A SATIRE ON SOCIAL CLASS AND GENDER

IN VICTORIAN SOCIETY REFLECTED THROUGH

THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN J. M. BARRIE’S
THE TWELVE-POUND LOOK

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters

By

NARIS EKA SETYAWATI

Student Number: 054214093

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2009
 A SATIRE ON SOCIAL CLASS AND GENDER
IN VICTORIAN SOCIETY REFLECTED THROUGH
THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN J. M. BARRIE’S
THE TWELVE-POUND LOOK

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters

By

NARIS EKA SETYAWATI

Student Number: 054214093

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2009

i
ii
iii
 When the first baby laughed for the first
time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces
and they all went skipping about, and that was
the beginning of the fairies.

Peter Pan
-Sir James Matthew Barrie-

If all the good people were clever

And all clever people were good
The world would be nicer than ever
We thought that it possibly could
But somehow, ‘tis seldom or never
The two hit it off as they should,
The good are so harsh to the clever,
The clever, so rude to the good!

Good and Clever

-Dame Elizabeth Wordsworth-

iv
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated with love to
My beloved family
And
Everyone who loves and cares of me

v
 LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS

Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma :

Nama : NARIS EKA SETYAWATI

Nomor Mahasiswa : 054214093

Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan

Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul :

A SATIRE ON SOCIAL CLASS AND GENDER

IN VICTORIAN SOCIETY REFLECTED THROUGH
THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN J. M. BARRIE’S
THE TWELVE-POUND LOOK

beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan
kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, me-
ngalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data,
mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di Internet atau media
lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun
memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai
penulis.

Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya.

Yogyakarta, 10 Agustus 2009

Yang menyatakan

(NARIS EKA SETYAWATI)

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all, I would like to give my gratitude to Allah SWT for guiding and

keeping me to be strong to finish this undergraduate thesis. Next, I would like to

thank my beloved dad and mom, Pak Nar and Bu Is, for their unconditional love

and to keep asking patiently on the progress of my thesis. I also thank my brother,

Bowo, for his success in study that makes me eager to finish my thesis.

My greatest appreciation is addressed to my sponsor Ibu Ni Luh Putu

Rosiandani, S. S., M. Hum. I really thank her for her patient guidance, suggestion,

time and ideas in improving this thesis. My thankfulness goes to Ibu Elisa Dwi

Wardani, S. S., M. Hum. who has spent the valuable time to check my thesis. I

thank her for her suggestions and corrections. My thankfulness also addressed to

Pak Tatang Iskarna S. S., M. Hum. who has introduced me to an amusing thesis

defends. I also would like to thank all English Letters lecturers for the experience

and knowledge through this pass four years. My thanks are to Mbak Ninik, to

administration and library staffs for their useful information and service.

I give my special gratitude to my nDut, Dicko, for his love, patient, and

understanding. From him I learn how to control my emotion and not to be selfish.

My thankfulness also goes to my comrades, Nanda, Gretha, Citra, Jonet, Boni,

Bzier, and Wulan, for the incredibly wonderful friendship. For “The Engagement”

play performance and Panggung Boneka, thanks for the experiences we have

shared. To all my 2005 companions, I am proud to be one of you. Lastly, I thank

my friends that cannot be mentioned here one by one.

Naris Eka Setyawati

vi
 TABLE OF

TITLE PAGE ....................................................................................... i

APPROVAL PAGE .............................................................................. ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE......................................................................... iii
MOTTO PAGE .................................................................................... iv
DEDICATION PAGE ......................................................................... v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................ vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................... vii
ABSTRACT........................................................................................... ix
ABSTRAK ............................................................................................. x

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ........................................................ 1

A. Background of the Study ........................................................... 1

B. Problem Formulation ................................................................. 3
C. Objectives of the Study .............................................................. 4
D. Definition of Terms .................................................................... 4

CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ...................................... 7

A. Review of Related Studies ......................................................... 7

B. Review of Related Theories ........................................................ 9
1. Theory of Character and Characterization .......................... 9
2. Theory of Satire ................................................................... 12
3. Theory of Gender ................................................................. 14
4. Theory of Social Class ......................................................... 15
5. Theory of The Relationship between Literature and Society 17
C. Review on History ...................................................................... 18
D. Theoretical Framework ............................................................... 21

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ................................................... 23

A. Object of Study .......................................................................... 23

B. Approach of the Study ............................................................... 24
C. Method of the Study ................................................................... 25

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ................................................................. 27

A. The Characteristics of society in Victorian Era depicted through
the Characterization of the Main Characters .............................. 27
1. Lower-class Working Women through Kate’s
Characterization .................................................................... 29
a. Independent .................................................................... 30
b. Skillful ............................................................................ 31
c. Hard worker ................................................................... 31
d. Responsible ..................................................................... 31

vii
 e. Brave .............................................................................. 32
2. Upper-class Men through Sir Harry Sims’ Characterization 35
a. Arrogant .......................................................................... 36
b. Ambitious........................................................................ 38
c. Harsh .............................................................................. 39
3. Upper-class Woman through Lady Sims’ Characterization . 40
a. Nervous ........................................................................... 40
b. Dependent ...................................................................... 42
c. Obedient .......................................................................... 43
B. Satires on Society in Victorian Era ............................................. 44
1. Satire on Social Class ........................................................... 46
2. Satire on Gender .................................................................. 52

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION............................................................ 58

BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................. 60

APPENDIX ........................................................................................... 63

viii
 ABSTRACT

NARIS EKA SETYAWATI. A Satire on Social Class and Gender in Victorian

Society Reflected Through the Main Characters in J. M. Barrie’s The Twelve-
Pound Look. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters,
Sanata Dharma University, 2009.

This thesis discusses satire on social class and gender in Victorian society
that is implied in J. M. Barrie’s The Twelve-pound Look play. The reason in
writing this thesis is my curiosity to understand satire. This play is chosen because
the main characters and their characteristics represent the Victorian society that is
satirized by the author. The main characters have experienced the life in the
middle of Victorian society. The author tries to satirize the social conditions that
are social class and gender through the main characters.
There are two problem formulations in this study. First is to analyze the
main characters’ characterization to reveal the characteristics of society in
Victorian Era. Second is to find out the satires on society in Victorian Era
according to the evidences of previous analysis.
This study applies library research method as the main source to gain the
data. The information from the internet is also used as second source. The
sociocultural-historical approach is used in this study since it sees the relation
between the work and the society in the real life. This approach is useful to
analyze the society’s condition at that time.
There two points that can be concluded after analyzing the play. The first
point is the description of the characteristics of society in Victorian Era depicted
through the main characters’ characterization. The result of the analysis shows that
the Victorian upper class men such Sir Harry Sims are described as ambitious,
arrogant, harsh, and underestimate the lower class. The ideal Victorian women are
those who look like Lady Sims who is described as obedient, dependent, and
unskillful. Their duties are for the domestic problems for the sake of their
husbands’ and families’ reputation. Upper class people can live in luxury with the
help of servants to do their housework. Whereas the Victorian lower class women
are described as independent, skillful, hard worker, responsible to their job, and
dares to fight for their dignity. The lower class people such as Kate should fight
for their living. The second point is the satires on social class and gender in
Victorian society. Barrie satirizes the upper class’ ambition, point of view of
human value, and bad treatment toward the lower class. In his play, he also
satirizes the way an upper class man humiliate lower class working woman. Thus,
he satirizes how an upper class man treated his wife badly.

ix
 ABSTRAK

NARIS EKA SETYAWATI. A Satire on Social Class and Gender in Victorian

Society Reflected Through the Main Characters in J. M. Barrie’s The Twelve-
Pound Look. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas
Sanata Dharma.

Skripsi ini membahas sindiran tentang kelas sosial dan gender pada
masyarakat di jaman Victoria yang tersurat dari drama The Twelve-Pound Look
karangan J. M. Barrie. Alasan untuk menuslis skripsi ini adalah keingintahuan
saya untuk memahami tentang satir atau sindiran. Drama ini dipilih karena tokoh-
tokoh utama dan penokohannya menggambarkan masyarakat di jaman Victoria
yang disindir oleh pengarang drama. Tokoh-tokoh utama telah mengalami
kehidupan ditengah masyarakat Victoria. Pengarang mencoba menyindir kondisi
sosial yaitu kelas sosial dan gender dari tokoh-tokoh utamanya.
Terdapat dua rumusan masalah dalam studi ini. Pertama adalah
menganalisa penokohan tokoh-tokoh utama untuk mengungkap karakteristik
masyarakat di Era Victoria. Kedua adalah untuk menemukan sindiran pada
masyarakat di Era Victoria berdasarkan fakta analisis sebelumnya.
Studi ini menggunakan metoda penelitian pustaka sebagai sumber utama
untuk mendapatkan data. Informasi dari internet juga digunakan sebagai sumber
penunjang. Pendekatan sosio kultural-historikal digunakan dalam studi ini karena
pendekatan ini melihat hubungan antara karya sastra dan masyarakat dalam
kehidupan nyata. Pendekatan ini berguna untuk menganalisa kondisi masyarakat
pada waktu itu.
Terdapat dua kesimpulan setelah menganalisa drama ini. Pertama adalah
deskripsi tentang karakteristik-karakteristik masyarakat di Era Victoria yang
tercermin dari penokohan tokoh-tokoh utama. Hasil dari analisis menunjukkan
bahwa lelaki kelas atas di jaman Victoria seperti Sir Harry Sims dideskripsikan
sebagai orang yang berambisi, kasar, dan merendahkan kelas bawah. Wanita ideal
di jaman Victoria adalah mereka yang seperti Lady Sims yang dideskripsikan
sebagai penurut, tergantung pada orang lain dan tidak terampil. Kewajiban mereka
adalah untuk mengurus rumah tangga demi reputasi suami dan keluarganya.
Orang-orang kelas atas dapat hidup mewah dengan bantuan para pembantu yang
mengerjakan pekerjaan rumahnya. Sedangkan wanita kelas bawah pada jaman
Victoria dideskripsikan sebagai orang yang mandiri, terampil, pekerja keras,
tanggung jawab terhadap pekerjaan, dan berani untuk mempertahankan
martabatnya. Orang kelas bawah seperti Kate harus berjuang demi kehidupannya.
Kedua adalah satir atau sindiran terhadap kelas sosial dan gender pada masyarakat
di jaman Victoria. Barrie menyindir ambisi kelas atas, pandangan tentang nilai
seseorang, dan perlakuan buruknya terhadap kelas bawah. Dalam drama ini Barrie
juga menyindir cara lelaki kelas atas merendahkan martabat seorang wanita
pekerja kelas bawah. Dia juga menyindir perlakuan buruk lelaki kelas atas
terhadap istrinya.

x
 1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Everyone in the world live his or her life in a certain society. People cannot

live alone and always need someone else in their life. They need to communicate

one another to deliver their information, value, and idealism. Human beings can

express their ideas, thoughts, and experiences in many ways. One of them is in the

form of literature. Literary works helps to connect the reader to the society and to

learn more about human dreams and struggle in different social condition. Wellek

and Warren in their book The Theory of Literature stated that literary works can

play the role as historical document that recorded social realities, which are

artistically portrayed by the author (1956:102). It means that literary works gives

information about history in the society. Reading literary works may enrich the

reader’s knowledge about history and social condition in the time when literary

works are written. It can also make people more aware of life as Perrine says that

“by reading it carefully, one can broaden, deepen, and sharpen his awareness of

life and its problem” (1974: 3).

In her Understanding Plays, Second Edition, Barranger said that drama

“like a novel or poem, as written words, is considered a literary text” (1994:4). As

one of literature, drama offers education that discusses the issues of life. Barranger

completed her statement by saying that:

Playwrights also move beyond personal concerns to discuss social

and political issues that are of a certain time, yet transcend specific

1
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historical periods... The aim of great playwrights is to expand our

consciousness on old and new social and personal issues, and to
endow us with new perspective on our humanity and the human
condition (1994: 7-8).

