THE RELATION AMONG THE RELIGION ADHERENTS IN
“LUXURIOUS HEARSES”
BY UWEM AKPAN
INDAH PONIKA ERATRI
106026000958
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH
JAKARTA
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“LUXURIOUS HEARSES”
BY UWEM AKPAN VIEWED BY GENETIC
STRUCTURALISM
A Thesis
Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
The Strata 1 Degree (S1)
Indah Ponika Eratri 106026000958
Approved by: Advisor,
Elve Oktafiyani M. Hum NIP 19781003 200112 2 002
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY “SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH”
JAKARTA
i ABSTRACT
Indah Ponika Eratri, with the paper entitled The Relation among the Religious Adherents in “Luxurious Hearses" by Uwem Akpan Viewed from Genetic Structuralism, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Ciputat, Tangerang, 2010.
The study emphasizes the relation between short story of “Luxurious Hearses” and the social and political condition where the author lived. The writer focuses the analysis on the historical background of “Luxurious Hearses” and uses qualitative method with descriptive-analytic. The writer analyzed the short story through the intrinsic elements which is the main characters conflict with others characters and extrinsic elements which is historical background of the story. Then the writer describes the relation of the story and its history. The object of the study is to find out how bad damage that affected relationship between the main character with the other character and understand the worldview of the author about religion conflict in Nigeria.
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Allah SWT, the Lord of the universe for His help, affection and generosity in completing her study in the State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta. Then, peace and blessing are upon to our beloved prophet Muhammad SAW and all of his family, his disciplines, and his followers.
The thesis is submitted in partial accomplishment of the requirement for the Strata 1 Degree to the Faculty of Adab and Humanities, English Letters Department, State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.
The writer’s big family deserves her deepest esteem more than anyone else does; her best parents, Mr. Abdul Rahman and Ms. Ernidawati who always give supports, motivations, and moral encouragement to finish her study. I love you both more than both of you may know.
In the terms of completing her study, the writer would like to express her deepest
gratitude to the Dean of Faculty of Adab and Humanities, Dr. Abd. Wahid Hasyim, M.Ag;
Drs. Asep Saefuddin, M. Pd, as the Head of English Letters Department and, Elve Oktafiyani, M. Hum as the secretary of English Letters Department; and to all lectures who have taught her a lot of things during my study.
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and encouragement from the first to the final level that enable her to develop an understanding of the subject.
In addition, the writer would like to thank to the following fellows and acquaintances; the student of class A 2006 and literature class for being her classmates – for the joy of the friendship with Jay, Ayunk, Anggi, Aryo, Deny, Galih, Indah, Jabbar, Jule, Kiky, Lazu, Mira, Nopita, Nuni, Ratna, Tirta, Yesika, Zhoya, Melinda Adriani, Nisa Purnama, Herty, Putri, Maulida, Mufti and Isti; for being the immortal fellows Dea Zikria, Nurul Aini and Yuli Herlina and whom cannot be voiced, for their memories, their laughs, their activities, their supports, their spirit, their souls, their love conveyed her into life-mature. Finally, the writer’s great thanks to the entire place that gave her pleasures within her study process.
Jakarta, January 18, 2011
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APPROVEMENT ……… ii
DECLARATION ………. iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT ………. iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS ………... vi
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ………... 1
A. Background of the Study ……….. 1
B. Scope and Limitation of The Study ………. 5
C. Research Question ………. 6
D. Significance of the Study ………... 6
E. Research Methodology ……….. 6
CHAPTER II. THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK A. Sociology of Literature ……….. 8
B. Genetic Structuralism ……….... 10
1. Human Facts ……… 11
2. Collective Subject ……… 12
3. World view ……….. 12
C. Nigeria ……… 13
CHAPTER III. RESEARCH FINDINGS A. Characters in Conflict ……… 19
B. Biography of Uwem Akpan ………... 32
C. World view ……… 34
1. Human Facts ……… 34
2. Collective Subject ……… 35
3. World view ……….. 36
CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION ……… 38
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of The Study
Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent. 1 As any others places in the world, Africa has literature. African literature refers to literature of and from Africa.2 Meanwhile based on George Joseph in his book Understanding Contemporary Africa, he defines that African literature is not only stressed with written letters but also oral literature.
“Literature can also imply an artistic use of words for the sake of art alone. Without denying the important role of aesthetics in Africa, we should keep in mind that, traditionally, Africans do not radically separate art from teaching. Rather than write or sing for beauty in itself, African writers, taking their cue from oral literature, use beauty to help communicate important truths and information to society. Indeed, an object is considered beautiful because of the truths it reveals and the communities it helps to build.”3
Another definition of African literature from Lucianne Englert, professor of comparative literature and of French at Indiana University Bloomington, she defined African literature almost the same as George
2
literatures, and especially because of literacy problems in Africa, many film and theater presentations.4
The history African literature is divided into three eras, pre-colonial African literature, colonial African literature and post-colonial African literature. Pre-colonial African literature contains oral and written literature. Pre-colonial African literature mostly used Arabic or their native language. The themes of the pre-colonial literature is various, Astronomy, Poetry, Law, History, Faith, Politics, and Philosophy among others.5 Colonial African literature is the era when African started to write their literature in English, because they were colonized by most of European and they were being exposed to that language. Theme which generally used is liberation. Post-colonial African literature is the era when most of African countries gained their independence. African writers in this period wrote both in Western languages (especially English, French, and Portuguese) and in traditional African languages. As the result, African literatures got recognition in the west.
