Feminist Perspective of Cross-Gender Power Relation

In Caryl Churchills Top Girls

by
Jenny M. Djundjung and Yap Bie Yong
Abstract
Top Girls, one of Caryl Churchills most popular plays, describes the lives of si female
characters coming from different centuries. !ach of them has their o"n story to tell, as
they are all been victimi#ed by the patriarchal system in the century "hen they live and
ho" they resist the system "ith different strategies. $hey either employ roles that are
traditionally reserved for men or they employ archetypically feminine %ualities. Despite
their resistance and success, they find themselves unhappy and unsatisfied over their
achievements. $hus this raises the %uestion of the effectiveness of the feminist
movement.
Key words
patriarchal system, male domination, feminism, domination, subordination, resistance,
masculine traits, feminine traits, power relation, institutions, discrimination
Caryl Churchill is &no"n as one of the most creative British female play"rights. 'he
has "ritten many plays for radio, television, and theatre since ()*+s. ,er early "or&s
mostly tal& about -thematic and formal concerns, "ritten in linear time and space such as
The Ants.()*/, Lovesick.()**, and Identical Twins.()*0. ,o"ever, as a play"right
"ho -constantly re"rites herself in terms of theme and structure, her "or&s moved into a
ne" phase "hen she began to "rite for the Joint 'toc& Company.a male theatre
company and Monstrous 1egiment.one of the feminist theatre companies in Britain.
Churchill started to "rite in an eperimental "ay by 2playing "ith the conventions of
form, time, narrative, structure, language and dialogue3 45shton, ())6, p.78, focusing on
feminist issues. 'ince then, most of her "or&s deal mostly "ith political and social
problems related to issues on gender seen from a feminist point of vie" li&e in Owners
4()6/8, Vinegar Tom 4()6*8, loud !ine "()6)8, Top Girls "()0/8, and #en "()098. :n
(
these "or&s, she critici#ed the institutionali#ed gender identities, gender roles and
seuality under the dominant ideology, "hich put "omen in a marginali#ed position so
that they are al"ays politically disadvantaged and victimi#ed. Because of her deep
concern on these feminist issues, many feminists of different school of thoughts claim her
as their representative.
$he claim that she is a feminist "as ac&no"ledged by Churchill "hen she "as as&ed
about her "riting and feminism.
;or years and years : thought of myself as a "riter before : thought of myself
as a "oman, but recently :ve found that : "ould say : "as a feminist "riter as
opposed to other people saying : "as. :ve found that as : go out more into the
"orld and get into situations "hich involve "omen "hat : feel is %uite
strongly a feminist position and that inevitably comes into "hat : "rite.
45shton, ()66, p.(08
;or Churchill, "riting from a feminist point of vie" is something that comes to her
naturally as a "oman "riter. ,er concern over problems and situations that "omen
every"here for centuries have to face in the "orld "here male bias is as strongly as ever,
has put Churchill in the position of giving "omen chances to voice their opinions and
feelings over their situations in the characters of her plays. Churchill also plays "ith the
dramatic conventions to crystalli#e her points and concerns. 'he uses gender role<
reversal in Owners$ she combines seventeenth<century setting "ith contemporary songs
in Vinegar Tom= she utili#es cross<gender and cross<racial casting, cross<dressing, and
double roles in loud !ine and she 2defies the logic of historical chronological, and
spatial representation3 45shton, ()66, p. 908 in Top Girls "hich effectively communicate
her vie" on the issues discussed in the plays.
5mongst her feminist plays, Top Girls is considered as one of Churchills most
popular ones. :t has all<female casts and it eplores many aspects of "omens lives across
the centuries. :n this play, Churchill ma&es several eperiments on the structure and the
/
dialogues. $he uni%ue structure of Top Girls violates the linear structure and brea&s the
chronological order of time setting and place and it uses overlapping and continuous
dialogues. $he deconstruction is sho"n clearly in the "ay Churchill arranges the acts and
scenes as seen in the opening scene of the play "here si female characters from different
time and place, historical and imaginary, gather together to celebrate Marlenes success
in her promotion as a managing director. $he purpose of brea&ing the linear structure is
to gather the si characters and project the situation faced by each of the characters in
their "ays of surviving inside a system, "hich is dominantly patriarchal. $he function of
the si characters personal eperiences 2symboli#e the eploitation of "omen
throughout the ages, providing the perspective for evaluating the contemporary model of
success in Marlene3 4:nnes, ())/, p. >*78.
