique way of life.
Twenty-three homes made up this tiny community, inhabited by people with a common genealogy. It was
believed that all the villagers were descended from a man by the name of Ki Secamenggala, a shaman and
mystic of ages past who, it was said, had sought out this very isolated area as a place to retire from his villainous
career. To this place, the village of Paruk, Ki Secamenggala had entrusted his descendants, his flesh and blood.
The people of Paruk were aware of their ancestor’s dubious reputation, yet they still paid homage to him.
His grave is located on the crest of a small hill in the center of the village, was the focus of their spiritual lives,
with constantly burning coals of incense on his gravestone bearing mute evidence of their devotion. (TD, p. 4-5)
They (Paruk women) believe that they carried the sacred trust of Ki Secamenggala to protect his
descendants from extinction as a result of disaster and poverty. This meant having babies. (TD, p. 93)
Ki Secamenggala, the ancestor to all the people of Paruk, had left instruction for his descendants to include
the ronggeng and calung a part of the village traditions. (TD, p. 149)
People who follow society approval will not be the enemy of a society. Since Ki
Secamenggala is known as a criminal who passed down the ideology of “free life style”,
society consider him as an enemy who gives bad influence. Even if society does not accept
him any longer, Ki Secamenggala goes on with his life style by making his own society in an
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alienated place called Dukuh Paruk. The isolated Dukuh Paruk makes the people there
consider Ki Secamenggala as the only one who has power over them. As their God, Dukuh
Paruk people please Ki Secamenggala. Dukuh Paruk seems to not have rules about sex,
because Ki Secamenggala has sex with many women there. As the result, there are twenty
three different houses in Dukuh Paruk and they are all one blood descendent of Ki
Secamenggala. Following their God, Dukuh Paruk people also make love with each other.
Here Ki Secamenggala defines women and men relationship. He offers that men are
sexually free and women have to agree and support it. The ideology is clearly giving
advantages for men in their relationships with women. Their faith for Ki Secamenggala
makes Dukuh Paruk people to live as he has lived. It means, Dukuh Paruk men enjoy free
sex, woman who dance, and drinking alcohol. It is clear that the ideology passed down by Ki
Secamenggala is a strong patriarchal ideology. As the ideology gives advantages to men in
sexuality, and makes women feel alright about it. The ideology above is in line with
Beauvoir’s idea which reveals that in patriarchal society, men define the world and their
relation to women (194). Therefore, Dukuh Paruk ideology represents the men’s products
since the relationship between men and women in Dukuh Paruk is defined by men and give
them advantages too.
Dukuh Paruk people’s way of thinking leads them of women sexual exploitation. Besides
the descendent, Ki Secamengala also wants peronggengan to be preserved in Dukuh Paruk.
How Dukuh Paruk preserves peronggengan as Ki Secamenggala said is described through
Srintil’s grandfather, Sakarya’s dialogue and narrator’s monologue. He feels responsible for
the existence of Ronggeng as his fear to the dead of Ki Secamenggala.
“I hope it is as you say. Those of us in this hamlet who are elderly don’t want to die before seeing Paruk
return to what it once was. I’ve been worried that Ki Secamenggala might even refuse me a spot in the cemetery
if I don’t preserve the ronggeng tradition of hamlet.” (TD, p.12)
Sakarya was not only Srinitl’s grandfather, he was also a village elder, and felt he had to carry out the
mandate of Ki Secamenggala, to maintain and protect Paruk and its traditions. (TD, p.149)
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Dukuh Paruk people believe if they do not do what Ki Secamenggala has said, they will go to
hell. So, they have to preserve the hamlets like what Ki Secamenggala has created before.
Keeping free sex, dancing woman, and baby as the future preserver are the ways they
preserve Dukuh Paruk. This belief leads the women to be the object of men’s sexual freedom
that is supported by their attitudes and the myth. The myth is that Ki Secamenggala will not
accept their dead body if they do not follow the rule. Dukuh Paruk women’s attitudes toward
The Dancer and other women there, are the product of their belief to the myth and history
made by Ki Secamenggala for them.
