LEXICON Volume 5, Number 2, October 2018, 139-151
The Clash of Culture in Neil Gaiman's American Gods
Naya Fauzia Dzikrina*, Ahmad Munjid Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
*Email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
This research aims to examine the portrayal of cultural clash in Neil Gaiman’s novel, American Gods. More specifically, this research aims to identify what cultures are clashing and why they clash, and also to understand how the situation of cultural clash affects the lives and attitudes of the characters. This research also explores how the novel relates to cases of cultural clash happening in the current American society. This research is conducted using the framework of several sociological theories to understand the different forms of effects of cultural clash. The main issue presented in the novel is the conflict between the old gods, who represent society’s traditional beliefs, and the new gods, who represent the shift of culture in modern America. This conflict symbolizes how the two ideals, tradition and modernity, are competing in the American society today. The challenges the old gods face can also be seen as a portrayal of the immigrant experience, where they experience effects of cultural clash also commonly experienced by immigrants: cultural displacement, identity crisis, and conflict. The main finding of this research is that a person or group who experiences cultural clash will face a struggle where they must compromise or negotiate their cultural identity in order to be part of their current community. This is done as a way to survive and thrive in their environment.
Keywords: conflict, cultural clash, displacement, identity, modernity, tradition.
America has long since—and still is—one of INTRODUCTION the biggest countries with a cultural mix. Its Cultural clash is any form of disagreement founding history can be traced from immigrants or conflict resulting from the interaction between resettling from all over the world. Almost all of two or more different cultures. This can be America’s people come from immigrants, and we individual experiences or nation-wide conflicts. can still see the effect of this today. Therefore, it is For ceturies, this has been one of the main issues natural that cultural issues are familiar in that have shaped the world we know. It has been America’s society and history. the cause of wars and tragedies, but it has also The novel American Gods by British author helped shape new communities and cultures. In Neil Gaiman uses cultural problems as one of its today’s world, cultural clash is one of the most main themes. The story is about ancient gods and frequent problems to arise, since cross country goddesses from different cultures around the migrations and globalization are at their peak. world in America. They are as multi-cultured as The effects of cultural clash have a broad the people of America itself. The novel’s themes spectrum. It ranges from things only an individual deal with the issues of culture, identity, and the experiences to nation scale wars. It may be related conflict that arises from those two aspects. It does to micro things such as how a person feels so by portraying the cultural situation of America, estranged in a new community or to larger cases which is one of the most culturally diverse such as racism and religious intolerance. countries in the world. The story also focuses a lot
Naya Fauzia Dzikrina & Ahmad Munjid / The Clash of Culture | 139 140 | LEXICON, Volume 5, Number 2, October 2018 on the immigrant experience. Other than the and its cultural representation in Gaiman’s novel, experiences of the old gods, who consider by examining the types, functions, and effects of themselves immigrants, the novel also provides intertextuality. She concluded that short stories and histories of different groups of immigrants. In American Gods Gaiman created a rich intertextual web of references, American Gods is not the only novel which creates a complex image of focusing on gods and goddesses from mythology America and its identity. Gaiman’s living in the real world. Yet, it is one of the rare America is a pastiche of discordant novels to have those gods as symbols of society individual voices representing dif- today. American Gods offers an insight of the ferent cultures, values and nation- current America to the readers: its landscape, alities, and their corresponding idio- people, history, and cultures. Reading and syncrasies, combined into a represent- understanding American Gods provides a deeper tation of modern America, as a multi- way of understanding cultural issues that have cultural, polyethnic country, marked shaped America, and still relevant in its society by its own strengths and weaknesses; today. yet, incredibly complex and rich in its This award-winning novel has attracted diversity (p. 111). scholars to investigate it. For example, Hill (2005) investigated the novel in answer to the following However, none has specifically examined questions: what does it mean to be American? and cultural clashes in the novel. Therefore, this how does an outsider view the American culture? research focuses cultural clashes in the novel in an He found that the novel polarizes the American attempt to obtain a new perspective and insight culture by time, into two different periods: the for a better understanding of the novel and the past and the present. He concludes that outsiders issues it presents. In particular, it attempts to view that American culture is always changing investigate what cultures are involved in the clash and criticizes that America now is not as great as and for what reasons, and to examine how the it used to be. clashes affect the characters who experience them, Another research on American Gods was and how the clashes relate to issues happening