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CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS AND FINDING
Iqbal is a fictional novel about a real person, Iqbal Masih, and his crusade to liberate bonded laborers. Iqbal is written by Francesco D’adamo. It is written through the perspective
of fatima. Fatima is a young girl, whose life was forever changed by Iqbal’s courage. Iqbal is the representation of children who exploited by the moneylender and
industrialist in Pakistan. Fatima, Maria, Salman and others who work together with Iqbal in the Hussain Khan’s carpet weaver, are also exploited by Hussain Khan in the carpet weaver.
Iqbal’s name become the symbol of the battle to liberate millioms of children throughout the world from violence and slavery.
Poverty and child labour are the social problems which are undergone by Pakistan’s children in Iqbal. By analyzing this novel, the connection between poverty and child labour is
found. The sociology of literature theory and historical approach are used in finding the potrayal of poverty, child labour and the connection between poverty and child labour.
4.1 The Potrayal of Poverty in Iqbal
Iqbal is a novel that potrays the Pakistan’s condition at the past time. Iqbal potrays the history of Pakistan’s children life in 1980s. Iqbal is the representation of child labour that
caused by poverty. Hunger, lack of education, corruption, crime and child labour are some characters of poverty that happened in Pakistan.
Poverty changes the Pakistan’s society life. There are so many employment. They can not support their lives. They fall into debt. Children work in order to their families’s
income. Most of them are sent to the factory because of their families debts, “We had all been bonded to Hussain Khan to pay off debts our families had contracted with local
moneylender Leonori 2003:1.”
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By using historical approach, there are informations that have a connection to the thesis problem such as poverty and child labour. Historically, poverty in Pakistan was caused
by some factors. The poor governance, vulnerability, feudalism, and social condition were the causes of poverty in Pakistan. Pakistan’s social condition was about the war and ethnic
conflicts that happened in Pakistan. Now, Pakistan’s children are still not able to get qualified education because they
have to work all day. Some of them lose their childhood and their rights. Many Pakistan’s children fight for their right. They fight for their rights to get proper education. It is proved
through the Malala Yousafzai’s speech that focuses on education for children. In her speech, Malala states that children can not get access to education because of poverty.
Many children in Africa and Pakistan do not have access to education because of poverty. And as I said, we still see, we still see girls who have no
freedom to go to school in the north of Nigeria. Many children in countries like Pakistan and India, as Kailash Satyarthi
mentioned, many children, especially in India an d Pakistan are deprived of their right to education because of social taboos, or
they have been forced into child marriage or into child labour. Malala Yousafzai’s speech 2014
In Iqbal, Iqbal is shot to death because of his political activity. Most of people
assumes that Iqbal is killed by Taliban or factory’s owner. Malala Yousafzai have also the same story like Iqbal. Malala is also known as a girl who shot by Taliban, “Some people call
me the girl who was shot by the Taliban Malala Yousafzai’s speech 2014.” Malala always fights for children, especially girl’s education.
Iqbal’s family is a symbol of poverty in Pakistan. Iqbal comes from a poor family in Muridke, a small village in Pakistan. His father works as a farmer. Iqbals mother, Inayat,
works as a housecleaner, but it is difficult to earn enough money to feed all of their children, My father used to go out early in the morning, when the first rays of sun appeared, and
harness our buffalo to the light plow Leonori 2003:15.” While Iqbal’s mother works, his older sisters takes care of him and his older siblings.
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Fatima also comes from a poor familly. Fatima’s family also has debt to the moneylender. Her family send her to the Hussain Khan’s carpet weaver in order to pay off
their family’s debt. It is as mentioned in the quotation below: My father had a debt, too, I whispered in the dark, after the embankment
broke and he lost everything. A man came to talk to him, and then Hussain came and brought me here.Leonori 2003:19
In Iqbal, Maria is a girl who works together with Iqbal in the Hussain Khan’s carpet
weaver. Maria’s father is a school teacher. Her mother die when she is very young. In Iqbal, Maria’s father is described as poor as farmers. Her father never wants to go to the rich. It
makes her father borrow somemoney to the village moneylender. Maria’s family are also trapped in debt like Iqbal’s family, “That is, until he finally had to ask for help from the
village moneylender” Leonori 2003: 77. The quotation below explains about the Maria’s family condition.
