Portrayals of Women

#### **Chapter 15**

## Sexism, Language, and Women: A Study of Some Proverbial Expressions Used in the Barpeta District of Assam, India

*Prasenjit Das*

#### **Abstract**

Today, issues related to gender and sexism in language have received unprecedented critical attention, because the language used to represent women in our society is typically gendered. A woman often faces different nuances of gender stereotyping to which one is exposed since one's childhood—at home, in the locality, in schools and in the day-to-day social exchanges. Hence, there is an urgent need to explore the emotional, domestic, cultural and social territories as well as the personal spaces of women and discuss how in our society, the politics of language influences our perceptions about women. This paper is based on an area specific research conducted on the sexist proverbial expressions on women by the Assamese speaking people of the Barpeta district of the state of Assam, India. The research is based on locally available secondary sources. Proverbial expressions treating women negatively are only used as part of the research. The important finding of the research is that the embodiment of sexism in the proverbial expressions in Assam often assign an inferior status to women and that, from local to global, biasness against women is still widespread despite rising awareness about the politics of language in a homosocial world.

**Keywords:** sexist language, gender, Assamese women, proverbs on women, politics of language

#### **1. Introduction**

When we use language, besides communicating our individual thoughts, beliefs, and practices, it also reflects our social life, character, beliefs and practices of the community to which we belong. It is also through language that we express our attitudes, manners, likes, and dislikes as well as the different social norms to which we must conform. It is however not for nothing that our "cultural literacy" often essentializes verbal harassments and abuse of women on the basis of sex, leading to the use of certain stereotypical terms against woman. For example, expressions like crazy woman, fallen woman, flaunting woman of bold spirit but lose moral, woman of dangerous blandishments, woman of villainous and ungovernable temper, debauched woman,

woman disdaining all womankind, infamous woman, slovenly woman, spiteful-violent-tyrannical woman, dragoness and what not are most common across all languages and cultures. The debateable point is that such expressions are systematically used to deprive the women folk of certain privileges and even to deny their rightful place in the social hierarchy. The French feminist critic Luce Irigaray, in around 1970s, popularized the concept of linguistic sexism and since then there developed a more complex view of gender as "socially constructed" and as a set of relationships between men and women.

Even today, the proverb "Frailty, thy name is woman!" from Shakespeare's play *Hamlet* is used to mean that women are weaker than or inferior to men because they are frail. Similarly, a woman is likened to a walnut tree as can be found in the common proverb—"A woman, a spaniel, and a walnut tree." The pervasive belief is that the walnut tree thrives best if the nuts are beaten off with sticks or are to be manured by beating, or else would not bear fruits. However, the point is that such a view also implies the politics of male dominance and male chauvinism in linguistic exchanges in various walks of life. In the German language, there is a common saying that "As the country so the proverbs" which means that the geographical location, religious customs, psychology of the people concerned, economic, social and cultural setup of a place, etc., immensely influence the development of language as well as the use of proverbial expressions. However, the point I am trying to make in this paper is that many proverbs on women and womanhood in the Assamese society, like in case of many other societies and cultures across the world, are innately gendered.

#### **2. Methodology**

This paper is based on an area-based study of how sexist language is so blatantly used in Barpeta—a district of lower Assam, although the focus of the paper shall be on certain specific social contexts of proverbial expressions where women are negatively implicated and where specific proverbs are purposively used to negate the position of women as a whole in the Assamese society. While writing this paper, some secondary sources were consulted and efforts had been made to check how gender discrimination in terms of language finds expression in two different ways—through the proverbial languages used by women and through the proverbs used to describe a woman. It is however important to note that in both cases, the inherent sexism is too overriding in the Assamese linguistic expressions. This is a dangerous social phenomenon as the "man-made" sexist language has often been used as a powerful tool to consolidate gender differences following which women or the weaker sex have been consistently relegated to a marginal status in the affairs of our society. For writing this paper, only locally available works published in the Assamese language from the state of Assam were consulted to collect the proverbs cited in this paper, and the theoretical perspective needed for discussing the findings were derived from the works of critics like L Irigaray, M Z Rosaldo, and M Schipper. Most of such local cultural resources are unknown to the outside world as these are not yet been translated into English, and only region-specific studies or area-based studies, like in case of the current study, can make them available for further research.

#### **3. Sexism in language**

In nearly all societies, sex status is an unavoidable evil as it fixes women's role and limits their autonomy in society, although linguistic sexism is actually based on

#### *Sexism, Language, and Women: A Study of Some Proverbial Expressions Used in the Barpeta… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111810*

real-life social inequality between men and women. For a woman to be virtuous, she must be beautiful, obedient, sacrificial, and sexually pure, and when these "feminine" virtues are missing, her very "womanhood" is questionable. Rosaldo stated that the biological role of women in reproduction and the socially and culturally defined role of women as mothers, bearers, and nurturers of children provide the basis for their subordination in society [1]. The French feminist critic Luce Irigaray in *This Sex Which is Not One* states: Women's social inferiority is reinforced and complicated by the fact that woman does not have access to language, except through recourse to "masculine" systems of representation which dissociates her from her relation to herself and to other women. The "feminine" is never to be identified except by and for the masculine, the reciprocal proposition not being "true" [2]. According to Irigaray, women are forced to assume the roles prescribed for her by the male-dominated patriarchal ethos. She, like many of her counterparts, including Helen Cixous, believed that language typically excludes women from an active "subject position," which has always been hampering in the liberation of women in the true sense.

Linguistic sexism, or how women are described through words, can be best explored in terms of the proverbs people use in our society. A proverb is a well-known saying that states a general truth or issue an advice. As Hirsch et al. mentioned, proverbs are short, pithy sayings that reflect the accumulated wisdom, prejudices, and superstitions of the human race [3]. Now, it may be argued that most of the proverbs which are in circulation in our society are misogynous in nature as they express innately chauvinistic ideas of sexual stereotypes. Common proverbs such as "A woman's tongue wags like a lamb's tail," "Diamonds are a girl's best friend," "A woman's place is in the home," "A bad wife is poor harvest for sixty years," and "Beware of a bad woman and put no trust in a good one" are still uttered widely in different cultures of the world even in the twenty first century.

However, it is never so correct to state that all proverbial sayings are gendered. As Schipper states, proverbs, the world's smallest literary genre, are a most telling part of that serial narrative about humankind as in case with oral literatures, myths and origin stories, fairy tales, animal fables, love poems, or cradle songs. Such oral "wisdom," transmitted from generation to generation, represents a fascinating cultural history [4]. Then, he also mentions that "proverbs wholeheartedly acknowledge procreation as an indispensable female quality, and motherhood as a crucial domain of life. Being able to give birth is apparently considered so unique that numerous proverbs express not only respect but also fear *vis-a-vis* this awesome creativity." (p. 16) Schipper further mentions

*The legacy of oral traditions is a moral one: it teaches people what to do or what to think in a given situation. They formulate some part of common sense, values, and ways of doing. Endowed with authority, proverbs, like other prestigious oral and written texts, present how things ought to be from certain perspectives. Such authoritative views have contributed to molding people's roles and identities and continue to have an impact in many ways. Although we hardly ever know whether the original creator of a particular proverb was male or female, we can consider the interests at stake. What these interests are and how they are expressed in particular cultures–rhetorically and thematically–are questions to be born in mind when looking into proverbs about women… (p. 17)*

It is important also to note that the subject of a particular proverb and its variants in one particular culture and language often exist in other regions as well. One may wonder how this co-incidence is possible. A researcher like Schipper, however, believes that certain standard patterns exist in the attribution of status and the division of labor, which in a way are the cause of such similarities. As he states,

*In virtually all societies men fare better than women. Men exercise more power, have more status, and enjoy more freedom. Men usually head the family, exercise considerably more force in legal, political, and religious matters, take alternative sexual partners, may often take more than one wife, have greater freedom in the choice of a spouse, usually reside near their own kin, and have easier access to alcoholic beverages and drugs. Women, on the other hand, are often segregated or avoided during menstruation, must often share their husbands with one or more co-wives, are blamed for childlessness, and are often forced to defer to men in public places. Child rearing is the only domain where women regularly exert more influence than men. (p. 11)*

However, the idea of a woman being segregated by men is vehemently challenged by many feminist critics who tend to opine that the man-made language is used largely to entrap women under patriarchy where the role of a woman is dictated by a peculiar kind of male chauvinism.