The ideology that exists in Dukuh Paruk makes the women think differently to the other
women outside Dukuh Paruk. For Dukuh Paruk women, their husbands’ relationship with
other woman is not a problem, especially with The Dancer they proud of. They also please
the Dancer, because being The Dancer is the highest position of women. However, actually
Ronggeng or the Dancer is made by Ki Secamenggala. This means that even the highest
position of women is still under men’s position. This is also connected to Beauvoir idea that
in patriarchal society women are established by men (194), because Ronggeng in Dukuh
Paruk is made by men.
Realizing that Sintil position in the highest position among other women in Dukuh Paruk,
they treat her as if she were a princess. After Srintil dances for the first time, they compete to
take care of her. They insist to lull her, wash her clothes, take her bath, wash her hair, give
her some massages, and give her the best fruit they have. A woman even wish Srintil is born
from her womb.
“I never knew Srintil could dance so well,” she said. “I just want to cradle her in my arms and rock her
until she falls fast asleep on my lap.”
“I want to wash her clothes and help her with her morning bath,” another woman said.
“Srintil doesn’t belong to any one person. You aren’t only ones that want to pamper her. After the performance,
I’m gonna talk to Mrs. Kartareja.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I want to give Srintil massage. The child will certainly be tired. I’m gonna give her a good rub down before she
goes to bed.”
“What a charming, and poised little girl! I wish she was my child!” (TD, p.16)
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Page 33-34: From then on, she became like a doll for the women of Paruk. Everyone wanted to coddle
her, to dote on her. The women of Paruk took turns to wash Srintil’s clothes. They bathed her and shampooed
her hair with an ashy substance they made from burnt rice stalks.
If a man happened to cut down a banana tree, he should try to carve a beautiful comb for Srintil. If a
chicken was slaughtered because it was ill (nobody in the village would kill healthy chicken), Srintil would
always get some of the meat. (TD, p.33-34)
The conversation above is Dukuh Paruk women’s conversation, talking about their plans to
take care of Srintil. This conversation is the evidence that they worship Srintil. Seemingly, it
is an honor to take care of her. All they want is to make Srintil happy. They even do not allow
Srintil to do anything by herself. They keep Srintil away from tiredness and dirt. That Srintil
has to face so many men, she should not look dirty. Otherwise men will not be interested to
her. If Srintil gets tired or sick because doing the chores, the result is Srintil will not be able
to dance well. Consequently, men will not be happy because Srintil cannot entertain them.
The point of keeping Srintil in a good condition is that, their men can be entertained.
The women’s attitudes indicate that their ideology is inherited from their ancestor. The
only ideology that they know is that they have to preserve peronggengan and the ronggeng.
Preserving their tradition makes these women do not realize that women are the sexual
objects of men. More, they have no identity of themselves other than being sexualized objects
or taking care of the men’s sexual object, Srintil. It connects with Beauvoir idea for the
patriarchal society that women confuse about the absolute truth (194). Since the society is
defined by men, women do not know whether their attitude in preparing the Dancer gives
significant for them or not.
The reason why Dukuh Paruk women are taking care of Srintil like a child is because they
want their husbands to get Srintil’s innocent. In the page 38, it is stated that Dukuh Paruk
women are arguing for whose husband is going to get Srintil’s innocent.
Their words would certainly not have caused their husband to think that they were shackled in any way by
marriage and family.
“When Srintil is allowed to dance socially, my husband will be the first man to touch her,” one of the woman
announced.
“Don’t be silly,” said another “The ronggeng’s choice will be the man that gives her the most money. And in
this regard, my husband is unbeatable.”
“But your husband’s old. After just one dance, his butt will cramp.”
“I know better than anyone else my husband’s strength, if you know what I mean.”
16
“Well, don’t get to cocky. I could sell a goat so that my husband has enough money. I still believe that my
husband will be the man who first kisses Srintil.”
“We’ll just have to wait and see when the time comes, which husband will win.”