4
http://www.indiana.edu/~rcapub/v21n3/p16.html 5
3
Africa consists of many countries. One of them is Nigeria which is located in West Africa. Nigeria has many productive writers. Many of them got award for their works. Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian writer who won Nobel Prize in literature in 1986. He is the first honored African who won a Nobel Prize.
Another out-standing African author is Uwem Akpan.6 Akpan released his first book entitled “Say You’re One of Them” published by Little, Brown & Company in 2008. This book consists of five short stories which each stories use children’s point of view who grew up in adversity from all of country in Africa. His debut started in 2005 when one of his collections –An Ex-Mas Feast published in The New Yorker. “Say You’re One of Them”
attracted praise from critics.
"Although they often deal with horrific material, these stories retain an astringent clarity... This time the ballyhoo is real: Akpan is an important writer." — David Grylls, Sunday Times
"Awe is the only appropriate response to Uwem Akpan’s stunning debut, a collection of five stories so ravishing and sad that I regret ever wasting superlatives on fiction that was merely very good... Akpan’s characters are ordinary, flawed, sometimes funny kids who happen to be caught in a nightmare... The book should be depressing, but the blazing humanity of the characters and the brilliance of Akpan’s artistry make this one of the year’s most exhilarating reads." — Jennifer Reese, Entertainment Weekly
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4
The writer interested to analyze one of short stories taken from Akpan’s book entitled Luxury Hearses. The short story tells about two different religion adherents which were described as having conflicts.
One of intrinsic element, main character, from the short stories gets the impact from the religion conflict. Luxurious Hearses tells about a journey taken by the main character –Jubril, who is teenager. Jubril is going to escape from the religious conflict in his hometown –Khamfi. Khamfi is a multireligious region. The conflict occurred in Khamfi is between two different religions: Christian and Islam. Muslims are seeking Christians and assassinating them. This conflict forced the Christians to leave Khamfi and flee to the south region.
Jubril is accused as a fake Muslim because his biological father is a Christian. Muslim tries to catch Jubril after being provoked by Musa and Lukman. Muslim had already prepared to burn him when he is caught. Because of that threat, Jubril try to escape to the south region. His journey of escaping made him join with all the angry Christian in the bus which was going to bring them to the south. This journey would not be easy for Jubril because he knew that all the Christian refugees were angry and think that
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Muslim is their enemy after what had happened in Khamfi. Jubril tries his best to cover his identity as a Moslem. At the end of the story, Jubril’s identity as a Moslem reveals.
The short story shows religion conflict which happened in West Africa. The religion conflict made the writer interested to make this as her object of research and find out is there correlation between social conditions in that short story with what had happened in the real life.
To analyze how Uwem Akpan reflect his society, the writer using genetic structuralism theory from Lucien Goldmann because that two short stories are made when the religion conflict happened in Africa.
B. Scope and Limitation of The Study This research is focus on:
1. Intrinsic element of the short story “Luxurious Hearses” which is the conflict of the main character.
2. Extrinsic element of the short story “Luxurious Hearses”
C. Research Question
In this study the writer attempts to find the answer of the following questions: 1. How is religious conflict between the main character and other characters
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D. Significance of The Study
The researcher wishes that this research can be guidance for other researcher who also has the same interest to reveal relationship between a literary work and social conditions when the work is made.
E. Research Methodology 1. Objective of Study
The aims of this research are:
Finding out how bad damage that affected relationship between the
main character with the other character.
Understanding the worldview of the author about religion conflict in
Nigeria. 2. Method of Study
The method that is used in this research is sociological approach to analyze the internal and external structure of literary work.
3. Technique of Data Analysis
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variety of source based on the study of historical literature that is used external and internal structure of the literary work.
4. Instrument of Analysis
In the research the writer uses herself as the main instrument in collecting the qualitative data about religious conflicts and Nigeria’s history in
“Luxurious Hearses” short story in some ways, such as; reading the short story many times very carefully so that the writer can understand the conflict of the short story, underlining the sentence which can support the writer in analyzing the data, and browsing Nigeria’s history from the internet to know the fact what had happened in Nigeria.
5. Unit of Analysis
The unit of analysis of this research is two short stories text entitled
“Luxurious Hearses, Uwem Akpan short story collection book printed by Little Brown and Company, 2008.
6. Time and Place Study
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Sociology of Literature
Sociology of literature is a sub-discipline which the most ignored by the sociologist or even literati.1 There are many possibilities causes, one of them is the focus of the research which reputed unique which is only particular person understand it. Recently sociology of literature gets a lot of attention and starts to show its importance for understanding of human social life.
There are several experts tried to define what sociology is. Firstly Swingewood in his book The Sociology of Literature (1972) defined sociology as a scientific and objective study about human in society, institutions, and social process.2 Furthermore, Swingewood explained that sociology is trying to answer question how society exist, how the working process, and why the society hold out in life. From that definition, Swingewood hoped that he can give description about sociology. Swingewood’s definition about sociology did some reduction of sociology problem which more complicated that he defined.
1
Dr. Faruk. Pengantar Sosiologi Sastra dari Strukturalisme Genetik sampai Post-Modernisme, ed. Hafni Indriastuti (Yogyakarta: Penerbit Pustaka Pelajar,2003), p. v
2
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Secondly Ritzer (1975) defined sociology as a multi-paradigm study. It means that sociology has several paradigms which are competing each other in effort of getting hegemony. Ritzer found at least three basic paradigms in sociology, social fat paradigm, social definition paradigm, and social behavior paradigm. In the first paradigm determined that the basic problems of sociology are social fact, social institutions and social structure. Second paradigm determined that problem of sociology is not about objective social fact but the way individual subject understands social fact. The last paradigm determined human behavior as a real subject, individual. The three paradigms actually do not show all the complexity of sociology. Competition in sociology also happened among theories.
