JAMES REDFIELD’S
THE SECRET OF SHAMBHALA IN SEARCH
OF THE ELEVENTH INSIGHT
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree ofSarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
MONICA SUSANTI RAHADSIH
Student Number: 044214069
ENGLISH LETTERS PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
JAMES REDFIELD’S
THE SECRET OF SHAMBHALA IN SEARCH
OF THE ELEVENTH INSIGHT
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree ofSarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
MONICA SUSANTI RAHADSIH
Student Number: 044214069
ENGLISH LETTERS PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA 2008
AMERICAN VIEW OF CHINESE OPPRESSION TO TIBETAN IN
JAMES REDFIELD’S
THE SECRET OF SHAMBHALA IN
SEARCH OF THE ELEVENTH INSIGHT
By
MONICA SUSANTI RAHADSIH
Student Number: 044214069
Approved by
Gabriel Fajar Sasmita Aji, S.S., M.Hum Date: June 14, 2008 Advisor
AMERICAN VIEW OF CHINESE OPPRESSION TO TIBETAN IN
JAMES REDFIELD’S
THE SECRET OF SHAMBHALA IN
SEARCH OF THE ELEVENTH INSIGHT
By
MONICA SUSANTI RAHADSIH
Student Number: 044214069
Defended before the Board of Examiners On June 25, 2008
and Declared Acceptable
BOARD OF EXAMINERS
Name Signature
Chairman : Francis Borgias Alip, Dr., M.Pd., M.A.
Secretary : Hirmawan Wijanarka, Drs., M.Hum.
Member : J. Harris Hermansyah S., S.S., M.Hum.
Member : Gabriel Fajar Sasmita Aji, S.S., M.Hum.
Member : Paulus Sarwoto, S.S., M.A.
Yogyakarta, June 25, 2008. Faculty of Letters Sanata Dharma University
Dean
Firstly, I want to thank to God because I finally finished this writing and to (†)
my Father for the everlasting love and guidance.
I would like to thank Mr. G. Fajar Sasmita Aji, S.S., M.Hum, my advisor and
Mr. Paulus Sarwoto, S.S., M.A., my co-advisor for the guidance, advice, and patience
that helped me in finishing this undergraduate thesis. My thanks also goes to all the
lecturers and the administrative staff of Department of English Letters for the years of
my study.
I would like to thank my aunt, Mrs. Ineke Pontoh and my Mom for the
affection, attention, support and motivation, the family of pakde Bambang and my cousins mbak Ineke and mas Ony for the kindness, my uncles and aunts: Mr. G. Widijanto, Mr. Soepojo, S.H. and Mrs. Ernijati, S.H., and Mr. and Mrs. Tranti Pasya,
S.E. for the support, help, and attention.
My gratitude also goes to Mrs. Munarto and mbak Lely (ibu kos) and family for the understanding, my neighbors in Ciputat for the attention, support, help, and
motivation, my oldfriends from MD - Chars - FIB UI 2002 for the spirit and
suggestions, my friends in boarding house: Eka Ayu, and Eva (+her mate, Andre) for
the helps and spirit, and a kind neighbor: Ludy.
I address my gratitude too to my good friends from Psychology USD 2004:
Yoyok, Ito, Krisna, Pacé, Adip, Velix, Ajay, Wawan, Kaka for the support,
motivation, helps, and the refreshing moments, my friends from Psychology UKSW
2004 who gained my inspiration, and my cousins nextdoor for the spirit.
For my friends, my best friends - in English Letters Department 2004: Susan,
Kristin, Bendot, Adi, Bayu, Rizky, really thank you for everything and for the
pleasant moments we have shared together. Last, I thank everyone whose name can
not be mentioned one by one in helping me to finish this undergraduate thesis.
TITLE PAGE ... i
A. Background of the Study ... 1
B. Problem Formulation ... 4
C. Objectives of the Study ... 4
D. Definition of Terms ... 5
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ... 8
A. Review of Related Studies ... 8
B. Review of Related Theories ... 9
1. Theories of Point of View ... 9
2. Theories of Character and Characterization ... 12
3. Theories of Representation ... 15
C. Review on Socio-Cultural Historical Background of the Relationship between America and China Related to the Situation in Tibet between 1950s and 1990 ... …. 16
C. Theoretical Framework ... 22
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ... 23
A. Object of the Study ... 23
B. Approach of the Study ... 24
C. Method of the Study ... 25
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ... 27
A. The Point of View in The Secret of Shambhala in Search of the Eleventh Insight ... 27
B. The Narrator’s Reliability to Represent American View of Chinese Oppression to Tibetan ... 40
C. American View of Chinese Oppression to Represent Rivalry between America and China ... 52
BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 64
APPENDICES ... 66
Appendix 1 Summary of the James Redfield’sThe Secret of Shambhala in Search of the Eleventh Insight ... 66
Appendix 2 Biography of James Redfield ... 69
MONICA S. RAHADSIH. American View of Chinese Oppression to Tibetan in James Redfield’s The Secret of Shambhala in Search of the Eleventh Insight. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2008.
The novel to be analysed in this study isThe Secret of Shambhala in Search of the Eleventh Insightwhich was written by James Redfield, the number oneNew York Timesbestselling author ofThe Celestine Prophecy.This novel is the continuation of
The Celestine Prophecyand its sequel, The Tenth Insight. It was printed at 1999 and published in New York. This novel is a story about ‘I’, an American who travels to Tibet, a country under Chinese oppression to discover Shambhala, a Tibetan spiritual concept. The strict rule of China and their oppressive acts to Tibetan encourage ‘I’ to show his protest against China. This novel presents the situation in Tibet under Chinese rule and the opposite view and rivalry between America and China in the late 1980s.
The main objective of this study is to find American view of Chinese oppression to Tibetan. This study attempts to show the kind of point of view, the narrator and his reliability, the representation of Chinese oppression to Tibetan from the narrator’s point of view, and the American view of Chinese oppression that represents the rivalry between America and China.
The writer used library research in this analysis. The sources were books and websites related to the theories, approach, and criticism that are used to analyse the problems. The writer also collected the related studies about the opinions, criticism, and information about the novel. The socio-cultural historical approach was used in the analysis because this study is concerned with the Americans’ opposition to the oppressive acts of Chinese on the Tibetans’ socio-cultural life since 1951.
As the result of the study, the writer concludes that first, the point of view used in the novel is first person point of view, and it is told by ‘I’ character as the narrator. ‘I’ is reliable narrator because he has capacity as an educated man and he narrates the events which he experiences himself. Second, his reliability makes him able to prove the oppressive acts of the Chinese in Tibet. It then represents his view as an American who opposes the Chinese oppression. Third, his view as an American reflects the relationship between America and China, that has been influenced by various occurrences in the past between 1950s and the late 1970s. The relationship then represents the rivalry between America and China.
MONICA S. RAHADSIH. American View of Chinese Oppression to Tibetan in James Redfield’s The Secret of Shambhala in Search of the Eleventh Insight. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2008.
