11 Januari 2010 AN ANALYSIS OF CULTURAL CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE MAIN CHARACTERS FOUND IN NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER Setyoningsih
AN ANALYSIS OF CULTURAL CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE MAIN CHARACTERS FOUND IN NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER
Setyoningsih
Abstract
Learning language involves learning its culture since language is part of culture. Culture understanding is very important in the process of learning a new language in order to understand other cultures and to reduce cross cultural problems that may occur in interaction with people whose cultures are different from the students’. This study aims to analyse the cultural conflicts in the novel ‘Not Without my Daughter’ (NW).
The problems, which were analysed, were what components of culture cause conflicts among the characters found in NW. The analysis was carried out through the following process. The first procedure was categorizing the data into seven components of culture. The second one was interpreting the collected data to describe and clarify the data. The last one was drawing conclusion based on the analysed data.
Components of culture consists of variations of human lifestyle such as dress, system of rewards and punishments, the eating habit, means of communication, family relationship, belief, value. The result of the analysis shows that the components of culture causing conflicts found in NW were custom and habit, dress, body language, law, time, and belief. NW could be as an alternative source of reading material for enrichment in learning culture since the novel contained east and west cultures, especially American and Iranian. By analysing cultural conflicts, readers could learn the difference between east and west cultures. It also could enlarge their knowledge and understanding about other cultures that could increase their cultural awareness. It was important to learn the differences of the native culture in the target language since students of English would communicate with English-speaking people. Misunderstanding would lead to miscommunication problems if there was no knowledge of the native culture, besides, students would achieve the aims of learning culture and teaching a foreign language.
Key words: cultural conflict, language
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Language is a means of communication with which man can express his ideas, feelings and thoughts either in spoken or written form. Bochner (1982: 99-100), in explaining language, states that as a mode of thought, language is not simply an instrument which people use to convey and receive messages. He says that it enables the individual to communicate with and stimulate responses from persons in his and other speech communities. Thus, language is a medium used by human beings to interact with one another in their community.
According to Barker (1987:22-23), language fulfils three main functions: labelling, interaction, and transmission of information. Labelling is identifying an object, act or person by name, so that it can be referred to in communication. The next function, interaction, focuses on the sharing and communication of ideas and emotions. In this case, language serves as the basis for both positive and negative interaction between individuals. Transmission is passing on information to other individuals through books, television, signs, etc.
In addition, barker (1987:23) views that the most important aspect of language, especially in the history of human civilization, is its ability to transmit information across time. He points out that language connects the past, the presents, and the future. Older generations are able, through language, to leave behind their ideas, accomplishments, failures and plans for the future. Thus, later generations can adapt and constantly improve upon the success of the past. They don’t have to repeat the trials and errors of their predecessors. It can be said that language ensures the perpetuation of our culture and traditions.
Learning language is considered as learning its culture since language is part of our culture (Nasr 1985:1). In Damen’s opinion (1987:211-213), as people learn a target language, their learning activity includes learning the culture of the native speaker. Moreover, he assumes that culture learning and; language learning are inextricably linked so there can be no question as to whether culture should be taught or not. Hence, we may conclude that learning a new culture is an essential part of learning a new language.
According to Stewart (1972:7), cross-cultural problems occur as there are differences between patterns of thinking, assumptions and values in different cultures. The problems often result in misunderstanding and lead to ineffectual activity in face-to-face communication. So, cultural understanding is necessary in order to understand other cultures and to reduce cross-cultural problems that may occur. By understanding another culture well, people can respect other cultures.
B. Reasons for Choosing the Topic
McKay (1989:46) quoting Sage (1987) states, literature is important for increasing cultural awareness, exposing students to literary language and broadening students’ general knowledge. In line with this, Lazzar (1993:37) writes that literature helps students to understand another culture. Thus, literature can be used to increase the foreign learner’s insight into the country whose language is being learnt.
Novel as one kind of literary text is interesting to be analysed since novel is a fictitious prose narrative of considerable length in which characters and actions representative of real life are portrayed in a plot of more or less complexity (Rees 1973:106). That is why people seem to be interested in reading novels rather than poetry or play.