According to Guth and Shnider, there are two basic kinds of drama or play:

comedy and tragedy (1981:585). Comedy is “the kind of drama that entertains us

and makes us laugh.” Tragedy is the opposite of comedy. It is “a play in which the

central character, or protagonist, is a great or admirable person who goes down to

defeat” (1981:586). This thesis concerns with the first type of play as stated in

Everyman’s Encyclopaedia, Fourth Edition that “What Every Women Knows,

1908, and The Twelve-Pound Look, 1910, both excellent satirical comedies” (J. A

Roy, Chalmers, Darlington, 1958: 31). But comedy here is not only a matter of

things that entertain us and make us laugh. According to Barranger:

Comedy is not a mere matter of jokes, one-liner, or funny bits of

business, like slipping on a banana peel or receiving the unexpected
pie in the face. Comic action dramatizes a train of events manifested
on the stage by a diversity of actives engaging subjects of human
folly or triumph and it has consequences in the social world for the
group... (1994: 90)

It means that comedy not a mere of a joke but something that can make us think

deeper related to the society. Guth and Rico make this statement stronger by

saying that:

Wielding humor as weapon, the comic playwright uses satire to do

battle against callousness, stinginess or hypocrisy. Comedy satirizes
traits that narrow life, forces that shut off possibility. It mocks
bullies and pompous idiots (1997:1371).

This thesis analyzes The Twelve-Pound Look as one of satirical comedy

plays that can make people think seriously. This work was written in 1910, the

early twentieth century but much influenced by the society in Victorian Era as

this era
 3

gives greater influence to the following literature. Even though this play was

written after the reign of Queen Victoria, this play is used to satirize the Victorian

Era. It can be seen from the problems in the play that happened fourteen years ago

before the present acts of the play. The different class and gender becomes the

issue of this play and the focus of this thesis. James Mathew Barrie, the author of

the play, used his work as the satire on social class and gender in Victorian Era. In

this work, he ridicules the inability of the upper-class to do his or her job without

lower class’ hands. The story goes as the noble man who is just about to be

knighted being mocked by a typist who was unfortunately his former wife. The

typist still can see the arrogance of the noble man and people who are

underestimated by him even his new wife. Barrie satirizes the social class and

gender by putting the unexpected lower class woman as the superior person in this

play. He does not make the upper class as the superior one but on the contrary.

It is worth to study this topic to be more aware of people around us. It will

be helpful to analyze this topic so that readers can learn to be more respectful to

the others even to the people who are considered as the lower class. It is worth to

analyze because it can give lesson to learn about life.

B. Problem Formulation

Based on the background of the study, there are two problem formulations

that can be formulated as follows:

1. What are the characteristics of society in Victorian Era depicted through the

characterization of main characters in The Twelve-Pound Look?

 4

2. What are satirized on society in Victorian Era as seen in The Twelve-Pound

Look?

C. Objectives of the Study

The purpose of the study is to find out the satire on social class and gender

in the Victorian Era. There are two objectives the writer tries to achieve in writing

this thesis. First is to reveal the characteristic of society in Victorian Era through

the characterization of main characters in The Twelve-Pound Look. Second is to

know what are satirized on society in Victorian Era as seen in the play.

D. Definition of Terms

There are several terms to be defined related to the title of this thesis and

the analysis that follow. These terms need to be clarified in order to give better

understanding of the study.

The first word is class. According to Langbaum in his book Victorian Age,

the word such as lower classes, middle classes, working classes, upper classes,

class prejudice, class legislation, class consciousness, class conflict, and class war

follow in the course of the nineteenth century. Class indicates a change in attitude

towards the social division.

The second word is gender. In the book of Speaking of Gender, Showalter

says that “term ‘gender’ stands for the social, cultural, and psychological meaning

imposed upon biological sexual identity” (1989: 2). It means that gender is social

constructed which based on sex difference. Coates in Women, Men, and Language
 5

agrees with the previous statements by saying that gender “is used to describe

socially constructed categories based on sex” (1993: 2).

The third word is satire. Soukhanov stated that satire is “the use of wit,

especially irony, sarcasm, and ridicule, to attack the vices and follies of

humankind” (2005:1287). There is also further explanation in Encyclopaedia

Britannica, Volume 19 that satire is “the expression in adequate terms of the sense

of amusement or disgust excited by the ridiculous or unseemly,… that the

utterance is invested with literary form. Without humor, satire is invective: without

literary form, it is mere clownish jeering” (John Dryden, et al, 1970: 1086).

Whereas a simple understandable definition can be found in The New

Encyclopaedia Britannica that is “wherever wit is employed to expose something

foolish or vicious to criticism, there satire exists…” (David Worcester, et al, 1983:

268).

The last word is Victorian. Victorian is “relating to, belonging to, or

typical of the reign of the British Queen Victoria.” It is “conventional,

hypocritical, or prudish showing or typical of attitudes commonly associated with

the Victorian Era, especially prudery or conventionalism (Encarta Webster’s

Colledge Dictionary, Second Edition, 2005: 1602). According to Myers and

Simms, Victorian Era is “the period of English literature from 1832 to 1901,

named after the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Generally speaking, the

period was one of great progress in science, economics, and social welfare, and

thus optimistic attitudes concerning the future of Britain were spawned. Literature

mirrored the time’s bourgeoning progress with theses of class struggle and social

and moral reform although the age was known for its accent on solemnity,

decorum and rectitude. The term “Victorian” is used to evoke the attitudes of

moral earnestness, complacency, respectability,

 6

prudery, and hypocrisy typical of the Victorian middle class. Thus, the Victorian

Era is known by its social class society (1989: 334-335).

 7

CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL REVIEW

B. Review of Related Studies

James Mathew Barrie was one of great playwrights in his era. People

consider him as a talented writer. His first career was being an article writer then

turned to be novelist. Among his great works, the most famous one is Peterpan.

This succeeds of Peterpan made him urged to work harder. When his play The

Little Minister became well-known and made him rich, he turned from novelist to

playwriting. Even though Peterpan is the most famous works of Barrie, there are

many noticeable plays and one-act plays to consider. One of them is The Twelve

Pound Look. Sampson in his book The Concise Cambridge History of English

Literature says that “A triple bill of 1910 contains a very good one-act play, The

Twelve Pound Look...” (1959: 990). It means that The Twelve Pound Look is one

of good plays of Barrie’s. This simple study had made the thesis writer curious on

its goodness. It is not only a kind of good review on the previous study about the

play but it implies that there is something worth to study beyond this statement.

Sampson adds his statement on the writer, J. M. Barrie, by saying that:

(He) had, like all true fabulist, an undeluded view of life: and
beneath the light and whimsical texture of The Admirable Crichton,
Dear Brutus, The Will, and The Twelve Pound Look, there is a
gently irresistible rejection of illusion that is more impressive than
the ferocities of the realist (1959: 991-992).

It can be concluded that Barrie is a very good writer. Among his plays there is an

impressive illusion one of them is in The Twelve-Pound Look. It means that it is

not

7
 8

only a play to entertain the reader but it gives more than what is stated. On his last

statement, Sampson says that “A Family Man (1921) says less in three acts and

several scenes about the domestic autocrat than Barrie had said in the one scene of

The Twelve Pound Look” (1959: 993). In other words it can be said that there is a

domestic autocrat illusion in this play. It means that there is dictator or absolute

ruler in the marriage that is not directly stated in the play.

In Everyman’s Encyclopædia, Forth Edition, there is a sentence says that

“...What Every Woman Knows, 1908, and The Twelve Pound Look, 1910, both

excellent satirical comedies;...” (J. A. Roy, et al, 1958: 31). It can be seen from the

statement that The Twelve Pound Look contains satirical comedies to consider. The

New Encyclopædia Britannica agrees with the previous statement. It says that “...;

sometimes satirically, as in The Twelve Pound Look (1910), on the typist as the

symbol of female emancipation;...” (Denis Mackail, et al, 1983: 197). It means that

The Twelve Pound Look is a satirical play with female typist to symbolize the

female emancipation.

A further study is done by Hochman. It is stated in his book of Mc. Graw-

Hill Encyclopædia of World Drama, Second Edition that

Barrie also wrote a number of one-act plays, the best known of

which probably The Twelve Pound Look (1910), the story of Kate...,
who has left her wealthy husband and barrenness of their life to find
dignity and self-respect by working as a typist (1984: 265).

In other words it can be said that The Twelve Pound Look tells about the story of

Kate who fight for dignity and self-respect. She left her husband and barrenness to

be a typist.
 9

From the related studies above it can be concluded that The Twelve-Pound

Look is one of Barrie’s satirical comedy plays. It is not a mere comedy that can

make people laugh but there is unstated view of the writer. It can make the reader

think deeper and be sensitive to the people and surrounding. It can be seen from

the typist female symbol, who left his husband, barrenness, and the dictator ruler

in the marriage, for dignity and self-respect.

Those studies above are closely related to this study. Their discussions are

helpful for the analysis, but they have not answered the problems in this study. In

this analysis, the main issues are the criticisms on the social class and gender

differentiation which exists on the society when the play is published. Sampson

and Roy, et al’s studied that The Twelve-Pound Look is satirical and contains

illusion is too broad, it has not answered the problems. Mackail, et al and

Hochman’s study is narrower than the previous studies. Although it has not

answered the problem formulations, it is helpful to see that there are some issues

of society, female, and dignity in The Twelve-Pound Look. Based on those

considerations, the study is carried out on more specific area of the text that is the

study on the function of the work as a satire on the social class and gender in

Victorian Era.

C. Review of Related Theories

The writer applies some theories related to develop this thesis. The theories

are:

1. Theory of character and characterization

Character is one of the most important elements in literary work. It is the

one that make the story seems alive and understandable. It is the one that make a

literary
 1

work alive and interesting to read. It can draw the reader to be engaged in the

story. According to Abrams, characters are:

The person presented in a dramatic or narrative work who are

interpreted by the readers as being endowed with moral and
disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say (the
dialogues) and by what they do (the action) (1981: 20).

It implies that there is a relation between the presentation of a character as well as

his personality traits and what the readers get from it. According to Rohrberger

and Wood, a character “is a person who acts out in a particular time and place in a

pattern of events” (1971: 20). It means that there is a plot in a literary work that

the character act in particular time and place.

Robert Stanton stated that based on the importance, characters are

identified into two ways namely, major and minor characters. The center of the

story is focused on the major or main characters. The main characters have an

important role because the acts in a story are usually focused on them. The acts of

the story are focused on this character from the beginning until the ending. While

minor characters appear in certain setting, just necessarily become the background

for the major characters (1965: 17).

Furthermore, Stanton in his book An Introduction to Fiction says that there

are some indications to understand the character. First is from the character’s name

fits the character. Second is the author description and comments on the character

clearly. Third is from the other characters’ opinion and attitude toward the

character meant. Fourth, as the most important indication is the character’s own

dialogue and behavior because every speech, every action is a manifestation of the

character (1965: 18). Moreover, Stanton said that an author does not always

describe the
 1

character clearly or directly to the reader. Therefore, the reader is “lopsided or

oversimplified” in making an impression of the character in a story (1965: 18). It

means that the reader has their opportunity to give judgments and impression

about each character in the story. It can be said that if the author describes the

character unclearly, the reader could get his or her judgment to the work.

To present characters in a narrative or dramatic works, an author may use

the ways a character portrayal which is often known as characterization.

According to Baldick, characterization is

the representation of persons in narrative or dramatic works which

may include direct methods like the attributions of qualities in
description or commentary, and indirect (or ‘dramatic’) methods
inviting the readers to infer qualities from characters’ action, speech,
or appearance (1990: 34).

It means that characterization can be seen from direct methods in the form of

description from the author and indirect method such as character’s action, speech,

and appearance. According to Rohrberger and Woods, Jr., characterization is “the

process by which an author creates character, the devices by which he makes us

believe that a character is the particular type of person he is” (1971:20). In other

words, characterization is a process used by the author to create a character.

Characterization should also be conveyed into a good way to create a clear image

to the reader’s perception.

According to Holman and Harmon there are three fundamental methods of

characterization in Fiction. First is the explicit presentation by the author of the

character through directs EXPOSITION means that the author directly describes

the character. Second is the presentation of the character in action means that

without explanation of the author, the reader understand the character. Last is

the
 1

representation from within CHARACTER means that emotion experience

reflected in the character (1986:81).