Novel yang dianalisis dalam penelitian in adalah The Secret of Shambhala in Search of the Eleventh Insight yang ditulis oleh James Redfield, seorang penulis peringkat teratas versi New York Times untuk penjualan terlaris novelnya The Celestine Prophecy. Novel ini merupakan kelanjutan dari novel The Celestine Prophecy dan sequel-nya The Tenth Insight, dan pertama kali diterbitkan di New York tahun 1999. Kisahnya tentang ‘Aku’, seorang Amerika yang melakukan perjalanan ke Tibet, sebuah negara dibawah pemerintahan tirani Cina untuk memahami Shambhala, sebuah konsep spiritual Tibet. Aturan pemerintah Cina yang ketat dan sikap sewenang-wenangnya terhadap penduduk Tibet membuat ‘Aku’ berani menunjukkan sikap menentang Cina. Novel ini menggambarkan situasi Tibet dibawah kekuasaan Cina dan perbedaan pandangan dan persaingan antara Amerika dan Cina di tahun 1980-an.
Tujuan utama penelitian ini untuk memahami pandangan Amerika mengenai kesewenang-wenangan Cina terhadap Tibet. Hal tersebut menjadi suatu upaya untuk menunjukkan sudut pandang yang digunakan, narrator dan reliabilitasnya, representasi kesewenang-wenangan Cina terhadap Tibet melalui sudut pandang narrator, dan membuktikan bahwa pandangan Amerika mengenai kesewenang-wenangan Cina menunjukkan adanya persaingan antara Amerika dan Cina.
Penulis menggunakan studi pustaka dalam analisa. Data bersumber dari buku-buku dan situs website yang berhubungan dengan teori-teori, pendekatan, dan beberapa kritik yang digunakan dalam menganalisa rumusan masalah. Penulis juga mengumpulkan tinjauan studi yang memuat opini, kritik, dan informasi mengenai novel ini. Pendekatan sosio-kultural historikal digunakan dalam analisa karena skripsi ini menitikberatkan pada pandangan Amerika menentang tindakan Cina yang menekan kehidupan sosial budaya Tibet sejak tahun 1951.
Sebagai hasil dari penelitian, penulis menyimpulkan bahwa pertama, sudut pandang yang digunakan adalah sudut pandang orang pertama dari sudut pandang karakter ‘Aku’ sebagai narrator. Sebagai narrator, ia dapat dipercaya karena berkapasitas sebagai pria berpendidikan dan menceritakan tiap peristiwa melalui keterlibatan langsung. Kedua, reliabilitas ‘Aku’ sebagai narrator membuatnya mampu membuktikan kesewenang-wenangan Cina di Tibet dan menunjukkan pandangannya sebagai orang Amerika menentang hal itu. Ketiga, pandangan ‘Aku’ sebagai orang Amerika memunculkan hubungan antara Amerika dan Cina yang dipengaruhi oleh berbagai peristiwa di masa lalu antara tahun 1950an sampai akhir 1970an. Hubungan tersebut kemudian menunjukkan adanya persaingan antara Amerika dan Cina.
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Tibet, a country in Central Asia which is located in southwest China, has
become a part of China since 1951. After the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912 the
Tibetans were prompted to reassert their independence. China, however, desired to
maintain its right to govern Tibet. China then invaded Tibet in 1950 and declared
Tibet as an autonomous region of China in 1951. After that time, Chinese
government began a series of oppressive measures toward Tibet and many thousands
of Tibetans were forced into exile by the brutality of the communist regime (Luck
ed., 1999: 669). Consequently, this fact resulted in strong disagreement from many
countries around the world, and one of them is America.
America supported Tibet through a US newspaper, stating that the United
States was ready to recognize Tibet as an independent and free country a couple of
years before China invaded Tibet. When China invaded Tibet in 1950, America
shipped its weaponry into Tibet through Calcutta in order to help resist the Chinese
army’s entry into Tibet <http://www.index-china.com>. It shows how America as a
powerful country feels that they have the right to be involved in this matter and
cannot accept China’s invasion.
One possible reason why America feels rightful to be involved in the situation
in Tibet is because America has a grudge against China. After World War II
1945), American troops had occupied northern China, sent Nationalist soldiers to
Manchuria, and stayed on to advise Generalissimo Jiang’s army. From 1945 to 1949
the United States sent China $ 3 billion in aid, more than it gave most allies.
However, it soon became evident that Jiang was a weak and unreliable friend. His
government was rife with the rebellious peasants, whom the Communists enlisted
with promises of land redistribution, and he tolerated a grossly unfair tax system
(Norton et. al., 1982: 803).
Chinese oppression to Tibetan and the involvement of America in this matter
may possibly contribute an idea for an author to pour it out in a literary work.
Widdowson in his book Literature said that literature can be a new innovation that gives information or insights about social life. Literary work not only conveys the
truth about the reality in the outer world, but it also has its own meaning.
“The English literary term ‘the novel’ it can be argued retains traces of all these senses: ‘a new story’, new innovating, strange, perhaps even making strange or defamiliarising and offering news-information or insights-about social life” (Widdowson, 1999:136).
Literary work is presented as both imagination that has its own meaning and medium
of social life.
The novel The Secret of Shambhala in Search of the Eleventh Insight
generally describes the situation in Tibet. It was written by James Redfield, an
American who is the number oneNew York Timesbestselling author of theCelestine Prophecy. This novel is the continuation of The Celestine Prophecy and its sequel,
becauseThe Secret of Shambhala in Search of the Eleventh Insight offers a different issue; dissimilar to the first novel, which more focuses on spiritual concept of Indian
Maya – Inca and to the second which focuses more on the spiritual wisdom of the
Indian Appalachian and the American’s attitude to the Indians. In this third novel,
Redfield does not mention about America and Indian anymore and chooses to discuss
Tibet and China.
In a fictional work like novel, the author does not use his or her own voice to
reveal the idea. The voice is called narrator or it is defined as one who speaks or tells
the story. A narrator usually has certain perspective which is called “point of view”
(Kuiper ed., 1995: 894). The point of view may produce readers’ awareness of the
existence of “discrepancy”, while a narrator may have “certain view” to the related
event in the story. That is why it is also important to comprehend the narrator’s
reliability in the story.
In this novel, Redfield focuses on the situation in Asia. Shambhala, the
mythical community of the Tibetan Buddhist lore, whose existence is believed by the
Tibetans, attracts Redfield’s attention to grasp it deeper and connect it with the
situation in Tibet under Chinese government between 1950s and 1990s. He views the
fact that occurs in Tibet, the Chinese oppression, and also American’s presence. He
creates the main character as an American and it uses the first-person point of view.
Because the narrator is an American, he views the facts through his American point
also has capability to hide “something”. In other words, as the narrator he can play
the roles as reliable and unreliable narrator.