in done by Firman (2010). She examined the ways in America. which the fantasy genre is ideally positioned for METHODS discussing social issues, such as invisibility and liminality. She argues that the features of the The primary data source of the research was fantasy genre that Neil Gaiman uses in his stories the novel American Gods by Neil Gaiman (2002). are used to present a different perspective on The data for this research were events of cultural reality. clash experienced by the characters, which are mainly represented by the characters of mythical Muller (2015) explored how Neil Gaiman gods. The data forms are narratives or dialogues presented the female gender in his novel. She which are related to those events. discussed how the gender myths of the American society were questioned through the novel. In Secondary data sources were also used in American Gods, common gender roles and this research. They include articles, news, and expectations were confronted. Women were journals about cultural issues that happen to presented with traits that defied the common immigrants in the United States. Also, references expectation in society. dealing with mythologies from different cultures such as Norse, Egyptian, and Slovakian Rata (2015) investigated the intertextual mythologies mentioned in the work were also references in the novel as it is renowned for its consulted to fully understand the characters and extensive intertextuality. She also examined the identify the cultural clashes that were found in role and importance of those intertextual refe- the novel. rences in the creation of the American identity, Naya Fauzia Dzikrina & Ahmad Munjid / The Clash of Culture | 141
Close reading was performed to gain a focusing on how the old gods are represented in comprehensive understanding of the novel, and their original mythology. Second, information of how the issue is presented in the novel. Next, the the history of America, especially the formation of work was analyzed to identify events of cultural America as a land of immigrants. And last, news clashes that happen in the novel. This was done or articles describing the lifestyle and also by listing any narratives, dialogues, or events that situation of immigrants living in America during have the elements of culture. the time the novel was written (early 21st century), to give a more complete understanding After identifying and listing the different of the context of the issue that is discussed. occurrences of cultural clashes in the novel, these data were then analyzed to identify what cultures THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK are clashing and the reasons behind the clash or clashes. The effects of this cultural clash were Because the work is viewed as a social categorized into three types: cultural critique to real life society, it is important to relate displacement, identity crisis, and conflict. Each of the work to its actual setting. Therefore, these were analyzed separately to gain a full sociological approach is used to analyse this work. understanding of its causes. According to Scott (1966, p. 123), To understand the phenomenon of cultural Sociological approach starts with displacement, the two major groups of culture conviction that art’s relations to (contemporary and traditional) were analyzed and society are vitally important, and that contrasted with each other to identify the the investigation of these relationships elements that clash. The elements were identified may organize and deepen one’s based on the definition of culture given by aesthetics response to a work of art. Matsumoto & Juang (2012). Art is not created in vacuum; it is the Next, Dubois & Edward’’s concept of double work not simply of a person, but of an consciousness was used to explain the internal author fixed in time and space, clash within the individual, which is their answering to a community of which experience in facing identity crisis. This analysis he is an important, because articulate was done by first identifying the characters that part. The sociological approach, there- experience identity crisis, then understanding the fore, is interested in understanding personalities and traits of these characters. The the social milieu and the extent to analysis focused on the traits of the characters that which and manner in which the artist are different or have changed from before and responds to it. after the presence of the main problem in the novel. Doing so revealed what and how the clash To understand which form of culture that is happening within the individual. Last, conflict was specifically analyzed from the novel, the term theory was used to explain the occurrence of ‘culture’ in this research is defined following conflicts, the forms and the cause. Matsumoto & Juang (2012, p. 16) as “the set of attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviours shared by Upon completion of the intrinsic analysis of a group of people, but different for each the novel, secondary data of news and articles of individual, communicated from one generation to cultural clash happening in America were used to the next.” From this definition, the research relate the novel to real situations happening in examines aspects of culture involving the values, America. These actual examples of cultural clash beliefs, and behavior of an individual or group showed how the novel reflects the actual within the society. American society. One of the main themes of the book is about Other secondary data that helped explain the immigrant experience, the immigrants being the elements of culture and why they clash consist the gods themselves and also the people who of: first, references of the different cultural brought them there. The immigrant experience is backgrounds that are mentioned in the novel, 142 | LEXICON, Volume 5, Number 