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CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
This chapter contains the theory or information relates to the analysis of The
Lady by Luc Besson. First part is elements of fiction which focuses on plot, character
and symbol explanations. Second part talks about women’s rights movement in Asia.
Third part explains the second wave feminism. Forth part describes The Second Sex by
Simone de Beauvoir. Fifth part give details the biography of Aung San Suu Kyi. The last
part tells the principle of Ahimsa by Gandhi.
2.1 Elements of Fiction
According to DiYanni (2001,p.44), to get a better understanding about fiction, it
is necessary to learn the techniques of fiction. He said that the basic elements which
consist of “Plot and structure, character, setting, point of view, style and language,
symbol, irony, and theme,” are a helpful method to learn the techniques of fiction.
However, in this analysis the writer only focuses on plot and structure, character, setting
and symbol.
2.1.1 Plot
DiYanni (2001) defined plot as “The arrangement of events that make up a
story.” He also noted that “Causality is an important feature of realistic fictional plots: it
simply means that one thing happens because of - as a result of – something else” (p.44).
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There are five typical fictional plots, those are: exposition, complication, turning point or
climax, falling action, and resolution.
2.1.1.1 Exposition
The plot of a story begins with exposition. The exposition is “Brief-all in the
opening paragraph” (Kennedy & Gioia, 2005, p.12). Exposition presents “Background
information we need to make sense of the action, describes the setting, and introduces
the major characters” (DiYanni, 2001, p. 44).
2.1.1.2 Conflict
According to Arp and Johnson (2006), conflict is “A clash of actions, ideas,
desires, or wills” (p.46). The conflict is divided into three types, those are: the conflict of
person against person, the conflict of person against environment, and the conflict of
person against himself of herself.
2.1.1.3 Climax
Chesla (2006, p.42) defined the climax as “The main turning point or moment of
highest tension in a story.” In climax, “A character usually must make a difficult
decision or take some kind of action.”
2.1.1.4 Falling Action
After the climax, the story turns to falling action. Falling action happens after
“The missing pieces of the story are filled in (secrets are revealed, mysteries solved, and
so on)” (Chesla, 2006, p.42).
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2.1.1.5 Resolution/Denouement
According
to
Chesla,
resolution
or
denouement
ends
the
story.
Resolution/denouement is where “The conflicts that drove the story are (to some degree,
anyway) resolved, the questions answered, and lives straightened out” (2006, p.42).
2.1.2 Character
DiYanni (2001,p.55) explained that, “Character is the imaginary people that the
writers create, sometimes identifying them, sometimes judging them.” The authors make
the people in the story according to their fantasy where sometimes the writer discovering
them or critic them. There are two types of character, they are :
2.1.2.1 Major Character
Major character is an “Important figure at the center of the story’s action or
theme.” Sometimes, in a story, there are two characters that take over the story. This
character is also called as protagonist whose conflict with an antagonist
(DiYanni,2001,p.55).
2.1.2.2 Minor Character
Minor character is as a supporter for the major character, which sometimes there
are also two minor characters. It is easy to differentiate the major and the minor
character. Beside the major character has an important role, he/she also takes control of
the story. On the other hand, the minor character is only seen in some scenes of the story
and the role is not as important as the major character (DiYanni,2001,p.55).
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2.1.2.3 The Change of the Characters
Kennedy & Gioia (2005, p.92) explained that the change of character is divided
into two, those are flat and dynamic character. Flat character, “Has only one outstanding
trait or feature, or at most a few distinguishing marks.” It means the character will stay
the same as long as the story. Flat character is also called as static. Meantime, round or
dynamic character appears with some change in the story. DiYanni (2001) stated that
dynamic characters, “Exhibit some kind of change-of attitude, of purpose, of behavior –
as the story progresses” makes some chances of manner, of aim, or of behavior during
the story (p.55).
2.1.3 Symbol
According to Kennedy & Gioia (2006,p.251), symbol is “A thing that suggest
more than its literal meaning. Symbol generally do not “stand for” any one meaning.”
