The Portrayal of Hegemony and Patriarchy in Louise O’ Neill’s Only Ever Yours

Nurin Naufina

doi:10.36841/pioneer.v13i2.1215

Abstract

This study analyzes patriarchal hegemony portrayed in a dystopian world where young girls are hegemonized to fulfill patriarchal interests written by Louise O’ Neill, Only Ever Yours. As a counter to utopian writing, dystopian literature emerged as a subgenre of speculative fiction. The objectives of this study are to elucidate the kinds of patriarchal structures and media operated in portraying patriarchal hegemony in the novel. This study employs Antonio Gramsci’s hegemony theory along with the concept of patriarchy by Sylvia Walby. This study is literary criticism as the researcher interprets and analyzes the literary work. It employs a sociological approach for the analysis and Sylvia Walby’s six structures of patriarchy theory along with Gramsci’s theory. The data are taken from the words, phrases, and sentences in Only Ever Yours published in 2015. The researcher took the data by identifying, classifying and analyzing the data by elucidating the data with the theories. The result of this study shows that there are three patriarchal structures portrayed in the novel which are patriarchal mode of production, patriarchal state, and patriarchal culture. On the other hand, patriarchal hegemony is portrayed through the medium of television.

Highlights

Globalization has marked the movement of revolution and development through a fascinating number of significant changes
As this novel's story concerns young girls living in dormitories and studying at school, there are no actions related to patriarchal structures that occur in paid employment, patriarchal relations in sexuality, or male violence
There are three patriarchal structures found in the dystopian novel Only Ever Yours: the patriarchal mode of production, patriarchal state, and patriarchal culture

Summary

Introduction

Globalization has marked the movement of revolution and development through a fascinating number of significant changes. This is much in line with Rifai (2013) who states that globalization has brought considerable impacts on various aspects of life such as economic, social, cultural, political, etc These changes include the worldwide spread of computers, mobile phones, and the Internet for communication along with the advancements in transportation that have resulted in a significant reduction in the expenses of delivering commodities by air, water, and land (Adesina, 2012). Such changes have brought the efficiency of prosperous life experienced by society today. A brief example published in Politico.com (What Are the Biggest Problems Women Face Today? - POLITICO Magazine, 2019) has raised the issue of patriarchy in the realm of politics as the biggest obstacle women face today regardless of a woman's experience, education, or skills, society's patriarchal character perpetuates the notion that women are less qualified and capable than men in the United States

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