A study on cultural contrasts found in Pearl S. Buck's East Wind : West Wind - Widya Mandala Catholic University Surabaya Repository

CIIAPtrtrR r
INTRODUCtrION

1.1 Backgroundof the Study
L i te ra tu re
i m p o rta n t
about

subject

b e ca u se th ro ugh

o th e r

vocabulary

and also

good

knouledge.


the

Students

learn

the

a l so

does

can

is

ver y

can Iear n


im pr ove

human uays

not

deeper

that

students

co n fi rmed by P. cur ey

l i te ra tu re
but

matter


this.

cu l tu re s.

va1ue. This is
that

o ne

is

of

their

life

and

( 19' 10:L' i3) saying


give

only

factual

and mo.r e valuable

ideas,

t h o u gh ts a n d mo ra l te a ching in the society.
Matteu Arnold
a h r a ys fi n d

l i te ra tu re

of a people is
c o n t ai n s


th e

t h o u gh ts,

th e i r

(1966:1)

and Little
essential

th e p ri ncipal
re co rd

of

p ro b l e ns

say


men

because the liter atur e

element of its
the

that

peoples'

and conflicts,

cu]tur e.

values.
in

shor t,


It

their
their

uhole nay of Life.
B a si n g o n th e
I i t e r a tu re
studying

as

a

l i te ra tu re ,

st.atem ent above, the r ,r r iter
su b j ect

matter


the sr iter

for
sould

her
lear n

chooses

since

by

about uays

2

o f l i fe

or

su ch a s, th e str uggle

e mo t'o n s i n

a d d i ti on

to

a n d g xa ru n a r a n d u ti l i za tion
nature.
rt

life,

dr eams, feelings

im pr oving


her vocabular ies

in

language. The language is

From the language that

is

used in

the context,

c an b e fo u n d th e h uman' s issues uhich often

o r d i n a ry
learn
real


l i fe .

B e si d es

a b o u t th e cu rtu re
so rl d

i n to

the

o r p la y

th e l i ter ar y

a n d p o e try.

i n t e r e ste d
l o n g er
play

th a n

th e

m o s t n o ve l s te 1 l

o th e rs

of novel,

this

short

study,

with

a n d h o '. th e y a ssociate ' r ith
their

t h e re a so n vh y th e ur iter

drama

is

mor e

of the nover is
stor y,

accor ding

a b o u t human r ife

a ffects

can

of the

story,

the r ,r r iter

such as shor t

B e si d es that,

a n d h o u th e so ci e ty

r ^r r iter

ar t r r or k.

i -n n o ve l b e cause the content

a n d p o e try.

of life

In

1anguage, the

happen in

sense and the r efr - ection

LJ_terary forms consist

is

of

dr ama or

to the vr iter ,

their

pr obr ematic

other m en in

society

vay of thinking.

chooses a novel

That

not

the

o t h e r fo rms.
S i m o n a n d S c h u s t e r ( 1 9 6 5 : 1 0 5 ) say.
t h e n ove l i s

p a rti cu l a rl y

o n c h a ra cte r

o f th e p a ssage of tim e.

suited

"The length

of

to deal rgith the effect
It

expands in

space

3
a s u eL l - a s i n

ti me ;

ther efor e,

novel

is

decidedly

not

meant to be read at a single sitti_ng.,,
..Novel is

Kennedy (L983:180) also adds that,
l e n g th

sto ry

s e n s e th a t,

i n p ro se . r ,r hose author
uhile

tr ies

to cr eate

the

w e read. we exper i_ence actuaL life.,,

B e si d e s n o ve l 1 s a longer

stor y.

Accor ding

C o r r u i c k ( 1 9 8 7 : 1 6 ), " B y r e a d i n g a n o v e l ,
see a lot

a book

o f so cj _ a l reality

of

to Mc.

the readers can

the tim e uhen the stor v

1s written. "
A fe w
well

about

stu d e n ts
P e a tl

at

S.

Uidya Mandala univer sity

Buck.

In

this

study,

know

the

wr iter

wants to show Pearl S. Buck and her works. In pearl
B u c l r 's b i -o g ra p h y
A m e r ica n
virginia

(1 9 75: 6)

n o ve l i st,

P ear l

is

S.

