Feminism: Beauty Myth in Enola Holmes: Mystery Runs In The

Family

A Thesis Proposal
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Sarjana Sastra (S.S)

Muhammad Irfan Azhari

NIM: 181010600339

ENGLISH DEPARMENT
FACULTY OF LETTERS
UNIVERSITAS PAMULANG
2023
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................. i
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION....................................................................... 1
1.1 Background of the study.................................................................... 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem................................................................... 4
1.3 Scope and Limitation of Study........................................................... 4
1.4 Goals of the Study.............................................................................. 4
1.5 Functions of the study........................................................................ 5
1.6 Systematical Presentation`................................................................. 5
CHAPTER II RELATED STUDIES, REVIEW OF LITERATURE, AND
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK.................................................................... 7
2.1 Related Studies................................................................................... 7
2.2 Review of Literature.......................................................................... 9
2.3 Feminism............................................................................................ 11
2.4 Beauty Myth....................................................................................... 11
2.4.1 Work Perspective.................................................................. 12
2.4.2 Culture Perspective............................................................... 12
2.4.3 Religion Perspective............................................................. 12
2.4.4 Hunger Perspective............................................................... 13
2.4.5 Violence Perspective............................................................. 13
2.5 Theoretical Framework...................................................................... 13
CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY............................................. 14
3.1 Approach of the Study....................................................................... 14
3.2 Data Source........................................................................................ 14
3.3 Data Collection.................................................................................. 15
3.4 Data Analysis..................................................................................... 15
REFERENCES................................................................................................. 16

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 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Social interaction refers to social ties that involve people with groups and

groups with individuals Human relations with other humans, or human

relationships with groups, or group relationships with groups are called social

interactions (Sarwono, 2010: 185). Interaction is the foundation of all social

interactions since there is no such thing as a social life without it. . Anarogo and

Widiyanti (1990: 24) explain that association occurs when people or groups of

people work together, talk to each other and so on to achieve common goals.

Women are typically connected with the phrase beautiful. Beauty is

described as anything lovely and appealing. And most women want to be

perceived as gorgeous. However, beauty is judged differently in each circle.

Africans, for example, have different ideas about what constitutes beauty than

Asians. For Morsi women in Ethiopia (Africa), a woman's attractiveness is

measured by how spread her lips are. While women of the Dayak Tribe

(Indonesia) regard growing the earlobes to be a symbol of beauty, the longer a

woman's earlobes, the more beautiful she will be. But the majority of modern

society defines beauty from several aspects such as fair skin, high nose, tall and

thin body.

According to Naomi Wolf (2002) a woman can get beauty can be from

several aspects such as culture, work, religion, hunger and violence. In terms of

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the workplace, Wolf contends that beauty myths act as an extra benchmark for

women to satisfy in order to be deemed competent and deserving of attention in

their professional pursuits. Naomi Wolf (2002) goes on to say that beauty myths

act as gatekeepers in the workplace, subtly but effectively harming women. She

cites examples of how women are more likely than men to be scrutinized for their

appearance, and how they can be punished for not conforming to society's narrow

beauty standards. In the cultural aspect Wolf (2002) says Beauty myths are not

just personal preferences or individual choices; It is a pervasive cultural standard

that is constantly communicated through media, advertising, and popular culture.

In the aspect of hunger Naomi Wolf (2002) She argues that beauty myths, like

hunger, are a relentless force that drives women to consume endless beauty

products, diets, and cosmetic procedures, all in an effort—to achieve unattainable

ideal perfection.This is because the standards of beauty are constantly shifting and

becoming increasingly unattainable. As women strive to achieve these ever-

changing standards, they only become more dissatisfied with their bodies and

appearance. Wolf (2002) argues that media, advertising, and popular culture have

created a secular beauty religion, with its own set of beliefs, practices, and moral

codes. This religion of beauty determines how women should look, behave, and

even think. It promotes a narrow definition of beauty, centered on physical

appearance, and emphasizes the importance of conformity to these standards.

Wolf (2002) argues that beauty myths are a form of violence because they are

used to control and oppress women. This creates unrealistic and unattainable

beauty standards that force women to spend time, money, and energy trying to

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achieve them. It can also lead to physical and emotional violence against women.

They are not worthy of respect unless they are beautiful. This can lead to a cycle

of violence in which women are mistreated and then blamed for their own

victimization.