Marias father was a schoolteacher in Faisalabad province. Her mother died when she was very young, and she had always played with dusty old
illustrated books. She had learned to read almost by herself. Her father was almost as poor as the poor farmers who sporadically sent their sons to him.
.Leonori 2003:76 Poverty is firstly potrayed by the presence of moneylender who lend some money to
the poor family with certain requirements. In Pakistan, the moneylender have a power at that time. The moneylender and the people who are rich, have a power to exploit children. As
shown in the statement below: We have to be careful, because they, the moneylenders and the people who get
rich by exploiting children, wont give in so easily. The more children we liberate, the more exploiters we accuse, the more they will try to silence us.
Thats what theyre afraid of our voice. They get rich and fatten where theres silence and ignorance. Leonori 2003:96
In Iqbal, the carpet merchants and the kiln owners are also have a power. The
moneylenders are very influental. They are also protected by the police in Pakistan. As shown in the quotation below:
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Its too dangerous. The carpet merchants and the kiln owners are very powerful. The moneylenders are influential. The police tend to protect them,
youve already seen that. And the magistrates just look the other way. All of us here have been threatened and persecuted. No, we cant allow it. Leonori
2003:93
In Iqbal, Iqbal’s father borrows some money from the moneylender. Iqbal’s father does it in order to survive until the next harvest and buy some medicines for his brother. The
moneylender lend twenty-six dollars to the Iqbal’s family. As in the statement below: He didnt even eat dinner, but called me over and told me that a man would
lend him a large sum of money, `Twenty-six dollars,` he said. I tried to figure it out in rupees but couldnt. With that money the family would be
able to survive until the next harvest, and my brother would receive more medicine and God willing, get well. Leonori 2003:19
The poverty in Pakistan can also be seen through the potrait of hunger as potrayed in the novel. The situation of starvation forced most of Pakistan’s children to work in hazardous
areas. In Iqbal, there is never enough food in Iqbal’s familly. It makes them are attacked by some diseases. As shown in the quotation below:
`Yes, Father,` I would answer. But there was never abundance in our house. There was never enough food and my older brother was often ill. Once I asked
my father why this was so. Why were all the wheat and oats and vegetables that we cultivated loaded onto carts the same day they were picked? Why in
our hut was there only a sack of broken grain and another of dried chickpeas next to the fireplace? `Because all this belongs to the master,` my father had
replied. Leonori 2003:16
In Iqbal, Iqbal has an experience outside the carpet weaver which can potray the hunger condition in Pakistan at that time. Iqbal has to unload the trucks and carry the crates.
Iqbal works because he does not have money to buys some food. As explained in the conversation below
“And I was hungry. And so? What did you do?
I worked. Theyre there, too. Who? Whos there?
Children. Working. Theyre the ones who unload the trucks and carry the crates, some so heavy they feel like theyll break your arms. You go to a
merchant and say, `Got any work for me?` And he says, `Move that load and Ill give you a rupee.` Leonori 2003:69
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Education is one of the most important aspect in the human’s life. The lack of education or poor quality of education is another factor that contributes to high incidence of
child labour. Education is considered as one of the main alternatives to abolish child labour. Children who are lack of education or dropped out of their school, usually have lack of
knowledge and are more vulnerable to exploitation. As a result, they become uneducated or unskilled labour.
The children in Iqbal are lack of education. They are not able to go to school because of poverty. Most of children who work in Hussain Khan’s carpet weaver never go to school
and can not read. However, Iqbal and Maria can read. Maria teaches another children about how to read in the carpet weaver.
Maria taught us how to read. She wouldnt stand for any nonsense. Even reluctant Salman and lazy Karim were subject to her drive to teach. Our
blackboard was the dirt floor, smoothed over with our hands. Our pencil was a pointed stick that we used to draw the letters of the alphabet, which we then
had to repeat over and over. She taught us how to read, and we taught her how to speak again. Leonori. 2003:76
Pakistan’s children do not get qualified education. It causes them to be utilized by the rich people. On the other hand, the stupidity of Pakistan’s children that is found in Iqbal
caused by lack of education. The line below explains about the stupidity that was found in Iqbal.