Let me here refer to some common proverbial expressions used against women by the people in different parts of the world where the use of sexist language is clearly visible, because in most cases, a woman is negatively implicated and her self-respect and authority have been seriously denied.


m.No one rejoices more in revenge than a woman. (Roman) [5] (p. 361)

n.Three things without rule: a woman, a pig, and a mule. (Irish) [5] (p. 370)

o.A ship and a woman are ever repairing. (English) [5] (p. 387)

p.When a woman weeps, she is setting traps with her tears. (Roman) [5] (p. 424)

q.A truth-telling woman has few friends. (Danish) [5] (p. 444)

r. Woman is a torment, but let no home be without torment. (Persian) [5] (p. 480)

s. Women are like shoes; they can always be replaced. (Rajasthani). [4] (p. 26)


From these examples, it becomes apparent that a large number of proverbs transmit exactly the same idea. Some proverb specialists argue that a proverb acquires its concrete contextual meaning at the very moment it is used. As new shades of meaning are added each time a proverb is quoted, the very process of meaning creation must be carefully studied. Nonetheless, proverbs about women usually represent a dominant view [4] (p. 29). The same can be seen in case of the Assamese proverbs too as sought to be discussed in this paper.

Kalita, while discussing the use of sexist language in the Indian School Textbooks, brought in an interesting discussion about the issue of sexism and language. With a view to defining sexist language, he quoted from an answer provided by Vetterling-Braggin: "A word or sentence is sexist if ... its use creates, constitutes, promotes, or exploits an unfair or irrelevant distinction between the sexes...[and] if its use contributes to, pro- motes, causes or results in the oppression of either sex" [6] (p. 794). Kalita brings in an interesting discussion about the issue of sexism and language, as can be found in the following:

*Sexist terminology distinguishes between people purely on the basis of biology. It defines the "masculine" or "feminine" labels attached to roles, statuses, ideas, behaviors, activities, and condemns those who in any way overstep the bounds of their sex role stereotypes. Sexism in language allows an ideology to legitimize the prescriptions and appraisals of every human endeavor solely on the basis of gender. Language uses us as much as we use language; so, sexist language vents, spreads, and reinforces sex role stereotypes…Sexist language conveys prejudice through the everyday vocabulary used in social intercourse. Many gender-related words metaphorically insult or belittle women by identifying them as children, animals, or objects: girl (used in reference to a woman), "baby," "dish," "chick," "hot tomato," "bitch," ("son of a bitch" for men), "dog," "sugar," etc. Exclusion involves the creation of sex-based names, terms, and expressions to characterize essentially sex-neutral positions, occupations, etc. Through exclusionary devices, sexist language restrains one gender from pursuing activities similar to those allowed the other gender in the same society. Words such as "chairman," "foreman," and* 

*"fisherman," exclude women by calling to mind male actors, thus, implicitly eliminating qualified women from consideration in these positions and occupations. (pp. 3-4)*

There is no doubt about the fact that in the twenty first century, when women across the world are expressing their discomfit with the excessive use of sexist language in nearly all types of social dealings, almost no detailed or systematic studies have been done on the issue of sexism in the Assamese language in a state like Assam.

#### **4. Sexism in context-specific proverbs in the Barpeta district of Assam**

Barpeta, one of the prominent districts of lower Assam, is known for its great and ancient religious traditions. Previously known by different names such as—Tatikuchi, Porabhita, Mathura, Vrindavan, Choukhutisthan, Iccha Kuchi, Kampur, and so on, Barpeta is renowned as the "Land of the Satras" in the whole of Assam that bear the testimony of the great Assamese reformer, saint, scholar, and cultural exponent Srimanta Sankardeva and his great disciple Shri Shri Madhabdeva who set their foot in lower Assam long back in the sixteenth century to lay the strong foundation of the Assamese culture and language in the region through their socio-religious Vaishnavite Reform Movement. Although this Movement left a historic legacy and although revolutionary changes were initiated in the society by their successor saints and holy personalities, the place called Barpeta is still suffering from various ills as the society has remained too insular and conservative. Even today, women are not allowed to enter the main "Sattra" premise or the "Kirtanghar," leaving a big scar on the face of the society and inviting debates regarding the relevance of age-old religious norms and customs set by the male-dominated patriarchal setup which are used to deprive the women folk.

Throughout the last few centuries, the Assamese cultural setup in the Barpeta district has been found to be innately patriarchal. Even today, it is very common that the birth of a male child is a matter of great joy to the family, while just the opposite happens when a female child is born because people believe that "Poror babei Janme Bala"—meaning "A girl is born only to serve others." It is however not for nothing that the belief is so persistent among the people of Barpeta, that most of such belief and views are self-degenerating. Because, in order to marry a daughter to a "man," the poor parents would need a huge amount of money; whereas, it is assumed that a son would continue his father's dynasty and look after his parents even in their old age. This belief is so fundamental to the day-to-day existence of the common people that even the would-be mother desires for a boy child before delivery of the child. In this regard, several other proverbs carry similar undertones.


*Sexism, Language, and Women: A Study of Some Proverbial Expressions Used in the Barpeta… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111810*


Thus, from since birth, a girl child is destined for a secondary role in the Assamese society, and she is often pushed into a bleak future as the parents believe that "Jome Nileu Nia/Jowai Nileu Nia"–meaning "Marrying the daughter to a man is no different from submitting her to Yama, the God of death"—marriage being her final destiny. However, such proverbial utterances render negative connotations on the society as a whole, as such sayings have been affecting the murder of female fetus, murder of the daughters and daughters-in-laws, and the increase in the population growth in the hope of a male heir.

For the purpose of the paper, the following are some of the selected contexts in which case-specific proverbial expressions are used to imply a girl or a woman. In these examples, the way of uttering the expressions is very unique to the local people of Barpeta. Although, in most cases, the male member is to blame, yet it is the woman who always suffers or is made to suffer in the face of the patriarchal social dictum. A woman's actual experiences reside in obscurity, while the language used to describe her ends up with further discrimination. Some of the proverbs cited here are taken from Kalita [6] and Das [7]. However, some of them are also in circulation in other parts of the Indian state of Assam. It is pertinent to note here that in the absence of English translations, such proverbs are not known to the world outside Assam. Whereas the fact is that the experiences derived from such a vast gamut of proverbs would add more impetus to undertake newer researches on the politics of language in general where gender discrimination is clearly visible.

#### **5. Context 1: perceptions about wives**

In different parts of the Barpeta district, there is a great pervasiveness of various common proverbs and proverbial utterances which deny the rightful place to "wives" in general. Some proverbs, on wives, present a negative idea of the women further justifying their differences from men or husband as in case of the following colloquial expressions where the term "tiri" means "wife":


### **6. Context 2: physical traits of wives**

There are also some proverbs that provide us with a rich reflection on the female body and the social consequences of people's sexual differences. In such proverbs, certain physical traits of a woman are often viewed as inauspicious as can be found in the following expressions that shamelessly state that such women are not fit for marriage.


