Analysis of Theme Through Social Conflicts in V.S.Naipaul's 'A Bend in The River'.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE ……………………………………………………………………
i
TABLE OF CONTENT ……………………………………………………..
ii
ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………….
iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study ……………………………………………...
Statement of the Problem …………………………………………......
Purpose of the Study …………………………………………………..
Method of Research ……………………………………………….......
Organization of the Thesis ………………………………………….....
1
4
4
4
5
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF THEME THROUGH SOCIAL
CONFLICTS IN V.S. NAIPAUL’S A BEND IN
THE RIVER
6
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ……………………………………...
19
BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………………………………………………………
22
APPENDICES:
Synopsis of V.S. Naipaul’s A Bend in the River……………………...
Biography of V.S. Naipaul... …………………………………….……
24
26
ii
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
ABSTRACT
Skripsi ini ditulis untuk memenuhi salah satu persyaratan kelulusan
program Sarjana di Jurusan Bahasa Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Kristen
Maranatha. Dalam skripsi ini saya menganalisis tema dari novel V.S. Naipaul
yang berjudul A Bend in the River. Tema tersebut dianalisis melalui konflikkonflik sosial yang terjadi di dalam novel ini. Dan konflik-konflik ini juga dibahas
melalui pendekatan postcolonial. Pendekatan postcolonial yang saya gunakan
bersumber dari karya Frantz Fanon yang berjudul The Wretched of the Earth.
Dalam novel ini Naipaul menggambarkan kondisi suatu negara tepatnya di
sebuah kota kecil di Afrika yang baru saja merdeka. Namun kondisi ini ternyata
tidak membuat penduduk asli setempat puas. Banyak orang asing terutama orangorang Eropa dan Arab yang berdatangan dengan tujuan bisnis, sekolah, bahkan
duduk
di
pemerintahan.
Awalnya
penduduk
asli
setempat
tidak
mempermasalahkan hal ini, namun beberapa pihak mulai tidak menyukainya.
Konflik dimulai dengan pemberontakan-pemberontakan kecil yang berakhir
dengan terjadinya pembunuhan terhadap orang-orang asing. Hingga menjelang
akhir cerita, yang menjadi penyebab utama konflik tersebut hanya satu, yaitu
orang-orang asing yang masih menduduki wilayah penduduk asli Afrika. Para
pemberontak menolak adanya keterlibatan orang-orang asing terutama bekas
iii
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penjajah mereka, yaitu orang Eropa, untuk ikut duduk di pemerintahan dengan
alasan mereka sudah merdeka. Bukan hanya itu, di saat bangsa mereka telah
merdeka, praktek jual beli budak masih berlangsung. Oleh karena itu sudah
seharusnya sisa-sisa penjajahan disingkirkan agar mereka tidak merasa tertekan
atau tertindas seperti saat mereka dijajah sebelumnya. Karena merasa tertindas
oleh orang-orang asing tersebut, para pemberontak dan penduduk asli Afrika
lainnya terpaksa membunuh mereka. Konflik menjadi semakin parah ketika
ternyata bukan hanya orang-orang Eropa dan Arab yang dibunuh, tetapi banyak
dari penduduk asli setempat yang dibunuh karena para pemberontak ingin
membersihkan kota dari pengaruh-pengaruh penjajah. Mereka dibunuh dengan
alasan karena mereka sudah terpengaruh oleh budaya Eropa, contohnya para
pemuda dan pelajar yang bersekolah di sekolah yang berbasis Eropa.
Dalam pembahasan konflik-konflik sosial ini, saya menggunakan teori
postcolonial dari Frantz Fanon, terutama tentang proses dekolonisasi suatu bangsa
yang merasa masih tertindas walaupun secara status mereka telah merdeka. Fanon
menjelaskan bahwa sudah seharusnya suatu bangsa yang merdeka mendapatkan
kebebasannya baik secara budaya atau politik. Selain itu, kekerasan adalah jalan
keluar bagi mereka yang merasa tertindas untuk mencapai kebebasan.