It can be concluded that character and its characterization are important

element in literary work. There are two kinds of characters; main or major

character and minor character. Some indications to understand the character can be

seen from the character’s name fits the character, the author description and

comments on the character, from the other characters’ opinion and attitude toward

the character, and the character’s own dialogue and behavior. The characterization

can be seen from the author’s explanation, presentation of the character, and

representation from within character.

2. Theory of Satire

According to Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms, satire can be

described as “the literary art of diminishing or derogating a subject by making it

ridiculous and evoking toward it attitudes of amusement, contempt, scorn, or

indignation” (1985: 187). A satire is an author’s style to criticize a subject he

dislikes or disagrees with. He also says that satire “uses laughter as a weapon, and

against a butt that exists outside the work itself” (1985: 187). Laughter is satire’s

weapon to criticize the reality. Moreover, Holman and Harmon in their book A

Handbook to Literature state that satire is “a literary manner that blends a critical

attitude with HUMOR and WIT for the purpose of improving human institutions

or humanity” (1986: 447). The use of humor and wit in satire is not a mere

laughter but correcting the sense of humanity. Satire has an aim to criticize

someone or something.
 1

According to Frye, there are two essential things of satire; “one is wit or

humor that is founded on fantasy or a sense of the grotesque or absurd and the

other is an object of attack” (1957: 224). An author can express his feeling and

thought through satire whether it uses fantasy or truth to be satirized. He also

states that “satire demands...at least an implicit moral standard” (1957: 224). A

satire should contain morality to teach the reader. Soukhanov stated that satire is

“the use of wit, especially irony, sarcasm, and ridicule, to attack the vices and

follies of humankind” (2005:1287). Moreover, in Encyclopedia Americana is

stated that in its more frequent sense, satire is

A literary manner in which the follies and foibles or vices and

crimes of a person, mankind, or an institution are held up to ridicule
or scorn, with the intention of correcting them. This manner may be
present in many art forms and may employ many methods (Petro,
Stack, Weinbrot, 1995: 294)

It means that satire’s intention is to correct a person, mankind, or an institution.

Moreover in the same book, Petro, et al stated that satire suggest not mere

laughter. Its purpose is for correction with the target to ridicule by the satirist’s

unmasking of pretense, falsity, deception, and arrogance. Thus, the truth in life is

the material for satire (1995: 294).

Holman and Harmon divide satire into two major types; formal or direct

satire and indirect satire. In direct satire, the satiric voice speaks out in the first

person, address to the reader or else to a character. Indirect satire is expressed

through “narratives of the characters or groups who are the butt are ridiculed not

by what is said about them, but what they themselves say and do” (1986:448).

According to Abrams, in indirect satire, the objects of the satire are characters who

make themselves and their opinions ridiculous by what they think, say, and do,

and
 1

sometimes made even more ridiculous by the author’s comments and narrative

style (1981:188).

It can be concluded that satire is not a mere humor to ridicule person or

institution but it has the intention for correction. The truth in the society is the

material for satire in the form of irony, mockery, and parody. There are two ways

to deliver the satire. They are direct and indirect satire.

3. Theory of Gender

In Literature and Gender by Goodman, she stated that “gender refers ways

of seeing and representing people and situations based on sex difference” (1996:

vii). Showalter gives his contribution with the statement that “term ‘gender’ stands

for the social, cultural, and psychological meaning imposed upon biological sexual

identity” (1989: 2). It means that gender is a social construction which is based on

sex difference. Coates in Women, Men, and Language agrees with the previous

statements by saying that gender “is used to describe socially constructed

categories based on sex” (1993: 2). Moreover in her other book of Language &

Gender, Interdisciplinary Perspectives she said about gender-differentiated

language that it “use may play a significant role in the continued marginalization

of women in the professions, particularly in terms of career progress and

development” (1995: 13). The gender differentiation in language also contributes

in the marginalization of women. She continued her statement by saying that:

…in the early nineteenth-century, patterns of gender division

changed: ‘men were firmly placed in the newly defined public world
of business, commerce and politics; women were placed in the
private world of home and family’ (1995: 14).
 1

It means that starting from the early nineteenth-century, there are two divisions of

gender differentiation in Britain: men are for public world of business and women

are for domestic world of home and family. Moreover, Showalter stated about

men and women status in the society by saying that gender stereotype in many

cultures mostly champions men in any area of life. Regarding the biological

characteristics that women have, many societies count women to be weak. This

opinion brings out the assumptions that women are the second form of human

nature, the second class in society, and thus to be less than men (1989: 3).

4. Theory of Social Class

People who belong in a certain community in a certain period have always

communicate with other in term of social life. There is always a differentiation

between one another within a group of people in the society. People might make

their own group of social classes to be able to distinguish with others. As stated by

Maciver and Page in their book of Society: An Introductory Analysis, social

classes are “more or less spontaneous formations expressive of social attitudes” (1950:

348). People are naturally forming the social classes in the society as their

expression of social attitude. The class system comes “from and profoundly

influences the whole mode of life and thought within the community” (1950: 348).

The differentiation of classes made people’s ways of life and think according to

people in the same group. Moreover, Maciver and Page said that “wherever social

intercourse is limited by considerations of status, by distinctions between “higher”

and “lower,” there social class exists” (1950: 348). The social class occurs when

there is a distinction between higher and lower status of people in the society.
 1

According to Landis, there are some factors that have been used to

distinguish the social classes in the society including “years of education, amount

of income, type of possessions, even type and quality of home furnishings” (1974:

118). The differentiation of social classes can be seen from some factors such as

education, wage, and belonging. There is also a statement in The New

Encyclopaedia Britannica that “the different income, personal security, and

knowledge also give different behavior towards people of different levels. The

lower class is usually lacks of dignity especially on the authority” (Weber, et al,

1983: 875). It can be said that the class status affects people’s social life in their

behavior. The stratification system tends to lower the lowly status’ dignity.

Whereas higher status tends to be stronger as he said further that the higher groups

usually have stronger view of their claim and merit than the inferior (Weber, et al,

1983: 874). Mayer gives his contribution to The New Encyclopaedia Britannica,

Fifteenth Edition with his statement on the three types and characteristics of Social

Class in Britain. They are the upper class, the middle class, and the working class.

The upper class are those who

are able to develop a distinctive style of life based upon expensive

cultural pursuits and leisure activities, from which the great majority
of the population is excluded, to exert a considerable influence upon
economic policy and political decisions, and to procure for their
children a superior education and economic opportunities that help
to perpetuate family wealth (1973: 948)

The statement above implies that the upper class can get better life and facilities in

the society. Whereas the middle class and working class often has been treated

based on their occupations. The middle classes are clerical workers, those engaged

in technical and professional occupations, supervisors and managers, and self-

 1

employed workers, such as small shopkeepers, farmers and (in some societies) the

wealthier peasants. The working class constituted essentially by manual workers

in extractive and manufacturing industry. The characteristic of the working class is

lack of property and dependence upon wages, relatively low levels of living and of

education, restricted access to education, limited opportunities for leisure and

cultural activities. There are also different levels within the working class; skilled,

semiskilled, and unskilled workers, corresponding broadly with differences in

income level (1973: 948). It can be concluded that the middle classes are defined

upon their occupations and the working class represents by manual workers in

manufacturing industry. They are those people who are lack of property and

dependence upon the wages.

5. The relationship between literature and society

In the book of The Theory of Literature, Wellek and Warren say that

“literature is an expression of society.” Writers, in certain aspects, express their

experiences and his conceptions about life in their works. As a result of this, it can

be said that literature reflects and expresses life and their greatness of artistic value

from a work of art is resulted and caused by its “representatives” and “social truth”

(1956: 95).

Wellek classifies the relations between the literature and society into three.

The first relation between literature and society is in sociology and the profession

of the author and institutions of literature. The problems appearing in this case are

the economic basics of literary production, the social provenance and the status of

the author, his social ideology, which may be found in extra literary

pronouncements
 1

and activities. Second, the relation between literature and society is used to solve

the problem of the social content, the implications and social purpose of the works

of literature itself. Third, relation between literature and society is used to solve

the problem of the audiences and the actual social influence of literature (1956:

95-96). It means that the author should be aware of the social situation as reflected

in the literature as an expression of the society.

The common approach to the relations of literature and society is the study

of works of literature as social document, as assumed pictures of social reality

(1956: 102). It means that the appropriate approach is the one which describe the

literature as social document and it is a picture of society. Moreover, the study will

be meaningful if we know the artistic method used by the author whether it is

realistic by invention, satire, caricature, or romantic idealization (1965: 105).

Wellek explains about writer’s idea and knowledge that:

The author expresses his idea and knowledge about his society in
the world of literature by using language as a medium in his fiction
characters. The fiction characters in the world of fiction such as
heroes and villains afford interesting indications of social attitude,
which is similar to the characteristics of people in his real history
(1956: 104).

It can be concluded that the writer use characters in their fiction as the

representation of society in certain period.

D. Review on the Historical Background

According to John P. McKay in A History of Western Society, the British

society consists of three big social class structures. It stands the aristocracy classes

belong to the members of the royal and noble families that is usually called as the
 1

upper class. The person included to these classes is determined by heredity. The

middle classes are separated into three smaller groups. They are the upper-middle

class, the middle class, and the lower-middle class. Most of them worked as a

businessman, an industrialist, a merchant, a shopkeeper, a small trader, and a tiny

manufacturer. They could be easily closer with the upper class because they could

earn money nearly as much as people in the upper class. The working class is

separated into “labor aristocracy” class, semiskilled and unskilled urban workers.

The social order separated the tiny elite of very rich and the sizable mass of

dreadfully poor (1983: 846-854).

The social class structures in Britain also occur in the Victorian Era.

Arnstein in his book of Britain Yesterday and Today: 1830 to the Present

emphasizes that a class of gentleman and lady remained at the top of the social

ladder (1988:204). He describes their condition as follow

“Ladies were ladies in those days”, recalls Darwin’s granddaughter

in her revealing account of a late-Victorian and Edwardian girlhood.
Ladies did not do things themselves. They told other people what to
do and how to do it. The author’s Aunt Etty never made a pot of tea
in her life. She never sewed on a button or mailed a letter, and she
never put on a shawl or answered a doorbell except on those rare
occasions when no maid was immediately at hand.. (1988:205)

It can be said that ladies in Victorian and Edwardian Era do not do work for

themselves. They ask for the servants’ help to do what they want. The ladyship is

not the only thing that shows the social status. People’s place to live also shows

their social status in the society. Kevin Flude in his The Kensington Walk article

stated that “Kensington was dominated by the great houses of its leading

aristocrats” (2003:10). It clearly seen that Kensington is the place where the

aristocrats live.
 2

Moreover he said that “In the 19th Century the area became a fashionable area for

the middle and upper classes…” (2003:10).

The differentiation of status in the society is not the only characteristic of

the British society especially in the 19 th century and the following centuries.

Another characteristic in the British society is the differentiation on gender. It is

stated in The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, Volume 16 that:

in the new industrial societies of the 19 th century, women still lacked

many of the civil rights (especially property rights) and political
rights enjoyed by men, and although they have now gained these
rights in most modern societies, consider considerable differences
remain: women workers are concentrated in the less skilled and
lower paid occupations; disproportionately few women are in the
higher professions;… (Simmel, et al, 1983: 954).

It can be said that women are segregated by those men in English society. It can

be seen from the distinguish profession and salary.

In the social structure of the society, women did not have the same right as

men. They had to work indoor while men were outdoor. According to Trevelyan,

men were accustomed to privation and to long hours of outdoor work. They were

ready to turn their hands to tree felling and rough handicraft. The women were

ready to bear and run large families. Men and women had a kind of description of

what they should do. The role of women in the society was strictly limited. They

were not even regarded as the member of the society because the social

consciousness only acknowledged men as the society (1958: 474). Additionally,

Pauline Weston Thomas in her article A Woman’s Place in C19th Victorian

History states that

The one thing that was different was the place of women in society.
There were of course perceptive women of independent original
thought, but for the huge majority life was easier if they accepted that
a woman’s place was in the home.
 2

It clearly seen that Victorian women’s place is in the home. Even though they

already have the thought of independent, it does not do any difference. Even

though it does not make any difference, one of the things that make women

thought of independent is the invention of typewriter. Marshall McLuhan in his

Understanding Media says “...when the first wave of female typists hit the

business office in the 1890s,... the female typists was a popular figure of enterprise

and skill” (1983:259). It can be said that starting from 1890s, typist became the

figure of women. The typist’s work is helped by the invention of the first

successful portable typewriter in 1909 (1983:443).