$he si characters attending the dinner in the opening scene are Marlene, ?ope Joan,
:sabella Bird, @ady Aijo, Dull Bret, and ?atient Briselda. !cept for Dull Bret, they can
fall into t"o categories, they become famous because they ta&e the roles, "hich are
traditionally reserved, for men C li&e :sabella Bird the Dictorian traveler, ?ope Joan and
Marlene. Er they embody archetypal feminine %ualities li&e @ady Aijo, a Japanese
courtesan and Briselda "ho is celebrated for her patience 4:nnes, ())/, p. >*78 5ll of
these characters have several similarities in a sense that they all have eperiences dealing
"ith the misery of living in a patriarchal society and are victimi#ed by the system despite
their effort to defeat the system. 5ll of them have tried to beat the system either by
adopting "hat are considered to be masculine or feminine traits, yet all of them are either
trapped in the social construction of feminine traits or betrayed by their o"n bodies
"hich have the capability to have children.
$he main character, Marlene, "as born into a "or&ing class family "here domestic
violence "as a routine. 'he gre" up and "itnessing her mother constantly being abused
by her father "ithout the least desire to defend herself or to retaliate against such
mistreatment. Marlene mothers passive acceptance of the abuse, suggests that she
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considers such treatment as natural and common "hich further encourages her husband to
continue "ith his abuse. Marlene finds her mothers passivity in accepting her -fate to be
so offensive that it has left a deep mar& in Marlenes mind and she is determined not to
let herself in her mothers helpless, "ea& and submissive position.
JEYC!. You said Mother had a "asted life.
M51@!A!. Yes : do. Married to that bastard. . . . : dont "ant to tal& about
him.
JEYC!. You started, : "as tal&ing about her. 'he had a rotten life because she
had nothing. 'he "ent hungry.
M51@!A!. 'he "as hungry because he dran& the money.F ,e used to hit her.
. . . 'he didnt hit him. . . . : had to get out, . . . : &ne" "hen : "as thirteen,
out of their house, out of them, never let that happen to me,F never let him,
ma&e my o"n "ay, out 4Churchill, ())+, p. (90<)8.
Marlene sees her father as representing men in general "hile domesticity does not suit
her at all, as she does not intent to be in a position "here she has to be submissive to a
man. $hus, since she "as thirteen, Marlene has taught herself to find "ays to escape her
fate as a "or&ing class "oman, because she 2hateGsH the "or&ing class3 4Churchill,
p.(9)8 and their "ays of living "hich she finds offensive. 5t the same time, ho"ever,
even though she hates her abusive father, she finds po"er and control to be desirable, that
her leaving her house since she "as thirteen is the form of control and po"er she eercise
to determine her future. 'he resists the male po"er and control in the family, her fathers,
and the societys po"er and control over her class position, by running a"ay from all that
bind her to the "ill of others.
Despite her efforts, she needs men to fulfill her biological needs that she has a lover
and her body betrays her "hen she finds herself pregnant at the age of seventeen. :t seems
unavoidable that she has to get married and settle do"n li&e the other girls of her class, or
>
li&e her sister, Joyce, "ho is married but childless. But once again, Marlene is able to
escape the trap of marriage by giving a"ay her child to her sister.
JEYC!. . . . You said you "erent &eeping it. You . . . shouldnt have had it F if
you "asnt going to &eep it. . . . You "as the most stupid,F for someone so
clever you "as the most stupid, get yourself pregnant, not go to the doctor,
not tell.
M51@!A!. You "anted it, you said you "ere glad, : remember the day, you
said :m glad you never got rid of it, :ll loo& after it . . . .
JEYC!. You said : got her off you F "hen you didnt C
M51@!A!. : said you "ere luc&y F the "ay it C
JEYC!. ,ave a child no" if you "ant one. Youre not old.
M51@!A!. : might do. . . . :ve been on the pill so long F :m probably sterile.