Setelah menyelesaikan skripsi ini, saya berkesimpulan bahwa penindasan
bekepanjangan yang dialami oleh siapapun, baik individu ataupun kelompok, akan
mengakibatkan perasaan marah dan tidak menutup kemungkinan akan terjadi
kekerasan terhadap penindas itu sendiri.
iv
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APPENDICES
Synopsis of V.S. Naipaul’s A Bend in the River
The story is told by Salim, a Moslem Indian trader who immigrates to a
small town at the bend in the great river of a newly independent African nation.
Although he is an Indian, his family has been living in Africa for centuries. He comes
to the town to start a new business by opening his own shop. The town at the bend in
the river is more than half destroyed after the independence. Moreover, Salim does
not know that he will be trapped in many troubles that will come to the town.
After the independence, the town becomes crowded. People from the
village come to the town and they have their own activities, like trading, studying,
and many more. Then, from the unknown outside of the town comes the rumour of a
war. People in the region have to face many troubles. There is a tribal war which
causes death among the Arabs, Africans, and the Europeans. The Africans start to kill
everybody who gets involved in slave-hunting tribe. Besides, the town has to get
another destruction. Liberation Army, which is established by African people from
their own tribes, is against the new government, which is mostly dominated by the
Europeans.
24
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
Then the new government decides not to involve European people in
the new government. The Belgian president’s adviser finally has to leave the
domain house, which is once built by the president for his special people and state
guests. The rebellion continually happens. There will be a big rebellion when the
president comes to the town. But Salim leaves the town before the rebellion
happens. Ferdinand, the native African who is from another tribe in Africa, gives
a steamer ticket to him so that he can run away from the town that will be
destroyed by the rebels.
25
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
Biography of V.S. Naipaul
Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul was born in Chaguanas, Trinidad, on
August 17, 1932. His Hindu grandfather immigrated there from West India as a
servant and his father, Seepersad, was a journalist. Naipaul’s family moved to Port
of Spain, where he attended Queen’s Royal College. Moreover, he travelled for
long periods in India and Africa. It was a time of decolonization, when so many
people had to find their own identity. On these travels, he explored the meaning of
culture and history.
In 1948, he received a Trinidad government scholarship, which he
used to study literature at University College, Oxford. After four years at Oxford,
he began to write. Naipaul married an English woman, Patricia Ann Hale in 1955.
Since then, they resided in Wiltshire England, travelling extensively and writing
many critical novels, short stories, and essays. His wife died in 1996, and he was
remarried shortly thereafter, to a Pakistani woman named Nadira.
Naipaul is the author of more than twenty five books of fiction and
nonfictions. He also has received many awards, including the Nobel Prize in 2001,
the Booker Prize in 1971, and knighthood for services to literature in 1990.
Furthermore, he has been called “the world’s writer”. His journey in India and
Africa had many influences to his works, like in his major novels A House for Mr.
Biswas (1961), The Mimic Men (1967), In A Free State (1971), Guerrillas (1973),
The Enigma of Arrival (1987), and A Bend in the River (1979). Naipaul addressed
violence and despairing of life in the Third World countries, from India, Africa to
Carribean.
26
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Every work of arts must have a theme, because theme is the most
important element in it. It is stated that theme is ‘the message or moral implicit in
any work of art’ or ‘the central and dominating idea in a literary work’ (Shaw,
1972: 378).
In this analysis, I would like to reveal the theme of V.S. Naipaul’s A Bend
in the River through the social conflicts. Having found some sources, I find out
that social conflict is the opposition of two individuals’ or g roups’ ideologies to
gain the right one. The conflict itself is ‘the opposition of persons or forces upon
which the action depends in drama and fiction’ (Shaw, 1972: 91). Shaw has
divided conflict into three types, one of which is social conflict. In Dictionary of
Literary Terms, social conflict is defined as ‘a struggle between man and man’
(Shaw, 1972: 91). In some cases, social conflict does not emerge between two
individuals only. It can emerge within a society with many groups in it. Different
opinions or even ideologies might be the source of the problem that will arouse
social conflict. According to Marxist-based social theory, social conflict emerges
when
‘individuals
and
groups
(social
1
classes)
within
society
have
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
differing amounts of material and non-material resources (the wealthy vs. the
poor) and that the more powerful groups use their power in order to exploit groups
with less power.’ < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social-conflict_theory> In other
words, social conflict is related to power. The more powerful group will be the
ruler and the less powerful will be the suppressed.