Complexity minimizes possibility of forming general sociology of literature like what Swingewood want. Wolff (1975) said that sociology of literature is an abstract discipline, undefined perfectly, contain of number of empiric study. 3
There is several approach in sociology of literature, Sapardi Djoko Damono (1978) said at least 3 differences approach based on Wellek and Warren, sociology of author which analyze social status, social ideology, and everything about the author as the creator of the literary work; sociology of literature which analyze the literary itself; and sociology of literature which analyze the reader and the social impact of literary work.
3
There are several topics that might be discussed or analyzed in sociology of literature such as what Goldmann did. He tried to analyze historical background of society of the literary works.
B. Genetic structuralism
Lucein Goldmann is the founder of genetic structuralism theory. This theory is a refusal of structuralism theory which regarded the extrinsic element such as historical and sociological background. Goldmann is concerned to examine the structure of a literary text for the degree to which it embodies the structure of thought (or ‘world vision’) of the social class or group to which the writer belongs.4
Some important points to support his theory needed to construct what he called as genetic structuralism. The points are human fact, collective subject and world vision.
1. Human fact and Collective Subject
Human fact is results of every activity and behavior both verbally and physically done by a human. These facts could be particular social activity, political activity or even a cultural creation such as art, music, and literature. Human facts differentiated into two: individual fact and social fact.
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In genetic structuralism, there exist three fundamental characteristics of human behavior which underlie the study of culture and society:
The first characteristics of human action and thought is that it
has a tendency to adapt to environment either reinforcing the present order or challenging to change it
The second is a tendency, either in individual or in groups, to
conform to a general order at creating new structural forms The third tendency is to modify the order and thereby
transcends it. (Goldmann, 1973: 115-119)5
Goldmann regarded that all human facts are an important structure because they have a structure and meaning. He said it is important because facts are a respond of collective and individual subject who tried to modify the situation in order to have the same thought. In the other words, human fact is result of human activity which tries to reach a better libration in relation with surroundings.
As we discuss before, human fact is result of human activity as its subject. Human fact subject differentiated into two: individual subject and collective subject. Individual subject is an individual fact subject meanwhile collective subject is a social fact subject.
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Social political, economic and greatest cultural work revolutions are social (historical) facts. Collective subject is not as individuals union which are independent, but as unity, one collectivity.
2. Worldview
According to Goldmann, worldview is a term that suitable for a comprehensive complex of ideas, aspirations, and feelings connecting together members of a particular social group which opposition with other social groups.6 As a collective consciousness, the worldview develops as a result of certain social and economic situation faced by the collective subjects who possess them. The formation process of the worldview requires a long time. It is due to the fact that the worldview is a consciousness that maybe not every people can understand it. In this case, Goldmann distinguishes the consciousness into two; a real consciousness and possible consciousness.
A real consciousness is the consciousness owned by individuals in a society. Due to the complexity of the society’s reality, the individuals rarely have the ability to realize completely and entirely about the overall meaning and purpose of the aspirations, the behaviors, and the collective emotions.
On the contrary, consciousness is the consciousness that may indicate a tendency of groups towards an overall coherence. A coherent and integrated perspective over human relationship with fellows and nature. Such
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consciousness is rarely realized with the owners except in crisis moments and as an expression of great cultural works.
C. Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory. The country is located in West Africa.
Nigeria gets its full independence from United Kingdom in 1960 under a constitution that provided for a parliamentary government and a substantial measure of self-government. In colonial era Nigeria area was formally united as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. Administratively, Nigeria remained divided into the northern and southern provinces and Lagos colony.7
The social class of Nigeria was determined by the division of administrative which was given by the United Kingdom but nowdays only remained Northern and Southern. Each of the social class represent ethnic and religious. Northern is predominantly Muslim and Hausa-Fulani. Southern is predominantly Christian and Yoruba. Nigeria has the interconnectedness between ethnic, religion and regional identities8 or even political view of its
7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria 8
citizens. Besides two main religions identities, people of Nigeria also have many more minorities ethnic and practiced some traditional beliefs.9
The characteristic of Northern and Southern of Nigeria are different. Western education and the development of a modern economy proceeded more rapidly in the south than in the north.10 Moreover south blesses with oil source which have a great value in economy of Nigeria.
Nigeria which has diversity ethnic and religion tend to make this country fragile and unstable. In the other words, the diversity has a tension and made conflicts inevitable.11 The tensions were magnified by the disparities in economic and educational development between the south and the north. People in the south and they blessed with oil-source.12
1. Nigeria’s First Republic
In October 1963 Nigeria proclaimed itself the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and former Governor General Nnamdi Azikiwe became the country's first President. From the outset Nigeria's ethnic and religious tensions were magnified by the disparities in economic and educational development between the south and the north. The AG was maneuvered out of control of the Western Region by the Federal Government and a new pro-government
9
Ibid p. 11 10
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Nigeria 11
Ibid p. 4 12
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Yoruba party, the NNDP, took over. Shortly afterward the AG opposition leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was imprisoned on treason charges that were later admitted to be without foundation. The 1965 National Election produced a major realignment of politics and a disputed result that set the country on the path to civil war. The dominant northern NPC went into a conservative alliance with the new Yoruba NNDP, leaving the Igbo NCNC to coalesce with the remnants of the AG (Action Group) in a progressive alliance. In the vote, widespread electoral fraud was alleged and riots erupted in the Yoruba West where heartlands of the AG discovered they had apparently elected pro-government NNDP representatives.
First Period of Military Rule
name Federal Republic of Nigeria was restored on 31 August 1966. However, the subsequent massacre of thousands of Igbo in the north prompted hundreds of thousands of them to return to the southeast where increasingly strong Igbo secessionist sentiment emerged.
