Naipaul, 2004: 53. Here, Willie shows his position in the domestic conflict in India which
he stands on the peasants‘ side.
c. Willie’s Perspective on Globalization
However, Willie‘s diasporic movement in India does not give significant contribution to him in finding his identity. Willie‘s struggle to search his true
identity is also challenged by the development of globalization in his ancestor‘s land. The history of globalization in India cannot be separated from role of
England as mother country. Globalization is operated world-wide. The local communities and individual lives are influenced by economic and cultural forces.
Global power changes all the systems in the world including in India. The globalization has changed every aspects of Indian‘s life such as cultures, ways of
life and ways of thinking and so on. Ashcroft in Post-Colonial Transformation examines that:
Globalization is the radical transformation of imperialism, continually reconstituted, and interesting precisely because it stems from no obvious
imperial centre. While it is often understood in terms of large-scale phenomena, its homogenizing tendencies are effected in a heterogeneous
array of local situations Ashcroft, 2001: 213.
British still colonize the Indians. It is based on Ashcroft explanation about the nature of globalization. It is also supported by the strong evidence that many
Indians begin leave their original cultures. The European cultures, ways of life, ways of thinking are spread widely in India
which those things blur the Indians‘ identity. It is what Willie experienced when he makes a journey to India:
…the terrible India of Indian family life—the soft physiques, the way of eating, the ways of speech, the idea of the father, the idea of the mother,
the crinkled, much used plastic shop bags sometimes with a long irrelevant printed name
—this India began to assault him…Naipaul, 2004: 28.
Apparently, Indian families adopt the way of life from foreign countries which this action destroys the original culture. Willie cannot accept those
transformations that exist in his ancestor‘s land. In the transformation era a new culture is brought from outside and then is introduced to the society with their old
existing culture. Here, in the postcolonial perspective the constellation of globalization in India acts as justification of the domination of First world over
Third world. The Western countries which are represented by England spread their domination over Indian. As Ashcroft said before, this relation is radical
transformation of imperialism. The implication is there is no pure Indian cultures, ways of thinking and
identity. Here, identity should be understood in the larger context. It is not only about ethnicity but also about ways of thinking, cultures, customs, habits, the idea
of father and mother. For Young, any model of cultural interaction between one culture and another merge in their product which is characterized with the same
ter m: hybridity Young, 1995: 6. From Young‘s definition, we can conclude that
Willie will not find the original culture in India.
3. Willie’s Perspective in England
The last route of Willie‘s diasporic movement is in England. The social condition in England is totally different from two places that had been stopped
over by Willie. Willie sees that London is a modern city. In the constellation of postcolonial studies, London is characterized as a mother country. Ashcroft,
Griffiths and Tiffin in the Post-Colonial Studies: The Key Concepts states that London is ―mother country‖. Mother country is related to the metropolitan by
which it is a parent state of colony. The metropolis in European thought was always constituted as the seat of culture, and this meaning is readily transferred to
the imperialcolonial relationship Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin, 2007: 123.
a. Willie’s Perspective on the Idea of Home
Willie feels the gloriousness of London which is described clearly in the story. Naipaul‘s major character, Willie, is apparently surprised with the
transformation in London. The rapid transformation gives serenity to Willie at least in a security aspect. In short, Willie gets everything what he wants.
The writer sees that Willie views London differently from two locations before; Africa and India. Willie does not show his criticism toward the
transformation in London. Willie‘s action justifies the status of London as ―mother country‖ which everything is always better than the colonies. Ironically,
the comfortab le condition does not help Naipaul‘ major character, Willie, to find
his true identity. He states clearly that ―I don‘t know how much longer I can keep on living as a guest of these nice people in this l
ovely house in this lovely area‖ Naipaul, 2004: 271. He is a guest in London. According Collins Concise
Dictionary and Thesaurus guest refers to ―a person who receives hospitality at
someone else‘s home‖ 2003: 418. Thus, based on the definition from the dictionary, London is just someone else‘s home. Willie does not categorize
London with all facilities as his home, his true self, his true identity.
