The Description of the Tribal Tradition and Female Circumcision
Our Leader, like Nelson Mandela and Jomo Kenyatta and others before them, had been forced into exile and eventually captured and jailed by the
white regime Walker, 2011: 64. Since the Westerners are superior than the native people, African liberators
are jailed to prevent any rebellion. In the novel, “Our Leader” does not has any
real name. The tribal people keep calling him, “Our Leader”, “because the white
regime made it a crime to say his name aloud ” Walker, 2011: 69. They will get a
punishment if they break the rule of not saying his name out loud. Then, the tribal people do honor him because he fights the white regime to achieve the freedom of
African people. Additionally, Adam sees that “Our Leader” is reputed as Christ in the village. Adam said that “he seemed like Christ to the villagers except for one
thing: his acceptance of violence as a means to the end of African oppression ”
Walker, 2011: 69. “Our Leader” allows violence to achieve the freedom of
Africa no matter it takes. Because of his contributions on achieving freedom of Africa, Olinkans are
respect him. Even “Our Leader” becomes the role model in the village. Every
single word from him becomes a mandatory. His speech influences the tribal people. Related to the female circumcision tradition,
From prison Our Leader said we must keep ourselves clean and pure as we had been since time immemorial- by cutting out unclean parts of our bodies.
Everyone knew that if a woman was not circumcised her unclean parts would grow so long they‟d soon touch her thigh; she‟d become masculine
and arouse herself. No man could enter her because her own erection would be in his way Walker, 2011: 67.
In Olinka tribe, it is believed that the woman genital will grow enlarged.
This also affects the sexual desire of women. They can do masturbate to achieve their sexual pleasure. In some places, people have a belief that every child has
naturally both sexes, so that people have to ensure which one sex a child has by removing one of the attributes
. For
a woman, clitoris is believed as a minuscule penis.Hence it must be removed from her body. When the condition of both sexes
is maintained, the person would not need other to achieve sexual pleasure. Moreover, the leader states “that we must return to the purity of our own
culture and traditions ” Walker, 2011: 65. It is related to the white regime that
ever comes to Olinka. He does not want the Westerners or the outsiders change the tradition of Olinka.
He also emphasizes “that we must not neglect our ancient customs
,” means they have to cherish their tradition especially female circumcision Walker, 2011: 65.The feeling of being a nationalist brings the
tribal people cherishes the tradition as their honor to the leader and their nation. Another reason to maintain the female circumcision
tradition is “to be accepted as a real woman by the Olinka people
” Walker, 2011: 67. It means there is no other way to be a real woman in the eye of the Olinka tribe. It is such
an obligatory towards women to undergo female circumcision. The female circumcision is not only clean the woma
n‟s genital, but also as the preparatory stage before a woman is married. It is avirginity sign of a woman. Then, it will be
proven by width of cut after the female circumcision or can be considered as the opening to the vagina introitus is infibulated. When the width of cut is small, it
means she is still virgin. Hence, the female circumcision can make a woman in Africa as a completely woman. Completely African. Completely Olinka
Walker, 2011: 38. Because of the tradition comes from Olinka, it is seen as a sign of being Olinka.
Besides, Our Leader, our Jesus Christ, said we must keep all our old ways and that no Olinka man-- in this he echoed the great liberator Kenyatta--
would even think of marrying a woman who was not circumcised Walker, 2011: 68.
Because of the belief that a woman has an unclean part of her body, so that
it affects her life; someone would marry her only if she is circumcised. It can be portrayed in M‟Lissa‟s statement that “if Dura is not bathed, she said, no one will
marry her ”Walker, 2011: 141. This implies that there is someone, later, will
marry her after she done the female circumcision. Tashi also affirms it that “without it no man would marry me” Walker, 2011: 127. It is ashame for a man
to take an uncircumcised woman as a wife. The general use of female circumcision tradition is maintaining the virginity of a woman by decreasing
women‟s desire for sexual pleasure.The act of decreasing the women‟s sexual pleasure is also
used to improve their spouse‟s sexual pleasure. Therefore, the men are dominant in their relationship.