In a move towards greater autonomy to minority ethnic groups the military divided the four regions into 12 states. However the Igbo rejected attempts at constitutional revisions and insisted on full autonomy for the east. On May 29, 1967 Lt. Col. Emeka Ojukwu, the military governor of the eastern region who emerged as the leader of increasing Igbo secessionist sentiment, declared the independence of the eastern region as the Republic of Biafra. The ensuing Nigerian Civil War13 resulted in an estimated one million deaths before ending in the defeat of Biafra in 1970.
Following the civil war the country turned to the task of economic development. Foreign exchange earnings and government revenues increased spectacularly with the oil price rises of 1973-74. On July 29, 1975 Gen. Murtala Mohammed and a group of officers staged a bloodless coup, accusing Gen. Yakubu Gowon of corruption and delaying the promised return to civilian rule. General Mohammed replaced thousands
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of civil servants and announced a timetable for the resumption of civilian rule by October 1, 1979. He was assassinated on February 13, 1976 in an abortive coup and his chief of staff Lt. Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo became head of state.
Second Republic
A constituent assembly was elected in 1977 to draft a new constitution, which was published on September 21, 1978, when the ban on political activity was lifted. In 1979, five political parties competed in a series of elections in which Alhaji Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was elected president. All five parties won representation in the National Assembly. In August 1983 Shagari and the NPN were returned to power in a landslide victory, with a majority of seats in the National Assembly and control of 12 state governments. But the elections were marred by violence and allegations of widespread vote rigging and electoral malfeasance led to legal battles over the results.
Third Republic
member General Ibrahim Babangida in August 1985. Babangida (I.B.B) cited the misuse of power, violations of human rights by key officers of the SMC, and the government's failure to deal with the country's deepening economic crisis as justifications for the takeover. During his first days in office President Babangida moved to restore freedom of the press and to release political detainees being held without charge. As part of a 15-month economic emergency plan he announced pay cuts for the military, police, civil servants and the private sector. President Babangida demonstrated his intent to encourage public participation in decision making by opening a national debate on proposed economic reform and recovery measures. The public response convinced Babangida of intense opposition to an economic recovery package dependent on an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan.
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In December 1991 state legislative elections were held and Babangida decreed that previously banned politicians could contest in primaries scheduled for August. These were canceled due to fraud and subsequent primaries scheduled for September also were canceled. All announced candidates were disqualified from standing for president once a new election format was selected. The presidential election was finally held on June 12, 1993 with the inauguration of the new president scheduled to take place August 27, 1993, the eighth anniversary of President Babangida's coming to power.
tension. With the country sliding into chaos Defense Minister Sani Abacha assumed power and forced Shonekan's resignation on November 17, 1993. Abacha dissolved all democratic institutions and replaced elected governors with military officers. Although promising restoration of civilian rule he refused to announce a transitional timetable until 1995. On October 1, 1995 Abacha announced the timetable for a 3-year transition to civilian rule. Only five political parties were approved by the regime and voter turnout for local elections in December 1997 was under 10%. On December 21, 1997 the government arrested General Oladipo Diya, ten officers, and eight civilians on charges of coup plotting. The accused were tried before a military tribunal in which Diya and eight others were sentenced to death. Abacha enforced authority through the federal security system which is accused of numerous human rights abuses, including infringements on freedom of speech, assembly, association, travel, and violence against women.
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and 1989 constitutions. Neither Abacha nor Abubakar lifted the decree suspending the 1979 constitution, and the 1989 constitution was not implemented. The judiciary system continued to be hampered by corruption and lack of resources after Abacha's death. In an attempt to alleviate such problems Abubakar's government implemented a civil service pay raise and other reforms.
In August 1998 Abubakar appointed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections for local government councils, state legislatures and governors, the national assembly, and president. The NEC successfully held elections on December 5, 1998, January 9, 1999, February 20, and February 27, 1999, respectively.
Fourth Republic
The transition to the civilian rule finally succeeds after Olegun Obasanjo elected to be a President on May 1999. He was admired for his stand against the Abacha dictatorship, his record of returning the federal government to civilian rule in 1979, and his claim to represent all Nigerians regardless of religion.
President moved quickly and retired hundreds of military officers holding political positions established a blue-ribbon panel to investigate human rights violations, released scores of persons held without charge, and rescinded numerous questionable licenses and contracts left by the previous regimes. The government also moved to recover millions of dollars in funds secreted to overseas accounts.
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CHAPTER III
RESEARCH FINDINGS
A. Data Description
1. Characters in Conflict
In this chapter, the writer will discuss the conflict between characters in the short story entitled Luxurious Hearses to show there is religious conflict among them. As the writer explains in the first chapter, Luxurious Hearses is stories which captured a relationship between two different religions adherents’. The characters conflict focused on the main character’s conflict against the other character in the Luxurious Hearses and short story.
No Data Character Conflict 1. “OK, we no go fay you the money we owe
you,” Musa said
“Which money? If you dey talk about de thousand naira you come borrow prom me, na lie o. you go fay me. Ha-ha, dat one no be talk at all.”
“Cancel de debt now or else…”
“You must go fay my money. Oderwise I go for refort you to de alkali. Dis one we go
“Traitor, traitor!” They charged. (Akpan 2008, 222)
2. “Abeg, sa, dis na ma seat,” Jubril whispered again, bowing curtly and smiling, standing right by the chief.
“What seat. . .me?” the chief said.
Jubril looked up ans said to Chief Ukongo a second time, “Ma seat,abeg.”
