CHAPTER III

THE STRUGGLE OF THE MAIN CHARACTER

In this chapter, the writer will describe about the struggle of main

character to escape from oppression in her life. The writer found some struggles

of main character in the novel. The main character does struggle in order to she

can change her life.

3.1 Searching for Protection

Searching for protection is a struggle that is done by the main character.

The action is caused by her experience of physical abuse. She wants to be

protected from her husband. The protection searching is done by going to her

uncle’s house. The main haracter’s struggle to search for protection is seen in the

following quotation:

“ On one occasion he hit me all over with his shoe. My face and body
became swollen and bruised. So I left the house and went to my uncle. But
my uncle told me that all husbands beat their wives, and my uncle’s wife
added that her husband often beat her ” (pg.46 )
The protection searching that is done by the main character is seen in the

quotation. She search for someone who can protects her from her husband’s

abuse. Her protection searching can be seen from her statement that she went to

her uncle’s house after leaving the house where her abusing husband there. So the

struggle to get protection is seen on the main character through her decision to go

to her uncle’s house.

 The next protection searching done by the main character is the struggle to

seek some refuge. The searching for protection is done because she cannot hold to

be abused both physically and sexually hy Bayoumi. The protection that she

wants to get is something that can make her feels safe. The following quotation

reflects the protection searching that is done by the main character:

After escapes from her husband’s house. Firdaus helped by Bayoumi.

Evidently , Bayoumi is not kind man as she thought before. Bayoumi does
physical abuse and sexual abuse to Firdaus. Firdaus raped by Bayoumi and
Bayoumi hits Firdaus until Firdaus fainted. Because Firdaus can not hold it,
Firdaus decides to seek refuge.“ I ran out of Bayoumi’s house into the street. For
the street had become the only safe place in which I could seek refuge, and into
which I could escape with my whole being.” (pg.54)
The quotation has proven that the main character wants to get protection. It is

done by leaving Bayoumi’s house and going to the street. The protection

searching is seen from the main character’s statement that she cannot hold the

abuses so that going to the street where she can be safe. So the searching for

protection is seen on the main character from her statememnt about going to the

street, something that she thinks a safe place.

Every oppression that she gets , she will escapes to the street. She feels

that street is safe place to seek refuge. When Firdaus knows that she has cheated

by Sharifa. She decides to escape from Sharifa. She escapes to the street.

3.2 Look for a Job

Looking for a job is done by the main character as one of her struggle. The

job seeking is done by showing her secondary school certificate to a man. To have

a job is the main character’s big wish because even though with her primary
school certificate, she would give it if it means she gets a job. The following

quotation is the reflection of job seeking done by the main character:

“ I opened my small bag and showed him in my secondary school certificate. I

told him i was looking for a job with my secondary or even with my primary
school certificate. That is did not find something this way. I was prepared to do
any work, even the kind of work that requires no certificates” (pg.49)

The quotation reflects the main character’s action to look for a job. The job

seeking can be seen from her statement that she was looking for a job. Not only

that her struggle to find a job is also seen when she said that she was prepared to

do any work. So the job seeking that the main character does is reflected by her

statement about searching for a job and her confidence about her preparation.

The next of the main character’s job seeking is when she wants going to out

from Bayoumi’s house to look for job. It can be seen from quotation: “You’re

busy all in the coffe-house, and you haven’t even tried to find me a job. I’m going

out now to look for one.” (52) The quotation proves that the main character wants

to have a job. It is proven by her statement that she will go out to look for a job.

The another reflection of the main character’s job seeking is seen when she

applies her job everytime seeing that there was an advertisement. Beside that, her

struggle to look for job is also seen when she decides to find it directly. It is done

by going to all ministries and offices that might hire someone. It can be seen from

the quotation: “Every time there was an advertisement I applied for the job. I went

to all the ministries, departments, and company offices where there might be a

vacancy.” (pg.79). The quotation proves that the main character wants to have a
job. It is proven by her statement that she applies for every advertisement and

goes to the ministries and offices that might also searching for employee.

After she is struggling for a long time, Firdaus gets a job in the industrial

office. “ I at last found a job with one of the big industrial concerns.”(pg.79)

The next job seeking that is also seen on the main character when thinking

that she is not free. It is done by packing her papers in her small bag and telling

someone that she is going to look for job.

“I realized I was not nearly as free as I hitherto imagined myself to be.

One day I said to myself,
‘ I can’t go on like this’
I packed my papers in a small bag and got ready to leave, but suddenly
hhe appeared, standing in front of me
‘Where are you going? He asked
I’m going to look for work. I still have my secondary school certificate.”
(pg.103)
The quotation has proven that the main character wants to have a job.

Looking for a job is what she does when thinking she is not free anymore. The job

seeking is seen when she tells someone that she wants to look for job.

As the conclusion, Firdaus always struggles to change her life with look for

a job. She always struggles in order to her life not filled by oppression. She want

to gets her rights to a decent life in her country. She struggles in order to her life

be better than before.

3.3 Kill to Survive

Kill to survive is done by the main character as one of her struggle also.

Kill to survive is done by killing the pimp who wants to kill Firdaus. It can be

seen from the quotation below:

“His hand started to reach for the knife he carried in his pocket, but my hand was
quicker than his. I raised the knife and buried it deep in his neck, pulled it out of
his neck and then thrust it deep into his chest, pulled it out of his chest and
plugged it deep into his belly. I was astonished to find how easily my hand moved
as I thrust the knife into his flesh, and pulled it out almost without effort.”
(pg.104)

From data above proves that the main character kill the pimp for survive her

life. Kill to survive is seen when Firdaus grabs the knife from the pimp and stab

the knife to neck, chest and belly’s pimp.