Discourse on gender: A linguistic analysis of body autonomy and patriarchal narratives in Wa Ndiu-Diu

Abstract

Wandiu-diu is a folktale from the Wolio community in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, that depicts a family with two children, where the husband is a fisherman and the wife is a housewife. The husband’s role is crucial, as his occupation and actions contribute to the construction of gender roles and power. This article argues that this folktale serves as a mechanism of control over women’s bodies, underpinning patriarchal structures through three roles: married women, mothers, and independent women. Using Simone de Beauvoir’s gender framework, this study categorizes the data into these three roles and analyzes relevant narratives from the tale. Beauvoir’s gender theory critiques the “Othering” of women, highlighting their historical subordination to men in social, cultural, and political spheres. The findings reveal that Wandiu-diu’s transformation into a mermaid symbolizes patriarchal control over women’s bodies. Marriage binds women to their husbands, motherhood renders them vulnerable through self-sacrifice, and seeking independence makes them objects of societal ridicule. The mermaid figure, rather than signifying freedom, eventually represents patriarchal constraints. Hence, the linguistic choices in Wandiu-diu reinforce patriarchal power, shaping portrayals of women’s roles and struggles. Through lexical selection, narrative structure, and dialogue, the tale depicts women as subordinate, their autonomy met with resistance and punishment. Male speech, marked by imperative verbs and possessive pronouns, asserts dominance, while the mother’s indirect speech reflects constrained autonomy. While appearing to symbolize female liberation, the tale eventually fortifies patriarchal oppression in the Wolio community of Southeast Sulawesi.