A Bend in the River is a novel written by V.S. Naipaul, ‘a world writer of
Indian descent whose works are concerned with the issues of freedom and
decolonized world.’ < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V._S._Naipaul> It tells about a
newly independent African nation with its conflicts in finding their voice and
identity. The nation has got their independence, yet there are still traces of
colonization, as some critics argue that ‘colonialism is over when in fact most of
the nations involved are still culturally and economically subordinated to the rich
industrial
states…
even
though
they
are
technically
independent.’
The Africans,
who have been colonized over the years by the Europeans, will reclaim what
should be their rights. And there is only their feeling of anger that is retained
during the colonization. Having got the status as an independent nation, the
Africans warn the Europeans that their sovereignty is over. Their great anger of
the oppression in colonial time bursts into violence after the Independence Day.
In conveying the theme through social conflicts, postcolonial approach is
suitable to be used as extrinsic approach in the novel. Post-colonialism itself
‘deals with many issues for societies that have undergone colonialism’
Therefore, I would like to use
2
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Frantz Fanon’s theory of The Wretched of the Earth, which is ‘the ancestry of
postcolonial criticism’ (Barry, 2002: 193).
A Bend in the River deals with the issue of decolonization, that is ‘the
process by which a colony gains its independence from a colonial power, a
process opposite to colonization’ < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decolonization>
Colonial power is built by the colonizer to indoctrinate the natives so that they
believe superiority is only owned by white people. Politically, colonial power is
built in the government so that the natives believe that in the Europeans’ hand,
their nation will be brought to the same level with the whites’. And culturally,
colonial power also succeeds in making the natives see that all of the whites’
values are the best; for instance, in arts. But finally, this colonial power has made
the natives realize that they have felt oppressions over the years because they have
to lose their freedom in having their national identity. Gaining the freedom is the
main reason for them to free themselves from being suppressed and feeling
inferior.
Fanon points out that ‘madness is one of the means man has of losing his
freedom’ < http://www.nu.ac.za/CCS/> A nation that has been suppressed for a
long time without any resistance will reclaim their history with the feeling of
anger because of losing its freedom as well as finding its identity. Having been
colonized for a long time, Africans have lost their voice and their identity. In fact,
identity is required for every independent nation to be admitted by other nations.
Yet, the colonizer feels that oppression during the colonial time is not enough.
Indirectly, they still colonize their ex-colonized nation by dominating the region
and even the government itself. However, it is necessary for the oppressed to be
3
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free from the oppressor; not only technically, but also economically and
culturally.
Statement of the Problems
The problems that I would like to analyze are:
1. What is the theme of V.S. Naipaul’s A Bend in the River?
2. How do the social conflicts help in revealing the theme?
Purpose of the Study
The purposes of this study are:
1. To show the theme of V.S. Naipaul’s A Bend in the River.
2. To show the author’s way in presenting the theme through the social
conflicts.
Method of Research
In this thesis, I use the method of library research. First, I read A Bend in
the River by V.S. Naipaul as the primary text. Next, through the reference books
and internet websites I obtain more relevant information about the novel. In
analyzing the novel, post colonialism is used as the approach so that the theme can
be revealed clearly. Finally, from the data and the information obtained, I analyze
the novel and conclude my analysis.
4
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Organization of the Thesis
I divide this thesis into three chapters. In Chapter One, the Introduction
consists of the Background of the Study, the Statement of the Problem, the
Purpose of the Study, the Method of Research and the Organization of the Thesis.
In Chapter Two, I present the analysis of the theme through social conflicts of A
Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul. Chapter Three contains the conclusion of what
has been discussed in the previous chapter. This thesis ends with the Bibliography
and Appendices. The Appendices contains a synopsis of A Bend in the River and
the biography of V.S Naipaul.
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CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
Having analyzed the social conflicts using Frantz Fanon’s theory of post
colonialism, I arrive at the following conclusion. There are five social conflicts in
A Bend in the River. The first social conflict is between a group of Africans and
Europeans. The second social conflict happens between the new president and two
of the army, they are Colonel Yenyi and Iyanda. The same conflict also occurs
between a number of Africans and Father Huismans. The fourth social conflict is
between the Europeans and the Liberation Army. And the last conflict happens
between the new government and some foreigners like Noimon, Salim, Raymond
and his wife, Yvette.
