The Construction Bone's Sexual Identity throughout Her Life in ...

The Construction Bone’s Sexual Identity throughout Her Life in Bastard out of Carolina: Psychoanalytic Reading

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in

English Letters

By

VANIA ANINDHITA KUSUMASARI

Student Number: 114214104

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTER

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

By

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

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The Construction of Bone’s Sexual Identity throughout Her Life

in Dorothy Allison’s Bastard out of Carolina: Psychoanalytic

Reading

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of Requirements

For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By

By

VANIA ANINDHITA KUSUMASARI

Student Number: 114214104

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTER

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA


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You have no one to depend on but

Yourself.

Never ever forget that.

Be courageous

“So please ask yourself:

What would I do if I weren’t afraid?

And then go do it.”

-Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.


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This thesis is dedicated to

My dearly loved Kusmaningsih in heaven

My strong father Sarino Manaf

The supportive sister Astrid Yunita Hapsari

And

My little doll


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am writing this acknowledgments with the feeling of joy and gratitude.

This is because in this page I am writing the names of wonderful people who have

assisted me a lot on working on this thesis.

Firstly, I would like to thank my Lord Allah S.W.T for His never ending

bless. Secondly, I thank Dr. F.X. Siswadi, M. A. for always giving his hands to

class D. Thirdly, my deepest gratitude goes to my advisor Paulus Sarwoto, S. S.,

M.A., Ph. D. for always challenging me with his questions to push myself to the

limit. Fourthly, my lecturer who patiently directs me to a broader way of doing the

analysis, Maria Ananta Tri Suryandari, S.S., M. Ed. I also would like to express my

gratitude to my mom. I believe she keeps praying for me in heaven and I hope she

is happy with what I am now. I also thank my hard worker dad who is never tired

to provide everything I need and my sister who always listens, helps and supports

everything I do. Moreover, I am glad to have little doll and beautiful niece named

Jasmine, who have given colors in my darkest days.

Last but not least, my thanks goes to my second family Ayu, Indra bh, Nindy

and Tata for always cheering me up whenever I’m down. I also thank Monica,

Regina, Helga, Cukir, Harry and my aunties. They are my second teachers and great

companions during the past few years living in Yogya. I thank Sanata Dharma

University for giving me a chance to join exchange student to Thailand and Taiwan.

Both countries have changed me into a much better person.

Vania Anindhita Kusumasari


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE…………………………………………………………………….ii

APPROVAL PAGE..............................................................................................iii

ACCEPTANCE PAGE…………………………………………………………iv

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY…………………………………………….v

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH..vi

MOTTO PAGE …………………………………………………………………vi

DEDICATION PAGE………………………………………………………….vii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………...viii

TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………….ix

ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………x

ABSTRAK.......................................................................................................…...xi

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study………………………………………………….1

B. Problem Formulation……………………………………………………...7

C. Objectives of the Study…………………………………………………....7

D. Definitions of Terms………………………………………………………7

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A. Review of Related Studies……………...…………………………………9

B. Review of Related Theories……………………………………………...14

1. Theory of Character and Characterization……………………………14

2. Theory of Psychosexual Development………………………………..18

3. Theory of Female Sexuality…………………………………………..28

C. Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………..32

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the study……………………………………………………….34

B. Approach of the Study…………………………………………………...35

C. Method of the Study……………………………………………………...36

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS

A. Characteristics of Bone…………………………………………………..37

1. Brave…………..……………………………………………………..37

2. Loving……...………………………………………………………...38

3. Self-sacrificing…...…………………………………………………..39

4. Independent….……………………………………………………….42

5. Fantasy Prone….……………………………………………………..43

B. The Sexual Identity Constructed in Bone………………………………..45

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION………………………………………………...66

BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………70


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ABSTRACT

VANIA ANINDHITA KUSUMASARI. The Construction of Bone’s Sexual

Identity throughout Her life in Bastard out of Carolina: Psychoanalytic

Reading. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata

Dharma University, 2016.

Sexual identity defines how someone is able to identify herself due to the

orientation and her sexual behavior. Basically, the sexual identity is not only

influenced by the development of the psyche but also constructed by the condition,

society and people around him/her. The nature of sexual identity is not constant but

fluid until it reaches certain time. The novel taken in this study tells about a

fatherless daughter who struggles to get her sexual identity. It gives a complete

picture of children psychosexual stages. Bone as the main character in the story is

taken as an example because she happens to be the one who experiences the

psychosexual changing.

In order to see the development of Bone’s sexual identity, research

questions are made for this research. Firstly is to find out Bone’s characteristics by

looking at the characterization. Secondly is to analyze her psychosexual

development which can be seen by her characteristics.

The goal of this study is to find out how Bone’s sexual identity is

constructed. Therefore the theory of psychosexual development from Freud is

applied. The characteristics of Bone shows whether or not she pass the stages during

her psychosexual development. In a certain stage of psychosexual development, her

characteristic will show the tendency of her sexual identity.

After the analysis is done, the result shows that Bone is a brave, fantasy

prone, defenseless, self-sacrificing, loving and independent daughter. The positive

characteristics of Bone confirm that she could successfully pass the first three stages

of psychosexual development. Unfortunately she experiences a failure in the fourth

stage, called phallic stage that makes her to be a fantasy prone kid. The failure factor

is because she does not have biological father, which is the requirement to pass the

oedipal stage. In this stage, the failure happening causes the disorder sexual

behavior in Bone. This behavior makes her a masochist person because she is

pleased by the sexual enjoyment through the pain. In her fantasy, she also fantasizes

herself being a man which leads her to have masculinity complex. Masculinity

complex is said to be one of the homosexual identity factors. Moreover, the inability

of Bone to shift her love to her father also become supporting factors that creates

the homosexual identity in herself. On the other hand, Bone unconsciously activates

her masculine side in herself through the stimulation in clitoris area when she keeps

masturbating. Thus, the conclusion is Bone lives out her masculinity in her

homosexual identity.


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ABSTRAK

VANIA ANINDHITA KUSUMASARI. The Construction of Bone’s Sexual

Identity throughout Her Life in Bastard out of Carolina: Psychoanalytic

Reading. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas

Sanata Dharma, 2016.

Identitas seksual menentukan bagaimana seseorang mampu

mengidentifikasikan dirinya menurut orientasi dan perilaku seksualnya. Pada

dasarnya, identitas seksual tidak hanya dipengaruhi oleh perkembangan psikologi

seseorang tersebut tetapi juga dibentuk oleh kondisi, tempat tinggal dan orang-

orang sekitar. Sifat dari identitas seksual ini tidak tetap melainkan dapat berubah-

ubah sampai pada waktu tertentu. Novel dalam penelitian ini, membahas tentang

seorang anak yatim yang berusaha untuk menemukan identitas seksualnya. Cerita

ini memberikan gambaran lengkap tentang tahap-tahap psikoseksual anak. Bone

sebagai tokoh peran utama di cerita ini yang diambil sebagian contoh karena ia

mengalami perubahan dalam pembentukan prilaku psikoseksualnya.

Untuk melihat perkembangan identitas seksual Bone, dibentuklah dua

tujuan studi untuk penelitian ini. Pertama adalah mencari karakter Bone dengan

melihat penokohannya. Kedua adalah menganalisa perkembangan psikoseksualnya

yang bisa dilihat dari karakter-karakter Bone.

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah mencari tahu bagaimana identitas seksual

Bone terbentuk. Maka dari itu, teori perkembangan psikoseksual dari Freud di

aplikasikan. Karakter-karakter Bone akan menunjukkan apakah Bone mampu

melewati tahap-tahap selama perkembangan prilaku psikoseksualnya. Didalam

tahap perkembangan psikoseksual tertentu, karakter Bone akan menunjukkan

kecenderungan identitas seksualnya.

Setelah analisis dilakukan, hasil menunjukkan bahwa Bone adalah seorang

anak yang pemberani, suka berfantasi, pasrah, rela berkorban, penuh kasih sayang

dan mandiri. Karakter positif yang dimiliki Bone menunjukkan bahwa ia dapat

melewati tiga tahap awal perkembangan psikoseksual dengan sukses. Sayangnya,

ia mengalami kegagalan pada tahap keempat atau bisa juga disebut tahap anal, yang

membuatnya menjadi anak yang suka berfantasi. Faktor kegagalannya adalah

dikarenakan Bone tidak mempunyai ayah biologis yang merupakan syarat

keberhasilan tahap phallic. Di tahap ini, kegagalan yang terjadi menimbulkan

perilaku seksual yang menimpang pada diri Bone. Perilaku ini membentuk Bone

menjadi seorang masokis karena ia secara tidak sadar menikmati kenikmatan

seksual melalui penyiksaan. Dalam fantasinya, ia juga berkhayal menjadi seorang

lelaki yang membimbingnya untuk mempunyai kompleks maskulinitas. Kompleks

maskulinitas dikatakan menjadi faktor identitas homoseksual. Selain itu,

ketidakmampuan Bone untuk memindahkan cintanya ke ayah juga menjadi faktor

pendukung tumbuhnya identitas homosekual didalam dirinya. Disisi lain, Bone

secara tidak sadar mengaktifkan sisi kemasulinitasan di dalam dirinya ketika ia

terus bermasturbasi. Dengan demikian, kesimpulannya adalah Bone menjalani sifat

kelaki-lakian dalam identitas homoseksualnya.


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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

The word white trash has been widely spread throughout the United States.

Some people might have already known what it is, when they use it and why they

use it but some still consider it as a taboo. They might have heard about it but with

different terms. According to Wray in White Trash: Race and Class in America,

the term white trash is invented around 1820s and arises around Baltimore,

Maryland. For people who lives in The States in about 1830s, they obviously know

about this term used by the group of whites against the white people as well. The

rich whites refer to the poor whites living in rural area as white trash.

They do not use that derogatory term of white trash only but also redneck

for rural poor whites of the Southern United States. “Many of these accounts

became popular with the American public, and family clans like “The Jukes” and

“The Kallikaks” became widely known, entering the public imagination as poor,

dirty, drunken, criminal minded and sexually preserved people” (Wray,1996:2).

Another term used is cracker which is for the poor lived in Georgia and Florida and

trailer trash for poor people living in trailer parks in North America. According to

the history of white trash written by Matt Wray, the term white trash is not invented

by the whites but by African Americans who were enslaved and freed. It keeps

being used by the middle class and high class whites against the low class whites in


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white society. Low class whites are given such names because they have low

income, low education and the stereotypes of their behavior.

The effects of the term white trash to them are physiologically and

physically disturbing. People always try to get rid of them because they are

stereotyped as dangerous, hazardous and corrupt. Matt Wray says “some white

people are now identified as “white trash” to signal rebelliousness and cultural

difference—their refusal of a bland, mainstream white society that oppresses and

stifles” (www.thesocietypages.org). Other than that, white trash itself brings the

sense of exoticness, sexually disruptive behavior and immoral which is assumed as

negative.

Relating to this story, the object analyzed is a little girl, named Bone. She

comes from a family who is stereotyped as white trash in her society. She is born

when her father leaves her sixteen year old mother. Being raised without the figure

of a father becomes one of the reasons why white trash family have a negative

stereotype. It also becomes a matter for Bone’s development because the figure of

both parents is very important for a child’s development. During a child’s

development, there are many phases that she has to go through. Every phases of a

child towards the maturity is very important and takes some years to be completed.

It requires a lot of attention from both parents until the child reaches the optimum

of her development. The attention needed does not only take a year or two but from

the very first time a baby comes to the world until they are ready to be separated

from her parents. Even the first year of a child is the crucial year that takes the

whole attention of the care taker.


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The successful of passing every phases determines the future of the child.

Each of it has its own primary concern. In this study, it focuses more on the

development of a child in constructing her sexual identity. Therefore, the concern

is more on the sexual necessity. It starts with her needs when she is a baby, toddler,

teenager until the identity is constructed. In completing every phases, a child cannot

do it by herself. She needs the help from the primary care taker or the closest person

she is relationship with. Therefore the existence and the help from both parents

mother and father influences a lot in constructing children’s identity. A child needs

a help to identify herself and her surroundings. In the condition when one of the

requirements of development is missing, there has to be an abnormal development

happens. The failure itself affects the psychology of a child that determines her

future.

Relating to this story, the abnormal development has to occur in Bone’s

sexual development. The problems caused by the absence of one of the parents give

a lot of impacts in structuring Bone’s identity. In this story, Dorothy Allison does

not really emphasize how the white trash men live. It is because white trash men

are known for their wildness and rebelliousness so they still could fight for what

they are supposed to get. It contrasts to white trash women’s life. They never have

a chance to do it. Therefore, the identity of the white trash women in the novel is

constructed differently. Morris says that the idea of identity is “the collective aspect

of the set of characteristics by which a person or things is recognized or known”

(1980:350). The common characteristics must be different between each person and

usually in one group they share some similarity of characteristics. In the process of


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getting their real identity, a person can ameliorate her own image in herself or

making her own images. However it still depends on the experience of sexuality

that someone goes through.