The positions among women in the society are also distinguished by their

status in the society. According to Clark in his English History that:

Women of the lower class experienced worse than women of the

middle class that they were employed with low rage, and besides,
they suffered from justice treatments which were done by the society
(1971: 445).

It means that lower class women are in the very low status and treatment in the

society. Women had no control over their education and were taught about

domestic duties only. Starting at a young age, they were taught that a woman

should get married and had children. They were born, raised, and educated to

become wives and nothing else. A woman not expected to work unless she was the

lower class and had no choice. Therefore, they often had plenty of time to look

pretty. Women who were not in the work force were seen as a higher class than

working class women.

E. Theoretical Framework

Theory of character and characterization is used to answer the first

problem. It gives the information on the definition of the characters, types of the

characters
 2

and indications to understand the character. It also gives information to reveal the

characteristics of the character. It will be helpful to analyze the main characters in

the play. Theory of Satire is used to describe the satire itself and satire on the

social condition in Victorian Era. A satire is used to satirize the society through

humor to ridicule the society in the form of irony, mockery, and parody. Theory of

Gender is used to reveal the differentiation between men and women position in

the society. It also gives information on the background of the play and may reveal

the unstated meaning hidden from the play. Theory of Social Class is used to

reveal the character’s background and from this theory the readers are able to see

the class divisions in the society and including in which classes are the characters

in the play. Another reason is that it depicts some important information to know

about the real social condition in the Victorian Era. The relation between literature

and society is used to see how far the relationship between literature and society

are. From this theory, the readers might recognize there are some reasons why

literature and society has a close relationship that is affected by some factors. The

information of the Victorian Era is used as the additional source in analyzing the

play. It gives information on the social classes and women’s position in the

Victorian Era.
 2

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

This study deals with one of James Mathew Barrie’s plays entitled The

Twelve-Pound Look. It was first published in 1910 and produced at the Duke of

York’s Theatre on March 1 the same year of publication. In this thesis the writer

uses The Twelve-Pound Look that is included in a book entitled The Plays of J. M.

Barrie, (edited by A. E. Wilson) which is published by T. and A. Constable LTD.,

Printers, Edinburgh, in 1948. This is a one-act play that is taken from page 760 to

780 of The Plays of J. M. Barrie. There are also eighteen others Barrie’s writings

including eight one-act plays in this book.

The Twelve-Pound Look is a play that generally describes one moment in

time of Kate, Sir Harry Sims, and Lady Sims life. Even though it is only one-act

play, it implies the satire in it. It tells about the woman typist named Kate who is

unintentionally invited to her former husband’s house for a job. She has to reply

the congratulation letters that cannot be done by the Sims family. There, Kate can

see the life of her former husband and the way he treats his new wife. She also gets

unpleasant welcome and treatment from her former husband. But now Kate can

stand on her feet and fight for her dignity in front of Sir Harry Sims. Her arrival in

the house makes different atmosphere in Sir Harry Sims and Lady Sims’ life. He

discovers a lot of things that he does not realize and cannot find it himself. Thus,

Lady Sims can see the positive side of woman career for life and gives her another

point of view of women.

23
 2

B. Approach of the Study

According to Mary Rohrberger and James Woods, Jr., in Reading and

Writing About Literature, literature has “an aesthetic value… The readers make an

aesthetic value through their response towards the literary work” (1971: 3). It

means that the readers can give their reasonable judgment to a literary work. That

is why the readers must know what a literary work is, how to read it, and how to

judge it. It is a requirement when a critical approach is engaged in order to

investigate the positive aesthetic value in a work of literature. There are five kinds

of critical approaches according to Rohrberger and Woods, Jr. (1971: 6-13), they

are formalist approach, the bibliographical approach, the sociocultural-historical

approach, mythopoeic approach, and psychological approach.

The most suitable approach for this study is the sociocultural-historical

approach. It is because this approach concerns with the social, cultural, and

historical environment in the literary work. It will be helpful to reveal the truth

behind the text significant to the culture or society of certain place and period.

This is to point out that the creation of the literary work must be related with the

society in which it is produced, reflect the culture, and related with the history.

According to Rohrberger:

Critics whose major interest is the sociocultural-historical approach

insist that the only way to locate the real work is in reference to the
civilization that produced it. They define civilization as the attitudes
and actions of a specific group of people and point out that literature
takes this attitudes and actions as its subject matter. They feel therefore,
that it is necessary that the critic investigate the social milieu in which a
work created and which it necessarily reflects (1971:9)

This approach insists that the real work is in reference to the civilization that

produces it. It is needed to investigate the place and society that reflects a created
 2

work. The historical critic examines either the work itself or the work in relation to

other works by the same author or to works similar kind of object matter by

different author in the same or in the different period.

C. Method of the Study

This study used the library research method. It means that during the

process of this study, the writer took the data from the library. The information

from the internet is also used as second source. The primary data was J. M.

Barrie’s The Plays of J. M. Barrie. The secondary sources were taken from A

History of Western Society by McKay, English History by Clark, An Introduction

to Fiction by Robert Stanton, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms by

Baldick, Literature and Gender by Goodman, Language & Gender,

Interdisciplinary Perspectives by Sara, Frye’s Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essay,

Landis’ Sociology: Concepts and Characteristics, Second Edition, A Handbook to

Literature by Holman and Harmon, The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, and The

Encyclopedia Americana.

The additional books are taken from Hugh Holman and William Harmon’s

A Handbook to Literature, Abrams’ A Glossary of Literary Terms, Rohrberger and

Woods, Jr.’s Reading and Writing About Literature, Hans P. Guth and Patricia

Strandness Shnider’s Living Literature: Our World Today, Rene Wellek and

Austin Warren’s The Theory of Literature.

There are some steps to get the solution to solve the problem formulations

stated in the first chapter. First of all, the writer read and reread The Twelve-Pound

Look in order to get deeper understanding on the content of the play. Second, after

the writer understood the story, the writer decided the points to discuss. In this

case
 2

the point is the British society in the Victorian Era. Then there are two problem

formulations created dealing with the Victorian society. Third, after the writer

considers that the information of related studies and some theories are adequate,

the analysis is began. The analysis is focused on the characters’ characteristics in

the play that reflected the condition of society in Victorian Era. This analysis is

taken from several ways: the author’s description of the characters, the character’s

speech, attitude, and what the others think about them. Related to the character’s

characteristics, the characteristics of Victorian Era can be seen. After collecting

those data, then they are matched with the related theories of satire as stated in A

Glossary of Literary Terms, A Handbook to Literature, Encyclopaedia Britannica,

Volume 19 and Encyclopedia Americana. In order to reveal the condition of

society in the Victorian Era especially the class system, social status, and women’s

position in the society, the books of secondary sources are used. The next step was

applying the sociocultural-historical approach by Mary Rohrberger in her book

Reading and Writing About Literature to answer the problems. To solve the

problems, this approach can relate the problems with the theories. Thus, the

analysis is done in analytical way with the theories’ support. Finally, the writer

drew the conclusion taken from the analysis.

 2

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

This chapter is divided into two parts. Each part will answer each question

stated in the problem formulation in chapter one. The first part will discuss the

characteristics of society in Victorian Era revealed through the characterization of

main characters in The Twelve-Pound Look. The second part will find out the

social condition in the Victorian Era which are satirized in the play.

A. The characteristics of society in Victorian Era depicted through the

characterization of main characters in The Twelve-Pound Look

Character is an important element in literary works. It is the one that makes

the story alive, understandable, and interesting to read. It can draw the reader to be

engaged to the story. There are two kinds of characters; major and minor

characters. Stanton says that the focus of the story lies on the main characters

(1965: 17). It focuses on the experience of the main characters from the beginning

until the ending. Considering the theories, the main characters analyzed in The

Twelve-Pound Look are Kate, Sir Harry Sims, and Lady Sims.

To understand the characters, there are four indications to consider: the

character’s name, the author’s description and comments on the character, the

other characters’ opinion and attitude, and the character’s own dialogue and

behavior (Stanton, 1965: 18). According to Baldick, characterization can be seen

from direct methods in the form of description from the author and indirect

method such as character’s action, speech, and appearance (1990: 34). Thus,

Holman and Harmon

27
 2

say that there are three fundamental characterizations; the author directly describes

the character, the presentation of the character in action, and emotion experience

reflected in the character (1986:81). Those theories will be used in the analysis.

The theory of relationship between literature and society is used to bridge

the characteristics of society in Victorian Era as the truth in the real world and the

characterization of the main characters in The Twelve-Pound Look. Wellek and

Warren in their book The Theory of Literature stated that literary works can play

the role as historical document that recorded social realities, which are artistically

portrayed by the author (1956:102). According to Rohrberger, the real work is in

reference to the civilization that produces it (1971:9). It is needed to investigate the

place and society that reflects a created work. J. M. Barrie’s The Twelve-Pound

Look is one of the plays that can reflect the society when the play was written. The

evidence that this play was produced in 1910 is reflected from Kate’s act of

bringing the typewriter. It was possible to bring the typewriter not until 1909 when

the portable typewriter was invented (1983:443). According to the book of The

Plays of

J. M. Barrie, The Twelve-Pound Look first performed at stage in 1910. This play

reflected the society in Victorian Era because it was produced in 1910 but the story

is about Sir Harry Sims and Kate’s life when they were married. It was fourteen

years ago which means in 1896 that was when Queen Victoria reign Britain.

The description on the main characters is needed to reveal the

characteristics of society in Victorian Era depicted in The Twelve-Pound Look.

This analysis is conducted with the help of theory of gender, theory of social class

and review on the historical background which can show the relation between the

play and the fact in Victorian society. The descriptions on the main characters are

as follow:
 2

1. The Characterization of Kate (Katherine)

This character is the last character seen through the appearance in the play.

However, it does not mean that this character is a minor character. It can be seen

from her role in the second page through the end of the play. The whole story of

the play is dominated by this character. Those facts make her one of the main

characters in The Twelve-Pound Look. Her characterization can be seen from her

name, action, speech, appearance, author’s description, and other characters’

description.

Kate’s full name is not plainly mentioned in this play. There is not any

noble or family name stated in the play. Kate’s simple name shows her social class

in the society that she is not one of the upper classes. It is because a woman from

noble family in Victorian society used the title “Lady” before her nick name

whereas Kate does not. The clue about Kate’s full name can be seen from her

conversation with Sir Harry Sims.

(And it is here that HARRY re-enters in his city garments, looking

so gay, feeling so jolly that we bleed for him. However, the annoying
KATHERINE is to get a shock also.)
(Barrie, 1910:767)

SIR HARRY. It isn’t Harry to you. My name is Sims, if you

please. KATE. Yes, I had not forgotten that. It was my name, too,
you see.
SIR HARRY (in his best manner). It was your name till you forfeited the
right to bear it.
(Barrie, 1910:768)

KATE (hopelessly dense). I suppose so. I was only remembering that you
used to think you knew her in the days when I was the lady.
(Barrie, 1910:769-770)

It can be concluded that Kate’s full name was Lady Katherine Sims. It was before

she decided to leave her husband who was Sir Harry Sims. She officially tainted

her
 3

ladyship when she left Sir Harry Sims. She is now supports and lives her live by

herself.

Since leaving her husband, Kate has to support her life. That is why she

decided to have a job. She is described as a typist. She is glad to do her job and is

very proud of her being a typist. It can be seen from the way she carries the

typewriter. She thinks being a typist is not reflection of slavery but power to stand

on the dignity as human being.