This study discusses the point of view used in the story, namely the narrator
who totally involves in the story, his characterization as the main character, and his
reliability. His characteristics as an American stimulate another issue behind the
American view of Chinese oppression to Tibetan. As the representation, this view can
be signified as how America in fact considers China, a powerful Eastern country, as
its rival.
B. Problem Formulation
By relating the explanation above, there are three problems as the pillar of the
discussions:
1. How does the point of view used in the novel support its narrator’s
reliability?
2. How does the narrator’s reliability represent American view of Chinese
oppression to Tibetan?
3. How does the American view of Chinese oppression represent the rivalry
between America and China?
C. Objectives of the Study
The main objective of this study is to find American view of Chinese
oppression to Tibetan. It attempts to show the kind of point of view, the narrator and
of view, and to examine how the American view of Chinese oppression represents the
rivalry between America and China. By analysing the point of view, and the
narrator’s reliability and the representation of Chinese oppression to Tibetan through
the narrator’s point of view, the writer can find through the American view of
Chinese oppression the representation of rivalry between America and China.
D. Definition of Terms
Based on the title above, the writer discusses American view of Chinese
oppression to Tibetan. This part will explain about the definition of terms that can
help the reader understand in this study.
1. Point of View
It is stated in Merriam – Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature that point of view is the perspective from which a story is presented to the reader. The three main
points of view are first person, third person singular, and third person omniscient. In a
first person narrative, the story is told by “I”, one of the characters involved in the
story (Kuiper ed., 1995: 894).
A narrator is one who tells a story. In a work of fiction the narrator determines
the story’s point of view. If the narrator is a full participant in the story’s action, the
narrative is said to be in the first person. A story told by a narrator who is not a
2. Discrepancy and Narrator’s Reliability
According to Wolfgang Iser inReader-Response Criticism from Formalism to
Poststructuralism, discrepancy is bound to arise when the readers try to impose a consistent pattern on the text. It draws the readers into the text, compelling the
readers to conduct a creative examination not only of the text but also of the readers
themselves (1980: 64).
Rimmon – Kennan in his book Narrative Fiction: Contemporary Poetics
gives descriptions about reliable and unreliable narrator.
Reliable narrator is a narrator “whose rendering of the story and commentary on it the reader is supposed to take as an authoritative account of the fictional truth” and unreliable narrator is a narrator “whose rendering of the story and/or commentary on it the reader has reasons to suspect […] The main source of unreliability are the narrator’s limited knowledge, his personal involvement, and his problematic value-scheme” (1983: 100).
3. Chinese Oppression to Tibetan
Chinese oppression to Tibetan happens because of China’s present day claims
that "Tibet has always been a part of China", derives from the period in 1270 when
they were both ruled by the Mongols <http://www.tchrd.org>.
After the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912, the Tibetans were prompted to
reassert their independence. China, however, desired to maintain its right to govern
Tibet. China then invaded Tibet in 1950 and declared Tibet as an autonomous region
of China in 1951. After that time, Chinese government began a series of oppressive
measures toward Tibet and many thousands of Tibetan were forced into exile by the
4. Tibetan
According to The Oxford American Dictionary and Thesaurus with Language Guide, the first meaning of Tibetan is a native of Tibet or a person of Tibetan descent. The second meaning is the language of Tibet. In the form of adjective, Tibetan means
of or relating to Tibet or its language (2003: 1597).
5. Representation
Andrew Gibson in Towards a Postmodern Theory of Narrative stated that there are two kinds of representation. One considers representation to be a matter of
surfaces, the other theorises it in terms of depths. ‘Surface representation’ is a realism
of particulars. Its view of language is innocent. It conceives of language as
unproblematically adequate to what it represents. ‘Surface representation’ does give
primacy to the visible. It puts itself forward as a realism of self-evidence (1996:
81-82).
‘Representation of depths’, means penetrating the visible. It goes beyond what
is visible. This is metaphysical conception of representation. This representation is
the representation of essences, and general features and it pierces through the veil the
visible to what the visible supposedly secretes and embodies, capturing that distilled
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
There are some related reviews related to the appreciation and criticism of the
novel that may give the readers some views about the novelThe Secret of Shambhala in Search of the Eleventh Insight. Larry Dossey, M.D., the author ofHealing Words
gave comment on this Redfield’s work on the back cover of the book that Redfield
has great ability to inspire the readers. Dossey said that Redfield has the genius of
inspiring people.
The way Redfield includes the pleasures of a journey, the uncertainty in an
adventure, and spiritual concept in this novel is also supported by the comment of
Brian Weiss, the author ofOnly Love is Real and Many Lives, Many Masters on the back cover of the book. He said that James Redfield packed thrills, suspense, and
spiritual wisdom into his books.
Gail Hudson, a freelance writer in a publishing industry also gave comment
on this work.
Shambhala is indeed a paradise, just as it was lovingly portrayed in the famous James Hilton novel Lost Horizon. It is also a spiritual utopia, and Redfield takes great pleasure in pondering the possibilities of living in a culture that is entirely "focused on the life process." Residents explain their lifestyle, which has emerged from a completely spiritual culture, including some rather sensible opinions about technology, parenting, and even genetic testing. Meanwhile, Redfield remains the wide-eyed observer. Those who loved the characters, writing style, and epiphanies in The Celestine Prophecy
will not be disappointed with Redfield's latest inspirational portrait of a new world order<http://www.librarything.com/work/11465>.
The quotation above shows an opinion about Redfield’s thoughts and ideas in this
work. This thesis is written to develop the study of socio-cultural historical
background. It does not discuss about spiritualism of Tibetan or the cultural aspects
of American. This thesis analyses American view of Chinese Oppression to Tibetan.
It is concerned with the Americans’ opposition to the Chinese oppressive acts on the
Tibetan’s socio-cultural life since 1951.
B. Review of Related Theories 1. Point of View
According to Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms Sixth Edition, point of view signifies the way of how a story is told, by presenting the readers with the
characters, dialogues, actions, setting, and events, which become the characteristics of
the narrator of the story, who tells it. Point of view is divided into two kinds, based on
the type of the narrator. They are third-person point of view and first-person point of
view (1985: 166).
The third-person point of view is then divided into omniscient point of view
and limited point of view. It is anomniscient point of viewwhen “the narrator knows everything that needs to be known about the agents, actions, and events, and also has
privileged access to the character’s thoughts, feelings, and motives; and that the
narrator is free to move at will in time and place, to shift from character to character,
and to report (or conceal) their speech, doings, and states of consciousness (1985:
The other subclass of the third-person point of view is limited point of view. Limited point of view is employed when “the narrator tells the story in the third
person, but stays inside the confines of what is experienced, thought, and felt by a
single character (or at most by very few characters) within the story”. A limited
narrator will also tell the story in the third person as the omniscient narrator. While
the omniscient narrator tells the story based on everything he or she knows, the limited narrator limits his or her knowledge of the characters, actions, thoughts, and
feelings, so that the information, which is needed to know from the story, can not be
separated wholly (1985: 167).
