Background of the Study

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

This chapter consists of six major parts. The first part, background of the study, explains the writer’s reasons in choosing the topic. The second part, problem formulation, formulates the problems that the writer wants to discuss. The third part, problem limitation, describes the focus and the scope of the study. The fourth part, objectives of the study, presents the objectives of this study. The fifth part, research benefits, presents the benefits of this study. In addition, the last part, definition of terms, explains some key terms used in this study.

A. Background of the Study

As social beings, human beings could not live by themselves. They are always related to their society. It means that they need their society to fulfill their needs. They need to interact with their society in order to survive. The interaction between them is often called social interaction. According to Gillin and Gillin 489 “social interaction refers to social relations of all sorts in function - dynamic social relations of all kinds – whether such relations exist between individual and individual, between group and group, or between group and individual, as the case may be.” In the process of social interaction, human beings may find some problems. The problems may cause conflict between them. Fichter 230 states “conflict is that form of mutual interaction through which two or more persons attempt to remove each other, either by annihilating or by rendering the other party ineffectual.” While Gillin and Gillin 625 state “conflict is the social process in which individuals or groups seek their ends by directly challenging the antagonist by violence or threat of violence.” However, conflicts are not necessarily violence but it can be the conflict in the form of contrary ideas or values. There are many causes of conflicts. According to Gillin and Gillin, conflicts may grow up through cultural differences. This statement is supported by LeBaron which states “culture is always a factor in conflict, whether it plays a central role or influences it subtly and gently.” It is so because there are some people who have a narrow view of another’s culture. Usually people feel proud of their own culture. However, their way of thinking sometimes leads them to judge another culture is worse compare to their own culture. Therefore, conflict cannot be avoided. People usually feel that they belong to certain cultural values, whenever they are threatened by others they will act violently or they may react to it by being angry with the people who threaten them. It means that cultural differences may raise conflict between individual or between groups in the society even conflict in the family. This phenomenon makes people who deal with literature have an idea that cultural conflict may become a great soul of a story. A story that raises issues of cultural differences offers great values for human beings. The novel that the writer chose is one of the novels that raise social and cultural issues in human life that we can easily find in our society. It tells about a man, Obi Okonkwo, who has just come back from England after four years of studying abroad. During his years in England, Obi Okonkwo is unconsiously influenced by western culture. As a result, while Obi Okonkwo comes back to his hometown, he lives with two different cultures. His Ibo culture is mixed with western culture. He is an Ibo but he has westernized ways of thinking. As a result, Obi Okonkwo feels that he is uncomfortable with his own culture. In addition, he rebels against the Ibo traditions that he previously believes in and follows western traditions. Culture is something precious for a country. It is the identity of a country. A good country must be able to keep their own culture because by keeping their culture, it means that they keep their own identity. What the writer found in the novel is that the major character cannot maintain his own culture which raises the major conflict among the characters. The conflict occurred between the major character and his lover and between the major character and his family. This novel is very interesting since it shows how western culture influences the major conflict of Obi Okonkwo. That is why the writer wants to analyze more on the conflict which is caused by the influence of western culture in this novel. The writer hopes that this work becomes an overview that culture has a big role in the traditional society which still holds on to their traditional rules. B. Problem Formulation 1. How is Obi Okonkwo’s character described in the novel?