Feminism Analysis in the Movie Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
on
ISSN: 2302-920X
Jurnal Humanis, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Unud
Vol 21.1 Nopember 2017: 110-114
Feminism Analysis in the Movie Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Putu Gita Andriyani1*, I Gst Ayu Gede Sosiowati2, I Wayan Resen3
English Department – Faculty of Arts – Udayana University 1[[email protected]] 2[[email protected]] 3[[email protected]] *Corresponding Author
Judul dari penelitian ini adalah feminisme analisis in the movie eat pray love by elizabeth gilbert. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah menemukan elemen intrinsik yang berhubungan dengan isu feminisme pada elizabeth gilbert sebagai pemeran dan isu feminisme yang tercermin dari elizabeth gilbert sebagai pemeran utama. Data dalam penelitian ini di ambil dari film Eat Pray Love. Penelitian ini focus menjelaskan elemen intrinsik (karakter, alur dan latar) dan isu feminisme. Analisis elemen instrinsik berdasarkan teori literatur dari Kenney (1966). Analisis isu feminisme menggunakan teori dari Langerman dan Brantly (dalam Ritzer dan Goodman, 2004) yang menjelaskan tentang perilaku yang mencerminkan feminisme. Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini menjelaskan bahwa karakter utama mencerminkan sikap feminisme. Pemeran utama menghadapi masa-masa sulit setelah bercerai dengan suaminya. Pada akhirnya, ia memilih untuk pergi ketiga negara unuk mencari keseimbangan dalam hidupnya.
Kata kunci: Feminisme, Karakter, Alur, Latar.
Sexist language is language that expresses bias in favour of one sex and thus treats the other sex in a discriminatory manner. In most cases the bias is in favour of men and against women. It exists due to sexism in society and as a social phenomenon, the language is closely related to social attitudes. According to Xiaolan Lei (2006), in her article, women are supposed to stay at home, remaining powerless and generally subordinate to man, whereas men are considered the centre both in the family and society. In a word, for a long time women have looked on as “the weaker sex” in society.
In relation to this, feminism aspect is very interesting to study because it is related to the variation of gender. In this study, Feminism Aspect in the Film Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, the analysis is focused on the type of women
language expressed by the character in Elizabeth Gilbert. The writer is interested in analysing
this film because it shows the ways of women to make decision for their own good and without any fear to men’s domination. The main character of this movie left her luxury and preferred to travel to some countries to discover her real identity.
Based on the background above, there are two problems that appear as follows:
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a. How are the intrinsic elements of literature related to the issue of feminism in Elizabeth Gilbert as the main character?
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b. What issues of feminism are reflected by Elizabeth Gilbert as the main character?
Based on the problems mentioned above, the aims of this study can be stated as follows:
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a. To identify and analyse the intrinsic elements of the movie related to the issue of feminism in Elizabeth Gilbert as the main character.
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b. To identify the issues of feminism reflected by Elizabeth Gilbert as the main character.
In the research method, it shows the method to solve the problems. In this study there are four points of discussions, they are: data source, method and technique of collecting data, method and technique of analysing data and method and technique of presenting analysis.
The data in this study were taken from a movie Eat Pray Love in 2010. This movie is adapted from a novel by Elizabeth Gilbert (2006) with the same title. The movie is used because there are many movements, statements and conversations that reflect feminism. Besides, the movie is used in this study as written data in order to support the analysis of various kinds of feminism.
The method used in collecting the data is thedocumantation method. In order to get the relevant data, the procedure includes watching movie carefully. The movie was watched and listened carefully in order to identify the intrinsic elements of the movie and to find the issues of feminism in the main character Elizabeth Gilbert. Besides, movie script was read carefully in order to support this study.
The collected data were analysed by using the qualitative method based on the theoretical framework. The analysis started with the overview of the synopsis of Inside Out movie. Afterwards, the conflict of the main character wasanalysed using the theory of conflict proposed by William Kenny (1966). The theory used to analyse the problem was the psychological theory proposed by Karl S. Bernhardt (1963).
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5. Analysis
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5.1 Intrinsic Elements (Character, Setting and Plot)
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A. Character
Character and plot as the main character of fiction are inseparable. Character is not essential to fiction in the same way plot is (Kenney, 1996:37) Elizabeth Gilbert
Elizabeth Gilbert is the main character and the protagonist in this movie. She is a fun, humble, smart, brave, strong and explorer woman. The most important trait of her is her incredible to strength to keep on living. She always kept on fighting to live the life she deserved, no matter what life threw at her whether it is divorce, heartbreak, or even losing all of her money. That is evidenced with her decision to finally divorce her husband, because of that, she has to endure so much pain as her husband punishes her by refusing to make a settlement for years yet she stays strong and makes it through those two dreadful years. Gilbert refused to give up on life even she has full days of depression and loneliness and even it got to its worst. This main character shows an incredible superhuman strength that seems impossible.