This thesis investigates Enola Holmes: Mystery Runs In The Family to

highlight beauty myth. Enola Holmes: Mystery Runs In The Family is a 2020

British mystery film based on Nancy Springer's debut book in the same name

series. The film, which runs 2 hours and 3 minutes, will be released on Netflix on

September 23, 2020, and has garnered generally positive reviews from critics. In

addition to featuring Enola as the primary character, this film also has Sherlock

Holmes and Mycroft Holmes as his brother. The film depicts the narrative of

Enola, a little girl who her mother abandoned on her 16th birthday. Her mother

left only a birthday gift box of flower cards and word puzzles. Enola is upset and

begs her two brothers to help find her mother. Mycroft, one of her elder siblings,

refused to assist her since she planned to enrol Enola in an all-girls school because

her sister's looks did not represent the ideals of women at the time. Enola refuses

and flees home to locate her mother, who is presented as a feminist activist in the

film.

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 1.2 Statement of the Problem
To clarify the study, it is important to know the upcoming issues

discussed. According to information about the background of the study, this issue

focuses on the theory of beauty myth by Naomi Wolf which contained in Enola

Holmes: "Mystery Runs In The Family" by Nancy Springer's . The formulation of

the problem in this study is formulated as follows:

1. How is beauty myth depicted in Enola Holmes “Mystery Runs In

The Family”?

2. How does the protagonist deal with the beauty myth in the Enola

Holmes “Mystery Runs In The Family”?

1.3 Scope and Limitation of Study

The scope of research is literature. The literary work used is film. Thus,

this scope qualifies for the theory of Beauty myth by Naomi Wolf. The theory

applied in analyzing Beauty Myth through the story in the film Enola Holmes:

Mystery Runs In The Family is the same by Nancy Springer.

1.4 Goals of the Study

There are two goals of the study:

1. To know how Beauty Myth depicted in Enola Holmes.

2. To explain the struggle of protagonist in Enola Holmes

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 1.5 Functions of the study
The functions of the study is described as the following:

1. First, the writer can increase knowledge of Feminism and

discover, revealing the aspects of the theory of Beauty Myth that

his literary work implies.

2. Second, this research is expected to provide understanding and

awareness for writers and readers about the issue of Beauty Myth

in society.

1.6 Systematical Presentation`

The first chapter is an introduction to the study, which consists of six

parts: the main issues of the study, the research questions, the focus of the study,

the objectives to be achieved, the benefit which can be gained from the study, and

how the study is presented are presented in the Background of the Study, the

Statements of the Problem, the Scope and Limitation, the Goals of the Study, the

Functions of the Study, and the Systematical Presentation respectively.

The second chapter comprises three sub-chapter: related study, literature

review, and theoretical framework. The related study is about the studies

conducted by the students who are similar in the study from the other college. A

literature review guides choosing the right theory for the analysis. The theoretical

framework elaborates on the major that is used to guide analysis.

The third chapter is related to how the research is conducted, which is

divided into four parts: the approach used in analyzing the object, the source of

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data used in conducting the study, the means of gathering the needed data, and

how the data will be analyzed. These are presented in the Approach of the Study,

the Data Source, the Technique of Collecting Data, and the Method of Data

Analysis,krespectively.

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 CHAPTER II
RELATED STUDIES, REVIEW OF LITERATURE, AND
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

2.1 Related Studies

More relevant research than were necessary to back up this study were

incorporated in it by the author. Evaluating researches that were similarly

conducted by college students. These studies are included in the following

chapter:

The first study was conducted by Khansa Nabilah Kusuma Putri. From

Gadjah Mada University Yogyakarta in 2022. Titled "The Study of Beauty as a

Myth Reviewed According to Naomi Wolf's Thoughts". The issue raised concerns

about beauty as a social construction that has implications for the position of

women. This research is qualitative literature research sourced from the library.

The author uses the beauty myth theory of Naomi Wolf. The results showed that

beauty has become a normative thing and an aspect of femininity that continues to

be attached to a woman. Many definitions of presenting beauty vary in each

community group because the concept of beauty is actually a social construction.

Then, an obsession was born to pursue perfect beauty for women to be recognized

by society. This obsession is called the beauty myth that causes women to be

dominated by a loss of control over their bodies. In addition, due to the myth of

beauty, women unconsciously experience physical and psychological agitation.

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The second study was conducted by Dearesti Jodistia Rakanita. From the

University of Indonesia in 2012. Titled "Representation and Identity of Women in

Cosmetic Advertising of Anti-Aging Products Brand L'ORÉAL AND NIVEA".

The research method used by the author in this thesis is a descriptive qualitative

method. In analyzing advertisements and the messages contained in

advertisements, the author uses Stuart Hall's theory of representation and identity

with a beauty myth approach by Naomi Wolf to understand the discourse of

beauty construction and what ideology works in it. The portrait of women in ads

does not represent how "real" women are but rather how "they should be". The

results showed that women must look beautiful to be recognized for their

femininity by men, in this case, described as having smooth, firm, and youthful

skin.

