O’NEIL AS FEMINIST CHARACTER IN SCOTT’S G. I. JANE
on
ISSN: 2302-920X
E-Jurnal Humanis, Fakultas Sastra dan Budaya Unud
Vol 14.1 Januari 2016: 38-44
O’NEIL AS FEMINIST CHARACTER IN SCOTT’S G. I. JANE
BY
I Gusti Ayu Dwityani Adhi Pratiwi [email protected]
English Department, Faculty Of Letters And Culture Udayana University
Abstrak
Skripsi ini berjudul “O’Neil as Feminist Character in Scott’s G. I. Jane” yang membahas tentang perjuangan yang dilakukan karakter utama, Letnan Jordan O’Neil, diantara budaya patriarki yang mendominasi sudut pandang masyarakat mengenai wanita dalam lingkungan milik pria. “G. I. Jane” sangatlah menarik untuk dibahas, terutama nilai feminisnya, karena film ini menggambarkan bagaimana wanita diperlakukan tidak setara dalam masyarakat yang disebabkan oleh perbedaan kelamin. Film ini menampilkan norma ganda yang dipaksakan pada wanita, bagaimana mereka harus bertindak dua kali lebih kuat untuk dianggap setengah tangguh. Data primer diperoleh dari teks pada film dengan judul yang sama “G. I. Jane”. Data untuk skripsi ini berdasarkan pada teks film yang tersedia. Kemudian, data yang terkumpul dianalisis dengan menggunakan metode kualitatif yang dipakai dalam menjelaskan ciri-ciri data berdasarkan pada teori yang diadopsi dalam skripsi ini. Teori-teori yang diterapkan dalam skripsi ini adalah teori literatur yaitu struktur intrinsik film dan teori feminis.
Kata Kunci: Karakter, Konflik, Masyarakat Patriarki
Movie is used to represent the real life of people through a story. It usually has several elements including plot, setting, character, and other intrinsic elements. The issue of feminism in 18th century has become one of the prominent issues that is mostly adopted in many stories to represent the women’s movement against the men’s dominance in their life. Feminism is an ideology not only belonging to women but also to the men who feel unequally treated that might be due to skin color, race, ethnic group, etc. Therefore, feminism is one of the issues worth analyzing in this paper as an important topic. It reflects the women’s effort to achieve recognition as equal citizen in the society which is represented in a movie entitled “G. I. Jane”
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a. What feminism spirit is reflected in the main character towards the patriarchal society depicted in “G. I. Jane” movie?
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b. What social conflicts were faced and what solution was done by the main character as the result of the functioning of feminist ideology in “G. I. Jane” movie?
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a. To analyze the feminism spirits of the main character in the patriarchal society depicted in “G. I. Jane” movie.
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b. To analyze the social conflicts faced and solved by the main character as the result of the feminist ideology in “G. I. Jane” movie
Methodology used in this study is needed to determine data source, method and technique of collecting data, and method and technique of analyzing data.
In fulfilling the analysis in this study, there is one kind of source which was obtained as the primary data. This is the subtitle of the movie entitled “G.I. Jane” which was directed by Ridley Scott and released on August 22, 1997
The method of collecting data applied in this study was documentation method. It is a process of identifying the sources of the data used in this paper. The data source in this paper was taken from website accessible through internet. First, the movie was downloaded from www.youtube.com in (mp4) format. However, for fuller understanding and analysis of the film, the subtitle script is used as the primary data source was downloaded from www.subtitleseeker.com in (.srt) format.
The collected data were analyzed by using qualitative method. It was used in explaining the characteristics of the data based on the theory adopted in this study, including the theory of intrinsic structure proposed by DiYanni (2000) and theory of feminism proposed by Beauvoir (1949).
The major or main character in “G. I. Jane” is Lieutenant Jordan O’Neil, a female satellite specialist officer in Naval who was chosen to fulfill the training in U.S. Navy Combined Reconnaissance Team. During her first day of training, O’Neil immediately became subject to ridicule and discrimination from her fellow candidates and from the base's commanding colonel, who makes attempts to treat her delicately because she's a woman. However, O’Neil refuses the double standard and asking for the same treatment as the other trainees
O’Neil: “Sir, I am not looking for any special treatment.”
