THE REPRESENTATION OF SINTA AS A GOOD

WOMAN IN HERDING THE WIND NOVEL

By

Evelyna Nissi Adjikusuma

19.J1.0012

ENGLISH STUDY PROGRAM

FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS

SOEGIJAPRANATA CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY

SEMARANG

2021
A. TITLE
The Representation of Sinta as a Good Woman in Herding the Wind Novel

B. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Herding the Wind is an English version of a novel entitled Anak Bajang
Menggiring Angin by Sindhunata. It was translated in 2015 by Joan Suyenaga
(Maghfiroh & Andriyanti, 2021). It is a fascinating retelling of the Great Epic of
Ramayana in the form of a literary story. This novel generally depicts the origin
story of the life story of Rama and Sinta. Princess Sinta is the beautiful daughter
of King Janaka from the kingdom of Mantili (Sindhunata, 2015). She is married to
Rama, a king from Ayodya because he has won the competition to get Sinta.
However, one day, because of the greediness of Queen Kekayi, Rama must
sacrifice his throne, and he is banished to the forest to do the isolation. Sinta, as
his wife, follows the husband’s hardship and lives in the forest gladly. She knows
that as a wife, she has to be loyal to her husband so that her life will be beautiful.
As the day goes by, Sinta lives peacefully in the forest until the evil king of
Alengka, Rahwana, is enamored with her beauty. Rahwana uses all of his power to
kidnap Sinta and brings her to Alengka. Sinta is imprisoned for many years in
Alengka. While waiting for Rama to rescue her, Sinta keeps her purity from
Rahwana. After everything Sinta has sacrificed, she still needs to prove her purity
because her husband does not believe in her (Sindhunata, 2015).
This novel is essential for this study because it will examine Sinta’s
character and characterization in Herding the Wind novel. After that, the analysis
will be used to find how a good woman should be, especially in Asia. Sinta in
Ramayana epic comes from Indian literature that is adapted in Indonesian
puppetry. Nurgiyantoro (2019) also stated that the traditional wayang stories
become the basis for writing Indonesia modern literature. Even though the
Ramayana is adjusted in Indonesian story, Sinta’s character may still possess the
Indian women’s characteristic. Thus, the depiction of Sinta in Herding the Wind

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novel will be a classic delineation of a good Asian women. The reason is that the
characters in the puppetry are also the reflection of the human's characters in the
real world (Ariani, 2016). Sinta’s characterization in the story shows how women,
especially in Asia, are expected to be. Moreover, women's characters that are
described in literature will have to influence society to look at women as the
literature describes them.
The objective of this study is to find out the character and characterization
of Sinta as a good woman in Herding the Wind novel. The researcher uses the
character and characterization theory to examine the issue. Character is a person
in the literary work, while characterization is the personal traits that a particular
character has in a story. The characterization may not directly appear in the text
(Rimmon-Kenan, 2003). Ewen 1971 (as cited in Rimmon-Kenan, 2003) stated
that there are two kinds of characterization. They are direct definition and indirect
presentation. The character of Sinta has been illustrated by various stories sourced
from Ramayana. For example, Shinta is portrayed as a woman who has some
feminist values plays pivotal roles in the Wayang Kulit Purwa show (Ariani,
2016). In the Herding the Wind novel, Sinta is mostly depicted as a beautiful
young woman who keeps her purity for her beloved husband, Rama, until the end
of her life (Sindhunata, 2015). Nevertheless, Sinta is something more than just a
beautiful person. Therefore, to get a deeper picture of Sinta’s character as a
woman, the researcher will use gender theory about woman’s roles.
To the researcher’s knowledge, Herding the Wind novel has been
discussed by other scholars. The first research is written by Maghfiroh &
Andriyanti (2021) with the title Exploring Metaphor Use: Its Categories and
Translation Strategies within the Novel Anak Bajang Menggiring Angin by
Sindhunata into Herding the Wind by Joan Suyenaga. They investigated the
categories of metaphor that are used in the novel and the strategies in translating
the novel from Indonesian to English version. They found out that four out of six
categories of metaphor are presented in the novel. The principal metaphor in the
novel is called the dead metaphor. Besides, the writer also uses ‘metaphor to
metaphor’ as the common strategy in dealing with the translation (Maghfiroh &

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Andriyanti, 2021). Another research comes from Rahman et al. (2019) entitled An
Intertextual Study of the Novel of Anak Bajang Menggiring Angin by Sindhunata
and the Novel of Rahvayana by Sujiwo Tejo. In this study, they identified the
intertextuality by looking at the similarities and differences in the novel Anak
Bajang Menggiring Angin by Sindhunata as the hypogram and Rahvayana by
Sujiwo Tejo. They discovered that the novel Rahvayana has the intertextuality
with the novel Anak Bajang Menggiring Angin from the similarities and
differences. Moreover, the intrinsic elements in the novel also play a role in the
expansion and modification of the novel (Rahman et al., 2019).
This study is different from those previous studies. Maghfiroh &
Andriyanti talks about the translation strategies and metaphor from the Indonesian
to English version of Herding the Wind novel. Whereas Rahman et al discusses
Anak Bajang Menggiring Angin's novel being the hypogram to Rahvayana's novel
and finds the similarities and differences between those novels. Even though using
the same novel, this paper is different from the previous researches. In this paper,
the researcher talks specifically about the character and characterization of Sinta
as a good woman in Herding the Wind novel.