The third study was conducted by Vicky Bellarina Putri. From Brawijaya

University in 2017. Titled "The Beauty Standards And Their Roles In

Discriminating Women In 19th Century China In Lisa See's Novel Snow Flower

And The Secret Fan". The issue raised is to emphasize the discrimination

experienced by women, especially in China in the 19th century. This research uses

a qualitative approach method. In this study, the authors came to several

conclusions. First, the novel's depiction of beauty standards in 19th-century China

can be manifested into four characteristics: Smallness and Fragility, Filial Piety

and Obedience, Craft and Fertility. Second, the study shows that philosophical

and religious beliefs in 19th-century China, such as Confucianism, Taoism, and

Buddhism, played a role in shaping the idea of female beauty. Third, many kinds

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of discrimination experienced by women related to beauty standards, responding

to Naomi Wolf's statement in her theory of beauty myths.

This study and related studies have some similarities and differences. The

similarity is between qualitative methods and beauty myths. At the same time, it

distinguishes between theoretical objects and literary works.

2.2 Review of Literature

This section discusses the writer's analysis of the film's narrative elements.

This indicates that a film's story focuses on narrative elements for readers to

unravel difficulties in a tale based on narrative elements like theme, characters,

setting, plot, conflict, ilustrative. They are the aspects that help to shape a literary

work's story.

The frist narrative elements is the theme. Themes are created from the

thoughtful, emotional, and spiritual of the author. A good theme will lead to a

great story. The theme is often referred to as the underlying story because the

growth of the story must be in line with the story's foundation for the reader to

understand. According to Burhan Nurgiyantoro (2005: 68), themes are the main

ideas underlying literary works. Theme as the main meaning of a work of fiction

is not accidental. But the theme is the overall meaning that the story supports; by

itself, it will be hidden behind the story that supports it. The second narrative

element is the character. Character is a person in a literary work. Character is a

vital part of the course of a tale in literature because the character may set the

story's path and can be defined as a linguistic depiction of a human person.

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According to Roberts Stanton in his book An Introduction to Fiction (1965: 17),

Character can refer to the individual in the story, or in other words, the Character

or story also refers to the union of interests, emotions, and moral principles that

make up the Character or in other words describes the behavior or nature of the

story. Characters based on appearance function can be divided into protagonist

and antagonist. The protagonist is the main character, the "good guy," who pushes

the story forward, while the antagonist is the main character, the "bad guy," or the

force that stands in the way of the protagonist's goals. The third narrative element

is the setting. In literary works, setting refers to location and period. The setting is

crucial in creating a literary work's atmosphere. The setting is divided into time,

place, and atmosphere. According to Abrams the setting or setting is also called

the fulcrum foundation, referring to the understanding of place, time relations, and

social environment where the events narrated occur (Nurgiyantoro, 2016: 216).

The fourth narrative element is the plot. Plot is a series of events woven together

to move a storyline through a problem toward climax and resolution. Staton and

Kenny (Nurgiyantoro, 2015: 167) stated that the plot is a story that contains a

sequence of events. Still, each incident is only connected causally, events that are

caused or cause other events. The fifth narrative element is the conflict. Conflict is

dramatic, referring to a fight between two balanced forces and implying

countermeasures. Usually, conflicts occur in character, life journey, or other

characters. Wellek and Warren (1995: 285) state that conflict is something

dramatic, referring to a fight between two balanced forces, implying action and

action counter. The last narrative element is the Ilustrative. Illustrative is taken

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from the word illustration which means an image that has a function as a means to

explain an event or events. According to (Soedarso, 1990) states that an

illustration is a picture that depicts a certain purpose.

2.3 Feminism
Feminism is a series of women's movements with the same goal: to

achieve gender equality in the political, economic, personal, and social spheres.

Feminism understands that society prioritizes men's viewpoints and that women

are treated unfairly in that society. According to Najmah and Khatimah Sai'dah in

their book entitled Women's Political Revision (2003: 34) states that feminism is

an awareness of the oppression and exploitation of women that occurs in the

family, at work, and in society and the conscious action of men and women to

change the situation lexically. Bhasin and Khan also state that feminism is an

awareness of systematic injustice for women in various sectors of life, as well as

conscious action by both women and men to change the situation (1995: 5).

2.4 Beauty Myth

Beauty myths become a reference for society to judge the appearance of a

woman. Beauty myths that have been agreed upon by most people are white,

straight hair, thin, tall, and so on. Beauty myths always change with the times.

Wolf says As long as women think that being beautiful according to society's

representation of disability is an absolute necessity, the myth of beauty will

always be shackled (Wolf, 2004: 8). Beauty is relative to everyone, but

consciously or not, some try to create a definition of beauty, especially men,

because those who see have created boundaries and sizes in the concept of beauty.