The second kind of point of view is the first-person point of view. First-person
point of view “limits the matter of the narrative to what the first-person narrator
knows, experiences, infers, or can find out by talking to other characters”. The
narrator in the first-person point of view does not know directly about the characters
and their thoughts and feelings, so that in order to tell the story, the narrator has to
have a conversation with the characters in the story. Their conversation will then
make the narrator able to tell the story (1985: 167).
In Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature, narrator is one who tells a story. In a work of fiction the narrator determines the story’s point of view. If the
narrator is a full participant in the story’s action, the narrative is said to be in the first
person. A story told by a narrator who is not a character in the story is a third-person
Narrators are sometimes categorized by the way in which they present their story. An intrusive narrator, a common device in many 18th and 19th century works, is one who interrupts the story to provide a commentary to the reader. An unreliable narrator is one who does not understand the full import of a situation or one who makes incorrect conclusions and assumptions about events witnessed. A related device is the naïve narrator, who does not have the sophistication to understand the full import of the story’s events, though the reader understands (1995: 797).
In Style in Fiction a Linguistic Introduction to English Fictional Prose, it is stated that critics have for a long time distinguished between the author and the
narrator, and the narrator may well be talking to someone distinct from the reader
(Leech and Short 1981: 262). The choice of a first person narrator where the ‘I’ is
also a primary character in the story produces a personal relationship with the reader
who inevitably tends to bias the reader in favour of the narrator (1981: 265).
However, it is more common for a novelist to employ an ‘impersonal’ style of
narration, which is in the third person, that is where reference by the narrator to
himself is avoided. Most third-person narrators are, for the purposes of the fiction,
omniscient (1981: 266).
According to Wolfgang Iser inReader-Response Criticism from Formalism to
Poststructuralism, discrepancy is bound to arise when the readers try to impose a consistent pattern on the text. It draws the readers into the text, compelling the
readers to conduct a creative examination not only of the text but also of the readers
themselves (1980: 64).
Rimmon – Kennan in his book Narrative Fiction: Contemporary Poetics
Reliable narrator is a narrator “whose rendering of the story and commentary on it the reader is supposed to take as an authoritative account of the fictional truth” and unreliable narrator is a narrator “whose rendering of the story and/or commentary on it the reader has reasons to suspect […] The main source of unreliability are the narrator’s limited knowledge, his personal involvement, and his problematic value-scheme” (1983: 100).
The narrator is reliable when he is able to make the readers feel convinced that the
story he narrates does not contain deceit. However, unreliable narrator is when his
narration makes the readers suspect that the narration contains deceit. It can be
recognized through his limited knowledge about the event that occurs in the story, his
personal involvement, and the way he explains the importance of the story that seems
not easy or tricky.
2. Character and Characterization
In A Glossary of Literary Term, Abrams defined character as a person presented in a dramatic or narrative work. The character is often endowed with moral,
disposition, and emotional qualities that are expressed through dialogue and actions
(1985: 25). It can be said that what the characters say and do are important in
analysing character. It helps the readers to see the interaction between one character
and another in a literary work, then to state what kind of person he or she is.
According to Murphy in his book Understanding Unseen (1972), there are nine ways in which an author attempts to make his or her character understandable to,
and come alive for, the readers. These nine ways of characterization are (1972:
161-173):
It is the way how the author to describe a person’s appearance and clothes.
b. Character as Seen by Another
It is the way how the author to describe a character through the eyes and opinions of
other people in the novel.
c. Speech
It is the way of the author to give the reader an insight toward the character of a
person in the novel through what that person says. Whenever person speaks or puts
forward an opinion or in conversation with another, he or she is giving the reader
some clues to his or her character.
d. Past Life
It is the way of the author to make the reader knows a persons character by looking
at his or her past life.
e. Conversation of Others
It is the way of the author to give the reader clues to a person’s character through
the conversation of other people and the things they say about him or her.
f. Reaction
It is the way of the author to make the reader knows a person’s character by seeing
at how the person reacts to various situations and events in his or her life. People do
talk about other people and the things they say often give the reader a clue to the
character of the person spoken about.
It is the way of the author to describe or comment on the character of a person
directly.
h. Thoughts
It is the way of the author to make the reader knows the character of a person
through what this character is thinking about. It means that the author can give the
reader direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. In this respect the
author is able to do what can not usually be done in real life. The author can tell the
reader what different people are thinking. In novels it is accepted. The reader then is
in a privileged position; the reader has, as it were, a secret listening device plugged
into the inmost thoughts of a person in a novel.
i. Mannerism
It is the way of the author to describe a person’s mannerism and habits which may
also tell the reader about his or her character.
Chris Baldick in Oxford Paperback Reference: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms states that characterization is the representation of a person in dramatic or narrative works. This may include direct methods like the
attribution of qualities in description or commentary, and indirect (or dramatic)
methods inviting readers to infer qualities from characters’ actions, speech, or
appearance (1990: 34).
In Literature for Composition, Barnet presents some points in understanding the characters. They are (1988: 712):
What the character says or comments about himself or through the dialogue
between the characters may show his characteristics.
b. What the character does
The action done by the character may also indicate his characteristics.
c. What other characters say about the character
The other characters’ comment about the character is also important information in
understanding the character’s characteristics.
d. What others do
The action of others may help to indicate what the character could do, but he or she
does not do. It is important to know the character’s characteristics whether he or she
is lazy, careless, or wicked person or not.
3. Representation
In The Happy Critic representation considers that such texts can create not only knowledge but also the very reality that they appear to describe (Birenbaum,
2001: 75).
Andrew Gibson in Towards a Postmodern Theory of Narrative stated that there are two kinds of representation. One considers representation to be a matter of
surfaces, the other theorises it in terms of depths. ‘Surface representation’ is a realism
of particulars. Its view of language is innocent. It conceives of language as
unproblematically adequate to what it represents. ‘Surface representation’ does give
81-82). Surface representation tells us about things only within certain norms of
justification that determine what things are from the outset (1996: 83). Surface
representation depends on the assumption of a ‘neutral observation language’ (1996:
84). But surface representation is less curious a phenomenon than ‘representation of
depths’ (1996: 85).
‘Representation of depths’, means penetrating the visible. It goes beyond what
is visible. This is metaphysical conception of representation. This representation is
the representation of essences, and general features and it pierces through the veil the
visible to what the visible supposedly secretes and embodies, capturing that distilled
essence and saturating language in it (Gibson, 1996: 82). In other words, by using this
representation we can reveal the unseen from the seen in the text to get real essence in
it.
C. Review on Socio-Cultural Historical Background of the Relationship between America and China Related to the Situation in Tibet between 1950s and 1990s
1. Relationship between America and China
One possible reason why America feels that has the right to be involved in the
situation in Tibet is because America has a grudge against China after its betrayal to
to advise Generalissimo Jiang’s army. From 1945 to 1949 the United States sent
China $ 3 billion in aid, more than it gave most allies. However, it soon became
evident that Jiang was a weak and unreliable friend. His government was rife with the
rebellious peasants, whom the Communists enlisted with promises of land
redistribution, and he tolerated a grossly unfair tax system. Jiang ignored American
advice to root out corruption, half inflation, and begin land reform (Norton et. al.,
1982: 803).
