Magdalena and Susannah's sexual wound and their struggle to achive sexual healing as seen in Alice Walker's by the light of my father's smile

Hendrayuwana, Ariany (2002) Magdalena and Susannah's sexual wound and their struggle to achive sexual healing as seen in Alice Walker's by the light of my father's smile. Bachelor thesis, Petra Christian University.

Abstract

In Patriarchal society female s sexuality has been socially constructed Women are demanded to be submissive and not sexually active. or else they will be condemned. The main female characters of Alice Walker?s By The Light Of My Farther's Smile, Magdalena and Susannah, also endure the same predicament in dealing with their sexuality. Considering that aspect this thesis examines in what way the patriarchal domination causes both main female characters? sexual wound and the main female characters` struggle to achieve the sexual healing as well as the signficance of the struggle. In order to accomplish the analysis, several theories are used. As a primary tool. literary theories. namely characterization and conflict, are used to reveal the main female characters? characteristics and conflict Moreover. the theory of black feminism and the Literary criticism are used as the secondary tool in analyzing the struggle of the main female characters. By using the theories mentioned above. I am able to reveal that because of their different characteristics. Magdalena and Susannah endure the sexual wound differently. Throughout the analysis. it is found out that despite their different endurance, Magdalena and Susannah must face an equal result from the father?s beating. i.e. Sexual wound. Yet, as Alice Walker?s main female characters, Magdalena and Susannah are not submissively accepting the domination, so they fight against it. Later on, it is perceived that Magdalena and Susannah must undergo different stages to achieve their sexual healing because of their different personality, as well as their different endurance. At the end, their struggle helps themselves to heal their sexual wound Nevertheless, it is also found out that the struggle also has some signficances upon both main female characters as the oppressed, and the father as the oppressor. For Magdalena and Susannah, the struggle and the achievement of sexual healing facilitate them to forgive their father?s mistake. Moreover both sisters are also able to acknowledge themselves as whole women. On the other hand, for the father, in the afterlife, scrutinizng the daughters? struggle helps the father to acknowledge his daughters? value as whole individuals.

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