3. “Colonel Usenetok halted in front of Jubril. “Get up!” he said, poking the sleeping
wrist. It had not healed yet and could not be fully straightened. It was covered by a loose ball of dirty bandage, which and all along the bus and make Jubril get off. He refused, saying the road was unsafe. Looking at the others, Jubril knew that they were going to lynch him. Trembling more with fever than with fear, he did not shout or struggle against those who started to push him. (Akpan 2008, 319)
Jubril vs Christian passengers in Luxurious
bus
5. Now Emeka began to tremble toward Jubril. “You’ve betrayed Christ!” he accused Jubril, reaching for his neck. “Who sent you to condemn God’s children to a bad journey?”
The refugees were surprised and disappointed he was taking on Jubril not the soldier.
“No vex, abeg o,” Jubril pleaded.
“No say anything,” Tega advised him. Just dey quiet . . . na mistake. Na de soldier we
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want hold.
Monica said in a loud whisper, “Gabriel, no fight him o . . . de Spirit go correct himself . . . we go fray for de correction.”(Akpan 2008, 294)
The main character in Luxurious Hearses is Jubril. “No no no,you can never talking to me.” The chief shrugged. “I mean, look at me, look at you.
How old are you?” “Sixteen.” (Akpan 2008, 198) Jubril explicitly told his age when the chief ask him. The way the chief talk to him –from the phrase (look at you), it can be assumed that Jubril is teenager. He a little bit different with other African so he is eye-catching.
As a teenager, Jubril is categorized as a handsome boy. “The brilliance of his big eyes and sharp nose” (Akpan 2008, 190), “He was a fair-skinned
…” (Akpan 2008, 189), “… he bit his thin dry lips” (Akpan 2008, 193).
Jubril is the second child in the family whose parents are coming from two different faiths. Jubril’s father is a Catholic meanwhile his mother is a Muslim. Due to marry his father, her mother converted to Catholicism. Jubril was born in his father’s village, Ukhemehi, which located in the south of Nigeria. “Jubril’s mother, Aisha, A sad willowy figure like Jubril, had told him a long time ago that he was born in his father’s village, Ukhemehi, in the
When Jubril was two years and three month, his mother escaped back to Khamfi –his maternal grandfather’s original home. After he moved to Khamfi where most of the citizen practiced Islam, Jubril really hated his past identity as a Christian. “He had always been ashamed of what his mother told him about his pre-Muslim, Christian roots” (Akpan 2008, 243). His hatred grew higher when he knew that south blessing with oil sources. “When people talked about the oil wealth of the south, he would feel anger in him and
wonder why Allah would have given the oil to the land of infidels” (Akpan
2008, 244). Jubril questioned why Allah let the south get the oil sources which made them more prosperous than north. In case is most of people in the south are apostate to His religion.
Since then Jubril lived in Khamfi, he started his fanaticism to Islam. People in Khamfi use Sharia as their daily basic law to rule the society. His mother return to be Muslim and so did Jubril and his elder brother. Jubril not only takes Islam as the religion like her mother but he is proud of his identity as a Muslim. “You know that as long as I can remember. I have always felt every inch a Muslim, and prove my steadfastness…” (Akpan 2008, 245)
Jubril is a devout and loyal believer. He did not take Islam for granted.There are no hesitations in Jubril’s mind about his faith as a Muslim.
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else’s goat. He began to adapt even before being cut off. Moreover he even refused when some people offer to bring his case to the Supreme Court.
“As far as he was concerned, the hand was dead. He absolutely believed that once the hand was cut off, he and others would be discouraged from stealing again. He ignored the hand and tried to not look at it and looked forward to being relieved of this source of self-hate. Jubril started using left hand only. And just to make sure he did not mistakenly use the fingers of palm of the condemned hand, as if to delineate a clear line between good and evil, love and hate. With this sort of clarity, he felt comfortable using his right elbow, for it was a part of the body he had not forfeited to theft. Two nights before the amputation, he had slept peacefully and even happily dreamed of the hand being cut” (Akpan 2008, 283)
“… when he had readily submitted his hand to be chopped off as punishment for stealing someone else’s goat. When a few hard-nosed journalists interviewed him later, he had exuded unparalleled faith, although he did not allow them to take his picture. He even pleaded when them to tell the human rights group that had taken his case to the supreme not to be bother.” (Akpan 2008, 217)
Jubril also sincerely lets his brother got a death punishment because of his apostasy. His brother became a firebrand of Deeper Life evangelism1 after four months left Khamfi to stay in Ukhemehi. “It was not long after this that Yusuf was mobbed by some relatives and neighbors and stoned to death,
like Saint Stephen, for apostasy. Though Jubril did not join in the killing of
his brother, he was close enough to heard him pray in tongues as the stoned
rained down on him” (Akpan 2008, 216). When Jubril’s elder brother came back to Khamfi, people knew him practiced Islam. Later on when Jubril’s elder brother practiced the Deeper life it became the society concerned. Jubril did not do anything to plead his elder brother. He sacrificed his brotherhood without hesitation because he knew in Sharia law that it was something definite when a person apostate he or she will killed. He chose to establish the Sharia and keep the purity of Islamic faith in his family.
Though Jubril tried to live his life as a good Muslim by obeying any rules which Sharia established, at the end, his identity as a Muslim questioned by his fellows Muslim. This is where the first conflict in
Luxurious Hearses story started. The conflict happened between Jubril and his fellows Muslim in Khamfi.