Collie and Slater (1987:4) explain, the ‘world’ of a novel offers a full and vivid context since it is a created one. A reader can find an author’s thoughts, feelings, customs, possessions, belief, fear, and joy, and how they speak which are reflected through the characters. They added that this vivid imagined world could quickly give the foreign reader a feel for the codes and preoccupations that structure a real society. Furthermore, Koesnosoebroto (1988:20) says that the novel, more than any other genre, can give form to a set of attitudes regarding society, history and the general culture of which the novel is a part. In short, it is possible for students to learn a nation’s culture through a novel.
Not Without my Daughter (NW for short) is a ‘non-fiction novel’ in which the author presents actual people and events in story form (Koesnosoebroto 1988:26). It talks about an American woman who was trapped in Iran society, which has different culture from hers. I have chosen this novel because it reflects the social condition and the culture of people, which comes into contact with another culture. By reading this novel, the readers can learn cross-cultural conflict revealed in the novel so it will increase their cultural awareness. Finally, the novel is good to read in order to get a better understanding in culture.
C. Statements of the Problems
In this study, I limit the discussion of the novel by presenting the following problems, i.e.
What are the elements of NW?
What components of culture cause conflicts among the characters found in the novel?
D. Objectives of the study
The objectives of the study based on the formulated problem are:
To reveal the elements of the novel.
To reveal what components of culture cause conflicts among the characters found in the novel
E. Significance of the study
It is hoped that the result of the study could be used as a reference for learning culture and increasing readers’ cultural awareness. After reading this report, hopefully, the readers get a better understanding in culture so that they can reduce cross cultural problems that may occur in interaction with people whose culture are different from theirs.
F. REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE
1. Elements of a Novel
Before we read a novel, we should have some knowledge about novels such as character, plot, point of view and theme. Therefore, when we read a novel, we do not just read the novel, but we understand the contents of it. After we have known some elements of a novel, it is going to be easy to analyse it.
1.1. Character
Brown and Olmsted (1962:212) define characters as an imaginative construction based on the words and the forms, which the author has put together. However, they add that there are semblances of people, and their semblances or virtual people are what we mean by character. Koesnosoebroto (1988:65) quoting Abrams (1971), defines characters as the persons, in a dramatic or narrative work, endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expresses in what they say, i.e. the dialogue, and what they do, i.e. the action.
On the basis of importance, Koesnosoebroto (1988:67) distinguishes two types of character, main or major character, and minor character. Major character is the most important character in a story. Minor characters are characters of less important than those of the main.
1.2. Setting
Setting refers to the point in time and space at which the events of the plot occur (Kenney 1966:38). For Koesnosoebroto (1988:79) quoting Connolly (1955), setting is in sense ‘the time, place, and concrete situation of the narrative, the web of environment I which characters spin out their destinies’. Furthermore, Koesnosoebroto (1988:80) quoting Abrams (1971) describes setting as the general locale and the historical time in which the action occurs in a narrative or dramatic work. In short, setting is the time and place in which the events or action occur.
1.3. Atmosphere
The atmosphere of the novel means common ways of thinking and behaving of a group of people living together in a society whom we have known and understood better. In this case, the atmosphere is the people’s cultural background in the story. It can be politic, social, economic, and cultural.
1.4. Plot
The word plot is in fact a technical term to say about a series of tied-together events in a story. Koesnosoebroto (1988:28) states that a plot or the structure of story is the arrangement of tied-together chronological events, which have causal and thematic connections. In line with this, Kenney (1966:14) explains that plot means not simply the events recounted in the story but the author’s arrangement of those events according to their causal relationship. Plot makes people aware of events not merely as elements in a temporal series but also as an intricate pattern of cause and effect.
Ordinarily, a plot develops in a definite pattern. It begins with the incentive moment (the first point of conflicts), and then it develops through series of complication, which are followed by a climax. The story is ended by resolution where the conflicts or problems are solved. We can say that since the plot consists of an arrangement of the most important events in the story, incentive moment is the beginning of the firs conflict. Complication is the association of conflicts in the story. Climax is the highest tension in the story, when the story reaches the full of suspense. Resolution is the end of the story where the problems are solved.
1.5. Theme
The term theme is used in several different ways in literary criticism. Sometimes it means the ‘subject’ of the work. What it is ‘about’. Koesnosoebroto (1988:76) quoting Perrine (1959) states that theme is the unifying generalization about life stated or implied by the story. He further says that the theme of a story may be stated very briefly or at greater length. It is sometimes explicitly stated somewhere in the story, but frequently it is left implicit.
