8/18/2019 Literature and Gender Assignment

1/8

Introduction

“Mariah” is a short story written by Che Husna Azahari in  Melor in Perspective. Che

Husna Azahari is a important Malay female writer of Malaysian English Literature. Che Husna

Azahari’s writing are often set in Kelantan Malaysia. !he is a "rofessor at the #a$ulty of 

Engineering an% &uilt En'ironment at (ni'ersiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. As for her short story

“Mariah” we are intro%u$e% to a small 'illage in Molo. )he main $hara$ter Mariah is seen as a

 problem in the story. Mariah is wi%ow an% she sells nasi berlauk as a way to support herself. !he

is 'iewe% as a threat be$ause of her wi%owe% status an% being a%mire% by the 'illage men. )he

*man being the respe$te% man in the 'illage goes to Mariah’s stall for the first time an% fell in

lo'e with Mariah. )his in$i%ent was then reporte% by Ci+ ,u -ab to )o+ *man’s wife Ci+ am.

/e woul% also see internal $onfli$t in )o+ *man as he has feelings towar%s Mariah %ue to the

resembles in )o+ *man’s first lo'e. )o+ *man then informs Ci+ am about his %e$ision to ta+e

Mariah as his se$on% wife. Ci+ am appro'e% the )o+ *man’s %e$ision although she %isagree% at

first. )he $onfli$t was sol'e% an% the )o+ *man an% Mariah got marrie%. )heir marriage got

 blessings from the whole 'illage an% at the same time put an en% to Mariah’s so0$alle% threat.

A$$or%ing to -oritah 1mar an% /ashima Che 2an

Mariah is seen as a symbol of Malay femininity while the *mam represents

Malay mas$ulinity. )he presen$e of the )o+ *mam’s mas$ulinity an%

Mariah’s femininity suggest the impli$it power of religious man an%

simultaneously may be interprete% as the superiority of Muslim men in

general o'er Muslim women 3456.

* woul% ha'e to say that I agree with the statement above that Mariah is the symbol of Malay

femininity with *man is the Malay mas$ulinity. )he reason why * woul% say that Mariah

8/18/2019 Literature and Gender Assignment

2/8

represent the Malay femininity as Mariah is %efine% by her wi%ow status. !he is also %efine% by

her physi$al appearan$es in the story. Mariah %oes not ha'e her own 'oi$e in the story an% her 

thoughts an% story is 'oi$e% out through a thir%0person point of 'iew. )o+ *man represent the

Malay mas$ulinity be$ause of his religious status an% so$ietal status. His mas$ulinity is

represente% by his se7uality an% polygamous ten%en$ies. *t is seen that )o+ *man’s mas$ulinity

show the superiority of Muslim men o'er Muslim women. *t is seen that the male in the story is

able to %o as they wish but the female in the story is boun% to $ertain a$tions. #or e7ample Ci+ 

am is e7pe$te% to a$$ept )o+ *man’s %e$ision to marry Mariah.

/hat is femininity8 #emininity is basi$ally a set of beha'iour roles an% attributes that

are glue% on to girls an% women. #emininity are most often or not so$ial $onstru$te% whi$h is

%ifferent from the biologi$al female se7. )raits that are normally paste% on feminine in$lu%es

gentleness sensiti'ity an% empathy. Mariah %i% not ser'e% as the Malay femininity in the story at

the beginning as she is 'ery in%epen%ent of her own. Mas$ulinity traits on the other han% is

asserti'eness $ourageous an% in%epen%en$e. A $ommon emphasis on mas$ulinity an% power is

mas$hismo. Mas$ulinity in so$iety are often lin+e% with the patriar$hal so$iety. *n a Malay

Kelantanese $ommunity it is $learly seen as the patriar$hal so$iety as it use% to pra$ti$e adat

temenggung  whi$h is a pra$ti$e that gi'e men the superiority. A$$or%ing to tra%itional pra$ti$es

that re'ol'e mas$ulinity men ha'e to prote$t an% pro'i%e for the family.

Mariah ser'es 'ery well as a symbol of femininity as she is %efine% by her tra%itional

Kelantanese 'alues. !he is %efine% by her bo%y figure. 2ue to the her physi$al an% being a

wi%ow she has men loo+ing an% gaw+ing at her. )his $oul% be the main reason why she $hose to

marry *man she was loo+ing for sense of se$urity. *man’s status in the so$iety woul% gi'e a

 boost in her status an% self0esteem. Men woul% stop loo+ing at her. )he reason why she is the

8/18/2019 Literature and Gender Assignment

3/8

symbol of femininity is be$ause she %oes not ha'e a 'oi$e in the story whi$h is perfe$tly suit the

tra%itional Malay $ulture where by wi'es are not allowe% to 9uestion their husban%’s %e$ision.

