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Analysis of Family Institutions in Literary Work A Mere Interlude by

Thomas Hardy

Name
NIM

: Tika Octavianti
: 2013130053

Faculty of Literature
English Literature S1
Darma Persada University
Jakarta, 7 August 2015

Introduction
In this age where everything uses money, some say that money can
buy happiness.

Meanwhile some say it can not. Money can not buy

happiness, but it can buy new dress, food ,cars , houses, etc that will make
people happy. In the end of nineteenth century, it also happened. A woman
prefer an old-but-rich man than poor-but-handsome man. They thought by
marrying a rich man, he would provide all her needs. They didnt have to
work all day to get it. They would marry someone who they thought could
solve their problem eventhough they did not love each others. Marriage was
seen as a way out of their problem. A Mere Interlude is a short story from
the author Thomas Hardy. It is a story about

Stoic Baptista , a

schoolteacher, travels home to marry her old neighbor Mr. Heddegan and
runs into her ex-lover Charley on the way.
The two elope and prepare to profess their union to her parents, but
before they can do so, Charley dies in a tragic accident. Baptista returns to
her parents, tells no one about her marriage to Charley, and marries Mr.
Heddegan. The story revolves around the guilt and betrayal that Baptista
wrestles with in her mind. Should she tell her husband about her past lover?.
A Mere Interlude is one of the short stories in nineteenth century
in british. It contains the British social institutons in that era, especially the
family institutions. Through this literary work, we can know more about
social institutions of British. How they use the institution in their social life.
I think A Mere Interlude shows that marriage is a way when you get
stuck at something.

Benefits of Study
-

To know the social institutions in A Mere Interlude


To know how social institutions in British

Literary Review
Florianne Jimennez said in her journal that a story such as A Mere
Interlude is jarring to read in the 21st century, because really, does it matter
that youve been married before?. But then, the value of reading a story is
in escaping your present moment, in learning to connect what knowledge
you have of history with what youre reading in order to empathize. She
said dont be too hard on poor Baptista times were different then. As
tempting as it is to brush off her dilemma. We also have to recognize that the
Victorian era was incredibly restrictive for women and for relationships in
general. Hardy handles the conflict between oneself, societal judgment, and
ones fears beautifully, and his prose remains readable even to 21st century
readers.

Theoretical Framework
Social institution is

an organized system of social norms and

relationships which embody certain common values and procedures which


meet basic

needs of society. Social institutions are established or

standardized patterns of rule-governed behavior. They include the family,


education, religion, and economic and political institutions. Family
institution is a sytem of interrelated norms and values that fulfill a set of
purposes which developed from the need for stable and defined relationship
for raising and assigning the work necessary for their survival. The
institution of family has three important functions:

a. To provide for the rearing of children


b. To provide a sense of identity or belonging among its members
c. To transmit culture between generations
Marriage is the approved pattern for establishing a family.
Kinds of marriage are endogamy, exogamy, monogamy, polygamy,
polyandry. Marriage is the approved pattern for establishing a family. It
is for principle of legitimacy of society, avoid incest taboo. It prevents
sexual competition and jealousies within the family. It also maintains
family unity and stability. Family institutions has functions for
reproduction,

regulation of sexual activity , socialization, status

ascription, protection, and economic.


In some cultures, after marriage, a couple live in the wifes
familys household, the practice is called matrilocality. When the
couple lives in the husbands familys house hold, the practice is called
patriolocality. If they go out and have their own place to live, they
practice neolocality.

In some cultures, after marriage, a couple lives in the wifes


familys householda practice called matrilocality. When couples
live in the husbands familys household, the practice is
called patriolocality. If they go out and get their own place to live,
they practice neolocaliEvery society has to prepare its young people
for a place in adult life and teach them societal values through a
process called education. Education is an important agent of
socialization and encourages social integration, especially in
countries with diverse populations. Through their schools, students
from a variety of cultural backgrounds come into contact with
mainstream cul It is The process of changing attitudes and code of

conduct of a person or a group of people in an attempt to mature


human being through the efforts of teaching or training.
Manifest Function :
-

Prepare for occupational role performance. Prepare someone

how learn to learn


Preserve and transmit the culture
Encourage democratic participation

Analysis
A Mere Interlude tells about Baptista, the daughter of a small
farmer in St Maria's, one of the Isles of Lyonesse. She works as a
schoolmistress in a village near Tor-upon-Sea. During the Easter holidays
she accepts a marriage proposal by Mr David Heddegan, a rich man from
Giant's Town who is over 30 years older than herself.
On a Saturday at the end of July, four days before her wedding, she
misses the steamboat from Pen-zephyr to St Mary's, and the next boat is
only on Tuesday. She meets Charles Stow, her former boyfriend. He
persuades her to marry him. The ceremony takes place on Tuesday morning
in Trufal. Back in Pen-zephyr Charles takes a plunge in the sea and drowns.
One day later Baptista marries Mr Heddegan as planned, without
telling anyone about the brief interlude on the mainland. They spend their
wedding night at an inn in Pen-zephyr, accidentally the same place where
Charles' corpse is kept.
After less than a month a decayed glazier, who witnessed Baptista's
first wedding, starts blackmailing her. When he keeps asking for more and
more money she finally decides to tell the truth to her husband. He