4p.(9> <78
;or the young Marlene, her pregnancy is a leap bac&"ard, because her pregnancy
threatens the reali#ation of her future plans and puts her on the brin& of repeating her
mothers story. Moreover, the baby is certainly a burden, it "ill tie her do"n to
domesticity and she cannot afford to have a baby if she "ants to pursue her ambition as a
career "oman. :n some "ay, her decision to be a successful unmarried career "oman is
the manifestation of her effort to escape "hat is considered to be the traditional trap in the
form of the marriage institution, "here male domination reigns. Joyces calling her stupid
might clearly describe Marlenes feeling "hen she found herself pregnant. $he only "ay
out for young Marlene at that time "as -to get rid of it someho".
But for the successful Marlene "ho has gone to defeat the "orld, she feels regret over
"hat she has gone through. $he longing she feels to have a child is detected by Joyce
"hen she tells Marlene to have a child again. Marlene might also feel a bit of guilt that
she has given her baby a"ay and not ta&en care of it "hen it is hers and her responsibility
so that she offers to ta&e 5ngie, her child, bac& if Joyce does not "ant 5ngie. Despite her
7
determination to be independent, successful and in control, Marlene cannot escape the
trap of -the myth of maternal instinct, a concept "hich believes that 2the nurturing
behaviors of mother to"ard their children are determined by biological factors3
4Brannon, ())*, p. /++8. $his myth has been instilled in her that as a "oman "ho has
given birth to a child, she should feel maternal and her not having it might be considered
as her being unnatural and a frea&. 5nd she has been accused of this by Mrs. Iidd, the
"ife of the man Marlene has defeated for her managing position, "hen she says, 2 Youre
one of these ballbrea&ers F thats "hat you are. Youll end up . . . miserable and lonely.
Youre not natural3 4p. ((98. $he accusation seems to affects Marlene than "hat she is
"illing to admit. 'he has the fear she might end up li&e "hat Mrs. Iidd has predicted=
therefore, her offer to ta&e her daughter is a &ind of remedy for being -unnatural and to
start by being -natural. ,er offer to ta&e her daughter bac&, then, does not mean that she
has developed the instinct, but because she feels that it is only natural for her to possess
the instinct.
Marlene seems to reali#e that she is carried a"ay by her feeling "hen she reveals to
Joyce that she really does not "ant a child.
M51@!A!. :ve had t"o abortions, are you interestedJ 'hall : tell you about
themJ Kell : "ont, its boring, it "asnt a problem. : dont li&e messy tal&
about blood F and "hat a bad . . . time "e all had. : dont "ant a baby. : dont
"ant to tal& about gynaecology 4p.(978.
,er outburst about her real feeling about a baby also reveals ho" she hates getting
pregnant and has to abort it. $his is not only about the baby, but more of her protest
against the unfairness of the "hole system, "hich puts the "oman in the -messy business
after a seual relationship. Komen have to bear the conse%uence of a seual relationship
by getting pregnant, "hereas men do not have to deal "ith it. Komen also have to deal
"ith guilt and regret "hereas men are free from these feelings. Marlenes protest can be
interpreted as a cry of protest against the creation of a "omans body, "hich she feels to
*
be a "ea&ness for "omen in general= yet, it is something that she cannot run a"ay from.
:n a sense then, even nature seems to ta&e side "ith men.
:f Marlene consciously gives up her baby because she &no"s that a baby "ould mean
a barrier to her career, Joans case is different. @iving in the ninth century, an age "here
"omen "ere considered as second<class citi#ens, Joan finds her rights to get education
denied by the dominant patriarchal system at that time "hich is represented by the
Church. @onging for &no"ledge and education, Joan decided to disguise herself as a man
and entered the Church, "hich enabled her to occupy the top position in the system "hen
she became a cardinal and then the ?ope. By becoming a ?ope, Joan has successfully
defeated the system because the patriarchal system that has discriminated against her se,
gives her po"er to control over the male se. 5s a ?ope, she also has the po"er to change
the truth, as "hat she has revealed to Marlene.
JE5A. : had thought the ?ope "ould &no" everything. : thought Bod "ould
spea& to me directly. But of course he &ne" : "as a "oman. . . . 5nd :
realised : did &no" the truth. Because "hatever the ?ope says, thatLs true. . .
Yes, : enjoyed being ?ope. : consecrated bishops and let people &iss my feet.
: received the Iing of !ngland "hen he came to submit to the church.