(These sentiments carry him off light-heartedly, and presently the

disturbing element is shown in. She is a mere typist, dressed in
uncommonly good taste, but at contemptibly small expense, and she is
carrying her typewriter in a friendly way rather than as a badge of slavery,
as of course it is. Her eye is clear; and in odd contrast to LADY SIMS, she
is self-reliant and serene.)
(Barrie, 1910:765)

From the quotation above, it can be seen that Kate considers about her appearance

although it seems cheap in Sir Harry Sims and Lady Sims’ point of view. It is also

described that Kate has clear eyes and is independent. Her self-reliance or

independence can be seen from the way she works for her life. She supports her

life without relying on someone else as Sir Harry Sims’ new wife, Lady Sims,

does.

The critique on Kate’s appearance and occupation from Sims’ point of

view shows one of the characteristics of society in Victorian Era which deals with

the social classes’ differentiation. Two factors that have been used to distinguish

the social classes are type of possession and profession. In this case, Kate is

considered as the lower class society or the working class. It can be seen from the

way she dresses which is in a small expense and her profession as a typist.

Another proof that Kate belongs to the lower class society can be seen from Kate’s

independence. Her
 3

independence indirectly shows that she is a lower class society. It is because in

Victorian Era, women from the upper class society did not do work for their life.

Kate is also described as a skillful and hard worker. Her spirit to work is

reflected from the way she does her job. She always begins to work without

waiting for the order. She knows what she has to do and does it well. This spirit

makes her to be a better employee. Thus, it can be seen in the conversation below:

(She continues to type, and LADY SIMS, half-mesmerised, gazes at

her nimble fingers. The useless woman watches the useful one, and she
sighs, she could not tell why.)
LADY SIMS. How quickly you do it. It must be delightful to be able to do
something, and to do it well.
KATE (thankfully). Yes, it is delightful.
(Barrie, 1910:766)

SIR HARRY (heartened). Nobody. A typist at eighteen shilling a week!

KATE (proudly). Not a bit of it, Harry. I doubled that.
(Barrie, 1910:779)

Kate’s determination to do the best for her life makes her able to get reward, the

doubled-wage. She is proud of being a typist and of being independent.

Besides being described as determined worker, she is also described as a

responsible person. This characteristic can be seen from the conversation below:

SIR HARRY. Will you please to go.

KATE. Heigho! What shall I say to my employer?
SIR HARRY. That is no affair of mine.
(Barrie, 1910:769)

It can be seen that Kate thinks about her responsibility for her job and her

employer. From the conversation above it also can be seen that Kate is brave. She

dares to say a word after Sir Harry Sims turns her out of his house. She does not

want to be turned out because she has not finished doing her duty. She dares to

defend what she

 3

thinks right. Her daring also can be seen from the beginning of her conversation

with Lady Sims.

KATE (respectfully, but she should have waited to be spoken to.) Good
morning, madam.
LADY SIMS (in her nervous way, and scarcely noticing that the typist is a
little too ready with her tongue). Good morning. (As a first
impression she rather likes the woman, and the woman, though it is
scarcely worth mentioning, rather likes her. LADY SIMS has a
maid for buttoning and unbuttoning her, and probably another for
waiting on the maid, and she gazes with a little envy perhaps at a
woman who does things for herself.) Is that the type-writing
machine?
KATE (who is getting it ready for use). Yes (not ‘Yes, madam,’ as it ought
to be). I suppose if I am to work here I may take this off. I get on
better without it. (She is referring to her hat.)
LADY SIMS. Certainly. (But the hat is already off.) I ought to apologise
for my gown. I am to be presented this week, and I was trying it on.
(Her tone is not really apologetic. She is rather clinging to the glory
of her gown, wistfully, as if not absolutely certain, you know that it
is a glory.)
(Barrie, 1910:765)

From the conversation above and the author’s description, it is seen that Kate dares

to greet the host, Lady Sims, who is supposed to do first. Kate also dares to reply a

question without mentioning “madam” as she has to. Although Kate is considered

as a worker in Sir Harry Sims’ house, she dares to do what she wants and thinks. It

is reflected from her act of taking off her hat before the host gives her permission

to do so. Her daring is not only to Lady Sims but also to Sir Harry Sims.

SIR HARRY (withering her). The ordinary way of business! This is what
you have fallen to—a typist!
KATE (unwithered). Think of it!
SIR HARRY. After going through worse straits, I’ll be bound.
KATE (with some grim memories). Much worse straits.
SIR HARRY (alas, laughing coarsely). My congratulations.
KATE. Thank you, Harry.
(Barrie, 1910:768)
 3

Kate dares to stand on her dignity as human being without emotionally replying

Sir Harry Sims’ mocking. She is able to twist his mocking reflecting to the reality

she had experienced that being Sir Harry Sims’ wife was worse than she becomes

now. Even though Sir Harry Sims underestimates her job, she does not feel

offended and humiliated. Kate thinks that she has found her freedom as a human

being. It is because she can escape from Sir Harry Sims’ dictatorship when they

were married. Kate’s daring also can be seen from her confrontation with Sir

Harry.

SIR HARRY. Do you know what you brought here to do?

KATE. I have just been learning. You have been made a knight, and I was
summoned to answer the messages of congratulations.
SIR HARRY. That’s it, that’s it. You come on this day as my servant!
KATE. I, who might have been Lady Sims.
SIR HARRY. And you are her typist instead. And she has four men-servants.
Oh, I am glad you saw her in her presentation gown.
KATE. I wonder if she would let me do her washing, Sir Harry?
(Her want of taste disgusts him.)
(Barrie, 1910:769)

The conversation above shows that Kate dares to fight for her dignity despite her

status as a servant. She even dares to say that she is not the servant but Lady Sims

is. She frankly expresses her opinion because she thinks that she has to open Sir

Harry Sims’ mind. She wants him to know that he is unfair in treating people. Her

daring to open Sir Harry Sims’ mind is reflected through the conversation below:

SIR HARRY (clinching it). I tell you I am worth a quarter of a million.

KATE (unabashed). That is what you are worth to yourself. I’ll tell you
what you are worth to me: exactly twelve pounds. For I made up my
mind that I could launch myself on the world alone if I first proved
my mettle by earning twelve pounds; and as soon as I had earned it
I left you.
SIR HARRY (in the scales). Twelve pounds!
KATE. That is your value to a woman. If she can’t make it she has to stick
to you.
(Barrie, 1910:775-776)
 3

Sir Harry Sims’ arrogance does not make Kate feel humiliated. Even though he

said that he is worth a quarter of a million, it means nothing to Kate. He is only

worth 12 pounds for her. It is the value for Kate to get rid of Sir Harry Sims’

autocracy. The dependent woman will stick to him to support her life but Kate had

earned money for herself. The day Kate earned the twelve pounds, she left him for

her better life. Kate’s daring makes her able to show her power toward others. It

can be seen from the author’s comment on Sir Harry.

SIR HARRY (showing a little human weakness, it is to be feared). Say first

that you’re sorry.
KATE. For what?
SIR HARRY. That you left me. Say you regret it bitterly. You know you
do. (She smiles and shakes her head. He is pettish. He makes a
terrible announcement.) You have spoilt the day for me.
KATE (to hearten him). I am sorry for that; but it is only a pin-prick,
Harry. I suppose it is a little jarring in the moment of your triumph
to find that there is—one old friend—who does not think you a
succeed; but you will soon forget it. Who cares what a typist thinks?
SIR HARRY (heartened). Nobody. A typist at eighteen shilling a week!
KATE (proudly). Not a bit of it, Harry. I doubled that.
(Barrie, 1910:778-779)

Kate’s daring and ability to talk can intimidate Sir Harry Sims. She is able

to make him feel his weakness. She does not want to say sorry for leaving him. It

is because she thinks she does the right thing for her life. She even shows him her

bravery by saying that she does not think Sir Harry Sims has succeeded. It means

that he has not achieved his goal. Even though Kate dares to argue Sir Harry Sims,

it does not make her able to avoid the treatment that underestimates her. Sir Harry

Sims bothers her with her profession and wage. This analysis on Kate’s daring that

cannot avoid humiliation shows one of the characteristics of Victorian societies. It

is the diverse treatment to other people seen from different amount of income

related
 3

to the profession that determine the social class in the society. Even Kate has

doubled her wage, it means nothing for Sir Harry Sims who worth himself a

quarter of a million. This different amount of income makes Kate to be

underestimated by Sir Harry Sims. The discriminative treatment shows the gap

between the upper and lower class society in Victorian Era.

2. The Characterization of Sir Harry Sims

Sir Harry Sims is one of the main characters in this play. He appears in the

beginning of the play and the first character that is described by the author.

Starting from the introduction of the play, Sir Harry Sims has been described as a

noble man.

It pleases us to make him a city man, but (rather than lose you) he can be
turned with a scrape of the pen into a K.C., fashionable doctor, Secretary of
State, or what you will. We conceive him of a pleasant rotundity with a
thick red neck, but we shall waive that point if you know him to be thin.
(Barrie, 1910:763)

Even though the author does not mention Sir Harry Sims’ exact profession,

his description on the professions that might be suitable for Sir Harry gives clue

that he includes in the group of noble man with such profession. Moreover, in the

next description of the place he lives in shows that he lives in a noble environment

and he is about to be knighted.

Harry is to receive the honour of knighthood in a few days, and we

discover him in the sumptuous ‘snuggery’ of his home in Kensington (or is
it Westminster?), rehearsing the ceremony with his wife.

(Barrie, 1910:763)

Sir Harry Sims’ name itself has shown that he is a noble man with title

‘Sir’ in front of his name. His receiving of knighthood strengthen his position as a

noble man. It can be seen that he represents Victorian society. This era stands for

three
 3

social classes. One of them is the aristocracy classes belong to the members of the

royal and noble families that is usually called as the upper class. Sir Harry Sims

belongs to this class. It can be seen from his name which called as ‘Sir.’ It also can

be seen from his profession, place he lives, his belonging, and his honor to be

knighted.

As a man from the noble group, the most prominent characteristic is being

arrogant. The description of his arrogance can be seen through many aspects.

LADY SIMS. No—oh no. (Nervously, seeing him pause to kiss the tassel
of a cushion) You don’t think you have practiced till you know
what to do almost too well?
(He has been in a blissful temper, but such niggling criticism would
try any man.)
SIR HARRY. I do not. Don’t talk nonsense. Wait till your opinion is asked
for.
(Barrie, 1910:764)

Sir Harry Sims’ arrogance is clearly reflected through the way he treats his wife.

He does not want anyone to speak about him before he gives a chance to do so.

The quotation above also shows Sir Harry Sims’ perception on his position. He

shows his superiority as a husband in his house with his attitude. He wants to be

admired and given compliment, especially by women, to show his greatness.

SIR HARRY. Exactly. You can show her in, Tombes.

(The butler departs on his mighty task.) You can tell the woman what she is
wanted for, Emmy, while I change. (He is too modest to boast about
himself, and prefers to keep a wife in the house for that purpose.)
You can tell her the short of things about me that will come better
from you. (Smiling happily) You heard what Tombes said, ‘especially
the females.’ And he is right. For the share. You share, Lady Sims.
Not a woman will see that gown without being sick with envy of it.
I know them. Have all our lady friends in to see it. It will make
them ill for a week.
(Barrie, 1910:764-765)
 3

Sir Harry Sims’ utterances reflect his arrogance upon woman. The author’s

description itself shows that Sir Harry Sims keeps a wife to promote his greatness.

He wants everyone to know his greatness without assuming that he is arrogant. In

his mind, a good wife is the one who obeys him and is able to boast about him.

LADY SIMS (remembering that HARRY expects every wife to do her

duty). My husband is a remarkable man. He is about to be knighted.
(Pause, but KATE does not fall to the floor.) He is to be knighted
for his service to–(on reflection)—for his services. (She is conscious
that she is not doing HARRY justice.) He can explain it so much
better than I can.
(Barrie, 1910:766)

Sir Harry Sims’ arrogance has intimidated Lady Sims to do her job as a good wife.

He has made her feel guilty whenever she thinks she has not boasted about him.

He does not tolerate mistake and does not allow anyone to be better than him. He

wants everyone to respect his honor and nobility.

KATE. Thank you, Harry.