I find that those conflicts are closely related to the theme of the novel. The
first social conflict, which happens between Africans and Europeans, occurs
because of the Europeans’ domination in the new government that then arouses
the Africans’ fury. The second social conflict happens owing to the continuity of
slavery that finally makes the native Africans furious and turn to violence. In the
third social conflict, I find the cause of the conflict is because of Father
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Huismans’ idea of civilization. At first, the Africans seem to accept the
Europeans’ values, but eventually they realize th at it is oppression. They lose their
freedom to show their own character as well as their skills. Moreover, Father
Huismans has to die tragically. The fourth social conflict occurs for the reason
that the Europeans still indirectly dominate the region; for instance, the natives
think that their children have been given false interpretation by the priests and the
teachers. Finally, this fact arouses the Liberation Army’s fury. And the fifth social
conflict emerges between the native Africans and the foreigners who still live and
work in the natives’ region. Therefore, it makes the new government decide to
nationalize the town.
By focusing on the outcome of those five social conflicts, I discover that
the theme of the novel is revealed through those social conflicts. The theme is
oppression that continually happens in the aftermath of colonization will arouse
the ex-colonized nation’s fury.
All of the social conflicts stem from the
oppression that continually happens in the ex-colonized country. Realizing that
they are now an independent nation, the native Africans become furious at their
ex-colonizer.
Moreover, I also find that Fanon has the following notion. It is compulsory
for the oppressed nation to be free from the oppressor. This freedom can be gained
through decolonization, as done by the natives through violence. Actually, there is
no way back to their old culture, but he believes that the oppressed nation can
create a new idea to develop a new nation through their struggle.
In addition, I also notice that the author has a special intention in writing
this novel. A Bend in the River is dominated by social conflicts between the
20
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native Africans and their ex-colonizer, which are the Europeans. Naipaul
concentrates on these conflicts and gives a depiction of how an oppressed nation
tries to gain freedom culturally and politically from the oppressor. And he also
tries to make the readers imagine if one person is oppressed continually, he will be
furious and try to take revenge even he has to kill his oppressor. On the other
hand, Naipaul succeeds in portraying the condition in which native Africans
become horrible and have the heart to kill brutally because of the continual
oppression. And violence is their only way to gain freedom.
To end my thesis, I would like to give my personal opinion concerning the
novel from what has been discussed in the previous chapter. The conflicts in A
bend in the River can be taken as an example. It may happen in our real life,
especially in some Third World countries like Africa. Many independent nations
do not realize that in some cases, they actually have not got freedom either
culturally or politically. The natives in A Bend in the River have courage to fight
against the colonial system which still prevails even they are already independent.
These conflicts may happen in our country because oppression that continually
happens to an individual or a group of people can arouse their fury. All of us may
confess that western countries are superior to other nations and they have done all
of things that make us admire them. But it does not mean that they can suppress
their inferior all the time. Independent nations have their own rights to be truly
free from their oppressor. One day, if we are more aware of the condition, we will
reclaim our rights as the native Africans have done in Naipaul’s A Bend in the
River.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
References
Barry, Peter. Beginning theory. New York: Manchester University Press, 2002.
Hornby, A. S. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Great Britain: Hazell, Watson
and Viney limited, 1989.
Shaw, Harry. Dictionary of Literary Terms. New York: Mc Grow Hill Book
Company, 1972.
Internet Sites
"Postcolonial Literature": Problems with the Term. 16 September 2005.
Ahluwalia, Pal (2002) Fanon’s Nausea: The Hegemony Of The White Nation. 16
September 2005.
Decolonization.
Wikipedia:
the
free
encyclopedia.
23
November
2005.
Frantz Fanon, 1961 The Wretched of the Earth, Chapter 6. Conclusion. 5 November
2005.
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.
Frantz Omar Fanon : Urgent Lessons for the Bolivarian Revolution. 16 September
2005.
Postcolonialism. Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia. 23 November 2005.
Social-conflict theory. Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia. 11 November 2005.
Speech by Frantz Fanon at the Congress of Black African Writers, 1959. 5
November
2005.
.
