ABSTRAK
The rise of gender as a category of analysis in the humanities since early 1980's strikes a system of domination in which men as a group has a hegemony power over women. It reacts to the men's oppression over women in a patriarchal system. Refers to an idea that reveals 'Gender is not a biological fact but a cultural formation', this study treats the characters' behaviour on The Root of All Evil and Parallel Forces as a socio-cultural formation. This research applies the focalization method to find out the cultural background that influences gender problems which hide inside those two novels. Focalization method is a way of tracing an ideological viewpoint of narrative's focalizer. Focalizer, (he or she) as an agent of orientations, mediates events, places, and persons.

The focalizer of The Root of All Evil, a migrant from Indonesia that has been in Melbourne for about nine years, sees the highly dependence of middle class women in Jakarta from her internalized - Australian "egalitarism" and "fair go" concepts. She confronts those ideas to refined, submissive, and domestic oriented of an early 1980's women situation in Jakarta. She compares her new situation Jakarta with Australian perception of women's roles. She can not understand the position of women, and political system of Indonesia. She tries to do her idea in her home town. She fails and she is up set.

The second novel, Parallel Forces has two focalizers. A cultural hibridity that makes a very individual behaviour in a cosmopolitan environment becomes the central focus of this text. More various characters and cultural transactions happen in this novel. The twins , Amyrra and Amyrta were born in Singapore have a permissive - French mother, Claudine and a traditional Javanesse (Priyayi) father, Hardoyo.

The twins' parents come from two different culture (s). They also grew up in Melbourne. Amyrra lives in a very ambigious situation. She both believes in Catholic and Reincarnation of Ken Dedes. She is sure that she is caught by "Myth of the old Javanesse Queen Ken Dedes? Reincarnation". But She is a believer anyway. Claudine as a model for Amyrra and Amyrta. She is very successful in surviving in two worlds. As a good mother, Claudine in the long run makes Western's progress and Eastern's tolerance harmonized as the best way of life. She stresses it to her twins daughters.

Both novels still exposure the patriarchal system that makes man dominate all social relations. Social practice of patriarchal system are found in all sectors. Only in a limited space women can participate. Women still need more struggles to live in justice atmosphere.