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CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
In this chapter, the whole discussion of the thesis will be presented. The analysis is to discuss the theories and the evidence in The H
eadmaster’s Wager which lead to the answer of the two problem formulation. There are two issues of
discussion in this chapter as the follow up to the problem formulation. First is the discussion of Percival‟s ethnocentrism and the following discussion focuses on
the effect of Vietnam War on Percival‟s ethnocentrism. In the discussion, the writer uses the theory of character and characterization, theory of ethnocentrism,
and theory of relationship between society and literature which have been written in previous chapter, and then the writer elaborates the theories with the evidence
found in the novel in order to reach a clear and systematic answer to the two problem formulation.
A. Percival’s Ethnocentrism
In the first discussion, the writer is going to discus s Percival‟s
characteristic which is ethnocentric. The discussion is on identifying the ethnocentrism that appears in the novel through Percival‟s characteristics. The
writer uses the theory of character and characterization and theory of ethnocentrism by M.J. Murphy, Roberts and Jacobs, and Horton and Hunt that
have been written in chapter two. Roberts and Jacobs state that “character is an extended verbal
representation of a human being, the inner self that determines thought, speech, and behavior” 1987:119. There are many characters in the novel The
Headmaster’s Wager, however, there is only one person who represents ethnocentrism which is Percival. He is the main character of the novel who has
more attention by the author. Therefore, Percival is a round character. As a person, he also develops himself. According to Roberts and Jacobs, he is a dynamic
character. Sunner defines ethnocentrism “as that view of things in which one‟s own
group is the center of everything and all others scaled and rated with reference to it” 1980:73. Most ethnocentric people will treat themselves as the best one.
Percival as the representation of human being in the novel shows that he is an ethnocentric person. He sees his culture as the center of life. So, he treats
others, especially the Vietnamese as the lower people. Percival acts like he is a superior person even though he, actually, is the minority group in Vietnam. At the
first part of the novel, he reminds Dai Jai three times that they are Chinese. Percival‟s reminder shows that the ethnocentric people want to preserve their
identities. Another that, Percival also wants to show that his culture has more prestige than the Vietnamese‟s. Chinese is the foundation of the Vietnamese. The
quotation will be stated as follows: “Did anyone asked you?” Percival turned to his son. “You are Chinese,
remember? For fifteen hundred years, this was a Chinese province. The Imperial Palace in Hue is a shoddy imitation of the Summer Palace in
Beijing. Until the French came, they wrote i
n Chinese characters.” “I know, ba, I know.” Dai Jai recited, “Before being conquered by the Han,
this was a land of illiterates in mud huts. Without the culture of China, the Vietnamese are nothing but barbarians.” 2012:16
Through speech 1972:163, Percival shows his superiority. According to the history, China reigned Vietnam
. After Vietnam got its freedom, Vietnam was
still influenced by China. Vietnam still held Chinese‟s culture, even the Vietnamese spoke the Chinese language. Therefore, most of Chinese held to their
culture firmly. Percival, as the representation of civilization during the Vietnam War, holds to Chinese‟s culture tightly. He believes that his culture is the
foundation of the life and the Vietnamese‟s life. It can be assumed that Percival feels that he is superior person. According to Horton and Hunt, an ethnocentric
person will feel that they are better than the others. According to M.J Murphy, Percival‟s superiority is also revealed through
the speech with his father, Chen Kai. ““Son, amongst the Annamese it is so easy to make money. We Chinese are smarter than they are and can get rich from them.