So it went on. A professional ronggeng dancer would never become a source of jealousy for the women of
the village, rather the reverse. The more a husband dances with a ronggeng dancer, the prouder his wife feels.
(TD, p.36)
This conversation shows that not only men,but also women want Srintil’s virginity for their
husbands. By getting Srintil’s innocent, they want to show their wealth and their husbands’
masculinity. That is why these women themselves are preparing Srintil to look beautiful,
fresh, and healthy. This situation indicates the ideology of Dukuh Paruk people which
placesmen’s sexual desire as women’s priority.
The patriarchal ideology above correlates with at least three Beauvoir patriarchal ideas.
First, women’s relationship with men is being defined by men (194).In this case, since
beginning by Ki Secamenggala has assigned Dukuh Paruk women to take care of The
Dancer. Whereas actually, the women do not get advantages by make Srintil beautiful, fresh,
and healthy. If their husbands get Srintil’s innocent, the only advantage they get is pride. On
the contrary, the men may get both advantages; the pleasure for watching Srintil dances and
doing sexual activity with Srintil. The men are also feeling proud of their masculinity and
wealth. Second, these women dream through the dreams of men (174).In fact, when Dukuh
Paruk men’s dreams are to have sex or dance with Srintil, it becomes their wives dreams.
Third, women are considered as sexual objects of men. Relating the women’s attitudes to
another patriarchal idea of Beauvoir, this ideology supports women to be men’s sexual
objects (194). Through the myth, men are keeping women to agree with their sexual freedom.
As the result, women are being sexualized by men.
Women as men’s sexual objects also can be seen when a Dukuh Paruk woman is proud
when her baby is taken cared by Srintil. Tampi, feels proud because Srintil loves and wants
her baby. It is stated in below:
“... . Hush. Don’t disturb him. And don’t call him your child anymore. Call him my child, Okay?”
Tampi grumbled a little, objecting, but smile slowly appeared on her face. She could not honestly deny that she
felt proud that her child was the object of affection of the most famous woman in the village. (TD, p.165)
17
To make Srintil’s admirers happy, Tampi willingly gives her baby to Srintil forever. Men get
two advantages from this condition. First, Srintil does not have to be pregnant if she wants a
baby. Thus, she will not get fat and unattractive like if she gets pregnant. As the result men
still can be satisfied by Srintil’s perfect body. Second, because Tampi is no longer busy to
taking care of her child, that means she is able to fulfill her husband’s sexual needs. It is the
example of women as sexual objects of men (Beauvoir 173, Beauvoir 395).The more
important thing is women become men’s sexual objects because of the ideology that is
developed by the myth. As mentioned before, the myth represents men’s point of view in
defining women and men sexual relationship (Beauvoir, 194).
In fact, Dukuh Paruk women do not have any other activities except satisfying their
husbands’ sexually, cooking, and taking care of their children. Explicitly, it is stated in the
story that the women’s life only focus on three activities; having sex, taking care of children,
and cooking.
For the village women, servicing their husbands wasn’t just something they had to do. It was the only other
activity outside of the kitchen and child rearing. In reality, the most important aspect of life Paruk women was
on the mattress of their bamboo beds. (TD, p.165)
This paragraph mentions that beside preparing food in the kitchen and taking care of children,
fulfill their husbands sexual needs is also their duty. It describes patriarchal condition
according to Beauvoir that women dedicate themselves to men’s sexual freedom (395).
Whereas normally the one who initiate sexual activity is men, which means women’s desire
and want are hardly considered. Essentially, I am arguing that it happens because Ki
Secamenggala chose a rural place to live. This isolated place makes Dukuh Paruk people do
not have any idea about life except what he told them about.
Apart from that, Dukuh Paruk women concern with the health of the other women. As
stated in page 248, a midwife who helps another woman in bearing her baby, tells the new
mother not to do sexual activity. She instead suggests the new mother’s husband to do it with
Srintil.