For the uncircumcised woman, she can get sexual pleasure on her own which is taboo in Olinka. If she is circumcised, the only way to get sexual
pleasure is just by doing intercourse with a man. It gives more feeling towards men, because the pleasure is based on the width of the cut. Besides, the cut shows
the virginity sign of a woman. It will affect the sexual satisfaction of the spouse. Many women who has married and her genital width cut is large, she wants to be
re-sewn so that her width cut will small again.The tighter the cut is, the more sexual pleasure of the spouse has.
A proper woman must be cut and sewn to fit only her husband, whose pleasure depends on an opening it might take months, even years, to
enlarge. Men love and enjoy the struggle, you said Walker, 2011: 121. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
Although this tradition is such an obligatory in the tribe, it has its own
effects. The effects are not only for one who undergoes the female circumcision, but also the uncircumcised women. For the uncircumcised women, they can get
mocked by the tribal people. The uncircumcised woman would be thought as a monster. It can be seen in Tashi‟s perspective, “certainly to all my friends whos
been circumcised, my uncircumcised vagina was thought to be a monstrosity” Walker, 2011: 67.
The other effect is they are rejected by the tribal people. Even the uncircumcised women “would sometimes actually run from us,...” which shows
that they prefer to go away from the tribe Walker, 2011: 67. This is happened because the tribal people do not accept their existence in the village. They realize
the risk and make their own decision to live away from the village. Since they want to resist, they should be living separate from the tribe. They are called as
“mad”, because they reject the female circumcision and choose to be a rebellion. They mainly live in the bush, as seen in the following quotation,
in the village when I was a girl the mad were kept out in the bush. They lived alone in smelly, ramshackle huts, their filthy clothes in tatters. Their
matted hair covering their backs like moss Walker, 2011: 115. Women would get some punishment for not undergoing female
circumcision. The punishment are for example society rejection, negative stigmatize, unable to marry, and psychological trauma. Even some places give
death punishment for the uncircumcised woman, it can be seen from the statement in the novel that “there are villages where an un- circumcised woman is not
permitted to live ” Walker, 2011: 127. Since they only give shame and fear to the
tribal people, the tribal people do not let them to live. The other effect is pain. The pain that makes Tashi even do an abortion to
avoid the pain of being cut open, as she is not ready for childbirth, ”but I knew I could not bear being held down and cut open
” Walker, 2011: 121. Her baby is supposed to be a girl, but she aborts her. It can be seen from her statement, “for
the daughter I was forced to abort ” Walker, 2011: 121. Then, she is pregnant
with Benny, her second pregnancy. In the process of giving birth, the obstetrician broke two instruments trying to make an opening large
enough for Bennys head. Then he used a scalpel. Then a pair of scissors used ordinarily to sever cartilage from bone Walker, 2011: 34.
Since the hole is small, it is not enough to pass the baby. In order to help the baby, the doctor needs some things to cut the genital wider. The baby can get a bad head
shape . It can be seen at Benny‟s head, “his head was yellow and blue and badly
mishapen ” Walker, 2011: 34.
Related to the pain, there are many people in prison, in which Tashi is being jailed, who have AIDS. They are placed on the second floor of the prison in which
“had been turned over to a mounting number of AIDS victims” Walker, 2011: 51. They are not be brought to the hospital because
it is “being small, was swamped
” Walker, 2011: 51.Due to the fact that a tsunga or the circumciser uses unsterilized tools to do the female circumcision, it can cause HIV which, later,
brings the infection that leads to AIDS. In the novel, Tashi is convinced that the little girls who are dying, and the women too, are
infected by the unwashed, unsterilized sharp stones, tin tops, bits of glass, rusty razors and grungy knives used by the tsunga. Who might mutilate
twenty children without cleaning her instrument Walker, 2011: 138. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
The unsterilized equipments bring bacteria from one person to other person. Furthermore, the traditional cure always used some ingredients which are
unsterilized and possibility harm the person.There is no scientific proof that the ingredients they used really can cure the wound.
Then, this is not only because the unsterilized equipments, but also because the intercourse early after one undergoes the female circumcision. In this act of
intercourse, the woman gets forced by the man so that the opening cut will enlarged through time. As the effect of the forcing, “infections and open sores are
commonplace ” Walker, 2011: 138.
