Women between Domestication and Resistance: Housewifization in Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk and Bekisar Merah
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24071/joll.v26i2.708Keywords:
Housewifization, feminism, patriarch, feminist literary criticismAbstract
This research examines the representation of housewifization in Ahmad Tohari's works, Bekisar Merah and Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk. The study investigates the impact of patriarchal, economic, and state ideologies on women's social roles and identities, utilizing Maria Mies's notion of housewifization. This research investigates the placement of female characters within public and domestic spheres through qualitative descriptive methodology and textual analysis. The findings indicate that the two novels demonstrate distinct forms of housewifization. In Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk, Srintil does not directly suffer housewifization since she is seen as a public woman whose body is used as a commodity by community norms. But the community does not like that she wants to live like a normal wife. On the other hand, Bekisar Merah employs the figure Lasi to show a more obvious sort of housewifization. Lasi's identity and social value are limited to doing housework, having children, and being submissive in marriage. Both works explain how patriarchal, cultural, and social power structures that are connected to each other limit women's freedom. Tohari's writings illustrate the persistent marginalization of women in both public and private spheres through these representations. This work promotes feminist literary theory by showing how Indonesian literature both reflects and opposes the ways women's roles are shaped by patriarchal society.
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