1.6. Point of view
Point of view has to do with who tells the story and from what vantage point. Koesnosoebroto (1988:84) states that point of view is the most complex element of fiction. Although it lends itself to analysis, definitions, and diagrams, it is finally a question of relationship among writer, character, and reader. Koesnosoebroto (1988:85) quoting Connolly (1955) adds that one of the chief means the short story writer employs to organize his action is point of vies, i.e. the way an author chooses to tell the story. Koesnosoebroto (1988:87-88) quoting Connolly (1955) makes a distinction when discussing point of view. He proposes his distinction as follows.
(1) The first point of view
In the first point of view, the author disappears into one of the characters who tells the story in the first person. The character may be either a major or minor characters, protagonist or observer, and it will make considerable difference whether the protagonist tells his own story or someone else tells it.
(2) The omniscient point of view
The story is told by the author using the third person, and his knowledge and prerogative are unlimited. He knows everything even what goes on inside the characters’ minds, hearts, and feelings. He also can interpret their behaviour and can comment, if he wishes, on the significance of the story he is telling.
(3) The limited omniscient point of view
The author tells the story in the third person, but he tells it from the point of view of one character in the story. He places himself into one of the characters and he tells the story based on this character’s eyes and mind. He tells what he thinks and feels. He knows everything about the character, but he shows no knowledge of what other characters are thinking and feeling or doing. This character can be a major or minor character, a participant or an observer.
(4) The objective point of view
The objective point of view is sometimes called the dramatic point of view. In this point of view, the author functions as an observer. He can only report what is seen and heard, but he cannot interpret and explain the character’s minds and feelings.
2. Culture
What is culture? There have been many definitions of culture. They are, among others, as follows.
Culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behaviour acquired and transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievements of human groups, including their embodiments in artefacts (Brislin 1981:5)
Culture is the way of life, which members of a society share and follow. Culture is the way of acting, the body of tradition, ritual, and the belief which people have learned as members of a society (Hodges 1971:35-36)
Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society (Sherman 1980:77). In short, culture is the system of knowledge, belief, and behaviour, which are shared by and transmitted among members of a society.
Hodges (1971:36) points out that there are five characteristics of culture. First, culture changes over time. Perhaps it changes imperceptibly as among the Arunta aborigines of the Australian outback. In Japan, Russia and the Industrial Societies of the west, it changes with dazzling rapidity. This change often results in intra-culture conflict between the older, more traditional members of society (who want to preserve the past) and the younger generations (who want to integrate into what for them is the ‘modern’ world).
The second characteristic is that culture is patterned into interlocking configurations rather than grab bag cluster of independent or unrelated elements. Third, culture is learned. Cultural characteristic-language, taboos, ideals, for instance cannot be biologically transmitted from one generation to another. Culture can be learned formally (as in school) or informally (as in a mother telling a child not to pick his or her nose in public)
Next, culture is shared by members of the same society. It is because the behaviour of one or few persons is not cultural behaviour. The last one is that culture is transmitted. The sharing of elements of behaviour and values is dependent upon their transmission from one person to another through instruction or imitation.
In conclusion, then, culture can be defined ain terms of the continually changing patterns of learned behaviour, which are shared by and transmitted among members of a society.
3. Culture and language
Language is communication by voice in the distinctively human manner, using arbitrary, auditory symbols in conventional ways with conventional meaning (Webster 1966:806). Language used in this term is human language. As a system of communication, human language includes the use of the senses (feel, touch, smell), facial expressions, body movement (kinesics) including gestures and other means of physical contact (Damen 1987:119). We can say that language is a means of (human) communication.
Components of culture consists of variations of human lifestyle; they are found in dress, system of rewards and punishment, fashions of eating, means of communication, family relationship, beliefs and values, or societal systems such as kinship, education, economy, government, association, and health care (Damen 1987:89). Since language is a means of communication, we can say that it is a part of culture.
Damen (1978:120-124) views that language and culture have strong connection in which language serves to facilitate classification and order. Language reflects cultural emphases and language is related to the worldviews of the speaker. Moreover, Damen (1987:4-5) explains that language learning implies and embraces culture learning. Indeed, success in learning a second or even third language is partially related to the acquisition of the cultural baggage that is carried along with any linguistic system. In line with this, Frederick (1989:89) quoting Lado and Rivers, states that learning a language should not be separated from learning the pattern and values of the culture of which it is a part.