18
It was not unusual for a pregnant woman, or a woman who had recently given birth, to tell her husband to
ask a special favor from Srintil. A midwife often gives similar advice to the husband. “Be careful not to have
sex with your wife before a hundred days has passed after the birth. Ask Srintil to help you if you can’t hold
out.” (TD, p.248)
The attitude of this woman apparently concerns on another woman’s health and put aside
man’s desire. However, what really happens is the new mother sacrifice the other woman to
fulfill her husband sexual need. Again, women become the sexual objects of men. When the
wife cannot fulfill husband’s sexual need, the husband can sleep with another woman.
Women in Dukuh Paruk are actually the victim of men’s sexual demands. The women
become the victim because the important thing is the husband still can have sex even if not
with his wife.
Dukuh Paruk shows sexual freedom, because sex is not ruled by marriage there. The
sexual freedom is not equal for men and women. In Dukuh Paruk, if a husband finds his wife
sleeping with a neighbor, he will not get angry, because he also can do the same thing with
the neighbor’s wife as quoted here from the novel;
There (in Paruk), for example, a husband wouldn’t even get upset if he found his wife sleeping with his
neighbor. The husband would know that the practical way of taking action was to go to the neighbor’s wife and
sleep with her. (TD, p.88)
It sounds as if in Dukuh Paruk women and men have the same position in the sexual
relationship. Since, both women and men have the same chance to have sex not only with
their husband or wife. But, when we look deeper, again, women are just the sexual objects of
men. Paragraph above mentions that when a husband finds his wifesleeping with another
man, he will not get angry. He will just come to the man’s house to sleep with the man’s
wife. Nevertheless, there is no explanation in the book that if a woman finds her husband
having sex with another woman then she can come to the woman’s house tosleep with the
woman’s husband. Therefore only men can come to women’s and not on the other way
around. Beauvoir said that, as the sexual subjects, men at any time can make women to have
sex with him and men will do it when they want to (395). Hence, it means that men control
the sexual activity and women are sexually controlled. Sex without any consideration of
19
women’s sexual desire, links to Beauvoir idea, as men’s property, women are considered as
the sexual objects (173). Women as sexual objects are supported by the women attitudes that
dedicate themselves to men’s sexual freedom (Beauvoir, 395).
From the women attitudes that are explain above, it is clear that women in Dukuh Paruk
are become men’s the sexual objects. The condition becomes worse because they do not
realize that they are being sexualized by men as they apply ideology that is inherited by their
ancestor. The myth that exist in Dukuh Paruk develops their way of their thinking to support
men’s sexual freedom. Living in an isolated place and holding on to Ki Secamenggala’s
words, instead they are proud of the men’s sexual freedom, which is actually not bring real
happiness for them.
Alaswangkal Women’s Attitudes
Minor women’s attitudes in Alaswangkal are shown when Srintil is performing there. The
narrator shows that the women in Alaswangkal love The Dancer. They love the Dancer
because they feel she represents them in playing men’s sexual desire which indicates that
they are lack of sexual power to men. As stated in below:
As the evening grew darker, more and more torches began to move toward Sentika’s house (the place the
ronggeng will dances). The children would be satisfied just to watch. The men came either expecting to feel
aroused with passion or with nostalgia for pas passions. The women would experience a strange feeling of pride.
They were happy to see a ronggeng like Srintil show women’s natural power over men. For the village women,
the only time they could experience men being manipulated by female sex, and not the other way around as was
the usual state of affairs, was during a performance of ronggeng. (TD, p.232)
Relating this paragraph with Beauvoir idea, that men have power in sexual relationship,
because they are the ones who initiate sex (395). That men are able to initiate sex, make
women feel that their sexual desires are being played. It is implied that women in
Alaswangkal experience the sexual oppression, because their sexual desires are not
considered. That is why they feel satisfied when watching ronggeng performance as
ronggeng’s sexual movements able to play men’s sexual desire.
20
This situation correlates with Beauvoir’s concept of patriarchal women that they are lack
of dignity in the men’s eyes, because of the norms held by society about women and men
relationship. Society rules in patriarchal environment is defined by men, (194). In these
setting men describe themselves as the ones who have the rights in sexual activity and
women have to follow them.
