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Library's collection Library's IT development CancelOppression toward women never stops. It happens without considering time
and place. In The Age of Innocence, Ellen Olenska is also being oppressed by the
concept of womanhood in the patriarchal society. Patriarchal concept of womanhood
is a concept about an ideal woman that is owned by patriarchal society. Old New
York where Ellen lives in is a patriarchal society that expects women to be pure and
innocent, pretending not to know the occasional unpleasantness of reality. Regarding
to the topic that is brought up in The Age of Innocence which is about Ellen Olenska?s
rebellion against the patriarchal concept of womanhood, I am encouraged to prove
that patriarchal concept of womanhood exists in Ellen?s society, and I am also curious
to know what makes her rebel against the concept of womanhood in patriarchal
society and how she shows her rebellion. This thesis is conducted to find out the
answers of those questions. For this reason, the discussion will be on the reason
behind the main female character?s rebellion toward the concept of good woman
according to the patriarchal society and the ways she confronts the society. I use a
literary approach in the discussion of the problem focusing on characterization and
conflict. I also use patriarchal concept of womanhood and also feminist aspiration to
support the main theories. In the findings, I have found that Ellen rebels because she
wants to get her freedom as a woman to do whatever she wants without being bound
by the concept of womanhood. She thinks that men and women are supposed to have
the same freedom. Moreover, she does some actions to confront her society?s concept
of womanhood. In conclusion, Ellen wants to prove that a woman is not as weak as
people always imagine. A woman dares to face any obstacles, such as patriarchal
concept of womanhood, in order to search out her desire.