WOMEN’S INFERIORITY IN HAITI AS SEEN IN EDWIDGE DANTICAT’S BREATH EYES MEMORY

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to discuss women’s inferiority in Haiti pictured in
Breath Eyes Memory by Edwidge Danticat, a Haitian- American author. In attaining the
purpose, the writer applies feminist literary approach by Kate Millett which emphasizes on
the issues of sexism in educational, economical, and social aspect. In addition, the writer
applies qualitative and descriptive methods to analyze and understand the content in the
novel. From the analysis, the writer found that there are different treatments between men and
women in education, economy and social aspect in Haitian society where women are still
more disadvantaged. Men also insist women to be submissive by men’s rule that applied in
Haitian society and make women feeling oppressed. These circumstances make men living in
superior and women living in inferior. Living in inferior condition becomes conflict for them
and the result they resist toward their inferiority.

Keywords : patriarchal culture, inferiority, oppression, resistance