2, October 2018 most commonly discussed under the concept of The final form of cultural clash effect is ‘diaspora’. According to Ashcroft, Griffiths & conflict. The analysis of conflicts happening in the Tiffin (2000, p. 61), diaspora means “the voluntary novel are based on a specific application of the or forcible movement of peoples from their general sociological conflict theory, which is used homelands into new regions.” This definition well to analyze ethnic conflicts. Oberschall (2010, p. describes the characters of the novel. Also, the 180) argues that “Identity Politics (IP), also known concept of diaspora is essential to understand the as Symbolic Politics (…), holds that in multiethnic dynamics of the American society. societies, the root cause of ethnic conflict is a threatened change in the prevailing ethnic There are several forms of effects of cultural hierarchy of dominance and subordination.” clash found in the novel, three of which are: cultural displacement, identity crisis, and conflict. This theory examines the roots of ethnic conflicts. Applied to the novel, the different In a cultural context, Bammer (1994, p. 9) ‘ethnic groups’ include the groups of old gods and defines displacement as “the separation of people new gods. This conflict theory also helps to from their native culture, through physical understand the nature of the relations between dislocation (as refugees, immigrants, migrants, the two opposing groups identified in the novel, exiles, or expatriates) or the colonizing imposition and explain why conflicts occur between them. of a foreign culture.” Cultural displacement is a phenomenon that occurs when a person, or a RESULTS AND DISCUSSION group of people, is ‘placed’ within a cultural environment that is different from their own. The To begin the discussion, it is essential to phenomenon of cultural displacement can develop establish what forms of culture is discussed in this into other issues: identity crisis, which is paper. As mentioned earlier, Matsumoto & Juang experienced as an individual, and conflicts which (2012, p. 16) define culture as “the set of attitudes, are experienced as a group. values, beliefs, and behaviours shared by a group of people, but different for each individual, One of the key features of the immigrant communicated from one generation to the next.” experience is the feeling of having multiple identities, a situation where an individual feels This definition is appropriately relevant to being a part—and not being a part—of more than the novel American Gods. In the novel, the forms one society or culture. A person experiencing this of culture highlighted are those relating to feeling can be said to be experiencing identity traditions and beliefs. The main characters of the crisis. This experience of confusion creates an story are gods and goddesses. These gods are element of conflict within the individual, as they manifestations of what their people believe and struggle to reconcile their whole identity. The rely upon. The more people believe and commit analysis of this type of conflict will be based on actions of belief, the stronger the gods are. Dubois & Edward’s concept (2007) of ‘double Reversely, the less people believe the weaker the consciousness’. This concept refers to a state of a gods become, and if forgotten altogether, they will person who lives with two conflicting identities cease to exist. that cannot be entirely merged together. Dubois & Edward (2007, p. 8) describe this feeling as The Clash of Cultures follows: The story uses the characters of gods as symbols to represent these forms of culture It is a peculiar sensation, this double existing in society: belief and attitude. The old consciousness, this sense of always gods symbolize the people of America who used to looking at one self through the eyes of rely on their beliefs and the traditions they were others … One ever feels his two-ness; brought up with. While the new gods symbolize two souls, two thoughts, two unrecon- the fading of belief, which is replaced by reliance ciled strivings; two warring ideals in a on modern technologies. In the novel, these are dark body. the two main forces that collide. By looking at the Naya Fauzia Dzikrina & Ahmad Munjid / The Clash of Culture | 143 changes in the American society in the last few In America, one of the indicators of this change is decades, the competing positions of the old gods the noticeable shift in religious attitudes that is and new gods symbolize a shift in American currently taking place. According to some reports culture: from a traditional and religious society (America’s changing religious landscape, 2015; towards a more modern yet secular society; while Reiss, 2015; U.S. Public becoming less religious, the battle between the gods symbolize how these 2015), religiosity in America is experiencing a two different ideals are clashing within the decline. People are moving away from traditional current society. religious practices and prefer alternative spiritual enhancements that are not tied to a certain The old gods come from ancient myths and religion. This trend is especially true among the legends in which people believed hundreds of younger generation of America. This can be years ago. The society in which they emerged in witnessed through the decline in attendance in was very different from the society they live in places of worship, such as the church and today. Most of the old American gods were synagogue, and fewer people who claim to be brought to America during the early periods of affiliated to a certain religion. immigration. The society that lived during that time were mostly communal, nomadic, and had This reality is the main issue portrayed in strong traditions which they held to with pride. American Gods. Many people no longer subscribe to a specific religion, and a