### **7. Context 3: polygamy and the plight of women**

Polygamy is prevalent in many cultures, and the Assamese society in the Barpeta district was no different. There was a time in Barpeta, when the very rich well-to-do men could wed several wives either to fulfill their desire for a male heir, or to relinquish their physical hunger, or to show their so-called physical potency. In the absence of any strong protest, such norms gradually gained validity in the society. Now, in such a case, a particular wife could not have tolerated the presence of the "Satini" or the co-wife. Often, the fear of losing the love of the husband made one wife very jealous or even sometimes possess certain dangerous intents. As she did not have the courage to stand against the husband, and as she will not be able to sustain herself if thrown out of the family by the husband, she would rather try to assert her own existence against the co-wife or other wives.


*Sexism, Language, and Women: A Study of Some Proverbial Expressions Used in the Barpeta… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111810*

c. "Satnir Jal, Gaa Nakare Bhal"—meaning "The trap laid by the co-wife does not cure the pain in the real wife." (Here, the woman uttering the proverb is implicated.)

Similarly, when the wife of a person dies at the tender age, the husband in order to fulfill his desire, he can remarry. However, the irony is that an aged man would often try to marry a teenage girl and even the poor parents of such girls would never hesitate to marry their daughter to an aged man. Thus, the power of wealth is the only recourse for the aged man deciding to remarry, and the girl would become a puppet in the hands of both her poor parents and the rich would-be husband.

d."Takar Naam Moina/Taka Thankli Ana Jai Anandabarir Koina"—meaning "Money is everything, and money can buy a beautiful wife."

#### **8. Context 4: affairs of women**

Often seen as illicit, the love affair between a man and a woman was too common in Assamese folk life. To satisfy their emotional needs, many tender girls wanted to break free or did not even bother to lose chastity as a way of rebelling against the societal norms or the shackles of the family. As different types of confinements affect their emotional being, the girls and women were forced to live lives with certain limitations. However, against this situation, a very common saying that is being used in Barpeta is:

a."Pora Maas Nosto Hoi Dhomdhomiya Juit/Api Nosto Hoi Lokor Gharat Sui" meaning "Like the fish gets spoilt when burnt, the girl gets spoilt when she sleeps with others."

Assam is a land of rivers and since ancient times, the banks of the rivers had been serving as the meeting place for the girls and daughters. Besides, in older times, people used to fulfill the need of water by fetching water either from the rivers or from the nearly ponds. However, the local girls took this as an opportunity to taste the sense of "freedom" against the confinements at home. They liked to take bathe and swim in the rivers, make merry, and carry out clandestine affairs with their loved ones especially with their male partners. However, such type of freedom also persuaded the girls to commit "mistakes" as can be found in the following utterances which are quite common in the village areas of Barpeta.


Like the unmarried girls and daughters, many married women too maintained secret relationship with other men to satisfy their mental and sexual needs. In most cases, however, the woman's character was in question rather than the impotence of the husbands or the other man who strived for her company.

d."Mone Sine Pap/Mawe Sine Bap"—meaning "Only the heart knows when a sin is committed, only the mother knows the father of her child." (Here, mother hood is not obviously celebrated.)

The derogatory remarks against the women with extramarital relationship are very obvious in the following lines:

e. "Oho Thogo Bai Rupe Tor Sama Nai/Iman Boyoxote Tinta Swami Pai Asa/Tor Somo Bhagyabati Nai"—meaning "Oh sister, there is none as beautiful as you, since you got three men as your husband at this age, there is none as lucky as you."

#### **9. Context 5: tripartite relationship among the mother, daughter, and daughter-in-law**

In the Assamese society of Barpeta, the relationship between the mother-inlaw and daughter-in-law is too intricate. As the new bride arrives in the house, the mother-in-law faces different sorts of anxieties and helplessness. She feels that the bride shall now have all the control over her son, and she will be deprived of her son's love. Therefore, she cannot take the attachment her son has for the newlywed girl for granted. She becomes even more jealous when all members in the family start giving preference to the new member in the family. However, the society is structured in such a way that despite enduring all mental pressures, the daughter-in-law has to follow the dictates of the mother-in-law, as she has to ensure the conjugal happiness of her son. Even the greater society also feels that the mother-in-law should carefully watch every move of her daughter-in-law. Thus, the mother becomes ill-reputed as the head strong woman of shrewd observation. The following are some utterances prevalent in Barpeta which:


But, such a control over the bride creates additional problems as the mother takes this opportunity to fulfill her angst against the bride causing an even more complex relationship between them.


Such treatment from the mother-in-law is sure to aggravate further hatred for the mother-in-law. Although the bride seems to respect her in-laws, she can never come to good terms with the mother-in-law. The following utterances imply the same feeling:

*Sexism, Language, and Women: A Study of Some Proverbial Expressions Used in the Barpeta… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111810*


However, it is important to note that such proverbs and sayings are also popular in other cultures. In English, there is a saying that "Happy is he who marries the son of a dead mother." In German, it is said that the "Husband's Mother is the Wife's Devil." In Spanish, there is a saying that "Give up all hopes of peace as long as your motherin-law lives." But there are also some sayings on the tripartite relationship among the mother, daughter, and daughter-in-law as is explicit from the following example in Barpeta District.

g."Akha Tita Bakh Tita/Tita Nimur Pat Tato Kori Tita/Sahu Nanandir Mat"—meaning "There are several herbs including Neem which taste bitter, but the words of the mother-in-law and the sister-in-law taste more bitter."

#### **10. Context 6: general attitude toward women**

The patriarchal ethos in the Assamese society is so dominant that in the fear of the women taking the advantage in the household, people often abstain from openly acknowledging the contribution of the women or even praising them as in case of the following:


Even while the husband dies a premature death, the wife always faces verbal abuses of different sorts from the people in the locality including her own family members.

d."Doh putra Jadi thake Tar Ghare/Swamihina Hole Narik Obhagini Bole"—meaning "A woman without husband is called unfortunate despite having a dozen sons."

On the contrary, if the wife dies, the husband has the peculiar right to remarry. Therefore, in the Assamese society of Barpeta district, there are many cases where, even the middle-aged men are also never reluctant to marry or remarry. However, nobody comes forward to marry even a teen-aged widow as this is never acceptable in society.

e. "Subat Dur Gaman, Take Najaba Sari

Sowalir Namot Burhike Aniba/Teo Naniba Bari"—meaning "You may marry an elderly woman assuming her to be young, but never marry a widow." (Here, 'Bari; in Assamese means widow.)

Nothing can be as disgraceful a comment as this that discourages widow marriage in the Assamese society even today. Not even the widow, the possibility for remarriage is almost impossible even for those women who are divorced or abandoned by their husbands. If at all a woman is forced to leave the husband's house, she loses everything including her social status. People often keep their evil eyes on such women. And if that woman is beautiful, then her beauty contributed to further troubles on her way as in case of the following utterance.

f. "Mota Naikia Nari/Dhum Dhum Koi Dhore Gari"—meaning "The woman without the husband catches the bus with pomposity."

There are also some norms following which a widow cannot, most specifically in case of the Brahmin community, take meat or have meal in a social gathering together with the elderly people of the locality.

g."Kopalot Ase Bidhoba Jog/Khabo Khoje Mangsor Bhoj"—meaning "Widowhood is her destiny, yet she thinks of feasting with meat."