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In her book, "The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against

Women," Wolf (2002) describes several perspective of beauty myths: work,

culture, religion, hunger, violence.

2.4.1 Work Perspective

The first is work, beauty myths are a standard of work used to limit

women's career opportunities. Wolf said, "The myth of beauty is a tool used to

manipulate women into adopting behaviors that conform to patriarchal interests."

Wolf (2002:139). This quote highlights the negative impact that beauty myths can

have on women in the workplace and points out that beauty myths are a form of

discrimination that can limit women's opportunities for advancement in careers.

2.4.2 Culture Perspective

The second is culture, Wolf believes that beauty myths are cultural

standards imposed on women by media, advertising, and popular culture. These

standards are idealized and unrealistic, and they cause women to feel dissatisfied

with their appearance. Wolf said "The myth of beauty is an unrealistic and

unattainable cultural standard used to control and oppress women" (Wolf, 2002:

11). This quote provides a concise and concise definition that the myth of beauty

is a standard imposed on women by culture, and that this standard is unrealistic

and unattainable.

2.4.3 Religion Perspective

The third is religion, Wolf (2002: 21) argues that religion is often used to

promote the idea that women must be beautiful and feminine to be respected or

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loved. Wolf also believes that beauty myths are a form of discrimination that

violates women's rights in religion. She encouraged women to fight the myth of

beauty in religion and to create a more inclusive and accepting religion.

2.4.4 Hunger Perspective

The fourth is hunger, Wolf argues that the ideal standard of beauty is a

woman's extremely thin body, and that this standard is unrealistic and unattainable

for most women. This is because there are several negative impacts on women in

terms of hunger such as extreme dieting and excessive exercise can cause health

problems, such as osteoporosis, infertility, and heart problems. "Women who

don't meet strict beauty standards are more likely to experience eating disorders,

depression, and other mental health issues." (Wolf, 2002: 117).

2.4.5 Violence Perspective

The fifth is violence, Wolf (2002: 123) said that the myth of beauty is the

standard of violence used to control women. Wolf gives several examples of how

beauty myths can negatively impact women when it comes to violence, including:

Women who don't meet strict beauty standards are more likely to experience

domestic violence. Women who are considered beautiful are more likely to be

sexually assaulted and more likely to be raped.

2.5 Theoretical Framework

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In analyzing the beauty myth in the film Enola Holmes: Mystery Runs In

The Family, the writer uses the beauty myth theory of Naomi Wolf (1991). She

states that the myth of beauty is a feminization tool of women that makes them

dissatisfied with their bodies, a sense of incandescence to men, and even hatred

for themselves (Wolf, 1991: 10)

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 CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHOD

3.1 Approach of the Study

The writer uses qualitative methods in this research because This study

offers observations based on field data. Qualitative research aims to describe

phenomena in depth by gathering as much data as possible, demonstrating the

significance of the depth and complexity of the material analyzed. The writers

employed qualitative descriptive research to carry out their study. The data of this

study are statements exchanged between interactions on Enola Holmes. Perreault

and McCarthy (2006: 176) explain that qualitative research is a type of research

that aims to explore information in depth and is open to a variety of responses.

This research tries to get people to express their thoughts on a topic without

giving them much guidance or direction.

In academic research, qualitative methods have different approaches than

quantitative ones. Qualitative research aims to elicit detailed and open information

regarding varied replies. People are invited to give their ideas on a topic without

assistance in this study.

3.2 Data Source

Since the data was in the form of act, this study uses a descriptive

qualitative approach. In this study, the writer watched the film on the Netflix app.

Then the writer noted the beauty myth in the “Enola Holmes” Netflix app. The

data for the study is dialogue from the Netflix film “Enola Holmes". The writer

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chose Enola Holmes, a Netflix film, as the source of the data because it consists of

infringed beauty myth statements made by characters in that film.

3.3 Data Collection

In this study, the writer used several procedures to collect data, including

converting verbal data into written data. In addition, the writer also recognizes

phrases and sayings related to the legendary beauty myth category in dialogue

proverbs. During this time, several steps are taken in data analysis. First, the

writer writes the dialogue in teks. The second step includes data description and

analysis. The final step is to interpret the results.

3.4 Data Analysis

After obtaining the data that has been transcribed, the writer analysis the

data with the Wolf (1991) theory. Then, the writer will describe why the data.

This method makes it easier for writer to organize data. The writer prioritizes find

out the data that contained the beauty myth that used by the characters in Enola

Holmes based on Wolf (1991).

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Bhasin dan Khan. 1995. Persoalan Pokok Mengenai Feminisme dan

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Wolf, N. (1997). Geger gender. Yogyakarta: Pustaka Semesta Press.

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