significant number of Illustrations of the early stages of American those who still do no longer practice rituals of resettlement are given as short interludes in the belief. Also, people are becoming more novel, entitled ‘Coming to America’. One of the individualistic, so religious rituals and rites that stories is about the Vikings who found the ‘new are usually performed in groups are performed less land’ in A.D. 813. It describes how the Vikings and less. In American Gods, this phenomenon is had sailed long and hard in their world the cause of the gods’ decline of power and exploration. They were tough men, but whenever influence, which forces them to struggle for they had any trouble, they would pray and call survival. upon the powers of the All-Father to bring them safely back to shore. This shore they landed in One explanation for this phenomenon is would one day become America. At night, they that people have moved their reliance away from would gather to sing songs and exchange tales of something abstract, such as the imagination of the greatness of the All-Father. Finally, to show gods, towards something more concrete, such as their gratitude towards their god, they captured a technology and science. In the novel, the new wandering scraeling, and hung him from a tree as gods portray this reality. Unlike the old gods who sacrifice, an imitation of how Odin had sacrificed came from different places across the globe, the himself to gain his powers. It was through this act new gods were ‘born and raised’ in America. They of strong belief did Odin establish his existence in come to existence from people’s belief, the new land. dependence, and addiction towards the peaks of 21st century lifestyle: the internet, media, military, Those forms of rituals and belief practices free market, and many other things. originated from cultures and traditions that developed since ancient times. From the novel, it The problem found in the novel is not one can be understood that these rituals were still which can be easily reconciled. The cultures that performed by the people who first came to clash are opposing each other (tradition and America. However, in the centuries that followed, modernity, religiosity and secularity), which it soon becomes apparent that this situation did makes it challenging for both ideals to exist at the not continue for long. same time and place. In the past several decades, specifically after the end of World War II, information technology The Effects of Cultural Clash and transportation have developed rapidly, From the different occurrences that involve leading to changes in lifestyle all over the world. cultural clash identified in the novel, it becomes 144 | LEXICON, Volume 5, Number 2, October 2018 apparent that the challenges which the characters their ‘native’ culture. What developed was a experience mimic those of immigrants. The society that did not care much for traditions, a incidents that the characters face are actually the society that chose to focus on bettering their result or effects of the cultural clash happening, welfare through materialistic means. and this is apparent in the novel. Therefore, the The setting of the novel takes place essential theme of the novel and this paper is centuries after the gods’ first arrival. Life has not about the American identity through the developed well for them. Most of the old gods live immigrant experience. a simple life at the edges of society, making their From this point of view, the incidents that homes in small, shabby apartments unnoticed by are the effects of cultural clash can be divided into the people around them. Being unnoticed or three main aspects which are experienced by most ignored is also a form of displacement. People who of the characters and also by real life immigrants: belong within a society will feel able to interact cultural displacement, identity crisis, and conflict. and integrate with other members of their society. The clash of cultures results in the experience of Not being able to do so further proves that the old being culturally displaced which then develops gods have no place in American society. into identity crisis. Finally, the clash creates a The meagre lifestyle of the old gods mimics situation which threatens the survival of the real lives of old immigrants in America. Farrell characters (the old gods), which therefore pushes (2016) gives insight on this topic. Most of the them to take action that results in conflict. elderly immigrants can no longer work and rely on social aid or their children to live. In society, Cultural Displacement they are often ignored. Farrell (2016) writes: As mentioned earlier, Bammer (1994, p. 9) “They seem almost invisible to the wider society”. defines displacement as “the separation of people Conditions are especially hard for those who have from their native culture”. This is a phenomenon spent all their lives working in low-waged jobs which is experienced by the majority of that do not offer retirement benefits. Bee Yang, an immigrants or anyone moving to a new elderly Lao immigrant describes his life in environment, and is familiar to the people of America as being ‘lonely’ and ‘difficult’. Jose America. Arrieta, an elder special access outreach specialist, states that ‘vulnerability’ and ‘loneliness’ are the In the novel American Gods, the old gods major concerns for the elderly who are unnoticed are the ones who feel that they do not belong in by society. Life is tough for these immigrants the land of America, and this has been something because they feel isolated and they have to rely on they were struggling with since their early a society that does not need or care for them. The existence in America. The situation that their article concludes that the most important step to ‘new land’ is not welcoming to gods is quickly take is