In the story, the white trash children are indicated as the victims, especially

Bone. It is called victims because almost all of the white trash children do not have

one of their parents. They have to struggle more to determine their sexual identity.

Bone is a daughter who does not have biological father and has an abusive step

father. Her mother Anne loves her but she is busy of making a good life for her.

Thus, she does not get a chance to have a good parenting from both of her parents.

The reason of doing a research in this book is because it provides the

complexity of identity construction. It tells about the intricacy life since Bone is

still a baby until she finds out her identity. In order to reveal the problem, the writer

is challenged to see the gaps throughout her childhood experience until adulthood.

However this reason is supported with the review stated:

one, the author knows the craft of storytelling; two, the book is brutally

honest about a frequently noted ailment in our society, sexual abuse; three,

the protagonist deals with the common problem of coming of age in an

uninhabitable family environment; four, the language and ideas suggest that

young adolescents possess sophisticated reasoning tools; and five, the book

is complex and thoroughly engaging (Glenn: 1996).

The quotation above presents that the book clearly pictures the white trash

life and their problems happened at that time. It is told with simple language and

easy to understand. This book also shows various problems of a daughter

throughout her life to find out sexual identity. It delivers to the public that aspects


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such as economic structures, terms adopted, sex’s matters and family lineage are

some of the factors that disempower Bone. Other than that, this novel has strong

main character who fights for her identity. Therefore, this book is very challenging

for a research about identity.

This study discusses the process of having a sexual identity in a fatherless

daughter. The method of this study is firstly to observe Bone’s characteristics. And

then it is related to one of the literature theories called psychoanalytic theory. After

that, the application of the theory of female sexuality is done when she experiences

a failure in one of her sexual development stages. Psychoanalysis offers an analysis

of unconscious, preconscious and conscious of someone in developing her identity.

It also observes the existence of repression and disorderliness in children’s

biological sexual development.

Specifically, the theory used in psychoanalysis is psychosexual

development. The reason is because “it covers the development of the first instinct

theories, which drew attention to the biological sexual development of the child”

(Thompson, 2003: 4). It gives a complete theory or explanation on how to analyze

a child’s development biologically that influences the psychology. The background

of doing this study is because Simone de Beauvoir says that “one is not born as a

woman but one becomes one” (Madsen, 2000: 94). Actually both women and men

are born to be a human in the same position. They do not have any distinction yet

when the first time they come to the world. What changes them psychologically and

biologically is the experience with other human throughout their life. This study

proves that the sexual identity of someone can be changed and reconstructed


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throughout her life. The experiences and phases of someone have big influence for

structuring her identity. Psychoanalytic criticism sees how this process could

happen in someone. Thus, it shows that this approach is appropriate for this kind of

avant-garde story, its problem and the development of the character’s libidinal.

The approach of psychoanalytic realizes on the analysis of a psychological

of the character in a literary work. According to www.merriam-webster.com

psychology is the science or study of the mind and behavior. It deals with the study

of observable patterns of human’s behavior while literature exhibits how human

beings behave in dealing with their problems and environment. So there is a close

relationship between both of them. The approach used is to critics view works

through the lens of psychology. It looks either at the psychological motivations of

Bone or Dorothy Allison as the author. Based on journal of literary criticism: an

overview of approaches, there are advantages of disadvantages of applying

psychoanalytic approach to a literary work. The advantage is it is a useful tool for

understanding some works, in which characters manifest clear psychological issues.

Like the biographical approach, knowing something about a writer’s psychological

makeup can give us insight into his work. On the other hand, the disadvantage is

Psychological criticism can turn a work into little more than a psychological case

study, neglecting to view it as a piece of art. Critics sometimes attempt to diagnose

long dead authors based on their works, which is perhaps not the best evidence of

their psychology. Critics tend to see sex in everything, exaggerating this aspect of

literature.


http://www.merriam-webster.com/

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B. Problem formulation

Based on the background of the study above, two questions are formulated

in order to answer the problem.

1. How is Bone characterized in Allison’s Bastard out of Carolina?

2. How do Bone’s characteristics reflect her sexual identity?

C. Objectives of the Study

The first objective is to find out the characteristics of Bone by looking at

her characterization and also understanding its development. The second objective

is to analyze the phases Bone passes. It will be seen by observing her character

development from childhood to her adulthood. And the third is to see the tendency

or the sexual orientation Bone has.

D. Definition of Terms

In order to understand more what is discussed in this study, the key terms

used should be defined.

1. Psychoanalytic

“Psychoanalytic criticism is a form of literary criticism which uses some of the

technique of psychoanalysis in the interpretation of literature” (Barry, 2002:96). It


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is a form of literary approach that is based on psychology theory. So it uses the

psychoanalysis method to deconstruct a literary text. It helps to examine the

psychology and sexuality of the characters in a literary work.

2. Sexual Identity

According to www.merriam-webster.com, Identity refers to the qualities, beliefs

that make a particular person or group different from others. Therefore, it is likely

to say that sexual identity is the quality that someone adopts that are associated with

the sex orientation. It is constructed along with the journey someone passes. It

becomes a very important part to understand by the individual in order to identify

her or his sexual orientation. The sexual identity constructs the awareness of the

individual to determine and to express herself in the society she lives in.

Sexual identity development is a process for which GLB individuals have

been unprepared and which is contextually unsupported and stigmatized, it

would seem that the process would be characterized by inconsistency or

incongruence among its affective, cognitive, and behavioral components,

such that behavior may not always coincide with affect and/or identity

(Rosario, 2006 : 2)

The quotation above states that in their process of sexual identity development, gay,

lesbian and bisexual go through some phases that they are not ready yet to confront

with the negative beliefs that the society have. They are not fully supported by the

people around them. The reason is because the stigma has divided some specific

characteristics and behaviors for women and men. Therefore, the consequence is

the process of their developments are characterized through the inconsistency

between the emotion and behavior.



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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

There are three parts divided into this chapter. The first one is review of

related studies that covers the studies related to this topic done by previous

researches. The second is review of related theories that presents the theories

applied to answer the problem formulations above. And the third one is the

theoretical framework. This is the part that explicates the way the writer uses the

reviews in solving the problems.

A. Review of Related Studies

In this chapter, the relevant studies done by the previous researchers are

examined in order to improve the recent study.

The first related study is according to Melissa L. Grunow-Chavez titled

Trashes Rises: Class Consciousness and the Transcedence of “White Trash”

Assumption in Allison’s Bastard out of Carolina. She writes how the term white

trash in the novel gives a lot of influences to Boatwrights family especially to Bone

as the main character. The white trash here is rooted in the blood line theory which

means unavoidable for the next generations to be called that way and get stereotype

from the society. As Bone grows up, it gives her an awareness to the stereotype

given:

She struggles with emotionally connection to her family—especially the

uncles she worships and the aunts she respects and disassociating herself


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from their “trash” image. Bone’s resistance to her family’s societal image

and her simultaneous affection for them plays an important role in

developing her identity. (Chavez, 2004:52)

Chavez contemplates that the term trash there holds a big role in

constructing Bone’s identity and the instability condition happening to her can only

be maintained by the affection Bone feels from her family. It is said that the

stereotype of white trash also affects to Bone’s personality. In a certain time, Bone

hides her real identity as a Boatwright for the sake of having a better life. It makes

her having confusion with her own personality.

Another supporting study is written by Madsen. This study consists of the

examples on how to see the process of becoming a women. This process observes

the structuring of feminine identity which is related to psychoanalytic feminism

theory. From this study, it can be seen how Madsen applies the theory of Freud to

reveal the identity of the main character. She explains the theory of Psychoanalytic

Feminism through The Awakening by Kate Chopin. “Kate Chopin’s work focuses

upon the themes of maternity versus paternity and the structuring of feminine

identity” (Madsen, 2000:108). Madsen relates Edna’s character development with

Edna’s phases when she is adopting the ideology of patriarchal romance.

Madsen says in her analysis that in the story Edna put herself in the feminine

oedipal crisis. She is stuck in her imaginary and symbolic orders. She tries to find

a way to liberate herself from her patriarchal life. She is yearning for her

adolescence, so she seeks another way to liberate herself by having an affair with

Leburn, the guy she meets in Grand isle. After that, she is no longer listless but

becomes eager and more alive. She starts to do what she did before when she hasn’t


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married yet. Since she goes back to the habit she is yearning for, she is awakened

by what she has missed in the past and starts to forget her two sons and husband.

When she moves to New Orleans, she has an affair again with the Don Juan Alcee

Arobin. In here, she is awakened by her sexual desire needs; she could retain her

freedom from male domination. The feeling of happiness transforms her attitude

because it realizes her that many other things are still available to her.

“Edna Pontellier frees herself from her social obligations in order to pursue

her desire for individual autonomy. But she herself is unable to develop a deep

understanding” (Madsen, 2000: 110). She could get rid of the things she is not

ready yet, such as having a husband and a child. She doesn’t have a chance to do

what a kid is supposed to do. However in the analysis she can get rid temporarily

from all the social obligations she is supposed to responsible, but Edna is still

having difficulty to understand her unconscious and conscious mind. For example

she tries to pursue her desire by becoming an artist but she is unable to explain it to

her husband. Also when she cannot verbalize to her doctor that she wants to be let

alone. The reason why she cannot do it is because she feels everything she utters

are incoherent with her thoughts. She is drown into a confusion.

Madsen analyzes that there are some steps Edna experiences in developing

her identity. First is when she is awakened by her sexual desire needs. The second

one is the step of the identification of masculine personality. It happens when she

identifies masculine interest of her father. The third one is when she is awakened

by the yearning of freedom. She has self determination to reject her identification

with her father and seeks a feminine alternative within her patriarchal culture. The


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next one is when she is self-contained caused by depression of losing her mother

when she is a child. She has to pass her oedipal development on her own. With the

absence of feminine figure, she replaces it with the authoritative father. Therefore,

she is unconsciously adopting her father manner and experiencing pre oedipal

identification. The last step happening is when she finally meets her friend

Mademoiselle that awakens her of her feminine identity. However it does not work

really well on her so she shifts from masculine world of patriarchal to the unknown

area of the feminine. She is lost in the unknown area of feminine and ends up

drowning herself to the see as she sees it as a place that empowers and frees her.

According to Edna, sea links to feminine aspects which is life-giving. It symbolizes

freedom, calmness, purifying the soul and rebirth. This analysis helps the study in

applying the theory of psychoanalytic to the story and also to see the identity

development of a daughter.

Another study works on Psychoanalytic is a work conducted by Sofie

Forsgren. From this study, it can be perceived that Forsgren analyzes the characters’

characteristics and deconstruct their fragmented identity. This researcher conducts

a study on Wuthering heights by Emily Bronte. She establishes a fragmented

identity disclosed in both novel’s main female characters. In her research on

Wuthering Heights, Sofie describes that Catherine is different from Edna in The

Awakening who adopts her father manner. Even though the situation is the same

where both are motherless, Catherine seems to identify neither of them at all. It is

because her father does not really give attention and affection to her. “Catherine

does not have a mother and as a consequence, she cannot adhere to Freud's theory


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of 'penis envy'.” (Forsgren, 2013: 4). But in her work, Forsgren writes that

Catherine is having multiple identities. And in further analysis, Forsgren uses

psychoanalytic feminism to see whether or not fragmented identity that Catherine

has liberating her. This study gives contribution to this project on how to see the

development of structuring an identity in a daughter. Both of the study also have

the same focus observed which is about a woman’s psyche growth.

The focus of this study is in the process of identity construction in a

daugther’s life that is seen since the infancy until in the end of the story. The

similarity of this recent study and the previous one is both of them analyze the

construction of the identity. The object analyzed is also the same which is a girl

who loses one of her parents. It is quite different with the previous research in the

part of the approach used. In previous studies, they use psychoanalytic theory to

dissect the identity construction, but then the psychoanalytic theory is combined

with feminism theory for a further analysis. In the first study done by Madsen, she

does not only focus on the identity of the child but also the patriarchal system and

the role of paternity and maternity. Another difference lays within the theorist of

the theory used. Madsen does not use Freud’s psychoanalytic theory to analyze the

psychology of the child. She uses the theory of Lacan that emphasizes on Imaginary

and Symbolic Order. Even though both Freud and Lacan are in the area of

psychology, the method of analyzing the psychology of a daughter is different.

On the other side, this recent study focuses only on the identity construction

itself. The theory used is psychoanalytic and it is not combined with any other

theory. It focuses on psychosexual development part. Moreover, the psychoanalytic


14

theory used belongs to Freud. Thus, the part concerned is on the child’s sexual parts.

This study also develops the previous studies in the result of the analysis. In the

previous study, it only mentions about the child’s sexual orientation in the end of

the story, while in this study it is not only the sexual orientation or identity that is

offered, it also provides the nature or the personality of the child after they get their

permanent identity.

B. Review of Related Theories

This part consists of some theories invented by some literary scholars. It

aims to help the study in analyzing the object of the study, limits the scope to

process the data and draw into conclusion.

