Abstrak

This research is descriptive qualitative which takes a novel, Room by Emma
Donoghue, as the object to scrutinize the effort of Ma as the main character, to develop her subjectivity through exercising her maternal power. It is purposed to argue that rather than considering caring and nurturing as the feminine quality, this research stands on the opposite to consider those as maternal power which could convey her subjectivity. This research works under the framework of literary criticism. It focuses on the evaluation, analysis, description, or interpretation of literary works. To develop the argument, the research employs the theory of Todorov, Lacan, and care-focused feminism.
The result shows that woman capacities for care should be considered as her strength, and not her weakness. Maternal power as the manifestation of woman’s caring and nurturing could be exercised to develop woman subjectivity, even though she has experienced victimization caused by the rape.
By employing the narrative analysis of Todorov combined with each stage of Lacan’s orders in every narrative development of Todorov, Ma could exchange the term Name-of-the-Father into Name-of-the-Mother for Jack with her ability to take control over everything, changing the room from a mere narrow place into a wide space to develop. By this, Ma with her maternal power to love her son can resist the victimization and survive from her suffering. However, her subjectivity development does not progress perfectly without flaw. Despite the fact of her strength in maternal power, it is still possible for her to get overwhelmed by other severe disruptions. Instead of surrendering, she decides to rise up for her life and her son’s by having independent living. Therefore, Room is no longer simple
“victim and survivor” story, but Woman-Mother’s celebration of her triumph over
patriarchal discourses.

Keywords : woman subjectivity, maternal power, psychoanalysis, care-focused feminism