In fall 1949, after numerous military setbacks, Jiang fled to the island of
Formosa and Mao proclaimed the People’s Republic of China (1982: 803). The
United States did not open formal diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of
China until 1979 – thirty years after Mao’s government came to power (1982: 804).
Translated from Nurani Soyomukti’sRevolusi Tibet Fakta, Intrik, dan Politik Kepentingan Tibet – China – Amerika Serikat, during the Cold War between 1950s and 1960s, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) secretly financed and armed Tibetan guerrillas to fight against China. At the same time, the United States officially still
considered Tibet as part of China (2008: 92). However, on March 18th 1964, Dalai
Lama wrote to the president of United States, Lyndon B. Johnson, to ask for the
United States’ support to Tibet and to raise world’s society awareness of this issue
(2008: 100).
National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No.18 in <http://www.gwu.edu> states that the relationship between the United States and the
on October 1, 1949 has been extraordinarily complex. Extreme hostility turned into
outright military conflict in Korea. Rapprochement in the early 1970s became a
strategic partnership during the latter part of the Cold War; a partnership that was
followed by today's often rocky relationship.
The documents in National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No.18
which were edited by Jeffrey T. Richelson, a Senior Fellow at the Archive on
September 24th, 1999 also from the same website, include policy and research
studies, intelligence estimates, diplomatic cables, and briefing materials about
America and China, which were published in the NSA'sChina and the United States: From Hostility to Engagement, 1960-1998 document set, as a part of the Archive's Special Collection Series. It is stated in its Document One titled Special National Intelligence Estimate, "Communist China's Advanced Weapons Program," July 24, 1963that in the early 1960s U.S. policy makers had primary fear that the PRC would soon acquire nuclear weapons. The fear was so great that the thought was given to a
preemptive strike to anticipate PRC acquisition of such weapons. The estimate also
reflected the increasing information the U.S. was obtaining from its spy satellite
program, codenamed CORONA, about the Chinese nuclear and missile programs.
The same document from the same website also contains the report of the
investigation. In the quotation below, it becomes apparent that through its satellite
NSA, the United States was able to identify the military equipment of China which
We have found what we believe to be a plutonium production reactor in China located at Pao-t’ou. This reactor probably could not have reached critically before early 1962. […] Recent photographic coverage of the Pao-t’ou area of Inner Mongolia has revealed an installation with elaborate security arrangements. The installation includes what we believe to be a small air-cooled plutonium production reactor, of about 30 megawatts capacity, with associated facilities for chemical separation and metal fabrication (p.2-5).
A conflict also occurred between America and China before 1960s. The National Experience A History of the United States Sixth Edition mentioned that Chiang Kai-shek had put troops on the offshore islands of Quemoy and Matsu in the
Straits of Formosa after his unleashing. When the Chinese Communist started
bombing the islands in late 1954, Eisenhower persuaded Congress in January 1955 to
pass the Formosa Resolution, authorizing the president to use armed force “as he
deems necessary” to defend Formosa and the neighboring Pescadores islands (1985:
804).
The bombings subsided, and in the next years Chiang sent a hundred thousand
Nationalist troops to the offshore islands. Heavy communist bombardment resumed
in August 1958 (1985: 804). Although Eisenhower was irritated by the reinforcement
of the offshore islands, he saw no alternative but to convince Peking (Beijing) that the
United States would interfene, “perhaps using nuclear weapons,” if the communists
attempted an invasion. After three months the shelling tapered off. Under American
pressure Chiang eventually reduced the size of his forces on the islands (1985: 804).
However, in Nixon era, there was cooperation between America and China. In
early 1972 Nixon did an extraordinary presidential trip to China. On February 27 he
legally part of mainland China, that American forces would eventually withdraw
from Taiwan, and that the island’s future was to be settled by the Chinese themselves
(1985: 850).
According to Colonel Jer Donald Get inWhat’s with the Relationship between America’s Army and China’s PLA?, it is mentioned that in the 1980s under third pillar of technology transfer and weapon sales, the Chinese Army expressed interest
in a number of American Army weapons systems including TOW anti-tank missiles,
artillery munitions, artillery counter-battery radar systems, and scout, transport, and
attack helicopters (1996: 3).
In A Relationship Restored in <http://yaleglobal.yale.edu>, it is mentioned that since early 1980s, there has been a gradual reduction in the degree to which
China is viewed primarily in strategic and military terms. However, if China is
viewed as either a regional or a strategic military power, that will, in the course of
military modernization, present security problems to the United States and its allies.
Concerns about the transfer of technology will be heightened. To the degree that
China is perceived as an ideological threat, these concerns will be still greater.
2. Chinese Oppression to Tibetan
China’s present day claims that "Tibet has always been a part of China",
derives from the period in 1270 when they were both ruled by the Mongols.
After the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912 the Tibetans were prompted to
reassert their independence. China, however, desired to maintain its right to govern
Tibet (Luck ed., 1999: 669).
In 1949, the People's Liberation Army of the PRC (Peoples Republic of
China) first crossed into Tibet. After defeating the small Tibetan army and occupying
half the country, the Chinese government, in May 1951, imposed the so-called "17
Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet" on the Tibetan government.
Because it was signed under duress, the agreement lacked validity under international
law. The presence of 40,000 troops in Tibet, the threat of the immediate occupation of
Lhasa, and the prospect of the total obliteration of the Tibetan state, left Tibetans little
choice <http://tibet.dharmakara.net>.
David Snellgrove and Hugh Richardson in their book A Cultural History of Tibet mentioned that since the end of 1950 the Chinese government has formally claimed Tibet as an integral part of China, and their armed forces have taken physical
possession of it. The fourteenth Dalai Lama and his government, seeing no hope of
help from others, tried to co-operate with the dominant power (1986: 267).
In March 1959, a full-scale revolt against Chinese rule was suppressed by the
Chinese Army. On 25 December 1959, the Dalai Lama fled to North India, and
established a government-in-exile at Dharamsala. In 1965, China formally annexed
Tibet as an autonomous region (Luck ed., 1999: 669). Under Chinese occupation, the
destroyed (1999: 669). Pro-independence rallies in 1987-1989 were violently
suppressed by the Chinese army (1999: 669).
D. Theoretical Framework
Each of the theories and reviews is needed to analyse the novel. The review of
related studies is used to strengthen the importance of studying and analysing this
novel. It shows that analysing this novel is worthwhile. Theories on point of view are
used because this study focuses on the narrator’s point of view, that the narrator and
his reliability is significant in this novel. Theories of character and characterization
show the characterization of the narrator as a character, that support the narrator’s
reliability. Theories on representation help not only to interpret to what the novel
represents, but also to reveal the unseen from the seen (of the text) to get its real
essence.
