their own market driven aims” Hoover, 2010: 13. Hoa were always being target during Vietnam War, especially when the nationalism was growing.
During Ngo Dinh Diem reign, there was naturalization that made Hoa lose their Chinese name. In 1956, the president declared that all Chinese should
renounce their Chinese nationality and adopt Vietnamese citizenship Hoover, 2010: 14. Moreover, South Vietnam also discontinued the mail service to and
from China in order to cut the connection of Hoa with China. In October 1956, Diem changed all school curricula, placing Vietnamese as the primary language
in the school. Chinese could be taught, but as a secondary language. As they lost their name and their language, Chinese also forced to serve in military.
As economic activity was the main focus of Hoa, they absolutely avoided military service. Most of them who were listed in military service chose to go
abroad than to stay in Vietnam and go to war. “Many other Sino-Vietnamese, used educational opportunities to keep their children from front-line military
service Hoover, 2010: 18.” When the communist succeed taking control of
South Vietnam, Bourgeoisie Hoa became the target of anti-comprador bourgeoisie. Therefore many Hoa decided to leave Vietnam as soon as possible.
They paid bribe and gold so that they could leave by plane or boat.
D. Theoretical Framework
Each of the theory and review are presented before is used to analyze the novel. The review of related studies is needed to strengthen the topic of this study
which deserves to be studied and analyzed. The theory on character and
characterization and theory of ethnocentrism give a contribution to the study. These theories help the writer to answer first problem formulation that analyze
characteristic of Percival which is ethnocentric. The writer will compile the ethnocentrism that appears in the novel is similar to the ethnocentrism that
Horton and Hunt state. Moreover, theory of character and characterization by M.J. Murphy will help the writer to see how the characteristic describes in the novel.
The writer will only use som e of character‟s description that is appropriate to the
analysis. The theory by Roberts and Jacobs will also be used to see the complicated of the character and the changes that happen to character as the
dynamic character. The theory of the relationship between literature and society is important
to give the writer the information about the close relationship between literature and society. The theory gives a wide understanding that society can not be
separated from one character. Society gives strong infl uence to main character‟s
characteristics. The background of the Vietnam War and its effect to Hoa also gives
contribution in order to help the writer to have a good understanding of Vietnam War. Vietnam War has played an important role in order to change main
character‟s characteristic. The Headmaster’s Wager talks about a Chinese descent who lives in Vietnam and gots the effect of the Vietnam War to his characteristic
as Chinese.
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CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
In this thesis, the writer uses the novel by Vincent Lam‟s The
Headmaster’s Wager which is published by Hogarth in 2012. It consists of 441 pages, include Vincent Lam‟s essay Memories of My Grandfatther. This novel is
his first novel that is published after he wrote short story Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures that won the 200 Scotiabank Giller Prize and was also adapted
for television and broadcast on HBO Canada. In addition to strong review, The Headmaster’s Wager is longlisted for 2013 Andrew Carnegie Medals for
Exellence in Fiction with the other 49 fictions. The story took the setting during the time of Vietnam War between North
and South Vietnam. In the story, Percival was the headmaster of English School, Chen Hap Sing, in Cholon, South Vietnam. Percival was a Chinese who lived
with his son, Dai Jai. Percival was known as the person who held his Chinese tradition sturdily. He always underestimated to Vietnamese and never let his son
to have a relationship with them. As a Chinese, he always thought that he was superior and had a higher class than Vietnamese. Therefore, he only mingled with
Chinese and lived in Cholon which was a Chinese city. It could be assumed that Percival was an ethnocentric person. However, he was just a minority in Vietnam.
When the war became worse, Percival could not hold his heritage anymore. Vietnam War had brought many problems to Percival‟s life. Consequently,