“And every day at sunset, Ill erase one of these lines, right in front of your eyes. Youll feel proud, and your parents will feel proud, because it will be
the fruit of your work. Do you understand?
When all the lines are erased, Hussain Khan added, when you see this slate wiped completely”. Leonori 2003:4
He had been erasing those lines for three years, and they were still all there, or at least thats how it seemed to me. Sometimes I even thought there were
more of them, but that wasnt possible--the lines on the slate. Leonori 2003:7
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The lack of education can also be found in Pakistan nowadays. Pakistan’s children are not able to get access for education easily. Most of Pakistan’s children still work in order to
support their family’s income. Historically, it was taboo for Pakistan’s girl to get an education. Girls are not allowed to go to school. Moreover, they are forced to marriage in
their early age. According to Malala Yousafzai’s speech, it is not easy for Pakistan’s children to get a qualified education.
Many children in countries like Pakistan and India, as Kailash Satyarthi mentioned, many children, especially in India and Pakistan are deprived of
their right to education because of social taboos, or they have been forced into child marriage or into child labour Malala Yousafzai’s speech 2014.
Corruption is a phenomenon which also potrays the poverty. Corruption is one of main reasons for abusing resources, wherever there is poverty; there is also corruption.
Corruption can diminish children’s ability to escape from poverty. The potrait of corruption is also found in Iqbal. The quotation below potrayed the corruption that happened in Pakistan’s
society at the time
You know what happened the next day. Hussain told them that were workers, that he pays us regularly, that there arent any chains. And they
believed him.
They didnt believe him. They took money, I explained. I saw them. We looked unhappily at one another. We were sitting. Leonori. 2003:73
Its too dangerous. The carpet merchants and the kiln owners are very powerful. The moneylenders are influential. The police tend to protect them,
youve already seen that. And the magistrates just look the other way. All of us here have been threatened and persecuted. No, we cant allow it. Leonori
2003:93
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The increasing of crime is also a characteristic of poverty. Crime is also found in Iqbal. In Iqbal, Iqbal is shot to death. Nobody knew who the killer is. Most people say that he
is shot to death by the Taliban. Nobody knows what happened, Fatima, my sister. A man has murmured that
through the curtain of falling rain he saw Iqbal pass close to the car. The window came down a little, and there were three, four, maybe five flashes.
Before anyone could get the men together and run to help, the car had disappeared. Iqbals body was there, fallen in the lane, and the water under him
was stained red, but even the red water disappeared soon. The rain washed it away. This is what they have told me. Leonori. 2003:118
Trafficking of children involves the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of children for the purpose of exploitation. Human trafficking and child labour are
also violence that are caused by poverty. Women and children become the victims of trafficking. Children are exploited by some people who have power. Iqbal and other children
send to the moneylenders in order to pay off their families’s debt, “We had all been bonded to Hussain Khan to pay off debts our families had contracted with local moneylenders.”
Leonori. 2003:1. Children are sent to work in the hazardous areas, like carpet weaver, “He said I would have to work to help the family pay off the debt, and we wouldnt meet for many
months, but I would learn how to make carpets and this might help me in life. Leonori. 2003:19.
In Iqbal’s experiences, Iqbal is sent from a master to Hussain Khan. Iqbal works everyday, but their debt is always there. Their debt seem like never completed. Iqbal and
other children pray that their mastet would never sell them to the owner of a brick factory, “I prayed that the master would never sell me to the owner of a brick factory.” Leonori.
2003:17. The quotation below explains about Iqbal’s experience that their debt never completed,
Hussain wont cancel the debt, Iqbal said slowly. My other masters didnt. The debt is never canceled.
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So what hope did we have? Why then did we work from dawn till dusk? What right did Iqbal have to claim such awful things? After all, he was the
newest arrival and luckier than everybody else. How could he crush us like that? Leonori 2003:28.
4.2 The Potrayal of Child Labour in Iqbal