Primary Text
Naipaul, V.S. A Bend in the River. New York: Vintage International, 1989.
23
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PREFACE ……………………………………………………………………
i
TABLE OF CONTENT ……………………………………………………..
ii
ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………….
iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study ……………………………………………...
Statement of the Problem …………………………………………......
Purpose of the Study …………………………………………………..
Method of Research ……………………………………………….......
Organization of the Thesis ………………………………………….....
1
4
4
4
5
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF THEME THROUGH SOCIAL
CONFLICTS IN V.S. NAIPAUL’S A BEND IN
THE RIVER
6
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ……………………………………...
19
BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………………………………………………………
22
APPENDICES:
Synopsis of V.S. Naipaul’s A Bend in the River……………………...
Biography of V.S. Naipaul... …………………………………….……
24
26
ii
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
ABSTRACT
Skripsi ini ditulis untuk memenuhi salah satu persyaratan kelulusan
program Sarjana di Jurusan Bahasa Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Kristen
Maranatha. Dalam skripsi ini saya menganalisis tema dari novel V.S. Naipaul
yang berjudul A Bend in the River. Tema tersebut dianalisis melalui konflikkonflik sosial yang terjadi di dalam novel ini. Dan konflik-konflik ini juga dibahas
melalui pendekatan postcolonial. Pendekatan postcolonial yang saya gunakan
bersumber dari karya Frantz Fanon yang berjudul The Wretched of the Earth.
Dalam novel ini Naipaul menggambarkan kondisi suatu negara tepatnya di
sebuah kota kecil di Afrika yang baru saja merdeka. Namun kondisi ini ternyata
tidak membuat penduduk asli setempat puas. Banyak orang asing terutama orangorang Eropa dan Arab yang berdatangan dengan tujuan bisnis, sekolah, bahkan
duduk
di
pemerintahan.
Awalnya
penduduk
asli
setempat
tidak
mempermasalahkan hal ini, namun beberapa pihak mulai tidak menyukainya.
Konflik dimulai dengan pemberontakan-pemberontakan kecil yang berakhir
dengan terjadinya pembunuhan terhadap orang-orang asing. Hingga menjelang
akhir cerita, yang menjadi penyebab utama konflik tersebut hanya satu, yaitu
orang-orang asing yang masih menduduki wilayah penduduk asli Afrika. Para
pemberontak menolak adanya keterlibatan orang-orang asing terutama bekas
iii
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
penjajah mereka, yaitu orang Eropa, untuk ikut duduk di pemerintahan dengan
alasan mereka sudah merdeka. Bukan hanya itu, di saat bangsa mereka telah
merdeka, praktek jual beli budak masih berlangsung. Oleh karena itu sudah
seharusnya sisa-sisa penjajahan disingkirkan agar mereka tidak merasa tertekan
atau tertindas seperti saat mereka dijajah sebelumnya. Karena merasa tertindas
oleh orang-orang asing tersebut, para pemberontak dan penduduk asli Afrika
lainnya terpaksa membunuh mereka. Konflik menjadi semakin parah ketika
ternyata bukan hanya orang-orang Eropa dan Arab yang dibunuh, tetapi banyak
dari penduduk asli setempat yang dibunuh karena para pemberontak ingin
membersihkan kota dari pengaruh-pengaruh penjajah. Mereka dibunuh dengan
alasan karena mereka sudah terpengaruh oleh budaya Eropa, contohnya para
pemuda dan pelajar yang bersekolah di sekolah yang berbasis Eropa.
Dalam pembahasan konflik-konflik sosial ini, saya menggunakan teori
postcolonial dari Frantz Fanon, terutama tentang proses dekolonisasi suatu bangsa
yang merasa masih tertindas walaupun secara status mereka telah merdeka. Fanon
menjelaskan bahwa sudah seharusnya suatu bangsa yang merdeka mendapatkan
kebebasannya baik secara budaya atau politik. Selain itu, kekerasan adalah jalan
keluar bagi mereka yang merasa tertindas untuk mencapai kebebasan.