C. FIELD OF THE STUDY

The field of the study literature. The subject is gender studies because it will
analyse Sinta as the character of a good woman in the novel Herding the Wind.

D. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

There are many characters in Herding the Wind novel. However, the researcher
will focus only on the character of Sinta who is the main woman character.

E. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The research questions are
1. What are Sinta’s characteristics in Herding the Wind novel?
2. How its characteristics are considered as a good woman?

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F. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objectives of the study are:
1. To find out Sinta’s characteristics in the Herding the Wind novel.
2. To discover a good woman’s characteristics.

G. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The researcher attempts to give the readers deeper understanding on how Sinta is
depicted as a good woman in Herding the Wind novel.

H. DEFINITION OF TERMS
1. Character
Character is categorized as the intrinsic element in a literary work. Chatman
describes the character as the way to describe a human’s personality, action, and
manner using the narrative elements (Hasanah et al., 2018). It can be concluded
that character is the performer in literary works.
2. Characterization
Characterization is the traits a particular character has in literary works (Rimmon-
Kenan, 2003). By looking at how the author gives some indicators, a particular
character’s traits can be identified.
3. Herding the Wind
Herding the Wind is an English Version of Anak Bajang Menggiring Angin novel
written by Sindhunata. The translation version was published in 2015 (Maghfiroh
& Andriyanti, 2021). This literary novel provides the story of the great epic of
Ramayana.
4. Good Woman
A woman that is considered good is the one who dresses up, takes care of
children, and uses polite words (Lakoff & Bucholtz, 2004). In other words, a
woman should behave appropriately according to her roles in society. An
expected role for men and women in society is called gender role (Myrlinda,
2020). Women have a reproductive role, while men are considered protectors.

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I. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
I.1. Character and Characterization
Character is part of the intrinsic element that has a connection with the
plot, setting, and point of view. Chatman (as cited in Hasanah et al., 2018)
specified two significant aspects of character, which are the round and flat
character. According to Foster, a flat character has a dominant specific trait (Mete,
2017). Whereas, Chatman 1993 (as cited in Mete, 2017) argued that a round
character or complex character is difficult to identify. A round character is similar
to people in real life because sometimes, the character can surprise the readers in
various ways. Besides, Propp also classifies the character in literary work into
seven general roles, which are the villain, the donor, the helper, the sought-for-
person, and her father, the dispatcher, the hero, and the false hero (Rimmon-
Kenan, 2003, p. 36).
Characterization is a means used by a literary author to uncover the
characters’ nature (Saraswati, 2019). Reams add a definition of characterization is
a description of characters within a text by looking at their action (Reams, 2015).
An author uses characterization to develop and show a particular character to the
readers. There are two essential types of characters’ textual signs, which are direct
definition and indirect presentation. The first type uses an adjective, an abstract
noun, other kinds of a noun, or part of speech to describe the characters. The
second type does not use the characteristics, instead show it in many ways and left
the interpretation on the readers (Rimmon-Kenan, 2003).
I.1.1. Direct Characterization
Direct characterization is when the author tells the reader openly some
traits that the character in the text has (Reams, 2015) Direct characterization can
be described by a character itself, a narrator, or other characters in the text. For
example, one of Anna’s friends said, “I get jealous of her. Anna is not only
charming but also a talented pianist.” Based on the line, another character who is
Anna’s friend in the story describes Anna as a charming and talented girl. The
character straightforwardly mentions Anna’s characterization. Thus, by reading
the text, the readers will obtain the same image of how Anna is characterized.

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I.1.2. Indirect Characterization
Characterization can be considered as indirect when it not mentions the
traits but shows and illustrates a character in several ways. Rimmon-Kenan (2003)
give seven ways of how the character is presented in the indirect characterization.
a. Action
The characters’ actions present who they are in the literary text. It is
essential to examine the character’s actions because even in real life, our actions
can be a reliable and concrete source to define who we are (Reams, 2015). The
action can be analysed when the character becomes the cause of certain action, not
the effect.
There are two different ways of analysing the action (Rimmon-Kenan, 2003). The
first one is by one-time actions, the second one is by habitual actions. One-time
action indicates a dynamic character. Whereas, habitual action indicates that the
character is static. One-time action is no less essential than habitual action. The
one-time action often becomes more crucial to analyse than the habitual action
that is regarded as the character’s routine. To find out both actions, there are some
categories proposed by Rimmon-Kenan (2003); They are the act of commission,
the act of omission, and contemplated act.
b. Speech
The speech means that the characterization of a particular character can be
seen from the conversation with the character itself or other characters. In a
literary work, the narrator can differentiate every character’s style of speech based
on their origin, dwelling place, social class, or profession (Rimmon-Kenan, 2003).
Action and speech tell a character’s nature by using a cause-effect that will be
interpreted by the reader. For instance, A man killed a monster to save people,
‘therefore’ he is courageous; A girl uses informal words to older people,
‘therefore’ she is impolite.
c. External Appearance
External appearance is used by the writer to show characters’ personalities
in narrative fiction (Rimmon-Kenan, 2003) . However, several external features
cannot be manipulated like someone’s height, eyes’ colour, nose’s shape, clothes,