*man ser'es as the symbol of Malay mas$ulinity be$ause he is the lea%er in the so$iety. He is the

)o+ *man that ser'es as a lea%er a person where the people in the 'illage loo+ up to. Another

reason why he represents mas$ulinity in the story is the )o+ *man is lustful. He has lust towar%s

Mariah as Mariah remin%s him of his first lo'e. Men who are per$ei'e% as manly are mostly

lustful. )hey per$ei'e at ha'ing more se7ual relationship $oul% boost their mas$ulinity. *man

 being the religious lea%er of the 'illage su$$umbe% to lust. His beha'iour %ire$tly $omprises his

$orre$t morality whi$h in the Kelantanese rural min%set is an in%e7 of one’s piety an% lea%ership.

*t is also seen that the men in the 'illage are responsible for the women’s morality. #or e7ample

the females or women in the story “in Molo %oes not got about without a +ain lepas” 3Azahari6.

)hey woul% not %o so as the *man is the superego in the 'illage. /e $oul% see that in the story

for e7ample “)o %o so woul% be to in$ur the wrath of the 'illage *mam who was the guar%ian of 

mo%esty an% propriety an% enfor$er of stringent mores” 3Azahari6.

The presence of the Tok Imam’s masculinity and Mariah’s femininity suggest the implicit

power of religious man and simultaneously may be interpreted as the superiority of Muslim

men in general over Muslim women

*t is $lear that )o+ *man’s mas$ulinity is more superior to Mariah’s femininity. )his

statement $oul% be pro'en %ue the issue polygamy in the short story. )his statement is supporte%

with 1mar an% Che 2an

“)his +in% of femininity an% mas$ulinity shapes the national *slami$ i%entity of 

the Malays. )he Malay men’s ownership of multiple wi'es asserts men’s %egree

8/18/2019 Literature and Gender Assignment

4/8

8/18/2019 Literature and Gender Assignment

5/8

$learly 'iolate% the first $on%ition as he marrie% Mariah %ue to his lust o'er Mariah.

Mariah remin%s *man of his first lo'e. He lust o'er Mariah for being so ali+e to his first

lo'e whi$h is the !hei+’s %aughter in "attani. #or e7ample he says “1h Mariah?”

sighe% the *mam. “/hy %o you ha'e to be so li+e her? my long0lost lo'e the "assion of 

My outh8 1h Mariah why %o you ha'e to loo+ li+e her from your toes right up to your 

eyebrows@ *t’s a test. &y Allah@ *t’s a test.” 3Azahari6 *t is funny to see how he loo+ at

Mariah similar to the !hei+’s %aughter when he only saw her ba$+. Although then he

states that he want to marry Mariah be$ause Ci+ am is barren. Ci+ am $oul% not ha'e

 bear a $hil% for him. *t is su$h irony as Mariah is not young an% she is in her “fortyish”.

3Azahari6 )hus this $an only be $on$lu%e% that )o+ *man marrie% Mariah to fulfil his lust

o'er the !hei+’s %aughter. )his shows that the superiority of Muslim men in general o'er 

Muslim women be$ause Ci+ am ha% to agree to the *man’s re9uest on marrying Mariah

as the se$on% wife. )he superiority of the Muslim men o'er the women $oul% be seen

when Ci+ am gi'es in to the *man’s marriage with Mariah. At first Ci+ am

%isappro'es of the i%ea of *man marrying Mariah as the se$on% wife but after *man’s

 begging she appro'es it. *t is seen as superior be$ause the people in Molo %i% not see this

issue of polygamy of the religious lea%er with Mariah as a problem. )hey were a%miring

the )o+ *man an% Ci+ am. )hey a%mire% Ci+ am for being generous an% so gi'ing. #or 

e7ample for letting *man marrying Mariah they say that “ Ci+ am woul% $ertainly be

foun% sheltering in the sha%e of the (mbrella of !iti #atimah 3the "rophet’s %aughter6 on

the 2ay of u%gement.” 3Azahari6 )he marriage was seem as a right thing to %o. *t is also

superior as if a woman woul% want to pra$ti$e polyan%ry a pra$ti$e where a women ha'e

8/18/2019 Literature and Gender Assignment

6/8

more than one husban%. )his woul% be a big no0no in the so$iety. *t woul% $ause a big

riot an% %ebate. Howe'er when *man pra$ti$es polygamy it is seems fine.

&esi%es that the superiority of Muslim men o'er Muslim women is shown when

the blame for not being able to $on$ei'e is labelle% on Ci+ am. A$$or%ing to the

tra%itional point of 'iew women are often blame% for being barren or unable to $on$ei'e.