Dawuan Market Women’s Attitude
When Srintil comes to Dawuan Market to go shopping, many sellers give her their stuff
for free. There is an old woman gives a bra she sells, the mango seller gives some mangos for
her, and a traditional herbs tonic seller gives a glass tonic for her.
An old woman ran up to Srintil from behind, holding out a chemise.
“Oh, my pretty girl, you must wear this chemise. You will look beautiful wearing it. Your breasts are filling
out.”
“How much is it?”Srintil asked.
“I don’t want to sell it to you. ...”
But it was not only chemise vendor who give merchandise to Srintil. Others followed suit. A woman selling
fruit presented her with some ripe mangos, of “to fresh you when you stay awake all those nights.” A traditional
herbal medicine specialist quickly concocted a special brew. “So that your muscles remain firm. Those young
men are so rude and they hate flabbiness!” (TD, p.85)
Dawuan Market Women give their stuffs for free to Srintil in order to make her appearance
look good. The bra makes her breasts look more beautiful. The fruits seller gives her mangos
in order to make Srintil looks fresh, because she knows Srintil has to stay up late almost
every night. While the traditional herbs tonic seller, she gives the traditional medicine for
Srintil in order to keep her body adored by men, in order to satisfy men who sleep with her.
Therefore, men are happy for the beautiful, fresh, and virgin-like body of Srintil. These
attitudes show they unconsciously women dream through men’s dreams (Beauvoir, 174). The
women’s attitudes are influenced by the idea that women cannot live without men and
supported by men’s definition about a perfect woman (Beauvoir, 16 – Beauvoir, 194).
Knowing that men like beautiful, sexy, fresh, and virgin-like body, women who believe that
they need men attempt to fulfill the requirements.
21
Women sellers are also jealous with Srintil because of her beauty that attracts men’s
attention. The jealousy of women sellers sustain their ideology that women have to be
beautiful and sexually attractive to get men’s acceptance. The ideology links to Beauvoir idea
that in patriarchal society, women are defined by men (194).The women are defined that
women cannot live without men (Beauvoir, 16).The ideology makes women sellers married
with unemployed men, because they are not beautiful. Following the society’s way of
thinking, people think that the wealthy men are able to get more beautiful women. As stated
in the Dawuan women sellers on below:
“How lucky is it to be so beautiful. Even after being imprisoned, after living in an isolated little hovel in
Paruk, she can still find a young man interested in her. And Srintil’s guest is even a man from Jakarta.”
“Indeed. That’s not your fate. How come your lips are floppy and your nose looks like salakfruit?”
“Well, sure. Luckily, my husband is so stupid that I was able to have some kids.”
“Your husband isn’t stupid, he’s just poor. If he had money, I bet he wouldn’t be quite so happy to have you
as his wife,”
“So, what about your husband?”
“He is my husband at home. Elsewhere, I really don’t know.”
“Well, sure. I don’t know what my husband does at home while I’m here at the market. But, I don’t think
about things like that. I don’t want to worry myself sick.”
“Sometimes, I am. Sometimes, I’m not. I’m jealous when I go through rough time and my husband act up.
But, I’m not jealous when I remember my ugly body. I’m lucky to have a husband at all!.”
“But take a look at our neighbor, that woman over selling material. Here, in the market, she’s probably the
prettiest and the most elegant woman, and she’s from a wealthy family. Her husband is worthless. The only
thing he does is trap mourning doves. Sometimes he even uses her money to gamble. What do you say about
women like her?”
“If they wouldn’t, then a woman like her just needs a man to father her children. Nothing else. But, no
matter what, with a husband who’s an asshole, you can do whatever you want!”