4. Cultural Conflict
Second language learning is characterized by miscommunication, failure to communicate clearly, however, is not merely a linguistic problem; linguistic “conflict” has the potential to turn into cross-cultural conflicts. (McAllister 1995:13). Miscommunication can happen in intercultural communication. Intercultural communication is communication between members of different cultures. It involves differing perceptions, attitudes and interpretation. In short, intracultural communication is communication between two persons or groups not sharing similar cultural pattern. It is common that even two people in the same culture can have cultural conflicts that we called intracultural communication. Cultural conflict is a conflict that occurs as a friction of different cultures.
G. Method of Investigation.
1. The Object of the Study
The object of the study is a novel NW by William Hoffer and Betty Mahmoody. The story is based on the true story of Betty Mahmoody, an American woman who was trapped in Iran society with her daughter. It happened in 1984-1986.
2. Procedure of Collecting Data
The data that I got was classified as primary data and secondary data. The primary data were drawn from NW while the secondary data were taken from some references related to the subject matter. The method of collecting data is documentation. I selected some suitable references that discuss cultural conflict as stated in the problem. The procedures of collecting data are as follows.
Reading the novel carefully in order to understand the content of it.
Finding out the cross-cultural conflicts in it to be analysed.
Searching component of culture causing conflicts among the characters found in it.
3. Analysis of the Data
In analysing the data, I take three procedures, i.e. (1) categorizing the data; (2) interpreting the data; (3) drawing conclusion. The first procedure is categorizing the data into seven components of culture. They are custom and habit, form of dress, body language, time, law, belief, and value. According to Summer, belief is an idea, which is considered true, often one that is part of a system of ideas (1987:98). Forms of dress are garments, such as trousers, dresses, shirts, and socks, that are worn to cover the body (1987:233). Body language is expression used to describe the communicative function of the nonverbal component of communication (1987:79). Time is a continuous measurable quantity from the past, through the present, and into the future (1987:138). Law is a rule that is supported by the power of government and that controls the behaviour of members (1987:741). Custom is an established and habitual practice, especially of a religious or social kind, that is typical of a particular group of people (1987:314). Habit is a tendency to behave in a particular way or do particular things, especially regularly and repeatedly over a long period (1987:589).
The second procedure is interpreting the collected data, which are in the form of sentences. I wrote the data that had been categorized and then I gave interpretation to describe them. Since the data were cross-cultural conflicts between the American and Iranian cultures, I also presented information about the differences between the two cultures.
The last procedure is drawing conclusion. After categorizing and interpreting the data, I drew conclusions based on the analysed data, which were presented ii conclusion.
4. Technique of Reporting the Result of the Analysis
In reporting the result of data analysis, I used descriptive method. Best, in Research in Education points pout that descriptive research describes what it is. It involves the description, recording, analysis and interpretation of condition that exist. It also attempts to discover relationships between existing non-manipulated variables (Best 1981:25). This method is applicable in this study, as it is suitable to the objective of the study, which is to describe the components of culture causing conflicts in the novel.
II. Analysis of the Novel
A. Elements of the Novel
1. Character
There are two kinds of characters, i.e. main or major and minor characters. Main characters are the most important characters in a study. Minor characters are characters of less important than those of the main (Koesnosoebroto 1988:67). However, I discussed only the major one in this study.
1.1. Main characters
Betty Mahmoody
Betty was optimistic in facing difficulty. She always tried to find chances or way out of her problems. Moreover, she was sure that she could go out of Iran, as a saying goes that where there is a will, there is a way. She was also a brave and desperate woman. When a chance to run away came, she determined to make a desperate run for freedom. She was honest too. Unless she liked something, she would say it directly although some people would get angry to her. Then, she was a good and loving mother. She would not leave Tehran without her daughter. Besides, she had strong faith in God. She always prayed whenever she was in trouble. She believed that God would help her finding way out of Iran. She was also a hard-worker. When she had nothing to do, she did such house-works as dusting, sweeping, scrubbing and scouring.
Dr. Sayyed Bozorg Mahmoody or moody
Moody was of illustrious lineage in his homeland, Iran. He was a brilliant man who could master any subject. He was a physician, trained in America. Culturally he was a mixture of east and west as he had lived in the United States for two decades. He was already beginning to bald and not particularly handsome, but his strong stocky build was appealing. He had paradoxical personality as he was a loving husband and father but he was also short-tempered and belligerent. He beat his own daughter and wife. It was hard to predict his attitude. Sometimes, he was kind. On other occasion, he turned into an evil man.
