The Portrayal of Women's Struggle in the Sold Novel by Patricia McCormick A Feminist Analysis

This study is aimed at analyzing the struggles fought by three characters, Lakhsmi, Ama, and Monica, against gender inequality in the novel Sold by Patricia McCormick. In this study, the researcher analyzes what forms of gender inequality these three characters experience and the researcher analyzed how they struggle to get their rights back. This study uses feminist theory and focuses on using liberal feminist theory. The data used for this research are in the sentences and words of a dialogue related to the problems faced by the three characters. In this study, researchers find three types of gender inequality experienced by Lakhsmi, Ama, and Monica. Inequal education experienced by Lakhsmi, the inequal liberty experienced by Lakhsmi, Ama, and Monica, and the inequality of rights experienced by Lakhsmi, Ama, and Monica. Furthermore, the researcher finds three types of women’s struggles carried out by the three characters: women’s struggle against inequality in education, liberty, and rights. The researcher implies that in this research gender inequality between men and women is still widely found in Asia, this research also opens the eyes of readers and researchers to how badly the inequality that must be endured by women is depicted by the three main characters that have been described through direct and indirect characterization. In addition, this research also opens up new knowledge about how women struggle to get their rights back.

Keywords: liberal feminist, women's struggle.