The reviews of socio-cultural historical background of the relationship
between America and China related to the situation in Tibet between 1950s and 1990s
are essential to compare the novel and the reality at that time, especially related to
American involvement in Tibet to oppose China. From the above discussion, this
study analyses how the narrator’s reliability represents American view of Chinese
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The main source of this study is The Secret of Shambhala in Search of the Eleventh Insight, a spiritual-adventure novel written by James Redfield, the number oneNew York Times bestselling author of The Celestine Prophecy. This novel is the continuation of The Celestine Prophecy and its sequel,The Tenth Insight. The book was printed in 1999 and published in New York, A Time Warner Company. It
consists of 238 pages in eleven chapters. The eleven chapters are Fields of Intention,
The Call of Shambhala, Cultivating Energy, Conscious Alertness, The Contagion of
Awareness, The Passage, Entering Shambhala, The Life Process, The Energy of Evil,
Acknowledging the Light, and The Secret of Shambhala. Redfield also wrote The Celestine Insights, The Celestine Vision, The Song of Celestine, The Tenth Insight: Holding the Vision,and The Tenth Insight: Holding the Vision, an Experiental Guide <http://www.celestinevision.com/>.
Redfield himself stated in the author’s note of this novel that this novel is
based on his experience, which is expected to open people’s mind about what is
happening in today’s society.
Based on my own experience, and on what is happening around us, this book is offered as an illustration of this next step in awareness. It is my belief that this insight is already emerging out there, swirling among thousands of late-night spiritual discussions, and hidden just below the hatred and fear that still mark our era (1999: X).
Redfield’s works are dominated by spiritual-adventure theme, and also include his
concern about today’s world condition.
The story of The Secret of Shambhala in Search of the Eleventh Insight is about ‘I’, an American who travels to Tibet, a country in Central Asia to discover
Shambhala, the mythical community of Tibetan Buddhist lore. It is believed that its
location is in Kunlun Range, Tibet. Unluckily, because of Chinese oppression to
Tibetan, ‘I’ has to experience many things during his journey to Kunlun Range from
Lhasa that make him feel awkward. Chinese military pursues ‘I’ during his journey,
but he meets many other characters who give him information not only about
Shambhala but of course about the situation in Tibet under Chinese oppression. He
then has certain perception that shows his disagreement to China. He finally succeeds
to escape from the Chinese military through the miraculous “transition” of
Shambhala (to America from Kunlun Range, Tibet).
B. Approach of the Study
In conducting this study, the writer uses socio-cultural historical approach,
because this study deals with the real situation in Tibet between 1950s and 1990s.
Based on this approach, the real world and the literary work have a close relation.
According to Rohrberger and Woods in their book Reading and Writing about
Literature, literature is not created in a vacuum, and that literature embodies ideas significant to the culture and that produced it (1971: 9).
Critics whose major interest is the socio-cultural historical approach insist that the only way to locate the real work is in reference to the civilization that produced it. They define civilization as the attitudes and actions as its subject matter. They feel therefore, that it is necessary that the critic investigate the social milieu in which a work was created and which it necessarily reflects (1971: 9).
C. Method of the Study
Library research was used in this study. The primary source was the novelThe Secret of Shambhala in Search of the Eleventh Insight by James Redfield. The secondary sources were books and websites related to the theories, approach, and
criticisms that were used to analyse the problems. The books such as Towards a Postmodern Theory of Narrative, Reader-Response Criticism from Formalism to Poststructuralism, Style in Fiction a Linguistic Introduction to English Fictional Prose, A Glossary of Literary Terms Sixth Edition, Understanding Unseen, Reading and Writing about Literature became the main references for the approach and theories used in this study.
There were some steps in analysing this novel. First, the writer read the novel
thoroughly to understand the story. Based on the writer’s understanding of the story,
the writer was interested in the point of view of ‘I’ narrator who also becomes the
main character of the story. He was an American who was travelling to Tibet, a
country under Chinese oppression. Therefore, the writer read the sources about the
socio-cultural historical background in Tibet related to the novel, in order to know
Second, the writer collected the review of related studies about opinion,
criticism and information related to the novel. The writer also collected data about the
theories from books and websites, which consist of the theories of point of view,
theories of character and characterization, theories on representation and
socio-cultural historical approach.
Third, the writer tried to answer the problem formulation by applying the
theories to the work. Theories of point of view are used to analyse the point of view
of the narrator and show the narrator’s reliability. Theories of character and
characterization are used to analyse the characterization of the main character that
also supports the narrator’s reliability. Theories on representation are used to analyse
not only the meaning of what the story represents, but also to analyse the unseen
matter from the seen (of the text), then to get its real essence.
Then, the socio-cultural historical background of the relationship between
America and China related to the situation in Tibet between 1950s and 1990s was
used to support that the novel was a criticism from America about Chinese
oppression to Tibetan. The socio-cultural historical background is used to compare
the novel and the reality at that time, especially related to American’s involvement in
Tibet to oppose China.
Finally, after analysing the point of view of the narrator, his characterization
and his reliability, examining how the reliability reflects American view of Chinese
oppression, which represents the rivalry between America and China, the problem
ANALYSIS
This chapter aims to answer the problems formulated in the previous chapter.
It consists of three subchapters. The first subchapter discusses the point of view used
in the novel, the characterization of ‘I’ as a character and how it supports the
narrator’s reliability. The second subchapter discusses how the narrator’s reliability
represents American view of Chinese oppression to Tibetan. The third subchapter
discusses how the American view of Chinese oppression represents the rivalry
between America and China.
A. The Point of View in The Secret of Shambhala in Search of the Eleventh
Insight
In the analysis of point of view in The Secret of Shambhala in Search of the Eleventh Insight, the writer discusses the point of view and the reliability of the narrator. Sometimes the narrator of the story is proven to be reliable and sometimes
unreliable. Therefore, the writer analyses the point of view used in the novel in the
first part, and discusses the reliability of the narrator and his characteristics as a
character in the story in the second part.
1. The Point of View and the Narrator
The first person point of view is used inThe Secret of Shambhala in Search of the Eleventh Insight, as the narrator tells his own story using the pronoun ‘I’. It can be
seen in the first sentence: “The phone rang and I just stared at it. The last thing I
needed now was another distraction.” (p.1). It starts the story of ‘I’ who actually at
the first time does not want to be disturbed by anything while he is doing a work.
However ‘I’ then receives the phone call and is ready to arrange a journey to Tibet.
The evidence is shown in the next sentence. “I made travel arrangements to arrive in
Kathmandu, Nepal on the sixteenth and stay at the Himalaya.” (p.10). This sentence
shows the beginning of ‘I’ journey to Tibet to find a spiritual concept in Tibet.
“Finally it came to me. Shambhala was the mythical community of Tibetan Buddhist
lore.” (p.19). Shambhala attracts ‘I’ attention to travel to Tibet. From the beginning
until the end of the story, the narrator uses the first person point of view. At the end
of the narration, ‘I’ says, “Tibet would eventually be free. This time I had no doubt.”