2. Setting
Setting in the story was divided into place and time where and when the story occurs. The places were in America, Iran and turkey. The time in which the story occurred was from 1978 to 1986.
3. Mood or Atmosphere
The atmosphere of NW was the Iranian culture. It concerned with the way of dressing and the celebration.
3.1. Dressing
In Iran, women were required to keep their arms, legs and foreheads covered. They were wrapped almost completely in chadors. A chador was a large half-moon-shaped cloth entwined around the shoulders, foreheads and chin to reveal only eyes, nose and mouth. They wore moontoes, which were large coats that reach down nearly to ankles and rosaries, long and heavy scarves when they went outside. However, if there were guests came, they still had to wear the chadors.
3.2 Celebration
There were some celebrations mentioned in the story. First, the Muslim Sabbath. On that day, Friday, families gathered in the home of the eldest relative to spend extra time in prayer. The second celebration was war week. It was an annual celebration of the glories of Islamic combat, occasioned by the ongoing war with Iraq and, by extension with America, since Iraq was simply a puppet of the United States. There was a demonstration of ominous roar of jet aircraft that flew low. Bright flashes of antiaircraft fire lit up the sky, followed by sharp, booming airborne explosions. The third one was No-ruz Day – the Persian New Year. It was a two-week holiday during which all the women scrub their houses clean in preparation for rounds of celebration. Families whiled away their time at dinner parties, teas, and receptions in the homes of relatives. It was on 21st march.
4. Plot
4.1. Incentive Moment
The story began when Betty Mahmoody went to Iran with moody, her Iranian-born husband and her daughter, Mahtob to visit her husband’s family. He swore that they would stay in Tehran for only two weeks. He had lied. He said that they would live in Tehran forever. Although she did not agree with that idea, he was adamant.
4.2. Complication
Moody asked her to go to see her dad alone, without her daughter, as her dad was sick. She was surprised with his change, at first, but then she knew the mad reasoning behind his sudden decision to let her return to America. He wanted her to sell everything they owned in America and he would not allow her coming back before she brought the money. He held Mahtob as a hostage.
.4.3. Climax
Moody imprisoned her for three days until she got onto the airplane so that she could not make a contact with Amahl, someone who could help her getting out of Iran. Finally, she had a chance when an ambulance came to pick moody up. She decided to do something to get out of Moody’s house and run her plan. Finally, she succeeded and then made a difficult journey to turkey.
4.4. Resolution
The resolution started when Betty arrived at the border between Iran and turkey. Although they were still far from free, at least, they were out of Iran. However, it was not the end of the story. It was just the beginning of the resolution. The next story was how they journeyed to Ankara, turkey, where they could fly safely to America.
5. Theme
Themes that can be formulated from the novel are:
a. A mother who loves her daughter so much that she dares to face any danger for her daughter’s sake.
When moody asked Betty to go to America alone, she rejected it. She knew that he might keep her away from her daughter forever. Therefore, she tried to find any ways and took any risks to go to America, as she would not leave her daughter in Iran with her mad father.
b. There must be a way out of any problems as long as you try hard.
It happened to Betty when she tried to get out of Iran with her daughter. When she was desperate, she remembers his father favourite catchphrase: where there is a will, there is a way, which gave her strength and courage to face her problem. Finally, she found a way out and arrived safely home in America on 7th February.
6. Point of View
This story uses the first point of view as t he author tells the story in the first person. She appears as one of the main characters. Therefore, she occupies the position of “I”.
B. Analysis of Cultural Conflicts Found in NW
The cultural conflicts that were analysed in NW occurred as a friction of different cultures. The cultural aspects causing the conflicts were custom and habit, dress, body language, uses of time, law, and belief.
1. Custom and habit
Every culture has custom and habit that are different from one another. The differences can lead to a conflict. In NW, the conflict occurred when Betty drank tea without sugar.
“ I found the tea to be strong, hot, and surprisingly good. As I tasted it Ameh Bozorg said something to Moody. “You did not put sugar in it,” he said. (p.427)
She drank tea without sugar because she thought it was good. Besides, it was not wrong according to her custom. On the other hand, it was a social gaffe in the Iranian custom.