However, the educated people in society often fail to understand the fact the women also have the equal right to enjoy the same privileges as their male counterparts. However, the women without their husbands often face the greatest brunt from the society members as is implied through this following proverb.

h."Akashot Chandra Nai, Nojoloi Tora/Ji Naarir Purush Nai, Jiwantate Mora" meaning "Like the sky without the moon or stars, the woman without the husband is as good as dead even while living."

#### **11. Proverbial contexts and prejudices against women**

The examples cited above are only some contextual examples where sexist language is abundantly used in the Assamese society. The use of specific languages and words in the common sayings and proverbs render an adverse effect on the mentality of the people further making the actual emancipation of the women really impossible. The same age-old narratives about women keep circulating from one generation to the other as can be seen through the different oral folk sayings and proverbial expressions of the people of Barpeta, in which women are denied their rightful status, self, and dignity. Even in the proverbs emanating from the mouths of the mythical "Daak" which are still in wide circulation in different corners of the district, mostly among the poor farming villages, women were sought to be kept under male control in terms of certain stereotypical images of women. As rightly stated by Goswami, "There is no other option left to find out the fault of the women than to utter one or two proverbs from Daak" [8] (p. 88). Therefore, some reformists often state that "Tirir Uparat Sokolo Marad" meaning—"Every male in society behaves like a husband with a married woman."

Thus, the linguistic treatment of the women in the Assamese society by the illiterate and educated together is part of the "Cultural Literacy" of the Assamese-speaking

#### *Sexism, Language, and Women: A Study of Some Proverbial Expressions Used in the Barpeta… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111810*

people in the greater Barpeta area. As a term coined by Hirsch, "Cultural literacy" refers to the ability to understand and participate fluently in a given culture. The culturally literate person, according to Hirsch, is able to talk to and understand others of that culture with fluency, while the culturally illiterate person fails to understand culturally conditioned allusions, references to past events, idiomatic expressions, jokes, names, places, etc. Hirsch et al. [3] states:

*Cultural literacy, unlike expert knowledge, is meant to be shared by everyone. It is that shifting body of information that our culture has found useful, and therefore worth preserving. Only a small fraction of what we read and hear gains a secure place on the memory shelves of the culturally literate, but the importance of this information is beyond question. This shared information is the foundation of our public discourse. It allows us to comprehend our daily newspapers and news reports, to understand our peers and leaders, and even to share our jokes. (p. x)*

Schipper [4] stated that musical, direct, frank, and the proverbs reflect not only cultural uniqueness but also commonalities shared around the globe and throughout history. Consciously or subconsciously, we have all been influenced by such messages, in spite of local and regional differences, and historical developments and changes (p. 19). He also argues,

*Proverbs about women substantially help to explain how and why, worldwide, sexual differences have resulted in a growing gap, a gap that has estranged men and women from sharing both public roles in life and responsibilities at home. Teaching and preaching the preservation of such a gendered gap, on the basis of relatively insignificant body differences, proverbs have reinforced prevailing hierarchies and established rigid images of what it means not to be a man but a woman, thus legitimating accessory roles for life for both sexes. The inescapable other side of this prescriptive coin is that women and men who do not fit the prescribed behavior are stigmatized–no less by other women than by men. Privileges are never given up easily. (pp. 20-21)*

Thus, in case of Assam too, the proverbial expressions are affected by the "Cultural Literacy" of the people in question. However, the proverbs, maxims, and similar expressions can also reveal different ways of seeing or perceiving life. As part of people's cultural legacies, most proverbs confirm the societal norms and values forcing the users to further insist on the collective acceptance of the male-inspired domestic and social interests and the inherited ideas about the Assamese womanhood. This also hints at how sexism is still dominant among the Assamese-speaking people of the Barpeta district. The proverbial utterances cited above display misogynistic sentiment which are transmitted from generation to generation. Some even argue that a reflection of the negative attitude toward women is associated with impurity and blind faith of the people as in both physical and mental harassments of the Assamese women, such proverbs have been very handy.

Some studies have already been conducted on Assamese folk life, folk literature, and proverbial utterances such as Prafulla Dutta Goswami's *Osomiya Jana Sahitya* [8]*,* Nabin Chandra Sarma's *Osomiya Loko Sanskritir Abhash* [9], and Manisha Talukdar's *Osomiya Prabad Probrachan: Ek Bishleshanatmak Adhayan* [10] among others which are significant contributions to the field. However, none of them have so far specifically discussed the role of sexism in language as well as in folk like and culture. Books like *Prabad Prabasan (Buranji, Baichitra Aru Bishleshan)* by Chakreswar Das [11]

or *Loko Sahityar Rahghara: Fakara Jojana* by Phul Kumari Kalita [12] are also very rare contributions toward excavating Assamese proverbial expressions in lower Assam area but without a particular focus on the use of the sexist language and its problematics. Therefore, as we discuss equality and equity for everyone living in the society, there is also a need of studying the use of words and language with insights received from the newer researches being carried out in the fields such as Paremiography, Miemeology, Sociolinguistics, and Cultural literacy across different societies and cultures.

It is a matter of debate whether the cultural values of specific language communities are actually reflected in their proverbs. The point here is that even in the twenty first century, the proverbs still remain very popular among the common masses despite unprecedented developments in science and technology. Several scholars including Mieder [13] have reacted to the male dominance and the misogyny in proverbs. As a surprise, they tried to find the "man" in place of "woman" as early as 1880 in a short humorous verse: "Early to bed and early to rise Makes *woman* healthy, wealthy, and wise" (p. 179). Another gender-free possibility would be to replace "man" with "person," as in case of "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a person healthy, wealthy, and wise" (p. 179). We now should see the Assamese "women" as individuals who always have "fewer opportunities" than men in accessing the existing occupations and positions. It therefore rests upon an assumption that "gender equality" means integrating these women into the social and political status quo. Thanks to the idea of women's liberation through education and economic uplift that there are now noticeable reactions against such sexual politics.

#### **12. Conclusion**

Today, girls and women of our society are provided with a full range of choices and preferences for meeting their daily needs and fulfilling their interests and experiences. However, contrary to this, linguistic sexism has become a social phenomenon encouraging more gender discriminations by means of language. The Assamese proverbial expressions used in the Barpeta district are part of the "Cultural Literacy" of the people of the region, but even the educated women are so reluctant to accept the fact that a particular kind of "Cultural Literacy" is also dangerous to the society they live in as women themselves turn out to be the oppressors of other women. The sexist terminologies prevalent among the Assamese-speaking people of the Barpeta district are so inherently lasting and can be so purposively customized to satisfy male hypocrisy or female "jealousy" that it will need ages to get rid of them unless we do not stop promoting gender inequality in society through both colloquial and standard languages. The discussions provided in the paper would surely enable the readers to examine the attitude of the Assamese people toward women and how linguistic and social stereotypes are born due to continuous linguistic transactions in a sexist society. Finally, answers to questions like—what the Assamese proverbs say about the women or why the Assamese people believe that men and women are to be treated differently should source new researches on the politics of language in general. In the context of the twenty first century, such researches will encourage more and more region specific, transregional, and transnational researches around the living conditions of women in society and how language has been continuously being used as a tool to dominate women.