Setelah menyelesaikan skripsi ini, saya berkesimpulan bahwa penindasan
bekepanjangan yang dialami oleh siapapun, baik individu ataupun kelompok, akan
mengakibatkan perasaan marah dan tidak menutup kemungkinan akan terjadi
kekerasan terhadap penindas itu sendiri.
iv
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
APPENDICES
Synopsis of V.S. Naipaul’s A Bend in the River
The story is told by Salim, a Moslem Indian trader who immigrates to a
small town at the bend in the great river of a newly independent African nation.
Although he is an Indian, his family has been living in Africa for centuries. He comes
to the town to start a new business by opening his own shop. The town at the bend in
the river is more than half destroyed after the independence. Moreover, Salim does
not know that he will be trapped in many troubles that will come to the town.
After the independence, the town becomes crowded. People from the
village come to the town and they have their own activities, like trading, studying,
and many more. Then, from the unknown outside of the town comes the rumour of a
war. People in the region have to face many troubles. There is a tribal war which
causes death among the Arabs, Africans, and the Europeans. The Africans start to kill
everybody who gets involved in slave-hunting tribe. Besides, the town has to get
another destruction. Liberation Army, which is established by African people from
their own tribes, is against the new government, which is mostly dominated by the
Europeans.
24
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
Then the new government decides not to involve European people in
the new government. The Belgian president’s adviser finally has to leave the
domain house, which is once built by the president for his special people and state
guests. The rebellion continually happens. There will be a big rebellion when the
president comes to the town. But Salim leaves the town before the rebellion
happens. Ferdinand, the native African who is from another tribe in Africa, gives
a steamer ticket to him so that he can run away from the town that will be
destroyed by the rebels.
25
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
Biography of V.S. Naipaul
Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul was born in Chaguanas, Trinidad, on
August 17, 1932. His Hindu grandfather immigrated there from West India as a
servant and his father, Seepersad, was a journalist. Naipaul’s family moved to Port
of Spain, where he attended Queen’s Royal College. Moreover, he travelled for
long periods in India and Africa. It was a time of decolonization, when so many
people had to find their own identity. On these travels, he explored the meaning of
culture and history.
In 1948, he received a Trinidad government scholarship, which he
used to study literature at University College, Oxford. After four years at Oxford,
he began to write. Naipaul married an English woman, Patricia Ann Hale in 1955.
Since then, they resided in Wiltshire England, travelling extensively and writing
many critical novels, short stories, and essays. His wife died in 1996, and he was
remarried shortly thereafter, to a Pakistani woman named Nadira.
Naipaul is the author of more than twenty five books of fiction and
nonfictions. He also has received many awards, including the Nobel Prize in 2001,
the Booker Prize in 1971, and knighthood for services to literature in 1990.
Furthermore, he has been called “the world’s writer”. His journey in India and
Africa had many influences to his works, like in his major novels A House for Mr.
Biswas (1961), The Mimic Men (1967), In A Free State (1971), Guerrillas (1973),
The Enigma of Arrival (1987), and A Bend in the River (1979). Naipaul addressed
violence and despairing of life in the Third World countries, from India, Africa to
Carribean.
26
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Every work of arts must have a theme, because theme is the most
important element in it. It is stated that theme is ‘the message or moral implicit in
any work of art’ or ‘the central and dominating idea in a literary work’ (Shaw,
1972: 378).
In this analysis, I would like to reveal the theme of V.S. Naipaul’s A Bend
in the River through the social conflicts. Having found some sources, I find out
that social conflict is the opposition of two individuals’ or g roups’ ideologies to
gain the right one. The conflict itself is ‘the opposition of persons or forces upon
which the action depends in drama and fiction’ (Shaw, 1972: 91). Shaw has
divided conflict into three types, one of which is social conflict. In Dictionary of
Literary Terms, social conflict is defined as ‘a struggle between man and man’
(Shaw, 1972: 91). In some cases, social conflict does not emerge between two
individuals only. It can emerge within a society with many groups in it. Different
opinions or even ideologies might be the source of the problem that will arouse
social conflict. According to Marxist-based social theory, social conflict emerges
when
‘individuals
and
groups
(social
1
classes)
within
society
have
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
differing amounts of material and non-material resources (the wealthy vs. the
poor) and that the more powerful groups use their power in order to exploit groups
with less power.’ < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social-conflict_theory> In other
words, social conflict is related to power. The more powerful group will be the
ruler and the less powerful will be the suppressed.
