The Representation of Patriarchal Ideas in Victorian Era Through Robert Browning’s Porphyria’s Lover and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnet Xxix: I Think of Thee

Abstract

This thesis deliberates the patriarchal issue in the Victorian era. This study is aimed at finding out the presence of the patriarchal system in Victorian England through the poems from Robert Browning’s Porphyria’s Lover and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonett XXIX: I Think of Thee. This thesis deals with the theory of representation by Stuart Hall (1997) which concerns on discursive analysis to understand the statement, language and ideas about the representation of patriarchal ideas within the two selected poems and to connect data about male domination within the two selected poems with the social-cultural context in Victorian England. The other supporting theories related to the male domination over female are also used to analyze the data. This research is conducted by using descriptive qualitative method and documentary research strategy. The data of this research are in the form of words and stanzas. This data are divided into primary data and secondary data. The primary is taken from the words and stanzas within the poem that represented male domination over female in Victorian England. The secondary data of this research is gained from books, literature papers, and online media which relates to the patriarchal ideas. The data are analyzed by elaborating the all over analysis using theory representation by Stuart Hall (1997) with the concept of male domination over female. The finding of this thesis proves that Victorian society holds the patriarchal system. In this case, the male dominated, marginalized and oppressed the female. The concept of an ideal woman led by Victorian values and the Christianity belief that female should submit to the male caused the female willingly accepted the act and the rule of the male. In effect, the woman unconsciously supports in legitimating patriarchy.