)his perspe$ti'e is applie% to many marrie% $ouple when a family %oes not ha'e a $hil%.

#or e7ample “Li+e all men of his generation it ne'er o$$urre% to him he $oul% be the

$ulprit in his wife’s suppose% inability to bear $hil%ren. As far as he was $on$erne%

 bearing $hil%ren was a woman’s =ob an% if she %i%n’t there was something wrong

with her. #ertility ha% nothing to %o with men.”3Azahari6 )o *man he has nothing to %o

if his wife is unable to $on$ei'e as he thin+s fertility has nothing to %o with men.

Howe'er it $oul% be wrong as men also $oul% be infertile. )hey $oul% ha'e low sperm

$ounts that woul% lea% to their wi'es unable to $on$ei'e. #or all you +now )o+ *man is

 probably ha'ing low sperm $ounts that lea% to Mariah unable to $on$ei'e. )his show the

mas$ulinity in *man. )he *man is not asso$iate% with his infertile $on%ition as it will

affe$t his mas$ulinity. *t is not only the thin+ing of )o+ *man that shows the superior of 

the Muslim men but also the $ommunity in Molo. #or e7ample “)hen of $ourse Ci+ 

am is $hil%less?” 'oi$es traile% away.” 3Azahari6. Although Ci+ am is the mo%el

housewife that the female $ommunity loo+ up to but the $ommunity %isregar% all goo%

9ualities of Ci+ am. Ci+ am’s being a role mo%el of housewi'es $oul% be seen in “Her 

$ulinary s+ills were not her only attributeB her house+eeping was also a mo%el to be

followe% by other womenfol+ in the 'illage.” 3Azahari6 Howe'er all this not important

when she %oes not ha'e a $hil%. )his $oul% be seen in “)he *mam’s wife was somewhat

8/18/2019 Literature and Gender Assignment

7/8

assiste% in this respe$t by not ha'ing grubby $hil%ren who woul% mess things up. *t was

the only flaw in an otherwise perfe$t marriage.” 3Azahari6

Another reason why the Muslim men are more superior than the Muslim women

is be$ause Mariah ta+es the blame for the men that go to her Ke%ai Merpati. Mariah

 being a silen$e 'oi$e get the blame from the $ommunity as the men li+e to go her stall.

Ci+ ,u -ab blames Mariah for attra$ting the men to her stall. !he e'en suspe$ts that

Mariah use% bla$+ magi$ to attra$t her $ustomers. )his $oul% be seen in “ * re$+on *

mean we re$+on she has put something in her nasi.” Ci+ ,u -ab pause% for breath.”

3Azahari6 Howe'er we woul% see that it is a$tually the men who are a$tually going to

Mariah’s Ke%ai Merpati to ha'e her nasi berlau+. )he men in the story are a$tually

gaw+ing at her bo%y an% her wi%ow status. )he men in the story “male gaze” Mariah.

)hey treat Mariah as an ob=e$t of se7ual %esire. Mariah is a$tually %ehumanize by the

author. !he is %efine% by her bo%y. !he is not gi'en a 'oi$e to e7press her thoughts an%

feelings. /e only +now how she felt through the thir% person point of 'iew. &y

ob=e$tifying Mariah through the “male gaze” it in'ol'es “%ehumanization”. Howe'er

the female $ommunity %i% not stan% together as sisters but playe% the blaming game on

Mariah. “&a$+lash” $an be seen in the story where the women %i% not stan% up for 

another women. )hey 'iewe% Mariah as the trouble ma+er =ust be$ause her status a

wi%ow. )here was not a single thing ba% being sai% about the men in the Molo

$ommunity. #or e7ample Ci+ ,u -ab %i% not put the blame on her husban% Ci+ ,u Leh

for going to Ke%ai Merpati when it is $learly that Ci+ ,u Leh is the one who brought the

*man to ha'e Mariah’s nasi berlau+. )his $oul% be seen in “*t was the only time he ha%

e'er gone to Mariah’s. An% he ha% %one so only at that Ci+ ,u Leh’s insisten$e.”

8/18/2019 Literature and Gender Assignment

8/8

3Azahari6 Howe'er Ci+ ,u -ab %oes not blame herself for being a “hopeless $oo+”

3Azahari6 but insiste% that her husban% is inno$ent. #or e7ample “* %i%n’t say it’ enti$e%

all the men Ci+ am. My Ci+ ,u Leh 3Ci+ ,u -ab’s husban%6 for instan$e woul% ne'er 

%ream of ha'ing brea+fast anywhere but at home. !ome men %o get easily enti$e% some

%on’t.” 3Azahari6