Mnfortunately there "ere earth%ua&es, and some village reported it had
drained blood, and in ;rance there "as a plague of giant grasshoppers, but :
donLt thin& that can have been my fault, do youJ . . . $he grasshoppers fell
on the !nglish Channel and "ere "ashed up on shore and their bodies rotted
and poisoned the air and everyone in those parts died 4p. *0<)8.
:n a sense, Joan is able to defeat the system by totally immersing in the system and
becomes part of it. ,er eposure that the truth is actually from the ?ope himself as a man
and not from Bod, has the po"er to deconstruct the belief at that time "hich regarded the
?ope as the embodiment of Christ on earth. Joan suspects that the ?ope does not really
have divine po"er, because as the ?ope, Joan has never had the eperience of Bod
6
tal&ing to her. Yet, it becomes merely her suspicion as she is also "ondering that it is
because Bod &no"s that she is a "oman "ho is not supposed to be in that position that
,e refuses to tal& to her. Yet, Joan tends to believe more in the later suspicion "hen she
connects the natural disaster that happened during her being the ?ope to her tric&ery as a
"oman "ho dared to deceive the patriarchal system of the church. :t is as if even nature
protested against her being a pope as it is not natural for a "oman to be in the position.
$herefore, it can be assumed that the Church, an institution that is believed to be the most
sacred and indiscriminating, is actually a fraud constructed to benefit men and to
conserve male domination. Khether or not male domination is natural, is a %uestion even
Joan cannot ans"er, but as the product of her age, she has been implanted "ith the belief
of the inferiority of her se and the superiority of the male se that she &eeps "ondering
if nature meant it to be so that the natural disasters that might be just a coincidence, are
related to her being LunnaturalL.
,er success "as put in jeopardy "hen she got pregnant "ith one of her chamberlains.
,aving disguised as a man since she "as t"elve and lived in an environment full of men,
Joan had a very minimal &no"ledge about her body and her capacity as a "oman. 'he
decided to ignore her pregnancy simply because she did not reali#e her being able to bear
a child, thin&ing that she "as just getting fat because of the luurious life she has as a
pope. $he result of that ignorance "as fatal to Joan.
M51@!A!. DidnLt you thin& of getting rid of itJ
JE5A. KouldnLt that be a "orse sin than having itJ F But a ?ope "ith a child
"as about as bad as possible. . . . But : "ouldnLt &no" ho" to get rid of it.
M51@!A!. Ether ?opes had children surely.
JE5A. $hey didnLt give birth to them.
A:JE. Kell you "ere a "oman.
JE5A. !actly and : shouldnLt have been a "oman. Komen, children and
lunatics canLt be ?ope. . . . 5nd the baby just slid out onto the road. . . . $hey
too& me by the feet and dragged me out of to"n and stoned me to death
4p. *)<6(8.
0
@i&e Marlene, as a "oman, Joan is also the one "ho has to bear the conse%uences of the
seual relationship she has "ith one of her chamberlains. ,er ignorance that she is
actually pregnant, even though seems illogical, indicates ho" a "oman is punished
because of her ignorance, yet a man can get a"ay freely. $hat popes can have children as
long as they do not give birth to them is another form of discrimination against the female
se. :t is as if the physical form of a "oman becomes the cause of her being inferior to a
man, as her body "ill bear the mar& of her actions that she is liable for social punishment.
$hat a man does not bear the mar& has freed him from social judgments, thus he is
blameless, "hich puts him in a superior position. JoanLs regret of being a "oman is her
protest against the injustice done to her and her o"n se simply because of her physical
form, so that she says, 2if it hadnt been for the baby : epect :d have lived to an old age
li&e $heodora of 5leandria, "ho lived as a mon&.3 4p.*)8. $hat statement discloses ho"
a baby has sealed her tragic fate.
Joan and Briselda are in t"o opposite poles. :f Joan adopts the male role to the
etreme, Briselda embraces the archetypal feminine %uality that is, being patience to the
utmost. Briselda is a character from the thirteenth century literature, and Marlenes
introduction states that 2Briseldas in Boccaccio and ?etrach and Chaucer because of her
etraordinary marriage . . .. Briseldas life is li&e a fairy<story, ecept it starts "ith
marrying the prince3 4p. 6>8. $his brief introduction discloses that Briselda has the
attention of three famous male "riters because of her ability to endure her marriage "ith
etreme patience, "hich is considered etraordinary even for her time. 'he is the
daughter of a poor farmer and is married to a mar%uis. ,er being chosen as the mar%uiss
"ife, is a blessing that she cannot refuse, as she is besto"ed "ith "ealth and a higher
status.