confesses he's a widower himself and father of four daughters. After this she
gradually begins to love her stepdaughters and husband.
There are some social institutions that are reflected in the story. First
is the educational institutions. In the end of 19th century, all children in
Britain had to go to school up to the age of thirteen , where they were taught
reading, writing, and arithmetic. Many new schools and universities had
begun to grow rapidly. Baptista was sent to the mainland by her father to get
her education. She was trained to be a teacher.
...on her education, by sending her to the mainland for two years. At
nineteen she was entered at the Training College for Teachers, and at
twenty-one nominated to a school in the country, near Tor-upon-Sea,....

This means that the story reflects the function of educational institutions to
prepare for occupational role performance, to prepare someone how learn to
learn.
The family institution is the institution that become the main topic
here. Baptista chose to marry Mr. Hedeggan, the old and rich man who was
20 years older than her. She thought it was the way out of her
problem,because she did not like her job right now. Mr. Hedeggan was a
rich man, so he could providea ll of her needs eventhough she did not like to
marry him.
Well, I simply hate school. I don't care for children--they are unpleasant,
troublesome little things, whom nothing would delight so much as to hear
that you had fallen down dead
They say I shall never excel as a schoolmistress if I dislike the work so,
and that therefore I ought to get settled by marrying Mr Heddegan. Between

us two, I like him better than school; but I don't like him quite so much as to
wish to marry him.
In the era, mostly people married because of economic reason and
not because their personal happiness. They married someone who was rich
to provide their needs, so they could live their life.
Also, people started thinking about enjoying some free time. School
and libraries opened in towns. Then, many people began to travel for
pleasure . They went to the new seaside holiday towns or enjoyed the
countryside, or smaller seaside resorts. The seaside became a place where
families could take holidays together.
Baptista went to some places with her husband for their pleasure.
Yet the town and the walks in this land of strawberries, these headquarters
of early English flowers and fruit, were then, as always, attractive. From the
more picturesque streets she went to the town gardens, and the Pier, and the
Harbour,
In her anxiety they had travelled so early that when they reached Penzephyr they found there were nearly two hours on their hands before the
steamer's time of sailing.
Heddegan had imagined that any trip would be pleasant, and one to the
mainland the pleasantest of all.
Being a widower seems like a shame in the era, they hide their status
from their couple. Actually, it is not that matter, because in the end the
family must have unity and stability, they must be honest to run their
household. In the beginning, Baptista hide the fact that she was Charles
widow and Hedeggan also hide that he had been married with a poor woman
(economic reason) and now had four step daughters.

David, for the sake of peace and quietness. I've tried to keep it from you,
but have found I cannot. There--that's the substance of it, and you can never,
never forgive me, I am sure!
I am a widower with four tragedies--that is to say, four strapping girls--the
eldest taller than you. Don't 'ee look so struck--dumb-like! It fell out in this
way. I knew the poor woman, their mother, in Pen-zephyr for some years;
and--to cut a long story short--I privately married her at last, just before
she died.
But one day when he asked, 'How do you like 'em now?' her answer was
unexpected. 'Much better than I did,' she said, quietly. 'I may like them very
much some day.
This was the beginning of a serener season for the chastened spirit of
Baptista Heddegan. She had, in truth, discovered, underneath the crust of
uncouthness and meagre articulation which was due to their Troglodytean
existence, that her unwelcomed daughters had natures that were unselfish
almost to sublimity.
For the beginning, it was hard for Baptista to accept the truth that
she had to be a mother of 4 step daughters, morever she had to teach them
just like in school. She thought it is a punishment for her. But, as the time
flew, she started to like them and accepted her family. It has been a
determination that familys duty is rearing the children. A widow or
bachelor is not that matter if they can have happy family and being a good
person for their family as long as both of them accept that.
The family form in this era was exogamy where many people marry
someone who di ndot in the same class, or groups with them. For
example ,Baptista married David who was rich. And Baptista family

practicedneolocality. They had their own house, instead of living with the
parents.

References
McDowall, David. 1993. An Ilustrated History of Britain. Singapore:
Longman
http://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Hardy
http://www.online-literature.com/hardy/3167/
http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/21971-thomas-hardy-a-mere-interlude
http://www.sparknotes.com/sociology/social-institutions

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