1. Theory of Character and Characterization

Character is one of the fundamental intrinsic elements in a story. It is

fundamental because sometimes in some stories it holds an important role that will

affect the message. To know deeper about the message or intended meaning of the

story, the readers have to know what to consider as a character. And since the writer

will use psychoanalytic approach, the characters are necessary to be evaluated.

According to Abrams

Characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who

are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional,

and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say-the dialogue-

and by what they do-the action (1993:23).

It means characters are the ones who endure both in a story and a play which can


15

be seen by their activities or thoughts. To know the characters, a way to describe

them is needed because some authors have their own way to show it. For example

Klarer’s book, he took an example how Bronte depicts Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre.

“In the example of Victorian novel, the character is represented through the filter

of a selective and judging narrator (1999:19). To find out the characters, a reader

needs to know the way of unfolding the qualities of someone or can be called as

characterization. Based on Murphy’s book, there are nine devices of

characterizations used in the story to make the characters understandable and come

alive (1972: 161-173). These are the following devices:

a. Personal description

As it has been decclared by Murphy (1972:161) a writer can describe how

someone is dressed, their details of physical appearance and other personal

description that shows the characters. “The author can describe a person’s

appearance and clothes”.

b. Character as seen by another

In this way, the characters are not described directly by the writer; instead

he uses the judgment of another. It will be reflected by the descriptioins from

another characters to get more ideas of the characters chosen through what another

sees from that person. For example through the impressions, thoughts made by

another, the choice of words and phrases stated can strengthen the characters.

c. Speech


16

“The author can give us an insight into the character of one of the persons

in the book through what the person says” (Murphy, 1972:164).It will be shown in

a situation in a very clear way to be understood by letting the person giving out their

thoughts, statement, and opinion in a conversation to another people. Even though

in a small chat it can give a big clue for the readers because whatever he says,

comment and the way of talking made showing the kind of person he is.

d. Past life

The writers briefly in many ways will describe this device, like through the

conversations made by that person or by another or stated directly by the author.

Usually the writer will be telling about the person’s experience of life so we can

predict what kind of person he was that made him takes action or performs in a

certain way.

e. Conversation of others

“People do talk about other people and the things they say often give as a

clue to the character of the person spoken about” (Murphy, 1972:167). It delivers

many important clues to the readers because everything they say, there must be

reasons or facts behind it that made them say so and it is also needed to see another’s

point of view to know the character deeper. Just like in Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, the

main character and the intended meaning can only be known by analyzing the

neighbor’s chats.

f. Reactions


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Someone acts, respond to anyone’s behavior and how he replies the

comments put for him can show person’s character. By looking at one’s behavior,

the reader could find out which class the character is coming from, the education

he has, the society he lives in and many other things.

g. Direct comment

“The author can describe or comment on a person’s character directly”

(Murphy, 1972:170). This is the clearest way for readers to get to know the

characters because it is straightforwardly coming from the authors’ thoughts so it is

fully undoubted.

h. Thoughts

This one is using a different way. The reader has opportunity to read the

person’s thought about anything. The reader will not only analyze what can be seen

in real daily life but seeing another thing that another people in the story cannot do.

So the thoughts that the person have towards something will show what type of

person he is.

i. Mannerism

“The author can describe a person’s mannerisms, habits or idiosyncrasies

which may also tell us something about his character” (Murphy, 1972:173). This

method is also applicable for silent play, because the audience can see the behavior

of someone while he is with other people. Just like in a written story, the readers

can read how a person does or react to something done to him can show the quality


18

of that person.

2. Theory of Psychosexual development

Tong quotes Freud’s theory that says “children go through distinct

psychosexual development stages, and their gender identity as adults is the result

of how well or badly they have weathered this process” (2008:129). Sexual

maturation is derived from childhood experience which is the main cause that

shapes and determines sexual orientation, identity and behavior when they grow up.

In her book, Feminist Thought: A More Comoprehensive Introduction, Tong

represents Freud’s theory on the psychosexual stage development encountered by

children. Psychosexual theory examines the progress of someone’s libido

development. It proposes to see whether or not someone has a healthy psychology.

Psychosexual stage is started at very early age since the child has just born. Each

stage focuses on one of the body parts to be a pleasure zone.

During the first year, the pleasure zone of a child is found around her mouth.

It is defined as an oral stage. “As we suck our mother’s breast in order to be fed,

our sexuality (libido) is activated (Bressler, 1999:151). Not only when a child is

sucking her mother breast but also when she is sucking her thumb and kissing. It

stimulates the ability of a child to swallow, chew and bite. The first person who

intertwines the attachment with the child is the mother because she is the one who

breast feeds the child. For the first year, the child can only make an attachment with

the primary care taker. In that time, the child portrays their mother as their first love

object. It happens in both girls and boys development.


19

Clara Thompson completes the previous theory in her book titled

Psychoanalysis: Evolution and Development that “Thus the oral stage is organically

determined but not primarily because of its pleasure” (2003: 35). She does agree

with Freud’s statement that the infants contact the world through her mother in

terms of mouth. But there is another supporting factor that could affect the child’s

personality. The experience of being breast fed is depending on cultures variations.

The frequency of time is one of the factors that gives certain pleasure for the child.

Some mothers feed their children customarily and some feed theirs only when they

cry. So it can be concluded that the focus in oral stage is when the child is having

her first pleasure and also the basis of their nursing habits. “Thus although there is

an organic base for the oral stage, its effect on the personality of the child is

undoubtedly greatly influenced by the cultural attitude towards it.

According to Carducci, in each stage of psychosexual development, it is

very possible for regression and fixation to happen. “Fixation is believed to occur

on account of two reasons: over gratification and under gratification” (Carducci,

2009:92). This is a barrier of a child when she is too much enjoying the phase or

the other way around. They cannot completely pass the stage. If they are over

gratified, they will remain in the stage and enjoys her pleasure zone. While if they

are under gratified, they will spend their energy trying to find their pleasure zone.

So every stage has to be successfully passed in the right amount of time and quality.

In oral stage, if the child could perfectly passes the stage, she’d have her satisfaction

from the primary place of pleasure which is mouth. The child is also able to create

a strong attachment with her mother because she is the one who gives the pleasure


20

in this stage. If her needs are fulfilled adequately, as the result, the feeling of trust,

comfortableness will be occurred in the child’s personality. Oppositely, in the

condition that she fails in the stage, the oedipal fixation will occur. “Fixating at this

later part of the oral stage produces what is known as an oral aggressive or oral

sadistic personality” (Carducci, 1999:93). The habits that are possibly occurred is

when the child copes with problems associated with oral area like yelling or

screaming. It includes over eating disorder, biting nails and other incorporative

manners.

The next stage is called anal stage. “The primary erogenous zone begins to

shift from the oral region to the anal region” (Carducci, 1999: 93). It signifies the

pleasure zone of a child moves from the area of mouth to the area of sexual organs.

An example that stimulates child’s personality in this stage is when the mother

trains her toilet training. Her muscles around genital are trained to urinate and

defecate. The moves that stimulate the anal region can get the child satisfied. The

satisfaction she gets here means she is satisfied that she finds her pleasure. Carducci

quotes Freud’s theory that “the principal source of pleasure associated with the anal

stage is the reduction of tension that accompanies reducing bodily tension by

urinating and defecating” (1999:93). The act of urinating and defecating are likely

similar to remove the discomfort in child’s body and giving the feeling of relieve.

According to Thompson, this stage also discusses the wish of the child. The act of

urination and defecation are daily routine that one must do. In anal stage, a child

has already considered what they wish to do. They wish to urinate and defecate like

normal people. And the parents compromise the same wish for the child to do. So


21

the struggle of the parents to make it true is also constructing the child’s

psychology. Not only the form of training itself but the method used by the parents.

The ways the parents teach the child affect her personality traits when she grows

up.

During this stage, the anus becomes an erotogenic zone, for children become

sadistic, expelling and destroying through defecation as a means of

expressing both their anger and their excitement upon discovering their

independence from their mothers (Bressler, 1999: 151).

In the condition when the child is trained in the proper time, it creates the

independence and tidiness in child’s personality. While the child could have

difficulty in this stage when she holds the fesses. It obtains some implications for

the child’s future. The child may challenge the training with anger and develop her

aggression personality. “The anal sadistic personality is characterized by the

tendency to deal with stress in an explosive and unexpected manner, such as getting

angry over the slightest disturbance” (Carducci, 1999:94).

Robert Bocock says that “in the oral and anal phases, up to two or three

years of age, children experience similar pleasures and pain whether they are boys

or girls” (2002:47). Starting when both boys and girls feel the pleasure and pain

from being breastfed, taken care of by mother and trained to release the emotion

through urinate and defecate. They also experience about the social control in the

first two stages. They have a glimpse of environment that is contrary with their

natural desire.

After successfully passing the anal stage, the child moves to the next stage

called the phallic stage. This stage happens when the children discover their genitals


22

as a source of pleasure. Boys become more concern to their penises and girls are

interested in the erotic pleasure from clitoris. According to Carducci, “during

phallic stage, the child expresses the intense emotional affection for the opposite

sex parent while viewing the same sex parent as a source of competition” (1999:95).

In the previous stage, mother has the role to maximize the children’s pleasure but

in this phase, both parents hold the same important role for children to distribute

their affection. They are awakened by the difference they have when they look at

their different sex parents and notice the genital difference between them both.

As they grow up, they compare their bodies with the parents and start to

touch their genitals to search what they have enough and lack of. The act of touching

the genital in anal stage may lead to the fantasy and the appearance of Oedipus

complex. Oedipus complex is “a sexual desire that a child feels toward the parent

of the opposite sex along with jealous feelings toward the parent of the same sex”

(www.Merriam-Webster.com). The first love of both girls and boys are the same

which is the mother, but in this stage, they have to shift their love to the different

sex parent to complete their sexual development. Boys could move his love to his

father because of his anxiety of being castrated. At the first time he invests a hatred

feeling towards his father. He hates him because when he see his mother does not

have penis, he speculates that his father has cut the mother’s penis. But then the

feeling of hatred turns into identification because he is afraid of having their penis

cut too. As a result, the boys shift his love to his father and adopts the masculine

identity. It is the identity that is associated with masculinity.



23

However, this complexity of shifting love also has to be done in a sexual

development for girls. In this stage, libidinal or sexual development is always

associated with the opposite sex parent. Meanwhile, the relationship with the same

sex parents is relatively argumentative. In the earlier stages, the libidinal or sexual

for boys and girls are the same. As it has been said before, their first love is placed

in the mother. But after this stage, girls have a task to move their love to the different

sex parent. It purposes to make them aware and able to identify the different sex

partner. It has to be done properly so the sexual development will be constructed

normally. Normal in this term means heterosexual. But the most important thing is

the process of shifting itself. Shifting from clitoris to vagina and from mother to

father. Based on Robert Bocock, the term for the girls is not Oedipus complex but

called feminine Oedipus complex instead.

Freud rejected the use of the term Electra complex, introduced by Jung, for

these feelings of love towards the father and hatred towards the mother

figure by the feminine part of both sons and daughters. Freud thought the

notion of the ‘feminine Oedipus complex’ was sufficient” (Bocock, 2002:

51).

Feminine Oedipus complex has the same definition with the Oedipus

complex that happens to the boys. But the process of shifting the love from her

mom to the father is rather complicated. The transition of love appears at the time

when they realize that they do not have penis. When the girls see the penis, they do

not have the same feeling as boys’. They are not afraid to be castrated because they

do not have penis to be cut. Instead of feeling afraid, they see the penis as a source

of power for the male figure. They feel jealous when they see what penis can give

to the boys. In the society. Penis is seen as a symbol of power that means boys can


24

have more priority in their life. They get more prerogative rights than the girls do.

For example boys are allowed and not seen to be breaking the rules when they are

wild, aggressive, playing with mud and dirty. While girls are expected to be clean,

domestic and unaggressive. A metaphor example is made by Sacco to picture the

prerogative rights for the boys. “Boys possessed a penis and could stand when they

had to pee. They could do their business quickly and be done with it. Unfairly, girls

had to squat or sit. They had to invest more time and effort. (2012:7). That feeling

in girls arises her yearning for having a penis. Freud names this enviousness toward

the boys’ genital as penis envy. Basically, penis is just the symbolic expression

from girls to have the same rights and priorities as boys do.

Normally, as a result of penis envy, the girls feel the lack of power against

the boys. She does not satisfy with her clitoris and tries to find another gratification.

According to Freud, in the female love-shifting complexity, they will move their

loves to the male figure or father in order to fulfill her lack and her inferiority. “In

Freud’s view, then, the girl turns away from her mother in order to acquire a penis;

and by turning to the father enters the positive Oedipus phase (Burke, 1998:126).

Therefore, if they have moved their loves to the father they are able to identify the

different sex partner. If they could identify the different sex partner then they could

also move their primary pleasure area from clitoris to vagina. It means from the

area of masculine to the feminine. They leave their masculine side and keep the

feminine side. They become the girl expected by the society.