*Sexism, Language, and Women: A Study of Some Proverbial Expressions Used in the Barpeta… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111810*

### **Author details**

Prasenjit Das Discipline of English, Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University, Guwahati, Assam, India

\*Address all correspondence to: prasenjitgu@gmail.com

© 2023 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

### **References**

[1] Rosaldo MZ. Women culture and society: A theoretical overview. In: Rosaldo MZ, Lamphere L, editors. Women Culture and Society. Stanford: Stanford University Press; 1974:17-42

[2] Irigaray L. The Sex which is Not One. Trans. Catherine Porter with Caroline Burke. New York: Cornell University Press; 1985. p. 85

[3] Hirsch ED, Joseph F, Trefil KJ. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company; 2002. p. 47

[4] Schipper M. Never Marry a Woman with Big Feet: Women in Proverbs from Around the World. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; 2004. p. 14

[5] Stone JR. The Routledge Book of World Proverbs. London and New York: Routledge; 2006

[6] Kalita NN. Women and sexism: language of Indian school textbooks. Economic and Political Weekly. 1986;**21**(18):794-797

[7] Das U. Barpeta Jilar Prabasan aru Naari Manstatwa. Baihata Chariali: Mouchak Prakashan; 2017

[8] Goswami PD. Osomiya Jana Sahitya. Guwahati: Bani Prakash; 1986

[9] Sarma NC. Osomiya Loko Sanskritir Abhash. Guwahati: Bani Prakash; 2007

[10] Talukdar M. Osomiya Prabad Probrachan: Ek Bishleshanatmak Adhayan. Guwahati: N. L. Publication; 2017

[11] Chakreswar D. Prabad Prabasan (Buranji, Baichitra Aru Bishleshan). Bani Mandir: Guwahati; 2008

[12] Kalita PK. Loko Sahityar Rahghara: Fakara Jojana. Balijan, Digboi: Nip Kumar Deka; 2003

[13] Mieder W. Proverbs: A Handbook. Westport, Connecticut & London: Greenwood Press; 2004

#### **Chapter 16**

## Reconstruction of Women Portrayal in Indonesian Movies

*Naurissa Biasini and Aura Saskia Zahwa Zeusta*

#### **Abstract**

Women in movies so far have often been shown unfairly, especially in action movies. Women are usually only as a complement or as a weak party and need to be saved. Gradually this is starting to change, but there are still many movies that depict women as not important characters in a story. This has changed significantly in 2022 when there are several action movies featuring female characters as the main characters or characters with different characters from previous movies. In this research, two Indonesian movies released in 2022 were taken, namely "*Mencuri Raden Saleh*" and "*The Big 4.*" This study aims to see how the four female characters, namely Sarah, Fella, Dina, and Alpha are presented in the two movies by using semiotic analysis. The results showed that the four female characters were successfully reconstructed as characters who did not experience marginalization, did not obey the orders of the male characters, and did not follow the stereotypes of women that usually appear in movies. Even so, there are still stereotypes of romantic relationships that still emerge.

**Keywords:** reconstructions, women portrayal, movies, gender inequality, social construction

#### **1. Introduction**

Movie is one part of the mass communication media, which has an important and strong role in conveying a message to the public. This is because movie as a product of mass communication media is a medium that is in great demand and easily understood by people of various age groups, from children to parents. This is what shows that movies have the potential to influence their audiences according to Sobur in Susanto [1]. The integration between audio and visual quality can very easily attract the attention of audiences, especially with the addition of very diverse ideas and story ideas.

The function of movies in general is to convey a message and information that is packaged in the form of entertainment. That is why movies have a significant influence on the formation of the audience's mindset, this is because the content of movies can not only reflect but also create reality according to Jowett in Susanto [1]. Many things can be learned through movies, they have the power to form a stigma through the construction of reality and people's stereotypes about something. One of the stigmas and stereotypes in the movie industry that is heavily discussed is the construction of women's representation, which is considered to be as old as the movie industry itself.

The representation of women in both the national and international movie industry has always been a hot topic of discussion. However, the construction of the depiction of female characters still carries negative stereotypes [2]. This is none other than being influenced by cultural traces and patriarchal ideology that is ingrained in Indonesian society. Where in the patriarchal system, women rarely get a place and become the number two marginalized creatures [3]. This old-fashioned thinking is then constructed in the movie industry and creates historical traces of the negative portrayal of women in a movie. The presence of women in movie history, in fact, has not been able to eliminate the negative representation of women in stereotypes that are constructed in the movie industry [2].

A study entitled "Women's Representation in Soap Operas" shows that soap operas in Indonesia still represent women with an image of being weak, dominated, dependent, crybaby, sex symbol, and passive [4]. There is still a lot of negativity about women's representation in the world of cinema, making academic studies related to women's representation in movies always interesting to discuss, especially to see how the reconstruction of women's representation in the world of cinema continues to develop. Another study titled "*Construction of the Reality of Women in the Film: Wanita Tetap Wanita (Women Stays Women)*" using Roland Barthes's semiotic analysis indicates that the construction of women's reality in the film "*Wanita Tetap Wanita*" presented women as victims of discrimination due to gender construction that distinguishes the characteristics of women's femininity. In addition, women also received acts of domestic violence, sexual harassment, coercion, and physical attacks.

The results of the third study titled "*Construction of Reality of Women in the Film 7 Hearts 7 Love 7 Women (Film Semiotics Analysis)*" indicate that the reality of women constructed in the film *7 Hati 7 Cinta 7 Wanita* is women as sex objects, women as victims of promiscuity, subordination, and marginalization, discrimination against women, women as objects of violence, and femininity for women. From some of these previous studies, we can conclude that the depiction of women in Indonesian films has been objectified. Women are still portrayed as objects and helpless creatures, and are marginalized and subordinated.

Movies that represent women with a different image, and are far from the oldfashioned stigma construction, will also become a new wind, both in the movie industry and for academics who like the discussion. The movie industry in Indonesia itself is growing and experiencing improvement. This is of course based on the high enthusiasm of the Indonesian people as spectators for various movies produced by the nation's children. Movie is one of the media of mass communication that is of interest to the public from the past until now. The reason is that the packaging contains the contents of the story, plot, themes, and characterizations in such a way as to produce an interesting story and carry a special message.

Throughout 2022, various movies appear in the Indonesian movie industry, which brought novelty to the depiction of women. The novelty of this different portrayal of women has emerged in various movie genres, especially action. Two examples of Indonesian action movies in 2022 that present female characters differently are the movie "*Mencuri Raden Saleh*" and the movie "*The Big 4.*"

The movie "*Mencuri Raden Saleh*" itself is a drama, action, and heist movie that tells about a group of teenagers who plan and carry out the theft of historic paintings for the Indonesian people. The main characters in this movie consist of 6 teenagers who are members of the planning group for the theft of Raden Saleh's painting, the five teenage figures are Piko as The Forger, Ucup as The Hacker, Gofar as The Handyman, Tuktuk as The Driver, Fella as The Negotiator, and Sarah's character as

#### *Reconstruction of Women Portrayal in Indonesian Movies DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112315*

The Brute. The six of them carried out their roles and collaborated in the theft mission, which did not go easy due to their respective conflicts [5].

This movie brings novelty regarding the depiction of female characters in it. Where this is supported by the statement of the actor Sarah in the movie "*Mencuri Raden Saleh*" namely Aghniny Haque in his interview with Kompas.com. Aghniny Haque feels that the character Sarah she plays in the movie "*Mencuri Raden Saleh*" is much different from the depiction of female characters in other movies. The female characters in the movie "*Mencuri Raden Saleh*" have great strength, are not oppressed, do not look weak, and are even superior to the male characters [6]. In this movie, the two female characters, Sarah and Fella, are shown as smart, strong, and brave women. These two figures do not sink among the other 4 main male characters. With the skills they have in this movie, it is a breath of fresh air in the construction of the reality of depicting female characters in the movie industry. Where so far women have often been shown as weak figures who need help from men to get out of life's problems [7].

In the movie, Sarah is a female Pencak Silat athlete who decides to join the mission to steal Raden Saleh's paintings after learning that her lover, Piko, is involved in this mission. Sarah is shown as a young woman who is very strong, brave, and good at martial arts. Therefore, in the movie, Sarah is likened to the muscle of this theft group. Sarah is also shown to be responsible in all matters concerning fights in order to protect her group [8].

