English for Meeting & Interview (Teks Percakapan Rapat dalam Bahasa Inggris) written by Irfan Suryana

Religion as a Way of Mark Brian and Chloe Miller

to Seek Self-Identity

I heard the Owl Call My Name is a contemporary novel written by Margaret Craven which tells about a young Anglican vicar, Mark Brian, who is sent to an American Indian Tribe, Kwakiutl. The Bishop sends him to Kingcome village because he knows that Mark Brian has sickness and he wants him to learn about life so that in his short life he can be useful for many people by spreading his faith and he can get his self-identity. By learning cultures especially myth that tells if someone hears the Owl, he will die soon, he can know that his life will end. He struggles everything in that tribe, especially Kwakiutl people do not like White so that it makes Mark Brian difficult to adapt with the people. After he learns many things from the tribe, he hands his heart to God and he can know exactly about life. Therefore, he gain his self-identity before he died by landslide.

Meanwhile, My Name is Chloe is a contemporary novel written by Melody Carlson which narrates about a teenage girl names Chloe Miller who struggles about life especially faith and her life as well. She is such an talented girl at music so that many people are jealous at her, specially Tiffany Knight and her friends. She also writes her own song and her own poet. She gets stuck when many bad things and problems come into her life. She often contemplates in her own way like she go to graveyard just to sit and think harder about life. Many her close ones, Caitlin O’Conner, Laura, and Josh, help her to solve the problems and to make her closer to God. Finally, she hands her heart just to God and her life becomes better and better including her career as musician. She realizes that religion brings her to self-identity. Therefore, religion is the only way to seek self identity which is depicted by the main character of I Heard the Owl Call My Name and My Name is Chloe.

Approach that is more appropriate to analyze both novels is intrinsic approach. The instrinsic approach was originally written by Rene Wellek and Austin Warren in “Theory of Literature”. Instrinsic approach is a study of literary work based on analyzing the internal elemnents that build that work. According to Wellek (1962: 332), the natural on sensible starting point for work literary scholarship is the interpretation and analysis of the works of literary themselves.

There are some similarities between both novel. First, characters in both novels seek their self-identity through religion. Second, both characters start to find self-identity when personal problems come. In I Heard the Owl Call My Name, Mark Brian starts with problem about sickness but only the Bishop who knows exactly. It can bee seen on page 3,  the doctor said to the bishop, ‘So you see, my lord, your young ordinand can live no more than three years and doesn’t know it. In My Name is Chloe, Chloe Miller starts with problem about humiliation from her friends, and her family, and also confusion of her belief. It can be seen on page 39, then Tiffany’s friend  Kerry pushed me from the other side. The four of them had me up against the lockers. I can still identation of the lock imprinted into my face. Moreover, both characters have to confront racial problem. In I Heard the Owl Call My Name, it can be seen on page 12, the Indian knows his village and feels for his village as no white man for his country, his town, or even for his own bit of land.  In My Name is Chloe, it can be seen on page 81, she slowly nodded. “I suppose you guys were kinda right. I may have some hang-ups about blacks. The truth is my dad grew up in a really racist family, and he’s got some serious bigotry going on in his head. Third, They are suggested to get their self-identity by their close ones. Fourth, They have struggles in seeking self-identity. Fifth, they learn life, friendship, and culture. Sixth, they get final decision and their self-identity.

Both novels have some differences as well. First is about background of the characters. Mark Brian is a young Anglician priest. It can be seen on page 3, the doctor said to the bishop, ‘So you see, my lord, your young ordinand can live no more than three years and doesn’t know it. He is of course a religious person as a young vicar. It can be seen on page 18, they came towards Mark, followed by several Indian men. ‘I’m Constable Pearson. Who are you? ‘Mark Brian. I am the new vicar-in-residence.’ Meanwhile, In the beginning, Chloe Miller is a kind of an atheist although her parents are Christian. It can be seen on page 14, what prayers? I mean, I don’t ever pray. I don’t even want to pray… I guess it’s because I’m worried that, if He really does exist, He’ll want to change me. She is a teenage girl who has capabilities in music but has confusion in her faith. It can be seen on page 60-61, we went up to my room and she immediately spotted my guitar. “Do you play that?” “Sure.” I picked it up and strummed a few chords.“But do you know any songs?” “Yeah, a few. But I mostly just play my own song.” Second is about the duty of both characters. Mark Brian spreads the religion, Christianity, as a duty from the Bishop to seek self-identity. It can be seen on pge 26, ‘I am sure,’ wrote the Bishop, ‘that when you receive this, you will be aware that the old vicarage must be replaced. When you are ready, I shall make arrangements to have a prefabricated two-bedroom house delivered at the float at the end of the inlet. I can, of course, send no one to help you put it up. While Chloe Miller seeks self-identity by her own ways as a student, musician, and a poet. It can be seen on page 12, I’ll tell you what my most current pressing fear is: School starts tomorrow, and page 15, because I’m not only a musician, I’m also a poet.

There are three ways to find self-identity that are used by Mark Brian and Chloe Miller. First is by learning culture.  Mark brian learns seven elements of culture in Kwakiutl tribe such as language, religious system, art, technology system and equipment, livelihood and economic system, social organization, and knowledge. First is about language. Language of Kwakiutl tribe is called Kwak’wala. Second is about religious system. There are three aspects of religious system. They are mythology, symbols, and funerals. Third is about art. The most popular art in Kwakiutl tribe is totem pole. Fourth is about technology system and equipment. The technology system of Kwakiutl tribe is woodworking. Five is about livelihood and economic system. Kwakiutl people work as fishers and gatherers. Sixth is about social organization. There are three ranks of social class in Kwakiutl tribe. They are upper class, middle class, and low class or michimis community. Seventh is about knowledge. Kwakiutl children learn about their culture from the elders and the chiefs. Meanwhile, Chloe Miller learns about art, especially music and poem. Second is by contemplating. Mark can know that his life is not long anymore because he contemplates the Kwakiutl’s culture about the Owl. It is believed that someone who hears the Owl, it can be sure that he will die soon. Chole Miller often visits graveyard to contemplate about life and her faith. It can be seen on page 41, after ditching school, I walked all the way across town to the cemetery. I like to go there sometimes to think and to write poetry and songs. She also often talks to God to contemplate everything to seek her self-identity. It can be seen on page 42-43, “Why do you let people like Tiffany Knight and her friends even breathe the air? Are You really even listening to me? Are You really there?” Moreover, reading redlines of Bible makes Chloe Miller understand who she is. It can be seen on page 90, then I did my homework, and even read my redlines… Jesus says that we need to love our neighbor. Okay, that’s simple enough. But then he says we need to love our enemies too. Third is by having close ones. A new friend makes Mark Brian feel safe in Kwakiutl tribe in which the people do not like White. It can be seen on page 6, ‘Welcome aboard. I’m Mark – Mark Brian,’ and he held out his hand. ‘I’m Jim Wallace,’ the Indian said shyly. While Chloe Miller is always remained and advised by her friends, Caitlin O’Conner, Laura, and Allie. It can be seen on page 14, Caitlin encouraged me to journal down my thoughts. She said it’s a good way to get in touch with my feelings.

In brief, Religion is the only key to understand everything about life, including self-identity. I Heard the Owl Call My Name and My Name is Chloe are contemporary novels with different author which have one theme, religion, with many similarities like the characters start to find self-identity when personal problems come and also some differences like the background of the characters and the duty of the characters. Both novels depict about the main character who struggles to get his/her self-identity. There are three ways in seeking self-identity that are used by Mark Brian and Chloe Miller in the novels such as by learning culture, contemplating, and having close ones.