B1:'!@D5. . . . 5nd he came and spo&e to my father. . . . My father could
hardy spea&. $he Mar%uis said it "asnt an order, : could say no, but if : said
yes : must al"ays obey him in everything.
)
M51@!A!. $hats "hen you should have suspected.
B1:'!@D5. But of course a "ife must obey her husband. F 5nd of course :
must obey the Mar%uis. :d rather obey the Mar%uis than a boy from the
village. 4p. (68
Briseldas acceptance of the proposal is not purely because of her obedience since she is
also calculating the benefit of marrying a "ealthy man "ith a status rather than a poor
man. 'he thin&s that she has to get married any"ay and has to obey her husband as much.
$he Mar%uis re%uest for a complete obedience is more proper for a subordinate rather
than for a "ife, but Briseldas total acceptance of the re%uest, eposes ho" it is
considered to be naturally a mans rights to do so. !ven though she is going to be his
"ife, her status "ould never be e%ual to his= not only because of her social status, but also
because of her status as a "oman.
;or Briselda, total obedience is her epression of love as she says= 2Kalter found it
hard to believe : loved him. ,e couldnt believe : "ould al"ays obey him. ,e had to
prove it3 4p. 6*8. 5s Briselda is the product of her age, she accepts "ithout %uestioning
the myth that a good "oman should obey her husband in any"ay as the proof of her love
and loyalty to him. 'he has never %uestioned that it does not "or& the other "ay round.
5s a proof of her love, thus a total obedience, Briselda lets Kalter ta&e her si<"ee&<old
baby girl a"ay from her "ithout so much of a protest because 2:t "as Kalters child to
do "hat he li&ed "ith . . .. : had promised . . .. ,e "anted to see if : loved him enough3
4p. 668. 'he also does not protest "hen Kalter ta&es a"ay her second child, a t"o<year<
old boy. $he children, considered to be the most precious things for a mother, can be used
as a tool to sho" male superiority, sho"ing that they are less important than the man of
the family. ,e can do "hatever he "ants "ith his "ife and children since they are his
possession to &eep or to discard. $he third test is "hen Kalter sent Briselda home
"earing only a slip, because he "ants to marry a girl from the aristocracy and later as&s
her to prepare for the "edding. Briselda passes all the tests as she al"ays obeys and never
critici#es or protests the injustice done to her. :n a "ay, a "oman li&e Briselda has helped
(+
to maintain the eistence of the patriarchal system, as she is a "illing participant. $he
lac& of responses from Briselda over her husbands domination can have multi
interpretation= as a pessimistic response to"ard the uselessness of fighting for her rights
because the system is too strong for her, as an acceptance for "hat she considers to be the
nature of things, as her lac& of motherly love to"ard her children or as her resistance over
the domination by not responding to the provocation.
Khen Briselda has patiently passed all the tests, she is "ell re"arded.
B1:'!@D5. . . .5nd he stayed behind and put his arms round me and &issed
me. F : felt half asleep "ith shoc&
. M51@!A!. 5nd he said, -$his is your daughter and your son.
B1:'!@D5. Yes. . . . Kell : fainted. $hen : cried and &issed the children. . . .
Ef course, : loved them. . . 4p. 6)8
Briselda "as also clothed in cloth of gold as a re"ard for her obedience. Ene can see here
that Briselda is treated more li&e an object "hose feeling is of no importance. $hat she is
re"arded for her submissiveness is the "ay in "hich the patriarchal system maintains its
po"er by declaring "omens submissiveness as a desirable and virtuous trait and
legali#ing male domination in a marriage. :n another sense, Briseldas re"ard for her
obedience can be seen as her triumph in her effort to resist the po"er that tries to brea&
her do"n, that she remains strong until she gets all that is precious to her, even though
she has to pay the price by sacrificing her children, by enduring psychological battering
and personal deprivation. $hus, a marriage institution becomes the place "here male
po"er governs, but it is not unchallenged. :t is also contested by the po"er of feminine
submissiveness.
