HETEROGLOSSIA IN SOPHIE KINSELLA’S THE UNDOMESTIC GODDESS

Abstract

This study reveals the differentiated languages or heteroglossia in popular novel entitled The Undomestic
Goddess. Heteroglossia is a terminology which Mikhail Bakhtin introduced in his essay Discourse in the
Novel. Novel is an arena where the contestation of ideologies take place. It contests from the social
interaction among the characters of a novel. The Undomestic Goddess tells about a young female lawyer
who gets fired from the law firm because she makes a huge mistake, then because of the mistake she
becomes a house-keeper. Heteroglossia is applied in this novel known from the utterances used by the
characters and narrator of the novel. From heteroglossia or differentiated languages emanate ideologies.
This study focuses on the contestation of the two opposite ideologies; patriarchy and feminism. It
identifies utterances and categorizes them. It also needs interpretation to elucidate the ideologies found in
the utterances. Patriarchal ideology which has put male as a dominant force is not only believed by the
male characters, but the female characters also practise them. The opposite ideology, feminism shows that
the female character tries to break the social construction that brings female as an important other and
often gets discrimination in the binary opposition between male and female. This novel depicts the social
problem people experience although they live in this modern era when digital technology cannot be
separated from their lives and females can achieve high-education and do career, the patriarchal ideology
still works in the society.
Keywords: heteroglossia, patriarchy, feminism, ideological contestation, The Undomestic Goddess