As a result, while Obi Okonkwo comes back to his hometown, he lives with two different cultures. His Ibo culture is mixed with western culture. He is an
Ibo but he has westernized ways of thinking. As a result, Obi Okonkwo feels that
he is uncomfortable with his own culture. In addition, he rebels against the Ibo traditions that he previously believes in and follows western traditions.
Culture is something precious for a country. It is the identity of a country. A good country must be able to keep their own culture because by keeping their
culture, it means that they keep their own identity. What the writer found in the novel is that the major character cannot maintain his own culture which raises the
major conflict among the characters. The conflict occurred between the major character and his lover and between the major character and his family. This novel
is very interesting since it shows how western culture influences the major conflict of Obi Okonkwo. That is why the writer wants to analyze more on the
conflict which is caused by the influence of western culture in this novel. The writer hopes that this work becomes an overview that culture has a big role in the
traditional society which still holds on to their traditional rules.
B. Problem Formulation 1. How is Obi Okonkwo’s character described in the novel?
2. How does western culture influence the major conflict of Obi Okonkwo?
C. Problem Limitation
This study focuses on the discussion on the major character’s description in the story and the discussion on how western culture influences the major
conflict of Obi Okonkwo.
D. Objectives of the Study
In this study, there are two objectives that the writer wants to achieve. The first is to find out how Obi Okonkwo’s character is described in the novel. The
writer tries to explore his attitudes and behavior and also how he is characterized by another character. The second objective is to find out how western culture
influences the major conflict of Obi Okonkwo.
E. Benefits of the Study
There are at least two groups of people who get the benefits of the study. They are readers in general and students. The readers in general get more
knowledge on how cultural differences cause conflicts in the society. The writer hopes that this study gives contribution to the readers and the students who want
to take the same study.
F. Definition of Terms
To avoid misunderstanding and to get better understanding, the writer provides the definitions of some terms that are used in this study.
The first term is character. Gill 127 states “a character is someone in a
literary work who has some sort of identity it does not need be a strong one, an identity which is made up by appearance, conversation, action, name and
possibly thoughts in the head.” In this study, the term character has two meanings. Firstly, it means the person that becomes the focus of the novel that is
described deeply through their attitudes and performance. Secondly, they are described through their psychological behavior which is concerned with their
emotion, feeling and motivation.
The second term is conflict. According to Laurence Perrine 44 conflict
means a clash of action, ideas, desires or wills between two individuals or among people in the society. In this study, conflict refers to the problems caused by the
influence of western culture that the major character faces in the story.
The third term is culture. Fichter 270 states “culture is the total
configuration of institutions that people in a society share in common.” In this study, culture refers to the tradition that the major character holds and new beliefs
that the major character acquires when he is studying in England.
The fourth term is Ibo or Igbo. Igbo is one of ethnic groups in Negeria.
According to Froiland “the Ibos live in the Iboland.” VanderSluis explains that “Igbo people find their home in a rich and fertile crescent created by the lower
Niger River within Nigeria.” In this study, Igbo refers to the ethnic in which Obi Okonkwo belongs to.
The sixth term is Diala. According to Igwe, Diala are the freeborn. Igwe
states that in its literary meaning Diala means “the son of the soil.” He also states that Diala are “the master.” In this study Diala refers to the Obi Okonkwo’s caste.
The seventh term is Osu. According to Onyemaechi, “an osu is a person
who is sacrificed or consecrated alive together with his or her descendants to the service of a pagan god.” Igwe states osu are “the slaves, the strangers, the
outcasts, and the untouchables.” In this study, osu refers to Clara’s caste.
The last term is bride price. Onyemaechi states bride price is “a token
appreciation for the loss of a daughter.” According to him bride price is given to the bride’s father or relatives. He also states that bride price is a form of a contract
between the couple. In this study, bride price refers to some money that Obi Okonkwo has to pay to his bride’s father or relatives.
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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
