contact Barry, 2002: 194- 196.These characteristics are included in the story so, it is appropriate to use post-colonial approach in this research.
C. m
Method of the Study
The researcher uses a library research to conduct the definition of female circumcision, tribal tradition, and identity crisis. The primary source is Alice
Walker‟s novel entitled Possessing the Secret of Joy. The researcher uses printed resources such as books, journals, and thesis, also internet resources such as
internet sites; as the secondary source. There are some book that the researcher mostly uses, there are Beginning Theory 2002, Fiction 1991, How to
AnalyzeFiction 1966, and Colonialism Postcolonialism 2007. The researcher began the analysis with close reading of the novel. Then, the
researcher read and collected theories and supportive data from books, journals, internet sites, thesis or other resources. After that, the researcher analysed the
intrinsic element of the novel using character and setting. By postcolonial approach, the researcher used postcolonial theory to elaborate the work and the
supporting data. The last, the researcher made a conclusion of the analysis. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
The researcher solves the two questions of problem formulation in this part. The first question is about the description of the tribal tradition and female
circumcision. The researcher uses two intrinsic elements, character and setting, to answer the first question. It is used to explain the background and the perspective
of the characters. Then, the second question deals with how the female circumcision tradition and other Olinkan traditions reveal the identity crisis of
Tashi.
A. The Description of the Tribal Tradition and Female Circumcision
Tradition in the Novel
The analysis of the tribal tradition and female circumcision description uses the theory of character and characterization and setting. This description is to see
the position of the tribal tradition and female circumcision tradition in the novel. The description can be seen through intrinsic elements; setting and character. The
setting can be seen from its elements, The actual geographical location, the occupation and daily manner of living
of the characters, the time or period in which the action takes place, and the general environment of the characters Harmon, 2003:470.
The researcher also uses the character and characterization theory to get the
idea of the tribal tradition and female circumcision tradition. It can be seen through the characterization by Murphy 1972
; also the characters‟ presentations from Perrine 1974 and Roberts and Jacobs 1991.
The tribal tradition and female circumcision tradition come from Africa, especially in Olinka village.
“we‟d somehow- through jungle, grassland, across rivers and whole countries of animals -
arrived in the village of the Olinka that he‟d spoken so much about” Walker, 2011: 4.
This statement is from Adam‟s point of view, the son of the missionaries, who thinks about what they have been through to reach the village. The indirect
presentation shows the readers that the newcomers need to walk for miles to reach Olinka. It is also
supported by the statement that “we had been weeks on the march that brought us to Tashi‟s village” Walker, 2011: 4. The Olinka village is
far and indigene from the description of the nature to reach the village. From the distance itself, people can tell that Olinka tribe is such an isolated tribe in which
the tribal people preserve tradition from the outside r‟s influences.
In Olinka, people keep the tradition well in order to maintain their originality as part of their tribe. There are several traditions been mentioned in the
novel, firstly, the tradition of face scar marking towards the women and men in Olinka. Every woman and man in the village should have “the Olinka tribal
markings” in their cheek Walker, 2011: 65. Tashi also has this tribal marking. The reason behind the scar marking is to show their pride and to honor their leader
because “Our leader had these same markings, and was obviously proud of them” Walker, 2011: 65. This scar marking is usually being held when someone is
going to marry. It is a day before the wedding day as it is seen in the statement, “the evening before the wedding, Adam had these same Olinka tribal markings
carved into his own cheeks ”Walker, 2011: 39.