For girls’ development, masculine is characterized by the separation of the


25

daughter from her mother and the feminine is characterized by the attachment of

the daughter to her mother. “Feminine experience is presented as characterized by

weakness, confusion, self-doubt, uncertain judgments” (Madsen, 2000: 101). On

the opposite, masculine is associated with men’s role behavior and attributes. For

examples are strong, assertive, independent, ambition and etc.

In this stage, if the child can successfully pass it, she will be a heterosexual

person because she can identify the different sex partner. And then, she can move

to the next stage which is latent stage. Otherwise, if she grows up differently or

unable to move the love, there will be fixation called sexual dysfunction that affects

her sexual identity. It is the time when sexual desire disorder occurred in herself.

The fixation is specifically explained in the next part of the theory. The theory is

called as female sexuality theory by Freud.

Nevertheless, the explanation above is related with Chodorow’s testimonial.

There is still possibility when a child has certain condition that cannot successfully

transfers the love.

Whether a girl develops into a heterosexual woman or not, she will probably

find her strongest emotional connections with other women. Thus, the pre

oedipal mother-daugther relationship provides a reference point for female

friendship and lesbian relationship (Tong, 2000:144).

She grows an attachment with another female figure that she is close to. It can give

a result whether she can balance her feeling in her attachment or not. If she could,

she will be heterosexual and if she cannot she will have homosexual tendency

grown in her identity.


26

According to Ruitenbeek, the development in girls is much more

complicated compare to the boys. The erotogenic zone or the sensitive part of the

body for boys remain in the area of penis. On the other side, girls renounces from

clitoris to the area of vagina. “The sexual life of the women is regularly split up into

two phases. The first of which is of masculine character while only the second one

is specifically feminine” (Ruitenbeek, 1996:91). It recounts the clitoris with its

masculine character because it actives like a penis. While vagina is associated with

feminine characteristics because of its passiveness and its need of the help of the

penis. And for the matter of child’s love, boys incline to put his love to his mother

until he can replace it with the girl he marries to. But for girls, her first love to the

mother is exchanged to the father.

Ruitenbeek analyzes two observations from Freud in seeing Female

sexuality. “First, analysis has shown that where the attachment to the father was

peculiarly strong it had been preceded by a phase of equally strong and passionate

attachment exclusively to the mother” (Ruitenbeek, 1996:89). It means that in the

condition when a girl could shift her love to her father it signs that there is a strong

love before that she has for her mother. Therefore her love to both parents, father

and mother are equally the same. And the second is “the duration of this attachment

to the mother had been greatly underestimated. In a number of cases it persisted

well into the fourth and, in one, into the fifth year, so that it comprised by far the

longer period of the early sexual efflorescence. Indeed, one had to give due weight

to the possibility that many a woman may remain arrested at the original mother-

attachment and never properly achieve the changing-over to men (Ruitenbeek,


27

1996:89). The second possibility implies that sometimes the long period of time

when a child put her love to her mother is being ignored and forgotten. While there

is supposed to be a time when their attachment has to be ended and shifted. The

consequence if it is underestimated, the girls is stuck in the zone of mother-love

attachment and cannot intertwine her attachment to the different sex partner.

As it has been explained before, if a daughter gives up her masculinity and

prefer to lay on her femininity, then it means she completely passes the phallic

stage. After passing the phallic stage she can move to the next one. She is coming

the next stage called latent stage. It is called as latent because there are not many

changes in this stage. This is the time when child’s ego and superego is developed.

The child starts to learn reading, drawing and etc. in school. Her sexual

development is not disappear but postponed for certain time. She experiences it

until finally she reaches puberty. In the puberty time she transfers into genital stage.

This is the top of human development. It continuous until the end of someone’s life.

Psychoanalytic believes that the problems around gender is rooted from

their infantile experience. The reason is because from that moment, a psyche of

someone starts to be determined, remembered and practiced until they grow up.

Those infantile experience has to be observed. The observation could help in

showing the transformation of that person, how they deal and deny with the stage

passed and the reciprocity with others. However, to know whether or not the child

approach the end of the journey of sexual identity is signed when they meet these

criteria: “masculinity and femininity are represented in the narrative in terms of the

experience of and attitudes towards, solitude, isolation and death” (Madsen, 2000:


28

116).

3. Theory of Female Sexuality

This theory is attached for the reason that Bone experiences a failure in one

of her psychosexual development stage. The theory is needed to see the tendency

of her sexuality when she fails the development. It consists of oedipal fixation that

constructs human’s sexual orientation.

Relating to this story, the fixation happening is caused by the child abuse

done by Bone’s father. Therefore, another related theory taken is from Freud in The

Subject of Addiction: Psychoanalysis an the Administration of Enjoyment. In this

book, Loose writes about the masturbation as one of the effects of the abuse. It is

said that the act of masturbation is very important for infantile sexuality. It greatly

influences the child’s personality and her identity. It can emerge a positive image

only if it meets certain condition. Otherwise, it damages the child’s infantile

sexuality. The kinds of masturbation affliction itself can be varied. There are

masturbation that organic injury, develops psychological illness and the

masturbation that is accompanied by fantasy. The third one is the most concerned

one. “Freud suggested that this kind of masturbation is important because it leads

to fantasy as compromise mechanism which attempts to reconcile the pleasure

principle with the reality principle” (Loose, 2002:70). It is defined as when a child

masturbates, she creates a sexual fantasy that she brings into her real life. There is

a strong relation between the fantasies made by the child during the masturbation

with her behavior.


29

According to Aljouni in his journal, he also has the same belief as Loose

that childhood masturbation is not always a good sign in children development.

“Childhood masturbation has been linked to emotional deprivation, which may in

turn lead to more self-stimulation. It may also be associated with sexual abuse”

(Aljouni, 2010:6). That can be a possible effect coming out of violence happening

to the child. Coleman also writes about fantasy relating to someone who is

depressed. She can be depressed of being beaten or any reasons. According to him,

fantasy made by someone who is depressed is one of her reaction to defense the

stress. The reaction can be varied but the purpose is one, to relieve the tension and

anxiety. It is also an ego-defense mechanism to keep herself from feeling hurt and

devaluation. “By means of this mechanism, frustration is overcome by the

imaginary achievement of goals and meeting of needs. Two common varieties of

wish-fulfilling fantasy are the conquering hero and suffering hero patterns”

(Coleman, 1976:123). The first mechanism acts as an alternation of her pain in her

life. She makes that alternation in her imagination so the pain she feels can be

substituted. The second one acts as an appreciation of her inferior performance for

suffering from some dread disease in her fantasy.

Freud gives an explanation about infantile beating fantasy. It is when the

girls are masturbating while imagining being beaten by her father or surrogate

father. “Freud describes two crucial phases in the development of parental complex.

In the first, children enjoy “the heaven of their imaginary omnipotence” and “love-

affairs” with the parent of the opposite sex” (Person, 2013:50). The first crucial

phase can leads the child to have masochist personality. It is because when the girls


30

were beaten by the father they do not feel the pain and unpleasant experience.

Instead, they replace it with masturbation while fantasizing being beaten by the

father. They get the pleasure from feeling the pain. They fantasize the

sadomasochist sex with her father. ”at the climax of the imagined situation, we are

told, beating phantasies are carried out “Almost invariably” with masturbation”

(Person, 2013:52). The girls are said to be masochist in the condition when the

fantasy of being beaten begins, it happens at the same time when the child pleases

themselves by masturbating. The second crucial phase is when their imagination

shows the girls are not becoming the victims but they are just the spectators. They

start to speculate that their father beats another people for loving them. As a result

“the girl in her penis envy identify with the victim and enjoys a masochistic,

disguise incestuous pleasure” (Person, 2013:52).

As it has been explained in the previous theory, according to Freud in the

psychosexual development, girl passes the stage named penis envy. The process of

penis envy requires the love movement to different sex parent. The process of this

complexity is quite different to the girls. Bocock states Freud’s theory of female

sexuality about some possibilities that can happen in the failure of phallic stage for

girls.

Quite different are the effects of the castration complex in the female. She

acknowledges the fact of her castration and with it, too, the superiority of

the male and her own inferiority; but she rebels against this unwelcome state

of affairs. From this divided attitude three line of development open up. The

first leads to a general revulsion with boy, grows dissatisfied with her

clitoris, and gives up her phallic activity and with it her sexuality in general

as well as a good part of her masculinity in other fields. The second line

leads her to cling with defiant self-assertiveness to her threatened

masculinity. To an incredibly late age she clings to the hope of getting a


31

penis some time. That hope becomes her life’s aim; and the phantasy of

being a man in spite of everything often persists as a formative factor over

long periods. This ‘masculinity complex’ in women can also result in a

manifest homosexual choice of object. Only if her development follows the

thirds, very circuitous, path does she reach the final normal female attitude

in which she takes her father as her object and so finds her way to the

feminine form of the Oedipus complex (2002: 53).

The complexity that occurs in girls happens when they start to think that

their penises are cut. The fact that they see is that penis brings superiority and the

authority for the male. It brings women a position to the inferior one. Thus, the

quotation above explains the different outcome of this phenomena occurred in a

daughter. First is the general rejection. She is discontented with her lack of penis

and being positioned under the men. So, their feelings toward male figure is

changed. She gives up her masculinity and shift it to another field. The second is

about the radical threaten toward her masculine side. It intrigues their intention to

have penis in her future. It becomes a part of their fantasy to be boys. The

occurrence of the fantasy can happens in a long period of time. Bocock calls this

phenomena as masculinity complex. This complexity influences her sexuality and

emerges the tendency of becoming homosexual.

Masculinity Complex can get the child into neurotic. The reason is because

she knows that it won’t happen to her but she still yearns for it. She could build the

feeling of rejected, disappointed and worried. She is forced to sublime her libido if

she lives in the society that confronts her. As a result, she will try to find a protection

for her confusion. “She will do what all living creatures do in situations of danger.

She will flee for refuge to the shelter where she once enjoyed and peace, to her

mother” (Ruitenbeek, 1996:122). As it has been said before, a child is also


32

influenced by the closest female figure other than her mother. Therefore, for the

protection a child needs suffering from the masculinity complex will be the closest

female figure around her. If the masculinity complex suffered by the child leads to

the tendency of homosexuality, certain characteristics might start to occur in child’s

behavior or appearance.

C. Theoretical Framework

The first problem mentioned is to understand how the character is

characterized in the story. The characteristics she has here show the development

of her psyche. It is analyzed using the theory of characters and characterization. The

theory is chosen because it works for revealing the characteristics of someone. It

can be seen and analyzed briefly by nine ways. Some of them are from her actions,

speeches, and other characters’ speech about her and other ways that have been

mentioned above. This theory answers the first problem formulation.

After finding out her characteristics, Bone’s character development is seen

because its development influences in structuring her identity. Then, the theory of

psychosexual development is applied to analyze the phases she goes through. This

theory is chosen because it has comprehensive explanations on steps, repression,

development and experience that someone has.

The third step is the attachment of female sexuality theory. This theory

observes the sexual orientation or sexual identity in someone. It sees the tendency


33

of her libidinal. In this study, it specializes in sexual development in a daughter.

Since the main character observed experiences the failure in one of the stages, the

theory of female sexuality clarifies about her failure. It also gives the details of her

sexual identity in the future.


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CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

The object of this study is an American novel written by an American feminist,

Dorothy Allison. She is also a working class storyteller, a Southern expatriate, a

sometime poet and a happily born-again Californian. She writes this novel about

white trash after she writes a book about an explanation of white trash in America.

Bastard out of Carolina covers 320 pages and was published on March 1992. The

novel is adapted in a movie in 1992 with the same tittle, it becomes one of the

chosen finalists in National Book Award of Fiction.

This novel is about the white trash family called Boatwrights in Greenville

Country in South Carolina. It centers Bone as the main characters and the story

teller in the novel. Bone is a daughter of 16-year old unwed mother who is left by

her husband and remarried for twice. Her father left her when she is still a baby.

Her first step father died in car accident. The second step father is Glen Wadell who

comes from upper middle class family.

During her life as a white trash, Bone experiences many obstacles in reaching

her truly identity. Starts form economical problem, social, psychological,

misbehavior from Glen and other tragic moments. Exhausted of all the problems

she has to overcome by herself, Bone decides to move to her lesbian aunt’s home

named Aunt Raylene. On the other hand, her mom Anne leaves without anyone

knows where she is. Suddenly when Bone is already desperate, her mom comes and


35

leaves her the birth certificate without illegitimate stamp anymore. Again, Bone is

left alone by her mom, step father, her sister and lives with her Aunt Raylene.

B. Approach of the study

Dorothy Allison writes this novel to show how an identity of someone is

actually determined by their representations of themselves. It is the reason why

every person have different identity depends on the journey throughout her life. It

is related to the approach selected which is Psychoanalytic because:

Many of Freud’s ideas concern aspects of sexuality. Infantile sexuality, for

instance, is the notion that sexuality begins not at puberty, with physical

maturing but infancy, especially through the infant’s relationship with the

mother (Barry, 2002: 97).