It would be foolish for me to stay in Shantou”” 2012:93. Percival‟s superiority somehow influences his treatment to the others. He always underestimates the
Vietnamese. He thinks that the Chinese is better than the Vietnamese, so it will be easy for him to get money in Vietnam, because the Chinese is smarter than the
Vietnamese. Percival looks like he takes the advantage of the Vietnamese, but he also shows that he is powerful than the Vietnamese. He is a Chinese who has
strong work ethic, so he is deserved to be rich. Another Percival‟s treatment to the Vietnamese is when the two officer
come to his house to get his sign. There is a new regulation that the Vietnamese language should be put in the curricula. “Why teach Vietnamese here? Why
should we Chinese be forced to learn that language?” 2012:16. According to
Murphy, the superiority is revealed through speech 1972:163. It is not a necessity for him to learn or teach the Vietnamese language. Percival who has
lived more than sixteen years in Vietnam can not speak the Vietnamese fluently. For him, it is not important to learn the Vietnamese language because there is a
more prestige language which is Chinese. Another Percival‟s ethnocentrism that is revealed through the speech
1972:163 shows when he tried to convince Dai Jai that China was the best place for the Chinese. The quotation as follows:
“The greatest minds of all civilization-Emperor Wong, Confucius, the Cheng brothers--all derived their wisdom from their mother China. You will
thrive in Shanghai. You will get a better education that you could ever hope fore here in this muddy backwater.” 2012:118
Percival shows his ethnocentrism more often. He feels that his culture is the center of the world. Percival believes that civilization comes from China. As the
consequence, he underestimates the education in Vietnam. He states that the education in China is better than in Vietnam. Percival does not only
underestimates the Vietnamese, but also the white people. “”What good have the French ever been to us Chinese, or any white people? You would be miserable in
a land of the gwei lo white people” 2012:117.” Percival convinces Dai Jai that
living in America or Europe is better. Percival believes that white people only bring problem. First Vietnam War was being the struggle of the Vietnamese under
the French colonialism. When the second Vietnam War began, The United State supported Vietnam. There were many victims of the bomb that were caused by
the United State. Looking at the condition, Percival believes that white people only bring problem.
Next, Percival‟s ethnocentrism is revealed through direct comment. The author describes that Percival lives in Cholon, South Vietnam. Cholon is a
Chinese City 2012:6. As an ethnocentric person, Percival withdraws himself from the Vietnamese. He tends to group himself with the Chinese. Moreover,
Percival tends to mingle with the Chinese. Most of his friends are Chinese. First, Mak is Percival‟s assistant in English school. “Though he was of Teochow
Chinese descent, Mak was born in central Vietnam and spoke the language fluently” 2012:15. According to the personal description 1972:161, Mak is
Chinese. Second, from the direct comment 1972:167, students and teachers in
Percival Chen English Academy are Chinese. “Of course, many of the students at the Percival Chen English Academy were in fact of Chinese descent and spoke
only basic Vietnamese, like their headmaster” 2012:21. Percival lives in Cholon,
that many Chinese live there means that most of his students are Chinese. Percival also hires Chinese teachers to teach in his school. Percival knows that
Chinese workers have strong work ethic 2010:13, therefore it will be good to his school‟s reputation.
According to the speech 1972:163, Chief Mei is the Chinese police in Cholon. “”They let us Chinese police control Cholon as long as we don‟t come
cross them . . . On sensitive matters”” 2012:60. When Dai Jai is arrested, Percival is asking help from Chief Mei who is a Chinese police. Percival believes
that the Chinese will help the Chinese, therefore he hopes that Chief Mei can help and solve his problem. Unfortunately, Chief Mei can not do anything because he
does not have a power as a Chinese police in Saigon. Last, according to the personal description 1972:161, Doctor Hua is a
Chinese. “The Cholon-born, Paris trained, Chinese doctor recommended an American medication that he had conven
iently available for sale in his bag” 2012:102. After Dai Jai is released, Percival entrusts Doctor Hua to take care of
Dai Jai and heal him. He believes that Chinese people have a strong work ethic, so Doctor Hua will do his best to heal Dai Jai.
Percival who withdraws himself from the Vietnamese also wants Dai Jai to do the same way with him. When Dai Jai is instructed to got the military,
Percival wants Dai Jai to go to China to avoid the instruction. Cecilia, otherwise, wants Dai Jai to move to Americ
a or Europe. “Our son must return to China,” said Percival. “It is the only safe place for a Chinese person.” 2012:112.