Khat happens to Briselda, also happens to @ady Aijo, the Japanese courtesan of the
thirteenth century. 'he "as born in Japans Iama&ura period.a religious period in Japan
"hen Buddhism and Nen "ere flourishing. 'he is Briseldas counterpart of the eastern
version of female oppression, and she is an object o"ned by her master, the !mperor, li&e
Briselda "ho is o"ned by the Mar%uis= "hose "ills are orders that cannot be refused.
((
$hey both have their fathers consent to serve their masters. @ady Aijo "as brought up
and trained to serve the !mperor as a courtesan at the age of fourteen.
A:JE. . . . 'o "hen the time came : did nothing but cry. My thin go"n "ere badly
ripped . . . .
M51@!A!. 5re you saying he raped youJ
A:JE. . . . Ao, of course not, Marlene, : belonged to him, it "as "hat : "as
brought for from a baby. : soon found : "as sad if he stayed a"ay. :t "as
depressing day after day not &no"ing "hen he "ould come. : never enjoyed
ta&ing other "omen to him. . . . my father "as a very religious man. Just before
he died he said to me, -'erve ,is Majesty, be respectful, if you lose his favour
enter holy orders 4p. 7*<68.
'he has no choice but to be "hat she has been brought up to do even though it is against
her "ill. Aijos response to the rape sho"s ho" male domination is unchallenged so that
even "hen the "oman has been victimi#ed, she regards it as something as it is supposed
to be. 'he also has to try hard to gain the !mperors favor, because there "ould be no
future for her outside the court and she has to be either able to survive in the court full of
other courtesans to maintain her position or else she a nun that she says, 2there "as
nothing in my life, nothing, "ithout the !mperors favour3 4p. **8 $he society in "hich
@ady Aijo lives in is very patriarchal as her life and future are decided by her father, and
then by the !mperor. @ady Aijo is oppressed by the men in her life and she is not a"are
of the oppression, ta&ing it for granted that it is the nature of the "orld.
Mnli&e Briselda "ho chooses to remain submissive, Aijo chooses to ta&e t"o lovers
"hen she is out of the !mperors favour. 'he also cheats the !mperor as a form of
retaliation against "hat has been done to her.
A:JE. . . . My first child "as ,is Majestys, "hich unfortunately died, but my
second "as 5&ebonos. . . . Ao" ,is Majesty hadnt been near me for t"o
months so he thought : "as four months pregnant "hen : "as really si, so
(/
"hen : reached the ninth month F : announced : "as seriously ill . . . . :t "as
only a girl but : "as sorry to lose it. $hen : told the emperor that the baby
had miscarried because of my illness, and there you are. $he danger "as past
4p. 6+8.
,er fear of being found out of her deed has made her resume to tric&ery. ,er deed
reflects her acceptance of the patriarchal value, "hich legali#es men to have lovers and
children openly "ithout the judgment over his morality, "hereas "omen are demanded to
be pious and loyal to one man only. Aijos action of ta&ing secret lovers can be
interpreted as her unconscious protest against the injustice of the system, "hich
discriminates "omen so that she ta&es the privilege reserved for men. Yet, she is also the
one "ho bears the mar& of her action since she is the one "ho has to give birth of her
four babies, "hereas a man "ould not have this mar&. 'he can meet Joans fate if she
does not deliver the babies in secrecy and eliminates all evidence of her having them. 'he
is still be the one "ho has to pay, sacrificing her babies in order to save her position and
her status, because an illegal baby might end her luurious life as the !mperors
courtesan. 5s she has no life outside the court, this is her attempt for survival that she has
to pay highly.
,er paying the price has robbed her the maternal feeling that by the time she has her
fourth child, she feels nothing, 2:t "as a boy again . . . .But oddly enough : felt nothing
for him3 4p.6/8. 'he has so deprived of her children that she has to suppress her maternal
feeling as her defense mechanism to survive. 'he &eeps as&ing Briselda about her
feelings for her children as they are also ta&en a"ay from her.
A:JE. But did you feel anything for themJ
B1:'!@D5. KhatJ
A:JE. Did you feel anything for the childrenJ . . . Aobody gave me bac& my
children 4p. 6)8.
Aijos insistence on &no"ing Briseldas feelings for her children reveals Aijos deep
longing to have her children "ith her and her surprise in finding that she feels nothing
(9
over her last child sho"s that she loves her other children so much that it hurts her.