to integrate the elderly back into society realized and acknowledged by the old gods. (Farrell, 2016). Jacquel, also known as Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead, says that “… we lost this particular In American Gods, the gods and cultures battle when we came to this green land one that have died out went through similar hundred years ago or a thousand or ten thousand. experiences of society neglect as the elderly We arrived and America just didn’t care that we’d immigrants. The cultures that disappeared are arrive” (Gaiman, 2002, p. 208). This theme is also those that have failed to remain relevant with the repeated several times in the novel, reemphasized ever-changing society of America, so they are left by each character. For example, the buffalo man behind. Keeping up with change has become says “This is not a land for gods … This is a land of something that is increasingly challenging to do. dreams and fire” (Gaiman, 2002, pp. 245-246). The world, including America, has been rapidly developing ever since the industrial revolution. The reason they feel that way is because Many traditions that have been practiced for the people who arrived in America, and the society that developed from that were very unlike Naya Fauzia Dzikrina & Ahmad Munjid / The Clash of Culture | 145 centuries are suddenly struggling to stay relevant displacement can lead to other problems, both in today’s society. within an individual and also inter-group conflicts. In the novel, the conflict begins when the new gods start gaining more power, and that they are against the old gods. What is happening is that Identity Crisis the new gods are unwelcoming the old gods Identity crisis can be developed from being because they feel that they are a group to compete culturally displaced, since a person naturally against, when actually, the old gods by themselves relates his or her identity to where they belong. are already struggling with their current situation. The experience of identity crisis is common A most recent example of cases of cultural among immigrants. To fully become part of displacement is a phenomenon known as ‘The another society, a person might have to Trump Effect’, which took place during the compromise or change parts of their identity to campaign of President Donald Trump at the end suit the majority. In the end, some might choose of 2016 (Costello, 2016). ‘The Trump Effect’ is a to hold on to their origins while some might phrase coined by researchers from the Southern prefer to adopt a new culture. It is this process of Poverty Law Center (SPLC) who, in 2016, struggling to reconcile their different senses of self conducted a survey to examine the effect of 2016’s that turns into the experience of identity crisis. presidential campaign on school children. The Dubois & Edward’ concept of double- survey was done by sending questionnaires to consciousness explores the condition of being a 2000 teachers across the country from every level part of two cultures, but not being fully accepting of education. The survey found that the campaign or being accepted by either of them. It explores had produced a widespread negative effect in the feeling of being stuck between two cultures schools, indicated by increase of anxiety and fear that are often experienced by people of ethnic or among students of color and ethnic or religious religious minority. Going back and forth between minorities, caused by the news they hear and from two different cultures or identity will create the being bullied by their peers. “Teachers have noted sense of uncertainty and confusion within a an increase in bullying, harassment and intimida- person. In American Gods, this condition is tion of students whose races, religions or nation- depicted mostly by the old gods. Most of them alities have been the verbal targets of candidates struggle to survive by being an average American on the campaign trail” (Costello, 2016, p. 4). citizen while still holding on to aspects of their Because of this, teachers have been true self as much as they can afford. Throughout struggling to keep all their students feeling safe at the novel, most gods make their appearance as a school. Most teachers have also been reluctant to normal person, but in several unique situations a teach about the elections in class since it has short glimpse of the gods’ true nature is revealed. become much too stressful for the marginalized During the meeting of the gods at the students. Many students are also struggling to carousel, Shadow gets a glimpse of the true nature understand the situation of their country. They of all the gods that gathered, including Czernobog, have been taught that America is a land of the Slavic god of death. immigrants where everyone is equal, but their reality does not match. “Many immigrant students … he also saw a squat black thing, feel that “they don’t belong here” and they have darker than darkness that surrounded “no value” to the country” (Costello, 2016, p. 9). them, its eyes two burning coals; and he saw a prince, with long flowing The feeling of not belonging and being black hair and a long black moustache, rejected by a certain society are common blood on his hands and his face experiences for people who are culturally (Gaiman, 2002, p. 132). displaced. The situation of being culturally displaced is the main issue for immigrants who struggle to be a part of their new society. Cultural 146 | LEXICON, Volume 5, Number 2, October 2018