The African government does not expose the truth about AIDS to the public. They believe that “they had no such thing as AIDS existed in the country”
Walker, 2011: 51. The existence of AIDS has been spread to the civilization, “though there was no official speculation about what might have caused it printed
in the news ” Walker, 2011: 52. The government does not take them as the
national epidemic. The government idea to not expose about AIDS publicly is similar with a
taboo in Olinka in which people cannot say out loud about the female circumcision. It seems that the government takes the traditional idea to not give
the information about AIDS publicly. For the tribal people, they are afraidif the
outsiders could change their culture or tradition. In Tashi‟s perspective, the outsiders “want to change us, I said, so that we are like you” being like the
outsiders “ Walker, 2011: 14.
Then, the most harmful effect of female circumcision is death. In the novel, Dura is dead because of undergoing female circumcision. Dura is the older sister
of Tashi. She is bleeding until her dead. It can be seen from the Tashi‟s statement
that “shes bled and bled and bled and there was death” Walker, 2011: 47. Although it can cause death, still the tribal people maintain the tradition of female
circumcision. The tradition of female circumcision is arranged by a Tsunga or a
circumciser. Her role as a tsunga is a hereditar y occupation, “like the priests”
Walker, 2011: 119. In her family, “the women were tsungas” Walker, 2011:
119.The job as a tsunga “is such an honor.” Walker, 2011: 119 The Olinka
people respect her because she has done the important part in the tribe. Moreover, “her source of income” is only by regulating female circumcision Dorkenoo
O.B.E, et al, 2001: 23. It can be seen in the novel that “it is the way we fill our
bellies ” Walker, 2011: 119.
Tsunga is also a midwife and a healer, “I knew that, among the Olinka, she
was a prized midwife and healer,...”Walker, 2011: 37. She is a midwife, it can be seen “that she had in fact delivered me into the world,...” Walker, 2011:
84.Then, she is a healer, the healer has a job to re- sew the woman‟s vagina, “even
today, after giving birth, they come back to the tsunga to be resewn, tighter than before” Walker, 2011: 121. In Olinka, if the hole of the woman‟s vagina is wide,
it needs to be re- sewn tighter to give the spouse sexual pleasure “because if it is
loose h e won‟t receive enough pleasure” Walker, 2011: 121. The spouse can get
the sexual pleasure depends “on an opening it might takes month, even years, to enlarge
” Walker, 2011: 121. M‟Lissa is a stubborn person who does not let the tradition down. It can be
seen in a quotation, “...,though to those Christianized ones who also turned to
Western medicine, she was shunned ” Walker, 2011: 37. Although she has
shunned by the tribal people who convert to Christianity, she still regulates the female circumcision
ion tradition to the remains. It shows that her position as “a pri
zed midwife and healer” only works for the members of Olinka who still remain their originality. She maintains her own way of healing. It implies that she
does not want to be changed by the foreigners. She also makes the female circumcision as a tradition which every person born with and the remaining
tradition the tribal people should honor to. Related to Tashi before she undergoes the female circumcision,
she “was never trusted, considered a potential traitor, even” because she has such close
relation to Adam Walker, 2011: 67.The tribal people see that Tashi would disobey her own tribe if she has close relation to the missionary. Since Adam is a
foreigner and he comes from America, the tribal people are not feeling safe. Although he has black skin, the tribal people still does not trust him. It can be seen
that “she could not imagine a black person that was not Olinkan” Walker, 2011: 141. Not only she can forget her originality as an Olinkan, but also she gives the
tribal information to the outsiders. The tribal people do not want to be changed even be colonized again. Also they want to follow their leader to “return to the
purity of our own culture and traditions” Walker, 2011: 65. He also emphasizes PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
“that we must not neglect our ancient customs” Walker, 2011: 65. When someone has close relation towards the foreigner, they believe that their
perspective will be influenced by the foreigner‟s perspective. From “the general environment of the character,” religion can be the
element of setting Harmon, 2003: 470. As far as the researcher knows, Olinka people do not have a religion. They welcome the missionaries to come to their
place. As Adam and his family has black skin, it makes they share the sameness with the tribal people. By the time, some Olinka people convert to Christianity.
Even though there are white missionaries before, but it seems that people are not influenced by them in terms of religion. The Olinka people are welcome the
foreigners, which can be shown when they tell Tashi and her mothe r “to put on a
good face and make the foreigners welcome ” Walker, 2011: 9. They can get
information and learn about Christianity from them. Even so, they learn about the English language.