The second female character in the movie Mencuri Raden Saleh is the character Fella. Fella is a bookie who has excellent manipulation skills. Fella is shown as a young woman who is smart and detailed in planning strategies. Therefore, in the movie, Fella is likened to the eyes, ears, and mouth of this group of thieves. This was because Fella was the one who served as the face to meet many people and gave directions to the other members. Fella is also often shown to show intelligence in correcting and completing the deficiencies of the initial planning [8].

Meanwhile, the movie "*The Big 4*" is a Netflix original action and comedy movie directed by Timo Tjahjanto, premiered on December 15, 2022. This movie centers on the character Dina who is a police detective who finds her father mysteriously dead. She is then determined to unravel the mystery of her father's death with the clues. The clues she found led her to an island called Pulau Bersi. However, Dina was surprised to find another fact that her father was the leader of a group of assassins who had several foster children, namely Typhoon, Alpha, Pelor, and Jenggo. Dina then had to face debates with her father's four foster children, until they finally decided to work together to fight the enemy to reveal their father's death [9].

This movie also features female characters in it by constructing the reality of women in a new way that no longer appears weak or only as a complement as in most other movies. In this movie, the two female characters, Dina and Alpha, are shown as tough, brave, and aggressive women. These two figures are also highlighted in the movie and become important figures as well. The first female character in *The Big 4* is Dina. Dina is the biological daughter of Petrus and is a female police officer who serves as a detective. Dina decides to investigate her father's mysterious death case, which is not progressing. Dina is shown as a young woman who is tough, has a strong will, and is good at fighting [10].

The second female character in *The Big 4* is the character Alpha. Alpha is the only female member of The Big 4, aka Peter's adopted daughter. Alpha is shown as a woman who is brave and aggressive both in acting and speaking, good at fighting, and also a weapon expert. In this movie, Alpha's character stands out with her outspokenness in expressing her opinion [11].

Both the movies "*Mencuri Raden Saleh*" and "*The Big 4*" do not specifically address women's issues in the theme of the story, but in these two movies, the main female character is often highlighted as a character who is stronger, smarter, and critical as a helper for the other male characters to solve problems. Whereas in most other movies, there are still a lot of constructs of cultural stigma about women. The stigma is the notion that women are identified with weakness and oppression [12]. This makes these two movies one of the movies that respond to concerns regarding the reconstruction of the depiction of female characters in current movies.

However, because the movies "*Mencuri Raden Saleh*" and "*The Big 4*" are not movies that focus specifically on women's issues and only insert their message through the depiction of the personality traits of the female characters in certain scenes, the audience is required to pay more attention to the movie in more detail to be able to analyze it and capture the message you want to convey. Messages in movies usually appear in symbols that are implicitly or explicitly depicted, so the reconstruction of the representation of female characters in movies requires a more detailed analysis.

Hence, it is very interesting to observe the verbal and nonverbal symbols and signs on the characters Sarah and Fella in the movie "*Mencuri Raden Saleh*", as well as the characters Dina and Alpha in the movie "*The Big 4*" to find the reconstruction of women shown in the movie through scenes featuring all four characters. We can observe verbal and nonverbal symbols and signs by using Roland Barthes' semiotic analysis to find out how the reconstruction of women is shown in the movies "*Mencuri Raden Saleh*" and "*The Big 4*" through the main female characters.

#### **2. Movie and the social construction of reality**

#### **2.1 The social construction of reality**

The social construction of reality was popularized and introduced by Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann through their book entitled The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociological Knowledge of Knowledge. The book describes social processes through interaction and action, in which individuals intensely create a reality that is collectively experienced and owned subjectively. Therefore, understanding something is caused by communication with other people. Social reality is actually nothing more than the result of social construction in certain communications [13]. Social construction stems from constructivism philosophy with cognitive constructive ideas. According to Suparno in Muthmainnah [12], there are three types of constructivism, namely ordinary constructivism, radical constructivism, and hypothetical realism constructivism. The similarity of the three is that constructivism is seen as a person's cognitive work to make sense of the world of reality, which is caused by social ties between individuals and the people or environment around them.

Sobur in Muthmainnah [12] explains that community institutions are formed, maintained, and changed by human interaction and action. Society and social institutions may look objectively real, but in fact, they are formed subjectively through processes of interaction. Where at the highest level of generality, humans form a world with symbolic meanings that view life as a whole (Universal), which gives legitimacy and handles social forms, and also gives meaning or defines various areas of life.

Media content is in fact the result of the construction of reality by using language as its component. Not only is it a tool in presenting reality but language can also

determine the form that will be realized with respect to that reality. Therefore, the mass media has great power to be able to influence the meaning and description of the reality it constructs. If in the media there is a construction of reality that is different from that in society, then basically there is symbolic violence that occurs. Where symbolic violence can occur through the use of language that obscures, refines, to coarsens a fact [13].

#### **2.2 Movies in constructing reality**

In fact, movie always captures the reality that grows and develops in society and then projects it onto the screen. As a reflection of society, movie is a perspective that is generally easier to agree on. Movie has a different meaning than just a reflection of reality, the movie has the meaning of representing the reality of society. Movie as a reflection of reality is only limited to transferring reality onto the screen without changing reality itself. Meanwhile, movie as a representation of reality also builds and displays reality based on codes, conventions, ideology, and culture [14].

Today, movie has become a means of communication by telling stories. Storytelling is a culture of thousands of years from humans that is now perpetuated by movies. Everything about life is always told in the movie. Therefore, the movie is referred to as a representation of the real world that we live in. According to Sasono in Muthmainnah, when compared to other media, movie has more power in imitating reality as closely as possible to the real thing [12]. However, even though it mimics reality as closely as possible, in reality, the reality shown in the movie is not the actual reality. The reality presented in the movie is a pseudo-reality. As explained by Hooks in Muthmainnah [12], movie cannot present the actual reality. What the movie presents may look familiar but is actually different from the real world. This is because what is presented in the movie is an artificial re-imagination of reality. Where after watching a movie, individuals can develop an artificial reality as a comparison to the actual reality they face. Hence, this is where movie can be used as a window to see the world and a new understanding.

Movie developed from what was originally just a fragment of an object image that was recorded and played back for the audience to see, into a movie engineering that records reality to become an integration that describes reality itself. The recorded image then has its own meaning. In denotation, movies are enjoyed as they are without the need to understand them in depth. This is the advantage of movie, which is that it can provide a picture of reality and communicate it in detail, which is difficult if only done by spoken or written language.

Connotatively, movies require in-depth interpretation to see the picture of meaning. The movie displays a hidden or implicit code of meaning. The connotation aspect becomes an essential aspect because the power of meaning lies precisely in what is invisible and not in what is seen. This hidden meaning is understood by Barthes as an area of mythology and ideology. Ideology is a language phenomenon whose emergence may not be realized but can bring people to agree or disagree. Movie then becomes an effective medium for instilling various behaviors, lifestyles, and attitude orientations in its audience, whether intentional or not [12].

#### **2.3 Reconstruction**

The word "reconstruction" is a combination of two words, namely, "re," which means renewal, and also "construction," which means a form system. The overall

meaning of the word "reconstruction" is explained in the Black Law Dictionary as: "Reconstruction is the act or process of rebuilding, recreating, or reorganizing something." This means that reconstruction is the act or process of rebuilding, reorganizing, or rearranging something. According to Qardhawi in Sutrisno [15], there are three main points in the reconstruction, namely maintaining the core of the original form by preserving its character and characteristics; fixing something that has fallen down and strengthening a weak joint; and pouring newness without changing its character and characteristics [15].