According to the speech 1972:163, Percival is persistent to send Dai Jai to China. It looks like that Percival wants to save his son, so he has to send his son
away quickly. Percival‟s reaction, actually, does not only show his caring to his son, but also his ethnocentrism. He forces his son to move to China, even Dai Jai
has mentioned that China has a problem. “I heard on the radio that People‟s Committees have banned the Parade of Deitis celebration. They say people must
stop worshipping the ancestors because in the new China- ” 2012:117-118.
Percival does not pay attention to what Dai Jai said. He believes that the Chinese shall go back to China.
Furthermore, Percival‟s ethnocentrism is appeared when he knows that Dai Jai had a Vietnamese‟s girlfriend. The quotation will be stated as follows:
“And I will tell you again, until you learn its lesson Ba Hai was very beautiful. Did that save my father? An Annamese woman will ofer you
her sweetness, and then turn to sell it to someone else. 2012:10
Mak sighed, “I have go down to teach.” “Thank you for telling me about the girl. He must marry a Chinese.”
2012:16
Percival‟s withdrawal is revealed through speech 1972:163. He prohibits his son to marry a Vietnamese woman. He calls it as “improper love”. According
to Merriam Webster Dictionary, improper is not following rules of acceptable behavior and legally or morally wrong. So, it can
be assumed that Dai Jai‟s love is not following the rule because the rule is a Chinese man marries to a Chinese
woman. Percival‟s withdrawal and superiority influence him to underestimate the Vietnamese over. He believes that a Vietnamese women always sell their
sweetness to every man. It can be assumed that Percival has considered Vietnamese women as a whore.
Percival who thinks that his culture is the center of everything tries to preserve his culture. According to Horton and Hunt, ethnocentric people will
protect their culture. Therefore, Percival as a father, wants to preserve his culture by generating it to Dai Jai. Through the direct comment 1972:167, Dai Jai
attends Teochow Clan School. “Dai Jai had left for his Chinese classes at the Teochow Clan
School” 2012:22. Teochow is a Chinese people who speak in Teochow dialect. Even though Dai Jai is born in Cholon, Percival wants Dai Jai
to learn about Chinese culture in his school and has a Chinese fellow. Third characteristic of ethnocentrism is orthodox. It means that Percival
accepts his culture as the truth and follow it. His convention appears though his lifestyle, such as food and book.
Percival always teaches Dai Jai about the Chinese culture. Therefore, Dai Jai will get the Chinese culture not just at school, but also at home. Through
personal description 1972:161, the author described the situation clearly as follow.
Normally, Percival would have criticized the cheeseburger, French Fries, and pizza that Cecilia brought from the U.S Army PX, and banished the
cans of Coca-Cola and the Marvel comics. He would have admonished her that Chinese stomach could not tolerate very much of this western
food, and why should their son read about superheroes in ridiculous costumes when there were so many real Chinese heroes of history?
2012:106
Before Dai Jai was arrested, Percival had prohibited every single things about America. He liked to tell a story about Chinese superheroes to Dai Jai when he
was a child. Chinese superheroes are much better than American superheroes because Chinese superheroes are more real. It is taken from history, whereas
Marvel is just human‟s imagination. Another that, Percival has an opinion that Chinese food is much better than American food. Chinese food is much more
healthy than American food which is junk food. When he was at Chen Hap Sing, he instructed the cook to prepare only
Chinese dishes, and would only respond to the servants when they spoke a Chinese dialect. When he took his breakfast alone on the balcony, where
he had long since instructed Foong Jie to remove the second cahir, it was a Teochow breakfast of salted fish and rice proodge -never pho.
2012:261
From the personal description above 1972:161, Percival does not just hate American food, but also Vietnamese food. He instructs Foong Jie, his
Vietnamese maid, to serve only Chinese food. He does not want Foong Jie to serve pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup. As a Chinese, he shall eat Chinese food
to maintain the culture. Moreover, he forces his servants to speak Chinese dialect.
It does not only show Percival‟s orthodox, but also his superiority by asserting his culture to the inferior group.
B. The Diminishing of Percival’s Ethnocentrism
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