It started when Khamfi was exploded in religious conflict. Religious conflict happened between Muslim and Christian, Muslim fight against
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Christians and even tried to kill them. That day, Jubril was on his way back after grazing his cows. He met two of his fellow Muslim –Musa and Lukman who will go to mob Christians. Jubril offered them to join but they refused him. They did not want Jubril to join because for them Jubril was a fake Muslim. “You no be good Muslim…,” Lukman said (Akpan 2008, 221). Musa and Lukman provoked other fellow Muslim to kill him. They mentioned Jubril’s baptism story. “Jubril them no baftize you as small baby?” Musa asked, a mischievous smile dangling on his lips. “We know you, we know your
baftism story.” Musa and Lukman knew Jubril’s baptism story which Jubril tried so hard to deny. People believed that a person who got baptism will remain Christian for rest of their life. That was why people fight against Jubril. “She explained to him that, according to Catholic theology, baptism leaves an indelible mark on a person’s soul ─ and whatever religion a person
may choose later cannot affect that that Catholic mark. She told him that, in
that sense, his Islamic faith and recent Deeper Life faith nullified” (Akpan
2008, 215).
Jubril tried to convince the crowd that the problem actually is Musa and Lukman owed him money and they did not want to pay for it.
“OK, we no go fay you the money we owe you,” Musa said
“Which money? If you dey talk about de thousand naira you come borrow prom me, na lie o. you go fay me. Ha-ha, dat one no be talk at all.”
“You must go fay my money. Oderwise I go for refort you to de alkali. Dis one we go hear por Sharia court.”
With that, Jubril spun suddenly and freed himself from their grip. “Also we go hear por court say you be pake Muslim! Lukman said. “You be Christian…”
“Me? Christian”
“Traitor, traitor!” They charged. (Akpan 2008, 222)
Musa and Lukman use Jubril’s sensitive past identity as a Christian to threaten him to free them from their debt. Jubril did not scare, he instead threaten them back that he will bring this issue to the Sharia court if they won’t pay their debt. They kept threatening Jubril that they would tell the
Sharia court for Jubril’s apostasy.
With the tension in Khamfi, Jubril had no chance to convince them the truth by giving further explanation about his identity. So that Jubril became the victim of the rudeness crowd who were provoked by Musa and Lukman. They try to burn Jubril but fortunately Jubril escape. This was not the end of the conflict but the new beginning of another conflict.
Had been succeeding escape from the barbaric fellows Muslim, Jubril is safed by Malam Abdullahi who helped him arranged his escape to his father hometown –Ukhemehi in the south of Nigeria. Jubril thought that he would safe there. Malam Abdullahi bought him a Luxurious Bus ticket to the South. Luxurious bus is a bus which in peace time, traveled across the country.
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he need to overcome many obstacles in order to survive and arrive safely in South. Jubril had to conceal his identity as a Muslim because most of the passengers are angry Christian after what had happened in Khamfi. They did not allow Jubril to take the journey with them or even kill him if they knew Jubril is a Muslim. Malam Abdullahi had been anticipated this condition by giving Jubril some stuffs which will support his outlook appearance as a Christian.“Now, Jubril looked at himself, at his clothes and shoes and the Marian medal Mallam Abdullahi had given him to help him in with the
southern crowd” (Akpan 2008, 276). The way Christian get dressed totally different with Muslim so Mallam Abdullahi gave everything -Marian medal especially, which make Jubril fit in with them. Moreover, Mallam Abdullahi suggested Jubril to hide his cut wrist during the journey.“He had advised Jubril to hide his cut wrist in his pocket until he reached his father’s village”
(Akpan 2008, 276). Jubril’s cut wrist is the most crucial thing to conceal during the journey because the crowd will notice the religion-prescribe amputation which associated with Islam.
When the journey had not been started yet, Jubril already had his first problem. Jubril found that someone cheated his seat. The man who cheated Jubril’s seat called Chief Ukongo. When Jubril asked politely to the man who sits on his seat, he refused to give Jubril his seat. They arguing each other, this condition made Jubril became the center of attention from other passengers who pity on him. Other passengers’ sympathy rose, they insisted the chief gave back Jubril’s seat. He was threaten the chief told Jubril his military experience; how merit he is when military still rule the country; how military, especially ECOMOG2 would sacrifice themselves in the battlefield. This made Jubril felt guilty about arguing the Chief and gave away his ticket to the Chief. “Very sorry Chief,” Jubril felt so bad that he unearthed his ticket from his bag and offered it to the old man. “Keep. I no want again. . . . Sorry
Chief” (Akpan 2008, 272). From this situation, the writer may describe Jubril as an innocent one. As a teenager with lack of experienced and immature, he gets easily charmed by what other people said especially the older one.
““Then he flashed his ID and announced, “Colonel Silas Usenetok . . . ECOMOG Specila forces!”. Jubril looked at the chief, then returned his gaze to the soldier. Admiration for the soldier spread on his face immediately, on the strength of what chief Ukongo had told him about
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ECOMOG soldiers’ self-sacrifice. Jubril stood and offered up his place, though many in the bus said he should not” (Akpan 2008, 280)
His fanaticism made the journey even harder. Jubril realized since the first time he entered the bus, there are lots of woman he will travel with. As a fanatic, women are something he needs to protect himself from.
“Jubril press against the person in front of him to make room between his back and Monica” (Akpan 2008, 236)
“He would have preferred to trek thousand miles on foot rather than sit in the same vehicle as a woman” (Akpan 2008, 194)
During the journey which he surrounded by women, he needs to brilliantly find ways to stay away from them. As a fanatic, being too close to woman is forbidden because it will make him committed to sin. The statement which Jubril mentioned that he will choose takes his long journey by foot rather than used vehicle if it would make him close to woman reflect how he tried to still keep his faith as a Muslim no matter the condition are. Besides woman, television is another thing which make Jubril’s journey is harder.