A Bend in the River is a novel written by V.S. Naipaul, ‘a world writer of
Indian descent whose works are concerned with the issues of freedom and
decolonized world.’ < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V._S._Naipaul> It tells about a
newly independent African nation with its conflicts in finding their voice and
identity. The nation has got their independence, yet there are still traces of
colonization, as some critics argue that ‘colonialism is over when in fact most of
the nations involved are still culturally and economically subordinated to the rich
industrial
states…
even
though
they
are
technically
independent.’
The Africans,
who have been colonized over the years by the Europeans, will reclaim what
should be their rights. And there is only their feeling of anger that is retained
during the colonization. Having got the status as an independent nation, the
Africans warn the Europeans that their sovereignty is over. Their great anger of
the oppression in colonial time bursts into violence after the Independence Day.
In conveying the theme through social conflicts, postcolonial approach is
suitable to be used as extrinsic approach in the novel. Post-colonialism itself
‘deals with many issues for societies that have undergone colonialism’
Therefore, I would like to use
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Frantz Fanon’s theory of The Wretched of the Earth, which is ‘the ancestry of
postcolonial criticism’ (Barry, 2002: 193).
A Bend in the River deals with the issue of decolonization, that is ‘the
process by which a colony gains its independence from a colonial power, a
process opposite to colonization’ < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decolonization>
Colonial power is built by the colonizer to indoctrinate the natives so that they
believe superiority is only owned by white people. Politically, colonial power is
built in the government so that the natives believe that in the Europeans’ hand,
their nation will be brought to the same level with the whites’. And culturally,
colonial power also succeeds in making the natives see that all of the whites’
values are the best; for instance, in arts. But finally, this colonial power has made
the natives realize that they have felt oppressions over the years because they have
to lose their freedom in having their national identity. Gaining the freedom is the
main reason for them to free themselves from being suppressed and feeling
inferior.
Fanon points out that ‘madness is one of the means man has of losing his
freedom’ < http://www.nu.ac.za/CCS/> A nation that has been suppressed for a
long time without any resistance will reclaim their history with the feeling of
anger because of losing its freedom as well as finding its identity. Having been
colonized for a long time, Africans have lost their voice and their identity. In fact,
identity is required for every independent nation to be admitted by other nations.
Yet, the colonizer feels that oppression during the colonial time is not enough.
Indirectly, they still colonize their ex-colonized nation by dominating the region
and even the government itself. However, it is necessary for the oppressed to be
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free from the oppressor; not only technically, but also economically and
culturally.
Statement of the Problems
The problems that I would like to analyze are:
1. What is the theme of V.S. Naipaul’s A Bend in the River?
2. How do the social conflicts help in revealing the theme?
Purpose of the Study
The purposes of this study are:
1. To show the theme of V.S. Naipaul’s A Bend in the River.
2. To show the author’s way in presenting the theme through the social
conflicts.
Method of Research
In this thesis, I use the method of library research. First, I read A Bend in
the River by V.S. Naipaul as the primary text. Next, through the reference books
and internet websites I obtain more relevant information about the novel. In
analyzing the novel, post colonialism is used as the approach so that the theme can
be revealed clearly. Finally, from the data and the information obtained, I analyze
the novel and conclude my analysis.
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Organization of the Thesis
I divide this thesis into three chapters. In Chapter One, the Introduction
consists of the Background of the Study, the Statement of the Problem, the
Purpose of the Study, the Method of Research and the Organization of the Thesis.
In Chapter Two, I present the analysis of the theme through social conflicts of A
Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul. Chapter Three contains the conclusion of what
has been discussed in the previous chapter. This thesis ends with the Bibliography
and Appendices. The Appendices contains a synopsis of A Bend in the River and
the biography of V.S Naipaul.
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CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
Having analyzed the social conflicts using Frantz Fanon’s theory of post
colonialism, I arrive at the following conclusion. There are five social conflicts in
A Bend in the River. The first social conflict is between a group of Africans and
Europeans. The second social conflict happens between the new president and two
of the army, they are Colonel Yenyi and Iyanda. The same conflict also occurs
between a number of Africans and Father Huismans. The fourth social conflict is
between the Europeans and the Liberation Army. And the last conflict happens
between the new government and some foreigners like Noimon, Salim, Raymond
and his wife, Yvette.