Arp & Johnson (2006) explained that symbol can be a person, a condition, a name, an
action and anything that can symbolize other meaning (p.216). For instance, name
symbolism. A name in a story does “Not only label them but also suggest something
about them” (Arp & Johnson, 2006, p.217).
Beside the name symbolism, the symbolic use of objects and actions is more
necessary. These symbols will be useful in some stories because readers will not know
or realize the symbols when they read the stories at the first time, except for some
perceptive readers. In other stories, these symbols are used to yield important meaning.
Symbols reinforce and add the meaning or will carry the meaning (Arp & Johnson,
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2006, p.217). Symbol also can be seen by the repetition in a story or from the “Realistic
details that build by accretion” (Arp & Johnson, 2006,p.218).
2.2 Women’s Rights Movement in Asia
Asia also influenced by the women’s movement. In Introducing Asian Feminist
Theology (2000) by Pui-lan explained that many Asian people demanded their
independence after enslaved by colonies for centuries. After the independence, the social
and economic aspects in some of the Asian countries increased rapidly, but others still
suffered the hunger and poorness.
The economic and political changes in the Asian countries influenced “Familial
patterns, the status of women, reproduction and traditional gender roles.” The access of
Asian women to education and growing participation in the labor market was still in a
little amount. In Pakistan and Nepal, 80 per cent of the women were illiterate and about
three-quarters of the women in some parts of India and Bangladesh were difficult to
read.
The situation of Asian women workers had become worse while the Asian
businessmen take part in the Asian economic. It is because the women worked in
manufacturing, such as textile and garment industries, and service sector where they
were paid less than men.
Asian women took part in struggling for political independence and selfautonomy. For instance, Filipino women joined with men in struggling to beat Spanish
in 1898. Korean women and men fought for political autonomy since their country was
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colonized by Japan in 1895. In China, female and male students demonstrated to the
street to struggle for independence (pp.12-19).
2.3 The Second Wave Feminism
Gillis & friends (2004, p.1) stated, “There have always been women writing
about, concerned with and acting in the interests of women. A ‘feminist’ history, though,
is distinct from a history of both women and/or the women’s movement.” The feminist
history was divided into three waves; first wave, which happened in the nineteenth
century, is “Women’s movement which was a response to a shared exclusion from
political, social, and economic life.” In the second wave, feminist movement happened
between the 1960s until the 1970s. The feminists, “Concerned with broader social
relations” and included “A legal and political emancipation.” The third wave has been
eager to signal a break from second wave feminism.
As mentioned before, the second wave concerned with “A legal and political
emancipation.” The key to legal and political emancipation lay in legal and political
rights. According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, legal means
“Someone is allowed to do it or have to do it by law” (2009, p.996). Political means
“Relating to the government, politics, and public affairs of a country” (Longman
Dictionary of Contemporary English, p.1340). While, right means “Something that you
are morally, legally, or officially allowed to do or have” (Longman Dictionary of
Comtemporary English, p.1504). So, the legal rights mean all things that someone is
allowed to do or have by law included to get involved in politics and the political rights
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means all things that someone is allowed to do or have which relates to the government,
politics, and public affairs of a country.
2.4 The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
To complete this thesis, the writer will focus on the second wave. The famous
Simone de Beauvoir was not only a feminist, but also a life-long partner of the French
philosopher Jean Paul Sartre. She was a very active fighter for women’s rights and a
supporter of abortion. Her most significant book is The Second Sex in 1949 (Carter,
2006, p.93). Simone de Beauvoir is the theorist that will be applied for this research.
The Second Sex became a bridge between the first and second feminism. It
appeared between the ending of the first wave and the beginning of the second wave. De
Beauvoir created “An epic account of gender division throughout history, examining
biological, psychological, historical, and cultural explanations for the reduction of
women to a second and lesser sex.” Sexual discrimination was a precious starting-point
for feminists who wanted to advance further than the first wave aspects (Waugh, 2006,
pp. 319-320).