Because of the repeated denial over her o"n babies, she becomes numb. $his is her
protection from being hurt again. 'he is envious over Briselda "ho can have her children
again. ;rom these t"o "omen, one can say that because Briselda remains submissive, a
desirable %uality in a "oman, then she is re"arded "ith the reconciliation "ith her
children= but Aijo "ho has dared to fight the system, is punished, as she has to live alone
as a nun. 'he has been deprived of her lovers and children because she dared to cheat li&e
Joan. ;rom the fates that befall these t"o "omen, one can dra" the conclusion that these
t"o literary and historical characters are created by men "ho have to ensure the
supremacy of their position by creating characters that can sho" the desirable and
undesirable %ualities in a "oman.
$he fifth character is :sabella Bird "ho Marlene introduces as the Dictorian traveller.
'he is the daughter of a clergyman "ho has spent half of her life doing domestic "or&
and charity "or&, ta&ing care of the sic& and needy. 'he does these "or&s "hen her
father is still alive, because under the Dictorian 2Cult of $rue Komanhood3 and the
2Doctrine of the $"o 'pheres3, a "omans place is at home, either as a daughter, sister,
"ife or mother and does the domestic duty such as coo&ing and nursing the sic&
4Brannon, ())*, p. (6+8. ,er being a -true "oman of the Dictorian time re%uires her to
ta&e care of her father, as she is motherless and unmarried. But as soon as her father dies,
she finds herself free to do her desire to travel the "orld. Based on the Dictorian rules,
she should not have such mobility because her "orld is supposed to circle around home
and family and traveling is associated "ith the "orld outside home and it is believed that
only men can have the mobility to do so. $he death of her father also the death of the
male domination that has so far binds her to domesticity. :sabella is free from any male
supremacy, "hich regulates "hat she should or should not do as a "oman, so that she has
the choices and the freedom to follo" her desire.
Yet, as a Dictorian "oman "ho has been educated that it is not natural for a "oman to
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have the activities outside the home, :sabella tries to settle do"n. !ven though she "as
not interested in marriage, she reveals, 2: did "ish marriage had seemed more of a step. :
tried very hard to cope "ith the drudgery of life. : "as ill again . . . : al"ays felt dull
"hen : "as stationary. F $hats "hy : could never stay any"here3 4p. *7, *68. ,er effort
to fulfill "hat is considered to be the natural "omens place, that is home, does not sit
"ell "ith :sabella, as she constantly gets various illnesses. $herefore, as soon as her
husband dies, she travels again.
'he also tries to repent from her -sin of leaving domesticity for the "orld so that she
purges her sin in doing charity "or&.
:''5B!@@5. Khenever : came bac& to !ngland : felt : had so much to atone
for. . . . : did no good in my life. : spent years in self<gratification. 'o :
hurled myself into committees, : nursed the people of $obermory in the
epidemic of influen#a, : lectured the Young "omens Christian 5ssociation
on $hrift. : tal&ed and tal&ed eplaining ho" the !ast "as corrupt and
vicious. My travels must do good to someone beside myself. : "ore myself
out "ith good causes 4p. 6/8
:nstead of feeling contentment in her activity, :sabella feels herself to be selfish that she
has traveled the "orld "ithout "orrying for domestic duties, because only men can do
that. 'he feels guilty of brea&ing the Cult and the Doctrine that are constructed to ensure
female inferiority. By denying them, she gets the &no"ledge of the outside "orld and the
freedom to travel. 'he feels she has done the forbidden that from time to time she
resumes her feminine role, by tying herself do"n in a marriage so that she could not but
do her domestic duty and by doing charity "or&. ,er sharing of her travel eperience
might be seen as her effort to educate other "omen, but at the same time it illustrates ho"
she lets her prejudice for the east to color "hat she regards as reality. 5s this role is
usually mens, one can "onder that the construction of the Kestern &no"ledge of the
!ast is from male perspective, "hich is laden "ith prejudices. :n a sense, :sabellas
mobility and freedom are not free. 'he pays them "ith the feeling of guilt and self<denial
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from the enjoyment of traveling by using her health and her grief for her dead husband as
her justification to continue traveling,
$he last character is Dull Bret.the subject in Brueghels painting entitled Dulle
Briete 4$errific Briete8. 'he does not tal& much throughout the play and offers only
monosyllabic comments here and there and her longest speech is put at the end of the first
act to conclude the stories of all the other five "omen. Despite her passivity during the
conversation of the other characters, Dull Bret is the only one "ho openly attac&s and
ta&es revenge against all the -devils in hell that have ta&en a"ay her children. 'he "ill
not just sit passively regretting her fate, but is ready to ta&e action in revenge for her lost
children.