C. O.: “We're not trying to change your sex, Lieutenant. You will have a separate bed, a separate head. If you have any special medical needs, inform the infirmary. If your classmates or a superior acts in a harassing or otherwise unbecoming manner, you are to inform me immediately, so that I can deal with it immediately. It may not always run smooth, but we're trying to make it as painless as possible.”
00:16:29 – 00:16:40
O’Neil: “Permission to speak, sir? I am not here to make some kind of statement. All I care about is completing the training and getting operational experience, just like everyone else, I suspect.”
On the other hand, O’Neil also has to deal with DeHaven, a female senator, who sabotaged her training by smearing her name as a lesbian. Then, O’Neil decided to confront DeHaven face to face and threatened her to void the false charge immediately 01:37:55 – 01:39:17
DeHaven: “No politician can afford to let women come home in body bags, especially me. It was never going to happen anyway.”
O’Neil: “Then why the fuck did you start me on all this in the first place?”
DeHaven: “Truthfully? I never expected you to do so damn well. I thought you'd ring out in two weeks. Bing, bang, it's over, and we're popular. In Washington, you don't even need the Ten Commandments if you're popular”.
O’Neil: “And don't you think that I will stand idly by while anyone smears my good name. Now, you get those charges voided, Senator, and you do it today.”
DeHaven: “Or what?”
O’Neil: “You like pissed off? Watch this.”
DeHaven: “Jordan! Hell of a game of brinkmanship you play.”
O’Neil: “I am not playing games, Senator.
DeHaven: “I gather. I will do it. Somehow, I will get you back in.”
After the false charge is voided, O’Neil and the rest of the team have to complete the sudden mission in Libyan Dessert. O’Neil contributed in making the strategy, rescued the Master Chief, and led the team to accomplish the mission. Finally, O’Neil succeed to achieve her goal which is being accepted as SEAL’s officer
1:49:30 – 1:51:09
McCool: “Sounds like Chief's running a little late.”
Wickwire: “We got to go. O'Neil, retrace your tracks. Cortez, pick up the rear.”
Cortez: “We're going back in there for body parts?”
Wickwire: “You're damn right we are.”
O’Neil: “Do the headwork with me. If he's on the run, he's not coming back this way to lead them to us. Right? Now look here. If we're here, and I left the Chief here, I think he's going to make his way southwest, down this wash and out to sea. If we hump it, we can get there and knock out any pursuit”.
Cortez: “You work this out with the Chief ahead of time, O'Neil, or are you just clairvoyant?”
O’Neil: “No, but it's what I'd do.”
01:58:32 – 01:59:06
(In the acceptance ceremony)
Urgayle: “Welcome aboard, sir.”
Cortez: “Thank you, Master Chief.”
Urgayle: Welcome aboard, Sergeant.”
Wickwire: “Thank you, Master Chief.”
Urgayle: “Welcome aboard, ma'am.”
(Urgayle handed O’Neil the last Navy Cross and was accepted with a smile)
In this movie, the main character, O’Neil, can be concluded as static character due to her steady determination as a feminist. Eventhough she was opposed by so many people because of gender difference, she keeps fighting back and shows herself as a feminist
O’Neil is portrayed as a brave, strong, and intelligent woman in fulfilling her life goals. It is shown how she insisted in getting the same treatment during the training as the other male trainees, determined to solve the problems with the other character, and how intelligent she was in making the strategy during the Plutonium evacuation. She could also be considered as the successful feminist who was able to fulfill her goal by facing all the obstacles during the training, breaking the false charge, and at last officially accepted in Combined Reconnaissance Team which was her final goal.
This was made possible particularly by the spirit of feminism that she adopted in her life’s struggle. In her struggle she was very much dealing with such problems as being treated discriminately by the team, accused as lesbian by female Senator, and even forced to obey the rules which against her idealism as feminist. All of those problems were solved succesfully by O’Neil through her strong determination and her
endless effort to prove everyone that she deserved to be accepted in matters conventionally associated only to men and showed herself as a real feminist.
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