“Morally right? Why, we are. We’re ugly women but we still have husband and children. And our husband
aren’t unfaithful because they’re too poor to fool around. That’s right! We’re lucky because we’ve accepted out
lot in life.”(TD, p.378-379)
The beginning of the conversation shows that the women sellers realize that men want
beautiful women and they are not beautiful women. Even though they are not beautiful, they
still believe that they need men to complete them. Living in the middle of patriarchal society
with this kind of ideology, women are forced to accept men who can contribute nothing in
their lives, but children. Even though the women sellers have to work by themselves to fulfill
their families’ needed, they still believe that they need men.
Women let themselves to be exploited economically to keep their men by their side. In
spite of this fact they realize that men may cheat behind their back when they are working in
22
the market. The women ignorance implies their belief that the happiness of men is more
important than theirs. These women want their men to stay by their side. This condition
makes women allow their husbands to do anything they want. This reflects Beauvoir idea
about women that they need men to complete their lives (16).
Local Officials’ Wives Attitude
Srintil is well known among Kawedanan officials. Kawedanan is a stage of Dutch
government in the Colonialism era until several years after Indonesia Independent. Many
men who work in Kawedanan office also get attracted to Srintil, they want to have sex with
or even marry her. However, their wives apparently hamper their husbands’ intentions. Page
201 describes the reaction of the head Sub-District Governor’s wife. She feels anxious
because Srintil is so beautiful and her husband looks at her.
The wife of the sub-district head felt uneasy, but she hid her feeling behind a bland smile. In all honesty she had
to admit that the ronggeng from Paruk was definitely superior to herself in many ways. More beautiful than she
had been, even when she was the same age. Surreptitiously, she stole a look at the seats on the front row which
were filled with men. She felt more uneasy when she realized that almost every single man was looking at
Srintil, including her husband.(TD, p.201)
That the wife is threatened by Srintil’s beauty shows that the wife is afraid of losing her
husband. This condition indicates the woman’s attitude as a result from patriarchal system
that men like beautiful women. That is why many women want to be beautiful too. In the
same time, women think that they need men to complete their lives (Beauvoir, 16). These two
conditions correlate with Beauvoir’s patriarchal ideas; women dream through men’s dream
and men keep women dependent in order to make women need them (Beauvoir, 174Beauvoir, 171). Thus, the official’s wife hates Srintil for being more beautiful because she is
afraid to lose her husband’s attention.
Many married women are facing the same problem because their husbands want to take
Srintil as their wife.
Several homes had broken up as a result of the husbands attempting to possess Srintil, or to take her as a
wife. Many young man had felt compelled to sell their possessions to become a worthy suitor, worthy even of
holding her hand. (TD, p.247)
23
It is evidence that generally women are afraid of the existence of another beautiful woman. In
fact, their marriage gets threatened by Srintil’s beauty. This circumstance proves that men are
the ones who control marriage relationship. If a man finds a more beautiful woman, they can
leave his wife to be with the woman which confirms that women have no power in marriage
relationship.
Contradict with the two other previous conditions, the local official’s wives attitudes
demonstrate their worry and fear of Srintil’s existence, because there is a possibilities that
their husband may have a relationship with Srintil. The anxious women are weaken by their
powerless in their relationship with men. Yet, men have power in their relationship to
women, as they can decide whether they will go on or start a new relationship. Men’s power
leads women to do everything to attract men’s attention as their fear to lose them. The
women’s fears end up in rules and standardizations created by men toward women which is
called patriarchal system. Besides showing women position as the second sex, it also proves
that women’s dreams are to be fulfilled through the men’s dream as Beauvoir’s patriarchal
ideas (Beauvoir, 171- Beauvoir, 174).
I.
CONCLUSSION
In this paper I show that patriarchal system oppresses women in many different ways.
There are at least three women oppressions happen to minor women characters in Ronggeng
Dukuh Paruk. Most of the oppressions are underlying the ideology that women cannot live
without men. Women in Dukuh Paruk and Alaswangkal are sexually oppressed by men.