While the description of the true form of threats, terrorists, people who condemn the Czernobog is majestic and terrifying, his American culture. Clearly, this is a view that does reincarnation as a person is not. He is an old- not resonate with the majority of Muslims and grumpy man who lives in a small apartment in creates a challenging life situation for them. In Chicago. “The man in the dusty bathrobe was response to this, some groups of Muslims in short, with iron-gray hair and craggy features. He America attempt to change society’s views by wore gray pinstripe pants, shiny from age, and practicing a more ‘Americanized’ version of Islam, slippers” (Gaiman, 2002, p. 75). In another in- even when it is critiqued as conflicting with the stance, before seeing Czernobog’s true form, very teachings of Islam. Skerry (2013) describes Shadow saw him as “a gray-haired old Easern- this situation as follows: European immigrant, with a shabby raincoat and one iron-colored tooth” (Gaiman, 2002, p. 132). Since 9/11, Muslim leaders have shown a remarkable—and largely The case of identity crisis in the story goes unnoted, or disbelieved—willingness beyond appearance. Some characters experience it to adapt to America. Indeed, these in a more challenging way. One of the first leaders have been busily recon- characters to be introduced in the novel is Bilquis. structing an anodyne version of Islam Bilquis is actually the Queen of Sheba, a very that conforms to the American civil well-known queen long ago in the Middle East. As religion. Yet once again, they are a queen, she was renowned for her beauty and leading the faithful into various power. However, in America, her situation is double-binds. pitiful. Bilquis mainly gets her power from being worshipped, in whatever way. In her new land, However, Kirby (2015) criticizes this nobody knows or cares about her, and this affects movement by saying that this version of Islam is her deeply. In order to get the worship she needs, targeted for “non-Muslim audiences”. This phe- she becomes a prostitute in Los Angles. She nomenon comes from the case of double- chooses her clients carefully, only choosing those conciousness, in which Muslims struggle to who she knows will do as she says and worship connect their religious and national identities. her. An important aspect of experiencing Bilquis is one of the extreme examples of identity crisis is the questioning of self-worth. what an old god will do to survive. She is unable This is most evident in Wednesday, since he used to let go of her past self that feels powerful to be one of the most powerful gods. With his through being worshipped, even though she does current situation, he has faced two different not like what she is doing, and feels conflicted situations of life, which leads him to grow doubts with her identity. She says that there is in the importance of his existence; he questions “…nothing holy left in her profession. Not whether or not it is a good thing to be a god. This anymore” (Gaiman, 2002, p. 373). But, with the scene indicates that the old gods are feeling a loss circumstances, she feels that she has no choice in of purpose. Long ago, people believed them order to get what she needs. The way Bilquis sees because people needed them, but the situation has herself is different than how others see her; no turned to be them needing the people. one is aware that Bilquis is a powerful being. Bilquis realizes this fact and behaves accordingly “I’m a has-been. Who the fuck cares to people’s expectations in order to survive. about me?” Shadow said softly, “You’re a god.” A phenomenon that portrays this dilemma Wednesday looked at him sharply. He is one happening within the society of seemed to be about to say something, and ‘Americanized Muslims’. Particularly, after the then he slumped back in his seat, and looked 9/11incident, Muslims in America have down at the menu, and said, “So?” experienced sharper and more frequent forms of “It’s a good thing to be god,” said discrimination and prejudice. Muslims are seen as Shadow. Naya Fauzia Dzikrina & Ahmad Munjid / The Clash of Culture | 147
“Is it?” asked Wednesday, and this time is what they think is the land of opportunity and was Shadow who looked away (Gaiman, equality. They come here and they’re relegated to 2002, p. 360). the status of being a housewife. For some, there’s real anxiety and depression”. Most of the women Through the portrayal of the old gods, the also expressed disappointment with their current novel presents a case of cultural clash and identity situation, and compares how different their life crisis which is quite clear. It is about people who used to be. originally have a strong sense of personal identity but is faced with a society that rejects them, and A sense of purpose and value plays a big role so they have to try and reconcile their identity in the shaping of one’s identity. The experiences with their reality. From another perspective, it is of the immigrant women above are much like the also about people who used to have purpose and American gods; both groups are forced to a change high value in their abilities, but the change of in situation that results in them losing their self- circumstances has left them without any. value and life purpose. In their previous communities, both groups felt important and This is a common case of identity confusion more powerful, or independent. They are viewed among immigrants. A case example that mimics by themselves and society as something valuable. the characters of the novel is the stories of In their new community, they are not able to American immigrant wives. The rapid assume their past roles. This leaves them development of the technology industry pushes struggling to get through their daily lives. As companies in America to hire skilled workers reported by Thompson (2015), Mariane Maccarini, from other countries, mostly from Asian countries a Brazilian immigrant, says: “I lost my identity … such as India, Korea, and China. The people they I’m trying to get it back.” hire are well-educated professionals in their field who mostly consists of men. The wives of these The concept of ‘home’, cultural men follow their husbands to America, but