Buck uas

ur itten

that
bor n

,' As an
in

gest

in June 26,7892. She spent most of her life

C h i n a , fo r

sh e h a d b e en taken to

n r - i s si o n a ry p a re n ts.
since

it

sh e

i n f l u e n ce d

uas

a

her ideas

A bsolom and Car oline
fe r .r

m onths

about the

h e r b i o g ra p h y th a t C h i na is
c o u n trv i s

live

a d re a m l -a n d".

old.
countr y

a r eal

in

S.

in

China by her
Sydenstr icker ,

.fhis

condition

as she said

in

hone. but her m other

4

p e a rl S. Buck r .r as inter ested

N a tu ra l l y,
w r J . t er,

as

c h i L dh o o d ,
writer,

C e va sco
p e a rl

and

S.

the

( L967z4441

m entions,

Buck was deter mi_ned to

roofs

of

her

titerary

e n c o u ra g e d b y h e r mo ther and father .

r,ra ssh oll_y Chinesei fox in

c o u n try o f h e r b i rth .
a n d th e
their
fi

so rro n s

of

than

The sights,

she

give

the smells,

r eality

to

about

the joys.

their
pear l

the

customs,
S.

Buck' s

,r

Cevasco (1967:440) adds that
rrrritten

uere

her youth she

knes

th e Chinese people,

tra d i ti o n s-a l I

.-r i 'rn

China

become a

\.The Shanghai M er cur y.' ,

H e r i n sp i ra ti o n

mo re a b o u t

her

Since she uas ten,

h e r fi rst

stor y.

..In

career

S h e h a d u ri tte n

k n e w fa r

to becom e a

over seventy books,

pearl

S.

Buck had

more than 200 articles,

and

n u m e r o u s sh o rt sto ri e s.
P e a rl
got

an

states
for

S . B u ck, u nlike

a p p re cj -a ti o n
that

Pearl

S.

of

m any other

her

wor k.

Chinese r r r r iter s,

cevasco

Buck r.ras auarded the

( 196?:43?)
Nobe} prize

L j -te ra tu re o n D e ce mber 11. 1983. The Nobel Cor unittee

g a v e th e P ri ze " fo r

ri ch

and tr ully

epic descr iptions

C h i n e se p e a sa n t J-i fe , and master pieces of biogr aphy.-

of

5

T h e o th e r -re a so n that
S. Buck's uork.
simple

e n d e a sy

is

that

to

choose pear l

m akes the ur iter

the language uhich is

under stand.

So,

it

is

used is

hoped the

r e a d ers ca n u n d e rsta n d the stor y.
'E st g i n d :
is

l t'e st Sind"

c h o se n b y th e w ri te r

one of pear - L S. Buck' s uor k

uher eas the stor y

Chinese broman narned Kuei Lan. She 1ived
tradition
and her

i n w h i ch e ver ything
p a re n ts.
deeply

j -n

confirmed

about

how

cornrnunicate and

Kwei
a

t o a rra n g e h e -r fa mi l y
sife.

On th e

o th e r

old

Chi.nese

Chinese cultur e

Lan/

hrife

behave to

in

ar r anged by her ancestor s

T h e tr aditional

i m p l a n te d

tell_s about a

in
has

nhich
to

in

learn

parents-in-law

uell_ and to do other
h and, her husband lived

Lr as

cultur e
horrr tro

and husband,
duties

as a

and had a

s c h o o l j -n fe st

a l o n g time ago. He r efused uhatever Kwei

L a n / s mo th e r

th o u g h t

about

Ksei

Lan far

befor e

Lan became his r,rife. He lranted the same position
a h u sb a n d a n d r,ri fe . It
have the sane level.

meant that

In other

Kuei

between

man and uom an had to

rirords, Kr,rei-Lan husband's

w a n t e d K u e i L a n to b e h ave as a m oder n uife.

6

T h e uri_ter is
b e c a u se this

i n ter ested

novel ta l ks

in

East sind:

fest

about tr go cultur es.