In the Christian perspective, the practice of female circumcision is a barbaric act, “for they called the “bath”, barbaric” Walker, 2011: 141. They
believe that it just makes the women suffer. The white missionary once asks the Olinka leader to stop the female genital tradition, so that the Olinka leader makes
the female circumcision tradition hiatus for some time. From this thing, it can be seen that the female circumcision is irrelevant with the Christian value because
the missionary think that the tradition is a barbaric act. Regarding Tashi‟s mother named Catherine, who is in tribe named Nafa, she
supports the tradition of female circumcision Walker, 2011: 84. In the process of PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
circumcision, there are four women, at least, to hold the child who is going to be circumcised. They help the tsunga to steady the child while tsunga is circumcising
the child. It can be seen from M‟Lissa‟s statement when she talks to Tashi,” of course she took the outer lips, because four strong eagle-eyed women held me
down ” Walker, 2011: 120. Also, the mother or other women as the relative of a
child who undergoes the female circumcision, helps the tsunga to hold the child down. Nafa helps tsunga
in Dura‟s circumcision process, it can be seen from M‟Lissa‟s perspective, ”your mother helped me hold your sister down” Walker,
2011: 141. Catherine herself has experienced the female circumcision. Because this tradition is hereditary, she is obedient and followed the female circumcision
tradition. Her obedient action is seen when taking Dura to undergo female circumcision. However, the fact that the female circumcision
takes Dura‟s life brings sorrow to Catherine.
In Adam‟s point of view, the female circumcision is a tradition which gives its followers suffering. Even the tribal people “do not want to hear what their
children suffer ” Walker, 2011: 91. They still cherish the female genital tradition
even though the risk of it is death. The tradition is like something born with the tribal people so that they cannot change or even lose it. Moreover, “they‟ve made
the telling of the suffering itself taboo ” Walker, 2011: 91. As explained before
about a taboo to expose the female circumcision. The female circumcision is a symbol of being an African. It can be seen in
M‟Lissa‟s point of view when Tashi comes to her deciding to undergo female circumcision.
Now, MLissa said, with a grimace of justification, it was the grownup daughter who had come to her, wanting the operation because she
recognized it as the only remaining definitive stamp of Olinka tradition Walker, 2011: 37- 38.
From M‟Lissa statement, it shows that Tashi sees the female circumcision tradition is a symbol of being an African. Because the idea of female circumcision
tradition is so strong, Tashi decide to undergo female circumcision. Moreover, there are four types of circumcision. The first type is a condition
when clitoris and prepuce or the flesh above the clitoris is cut off. The second type is a condition when clitoris, prepuce and labia minora is excised. The third type is
a condition when clitoris, inner and outer lips of vagina is cut off and sewn together leaving a small hole; it can be called as infibulation. The last type is other
kinds of harmful practices toward female genital such as cutting, piercing and pricking.
In M‟Lissa and Tashi case - the representative of the Olinka tribe tradition as a whole, the circumcision is the type 3
– Infibulation. It is the appropriate ones towards the circumcision in the Olinka tribe. It can be seen that “it was done in
such a way that there was now room for pee and menstrual blood more easily to pass” Walker, 2011: 36. It means that before she gave birth, she did not have
enough room for a pee and menstrual blood to pass which means it refers to her vaginawhich is sewn and leaved a little hole. The
other circumcised women,” after all, none of them had vaginal lips; none of them had a clitoris; they had no idea
what these things looked like ” Walker, 2011: 67. They have been circumcised in
their early age so that they do not remember even do not know what their genitals look like.
As far as Tashi concerns about female circumcision, In my reading I had discovered there were at least three forms of
circumcision. Some cultures demanded excision of only the clitoris, others insisted on a thorough scraping away of the entire genital area Walker,
2011: 66.
There are three common forms of circumcision which is different in each society.
According to Tashi‟s knowledge, the variation is “always different, I would think, I said, exhaling breath, because women are all different
” Walker, 2011: 66. From here, it can be concluded that the female circumcision variation
depends on the woman self, whether she needs to get the type one or other types. It depends on woman‟s condition, since each physical woman is different.