I find that those conflicts are closely related to the theme of the novel. The
first social conflict, which happens between Africans and Europeans, occurs
because of the Europeans’ domination in the new government that then arouses
the Africans’ fury. The second social conflict happens owing to the continuity of
slavery that finally makes the native Africans furious and turn to violence. In the
third social conflict, I find the cause of the conflict is because of Father
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Huismans’ idea of civilization. At first, the Africans seem to accept the
Europeans’ values, but eventually they realize th at it is oppression. They lose their
freedom to show their own character as well as their skills. Moreover, Father
Huismans has to die tragically. The fourth social conflict occurs for the reason
that the Europeans still indirectly dominate the region; for instance, the natives
think that their children have been given false interpretation by the priests and the
teachers. Finally, this fact arouses the Liberation Army’s fury. And the fifth social
conflict emerges between the native Africans and the foreigners who still live and
work in the natives’ region. Therefore, it makes the new government decide to
nationalize the town.
By focusing on the outcome of those five social conflicts, I discover that
the theme of the novel is revealed through those social conflicts. The theme is
oppression that continually happens in the aftermath of colonization will arouse
the ex-colonized nation’s fury.
All of the social conflicts stem from the
oppression that continually happens in the ex-colonized country. Realizing that
they are now an independent nation, the native Africans become furious at their
ex-colonizer.
Moreover, I also find that Fanon has the following notion. It is compulsory
for the oppressed nation to be free from the oppressor. This freedom can be gained
through decolonization, as done by the natives through violence. Actually, there is
no way back to their old culture, but he believes that the oppressed nation can
create a new idea to develop a new nation through their struggle.
In addition, I also notice that the author has a special intention in writing
this novel. A Bend in the River is dominated by social conflicts between the
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native Africans and their ex-colonizer, which are the Europeans. Naipaul
concentrates on these conflicts and gives a depiction of how an oppressed nation
tries to gain freedom culturally and politically from the oppressor. And he also
tries to make the readers imagine if one person is oppressed continually, he will be
furious and try to take revenge even he has to kill his oppressor. On the other
hand, Naipaul succeeds in portraying the condition in which native Africans
become horrible and have the heart to kill brutally because of the continual
oppression. And violence is their only way to gain freedom.
To end my thesis, I would like to give my personal opinion concerning the
novel from what has been discussed in the previous chapter. The conflicts in A
bend in the River can be taken as an example. It may happen in our real life,
especially in some Third World countries like Africa. Many independent nations
do not realize that in some cases, they actually have not got freedom either
culturally or politically. The natives in A Bend in the River have courage to fight
against the colonial system which still prevails even they are already independent.
These conflicts may happen in our country because oppression that continually
happens to an individual or a group of people can arouse their fury. All of us may
confess that western countries are superior to other nations and they have done all
of things that make us admire them. But it does not mean that they can suppress
their inferior all the time. Independent nations have their own rights to be truly
free from their oppressor. One day, if we are more aware of the condition, we will
reclaim our rights as the native Africans have done in Naipaul’s A Bend in the
River.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
References
Barry, Peter. Beginning theory. New York: Manchester University Press, 2002.
Hornby, A. S. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Great Britain: Hazell, Watson
and Viney limited, 1989.
Shaw, Harry. Dictionary of Literary Terms. New York: Mc Grow Hill Book
Company, 1972.
Internet Sites
"Postcolonial Literature": Problems with the Term. 16 September 2005.
Ahluwalia, Pal (2002) Fanon’s Nausea: The Hegemony Of The White Nation. 16
September 2005.
Decolonization.
Wikipedia:
the
free
encyclopedia.
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November
2005.
Frantz Fanon, 1961 The Wretched of the Earth, Chapter 6. Conclusion. 5 November
2005.
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.
Frantz Omar Fanon : Urgent Lessons for the Bolivarian Revolution. 16 September
2005.
Postcolonialism. Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia. 23 November 2005.
Social-conflict theory. Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia. 11 November 2005.
Speech by Frantz Fanon at the Congress of Black African Writers, 1959. 5
November
2005.
.
Primary Text
Naipaul, V.S. A Bend in the River. New York: Vintage International, 1989.
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