Uind

Ther e ar e

E a s t e rn cul-ture and l l e stexn cultur e.

1.2 statement of the problem
Related to the background of
r n t e n ds

to

follor,r:

"ghat

fo rmu l a te

the

cultural

the study,

statement

contrasts

of

the

the rrrriter
problem

as

pearl

S.

are f o u n d i n

B u c k ' s E ? st U i n d ; U e st $ind ?,,

1 . .3 Ob j e cti ve

of the Study

B a se d o n th e
uriter

i n te n d s

sta tement

to find

out

of

the

cultural_

problem

above,

contr asts

the

found in

P e a r ] S . B u c k , s E a st U i nd: gest tr ind.

1 . 4 Si g n i fi ca n ce

o f th e Study

T h i s a n a l ysi s
to

t h e stu d e n ts

of

C a t h o li c

U n i ve rsi ty

cultures,

improving

is

aimed at

E n glish
such
their

giving

som e contribution

Depar tnent at
as

lear ning

vocabulary,

the human uays of l_ife and values.

tfidya Mandala
about

and also

other

lear ning

T h e u ri te r
t o r ' ri te

th e si s

h o p es th a t

a l so hopefully

encour ages other students

o n l i te r atur e.

fn other uor ds the nr iter

l i te ra tu re

,oir r

becom e m or e r nter estino

to

the students.

1 . 5 Sco p e a n d L i mi _ ta ti on
In

th i s

c o n t r ast

th e si s

l i mi ts

ch a ra cte rs.

c h a r acte rs
cultural

the yr iter

focuses

on the

cultur al

i n E a q t S i n d : Sest gind b y P e a r l S . B u c k .

This
main

th e si s

K w ei

itself

to

Lan

and

the
her

analysis

of

husband.

a re mo re d ominant than the other s in

the
Both

shouino

co n tra st.

1 . 6 De fi n i ti o n
B e fo re

o f K e y Ter m s
co mi n g

n e c e ssa ry to cl a ri fy

to

fur ther

discussion,

some ter m s applied in this

it

is

thesis.

Novel
Novel i.s th e l o n g e st
may find
(Little,

most

fo r m of pr ose fictj_on,

extraordinarily

1 9 6 6 : 6 8 ).

r.ride range

in which r r e
of

uritinq

C h a ra cte r
C h a r a cte r

is

a

per son

a n t h r o p o mo rp h i ze d a n i m al,
appears or is
il.

referred

( or

object

to in

personifi.ed

or

a vork

deity)

or

r sho actsl

(Carl E. Bain, et.

1 9 7 1 : 5 0 0 0 ).

Character

is

a

person

urho is

involved

in

the

story

( H a w t h o r n e . 1 9 9 5: 4 1 ) .
Setting
Se t t i ng

is

th e

ti -me and the pr ace in

nhich

an action

happens (Knickerbockel, 1960:43?)
Conflict
A c o n fl i ct
',Iills.

is
rt

a clash
nay

be

of

actions,

ideas,

m an- against_m an,

desires.

or

m an_against_

e n v i r on me n t, a n d m a n - a g a i . n s t - h i m s e l f. ( p e m i n e ,

1966:59)

Culture
C u l t u re i s

co mmo nr,ra y of life.

( Dawson. 1991:11)

C o n t r a st
A person or thing
n i - t h a n o th e r.

exhibiting

difference

upon comparison

9

1.7 Organization of the Thesis
This

th e si s

co n sists

of

five

chapter s.

d e a l s w i -th th e b a ckg ro und of the study,
p r o b le m, th e o b j e cti ve
study.

of the study.

scope and lim-i_tation,

a n d o rg a n i za ti o n

r e v i e w o -f th e re r-a te d r iter atur e.
m e t h o d o l o g y o f th e stu dy.
t h e n o ve l .

F i n a l l y,

significance
of

chapter r r
chapter r r r

Chapter IV is

I

statement of the

definition

o f th e thesis.

chapter

key

of the
terms,

pr esents

the

deals r .r ith

the analysj_s of

th e concl_usion and suggestion of the

s t u d y ru i L l _ b e d i scu sse d in chapter v.