The Representation of Female’s Ideal Body in Sarai Walker’s Dietland

Abstract

This study investigates the issue of women's ideal body in Sarai Walker's Dietland. This research aims to find out how the ideal body is represented in the novel and how the author creates the discourse of the ideal body. The method used is descriptive qualitative. The theory applied in this analysis is the theory of representation by Stuart Hall and the theory of the male gaze by Laura Mulvey. The results show that the female's ideal body discourse is represented through a male gaze. As a result of the gaze that objectifies women, women tried hard to become thin to give pleasure to men to stare at. Plum has to modify her body so that her body becomes a body that gives pleasure to the male gaze. Plum also projects the value of the male gaze to other women. Eventually, she gazes at other women like men stare at her. It also found that Walker's interest in representing the ideal body discourse infuses the concept of body acceptance through Plum's character, who ultimately accepts her body as it is.