The quotation above gives an idea about psychoanalytic believes that

someone’s experience and the way she thinks will determine her identification of

herself. One of the factors constructs someone’s identity is it has to be seen since

she was born until she got her permanent idenity. Thus, both the novel and the

approach emphasizes the same thing that the infantile life has to be considered to

see the development of someone’s sexual.

Moreover, in the book of Feminist Thought, psychoanalytic is said to be able to

discuss psychosexual developments such as oedipal stage, pre oedipal stage and

post oedipal stage. Inside this theory from Freud, there are some concepts offered.

“The models of the psyche, the concepts of repression, the role of the sexual

instincts” (Wright, 1998: 9). All these concepts are needed to know to analyze

human’s identity.


36

C. Method of the Study

The library research is the procedure taken to analyze Bastard out of Carolina.

The primary source is the novel itself written by Dorothy Allison. The secondary

sources are Bernardo J. Carducci’s The Psychology of Personality: View Points,

Research and Application. The second is a book titled Psychoanalysis and Female

Sexuality by Hendrik Marinus Ruitenbeek. Also, the studies on the novel worked

by the previous researchers such as “Trash Rises”: Class Consciousness and the

Transcendence of “White-Trash” Assumptions in Allison’s Bastard out of Carolina

by Melissa Chavez, a book by Newitz, Annalee and Matt Wray titled White Trash:

Race and Class in America, Abram’s A Glossary of literary terms, An Introduction

to Literary Studies An Introduction to Literary Studies by Klarer and a book from

Murphy titled Understanding Unseens: an introduction to English poetry and

English novels for Overseas Students.

There are some steps to examine this novel. First was reading the novel for

several times carefully to have better understanding so the important points in it

will not be overlooked. Then, the problem formulations were obtained while

observing for the relevant references. The next step was finding out how the

character was characterized. After it was found out, the development of the

character will be seen and related to the theories. Observing the novel using the

theories of psychosexual development and female sexuality and made a conclusion

of the analysis was the last step done.


37

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

This chapter discusses the analysis that describes the characteristics of Bone by

looking at her characterization. The second is understanding its development and

then analyzing how the process of sexual identity is constructed in Bone. It is done

by seeing her character development from childhood to her adulthood.

A. The characteristics of Bone

Considering to the goal of this analysis that is to reveal how an identity of

someone is constructed, it is important to know the character changing in every

phases to get her permanent identity. In this part, the character from a novel entitled

Bastard out Of Carolina will be observed. The main character, that is going to be

analyzed is Bone. The following explanation is about Bone’s characteristics.

1. Brave

Considering to the condition of her marginalized family and her fate of being a

woman, Bone is always looked down by the people around her and gets mocked by

her friends at school. When she starts the school, one of her friends calling her

something offends her.

When I started school, one of the Yarboro cousins, a skinny rat-faced girl from

the Methodist district, had called me a nigger after I pushed her away from the

chair I’d taken for mine. She’d sworn I was as dark and wild as any child “born

on the wrong side of the porch,” which I took to be another way of calling me

a bastard, so I poked her in the eye. It had gotten me in trouble but persuaded

her to stay away from me. (Allison, 1993:54-55)

She is brave to do self-defense for the sake of her pride. She would not let anybody


38

disparage or bad mouth about her. The second prove can be seen from what the

character utters in the story. When she gets into a fight with her Pearl in front of her

parents, she is not afraid to swear on Pearl and hurt her.

"You bastard!" I staggered forward, and he backed up, rocking on his little silver

heels. "You goddam gutless son of a bitch!" His eyes kept moving from my face

to Shannon's wilting figure. "You think you so pretty? You ugly sack of shit!

You shit-faced turd-eating—"(Allison, 1993:165).

The way to see her characteristic also can be done by looking at what another

characters think about Bone. Her cousin and aunt see that Bone changes a lot into

a brave and strong girl after something happens to her. It is not only both of them

who notice but another characters also do.

"Girl," Cousin Grey told me, "sometimes your face is just scary!"

"Bone's gotten almost mean-hearted," Aunt Alma told Mama. "Something's got

to be done." (Allison, 1993:119)

Her bravery is also shown when she is courage enough to make up her own identity

every time she moves to a new city and new school. It is cited in Allison’s:

“What's your name, now, honey?" the woman asked me again, speaking slowly,

as if she suspected I was not quite bright. The anger lifted in me and became

rage. “Roseanne," I answered as blithely as if I'd never been called anything

else. I smiled at her like a Roseanne. "Roseanne Carter. My family's from

Atlanta, just moved up here." (1993:67)

She is actually afraid of doing that but she realizes if she keeps using her real

identity, people will start to take a glimpse on her again.

2. Loving

In the theory of character and characterization, it is said that the reader can see

the characteristics of a character from her respond to anyone’s behavior .in the

story, her uncles are seen as bad people because of their wilderness. Instead of


39

looking down on them, Bone really loves and worship their uncles. “I worship my

uncles—Earl, Beau, and nevil. They were all big men with wide shoulders, broken

teeth, and sunken features (Allison, 1993:22). She also really loves her mom. She

would do anything just for Anne happiness. Even she does not tell her misery of

being beaten by Glen because she knows it would hurt her. Other than Anne, she

has a loving heart for her family who is disliked by the society. “I liked being one

of the women with my aunts, like feeling a part of something nasty and strong”

(Allison, 1993:91).

3. Self-sacrificing

Having experience being beaten, tortured, and raped by her stepfather, Bone

turns out to be depressed and not able to tell the truth to her mother so she prefers

to keep it as her own secret. She chooses to suffer her pain alone, hopes to spare her

mother from the horrible actions she received from her mother’s beloved husband.

The sacrifice Bone concerns for her mother is shown on quote below:

“Then Daddy Glen would take me into the bathroom again, crying that it hurt

him more than it could ever hurt me. But his face would tell the truth, his hands

on my body. He would show me just how much he hurt when Mama left him in

that parking lot, and then when he beat me, we would both know why. But

Mama wouldn't know. More terrified of hurting her than of anything that might

happen to me, I would work as hard as he did to make sure she never knew”

(Allison, 1993:118).

As seen on the quotation, Bone tries to safe her mother from knowing of her

suffering. She does not want the mother sad knowing that her husband has abused

her daughter. Her mother needs Glenn in her life since Glenn is the answer to the

social status that her mother wants in her lifetime. This condition switches the role


40

between them. Bone has the mother-like role and her mother in the role of protected

daughter.

"Never have been able to sleep past sunrise," she told me.

"No matter how little sleep I've had, I just come awake." Her face was haggard.

She hugged me to her hip and laid her chin on the top of my head. It was as if I

was her mother now, holding her safe, and she was my child, happy to lean on

my strong, straight back. I closed my eyes, wanting time to stop, wishing the

moment would go on forever, the day never begin. But inevitably Daddy Glen

would get up, or Reese, and Mama would rinse her coffee cup and go put on

her uniform (Allison, 1993:118).

Facing her unspeakable abuses, Bone is never really given the chance to be a

child. She acts like a mother to protect Anney’s happiness and marriage life. She

sacrifices her own happiness to keep the secret only for her to know while Glen

comes into the family and takes up the space, leaving no room for Anney and

Bone’s relationship. Bone sees the difference in Anney after she finds Glen in her

life. She thinks Glenn is the perfect figure to be the father of her children and that

she deeply falls in love with him. She could be happy because of Glenn. At this

point, Bone only has good feelings about Glen as Bone remembers from below

quotation:

“But I could tell that Mama had begun to love Glen. I saw how she blushed

when he looked at her or touched her, even in passing. A flush would appear on

her neck, and her cheeks would brighten until her whole face glowed pink and

hot. Glen Waddell turned Mama from a harried, worried mother into a giggling,

hopeful girl” (Allison, 1993: 35).

When Glen joins the family and begins to start his reign of abusive terror on

Bone, Bone must rely on the memories of the close relationship she has with her

mother to ease the pain of her new living situation. Bone fondly recalls the

wonderful feeling of being close to her mother as shown as below:


41

“I smiled wide, not really believing them but wanting to. I held still then, trying

not to flinch as Mama began to brush relentlessly at my knotted hair. If I got a

permanent, I would lose those hours on Mama's lap sitting in the curve of her

arm while she brushed and brushed and smoothed my hair and talked soft above

me. She always seemed to smell of buttery flour, salt, and fingernail polish—a

delicate insinuating aroma of the familiar and the astringent. I would breathe

deep and bite my lips to keep from moaning while my scalp ached and burned.

I would have cut off my head before I let them cut my hair and lost the

unspeakable pleasure of being drawn up onto Mama's lap every evening”

(Allison 30-31).

As shown on quotation above, it is obvious that Bone truly senses the

importance of their mother-daughter connection. This nurturing side of Anne is

common in Bone’s childhood until Anne marries Glen and everything about

Anney’s mothering connections with Bone changes. In order not to upset Glen,

Anney begins to participate in their mother-daughter separation by spending more

time with Glen and less time with Bone. Despite Anne reduces her quality time with

Bone; she eventually loses her daughter—because of her husband’s sickness and

abusive jealousy of Bone. Bone ends up reverting to blame and excuse her mother

regardless of the nurturing relationship that they once had.

Bone analyzes the return of Glen to the house after the two-week break-up (the

first split), which ends with Glen’s public apology for Bone’s broken tailbone as it

is shown below:

“Mama would watch him close and make him earn her trust again. He would be

good, he would be careful. One day, maybe months from now, there’d be

something I’d done that would make it all seem justified. Then Daddy Glen

would take me into the bathroom again, crying that it hurt him more than it

could ever hurt me. But his face would tell the truth, his hands on my body. He

would show me just how much he hurt when Mama left him in that parking lot,

and then when he beat me, we would both know why. But Mama wouldn’t

know. More terrified of hurting her than of anything that might happen to me, I

would work as hard as he did to make sure she never knew (Allison 117-8)


42

As it is seen from the quotation above, Bone does not trust Glenn anymore after

he has broken her tailbone and causes her to hospitalize. However, Glenn keeps

coming to her mother asking for forgiveness and a chance to be back as a family

again. Bone does not trust him, but her mother does. She really loves Glenn and

need him in her life. However, again, for the sake of Anney’s happiness Bone

sacrifices her body to be a place for Glen’s pleasure as long as he does not hurt

Anne. It is no wonder that when Ruth presses the question about Glen touching

Bone, she denies the abuse. It seems that even if Bone is ready to tell the truth, her

family is not ready to listen. As a result, Bone mainly keeps quiet about the abuse

because she fears of losing her mother and the family’s love.

4. Independent

This characteristic of Bone can be seen from her manner. When her family is

having difficulty in economy, she goes to her aunt’s home to help her mom to get

more money.

“This is good stuff," Aunt Raylene usually said. "You got an eye for things,

girl. I can clean and patch those clothes up. We'll just soak the dishes in

bleach and give the rest of it a scrubbing. Saturday morning we'll put out

blankets and sell it off the side of the road. You get your mama to send you

over on the weekend and I'll give you a tenth of everything we earn."

(Allison, 1993: 182).

She always understand her family’s condition. Other than that, when her family do

not have any food left, instead of crying over the problem like her sister does, she

makes up her own imagination so she would not feel that hungry. She grows up into

an independent girl who is understanding and does not need her parents to order her


43

to do something.

Moreover, Bone has never got brand new stuffs in her life. Since she has so

many cousins much older than her, so there are many of her things are handed by

her older cousins. The system in the family is keep passing the old stuffs used by

the old ones to the new generations. Bone never complains about it because she

understands that her family cannot afford everything she wishes for. Even though

once she was jealous of her classmates’ new stuff like shows, books, uniform and

etc. she lays on to her family condition.

I wasn’t a baby anymore, I was eight, then nine years old, growing up. In

one year I went from compliant and quiet to loud and insistent,

demanding shows like the kids at school wore. I wanted the ones with little

tassels behind the toes but was willing to settle for saddle oxfords. I knew

there was no chance of getting a pair of those classy little girl patent leathers

with the short pointy heels. (Allison, 1993: 66)

5. Fantasy Prone

Bone lives with the fantasy of a loving father who can give her security and

love. Early in the story, Bone reveals her desire for the absent father, and even a

made-up story would satisfy her, as it is shown on the quote below:

“It wasn't even that I was so insistent on knowing anything about my missing

father. I wouldn't have minded a lie. I just wanted the story Mama would have

told. What was the thing she wouldn't tell me, the first thing, the place where

she had made herself different from all her brothers and sisters and shut her

mouth on her life?” (Allison, 1993:31).

As the quotation states, Bone wants a fantasy to cling to, even though she knows

her real father does not even know that she exists. Like other girls suffering from a

father loss, Bone suffers from the fear of abandonment as she always dreams on the

importance of a father in her life. Bone’s desperateness in needing a father’s love


44

is even projected onto her cruel and abusive stepfather, whose demonic sexual

violence seems to be ignored due to the girl’s craving for an empathic father:

“I would get so angry at Daddy Glen I would grind my teeth. I would dream of

cutting his heart out, his evil raging pit-black heart. In the dream it felt good to

hate him. But the horrible thing was how I felt when I was awake and wasn't

burning with anger. The worst thing in the world was the way I felt when I

wanted us to be like the families in the books in the library, when I just wanted

Daddy Glen to love me like the father in Robinson Crusoe. It must have been

like what he felt when he stood around his daddy's house, his head hanging

down (Allison, 1993:209-210).