SIR HARRY (who is annoyed, as any man would be, not to find her abject).
Eh? What was that you call me, madam?
KATE. Isn’t it Harry? On my soul, I almost forget.
SIR HARRY. It isn’t Harry to you. My name is Sims, if you please.
(Barrie, 1910:768)

Sir Harry Sims does not allow Kate to call his first name. He is not Harry

but Sims for Kate who is now a mere typist for him. He does not let anyone

underestimate him and he frankly shows his power. It can be seen when Kate

makes him feel inconvenient with her words.

SIR HARRY. Will you please to go.

KATE. Heigho! What shall I say to my employer?
SIR HARRY. That is no affair of mine.
KATE. What will you say to Lady Sims?
SIR HARRY. I flatter myself that whether I say, Lady Sims will accept
without comment.
(Barrie, 1910:769)
 3

SIR HARRY (clinching it). I tell you I am worth a quarter of a million.

(Barrie, 1910:775)

Sir Harry Sims shows his power upon Kate by turning her out of his house

without considering her job and responsibility to her employer. He also does not

care about what will happen to the letters and what his wife will think because he

is the one who is in charge. Moreover, Sir Harry Sims’ arrogance is clearly seen

from his words “I am worth a quarter of a million.” It is such a huge amount that

Kate cannot earn. He thinks that money is everything. His arrogance makes him

underestimate Kate who he considers as a poor person. His arrogance also can be

seen from his treatment toward his wife. His dictatorship upon his wife shows

another characteristic of Victorian society. In this era, women are supposed to

work in the house unless they are poor. Their duty is to be a good wife for their

husband and a good mother for their children. It reflects the treatment of men

toward women in Victorian society.

Sir Harry Sims takes every chance to get what he wants. His ambition is to

be a successful man. It shows that he is an ambitious man. It can be seen from the

way he achieves his goal. He does not consider about other people’s condition to

reach his dream. That ignorance makes him not sensitive with people around him.

He even does not realize what is going on to himself.

KATE. Pooh, Harry, you don’t even know what your religion was and is
and will be till the day of your expensive funeral. (And here is the
lesson that life has taught her.) One’s religion is whatever he is
most interested in, and yours is Success.
SIR HARRY (quoting from his morning paper). Ambition—it is the last
infirmity of noble minds.
(Barrie, 1910:775)
 3

The quotation above implies that the mind of noble people is full of ambition. That

is where Sir Harry Sims’ position is. As a noble man, he clearly shows his

arrogance and ambition to his surrounding.

This act of arrogance can be seen through his harshness toward Kate as

seen in the quotation below.

SIR HARRY (withering her). The ordinary way of business! This is what
you have fallen to—a typist!
(Barrie, 1910:768)

SIR HARRY. That’s it, that’s it. You come on this day as my servant!
(Barrie, 1910:769)

SIR HARRY. A penniless parson’s daughter.

(Barrie, 1910:773)

The quotations above show Sir Harry Sims’ harshness. It is because those

quotations are words of mockery to underestimate Kate. Sir Harry Sims realizes

that he is a noble man and Kate is a mere typist and servant. He also

underestimates her profession. Typist is equal to servant in his mind. Moreover,

Sir Harry Sims underestimates Kate’s father’s profession that is a parson who did

not have enough money as much as his. Sir Harry Sims’ attitude of being

ambitious and harsh to the lower class shows the characteristic of society in

Victorian Era. It can be seen from Sir Harry Sims’ point of view towards Kate’s

profession, wage, and heredity. His terrible treatment toward Kate reflects the

characteristic of upper class society in Victorian Era. The upper class society does

not want to get involved with the lower class and treat the lower class badly

especially a woman of low class who does a work for her living.
 4

3. The Characterization of Lady Sims

Lady Sims can be said as the third important character in this play. Her

importance is seen through her appearance in this play that gives big contribution

to the story related to the two other main characters: Kate and Sir Harry Sims.

Lady Sims is the character who opens and closes the play with delightful ending.

Her opening role is when she practices the knighthood ceremony with her

husband, Sir Harry Sims. It is clearly seen that she comes from upper class society.

It is seen from her name, the knighthood ceremony, being Sir Harry Sims’ wife,

and jewelry she wears. The title “Lady” and the knighthood ceremony she

practices with her husband show her class. Her jewelry belongings also reflect her

wealthy life. However, she lives in luxury, she seems not really happy with her

life. It can be seen from the author’s introduction.

Her jeweled shoulders proclaim aloud her husband’s generosity.

She must be an extraordinarily proud and happy woman, yet she has a
drawn face and shrinking ways as if there were some one near her of whom
she is afraid.
(Barrie, 1910: 763)

Even though Lady Sims’ husband provides her luxury, it seems that she

cannot feel peace and comfort. It is because there is someone she is afraid of. This

situation makes her to be a nervous woman. It can be seen from the author’s

comments.

LADY SIMS. No—oh no. (Nervously, seeing him pause to kiss the tassel
of a cushion) You don’t think you have practiced till you know
what to do almost too well?
(Barrie, 1910:764)

LADY SIMS (in her nervous way, and scarcely noticing that the typist is a
little too ready with her tongue). Good morning. (As a first
impression she rather likes the woman, and the woman, though it is
scarcely worth mentioning, rather likes her. LADY SIMS has a
maid for buttoning and unbuttoning her, and probably another for
waiting
 4

on the maid, and she gazes with a little envy perhaps at a woman
who does things for herself.) Is that the type-writing machine?
(Barrie, 1910:765)

Lady Sims always feels nervous all the time. She even looks nervous in

front of her own husband in her house. It is obviously seen that she is afraid of her

husband, Sir Harry Sims. Lady Sims does not have courage and pride in her own

house. Her nervousness also can be seen from the way she interacts with others.

Lady Sims shows her nervousness in front of a typist who is considered as a

servant. She acts that way because she thinks that she cannot do anything by

herself. She always has someone to do her job, therefore she feels useless and

inferior when she meets a capable woman.

(She continues to type, and LADY SIMS, half-mesmerised, gazes at

her nimble fingers. The useless woman watches the useful one, and she
sighs, she could not tell why.)
(Barrie, 1910:766)

SIR HARRY. (Odd that so confident a man should ask this.) Emmy, I
know you well, don’t I? I can read you like a book, eh?
LADY SIMS (nervously). Yes, Harry.
SIR HARRY (jovially, but with an inquiring eye). What a different
existence yours is from that poor lonely wretch’s.
LADY SIMS. Yes, but she has a very contented face.
SIR HARRY (with a stamp of his foot). All put on. What?
LADY SIMS (timidly). I didn’t say anything.
(Barrie, 1910:780)

Lady Sims admires Kate as a capable woman who has contented face. Lady Sims

thinks that Kate’s life is better than her. Lady Sims wants to state her opinion to

her husband but she cannot say it. It is because she knew that her opinion will

make him angry. Lady Sims shows her nervousness to Sir Harry Sims and does

not want to argue with him. This analysis on Lady Sims shows her position in the

marriage. Her role is under her husband’s dictatorship. She has to obey what her

husband wants to
 4

be a good woman and wife as part of Victorian society. She has to be able to

preserve her husband’s dignity as a noble man, is able to look pretty, and obedient.

She also has to be a good mother for their children.

Lady Sims is also described as a dependent woman. It can be seen from

the author’s description below:

(These sentiments carry him off light-heartedly, and presently the

disturbing element is shown in. She is a mere typist, dressed in
uncommonly good taste, but at contemptibly small expense, and she is
carrying her typewriter in a friendly way rather than as a badge of slavery,
as of course it is. Her eye is clear; and in odd contrast to LADY SIMS, she
is self-reliant and serene.)
(Barrie, 1910:765)

KATE. I, who might have been Lady Sims.

SIR HARRY. And you are her typist instead. And she has four men-servants.
Oh, I am glad you saw her in her presentation gown.
(Barrie, 1910:769)

The quotations above imply that Lady Sims is different from Kate who is

independent. Lady Sims’ dependence can be seen from her husband’s statement

that she has more than one servant to do the house work. For a wife of a noble

man, it is normal to have servants but four men servants for a lady make her

incapable to do a job. Lady Sims’ dependence also can be seen from Kate’s

utterance.

KATE (putting on her gloves, soiled things). But don’t let us part in anger.
How do you think I am looking, Harry, compared to the dull, inert
thing that used to roll round in your paddle carriage?
(Barrie, 1910:777)

Kate is able to feel Lady Sims’s dependence through their contact. Kate can

clearly see her previous life’s reflection when she was Sims. From Kate’s utterance

it can be concluded that Lady Sims is not only dependent but also obedient.

SIR HARRY. I do not. Don’t talk nonsense. Wait till your opinion is asked
for.
 4

LADY SIMS. (abashed). I’m sorry, Harry. (A perfect butler appears and
presents a card.) ‘The Flora Type-Writing Agency.’
(Barrie, 1910:764)

Lady Sims role in her marriage is under the power of Sir Harry Sims. She does not

have the right to deliver her opinion without his permission. She even says sorry

for what she has said. No matter that she is wrong or right as long as Sir Harry

Sims does not feel contented, she is the one to blame. Lady Sims does her best to

be the wife that Sir Harry Sims wants to make him satisfy. This condition shows

that Lady Sims is an obedient wife. The following quotations strengthen the

statement:

LADY SIMS (remembering that HARRY expects every wife to do her

duty). My husband is a remarkable man. He is about to be knighted.
(Pause, but KATE does not fall to the floor.) He is to be knighted
for his service to–(on reflection)—for his services. (She is conscious
that she is not doing HARRY justice.) He can explain it so much
better than I can.
(Barrie, 1910:764)

LADY SIMS (almost with the humility of a servant). Oh it is not work for
me, it is for my husband, and what he needs is not exactly copying.
(Swelling, for she is proud of HARRY) He wants a number of
letters and telegrams of congratulation.
(Barrie, 1910:766)

LADY SIMS (again remembering the source of all her greatness). But,
excuse me. I don’t think that will be any use. My husband wants me
to explain to you that his is an exceptional case. He did not try to
get his honour in any way. It was a complete surprise to him—
(Barrie, 1910:766)

Lady Sims’ obedience is clearly seen in the above quotations. As Sir Harry Sims’

wife, her duty is to boast about him in front of other people. She also has to

explain what Sir Harry Sims wants. She tries her best to do it in front of Kate.

Lady Sims even seems to be Sir Harry Sims’ servant who should maintain his

reputation.

SIR HARRY. That’s it, that’s it. You come on this day as my servant!
 4

KATE. I, who might have been Lady Sims.

(Barrie, 1910:769)

KATE. What will you say to Lady Sims?

SIR HARRY. I flatter myself that whether I say, Lady Sims will accept
without comment.
(She smiles, heaven knows why, unless her next remark explains it.)
(Barrie, 1910:769)

These statements clearly show that Lady Sims always obeys what her husband

says. Kate smiles for Sir Harry Sims’ utterance because she knows him well. She

knows that being his wife will always be inferior and cannot feel the freedom.

Kate remembers her life when she was in Lady Sims position. Although it was

fourteen years ago, she obviously sees the same treatment to Lady Sims. Lady

Sims has to obey Sir Harry Sims decision without comment.

The analysis on Lady Sims shows the characteristic of a woman in

Victorian society that is dependence and obedience. As a wife of a noble man, she

does not have to work to support her life. It is husband’s responsibility to earn for

the family living. Even though Lady Sims stays at home, she does not have to do

the house work herself. She has some servants in her house to do the house works.

She is conditioned to be dependent. Sir Harry Sims’ way of treating Lady Sims

makes her to be a nervous woman. It makes her to be dependent, unskillful, and

obedient.

B. Satires on Society in Victorian Era as seen in The Twelve-Pound Look

After discussing the characteristics of society in Victorian Era depicted

through the characterization of main characters, this part will discuss the satires

based on the evidences of the previous part. James Mathew Barrie uses the main

characters to reveal and to satirize the society in Victorian Era.