“Everyone in the toilet line looked back to catch the action ─except Jubril,
who had reopened his eyes and was thinking about how to overcome the last
hurdle. He wanted some much to be part of the crowd in every way. It was no
longer about whether Allah would punish him for watching TV” (Akpan 2008,
want to be like them –watching television in order to get along with all of them and not rise any attention of being different, but inside his mind he scared Jubril of committed to sin when he watched the television.
This new comer passenger is a soldier with his dog. He introduced himself as a Colonel Usenetok. Unfortunately space which Jubril sit on is belonged to him. He insisted Jubril to give him his seat. “Colonel Usenetok halted in front of Jubril. “Get up!” he said, poking the sleeping Jubril with
his dirty boot. “I say get up!”” (Akpan 2008, 279) Again, the sympathy rose to Jubril, other passenger did not want to have a journey with a soldier who looked like a madman. In the other hand, Jubril gave away his space after he heard that the colonel is an ECOMOG. He did that just because the chief explanation before about how merit the ECOMOG are.
““Then he flashed his ID and announced, “Colonel Silas Usenetok . . . ECOMOG Specila forces!”. Jubril looked at the chief, then returned his gaze to the soldier. Admiration for the soldier spread on his face immediately, on the strength of what chief Ukongo had told him about ECOMOG soldiers’ self-sacrifice. Jubril stood and offered up his place, though many in the bus said he should not” (Akpan 2008, 280)
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Though Jubril consciously let the soldier to take his space, but others suggested and helped Jubril to keep his space. The soldier offended, why all fought him in case the problem is just about him and Jubril. Their fuss ended after Madam Aniema gave the soldier a seat. He slept well with his dog afterward. “… he curled up comfortably on the seat of the expelled Emeka, next to Madam Aniem, storking his dog and looking into the darkness
outside” (Akpan 2008, 304)
At the last pages of Luxurius Hearses short story, finally Jubril unconsciously reveal his identity as a Muslim by letting his cut wrist out from his pocket. When he saw breaking news in television which broadcast the situation in the South, it is pretty much the same like what happened in North especially in Khamfi, Christian did revenge in the South. Christians searched and killed Muslim.
“The southern youths were uncontrollable and spilled out with their machetes, guns, and clubs in every direction, like the lava of an erupted volcano. They killed and killed, as if in this singular madness they would avenge all the massacres of their people who lived in the north, in the past and in the future” (Akpan 2008, 317)
Southern people avenge for what had done to their people in the north. All the barbaric action likes in the north they done as a form of solidarity for their people who die in the north.
identity as a Muslim. “The sight of a mosque going up in flames had given him an instant fever, even though he himself had set churches on fire. It was
too much for him, and he wept … he twisted his seat to shield his face from
TV, and in this valley of tears he forgot himself ─and lifted his right wrist to
his face” (Akpan 2008, 318). The picture of burning mosque overwhelmed Jubril. That picture on television showed the vengeance of south people after what had happened in north. His thought of south as a secure place vanished. He forgot his disguising and raised his cut wrist.
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commotion” (Akpan 2008, 321) The soldier misunderstood the cause of Jubril’s stump. He failed to notice the distinction between religion-prescribed amputation and amputation of RUF rebellions.
Though the chief already told the soldiers to not bother the crowd decision for Jubril, the soldiers kept insisting to plead Jubril. Finally the Christian passengers killed both of them. “The soldiers fought on, unafraid, because long before the refugees dragged him and Jubril out and slit their
throats…” (Akpan 2008, 322) They thought both of them dead and threw them outside the bus. “Nduese stood over the two corpses and barked repeatedly into the heavens. The dog mistook the still twitching, protesting
stump as the sign of life” (Akpan 2008, 322). Jubril did not die actually, he still raised his stump as the sign that he still alive.
B. World view
Before we conclude the world view of Uwem Akpan in “Luxurious Hearses” short story, we need to have analysis of two others important point of Genetic Structuralism which are human fact and collective subject.
a) Human facts
political activity or even a cultural creation such as art, music, and literature.
As explained about Nigeria in the second chapter, Nigeria was ruled by military about 16 years. Political situation in military era described unstable and full of corruption. The management of oil-drilling source became the corruption field by the politicians of military era. Because of corruption, citizen asked them to hand over the power to the civilians. Military government promised the citizen the agenda of returning power to the civilian but they just keep planning without any realization of it. Akpan expressed how he feels about this political condition.
“Na lie o. . . . I understand dis one,” she insisted. “dat general like power too much o. if he no change handover date may times, if he no cancel our 1993 elections, Abacha no for become our leader. . . .Na de same people. Locust years. De man dey use you. …” (Akpan 2008, 273-274)
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turmoil. Since Nigeria in a bad condition, Sani Abacha –Defense Minister assumed power. Abacha dissolved all democratic institutions and replaced elected governors with military officers. Abacha extended the agenda of returning power to the civilian until 1997. Fortunately Abacha died because of heart failure on June 8, 1998 and was replaced by General Abdulsalami Abubakar. In August 1998 Abubakar appointed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections for local government councils, state legislatures and governors, the national assembly, and president. The transition to the civilian rule finally succeeds after Olegun Obasanjo elected to be a President on May 1999.
b) Collective Subject
The social class of Nigeria was determined by the division of administrative which was given by the United Kingdom but as the time goes by only remained Northern and Southern. Each of the social class represent ethnic and religious. Northern is predominantly Muslim and Hausa-Fulani. Southern is predominantly Christian and Yoruba.
c) World view
After analyzing the human facts and collective subject from
Luxurious Hearses, the writer will conclude the world view of Akpan as an author.