She thinks that she would be a better person if she has a father who loves her.

She is fully aware of her longing for a caring father, as she really wants Glenn to

love her. She just wonders why Glenn cannot love her and always abuses her and

does horrible things to her. This is the part that shows her innocent for wanting a

father’s love. It’s not her fault that she does not have a father figure in her life.

The emptiness of father’s love affects to her psychology. She starts to make an

imagination of something sexual and also masturbates by herself. “I was ashamed

of myself for the things I thought about when I put my hands between my legs,

more ashamed for masturbating to the fantasy of being beaten than for being beaten

in the first place. I lived in a world of shame” (Allison, 1993:112). Another two

evidence of her fantasy is quoted on the page of 176:

I hugged myself tightly to the tree and rocked my hips against the indifferent

trunk. I imagined I was tied to the branches above and below me. Someone had

beaten me with dry sticks and put their hands in my clothes. Someone, someone,

I imagined. Someone had tied me high up in the tree, gagged me and left me to

starve to death while the blackbirds pecked at my ears. I rocked and rocked,

pushing my thighs into the rough bark. Below me, Reese pushed her hips into

the leaves and made grunting noises. Someone, someone, she imagined, was

doing terrible exciting things to her (Allison, 1993).


45

All the quotations mentioned prove that she is making her own Imagination

that is completely different from her real life but the things she wonders would

happen to her. Those fantasies she makes are the effects of the emptiness of father’s

figure and to help her fulfilling that emptiness. Other than sexual fantasies, she also

likes to make up a story and telling it to all of her cousins. “So every time we hitched

a ride, I made up a new horror story. The habit was so strong in me that nervous as

I was, I automatically started another one” (Allison, 1993:75).

B. The sexual identity constructed in Bone

In the following section, the construction of Bone’s sexual identity is analyzed

using psychoanalytic theory. The discussion focuses upon the phases in structuring

sexual identity explored throughout Bone’s life. During her life, Bone finds many

incidents that influence her identity. In here psychoanalytic questions those

incidents, problems, behavior disorder, repression and the failure happening. Since

the object analyzed is about Bone’s sexuality, the scope of theory is limited to

psychosexual development theory. The reason is because psychosexual theory

observes the phases of child’s sexual development since she is still a baby.

Looking at the objective of the research that is to see the construction of the

sexual identity, it is important to examine Bone’s life as a whole first. In the

beginning of the story, Bone is offered with the picture of her life in the society.

This fact of her life is shown by how the society behave to people around her. For

example is when her mother Anne comes to the courthouse to ask for legitimate

birth certificate.conclusion


46

“You don’t need me to tell you the answer to that. You’ve lived in this county

all your life and you know how things are.” He gave a grin that had no humor

in it at all. “By now they look forward to you coming in. “small-minded

people.” He told her but that grin never left his face. “Bastard!” mama hissed

and then caught herself. She hated that word. (Allison, 1992: 9)

The clerk emphasizes that Anne’s coming is no use because the courthouse

will not give the legitimate birth certificate to a white trash family. White trash

family is looked down because they are known for having children without

husband. In this situation, Bone starts to have representation about who she is. She

sees the fact that she comes from a family who is called as white trash. And this

term leaves her some stereotypes that marginalize her. Because of this situation she

can never get her legitimate certificate like other child. By seeing the privilege

people could get when they are legally certified, Bone thinks that birth certificate is

something a family like hers need to get them out of this such problems. They need

to be accepted for showing their identity and not being forced to hide it.

Unfortunately, None of Boatwrights can get the birth certificate because of the

stereotype. Another fact she sees about her life is that she does not have father. It is

shown on (Allison,1993:31):

I was so insistent on knowing anything about my missing father. I wouldnt

have minded a lie. I just wanted the story Mama would have told. What was

the thing she wouldn’t tell me, the first thing, the place where she had made

herself different from all her brothers and sisters and shut her mouth on her

life?

Bone builds her curiosity about her real father. Even though at that time she does

not feel the absence of father yet, she wants to know who her father is, where he is

and why he is not there with them. She still tries to identify her life. By seeing the


47

condition around her, she pictures her life as a fatherless daughter who comes from

marginalized family called white trash.

The society Bone lives in gives influence to her development. One of the

examples is white trash stereotype. For example, since the white trash men are

known for being wild, hazardous and womanizer, they grow up to be expected to

have characteristics believed. It is also unconsciously constructed in their minds

that they have to have certain characteristics as white trash men and have to be

people the society expect them to be. Moreover, the white trash women are known

for having children without legally married. Thus, this stereotype to white trash

women also leaves a belief to people’s thought that any men can just ‘use’ them as

‘sex machine’. They come and go irresponsibly to white trash women’s life because

they think it is common and fine thing to do. This is why Bone’s biological father,

her step father, Glen and even her grandpa could be so irresponsible leave and being

abusive to their white trash women partners. This situation, of course, influences

Bone’s sexual identity because it makes her being a fatherless daughter. The

absence of biological father is very crucial and one of the requirements of children

sexual development.

As Bone grows up, Bone is described as a girl who is boyish. Since she

decides to stay with her lesbian Aunt, she looks like showing her masculine side

more than her feminine side. According to O’Brien, there are some qualities that

either belong to masculine or feminine. “Other traits commonly associated with

masculinity are assertiveness and self-protection. Conversely, femininity is

associated with communal traits.” (O’Brien, 2009: 34). The masculinity is always


48

connected with something harsh, wild, bravery, non-emotional, assertiveness and

independent. In the previous analysis about the characteristics of Bone, it is

analyzed that some of her characteristics are brave, independent and fantasy prone.

Thus, relating to the explanation above, Bone’s bravery, independence and her habit

on fantasizing wild sexual imagination could be linked to masculinity. Her bravery

could be linked with masculinity because she turns into a strong girl like a boy. She

even could turn into a violent person soon as she understands her conditions. It can

be seen when she punches one of her classmates.

When I started school, one of the Yarboro cousins, a skinny rat-faced girl

from the Methodist district, had called me a nigger after I pushed her away

from the chair I’d taken for mine. She’d sworn I was as dark and wild as

any child “born on the wrong side of the porch,” which I took to be another

way of calling me a bastard, so I poked her in the eye. It had gotten me in

trouble but persuaded her to stay away from me (Allison, 1993:54-55).

Some behaviors leading to violence that she does is when she takes a swing

at her best friend Pearl. But she does not do it because she still remembers what her

mama said to not punching someone in the face. Instead she abuses Pearl verbally

with the Pearl’s most avoidable words “You’re God’s own ugly child and you’re

gonna be an ugly woman. A lonely, ugly old woman.” (Allison, 1993: 171). This

incident makes Pearl depressed and gives a space for their friendship. Another

behavior is when she attempts to kill Glenn, her step father, who she feels taking

her mother’s love from her. This deviant behavior and words that come out from

her mouth is not appropriate to be done and said by a girl who is still in elementary

school.

Dangerous, I told myself. I could be dangerous, oh yes, I could be

dangerous. Let daddy Glen yell at Mama again, let him hurt her, let him hurt

me, I just let him. He’d better be careful. He’s got no idea what I might not


49

do. If I had a razor, I would surely cut his throat in the dead of night, then

run away to live naked and alone in the western hills like someone in a Zane

Grey novel. All I had to do was grow a little, grow into myself. (Allison,

1993: 208)

The masculinity does not always represent the negative side of human

characteristics. However, in this case, masculine traits in Bone’s society are always

accompanied with bad manner. Those traits are assumed as qualities for being men.

Just like when a woman is pregnant, the society believes that she needs to allow her

husband to have sex with another woman because she cannot serve him sexually.

“A man has needs,” they’d laugh each time they got together. “So what you suppose

a woman has?” (Allison, 1993:91).

When Bone grows up and begins to understand her surroundings, there are

some signs from Bone that shows she likely grows up to have a tendency of

becoming a homosexual. One of the examples is she shows her interest to the same-

sex partner. Bone has a best friend named Pearl who is widely known as the ugliest

child ever. She is so much pale until Bone’s grandma called her strange and ugly

child. Instead of trying to get rid of her, Bone is fascinated by Pearl psychologically,

not physically. She keeps coming to Pearl’s home without being able to explain

why she is so much into Pearl.

I had the idea that because she was so ugly on the outside, it was only

reasonable that Shannon would turn out to be saint like when you got to

know her. That was the way it would have been in any storybook the local

ladies' society would let me borrow. (Allison, 1993:157)

The physical appearance is not her priority. She finds the emotional bound more

important of all. If she follows the standards of the society then she would not be

around Pearl and attracted to her. The tendency of being attracted to Pearl can also


50

be seen from the quotation below. She feels comfortable whenever she is with Pearl

but she cannot explain the feeling she has. She does not understand yet the love

feeling a couple have. She is unconsciously put her feeling toward her. It is not only

the feeling of sister but more than that as she said it is like mystery and magic.

I purely hated her. But when other people would look at her scornfully or

the boys up at Lee Highway would call her Lard Eyes, I felt a fierce and

protective love, as if she were more my sister than Reese. I felt as if I

belonged to her in a funny kind of way, as if her "affliction" put me deeply

in her debt. It was a mystery, I guessed, a sign of grace like Aunt Maybelle

was always talking about. Magic (Allison, 1993:156).

I watched her face—impassive, self-sufficient, and stubborn; she reminded

me of myself, or at least the way I had come to think of myself. Sweat was

showing through her dress, but nothing showed in her face except for the

eyes. There was fire in those pink eyes, a deep fire I recognized, banked and

raging. Before I knew what I'd done, I was on my feet and leaning forward

to catch her arm. I pulled her into our row without a word. Reese stared at

me like I was crazy (Allison, 1993:154).

However, due to the fact of the society she lives in, Bone knows that she

needs to sublime her sexual identity. She prefers to choose live with her lesbian

aunt Raylene rather than with another aunties she has. It is because she feels more

comfortable and feels aunt Raylene could be more understanding about her. Aunt

Raylene is also the first person who recognizes the scars all over her body and tried

really hard to defend Bone while the others seem not taking pay attention at her.

When Aunt Raylene tells her how unfair her relationship when her partner prefers

to choose her family than her, Bone feels the same unfairness as hers. The

unfairness she gets when Anne would rather to leave her and gone with Glen.

After looking at some Bone’s masculine traits and homosexuality

characteristics above, it may be seen that she likely has homosexual tendency and

possibility of becoming homosexual in her later years. Regarding to the changing


51

of her sexual identity, a question arises on how this process of her sexual identity

constructed and begin to build in Bone. Thus, the theory of psychosexual

development is used in the further explanation to know the process and the phases

that have been through. It will be related with her characteristics as reflections of

her sexual identity.

During her life time, Bone intertwines a very close attachment with her

family, especially her mother Anne. She really loves her mother and even always

feel comfortable whenever she’s with her. “I always feel safe again. No place has

ever seemed so sweet and quiet, no place ever felt so much like home” (Allison,

1993:22). Home in here represents Anne, the person who she always comes back

to. When Anne marries to Glen, actually Bone is not sure that Glen can be a good

husband and father for her little family. But she finally agrees when she sees the

happy face in Anne. Anne puts a belief to Bone that their life would change and

become better after she marries Glen. Bone builds the feeling of trust for Anne

because she has a close attachment with her. The attachment between them is also

proved below:

"Never have been able to sleep past sunrise," she told me. "No matter how

little sleep I've had, I just come awake." Her face was haggard. She hugged

me to her hip and laid her chin on the top of my head. It was as if I was her

mother now, holding her safe, and she was my child, happy to lean on my

strong, straight back. I closed my eyes, wanting time to stop, wishing the

moment would go on forever, the day never begin (Allison, 1993:118).

Moreover, it has been stated in the characteristics analysis that she becomes

a self-sacrificing daughter for her mother’s happiness. “I would work as hard as he

did to make sure she never knew” (Allison, 1993:118). The amount of love Bone

has for her mom leads her unconsciously to adopt Anne’s trait. From the


52

explanation above, Bone is pictured as a loving daughter who loves her mother

more than anything. She has a very close intimate attachment with Anne. It has

been stated in the previous chapter that according to Freud’s theory, during the first

year of a child, there is a stage called oral stage. Oral stage it the stage when a child

finds her pleasure through sucking the mother’s breasts. This action in oral stage

develops certain characteristics in a child as a result of the satisfaction or

dissatisfaction she gets. “Fixating at this latter part of the oral stage produces what

is known as an oral aggressive or oral sadistic personality” (Carducci, 1999: 93).

And on the other hand, if the child could pass the stage, she will be able to make an

attachment and identification with her first care taker.