 4

Dealing with the relationship between literature and society in Chapter II,

there is a connection between society and literature. In expressing his idea through

The Twelve-Pound Look, Barrie was influenced by the society where he lives. Roy

said that “The Twelve-Pound Look, 1910,...excellent satirical comedies;...”. The

Twelve-Pound Look is Barrie’s satire towards the society in Victorian Era. As in

the theory of satire, satire is not a mere humor to ridicule person or institution but

it has the intention for correction (1986: 447). It is an author’s style to criticize a

subject he dislikes or disagrees with (1985: 187). The truth in the society is the

material for satire. There are two kinds of satire; formal or direct satire and

indirect satire. The direct satire is addressed to the reader or else to a character.

Indirect satire is spoken by the characters who are the butt. They are ridiculed not

by what is said about them, but what they themselves say and do (1986:448).

The Twelve-Pound Look is a satire because reader can find humor to

ridicule the society in Victorian Era through this story. The humor lies in the

unintentionally rendezvous between Sir Harry Sims and his former wife, Kate. Sir

Harry Sims has hired a typist to answer his congratulation letters in the evening

before his knighthood. Unbeknownst to him, the typist he had hired is his ex-wife

who left him years ago for unknown reason. He uses the opportunity to find out

the reason, but ends up being forced to confront himself. It is humor for Sir Harry

Sims because he finds out the life of his former wife who becomes poor without

him. It is humor for Kate that she knows Sir Harry Sims stays the same. He treats

his new wife, Lady Sims, as bad as he treated Kate. Thus, Kate wants to change

this situation. The humor is not merely joke that can make people laugh but to

think of the fact beyond the story.

 4

There is a brief explanation before going deeper to the discussion of the

satires on society in Victorian Era as seen in The Twelve-Pound Look. A brief

description about the condition of the society in Victorian Era is given to show the

facts of that time. According to the review on the historical background and theory

of social class, there are three social classes in the Victorian society; upper class,

middle class, and lower class. The division of classes in the society creates

discriminative treatment of the upper to the lower class. It is because there is an

obvious gap between these two classes (1950: 348). The lower class usually

experiences bad treatment and is underestimated by the upper one. It is because

there are two obvious differences that becomes the matter of these classes. They

are the heredity and money they earn (1983: 846-854). Moreover according to the

theory of gender, women from the lower class usually get unfair treatment for their

status, occupation, and salary. It is because women are in the lowest status in

Victorian society especially those who work for their life (1995: 13). It means that

Victorian women are considered as second citizen in the society. Moreover,

Victorian women who work for their life got worse treatment because they are

considered as the lower class women.

To find out the satires in The Twelve-Pound Look, the following discussion

will be divided into two parts. They are the satire on social class, and gender

discrimination in the Victorian society.

1. Barrie’s Satire on Social Class of Victorian Society

Barrie satirizes social class of Victorian society through the main

characters. The prominent indirect satire is seen through Sir Harry Sims. It is

stated in the previous discussion that Sir Harry Sims is an ambitious man. He takes

every chance
 4

to reach his goal. He does not hesitate to be harsh to other people especially who

he thinks does not appreciate his success such as Kate. Sir Harry Sims clearly

shows his power and achievement to prove his success as seen in the following

quotation:

SIR HARRY (at last grasping what she is talking about). You are not
saying that you left me because of my success?
KATE. Yes, that was it. (And now she stands revealed to him.) I couldn’t
endure it. If a failure had come now and then—but your success was
suffocating me. (She is rigid with emotion.) The passionate craving
I had to be done with it, to find myself among people who had not
got on.
SIR HARRY (with proper spirit). There are plenty of them.
KATE. There were none in our set. When they began to go down-hill they
rolled out of sight.
SIR HARRY (clinching it). I tell you I am worth a quarter of a million.
(Barrie, 1910:775)

SIR HARRY (comprehensively). Bah! Kate, I tell you I’ll be worth half a
million yet.
(Barrie, 1910:777)

SIR HARRY (heartened). Nobody. A typist at eighteen shilling a week!

KATE (proudly). Not a bit of it, Harry. I doubled that.

(Barrie, 1910:779)

Sir Harry Sims’ harshness implicitly shows the characteristic of Victorian society.

It is an indirect satire when Sir Harry Sims describes his worth toward Kate. The

indirect satire can be seen through the character’s utterances. Barrie uses Sir Harry

Sims point of view about value of a man to satirize Victorian society that is money

oriented. It can be seen when Sir Harry Sims spontaneously mentions about money

and people’s worth. The value of man that is measured by money does not make

the society appreciate others. It makes them discriminate other people who do not

earn as much as they do. The discrimination shows the gap of social classes in the

Victorian society that Barrie satirizes. The following quotation strengthens the

statement:
 4

KATE. Only the glorious, dazzling successes. Oh, the fat talk while we ate
too much—about who had made a hit and who was slipping back,
and what the noo house cost and the noo motor and the gold soup-
plates, and who was to be the noo knight.
SIR HARRY (who it will be observed is unanswerable from first to last).
Was anybody getting on better than me, and consequently you?
(Barrie, 1910:775)

It is clearly seen in the quotation that Sir Harry Sims and his upper class friends

give more attention about the upper class conversation such as the house cost, gold

plates, and someone who is to be knighted. The person who is slipping back from

upper to lower class becomes nothing in their eye.

KATE. There were none in our set. When they began to go down-hill they
rolled out of sight.
(Barrie, 1910:775)

KATE (smiling at the childish word). Not a bit—after I saw that there was
a way out. From that hour you amused me, Harry; I was even sorry
for you, for I saw that you couldn’t help yourself. Success is just a
fatal gift.
SIR HARRY. Oh, thank you.
KATE (thinking, dear friends in front, of you and me perhaps). Yes, and
some of your most successful friends knew it. One or two of them
used to look very sad at times, as if they thought they might have
come to something if they hadn’t got on.
(Barrie, 1910:777)

Those quotations strengthen the statement about social classes’ gap in the

Victorian society. It is seen through Kate’s utterances to Sir Harry Sims that he

underestimates an upper class friend who becomes poor. Kate says that one or two

friends of Sir Harry Sims do not feel serene. They are worried about maintaining

their position as the upper class. Once they are rich they are considered as the

upper class, people admire and give them respect. However, when they cannot

maintain it, they will be treated as bad as that lower class. That is why upper

class people try their best to

 4

maintain their position so that they will not get underestimate and bad treatment.

The following quotation shows inconvenience treatment of upper to lower class.

SIR HARRY. Do you know what you brought here to do?

KATE. I have just been learning. You have been made a knight, and I was
summoned to answer the messages of congratulations.
SIR HARRY. That’s it, that’s it. You come on this day as my servant!
(Barrie, 1910:769)

The quotation shows upper class people’s mockery toward the lower class. This

kind of mockery is what Victorian societies try to avoid. No matter what the lower

classes professions are, as long as they work for the upper class, they are merely

considered as servants in the upper class point of view. This is the indirect satire

lies. Barrie views that an upper class people always underestimate the lower class.

In fact, the upper class always needed the help from lower class to do their job.

This play gives the portrait of upper class people’s helplessness without lower

class or servant who works for them. It can be seen from Sir Harry Sims attitude

toward Kate. He underestimates her and her profession but he needs her to answer

his letters.

The upper class does not only consider about people’s profession but also

heredity. They always judges other people based on those two things.

SIR HARRY. A penniless parson’s daughter.

KATE. That is all I was.
(Barrie, 1910:773)

SIR HARRY (who has a horror of sacrilege). The battered crew you live
among now—what are they but folk who have tried to succeed and
failed?
KATE. That’s it; they try, but they
fail. SIR HARRY. And always will
fail.
KATE. Always. Poor souls—I say of them. Poor soul—they say of me. It
keeps us human. That is why I never tire of them.
(Barrie, 1910:777)

It can be seen from the quotations above that heredity also gives influence to the

society’s treatment toward another. This shows an indirect satire. Barrie satirizes
 5

people such Sir Harry Sims who does horrible treatment to others. Through Kate’s

utterances it can be seen that Barrie wants to criticize the upper class people who

cannot respect each other. People who Sir Harry Sims’ consider as the lower class

treated other people better than him. The lower class is more tolerant and

appreciates each other. That is what makes the lower class more human than the

upper class. In other words it can be said that Barrie views lower class people are

more human than those upper class that treat other people badly. It is represented

by Kate who prefers to be called as servants to live under dictatorship of an upper

class man and do not have dignity.

Sir Harry Sims arrogance is another example of Barrie’s indirect satire. Sir

Harry Sims has already had a lovely family. He has a new wife who is obedient

and two sons who are very like him. However, he does not pay attention to his

family because he only considers his own success, career, and reputation in the

society. Sir Harry Sims thinks that everything is perfect as long as he swaddles his

family with upper class luxury.

Her jeweled shoulders proclaim aloud her husband’s generosity.

She must be an extraordinarily proud and happy woman, yet she has a
drawn face and shrinking ways as if there were some one near her of whom
she is afraid.
(Barrie, 1910: 763)

KATE. All her life before her when that was painted. It is a spirituelle face
too. (Suddenly she turns on him with anger, for the first and only
time in the play.) Oh, Harry, you brute!
(Barrie, 1910:778)

SIR HARRY (with one eye on KATE). Emmy, the one thing your neck
needs is more jewels.
LADY SIMS (flattering). More!
SIR HARRY. Some ropes of pearls. I’ll see to it. It’s a bagatelle to me.
(KATE conceals her chagrin, so she had better be shown the door. He
rings.) I won’t detain you any longer, miss.
(Barrie, 1910:779)
 5

It is clearly seen that Sir Harry Sims does not take respects to his family especially

to his wife. His arrogance has blinded him to see Lady Sims’ effort to maintain his

success, career, and reputation. His arrogance and obsession to be successful

makes his wife to preserve it. This condition makes her sacrifices her personality

and dignity as human being under Sir Harry Sims’ upper class obsession.

Besides the indirect satire of social class, there is also a direct satire in this

play. It is a direct satire when Barrie directly gives his view on the narration by

comparing the lower class and upper class women.

Mrs. Sims (as we may call her for the last time, as it were, and strictly as a
good-nurtured joke) is wearing her presentation gown, and personate the
august one who is about to dub her Harry knight. She is seated regally. Her
jeweled shoulders proclaim aloud her husband’s generosity. She must be an
extraordinarily proud and happy woman, yet she has a drawn face and
shrinking ways as if there were some one near her of whom she is afraid.

(Barrie, 1910:763)
(These sentiments carry him off light-heartedly, and presently the
disturbing element is shown in. She is a mere typist, dressed in
uncommonly good taste, but at contemptibly small expense, and she is
carrying her typewriter in a friendly way rather than as a badge of slavery,
as of course it is. Her eye is clear; and in odd contrast to LADY SIMS, she
is self-reliant and serene.)
(Barrie, 1910:765)

Those quotations show Barrie’s direct satire towards upper class woman and lower

one by his narration that comparing their life. The Victorian society thinks that

being an upper class woman, their life will be happy. Whereas Barrie describes the

portrait of upper class woman is more miserable than the lower class society. It

can be seen from the portrait of an upper class woman who lives in a luxury but

she cannot feel serene. While the portrait of Kate as a lower class woman that is

considered as a servant is more serene.

 5

2. Barrie’s Satire on Gender of Victorian Society

Regarding to the second problem formulation, here is the analysis on

Barrie’s satire on gender of Victorian Society. It can be seen from the theory of

gender and the review on the historical background that besides social class

division, there is another prominent issue in Victorian society, which is gender

(1958: 474). According to the analysis on the main characters, it is seen that the

perfect portrait of Victorian woman is Lady Sims who is obedient.

SIR HARRY. I flatter myself that whether I say, Lady Sims will accept
without comment.
(She smiles, heaven knows why, unless her next remark explains
it.) KATE. Still the same Harry.
SIR HARRY. What do you mean?
KATE. Only that you have the old confidence in your profound knowledge
of sex.
(Barrie, 1910:769)

Victorian societies prefer woman like Lady Sims. They think the best

portrait of a woman is Lady Sims who “will accept” what her husband’s says

without comment. Whereas Kate who dares to argue what people say is not

considered as an ideal portrait of Victorian woman. Barrie indirectly satirizes men

who underestimates a woman such Kate. He shows his point of view of a woman

who dares to argue with Sir Harry Sims. Through Kate’s utterances, Barrie protest

Sir Harry Sims’ point of view toward women. It can be seen when Kate says “the

old confidence in your profound knowledge of sex” that argue Sir Harry Sims’ “I

flatter myself that whether I say, Lady Sims will accept without comment.” In

other words it can be said that actually men do not have appropriate point of view

toward women. Women need their opinion to be heard unlike Sir Harry Sims’

treatment to
 5

his wife who does not give his wife a chance to deliver her opinion. This next

quotation strengthen Sir Harry Sims’ inappropriate point of view toward women.