B1!$. . . . Ked all had family &illed. My big son die on a "heel. Birds eat
him. My baby, a soldier run her through "ith a s"ord. :d had enough, : "as
mad, : hate the bastards. : come out of my front door that morning and shout
till my neighbours come out and : said, 3Come on, "ere going "here the
evil come from and pay the bastards out. 5nd they come out just as they
"as . . . . :ve got a s"ord in my hand from some"here . . . . You just &eep
running on and fighting F you didnt stop for nothing. Eh "e give them
devils
such a beating 4p. 0/8.
(*
$he picture illustrates ho" Dull Bret fights for the devils. ,er longest speech in the play
besides "rapping up the other "omens stories also sho"s the ans"er to all the problems
these "omen have. 5ction spea&s louder than "ords. $a&ing her neighbors "ith her
demonstrates the needs for all "omen "ho have been deprived of their rights and
children to unite to fight the devils together. $he devils in hell she refers to symboli#e all
aspects of life that have robbed "omen of their happiness. But she also describes that the
fight "ill not be easy. $hey "ill face hell and they "ill have to continue fighting and
never let anything stop them from fighting for their rights. !ven though there is no
promise that the fight "ill bring victory, there has been some revenge that "omen "ill
not be ta&en "ithout due consideration
5ll these si female characters analy#ed above, share several similarities. ;irst of all,
all of the characters live in a patriarchal society and all of them, consciously or
unconsciously, have the a"areness of their rights and they fully reali#e that they do not
deserve to be treated badly. 5s a result of this a"areness, all of them demonstrate
resistance to "in and survive the patriarchal system by using different strategies. 5ll of
them gain success in a sense that they can achieve "hat they "ant.Marlene gets a
successful career, Joan becomes a pope, Briselda "ins the respect from her society, both
Aijo and :sabella have their freedom and Bret has her revenge. Yet, all of them have to
pay a price for their success. Marlene has to pay "ith abortions and giving a"ay her
daughter so that she can pursue her career. Joan has to pay "ith her life. Aijo and
Briselda have to sacrifice their children for their social status. :sabella pays "ith her
constant feeling of guilt and Dull Bret loses all her children.
Considering the price that they have to pay < a %uestion arises on the "orth of the
success that they have gained. 5re all of the characters satisfied "ith their "ay of
struggling to get "hat the male definition of successJ :n one part of the play, Marlene
spea&s for all of the characters, as&ing one %uestion 2Eh Bod, "hy are "e all so
miserableJ3 4p.6/8. $his %uestion is an irony, that despite all the sacrifice, they do not feel
happy or satisfied over "hat they have achieved. :t "ill further %uestion the effectiveness
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of the "omen fighting for their rights, that 2GcHritics have sometimes %uestioned the
ideological purpose of Marlene, or Top Girls in general, as&ing "hether to read Marlene
and the play as a celebration of "omens achievements or a criti%ue of bourgeois
feminismJ3 45shton, ())6, p. >+8 :s Marlene a protagonist or is she an antagonistJ $hat
is "hy some criti%ues even consider this play as an anti<feminist play because of the blur
ending. Churchills emphasis on the negative effects of the feminist movement "hich
completely ta&e over the mens "ays of achieving success, as they are 2adopting eactly
those aggressive and predatory values "hich have for centuries oppressed "omen3
4:nnes, ())/, p. >**8. :t "ill mean that they "ill create a ne" form of discrimination and
oppression, the devils that Dull Bret has continued beating, against the other se.
,o"ever one interprets the play, the eperience of these si "omen eemplifies ho"
male domination in the patriarchal system has occurred since centuries ago and is
supported by the most sacred institutions of the Church and flourishes in the marriage
institution. :ndividual fights of these "omen "ill never come to any achievement,
because the system is too "ell rooted to beat. Komen should rethin& and reshape their
"ay of struggling against the patriarchal system. !liminating the "ell<established
patriarchal system needs more than imitating males roles and forgetting "omens o"n
nature and identity.
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