The Second Sex claimed that “There was no such thing as ‘feminine nature’.” In
fact, women treated unequal to men whereas there was no explanation to make women
as “Second-class citizens.” De Beauvoir explained that biological differences do not
present a fundamental reason for women’s oppression and there was nothing natural
about the hierarchical separation of men and women into a first and second sex. Woman
is always positioned as the “Other” to man. De Beauvoir visualized ‘the modern woman’
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which would be “Equal as men, think and act like a man” (Waugh, 2006, pp.320-322).
She also said that “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” (Carter, 2006, p.93).
2.5 Biography of Aung San Suu Kyi
To support the analysis of the main character, Hasday (2007) told that Suu Kyi
studied in Rangoon until she was fifteen years old then in 1960 she moved to New Delhi
because her mother was chosen as Burma ambassador in India. In 1962, she began her
college education in Delhi University then she decided moving to England to study more
about politic in 1964. She was accepted in St. Hughes, Oxford University (pp.43-50).
She graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, Politics, and
Economics (p.53).She was married with Dr. Michael Aris, a British scholar, in 1972 and
they have two sons, Alexander and Kim (pp.59-61).
Hasday explained briefly that on March 31, 1988, she had to go home after
received a call that informed if her mother had suffered a severe stroke. While she was
in Oxford, the military took over the country and made the Burmese who had been
living in prosperity, had to live in miserable insufficiency. The military was led by Ne
Win.
Since 1962, Ne Win began to isolate Burma from the outside world. General Ne
Win led a military and took over the country, included banks, schools, infrastructure and
businesses. He also arrested members of parliament and replace with the military
officers. Under Ne Win’s regime, Burma was no longer a democratic country, anyone
dared to speak out opposed the regime was put in prison or killed, food and fuel shortage
happened. Ne Win has been leading Burma for 26 years until Suu Kyi came back to
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Burma. Ne Win’s party was Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP) where it established
in 1964 (p.66).
Suu Kyi arrived in Rangoon when the government in clash with the protesters
who began their protest on March, 31. They called it as an end to the repressive regime.
Hundreds of people were killed and others were beaten and put in jail. For three months,
Suu Kyi just looked out from the window of hospital where her mother was treated. She
took her mother home when there was nothing could be done in the hospital. U Tin Oo
and U Nu who used to work in government came and spoke to her about a movement to
be free and to be a democratic country, just like when her father planned. They wanted
her to join them in the struggle.
Suu Kyi agreed to get involved in bringing democracy to Burma after a massacre
known as the Four Eights strike happened. She had put herself into a political situation
where the regime had no mercy for people who opposed them (pp.1-8). As a daughter of
Aung San, Suu Kyi became a living symbol of hope for the future of Burmese people. A
hope to bring Burma became a democratic country again (p.75). She with U Tin Oo, and
U Kyi Maung established the National League for Democracy (NLD) on September, 24
1988 (p.77).
Suu Kyi lost her husband on March 27, 1999 because of prostate cancer. Suu Kyi
declined the chance to see her husband and leave Burma because she will not be allowed
coming back to Burma if she left. She believed that Michael would understand what she
has done, winning the struggle for democracy (p.99).
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The content of the biography of Aung San Suu Kyi is same with the content of
The Lady movie. The biography tells more details about Suu, as the main character.
2.6 The Principle of Ahimsa by Gandhi
Himsa is “A Sanskrit term that means harm, injury, or violence” while Ahimsa
means “nonharm, noninjury, or nonviolence” (Nojeim, 2004, p. 98). Gandhi defined
Ahimsa as “Action based not just on the refusal to do harm, but also on the notion of
doing good, even to an evildoer” (Nojeim, 2004, p.98). Ahimsa provides “Peace, love,
and justice” and there is no violence on it.
Gandhi said that the application of Ahimsa refers to everybody, includes the
opponent. He asked people to fight their opponents by showing love and never imagined
about “uncharitable thought”, such as “the feelings of resentment, hatred, or ill will”
(Nojeim, 2004, p. 99). The target of Ahimsa is overcome the devil of opponent, not to
look for a triumph.