Governesses and Feminist Acts

A Polish and a Javanese pieces of theatre:

Image of governess in the19th century literature. Anne Bronte’s „Agnes Grey” and Eliza Orzeszkowa’s „Miss Antonina” and „A… B… C…”
Rapa Kamila

Jagiellonian University, Poland, September 2023

The aim of this thesis is to analyze and compare the image of governess in 19th century literature – in Anne Brontë's "Agnes Grey" and Eliza Orzeszkowa's "Miss Antonina" and "A... B... C...". In the first chapter 19th century female situation and education were discussed. The second chapter presents Anne Brontë's prose and analyzes her novel "Agnes Grey". The third chapter characterizes Eliza Orzeszkowa in the context of her involvement in social and educational issues and analyzes "Miss Antonina" and "A... B... C...". The final chapter involves a comparison of the three texts – Brontë's novel and Orzeszkowa's novellas.

Feminist Acts and Thoughts in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights

Meilia Vivi Kridhawati, Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, M. Hum.

Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia, 2023

The present study attempted to investigate feminist acts and thoughts as expressed by Catherine Earnshaw, Cathy Linton, Isabella Linton, and Nelly Dean as oppressed women in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. The method used in this study is library research by employing the novel as the primary source. The data consists of sentences, in the form of quotes and dialogues, which were indicated to fulfill the criteria of feminist acts and thoughts produced by oppressed women. The theory of liberal feminism and existentialist feminism are used to elaborate the analysis of feminist acts and thoughts. The result shows there are feminist acts or it can be referred to as counteractions carried out by oppressed women against the patriarchal system. These acts are in the form of struggling for equality by being a superior woman in relation to men and working in the public sphere. Then, prioritizing self-development by becoming a brave woman. Later, promoting emancipation, by rebelling against men’s dominance, opposing stereotypes of women, becoming an independent woman, and becoming a qualify woman. Furthermore, feminist thoughts were identified as the basis of oppressed women's counteractions. The importance of participating in a public space is the underlying thought of oppressed women working in a public space side by side with men so that they get same positions as men. The significance of having intelligence and an active way of thinking underlies women's having and carrying out different actions to rebel against men’s dominance. The need of developing capability over limitations underlying women to become an independent woman. Further, the necessity of becoming subject in society, it is a thought that underlies women's desire to reject the internalization of lowly stereotypes they get in the patriarchal system. Overall, these findings show that oppressed women committed those acts or counteractions based on feminist thoughts because their main intention is to awaken feminism which demands emancipation, equality, and rights of justice between men and women.