Ama and Popo’s Internal Conflict

what the readers’ responses through the characters, plot, theme or symbols found in the play, and what the play’s author wants to say or what the implied messages that he wants to tell the readers by arranging the internal elements. These questions can encourage the readers to go deeper in analyzing each word or each element of the play. It will lead the every words and form special function and the meaning. This process of analysis supports the readers to feel close to the work Guerin, 2004:93. From this part, the writer wants to show some messages which are taken from the main characters’ description and their conflicts. As Holman and Harmon said 1986:108, conflicts can show motivation and goal that want to be achieved. Moreover, conflicts also imply something that the author wants to convey. Conflicts may help the readers to know the central idea or the theme of the story “ obviously the central conflict of the story is intimately related to this theme... stanton, 1964 : 17. Since the conflicts in the play have been analyzed previously, the writer can start analyze the message found in it. However, the writer also has to interpret the messages because there are some messages in the play which are indirectly implied since David Henry Hwang, as the author of the play, does not convey the messages directlty. As we know, the messages in the literature work like play can be seen from some elements, such as irony, symbol or sign, character and conflict. There are some messages that the writer found in the play based on the previous conflicts that have been analyzed. The first one that the author wants to show the reader is about excessive. Everything that is too much is not good, for example: the fanaticism in religion that cause a fight, anarchy, and the worst is the family downfall. In other cases, it can bring an assasination, but in this play it causes the fight which edge is family downfall. Ama and Popo have different belief with the whole family members. They are all definitely Christians but their ways in trusting God are different from each other. Chester and Jennie believe in God just because their grandmothers and parents told them to do so. Jenni gives her testimony in Family Devotion just because she wants to look for Chester and see him soon. They both do not believe in God because they really want to believe or because they have encountered with God’s presence. Willbur and Robert are not quite different, they believe in Christianity because they follow their wives. In here we can see how a belief forced by the main characters to the minor characters. Religious fanaticism comes not from deep faith, but from a lack of it. Ama and Popo’s fanaticism leads them to a bizarre worship service or exorcism, staged in front of a neon and Lucite altar. His sisters try to force Di Gou to reembrace their religion. Hannah and Joanne help their mothers to tie and beat Di- Gou. When Di-Gou reveals in a vision that See-goh-poo was a fraud and gave birth to an illegitimate child whose birth she passed off as immaculate, Ama and Popo shock. They cannot believe what their ears hear. Finally, they die because of shock and the family breaks apart. The play ends with Chester standing where Di-Gou first stood, showing that they are a viewer as well as the family member who stand inside and outside the action. The author depicts that the shape of Chester’s face begins to change which shows his link with his great uncle, Di-Gou, and also means a metaphor for the beginning acceptance of his Chinese heritage. It proves that a belief cannot be imposed to other because each people has a different view and way of life. Fanaticism just leads us to the downfall shown by the death of two family members, Ama and Popo. And as their daughters react in horror, Di-Gou leaves away and Jenny and Chester also begin to make their exits. Another message that we can find in this story is about the value of a family. The author wants to tell us that a value of family is very essential. William. J. Grace in his Response to Literature 1965, 7 says that literature gives us a special knowledge of life that is not identical with that of real experience but provides a profitable supplement in terms of intellectual and critical values. It is actually possible for a well read person to make nature of life without having great deal of experience. In Family Devotions, Hwang gives the reader a kind of religion experience that maybe has not happened in the reader’s personal life. First, Hwang wants to show us about the bad effect of fanaticism that can bring the family downfall and then he tries to explain about the good value that should be had in a family. He focuses on the human relationship, especially those between family members. He implies that even though the other family members have the different opinion, belief, and characteristics with us or even if they do not respcet our existence, we should still realize that family is family and that an integrity and unity of family are the important things to have. Loyalty is also something that we need to have and show to our family members.