Akpan as an author of Luxurious Hearses considers the conflict between Muslim and Christian as a result of political activity. Akpan cited his world view about religious conflict which happened in Nigeria in his short story when Oprah interviewed him on Oprah’s collection book club about his short stories collection book –Say You’re One of Them. He told Oprah and the audience of the show that religious conflict happened was not because of different faith reason.
“As you can see, people are being manipulated, and religion is very important, and politicians really know how to do this. People in Nigeria are always, you know, they have a political agenda. They tap on religion and they use that as a vehicle to destroy. So these things, you know, many times it begins in northern Nigeria and the southerners who live there are killed and people in the south become very angry, you know, and start killing northerners there out of revenge. And the government has refused, you know, to tackle who sponsors these riots”4
“If we must go back to my country where this story is set, a lot of past leaders and politicians have stolen a lot of money from the country. Billions. And they use this money, you know, to stir up religious violence, you know, to get reelection in that country, you know, to force their candidate who should be the
4
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Attorney General of the Federation. Who should hold the petroleum ministry”5
Akpan as the author explicitly explained his world view about religious conflict which happened in Nigeria was caused by political activity. He also mentioned the bad of military government when they ruled the country. The military’s corruption money used to set religious conflict in order to have a reason to overthrow the elected president.
Meanwhile in his short story, Akpan also express how his worldview about who was behind religious conflict.
“Who dey give dis Muslim kids dis fuel?” Monica said.” “Politicians!” Emeka said. “They’re using southern fuel to burn our people and business!”
“Nobody go touch our oil again,” Monica said. “dem dey use our oil money to establish Sharia, yet dem done pursue us out of de nord!” (Akpan 2008, 236-237)
This quotation was taken from conversation between two Christian passengers when they watched news about recent situation of religious conflict from television. The news described that Muslim kids have fuel to set Christians afire.
Akpan not only explained the bad image but also the good image of military people. The bad image refers to military people who rule the country meanwhile the good image represent through one of
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soldier character in Luxurious Hearses –Colonel Silas Usenetok. He is loyal to his job –serves the country; in any circumstances.
“Hey, lady,” the soldier said, “I fought in Sierra Leone without pay. Government still hasn’t paid me for a jear now. . . . I didn’t steal jour money!” (Akpan 2008, 284)
At the last page of the short story, Colonel Silas Usenetok killed because he pleaded Jubril after the Christian passengers knew that Jubril was a Muslim and began to kill Jubril. Akpan cited his opinion about this soldier’s action.
“He was a soldier fighting with honor, to save citizen. He fought as if he alone could redeem the military’s image from the untold shame and misery it had brought on the country.”(Akpan 2008, 322)
Colonel Silas Usenetok still tried his best to give a good image after all bad image done by the military people that ruled the country. This image indicates the worldview of Akpan about the religious conflict. Although the conflict triggered by the military government Akpan believes that the military is not to be blamed. The one who is responsible is the government, not the military, because there are still many soldiers (presented by Colonel Silas Usenetok in the story) who are good and loyal to the people of Nigeria.
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that he is neutral; he did not take sides either on Muslim or Christian. Moreover, Akpan’s neutral also can be seen when he also represent Christian in his short story through Luxurious Hearses bus’ passengers.
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Luxurious Hearses is one of the short stories written by Uwem
Akpan in his book “Say You’re One of Them”. It tells about the conflict
between two religions adherents, Muslim and Christian in Nigeria. The
short story focuses on the main character’s life, Jubril, who is a Muslim
and how the conflict among religion adherents ruined his life.
This study using genetic structuralism theory to prove that
Luxurious Hearses short story reflects the reality of what had happened in
Nigeria. The theory emphasizes on the intrinsic elements and extrinsic
elements. Intrinsic elements analyzed the conflict between the main
character and other characters. Meanwhile the extrinsic element analyzed
the historical background of Nigeria.
After analyzing both of elements in the previous chapter, the writer
found some evidences to prove that this short story reflects the reality of
what had happened in Nigeria. Akpan tries to show the reader that
religious conflict caused bad effect to all the people of Nigeria whether
they are Muslim or Christian. He also try to deliver his world view about
what affect religious conflict in Nigeria. Based on his opinion, religious
conflict which occurred in Nigeria is a result of political activity done by
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The reader may also get some information about history of Nigeria
from the short story because Akpan also write some history about Nigeria
in his short story to support his story.
B. SUGGESTION
There are any other problems which can be analyzed from
Luxurious Hearses especially which not taken by the writer. The writer
suggests to the reader to explore more about other problems because the
literary works may shows different meaning in different era.
This research using a genetic structuralism theory to find the
correlation between Jubril’s life in the short story with the reality of what
happened in Nigeria. Because the limitation of time and in order to make
the research specific, the writer focused on Jubril’s characters and
Nigeria’s history. If the readers want to use Luxurious Hearses as the
object of study, they can analyze the ideology behind the writing of
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Endaswara, Suwardi, Metodologi Penelitian Sastra, Yogyakarta: Pustaka Widyatama, 2003
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Faruk, Pengantar Sosiologi Sastra dari Strukturalisme Genetik sampai Post-Modernisme, Yogyakarta: Penerbit Pustaka Pelajar, 2003
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_literature accesed on July 7th 2010
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http://www.indiana.edu/~rcapub/v21n3/p16.html accesed on
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/mali/ accesed on April 7th 2010
http://www.oprah.com/oprahsbookclub/Oprahs-Book-Club-Say-Youre-One-of-Them-Webcast-Transcript
LAYIWOLA, Dele, The subject-object Imperative Women and The Colonial Struggle in Three West African Novels. http.gigapedia.com
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