Drinking tea without sugar was obviously a social gaffe, but I did not care (p.427)
Betty did not care as she thought that nothing was wrong with that. Ameh Bozorg, Moody’s sister seemed not to like her attitude. She thought that Betty had violated the custom.
“ She is upset with you,” he said. (p.427)
Even when moody made a joke that Betty was sweet enough so that she did not need sugar, she did not appreciate the joke.
Ameh Bozorg’s deep-set eyes made it clear that she did not appreciate the joke. (p.427)
It is clear that the conflict occurred as a result of Ameh Bozorg’s misinterpretation toward Betty’s attitude.
The second conflict occurred because of different habit of taking shower. It began when Ameh Bozorg complained about Betty, moody and Mahtob wasteful habit of taking showers everyday.
“You cannot take showers everyday,” she said. (p.430)
Iranian people did not do it everyday. They did it only for ritual like what Ameh Bozorg did.
In preparation for our visit she had gone to hamoom –the public bath—for the ritual that takes a full day. (p.430)
They believed that taking shower everyday could make them sick.
“You wash all of the cells off your skin, and you will get a cold in your stomach and be sick.” (p.430)
On the contrary, in the American culture, people had to take shower everyday to clean the body. They believed that it could make their body physically healthy.
“We have to take showers everyday,” Moody replied. (p.430)
finally, the argument ended in draw. Moody and Betty continued to take showers; Ameh Bozorg and her family continued to go without.
Based on the explanation above, we can see that different habit of taking shower can lead to a cultural conflict.
Then, the third conflict occurred when Betty had to walk across the blood sheep. According to the Iranian custom, they had to do it before their arrival. They had to walk across the blood as they entered the house for the first time. At first, Betty rejected it as it was not her custom.
“Oh, come on,” I said. “ I don’t want to do this (p.422)
in accordance with the American culture, she was practical and pragmatic. If something had no practical use, it had no real value. So, she would only do what she should do. However, moody insisted that they must do it.
Moody said quietly but firmly,” You must do it. To show respect. The meat will be given to the poor.” (p.422)
Finally, she did it. She realized that she was in Iran, not in her country, so she did not have any choice except following the custom.
I did not want to offend anyone, so I reluctantly agreed. (p.422)
So, it is clear that differenece of custom can cause a cultural conflict.
2. Dress
All cultures share a common meaning for clothing-modesty and how different cultures use clothing to create modesty amongst its people varies greatly. In Iran, the way Iranian women get dressed is influenced by their religion, Islam. In the Koran, the Islamic holy book, Allah, their god commands women to cover their body and to keep their arms, legs and foreheads covered. They wear chadors that are large half-moon shaped cloth entwined around the shoulders, foreheads, and chin to reveal only eyes, nose and mouth. They also wear montoes that are large coats that reach down nearly to ankles and rosaries, long and heavy scarves when they go outside. They can go outside as long as they obey the rules. However, the problems arise when people of one culture force their notion of modesty on another culture by dressing them in their clothing like what had happened to Betty.
You have to start wearing a chador in the house—or at least your roosarie£ (p.430)
Moody asked her to wear a chador or a roosarie like the way Iranian wore. Baba hajji, the owner of the house where they were staying, felt that she had to wear it as the American cloth was not proper with Iranian style. However, Betty did not agree with it.
“But why?” I said. “Both you and mammal told me before I came that I wouldn’t have to remain covered indoors. They will understand, you said, because I am American.” (p.430)
Betty thought that she did not need to wear the cloth as it was not American style. So, the conflict occurred because of different style of dressing. Baba hajji considered that the American cloth was not proper as he interpreted the American form of dress by his standard.
3. Body language
One evening, Betty and Moody were invited to the home of Moody’s cousin, Fatimah Haim. At that moment, a conflict occurred as a result of misinterpretation of eye management that was one of body language. During dinner, Fatimah’s son, spoke to her briefly in English, with a precise, clipped British accent. However, he never looked at her when he spoke. According to Iranian culture, eye contact is not important while they are having a conversation as god commands men and women to lower their gaze. It is not a sin to gaze at a woman unintentionally. However, if a man keeps gazing at a woman, he will commit a sin. So, that is why Fatimah’s son never looked at her.