According to Kenney ( 1966:38) setting is everything that happens some where at some time. In other words, the terms setting refers to the point in time and space at which the event of the plot occurs..
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a) Setting of Place
Setting has physical characteristics related with place, such as New York, Italy, India and Indonesia. The first setting was in New York; this place is Gilbert’s life. It is where her home and career are. She is still unsatisfied in New York even this place is her comfort zone and her home and she decides to start her journey to Italy, India and Indonesia.
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b) Setting of Time
The setting of time in the movie Eat Pray Love is in 2001-2002. This year, Gilbert is 32 years old. Gilbert decribed the situation and condition of her life with her husband, Steve with all of their divorce problems within it. At that time her wish to become a freedom to visit three countries supported by her friends and family. While in 2002, she found her true love, Felipe in Bali and they live with a happy marriage.
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C. Plot
Plot in the movie is the arrangement of event or incident that makes up the story. The combination of incidents in the story forms. The plot is a unity that would be a summary of the movie.
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1. Introduction / Exposition
Gilbert had everything that modern woman is supposed to dream of having a husband, a house, and successful career. When Gilbert all of the times she spent her sobbing on the bathroom floor. Her ugly divorce makes her feel like losing her balance life. She comes to the realization that something in
her life needs to change and for the first time in life she prays to God for help.
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2. Conflict
From the very beginning of Eat Pray Love, Gilbert had no self-respect. She was going through a nasty divorce between herself and her (ex) husband. Gilbert step out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life, embarking on a journey around the world that becomes a quest for self-discovery.
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3. Climax
The climax of the story is when Gilbert spent her for months in each country to find her pleasur in Italy, devotion in India and her balance in Bali. 4. Resolution
After a long journey through Italia, India and the last is Indonesia to find pleasure, devotion, and balance, she finally found that her real problem is just because she didn’t have her balance yet. After having a much practice on balancing her mind, body, and soul for several years through her long journey, finally she meets a Brazilian guy in Bali and they fall in love each other.
Gilbert: I get it, Delia. I didn’t get it
when you first said it, but now I get it. Since high school, I’ve been chasing a guy, falling in love with a guy, running away from a guy, crying over a guy, even choosing between two guys...
Delia: I think it started in junior high
school to be honest.
Gilbert: Right. You’re right. I need to
find out who the hell I am.I can’t expect to make another relationship work until I figure out a way to have a relationship with myself. I’m
not getting any younger, it’s twelve months out of my life...
Analysis:
According to Langerman and Brantly (in Ritzer and Goodman, 2004), feminism issue arouse because women do not have enough power to do their selfactualization. When Gilbert remember the past and said:
“Since high school, I’ve been chasing a guy, falling in love with a guy, running away from a guy, crying over a guy, even choosing between two guys...”
It reflects that she is always dependent. Gilbert always needs a man beside her to accompany everything she does. That statement also reflects that women are weaker and smaller than man. Even women have the power in their body, men have more physical strength than women. Women are always refuge with men, they will feel safe when they stay with men. But, she realized soon:
“Right. You’re right. I need to find out who the hell I am.
I can’t expect to make another relationship work until I figure out a way to have a relationship with myself. I’m not getting any younger, it’s twelve months out of my life. ”.
It reflects that Gilbert already rises up and shows her bravery. She tries to have the healthy relationship with reality and are more comfortable with it and do not deny it. She does not limit herself to explore life because she wants to find her real life. She is not fear with the mistake but she takes it as the resasonable cautionary steps not to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. That
statement also reflect that Gilbert needs to have time to herself for quiet time and reflection. She takes a decision to change her life to be better through three countries for traveling. It is asserted that a woman is not dependent on others. They can make a change for her life to be better by herself even without a man helps.
This study is focused on the intrinsic elements of Eat Pray Love movie and the issues of feminism reflected in Elizabeth Gilbert as the main character. Feminism issues which is reflected in the main character was analyzed from the intrinsic aspect of literature, especially by analyzing the personality of the characters, in the context of the plot and related to the setting in the story of the movie.
The intrinsic elements analyzed in this study include characters, setting and plot of the movie. It is analyzed using the theory of Literature by Kenney (1996) and theory by Langerman and Brantley (in Ritzer and Goodman, 2004) particularly the issues of feminism reflected by the main character. In this movie, the issues of feminism under concern are the issues of feminism in terms of self-actualization and social status. Elizabeth Gilbert as the main character could face the issue of feminism and she experienced the effects of feminism in which she had succesfully conveyed liberal feminism. It is supported by th right of women in value of individualism, freedom, choice and equality of opportunity. The feminism experienced by Elizabeth Gilbert are represented by her decision to divorce with her husband and finding her new life by traveling to three countries for four months each.
Chang, Hui-Chun. 2014. The Impact of The Feminist Heroine: Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice. Article. Beijing. Tsinghua University.
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