with displacement, and identity are all interrelated. very different circumstances. While the working The feeling of being ‘home’ is usually related to men are granted H1B visas (for professional the feeling of belonging to a certain place, people, workers), their wives are only granted H4 visas, or cultural group. It is this that immigrants lack. which does not permit them to work. Because they are culturally displaced, they feel they do not belong within the community, and The women of this group of immigrants are thus experience identity crisis. also well-educated and skilled, and they have had their own careers in their native countries. However, when they arrive in America, they find Conflict themselves in a situation where they are helpless. The novel’s main conflict is the building They not only cannot work, but their daily lives tension between the old gods and the new gods. are limited by language and cultural barriers. A lot Symbolically, the conflict represents real life of these women are reported to suffer from competition between contemporary lifestyle and anxiety, from being unable to work and losing tradition; a phenomenon which can be seen purpose of their life, and also depression, from happening across the globe. But as characters in being lonely and feeling isolated. During the first the novel, these two groups of gods have specific months, or even years, of staying in America, they purposes which cause conflict between them. struggle to get through their daily lives and be According to the general conflict theory, part of the community. conflict in a society occurs when the groups As reported by Thompson (2015), Amy within the society are all struggling for control Bhatt, an assistant professor of gender and over limited resources. This statement is apparent women’s studies at the University of Maryland, in the novel, where the different groups are the says of these immigrant wives: “They are a highly old gods and the new gods, while the limited educated group of women, trained in fields like resource is the influence over people’s lives. As engineering and computer science, coming to mentioned earlier, Oberschall (2010, p. 180) 148 | LEXICON, Volume 5, Number 2, October 2018 argues that “Identity Politics (IP), also known as (1.2%), and gender bias (0.4%) completing the Symbolic Politics (…), holds that in multiethnic percentage. societies, the root cause of ethnic conflict is a The battle of the American gods were threatened change in the prevailing ethnic between a group who refused ‘immigrants’, the hierarchy of dominance and subordination.” What new gods, and a group fighting for their rights to is highlighted in Obershcall’s statement is that the exist in the country, the old gods. Riots involving cause of conflict is a change that threatens to alter issues of immigration and cultural clashes have the existing hierarchy between the dominant and also happened in America. the subordinate group. The Ku Klux Klan is an infamous extremist In American Gods, the conflict arises when movement in America that has existed since mid- the new gods start to gain more power that 19th century, who, among its missions, advocates threatens the existence of the old gods. Following white supremacy and anti-immigration. The the theory, the group of old gods can be seen as Southern Poverty Law Center (Costello, 2016) the dominant group, since they have held power estimates that the third, the group currently longer. The new gods, as the subordinate group, existing, has approximately 5,000 members across attempt to overpower the old gods to gain full the country. In February 2016, as Queally (2016) control of America. The motive of the new gods is reported, the KKK held a rally in Anaheim, most strongly emphasized in this statement from California, which ended in three people stabbed Technical Boy which he says to Bilquis before and thirteen arrested. The rally was immediately torturing her and then killing her, blocked by protesters against the KKK, which started the fighting. Witnesses report that I want a clean world. I want to own members of the KKK used sharp ended flag poles tomorrow. I want evolution, devolu- to wound the protesters who were in their way. tion, and revolution. I want to move The basic issue of the riot in Anaheim can be said our kind from the fringes of the to be similar with the battle of the American gods; slipstream to the higher ground of the a group who is against immigration fights with a mainstream. You people are under- group who defends the rights of immigrants to ground. That’s wrong. We need to stay in America. take the spotlight and shine. Front and center (Gaiman, 2002, p. 377) The main idea is that each group has existing fears and worries towards their situation Unfortunately, harassments and killings and who they see as the opposing side, which is a such as what is experienced by Bilquis is also true potential for actual conflict. Other narratives of in the American society. cultural conflict is also told through the short interludes in the novel. The first ‘Coming to The latest annual statistical report from the America’ story which tells about how Odin FBI (Latest hate crime statistics released: Annual establishes his existence in America also describes report sheds light on serious issue, 2016) shows a war between the natives and the newcomers. that the number of hate crimes in America has increased significantly in the course of one year, The scraeling war party fell upon 2014 to 2015. The target of these hate crimes are them at night: five hundred men to mostly Muslims, with an increase of 67%, thirty. They climbed the wall, and followed by Jewish and Mexicans. The FBI has over the following seven days, they further analysed the report by categorizing the killed each of the thirty men, in thirty crimes depending on the type of bias, the result of different ways. And the sailors were 2015 as follows: out of 5,818 hate incidents, crimes forgotten, by history and their people. were prompted by race/ethnicity/ancestry bias The wall they tore down, the war were the most common (59.2%), followed by party, and the village they burned. religious bias (19.7%), and sexual orientation bias The longboat, upside down and pulled (17.7%), with gender identity (1.7%), disability Naya Fauzia Dzikrina & Ahmad Munjid / The Clash of Culture | 149