Although I appreciated hearing English, his manner was disquieting. A devout man, he never looked at me when he spoke. (p.433)
By reading the quotation above, it can be seen that his attitude disturbed her. According to the American culture, eye contact is really important during a conversation. Too little eye contact during a conversation conveys a lack of interest, inattention, or even mistrust. It signals that the listener is weak or guilty of wrongdoing. Meanwhile, in the Iranian culture, a devout man never looks at a strange woman during a conversation. Fatimah’s son did not realize that his attitude had annoyed her. So, the conflict occurred as she failed to understand the eye management custom of the Iranian culture.
4. Time
To western culture, time is classified like a rule: as a linear mathematical measurement. Time is very rigid, precise and specific. Time is also a possession; it can be owned, spent, wasted. In short, time is something valuable. The expression, “time is money” supports this perception. On the other hand, Iranians seemed not to appreciate time so they spent their time for something trivial. For them, time was to be enjoyed.
Time seemed to mean nothing to average Iranian, and Moody readopted this attitude easily. His days were spent reading the newspaper and engaging in long, idle hours of conversation with Ameh Bozorg. (p.446)
Betty deemed that Moody wasted his time for something useless like having a long and idle chatting. Although Moody had stayed for a long time in America, he could adapt with this situation because basically he was an eastern. In short, different using of time is the cause of this conflict.
5. Law
While she was staying in Iran, imprisoned by her husband, she always tried to find a chance to run away from there. The chance came one day, during the lazy afternoon hours when moody was gone, visiting relatives. She and Mahtob left the house to the Swiss embassy. Unfortunately, Helen, a woman who worked there, could not help them because of difference in law.
“Give us a refuge,” I pleaded. “Then help us get back home.”
“What are you talking about?” Helen responded. “You cannot stay here.” (p.449)
She could not help them since legally both of them were indeed Iranian. Betty became Iranian citizen directly from the moment she married an Iranian.
“But I’m an American citizen.”
“You are an Iranian citizen, “Helen said softly. (p.449)
According to the Iranian law, if a woman marries an Iranian, she will become an Iranian citizen under Iranian law. She does not need to change citizenship. Betty who did not know about this law was shocked, as she could find a help legally to get her and Mahtob out of Iran.
“I don’t want to be an Iranian,” I said. I was born an American.” (p.449)
however, she did not have any choice except going back to her husband. It is clear that this conflict occurred because of difference of law.
6. Belief
Iran was embroiled in a bitter war with Iraq when Betty stayed there. Iranian people had a great bravery in facing war. She considered that they only wasted their life.
How I loathed war! It made no sense. I did not understand a country full of people so eager to kill, so ready to die. (p.481)
They believe all power is in God’s hand. He controls the universe such as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. God also determines human’s life such as , when a man dies, and who is his or her mate. Therefore, Iranian believed that life was to be received. If the worst happened, it was inevitable. Their life was determined by the fate, that was the dominant controlling force in Iran. They trusted in Allah.
Their bravery in the face of continued bombings was not a sham. Rather, it was a manifestation of the philosophy that, taken to the extreme, produces terrorist martyrs (p.481)
On the contrary, American people believed that life was to be created. They did not want to surrender to the fate. According to them, by depending only to fate meant their life was cheap.
To mammal and Nasserine, life, including their own, was cheap. (p.481)
Therefore, Betty considered that they only wasted their lives. So, the conflict occurred because of difference in belief.
III. Conclusions
Before analysing novel, it was necessary to analyse the elements of it. They were characters which revealed the main or major and minor characters in the novel; the setting which revealed when the story happened and where it took places; the plot which told the story and was divided into incentive moments, complication, climax and resolution; theme which was the message of the story. The point of view, which was the angle of view used by the author, and atmosphere, which was the people’s cultural background in the story. By understanding the elements of it, people might understand the story better so that it could make easier in analysing cultural conflicts.
Readers could learn something from Betty’s experience when she was staying in Iran. Cultural conflicts occurred because of friction of different cultures between Betty’s culture, in this case America, and Iran culture. The cultural aspects causing conflicts found in NW were belief, custom and habit, uses of time, law, dress and body language.
NW could be used as one source of learning culture as there are cultural conflicts in it. By analysing them, we could know the cultures of America and Iran and the difference between west and east culture, especially America and Iran. By understanding other cultures, we could reduce cultural conflicts that might occur in intercultural communication.
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