Looking at the trust built in Bone, she can be observed as a daughter who is

gratified enough with her pleasure zone when she is a baby. Her oral zone is

stimulated well and develops her intimation with her mother. She is even able to

identify her mother’s traits to be adopted. She does not grow into an aggressive and

sadist person. Instead, she is being self-sacrificing daughter. In the previous

explanation it has been stated that if the child could perfectly passes the stage, she

will have her satisfaction from the primary place of pleasure which is mouth. As a

result, her needs are fulfilled adequately and it builds the feeling of trust and

comfortable in the child’s personality towards her mother. Bone’s attachment with

her mom and the feeling of trust come because of the satisfaction she has in the oral

stage. Therefore, from the evidences explained, it is very likely that she has gone

through the oral stage without any problem.


53

After passing the oral stage, there is a following stage called anal stage. “The

primary erogenous zone begins to shift from the oral region to the anal region”

(Carducci, 1999:93). Looking at her personality, she also can be assumed that she

passes her anal stage. It is proved by the independence constructed in herself. At

the time when her family has problem with economic, Anne has to work really hard

even becomes a prostitute to keep feeding her children. Glen is laid off and does

not get a job yet. Instead of waiting for coming home late at night every day, she

comes to her aunt’s home and help her picking up berries. Her aunt pays her a buck

for every berry picked up.

“This is good stuff," Aunt Raylene usually said. "You got an eye for things,

girl. I can clean and patch those clothes up. We'll just soak the dishes in

bleach and give the rest of it a scrubbing. Saturday morning we'll put out

blankets and sell it off the side of the road. You get your mama to send you

over on the weekend and I'll give you a tenth of everything we earn."

(Allison, 1993: 182).

She grows into a hard worker and independent girl who can order her life. She is

not always dependent on her mom. In the review of related theory, it is stated that

in the condition when the child is potty trained in the proper time, it creates the

independence and tidiness in child’s personality. The independence that is occurred

in Bone’s personality is a result of succeeding to pass the anal stage smoothly. She

also grows up to be a person who can manage her anger. She knows when she has

to do self-defense for being discriminated and when to handle it. If she challenges

the training when she’s an infant, she would not be able to handle her anger. “The

anal sadistic personality is characterized by the tendency to deal with stress in an

explosive and unexpected manner, such as getting angry over the slightest


54

disturbance” (Carducci, 1999:94). One of the examples of how she could manage

her anger is when she is at one of Glen family’s party.

Trash steals, I thought, echoing Aunt Madeline’s cold accent, her husband’s

bitter words. “Trash for sure,” I muttered, but I only took the roses. No

hunger would make me take anything else of theirs. I could feel kind of heat

behind my eyes that lit up everything I glanced at. It was dangerous, that

heat. It wanted to pour out and burn everything up, everything they had that

we couldn’t have, everything that made them think they were better than us.

I stood in the garden and spun myself around and around, pouring our heat

and rage and the sweet stink of broken flowers ( Allison, 1993:102).

It is started at the party when Bone’s cousins from Glen family see her

family and look down at them. They do not even count on them at the party. Bone

overhears them saying they look like nigger trash and do not take them as human

being but a stuff. It is no wonder that Bone becomes so angry that she feels the fire

on insdie her body. However, she does not do anything that harm her cousins. She

knows the consequence if she does something to them. She understands the

distinction of the family position and she does not want to put Glen in a shame for

being Boatwrights family. So instead of making a trouble, she could handle and

manage her big anger by taking roses and tearing it down to pour her anger on.

After going through the first two important stages, Bone begins to drown in

phallic stage. In the review before, it is specified that “during phallic stage, the child

expresses the intense emotional affection for the opposite sex parent while viewing

the same sex parent as a source of competition” (Carducci, 1999:95). It means Bone

has to express her emotional affection to her father while competing with her

mother. However, at the age when this stage is started, she is faced with many

changes and reality that she has to know. Bone is born with the condition her father

leaves her. She does not even know a thing about her family from her father side.


55

She has ever lived a happy life when Anne marries to Lyle Parsons. She feels

contented even though living with a male figure who is not her father. Unfortunately

it only lasts for few months and Lyle died in accident. Though, at the age when she

enjoys her relationship with her family, she is still in the stage when she tries to

intertwine the attachment with the female figure or her mother. Thus, at that time

she cannot have the attachment yet with the male figure. No longer after that, Anne

marries to Glen Wadell who becomes an abusive step father for Bone. Even though

Bone is never sure with his coming to the family, she still hopes that Glen could

change the father’s position.

In Phallic stage, a daughter is expected to have the feeling of her primary

pleasure in genital area just like Freud’s theorized. “With an increased sense of

bodily awareness and the exploration of body parts, the child discovers the sense of

pleasure that can be achieved by touching the genitals” (Carducci, 1999:94). Bone

is supposed to be discovering her primary pleasure around her genital area. Having

no change to discover it yet, she gets misbehaved from Daddy Glen. She is beaten

and raped psychologically and physically. It happens not only once but more than

three times. The example for verbal abuse that affects her psychology begins in the

very first time Glen comes to the family. “I’ll tell you who you are,” he said.

“You’re mine now, an’t just Boatwrights.” (Allison, 1993:52). It shows that the

sentences verbally abuses Bone because it gains the power over her and leaver her

fearful. He keeps on repeating it whenever he gets angry to Bone. The sentence

entails the meaning to Bone that her life is fully taken by Daddy Glen when he

comes to the family. At the same time, she is brutally raped by him physically. “He


56

pushed my skirt to the side and slid his left hand down between my legs, up against

my cotton panties. He began to rock me then, between his stomach and his wrist,

his fingers fumbling at his britches” (Allison, 1993:46)

"Not as sorry as you're gonna be." He pulled his belt free from the loops and

wrapped the buckle end around his palm.

"I've waited a long time to do this, too long."

His face was pale, his jaw rigid, his eyes almost red in the glare of the

fluorescent light over the mirror. I stumbled back against the tub, terrified,

praying Mama would come home fast. Mama would stop him. His left hand

reached for me, caught my shoulder, pulled me over his left leg. He flipped

my skirt up over my head and jammed it into that hand. I heard the sound

of the belt swinging up, a song in the air, a high-pitched terrible sound. It

hit me and I screamed. Daddy Glen swung his belt again. I screamed at its

passage through the air, screamed before it hit me. I screamed for Mama.

He was screaming with me, his great hoarse shouts as loud as my high thin

squeals, and behind us outside the locked door, Reese was screaming too,

and then Mama. All of us were screaming, and no one could help (Allison,

1993: 106).

Glen has subjected Bone to vicious beatings. He does it to discipline her for

manners that he thinks are misbehaving. On the other hand, Bone still wonders what

Glen has actually done to her since she is innocent and still too young to know about

sex life. Based on Freud’s theory, “For a young girl, the phallic stage begins when

she notices that little boys have a penis and little girls do not” (Carducci, 1995: 95).

When Bone is being raped, that is the time she recognizes the differences between

her and Daddy Glen. She notices that Daddy Glen has penis that can be said

handling her. Additionally, every time she sees Glen and Anne kiss each other,

rubbing each other, go to the bedroom and come out with smiling faces, she begins

to find out whether or not it is the sexual harassment that happens to her. “Sex. Was

that what Daddy Glen had been doing to me in the parking lot?” (Allison, 1993:63).


57

But she could see how penis has the power to satisfy Anne. This feeling Bone has,

develops the penis envy in herself.

According to www.merriam-webster.com , the definition of envy is “resentful

awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the

same advantage”. In this case, Bone wants to possess the same advantage that men

can have. In here it is symbolized with penis. Penis can be seen as powerful because

in some condition Bone witnesses herself how men can use it to overcome the

problems. Two of the examples are given below:

Beau would go on about Daddy Glen’s other parts. “He gets crazy when he’s

angry,” they laughed. “use his dick if he can’t reach you with his arms and that’ll

cripple you fast enough” (Allison,1993:61)

"A man has needs," he kept telling everybody from Daddy Glen to the gas-

station attendants on White Horse Road. "A man has needs, and she was

pregnant. Was I gonna take the risk of hurting my own baby in her womb?”

Wade’s woeful complaint was a joke to all the aunts. "A man has needs,"

they'd laugh each time they got together. "So what you suppose a woman

has?""Men!" one of them would always answer in a giggling roar”.(Allison,

1993:91)

Furthermore, Freud claims that penis envy can be more raised in someone and

can obtain the excessive covetousness. It is caused by the nonexistence of the

awareness of the feminine organ from the girls. “Freud believed that little girl at

this time is unaware of her vagina that she believes she too must count on her

clitoris-“penis” for pleasure. (Thompson, 2003:31). As it has been said before, Bone

is not discovering yet her vagina area. But being abused and raped by Daddy Glen

leads her discovering her clitoris area. At her age, it is not a new discovery that she

finds the clitoris, because Freud theorized the first pleasure in anal area of a



58

daughter before knowing her vagina is clitoris. It has to be moved to vagina in order

to identify her different sex partner. In Bone’s case, Daddy Glen is the one who

gives a pleasure to Bone in non-favorable and at the phallic stage time. It certainly

gives psychology disturbance to Bone. Bone is forced to endure her feelings and

raged through the rape and sexual abuses he does. The relationship between Bone

and her stepfather is distorted, broken and reconstructed in a sadomasochistic

pattern. Confronted with Daddy Glen’s sadistic abuse, Bone is overpowered,

trapped, and unable to escape. Thus, she disgorge her pleasure by masturbating. She

turns into fantasy prone kid. According to Aljouni in his journal, “Childhood

masturbation has been linked to emotional deprivation, which may in turn lead to

more self-stimulation. It may also be associated with sexual abuse” (2010:6). The

sexual abuse drives her to masturbate while creating a fantasy.

My fantasies got more violent and more complicated as Daddy Glen continued

to beat me with the same two or three belts he'd set aside for me. Oiled, smooth

and supple as the gristle under chicken fat, those belts hung behind the door of

his closet where I could see them and smell them when I helped Mama put away

his clothes. I would reach up and touch the leather, feel it warm under my palms.

There was no magic in it, no mystery. Sometimes I would make myself go in

that closet and wrap my fingers around those belts as if they were something

animal that could be tamed. (Allison, 1993:112).

The masturbation done by Bone is likely the effect of what she receives from

Glen. It is a form of defense-oriented reaction patterns after being abused. Her

defense turns out into fantasy and masturbation because the rape happens at the

phallic stage when Bone is searching for pleasure area around genital. So when she

is raped, she finds out the enjoyment from the stimulation given by Glen in the

clitoris area in incorrect way. Thus, the result of the rape is not a depression but


59

unconsciously enjoying it by masturbating. In the related theories, it is said that “By

means of this mechanism, frustration is overcome by the imaginary achievement of

goals and meeting of needs. Two common varieties of wish-fulfilling fantasy are

the conquering hero and suffering hero patterns” (Coleman, 1976:123). Looking at

another Bone’s imagination below, Bone can be said that she practices the first ego-

defense mechanism to provide an alternation of her dissatisfaction in her real life.

She substitute it to her imagination.

Yet it was only in my fantasies with people watching me that I was able to defy

Daddy Glen. Only there that I had any pride. I loved those fantasies, even

though I was sure they were a terrible thing. They had to be; they were self-

centered and they made me have shuddering orgasms. In them, I was very

special. I was triumphant, important. I was not ashamed. There was no heroism

possible in the real beatings. There was just being beaten until I was covered

with snot and misery. (Allison, 1993:113).

According to www.merriam-webster.com, masturbation is erotic stimulation

especially of one’s own genital organs commonly resulting in orgasm and achieved

by manual or other bodily contact exclusive of sexual intercourse, by instrumental

manipulation, occasionally by sexual fantasies or by various combinations of these

agencies. The purpose of Bone masturbates is to get herself pleasured. Freud said

it is normal for a child to masturbate in her phallic stage but it becomes abnormal

and leads to defiant sexual behavior if the masturbation is accompanied by the

fantasy of being beaten. Her fantasy is the representation of her real life.

“Freud describes two crucial phases in the development of parental complex.

In the first, children enjoy “the heaven of their imaginary omnipotence” and “love-

affairs” with the parent of the opposite sex” (Person, 2013:50). It is related to the

fantasy Bone made as it shows below:



60

I couldn’t stop my stepfather from beating me, but I was the one who

masturbated. I did that, and how could I explain to anyone that I hated being

beaten but still masturbated to the story I told myself about it? (Allison,

1993: 113)

Based on her fantasy, she hates being beaten but at the same time she unconsciously

gets the satisfaction from it. Thus, it can be said that she suffers from psychological

illness called masochism.

Masochism is the noun for the pleasure that someone gets from being

abused or hurt (www.merriam-webster.com). Concerning to Bone’s case, the

masochism can occur because the abuse she receives happens at the same time when

Bone is enjoying her genital area. Therefore, the trauma from being beaten and

raped develops into masochist area. The fearful and pain that is supposed to arise is

covered by the sexual pleasure she masturbates. Because when she masturbates she

cannot get rid of the enjoyment of the stimulation on her clitoris area.