high on the shingle, they also burned, Neil Gaiman, through American Gods, has hoping that the pale strangers had but attempted to portray several key issues that relate one boat, and that by burning it they to the negative aspects of cultural interactions; the were ensuring that no other North- immigrant experience and the effects of cultural men would come to their shores clash that takes place. The main conflict in the (Gaiman, 2002, p. 69). novel is the clash between the old gods and the new gods which symbolizes a shift from tradition The case of conflict above shows conflict and religion towards modernity and secularity in that happened because of distrust from the natives America’s society, and how the two ideals towards the newcomers. The trigger of the war compete with each other. These are the elements was the scraeling that the Northmen had captured of culture that are clashing. Since these elements and killed as a sacrifice to Odin. The other are opposing each other, it is challenging to create scraeling people might then see the Northmen as a situation where both ideals can coexist. This dangerous people who would kill and abuse them. clash affects the characters in many ways, such as Seeing how different the newcomers were from their life situations, sense of identity, and themselves could also have caused the natives, to attitudes. The novel depicts three main effects of worry that these men might force them to change cultural clash: cultural displacement, identity their way of life. They wanted to ensure that no crisis, and conflict. more new people would arrive in their lands. Cultural displacement happens when a The conflicts happening in American Gods person moves into a cultural environment that is all surround the issue of cultural clash. These different from their own. The old gods experience conflicts occur not only because the cultures had cultural displacement as they struggle to find their irreconcilable differences with one another, but place within their current environment. The old more importantly, because each group viewed the gods come from a culture where the community is others as threats. The threats may be towards a strong and holds their traditions and beliefs group’s way of life or sustainability. The feeling of firmly. However, America does not have this trait. being threatened is the main thing that pushes Unlike other nations which were built upon people towards committing acts of violence. This centuries, even millennia of history, America is a is apparent both in the novel, and in the actual relatively new nation whose society experiences American society. change rapidly. The current society of America is one that is shifting towards modernity and CONCLUSION secularism, which is noticeable from the Since the first colonialists arrived on its significant number of Americans, especially in the lands in the 15th century, America has been an younger generation, who tend to move away from ever changing nation. Being ‘the land of tradition and established religious practices. immigrants’, its history and society is diverse and Moreover, the emergence of the new gods further dynamic; influenced by the many different threatens the old gods’ position in the society, cultures that interact with each other. Following thus, the old gods feel they no longer belong in the end of World War II was a period when the America. The effect of this displacement is that development of technology and transportation the gods lose their power and will eventually were at its peak, leading to an even more rapid cease to exist. change within America’s society, shaped by Identity crisis is an issue developed from cultural interactions. Parts of these interactions initially feeling displaced. Being displaced affects a have resulted in a positive outcome, in which the person by forcing them to compromise parts of different cultures are able to coexist peacefully. their identity to fit in better with their current However, other parts result in negative outcomes, environment, or even, completely lose their where these cultures clash and create tension and former identity altogether. The most prominent conflict within the society. form of identity crisis in the novel is the struggle to merge two separate identities, an experience 150 | LEXICON, Volume 5, Number 2, October 2018 known as double-conciousness. The old gods people who experience this (in this case, experience identity crisis because they are forced immigrants) to struggle and negotiate their to live the lives of powerless American citizens, options to reach a condition that will benefit them but they are not able to let go of their actual selves the most. In the context of culture and identity, as powerful gods. The way they view themselves this means a person will often have to compromise is different from how society views them. aspects of his/her culture and identity to assimilate Furthermore, they lack the factors that build their with their society to increase their chances of sense of identity: they are not welcomed by their thriving within their current community. To society and they can no longer fulfil the purpose which degree a person is willing to make sacrifices of their existence. and adjustments is a question each person has to deal with. 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