(p.238). This sentence also describes a certain situation occurring in Tibet when Tibet
is oppressed by China that is experienced by ‘I’ during his stay in Tibet.
The point of view in the novel is first person central point of view because the
narrator is the central character of the story. The narrator, as one of the characters in
the novel, tells the story. The existence of ‘I’ is considered important by other
characters in this story. It is shown through the message for Yin Doloe, the guide of
‘I’ in Tibet, from Wilson James, the narrator’s best friend whom he has asked to
come to Tibet.
Yin, I’m convinced we are being allowed into Shambhala. But I must go on ahead. It is of utmost importance that you bring our American friend as far as you can. You know the dakini will guide you.
From the quotation above, Wil and ‘I’ seem to already have an appointment to meet
each other. Unfortunately, Wil has to go on ahead to reach Shambhala because of
some reason. Wil asks Yin to guide ‘I’ who is an American, to continue their journey
to reach Shambhala. The termdakinimeans angel as believed by the Tibetans.
As the narrator and as one of the characters, ‘I’ narrates the conversations
with other characters. The evidence is the quotation below. ‘I’ replies to an
attendant’s question while staying in a hotel. The conversation also shows ‘I’ identity
as a man. “Excuse me, sir,” came a voice from behind me. “May I serve you a
drink?” he asked. “No… thank you,” I replied. “I’ll wait awhile.” (p.14-15)
As the narrator who narrates the whole story, ‘I’ fully involves in the story.
He is major participant in the story. He tells his own story as a major mover. That is
why the point of view of ‘I’ is omniscient. He knows everything in the story. He sees
all and reports all. He is able to report the other characters’ appearance, gesture,
attitude, voice, and action. It can be seen from his observation on a stranger whom he
meets and talks with when he arrives in Tibet.
‘I’ is able to give detail on the man’s physical appearances, his accent when he
speaks, his gestures, his mood, his attitude when he stares at ‘I’, and his action
through the way he carries the newspaper.
The narrator is omniscient, because he is also able to report the other
characters’ thought and feeling. The examples are in the quotation below. It shows
that ‘I’ is able to understand what the Tibetan woman think, even ‘I’ does not
understand Tibetan and the woman can not speak English. He spontaneously says to
Yin that he also orders the soup. It is shown in the next sentence. Yin spoke briefly to
her in Tibetan, and I caught the word for soup. The woman nodded and looked at me.
“The same,” I said to Yin (p.78).
The narrator does not only know the other characters’ thought. ‘I’ also knows
the other characters’ feeling. ‘I’ narrates his conversation with a fourteen year old
girl. The next sentence shows that the narrator is able to report the feeling of anger of
his partner. “I couldn’t believe I was confronted by a fourteen-year-old like this. For
an instant a flash of anger swept across me.” (p.6)
‘I’ is also able to describe other important characters that he meets or knows.
One of the descriptions is when he describes the physical appearance of Yin Doloe at
their first meeting.
‘I’ does not only tell about the clothes that Yin is wearing, but he is also able to
reckon Yin’s age and explain the gaze of Yin’s eyes.
‘I’ also describes the setting of time and place. One evidence about it is when
he describes Mount Himalaya at daytime from the plane he is boarded. It is shown in
the following sentence. As we flew along at thirty-five thousand feet, I began to sense
a distinct shift in temperature and energy outside. Below me, the Himalayas rose in
frozen, rocky spires, framed by a clear blue sky. (p.20). Through the plane, ‘I’ sees
Mount Himalaya thirty-five thousand feet below. The clear blue sky shows that he
narrates the description about Himalaya when it is daytime. He also narrates the way
he can sense the change of the atmosphere around him when the plane passes through
this area.
The events in the story are also described by ‘I’. One of the events that he
narrates is when he sees the act of Chinese army to the Tibetans. In this narration, he
focuses on his experience in witnessing the arbitrary act of Chinese army to the
Tibetans. As a witness of the event, the narrator participates in the story.
I went straight to the Jeep and retrieved the notebook and was about to head back when the sound of vehicles pulling up to the restaurant startled me. [...] After a moment I risked a glance toward the restaurant. The Chinese were bringing out the people and loading them into the trucks. (p.79)
‘I’ also narrates the experiences of other characters. One of them is the
experience of Yin Doloe. The narrator tells Yin’s experience when the Chinese
military ran after him, but Yin finally succeeded to escape. It is shown in the
had gone back to his friend’s house and they had suggested this old house as a place
for him to stay while they looked around for another vehicle. (p.85). ‘I’ reports his
conversation with Yin Doloe in his own words. All of them prove that ‘I’ is the
narrator of the story, and a character who totally involves in the story.
2. The Characterization of ‘I’ and the Reliability of Narrator
A narrator in a story sometimes proves to be reliable and sometimes
unreliable. The reliability of ‘I’ as the narrator can be seen from his nature as a
character and from the way he narrates the story. ‘I’ has good quality as a narrator
because he is narrating his experience based on the facts that he finds. He is telling
the truth of the condition that he has experienced himself. Because of that, ‘I’ has a
quality to be trusted by the readers in narrating the story, but at the same time, ‘I’ has
the ability to trick the readers about the story he narrates. Therefore, it is necessary to
comprehend the narrator’s characteristics that may support his reliability as the
narrator.
‘I’ is the central character in The Secret of Shambhala in Search of the
Eleventh Insight because he is relevant to every event in the novel. This novel contains a story about the experience of ‘I’ when going to Tibet, a country under
Chinese rule to comprehend Shambhala, a Tibetan spiritual concept. Thus, ‘I’
becomes important in all of the events in the story, as one of the characters involved
in the events. The beginning of his experience is shown in this next quotation.
was also a country under the repressive control of the Chinese government, and I knew it could be a dangerous place. (p.10)
The quotation above shows the beginning of ‘I’ journey to Tibet. As a man who has
wide knowledge, he already knows the general situation in Tibet under Chinese rule.
‘I’ actually feels enthusiastic to go to Tibet, but the reality of Tibet which is ruled by
the strict government of China also makes him feel some doubt to go there. ‘I’
realizes that he has to be aware and be careful in doing this journey.
As the central character, ‘I’ experiences some events that bring some changes
to his characteristics. Through his interaction with the character Lama Rigden, ‘I’
later has the courage to continue his journey in Tibet to reach Shambhala. It is
different from his feeling before he met Lama Rigden. He tended to avoid this
journey when he knew that he must face the strict Chinese government. “You must
answer the call to Shambhala.” […] I had agreed to go on this journey purely because
of Lama’s words […] but now the angst over the decision was beginning to set in.
(p.53). Even though he still feels anxious, he tries to encourage himself to continue
the journey. He seems optimistic in facing a difficult situation.
The description of ‘I’ as the central character is presented through direct and
indirect presentation. In direct presentation, other characters describe his character
through what they say and do. Through the character Bill, a neighbour of ‘I’, it can be
inferred that ‘I’ is an expert of certain field. That is why one can be sure that ‘I’ is an
educated man. This interaction happens when Bill makes a phone call to him. “I’m
she has some information about a place you’d be interested in. Some location in the
north of Tibet.” (p.2). It is obvious that the other characters know the profession of
‘I’. He can be said as an expert of a field related to the history of human civilization.