Since they are holding on the ideology which makes them dedicate themselves to men’s
sexual freedom, it can be concluded that women in that particular isolated place are sexually
oppressed, as it limits their idea about life. Even though patriarchal ideas usually brought by
religion, this story show that it is a men tendency to rule over women because in this setting
24
the people do not acknowledge any religious view. Second, women oppression happens to
women in Dawuan market who are independent economically, so their unemployed husbands
supposed to be need them. Unfortunately, these women hold on an ideology that they cannot
live without men. That is why they let themselves to be economically oppressed to keep the
men by their side. The last condition is the women oppressions toward the Official’s wives.
They have no power to maintain their marriage when their husbands want another woman.
They only have two choices, either to admit polygamy or lose her husband. It means that, it is
not important whether the women agree or not because the men still get what they want. It
happens because women have an ideology that they have to be like what men’s want, which
is also driven by the ideology that they need men to complete them in their lives.
Those are women oppressions in Javanese society in the past that portrayed by one
literary work, Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk. However, this kind of practice still exists today. To
make women aware about women oppression is not an easy job. If women know it when they
are adult, they may realize and aware of their way of thinking. Nevertheless, the common
social rules and attitudes that adults have known so far, much or less, will limit their moves to
get rid of the women oppression. Different things may happen if society teaches gender
equality in the early age of new generation. This generation is being introduced to gender
equality starting from the ideas that men and women have the same chance, right, and power.
Hopefully, the new generations will get used to treat both gender as the same. In the future
they are expected not to oppress one another.
For the future research, I suggest to analyze Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk using postcolonial
criticism as this novel deconstructs the G30S/PKI tragedy that lead toNew Order regime era
when Soeharto had the highest authority. The death of 10 general military caused arrest for
people that linked to PKI. Before they were arrested, the situations in some places in Central
Java are various. Most of the conditions were calm even though the political tension was
25
high. Even though the political tension was high, the tension was just in form of distrust
among different party or organization (Roosa et all., 27).This novel shows those political
condition in country side of Indonesia when G 30 S/ PKI happened. Considering the content
of the novel, the government banned some parts of this book that showed Indonesia’s
political condition. As the new regime have the authority to control the information spread in
Indonesian citizen. Mcglynn says his writing entitled Silenced Voices, Muted Expressions:
Indonesian Literature Today that “in practice, this decree (PP.NO. 4/1963) authorized the
Attorney General to ferret out any writing that appears to oppose Indonesia’s national
ideology, constitution, laws, and social norms or that has potential to disrupt the nation’s
political, economic, and social structure ”(Mcglynn, 39). The novel experience is an evidence
of Indonesian political condition at the time this novel was published. At that time, people
lost their rights to deliver their aspirations and opinion toward government. Their voices were
acutely oppressed, since many artists like singers, poems, and writers who criticize the
government were arrested, many of them unknowingly lose. This novel is the evidence of
Indonesian voice oppression by government in New Order regime.
This novel also can be a tool to deconstruct the same time period production of academic
book that used in the public schools. The tragedy of G30S/PKI can be deconstructed by this
novel as many book used by teacher at schools are indicated give false facts, as the New
Order Government took authoritative control to give a good portrayal over Soeharto.
This research hopefully, will make Indonesian generations to be more open minded to the
truths that government tried to hide by taking Indonesian people voice. Thus, they will be
able to question whether the book they read gives the real truth or not. This future research
also gives different perspective about G30S/PKI, to help the Indonesian get rid of the false
perspective about G30S/PKI.
26
ACKNOWLEGMENT
Finishing my thesis, I would like to give my biggest thank to Allah S.W.T for the blessing
and strength. Without the blessing and strength I will not be able to finish this thesis.
I also thank my parents and my brothers for supporting me financially and mentally.
Without their support I would not be here, in Satya Wacana Christian University. Then I
would not meet the best supervisor and second reader ever. I thank you Danielle and Mam
Suzana for being patient and helpful in my thesis writing.
The last but not least I want to say thank to my best friends; Dea, Devi, Immanuel,
Meyra, Pembayun, Rayi, and Zilpa. I thank you for the helps and also for the the laughs and
tears we share. For 2009s, I am proud to be a part of you all and thank for the sharing.
27
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