SIR HARRY (waving her to the door) I’ll thank you—If ever there was a
woman proud of her husband and happy in her married life, that
woman is Lady Sims.
KATE. I wonder.
(Barrie, 1910:778)

Kate’s next comment of “I wonder” indirectly shows men’s mistreatment of

women’s happiness and marriage life. It means that the words “I wonder” deny Sir

Harry Sims’ statement. Sir Harry Sims thinks that Lady Sims is happy and proud

of her marriage. He thinks that luxury is the only thing women’s need. As long as

women life in luxury, she will be happy and her marriage will also be happy.

Whereas Barrie says that it is not appropriate to Lady Sims’ condition.

Her jeweled shoulders proclaim aloud her husband’s generosity.

She must be an extraordinarily proud and happy woman, yet she has a
drawn face and shrinking ways as if there were some one near her of whom
she is afraid.

(Barrie, 1910: 763)

It can be seen from the quotation that Lady Sims is not proud of her husband. In

fact, she is afraid of him. She is not happy in her marriage life. Her life is under

pressure of her husband’s dictatorship. Sir Harry Sims misinterprets Lady Sims’

condition. He thinks she is happy with jewelry and luxury but the fact is on the

contrary. His generosity that is luxury makes Lady Sims’ life under his pressure. It

is because Lady Sims has to obey him to get his generosity. This mistreatment

makes woman not to be respected and inferior.

This portrait of inferiority also can be seen through Lady Sims’ role in her

marriage. The following quotations give more evidences to it.

 5

SIR HARRY. Exactly. You can show her in, Tombes. (The butler departs
on his mighty task.) You can tell the woman what she is wanted for,
Emmy, while I change. (He is too modest to boast about himself,
and prefers to keep a wife in the house for that purpose.) You can
tell her the short of things about me that will come better from you.
(Smiling happily) You heard what Tombes said, ‘especially the
females.’ And he is right. For the share. You share, Lady Sims. Not
a woman will see that gown without being sick with envy of it. I
know them. Have all our lady friends in to see it. It will make them
ill for a week.
(Barrie, 1910:764-765)

LADY SIMS (almost with the humility of a servant). Oh it is not work for
me, it is for my husband, and what he needs is not exactly copying.
(Swelling, for she is proud of HARRY) He wants a number of
letters and telegrams of congratulation.
(Barrie, 1910:766)

LADY SIMS (again remembering the source of all her greatness). But,
excuse me. I don’t think that will be any use. My husband wants me
to explain to you that his is an exceptional case. He did not try to
get his honour in any way. It was a complete surprise to him—
(Barrie, 1910:766)

The quotations above clearly show women’s role. Men such Sir Harry Sims thinks

that women only care of materialistic matters. They will share those talks to the

other women. That is why their duty is to boast about the husbands. It is because

husband is the source of all women’s greatness. A woman like Lady Sims can live

in luxury because of her husband’s effort. The husband is the one who works to

earn money for their living. Her husband’s effort places him in higher position in

the marriage. A woman like Lady Sims seems to be a servant who does not have

dignity in her husband’s point of view. This condition makes women to be inferior

in her marriage life.

The inferiority of a woman in marriage life also gives influence to the

society’s point of view toward women. It is because women’s inferiority in

marriage represents their position in the society. As part of Victorian society,

women are
 5

regarded as the second class society. Their position in the society is under men’s

power. This condition makes men have wider scope of environment in the society

than women. Men’s places are for public world of business and women’s places

are for domestic world of home and family (1995: 14). That is where the position

of Sir Harry Sims and Lady Sims is. Furthermore, here is Barrie’s indirect satire

lies. Barrie views that this condition is the one that makes women decided to

struggle for their better life. The portrait of Kate shows Barrie’s point of view

toward this problem. As we know that Kate is an independent woman. She

supports her life by working as a typist. This condition leads her to struggle for her

life. She tries her best for her better condition by becoming a skillful and hard

worker typist who is responsible to do her job.

SIR HARRY (withering her). The ordinary way of business! This is what
you have fallen to—a typist!
KATE (unwithered). Think of it!

(Barrie, 1910:768)

Unlike Lady Sims who does not do a job for her living, Kate works as a typist for

her living and she dares to fight for it. A woman such Kate had shown her struggle

for the better life. This kind of woman dares to fight for her dignity. Barrie mocks

upper class man who underestimate working woman. Barrie views that women

will leave a man such Sir Harry Sims. Kate is the first woman who became Lady

Sims and forfeited it. Lady Sims is the next lady who will take a chance as Kate

ever did. Barrie gives his strong evidence to show Lady Sims next step for her life.

It can be seen in the opening and ending description of Lady Sims:

 5

Mrs. Sims (as we may call her for the last time, as it were, and strictly as a
good-nurtured joke) is wearing her presentation gown, and personate the
august one who is about to dub her Harry knight.
(Barrie, 1910:763)

LADY SIMS (dutifully). I’m sorry; I’ll go Harry. (Inconsequentially) Are

they very expensive?
SIR HARRY. What?
LADY SIMS. Those machines?
(When she has gone the possible meaning of her question startles
him. The curtain hides him from us, but we may be sure that he will soon be
bland again. We have a comfortable feeling, you and I, that there is
nothing of SIR HARRY in us.)
(Barrie, 1910:780)

Barrie’s description about Lady Sims “Mrs. Sims (as we may call her for the last

time,…)” is his direct satire on men who underestimate women. Through his

narration, Barrie views that the bad treatment of a man toward women makes

women leave the man. It can be seen from the ending when Lady Sims asks the

price of typewriter. It shows her starting point to be independent as can be seen in

the following quotation.

SIR HARRY (clinching it). I tell you I am worth a quarter of a million.

KATE (unabashed). That is what you are worth to yourself. I’ll tell you
what you are worth to me: exactly twelve pounds. For I made up my
mind that I could launch myself on the world alone if I first proved
my mettle by earning twelve pounds; and as soon as I had earned it
I left you.
SIR HARRY (in the scales). Twelve pounds!
KATE. That is your value to a woman. If she can’t make it she has to stick
to you.
(Barrie, 1910:775-776)

KATE (slowly). If I was a husband—it is my advice to all of them—I

would often watch my wife quietly to see whether the twelve-pound
look was not coming into her eyes. Two boys, did you say, and both
like you?
(Barrie, 1910:778)

Kate had warned Sir Harry Sims to watch his wife whether the twelve pound is

coming into wife’s eye. That is the price of men on women. As soon as woman can
 5

earn the twelve pound, she will leave him for a better life. When Lady Sims asks

Sir Harry Sims about the price of the typewriter that is the beginning of the last

time we may call her Mrs. Sims.

Through a long description, this work wants to satire people’s treatment

towards other people from different classes and gender. The harshness of upper-

class men towards the lower class and underestimate treatment toward women are

the main point of Barrie’s The Twelve-Pound Look.

 5

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

The analysis on Barrie’s The Twelve-Pound Look is to find out the satire on

social class and gender in Victorian society. The writer obtains two satires that are

reflected through the main characters. Having analyzed The Twelve-Pound Look

in the previous chapter, this part summarizes the main points of analysis.

In the first problem formulation, it can be concluded that the main

characters of this play are Kate, Sir Harry Sims, and Lady Sims. Each character

has different characteristics which distinguish from one to another. Kate is

described as a lower class woman who has clear eyes, independent and skillful.

She is also a hard worker who is responsible to her job and dares to fight for her

dignity. Sir Harry Sims is described as an arrogant and ambitious upper class man

who is harsh and underestimates the lower class. Lady Sims is described as an

upper class woman who is obedient and dependent to her husband, Sir Harry Sims.

Her duty is for the domestic problems for the sake of her husband and the family’s

reputation. She is also described as a nervous and unskilled woman. The

characteristics of the characters give influence toward each other that shows the

reflection of Victorian society. Upper class people can live in luxury with the help

of servants to do their housework. It can be seen from Sir Harry Sims and Lady

Sims’ life. Whereas the lower class people such Kate should fight for their living.

It is seen that the upper class society underestimate and treated the lower class

badly. This can be seen from Sir Harry Sims’ attitude toward Kate.

58
 59

The second problem formulation discusses satires on society in Victorian Era

according to the previous analysis. It can be concluded that there are two satires in

the analysis. The first one is the satire on social class of Victorian society. Barrie

satirizes the upper class’ ambition, point of view of human value, and bad

treatment toward the lower class. In fact the upper class always needed helps from

the lower class to do their work. The second one is the satire on gender of

Victorian society. In his play, Barrie satirizes the way an upper class man

humiliate lower class working woman. He also satirizes how an upper class man

treated his wife badly.

The point of the satires is the main characters in the play describe the

picture of Victorian society. The message is that the upper class should treat the

lower class with consideration and think about other’s dignity. The satire refers to

the upper class especially the men in Victorian society. It means that they have to

respect each other as human being. No matter upper, lower, men or women should

give respect to each other. Kate, Sir Harry Sims, and Lady Sims are used to

satirize the Victorian society to show the influence of society in treating people

from other social class and gender.

The point is that the main characters are used to criticize the Victorian

society. In this case, the satire lies on people’s treatment towards other people

from different class status and gender. The harshness towards the lower class and

underestimate treatment to other gender are the main point of Barrie’s The Twelve-

Pound Look. In conclusion, the purpose of the satire in Barrie’s The Twelve-Pound

Look is to satirize the Victorian society by using the main characters to reveal two

types of unpleasant treatments that is done by the society in that Era.

 6

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 6

APPENDIX

Biography of Sir James Matthew Barrie

The following biography is summarized from Encyclopedia Americana,

100th Anniversary Library Edition (1995:268-269) and Mc. Graw-Hill

Encyclopedia of World Drama by Stanley Hochman (1984:263-264).

Sir James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937), Scottish novelist and playwright,

whose most lasting claim to fame is the play Peter Pan, the Boy Who Wouldn’t

Grow Up. He was born in Kirriemuir, Forfarshire (now Angus), Scotland, on May

9, 1860, the 9th of 10 children of a handloom weaver. At 13, Barrie went to school

at Dumfries in southwest Scotland. There he learned to love the theater, acting in

amateur theatricals and haunting the town’s old playhouse. From Dumfries

Academy, Barrie went to Edinburg University, taking his M. A. Degree in 1882.

He then went to work as a journalist, and for nearly two years wrote daily

editorials for Nottingham paper. Barrie married in 1894, but the marriage was

dissolved in 1909. He was made baronet in 1913. From 1919 to 1922 he was lord

rector of St. Andrews University, and in 1922 he was appointed to the Order of

Merit. From 1930 he served as the chancellor of Edinburgh University. He died in

London on June 19, 1937.

Barrie’s first novel, Better Dead, a satire on London life, published in 1887. It was

followed by Auld Licht Idylls (1888), a collection of stories about his native

village. His next remarks are The Little Minister (1891), Ibsen’s Ghost, or Toole

up to Date (1891), Walker, London (1892). In 1893, he collaborated with Arthur

Connan Doyle on a comic opera, Jane Annie, or The Good Product. He

dramatized The Little

63
 64

Minister in 1897. The production of Quality Street (1901) in Toledo, Ohio, The

Little Minister in 1897. The production of Quality Street (1901) in Toledo, Ohio,

and The Admirable Crichton (1902) in England established Barrie’s fame as a

playwright. His next plays were Peter Pan (1904), What Woman Knows (1908),

The Twelve-Pound Look (1910), Dear Brutus (1917) and Mary Rose (1920). In

1936 he produced his last two plays, The Two Sepherds and The Boy David.