Moreover in Bone’s sexuality identity “It is well known fact that masturbation

in young female is generally centered around clitoral stimulation” (Ruitenbeek,

1996:199). During masturbation, she stimulates her clitoris and finds her primary

source of pleasure. It pleases her in favorable way she wishes and when she

stimulates her clitoris, at the same time, she activates her masculinity. Klages quotes

Freud’s theory that declares “She follows Freud here, who defined all active erotic

behavior as masculine, and all passive behavior as feminine; he also labeled clitoris

sexual pleasure as active and masculine and vaginal sexual pleasure as passive and

feminine” (2006:106). From what Klages quotes, it can be assumed that she feels

comfortable in her masculine side. It can be seen from the fantasy she makes. She



61

can be the person she wants to be. It is said before that she loves the life she makes

when she masturbates. She looks strong, heroic and able to defense herself. She

compares the misery life she has in reality with her fantasy. She prefers to live in it

which means she is eager to embrace her masculinity.

Yet it was only in my fantasies with people watching me that I was able to defy

Daddy Glen. Only there that I had any pride. I loved those fantasies, even

though I was sure they were a terrible thing. They had to be; they were self-

centered and they made me have shuddering orgasms. In them, I was very

special. I was triumphant, important. I was not ashamed. There was no heroism

possible in the real beatings. There was just being beaten until I was covered

with snot and misery (Allison, 1993:103).

Freud emphasizes that in completing a sexual development, a child has to be

able to shift her love to her or his different sex parent. In this phallic stage, Bone is

not able to shift her love to her father due to the fact that she does not have biological

father. And at the same time she is sexually abused by her step farther. Even though

in her fantasy she unconsciously enjoys being abused, but in reality she never have

any attachment with Glen. She even almost never talk to Glen except through the

physical violence. Therefore, she cannot identify her father and the different sex

partner. As a result, she cannot completely pass this stage and has to experience a

failure. If the child fails in one of the stages, the consequence is the appearance of

fixation. In the preview of related theories, it is said that the reaction of failing in

feminine Oedipus complex that obtains penis envy is different from Oedipus

complex for boys. There are some possibility of the outcomes occurred in a girl

sexual identity.

The first leads to a general revulsion with boy, grows dissatisfied with her

clitoris, and gives up her phallic activity and with it her sexuality in general as

well as a good part of her masculinity in other fields. The second line leads her


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to cling with defiant self-assertiveness to her threatened masculinity. To an

incredibly late age she clings to the hope of getting a penis some time. That

hope becomes her life’s aim; and the phantasy of being a man in spite of

everything often persists as a formative factor over long periods (Bocock, 2002:

53).

In Bone’s development, penis envy does not make her afraid of being castrated.

It happens the same way as other girls’ development since they do not have penis

to be cut. She does not give up her masculine side. It has been explained previously

that Bone is more comfortable with her primary pleasure in clitoris. After keeping

on masturbating, she fantasizes things that are associated with her being a man. In

Freud’s theory quoted above, it is specified that if she is in the second possibility

which is if a girl’s hope of having penis increases, that hope can become her primary

goal of her life. It actually happens to Bone. It can be proven by multiple wishes

Bone makes to be a man in the future. Wish is a desire that is expected to come. So

her wishes are made because it is her life aim to make it true. “My own hands were

so small, my fingers thin and weak. I wished they were bigger, wider, and stronger.

I wished I was a boy so I could run faster, stay away more, or even hit him back”

(Allison, 1993:109). “Some days I would grind my teeth, wishing I had been born

a boy” (Allison, 1993:23). She even tries to embrace her masculinity identity

whenever she gets a chance. She turns into a wild, brave, rough and strong girl. Her

surroundings are also recognized by her changing in attitude:

"Girl," Cousin Grey told me, "sometimes your face is just scary!"

"Bone's gotten almost mean-hearted," Aunt Alma told Mama. "Something's got

to be done." (Allison, 1993:119)

"You bastard!" I staggered forward, and he backed up, rocking on his little

silver heels. "You goddam gutless son of a bitch!" His eyes kept moving from

my face to Shannon's wilting figure. "You think you so pretty? You ugly sack

of shit! You shit-faced turd-eating—"(Allison, 1993:165)


63

Bone turns into brave, rough and strong because of that traits are what she sees

in male figure around her. She has wild and savage step father and uncles who are

known for their wilderness. Thus, what she sees in them is their power of penis

could be a controller. Another supportive proof that proves Bone is having

masculine characteristics is based on Madsen’s statement in her book. “Feminine

experience is presented as characterized by weakness, confusion, self-doubt,

uncertain judgments” (2000: 101). While in this phallic stage, Bone acts the

opposite characteristics. She grows up into a strong, ordered and confident girl.

Those characteristics she plays are associated with masculinity. Based on Freud

statement above, if the fantasies and her aim of being a man happen not only for

once or twice but in a long period of time, it could lead the child to have masculinity

complex. “This ‘masculinity complex’ in women can also result in a manifest

homosexual choice of object” (Bocock, 2002: 53). Applying the theory to Bone’s

sexual development, it can be concluded she is likely experiencing masculinity

complex which leads to homosexuality. It is because her fantasy of being a man

happens for a long period of time.

When Bone has a very close attachment to her mother, she is faced with the

fact that her mother leaves her. No one knows where she is gone. But she surely

leaves with Daddy Glen. In this time, she questions about her mama love. She is

not sure whether or not Anne loves her back in the same way she expects. She has

a confusion with her masculinity complex. It is due to what she witnesses every

time she is with Glen. Daddy Glen who is masculine always can satisfy and please

Anne in a way that Bone cannot understand. This situation is also another reason


64

why she owns masculinity side. The masculinity trait is thought can attract more

her mom’s attention and can get her back. But unfortunately, Anne’s love is being

hesitated. As a result, she tries to find a protection for her confusion. She runs away

to her lesbian aunt named Aunt Raylene.

During her stay with Aunt Raylene, she feels the comfortableness she is

dreaming about. She gets the affection from Aunt Raylene that she no longer can

get. This is the place where she can get the love she is missing from Anne. Aunt

Raylene tells Bone that she is happy to live alone as a lesbian. Aunt Raylene comes

to be the one who fills her emptiness and help her to alter her alternative world.

“‘People are the same . . . Everybody just does the best they can . . . .You think

about it, and you’ll see that the biggest part of why I live the way I do is that

out here I can do just about anything I damn well please” (Allison, pg. 258-

259).

She draws Bone’s attention to believe that people do what they have to do in

this life and not to care of what other wants to do. The comfortableness Bone feels

makes her homosexuality is even raised. At this time, Bone is drown to a confusion

when she wants to be a lesbian but also owns the masculine traits to attract her

mother back just like what Glen does. Thus, the homosexuality and the masculinity

complex she has are coming together in herself.

When she lives with her lesbian aunt Raylene, she tells her how she is

discriminated due to her sexual orientation which is homosexual. It makes Bone

awakened by the society she lives in. she lives in society that forces her libido to be

sublimed. This situation of the society drives Bone into confusion because she

wants to express her masculinity but she is forced to repress it. Freud states if she


65

starts to confuse with her masculinity complex, “She will do what all living

creatures do in situations of danger. She will flee for refuge to the shelter where she

once enjoyed and peace, to her mother” (Ruitenbeek, 1996: 122). Unfortunately

Anne is not around when Bone is in this complex situation. The only place where

she enjoys the peace and mother-like is aunt Raylene who is lesbian. “My mama

had abandoned me, and that was the only thing that mattered. When Raylene

brought me some soup later, I refused to eat. “I hate her,” (Allison, 1993: 302). The

love she used to have for her mother turns into hatred. She no longer believe that

her love gets a feedback from Anne. Only aunt Raylene who is there to keep taking

care of Bone patiently even though Bone is being unstable emotional child for being

abandoned.

The comfortable fact she feels from Raylene, might be some supportive factors

that encourages Bone to establish her homosexuality in the future. Another reason

Bone is in the failure of phallic stage. As it has been stated before, she does not

move her love to the different sex parent. Therefore, she cannot identify the love

for the opposite sex. She clings to the love for the same sex parent who is women.

As a result, she is living out her masculinity in her homosexuality.


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CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

In order to achieve the goal of this study that is to find out how the sexual

identity is constructed in the main character, it is important to know the

characteristics of Bone. Bone is seen to have some characteristics that shows the

tendency of homosexual. In Bastard out of Carolina, she is characterized by her

personal description, conversation between characters, the speech, her past life, her

reactions toward every problem, direct comment, her thoughts or thoughts from

other characters and also her manner. There are 5 characteristics that can be drawn

in the novel. First is she is described as a brave girl. Since she is a child, she has

witnessed the discrimination to her family for being white trash. It influences her

life until she grows up into a woman and understands her surroundings. This

phenomenon that happens throughout her life forces her to be a brave girl.

The second one is she is a loving girl. She has a deep love for her mom and

her family even though they are looked down in the society. She would do anything

to please them and her step sister. She also worships her uncles even though they

are known for being harmful. The third one is self-sacrificing girl. The love Bone

has is big enough to make Bone sacrifices her pain for the sake of her mother. The

affection she feels from her mom when she is a baby makes her always wants to

return to Anne’s love. She never tells her mother about anything bad that happens

to her. She does not want her to know that her husband abuses her own daughter.


67

The fourth one is the independence she has. It is seen from her manner when her

family is in economic problem. She works in her aunt’s home to get more pocket

money to eat. She is not dependent to her mom and father’s money. The last one is

she is a fantasy prone kid. As she gets beaten, raped and sexual harassments from

her step father, Glen, she often fantasizes sexual activity. She often listens to adult

talk and sees the sexual activity done by her parents. It creates her fantasy into

masturbation whenever she is home alone.

Furthermore, to comprehend the construction of Bone’s sexual identity

throughout her life, her characteristics are connected to stage changing during the

development of her psychosexual. The characteristics of the child are the products

coming out from the successfully of every stages passed. It is observed using

psychoanalytic theory to make it easier to see the changing occurs. There are some

phases Bone passes before finally the identity is constructed in herself. It starts from

when she is associated with her mother, Anne. She does not have any close

relationship yet with anyone. She adores her mom for her struggle and affection she

receives. The attachment she gets is from the pleasure when she gets the milk

directly from Anne’s breast. The satisfaction of the pleasure builds her personality

as she grows up. The fact that she becomes a daughter who has close relationship

with her mother, sacrifices herself for Anne and becomes a loving one are likely a

result of the success for passing the oral stage.

Since she can completely passes the oral stage, she could move to the next

one called anal stage. It can be proven that she also passes the anal stage by seeing


68

her attitude when she grows up. She could deal with her tendency to outburst her

anger. She also grows up into an independent girl. The independency of Bone is

determined by the method Anne uses for training Bone when she is in anal stage. It

means Bone is trained in the right period of time and quality.

The next stage or last stage of her is called phallic stage. This is assumed as

her last stage because she fails to go through this stage. Therefore she cannot come

to the latent and genital stage. In here, her sexual identity begins to be constructed.

The failure occurs because firstly, she does not have the father figure to receive her

love while she has a task to shift her love to be able to identify the different sex

partner. Secondly is because she receives sexual harassment from her dad so she

unconsciously drives herself to negative area. She fantasizes sexual thing and

masturbates almost every day which is uncommon things to do at her age. It makes

her clings to the area of clitoris which is the masculine area. She even suffers from

sadomasochist personality because her fantasy she enjoys is accompanied by the

painful beatings from her father.

Stimulating her clitoris, she unconsciously activates her masculinity. So she

embraces it by acting like a man. Thus, it also raises her penis envy. However when

she is awakened by the impossibility of having penis, she experiences masculinity

complex. It is said in Freud’s theory that masculinity complex in a child can lead to

a homosexuality. When she is drown to the confusion of her sexual identity, the

mother figure is needed to be a shelter to help her. But unfortunately Anne leaves

her with no explanation, so the only figure who is mother-like is her lesbian aunt


69

Raylene, There, the lesbian aunty helps her and unconsciously takes out her real

sexual identity. She finally releases her homosexuality. So the conclusion is the

factors of her homosexual identity is first, her inability of identifying love to

different sex partner. Secondly is the incorrect way of finding pleasure in genital

area. Instead of discovering the pleasure in vagina, Bone’s pleasure remains in

clitoris because of the rape done by Glen. The rape affects Bone to masturbation

accompanied by fantasy of becoming a man. The excessive fantasy of becoming a

man puts her in a masculinity complex because the fantasy happens for a long

period of time. Masculinity complex is also said to be one of the factors of

homosexuality.

On the other hand, there is another reason why Bone practices her masculine

traits more than her feminine traits. It is because when Bone remains in her clitoris

area, she unconsciously activates her masculine area by keep stimulating it while

masturbating. Clitoris area is said to be masculine because its activeness compare

to the passiveness of vagina or feminine area. So when she activates the masculine

area, it indirectly pushes her to own masculine traits. Masturbation she does is also

not a common masturbation children do. It is a negative effect of being raped that

drives her to suffer masochism. Therefore, Bone lives out her masculinity in her

homosexual identity.


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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