It is possible that because of his profession, he has extra curiosity than the other
people.
Through the character Yin, his identity as an American is revealed. […] then
Yin pointed to me and said, “This is my American friend.” (p.55). It happens when
Yin introduces ‘I’ to Hanh, a yoga instructor. Through the character Hanh, the
narrator’s physical state is revealed. From what Hanh says, it can also be seen that ‘I’
is a man who has had many experiences in his life.
“You have had many experiences,” he said. “You should be stronger.” […] “You just don’t want to change the way you live.” You want to get excited about the ideas then live unconsciously, more or less the way you’ve always done.” […] I first look at posture, “Hanh said matter-of-factly. “Yours is not too bad at this point, but you had to work on it, didn’t you?” (p.56-57)
It seems that the physical condition of ‘I’ is not really fit enough. His condition is
also influenced by the events that he has experienced in the past. The way he lives
also gives influence to his body. He seems to understand many things about health,
but he does not practice the way to live healthy. That is why it also influences his
posture in his age as a middle-aged man. He tends to experience some obstructions
when doing something or moving his body.
The psychological condition of ‘I’ is revealed in his conversation with Lama
Rigden, a Tibetan spiritual leader. Lama Rigden says to him: “This will not be easy
in suspicion and anxiety. He also tends to be impatient when he has to face certain
situation. Probably he is able to use his intelligence as an educated man, but he seems
to have difficulty in controlling his temper. The statement of Lama Rigden about his
psychological condition is also supported by the statement of Ani, a Tibetan woman,
when she says: “You have much anger.” (p.174) and the statement of Yin Doloe.“
You have much anger,” Yin said, “And you don’t use your energy very well.” (p.18)
In indirect presentation, the central character is described through his actions.
The characteristics of ‘I’ can be observed from what he says and what he does. One
way to describe ‘I’ is through his speech or what he says. The evidence is in the next
sentence when he talks to himself about the security of Internet network. “I walked
over to my computer and seen it, wondering, as I always did, about the security of the
Internet […] Is the whole Internet monitored? I shook off the concern, concluding
that I was being silly.” (p.12). It shows how ‘I’ gets suspicious easily. At the same
time, through the quotation above, he is shown as a person who easily feels anxious
about something that should not be considered as a big deal.
The characteristics of ‘I’ can be observed from his conversation with other
characters and the way he presents his opinion. In his conversation with Lama Rigden
about Shambhala, ‘I’ shows his curiosity.
“Why has no one ever discovered where it is? […]
“Because Shambhala does represent a way of being and living.” […] “Have you been there?”
His curiosity is easily aroused. He is also critical when he is interested in something.
He tries to investigate deeper about Shambhala from Lama Rigden. He looks like he
does not want to stop asking questions until he feels satisfied with the answer. He
seems that he does not give up easily. It also shows that ‘I’ is a person who is used to
thinking logically.
The actions of ‘I’ toward other characters in the story also reveal his
characteristics. He reacts easily and is spontaneous, especially when he knows
someone needs help or faces difficult situation. He offers his help when he and Yin
see someone, who is also a foreigner in Tibet, having a problem with his car.
In the middle was the Dutchman’s vehicle, racing its engine, spinning its wheels, and spattering mud, but going nowhere. It was stuck. […]
“We can help you,” I said to the young man. […] Yin and I got out and pushed the fender of the Land Cruiser as he gunned the engine. (p.105)
It shows that ‘I’ cares about others and the situation around him. Even though he does
not know this man and he is facing a danger himself, he has the courage to take a risk
to help the man.
As an educated person, ‘I’ also narrates his past experience when he was
travelling to Peru. His narration shows that he has many experiences and likes
adventure. He seems to be used to facing the attitude of military officers in some
countries. It can be seen in the next sentence. […] remembering my experience on the
mountaintop in Peru. […] I had been at the end of my rope, certain I was about to be
killed by Peruvian soldiers (p.57). From his experiences, he has a wide knowledge
The mannerism of ‘I’ toward other characters also reveals his characteristics.
From the next quotation, ‘I’ is described as a friendly person. He knows how to treat
someone he just meets and he is also able to tell whether the people that he meets are
trustworthy or not. “Let’s do this, “ I said. “Why don’t you come inside and we’ll
have a cup of coffee and talk about the situation?” (p.17). From what ‘I’ says to Yin,
he has positive attitude to Yin. He treats Yin in a polite and friendly way even though
they have just met. He is not always emotional or temperamental. He is able to make
an adaptation in a new situation or when he meets someone’s new.
Through the description of the characteristics of ‘I’, it can be inferred whether
‘I’ is reliable or unreliable as a narrator. As a narrator, ‘I’ narrates the event when he
witnesses the events himself. The evidence is his narration when he directly sees the
way Chinese soldiers treat the Tibetans. As an educated man who has many
experiences, ‘I’ does not want to put himself in danger. He only sees a glance in order
to avoid direct contact with the soldiers. It is shown in the next sentence. After a
moment I risked a glance toward the restaurant. The Chinese were bringing out the
people and loading them into the trucks (p.79). He sees the Chinese soldiers arresting
some Tibetans who are suspected as criminals or rebels. The soldiers capture the
Tibetans randomly. They seem to have already formed a judgment that all Tibetans
are rebel. This example shows that ‘I’ is reliable, because he narrates the event based
on what he directly sees himself.
‘I’ is also reliable because he does not only see the events. He also hears and
house in Ali and hears classic Chinese composer in this place. He has experienced an
inhumane act from the Chinese soldiers. They use noxious gas to make him
unconscious. “I heard the music before I was completely conscious. It was a classis
Chinese composer I had before. I jerked awake and realized I was in an elaborate,
Chinese-style bedroom.” (p.120).
As an educated man who has learned many things and knows about the
situation and condition of Tibet, the narrator has the ability to narrate the
geographical description of Tibet and an image of the situation in Tibet under
Chinese rule. It can be seen in the next quotation.
Lying between China to the north and India and Nepal to the south, Tibet is basically a large plateu with few areas lower than six thousand feet. […] From the map, eastern Tibet seemed to be the most fertile and populated, while the north and west looked sparse and mountainous. […] We practically flew right over the top of Mount Everest, the rooftop of the world. […] Too bad it was now being brutally administered by a totalitarian government. (p.20)
‘I’ narrates the location of Tibet and describes its natural condition. He is also able to
give a detailed description about some areas in Tibet based on the map he sees. He
interprets the map when he is sitting in the plane’s seat. He is also able to recognize
the famous Mount Everest. But he also narrates how it becomes irony that Tibet has
to be governed by a cruel totalitarian government. From his capacity as an educated
man who has wide knowledge, ‘I’ is reliable. It proves that the narrator understands
