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his original African culture in America. The writer is curious to find out the
causes of Kunta?s maintenance. Moreover, the writer is also curious in knowing
the effects that occur due to Kunta?s struggle in maintaining his culture. In the end
the writer wants to find out whether in the end the causes and the effects will
make Kunta as "someone special" to his descendants. In this case the writer uses
cultural approach and several theories which are ethnocentrism, African-American
survival techniques and culture shock. By applying ethnocentrism as the base in
each Kunta?s action while he lives in America, the writer is able to find the major
causes of Kunta?s motivation in maintaining his African culture. Furthermore, the
writer uses the theory of African-American survival techniques to justify Kunta?s
struggle in maintaining his African culture, whether he has to accommodate,
protest, or escape. By using these African American survival techniques and
culture shock too the writer is able to portray the condition that Kunta has to face.
The writer believes that Kunta?s proud feeling of his African culture during his
past life in Juffure, Africa which is called as ethnocentrism becomes Kunta?s
motivation in maintaining his culture. Not only that, the sickening situation that is
being done by toubobs also becomes Kunta?s motivation in maintaining his
culture. The writer also believes that Kunta?s struggle in maintaining his original
African culture will affect on him and also his surrounding which are Bell and
Kizzy. In conducting the analysis the writer limits the effects on three major
characters. The first character is Kunta, whether in the end his struggle in
maintaining his culture will make him as "someone special" or not. Another
character is Bell which finally she has to suffer because of Kunta?s action in
maintaining his culture; and the next one is Kizzy who has the responsible in
passing down the African culture that Kunta is proud of. In fact, finally because of
these three characters Kunta is able to be a "special" person to his descendants as
he is able to provide them their roots. Seeing all Kunta?s struggle in maintaining
his original culture impresses the writer so much as it requires a lot of sacrifices
and also struggles in order to achieve it. In fact, without Kunta?s struggle Alex
Haley will not be able to find his roots as an African American like most of
African Americans who do not know their roots.