From what has been described above, it can be concluded that reconstruction is an activity of rebuilding separate sets of ideas into a single whole. If reconstruction is related to reality, it means that reconstruction is interpreted as renewal with efforts to repair and apply current reality. In this research, writers tried to see how the two movies that are the object of research try to rebuild how women are represented in movies.

#### **2.4 Semiotic as methodology**

According to Prasetya in Nurrochman, Abidin, and Santoso [16], semiotics describes that the cultural code in movie is a combination of the concept of a sign and the culture of society. Where in the movie, the strongest identification is through the language used, which includes the codes of meaning representation that need to be conveyed by the sender of the message. In Roland Barthes's semiotics, he adheres to and implements de Saussure's semiotic theory (signifier and signified), which seeks to explain that humans in social life are dominated by connotations [12].

According to Sobur in Nasirin and Pithaloka [17], Roland Barthes developed this thought and applied it to the concept of culture with a system of meaning in the form of two levels of signifieds, namely denotation and connotation. It is explained that Barthes defines a sign as a system consisting of (E) an expression or signifier in conjunction (R) with content (signified) (C): ERC.

The primary sign system can be an element of a sign system that is much more complete and has a different meaning than before. With that, the primary sign is denotative, while the secondary sign is one of the connotative semiotics. So that this connotative concept is the key to Roland Barthes's semiotics. Barthes explains that semiotics is basically concerned with how humanity makes sense of things [1]. Sobur in Susanto [1] explained that Barthes' analysis model is known as two-stage significance (two orders of signification). Where the first stage of significance is the relationship between the signifier (expression) and the signified (content/denotation meaning), which describes the relationship between the signifier (object) and the signified (meaning) on the sign in external reality. This refers to the real meaning of the signifier (object). While the second stage of significance is the connection that arises when the sign meets (connotative meaning). The term connotation itself, according to Barthes [1], describes a relationship that processes when meeting the emotions and cultural values of its users.

Nurrochman, Abidin, and Santoso [16] explained that in Barthes' semiotics, two stages of meaning denotation and connotation then create myths. This is because Barthes also explores a cultural approach in the search for meaning. Myths are in fact inseparable from human life because what underlies the creation of myths is mass culture so that they can dominate. For Barthes, connotation actually denotes myth, then myth has the connotation of a certain ideology.

In this study, a semiotic method is used by focusing on analyzing the signs and texts in the film to understand the code behind the signs and texts, so that the

desired meaning can be found. In the area of semiotics research, the researcher uses the Roland Barthes model of semiotic analysis through two orders of signification, denotation, and connotation.

Where in the first stage of significance, namely denotation, will examine the clearest meaning in accordance with the reality of the selected scenes. Then in the second stage of significance, namely connotation, it will examine the meaning of signs related to emotions and values in these scenes. Then after the connotative meaning is found, it is continued by looking at the myths that arise from the meanings and messages found. The researcher will observe the scenes in the films "Mencuri Raden Saleh" and "The Big 4" and relate them to the concept of forms of gender inequality to see the reconstruction of women's reality in the main female characters.

#### **2.5 Representation of the reality of women in gender inequality**

The increasing progress on women's rights at this time apparently did not stop the issue of social injustice that still occurs to women. This is caused by the construction of gender that has flowed over a long history and has taken root in society. As explained in the Women's Studies Encyclopedia, gender is a cultural concept that seeks to create a difference/comparison between men and women in terms of characteristics, behavior, roles, and mentality that develop in society [18]. This difference became known as gender differences.

Gender differences in fact will not be a problem as long as it does not cause gender inequalities. In fact, gender inequalities have given birth to various injustices. Women are still ranked highest as victims of gender inequalities, although it is possible for men to become victims of gender inequality [12]. According to Herdiansyah [19], in his book entitled Gender in a Psychological Perspective, gender inequality manifests itself in patterns of daily life in many forms:

1.Marginalization is a process of exclusion and subordination caused by gender differences and resulting in poverty. There are various ways to marginalize a person or a group, one of which is by assuming gender. In this case, women are usually set aside regarding the economy. Where there is an assumption that women are less suitable to work in the public sector, less authorized to become leaders, and less worthy of a higher salary/income than men.

Because of this unequal situation, especially in terms of the economy, women become powerless under male domination. An example of marginalization of women is the notion that women are only supporting breadwinners, so that in the public sector such as factories, women are most vulnerable to layoffs due to gender reasons such as reproductive factors and are only supporting breadwinners.

2.Subordination can be interpreted as a situation that is not primary and not too important. Subordination is also the view that a role/thing done by one sex is lower than the other sex. Subordination with women puts them in a low position because of the assumption that women are more irrational and emotional. So that women are not considered too important and are not prioritized in making ideas, opinions, or other important decisions. In domestic life, there is also an assumption that women are responsible for domestic and reproductive affairs, while men are responsible for public affairs and production. Therefore, women are often unable to be present to lead. An example of subordination of women is

the priority of education for boys compared to girls who are deemed not to need higher education because they will end up in the kitchen. This is because there is still an assumption that women are only bound by three things, namely the kitchen, the well, and the mattress.


#### **3. Reconstruction of women in "Mencuri Raden Saleh" and "The Big 4"**

#### **3.1 Marginalization**

In movies, women are usually shown to be marginalized by portraying themselves as side characters. Women are usually only companions or supporters in the life of male

#### *Reconstruction of Women Portrayal in Indonesian Movies DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112315*

characters. This is due to the assumption that women are not suitable to work in the public sector, are less suitable to be leaders, and are less eligible to earn the same income as men [19]. However, based on the results of documentation and analysis conducted from the two movies in this study, the concept of marginalization in gender inequality towards women does not appear. The female characters in these two movies are shown to be empowered and even have more reliable abilities than the male characters.

In the movie "Mencuri Raden Saleh," the characters Sarah and Fella are shown to have an equal position with other male characters. They are not just side characters but are characters who both play an important role in the theft of a painting that was planned along with three other male characters. Sarah has an important role in this heist group, namely as a muscle for her group. Because she has extraordinary martial arts abilities, she acts as The Brute whose job is to protect her group and advance in any event that requires martial arts skills to bring down opponents. Next is the character Fella who gets the nickname The Negotiator in the group. He is a clever character and very detail oriented. Fella often gives directions and corrects the strategies her team has devised.

In terms of cinematography, Sarah and Fella's characters when talking or discussing with other characters are always shown standing side by side, not behind the male characters. This shows that the two characters have an equally important role, not just as a support, as we can see for example in the image below **Figure 1**.

In the movie "The Big 4," Dina's character is a woman who works as a police detective, which is usually handled by a male character. Even though so far women's work in movies is usually not far from jobs that support men's positions or household chores. However, in this movie, Dina's character holds a job position that is rarely played by female characters. This is also shown by the character Alpha who acts as a member of "The Big 4" assassins. Alpha is also shown as a woman who has the ability to defend herself and use firearms that are just as great as other male assassin characters. The duties she carries out are the same as other male characters without any discrimination.

#### **3.2 Subordination**

Subordination with women puts them in a low position because of the assumption that women are more irrational and emotional. So that women are not considered

too important and are not prioritized in making ideas, opinions, or other important decisions. However, in the movie "Mencuri Raden Saleh," the characters Sarah and Fella do not show subordination to the male characters. In several scenes, when Sarah and Fella receive orders from the male characters, they show defiant reactions or even do not follow what they are told. Sarah, for example, in one of the scenes when she is ordered to be quiet by her friend, Ucup, actually challenges Ucup to a fight because he disturbed her conversation with Piko, her boyfriend **Figure 2**.