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or hairstyles. In some cases, the writer can also use all of the visual attributes to
make a relationship with a characters’ personality which is called disguised
definitions. For instance, ‘The man’s black eyes show empathy to his friend’.
d. Environment
The surroundings and place where a character lives can be used as traits-
connoting metonymies (Rimmon-Kenan, 2003). The environment has a
connection with the external appearances in examining the character’s traits. For
example, a woman now lives happily in a classy apartment in the centre of the
town. Her living environment is a metonymy that she is well-off. Not only that,
her way of living can show the result of her hard work and persistence.
I.1.3. Reinforcement by Analogy
Reinforcement by analogy helps the readers be aware of a character’s trait
until the trait is uncovered through the character’s action, speech, or external
appearance (Rimmon-Kenan, 2003).
a. Analogous Names
Hamon (as cited in Rimmon-Kenan, 2003) stated that names can be similar
to the depiction of a particular character. It can be identified in four ways. They
are visual, acoustic, articulatory, and morphological.
b. Analogous Landscape
In a literary work, the landscape does not dependent on humans
(Rimmon-Kenan, 2003). Usually, it does not have any story causality with the
character even though the character’s choice to live in a particular place may give
a cause-effect relationship.
c. Analogy between Characters
The characters who are depicted in the same circumstances may have
similar or different personalities (Rimmon-Kenan, 2003). For example, there is a
complementary characterization between the good and wicked sisters.
I.2. A Good Woman
To be a good woman, she should follow some roles that are expected by
society. Women’s roles are inside the home, while men’s roles are outside of the
home (Myrlinda, 2020). Popenoe (as cited in Nurwahyuni, 2015) argues that

7
gender roles cause stereotypes in the community. It means that to be seen as
normal, both men and women should follow the gender roles that have been set in
society. Through the socialization process, people perceive what should and
should not a man or a woman do. In the other words, the process of socialization
is significant in shaping gender roles. There are some main agents of gender roles;
They are family, peers, schools, and social mass media (Hoominfar, 2019).
Family becomes the first surrounding for girls or boys when they come to this
world. Thus, the family holds an important position in introducing gender roles.
For example, the parents treat their sons or daughters differently in the terms of
clothes’ colour, toys, books, and even places. By looking at their parents, they
learn how to distinguish girls' or boys’ proper behaviour she children are growing
up, they will meet a lot of people out there and start having interactions with the
outside world. At this time, the peers are the agent of the gender socialization.
Leaper and Freedman (2007) and Witt (2000) stated that the peers will give
influence through interactions, friendship, and group norms (as cited in
Hoominfar, 2019). With the gender knowledge that the children have been
introduced in the family, they apply it at the peers’ level. Boys and girls will have
their specific own groups. They will play different games and activities that will
strengthen their gender identity. Moreover, as they start their school time, they
will also learn more about their roles. For instance, the teachers show contrast
treatment toward their students based on their sex. They will be more tolerant of
girls than boys. Not only the teachers but also the school’s environment and
properties are very gendered. The last main agent of gender socialization is media.
Media are prominent in forming the gender stereotypes towards women and men
because what people’s watch and read influence their mind a lot. Women are
always given a minimum screen time rather than men. Prot et al. (2014) and
Collins (2011) (as cited in Hoominfar, 2019) provide facts that men become the
main character in many TV shows, films, and games. On the other hand, women
in media generally are associated with sexual activity or household chores.
I.2.1. Asian Woman Roles

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 Asian women have many roles (Dionaldo & Soluta, 2021). A woman is
valued only as of the nurturer and domestic workhouse in the family. The position
of Asian women in literature is problematic because women are always under the
men’s role. In other words, men still have dominant roles (Turuk, 2020).
According to Dionaldo & Soluta (2021), Asian women especially in literature
have several main roles. The roles of women are as a daughter, a wife, a mother, a
mistress, and a rebel. Goldberg 1977 (as cited in Myrlinda, 2020) also specifically
refers to the Javanese traditional belief that women’s roles are as a mother, wife,
or support person. Ali 1989 (as cited in Fitriana et al., 2019) also classified the
standard image of a woman into three types. They are an image of traditional,
modern, and transitional women. The image of traditional women can be seen
from some characteristics, which are uneducated, irrational, not independent, and
committed to family, customs, and religious values. Besides, the image of modern
women’s characteristics is contrary to the traditional women. While the image of
transnational women is the combination of the image of traditional and modern
women (Fitriana et al., 2019). However, whatever roles women have, they are
expected to be submissive and always ready to sacrifice all that they have for their
family and community. The wife’s circle always relates to household chores.
Even though man is the household head, the man’s main task is to take care of his
family’s needs (Myrlinda, 2020). Thus, women’s story always consists of
subjugation and usually ends with the tragic aftermath.

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