This is also shown by the characters Dina and Alpha in the movie "The Big 4" who do not show subordination to male power either at work or in personal life. Dina, for example, who works as a police detective, refused when her boss ordered her not to continue the investigation into her father's death. This is shown in the scene image below **Figure 3**.

This scene shows that the female character (Dina) is presented differently from the female characters in previous Indonesian action films. Women are usually

**Figure 2.** *The scene where Sarah challenged Ucup to a fight.*

#### *Reconstruction of Women Portrayal in Indonesian Movies DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112315*

shown as characters who always follow orders or directions given by male characters. This shows that there are different constructions of how women are presented in action movies. Even from a cinematographic point of view, in scenes that show changes in terms of subordination, female characters such as Dina and Alpha are positioned in the center and in front of each scene. The placement of a character in the middle or front of a scene shows the center of the story of a scene, not just as a companion in a scene [3].

#### **3.3 Stereotype**

According to Herdiansyah [19], stereotypes is labeling of certain characters or traits based on a wrong assumption of a person or a group. Stereotypes based on gender often affect women, making it difficult and detrimental to women. An example of stereotypes against women is women who are considered inappropriate to be leaders because women are emotional beings who will not be able to make fair decisions because they are mixed with emotional elements.

There are three stereotypes that usually appear in movies according to Fedorova. First, women rarely take the role of a leading character. Second, the story usually links them romantically with the main characters. Finally, the third portrayal of women on screen is as someone who needs to be rescued [20]. Some of these stereotypes are reconstructed but one is still shown in these two movies.

In movie "The Big 4," Dina is the main character in this movie who runs the story from beginning to end. Although Alpha is not the main character, he still plays an important role in the storyline. Dina and Alpha work hand in hand in a firearm fight with a group of military who are about to kill them. Even the cinematographic character Dina is shown in front of the main male character when they are chasing the enemy. We can see this as an example in the cut scene below **Figure 4**.

The second stereotype is that the female character has a romantic relationship with the main male character, which is almost indescribable. However, unfortunately at the end of the movie, there is a scene where it turns out that Dina and Topan, one of the male characters, show interest in each other through a kiss scene. Even though

**Figure 4.** *The scene where Dina leads the enemy search in front of the male character.*

in the end the kiss scene is Topan's trap so that Dina does not follow or catch them after they succeed. Knocks her opponent out, but Dina still falls into the trap and kisses Topan.

The third stereotype, women are characters who need to be saved, is clearly refuted in this movie. Dina can defend herself and is able to defeat her opponent, namely a bigger and stronger man. One of the enemy figures even told Typhoon that Dina did not need to be saved because she must be strong. In addition, since the beginning of her appearance in the movie, the Alpha character is a female character who does not need to be saved. She is an expert in martial arts and firearms. She was even shown to be very excited when they had to enter to attack their enemy's base.

In the movie "Mencuri Raden Saleh," the characters Sarah and Fella share the screen with three male characters. Although the center of the story is Piko, Sarah and Fella appear from the beginning of the story and contribute a lot to the theft process in this movie. The characters Sarah and Fella are also not characters who need to be saved by a male character. Sarah can defend herself and even protect other characters, including male characters with her martial arts skills. Meanwhile, Sarah protects herself by using her brain intelligence to set a strategy (**Figures 5** and **6**).

The character Sarah, for example, is shown as a strong and brave "Pencak Silat" (Indonesian Martial Art) athlete.

In the scene above, we can see the sign shown here is Sarah who is fighting and can defeat her opponent. In terms of denotation, the scene shows that Sarah defeated her opponent. However, based on the connotative meaning of defeating an opponent, it shows that Sarah has more strength than other male characters in the movies.

Unfortunately, in this movie, since the beginning of the movie, Sarah's character is told to have a romantic relationship with the character Piko. He also helps Piko carry out the theft plan because he really wants to help Piko, who has to steal paintings to help his father. This shows that the stereotype of women in movies, namely having romantic relationships with male characters, is still depicted in the two movies in this study.

#### **Figure 6.**

*Scene when Sarah had to protect her friends by fighting with lots of guards.*

#### **3.4 Violence**

Violence in gender roles occurs because of differences in character between men and women. Where men are considered masculine with characteristics of being brave, strong, dashing, and others. While women are considered feminine with weak, gentle, submissive characteristics, and others. Fakih in Herdiansyah [19] describes eight forms of gender bias consisting of rape, domestic violence, violence and torture of the genital organs, prostitution/prostitution, pornography, violence in contraception, covert violence, and sexual harassment. Examples of violence against women are the beating of a husband against his wife in the household, sexual harassment, coercion, sexual exploitation, and others.

In these two movies, the female characters do not experience violence as mentioned above. There are no scenes of rape, domestic violence, prostitution, and so on. In addition, because the four female characters that appear are not told about domestic relations, there is also no form of domestic violence that is shown. Precisely in these two movies, the female characters are able to balance their opponent's strength when they have to fight using physical violence.

#### **3.5 Unbalanced double burden**

The reproductive role of women is often considered a permanent role. So that the domestic role of women does not decrease even though there has been an increase in the number of women who carry out public roles by working in public areas in this modern era. These two role responsibilities result in a double burden being borne by women. However, because in these two movies, there is not a single female character who is told to run a household relationship, so the unequal burden of multiple roles does not appear and cannot be examined.

#### **4. Conclusions**

The conclusion that can be drawn from the results of this research is that the depiction of women shown in two Indonesian action movies in 2022 has changed. If previously women were shown as a complement in the story, but in the movies "Mencuri Raden Saleh" and "The Big 4," women are shown differently. The depiction of women is reconstructed so that they are not merely shown as weak figures. The characters Sarah, Fella, Dina, and Alpha have their respective strengths, both physical and intellectual, which are usually possessed by male characters. In some scenes, it can be seen that they are stronger, braver, and protect the male characters.

In addition, the four characters are not characters who need to be rescued by men, as is usually the case in action movies. They fought their way and carried out the mission well. This reconstruction of the female character really provides a different view of women, even though there is still a stereotype of a romantic relationship with a male character which in fact still emerges. However, the reconstruction provided by these two movies provides good news for the depiction of Indonesian women in the future.

#### **Acknowledgements**

This research was conducted with the help and input from the lecturers of the Communication Science Department at Universitas Pembangunan Jaya, Indonesia.

#### **Notes**

All images in this article are taken from the official OTT, which screens the two films without prejudice to the filmmakers and the official copyright owners of these images. Images are used solely for research purposes without seeking any profit.

#### **Author details**

Naurissa Biasini\* and Aura Saskia Zahwa Zeusta Universitas Pembangunan Jaya, Tangerang Selatan, Indonesia

\*Address all correspondence to: naurissa.biasini@upj.ac.id

© 2023 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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### *Edited by Feyza Bhatti and Elham Taheri*

*Gender Inequality - Issues, Challenges and New Perspectives* brings together advancements and empirical studies on gender studies from different parts of the world. Focusing on issues, challenges, and new perspectives on gender (in)equalities in multiple spheres and multiple countries, the book is an interdisciplinary and international compilation of studies on gender that also offers insight into future directions for the field. The book will appeal to those interested in empirical and practical advancements in gender studies, particularly students, teachers, and researchers across disciplines, as well as professionals, employers, and practitioners who are working towards addressing gender inequalities across the world.

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Gender Inequality - Issues, Challenges and New Perspectives

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Sustainable Development, Volume 15

Gender Inequality

Issues, Challenges and New Perspectives

*Edited by Feyza Bhatti and Elham Taheri*