Analysis of Zadie Smith's 'Martha, Martha'' and the Concept of Cultural Encounter Within the Novel

From the beginning of the creation to our present, people are still migrating to look for a better place for themselves and their families. Migrating people normally change, by discovering new world, new ideas, new people and an impact on people, this is called a Cultural Encounter. In this essay we will explore how cultural encounter are appeared in literary works, especially in the story of ''Martha, Martha'' by Zadie Smith, and we will explain these further during the answers of the following questions; *How is the concept of cultural encounter treated in the short story? Is it a mere encounter, or does it develop into something more? *Is the author aware of the cultural encounter theme? How does she manifest that awareness in terms of ideas and her selection of words or scenarios? *Is Pam Roberts, the main character in the short story, aware of the cultural encounter theme? How does she express her awareness? *Is the other main character in the short story, Martha Penk aware of the cultural encounter theme? How does she express her awareness? *How is the concept of ''colour/skin'' used to highlight the theme of cultural encounter in the story? The answers of these questions will appear the awareness in general of this short story ''Martha, Martha'' and how does the cultural encounter effect on it.

How the concept of cultural encounter treated in the short story ''Martha, Martha''? Is it a mere encounter, or does it develop into something more? Every contact with two people will be ending to two ways; a mere contact or develop to some relationship.

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The concept of cultural encounter in this short story was treated as a mere encounter. In fact, it doesn't develop to any friendship between the two main characters. Pam and Martha, the two main characters seemed like they couldn't understand each other, maybe with regards to their different backgrounds. Martha did not really disclose what she really wanted if she want a big apartment or a small one, because she kept changing her ideas and never been relieved when treated with Pam. The last scene between Martha and Bam in the short story was very cold separation. Hence, it was a mere encounter regarding to the last conversation between Martha and Bam, it was clearly that is the last meeting as far as they been (Prescott, 2008:193). Is the author aware of the cultural encounter theme? How does she manifest that awareness in terms of ideas and her selection of words or scenarios? '' Zadie Smith, originally Sadie Smith, (born October 27, 1975, London, England), British author known for her treatment of race, religion, and cultural identity and for her novels' eccentric characters, savvy humour, and dialogue (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2007) '', this quotation about the author of ''Martha, Martha'' and how she treated the racist, religion and cultural identity will answer the question above and figure out how the author was aware of the cultural encounter in this short story or not.

First, we can see the author's background it seems to be a very similar to the main character, Martha. Because the author Zadie Smith was born in north-west London 1975, to a Jamaican mother, who had emigrated from the Caribbean in 1969 and English father (Prescott, 2008:177). On the other hand, the main character ''Martha'' has the same background where she is born in England by British father and a Nigerian mother who had immigrated to (Prescott, 2008). That was an example, for how the author is having the awareness in her selection of the character. Then, the awareness was very appearance in the scenario of the short story that the event was in a building, and the building is divided into apartments in each apartment family immigrant composed of different religion assets, languages and cultural. We can see the author and how she described some foreigners are bearded from Middle East, and how they are build a snow man with ice and they were very excited. Finally, we can see how the author aware of cultural encounter by the words of the narrator and how he described the people in the short story.

Is Pam Roberts, the main character in the short story, aware of the cultural encounter theme? How does she express her awareness? America is the opportunity country. The Americans used to meet the different people from different countries who immigrated to America to find the opportunities to get a better place and better jobs for them and their families. Pam Roberts is the main character in the short story ''Martha, Martha'' is an American normal women, she is divorced and she is offering a place for Martha to rent. Pam was aware of the cultural encounter them and that was very clearly in the concept when she described the two men who lost their way and come to her place by mistake, they were a foreign to her by her words, ''a large, dark, bearded man in a sheepskin overcoat'' (Prescott, 2008:180), in addition, ''... a heavy accent, quickly identified by Pam as Middle- Easterny scarf, too, and a hat '' (Prescott, 2008:180). Besides, Pam has described Martha after their first meeting, ''Her face, very black, could not blush, and her accent, to Pam's ears very English, could not apologize'' (Prescott, 2008: 181).

All at all, Pam was expressed her awareness in many way that we mentioned some of an examples about it before. Is the other main character in the short story, Martha Penk aware of the cultural encounter theme? How does she express her awareness? The state of awareness varies among people according to their background and environment. Martha Penk, the main character in this short story'' Martha, Martha'', is an English woman from Nigerian parents who were immigrated to England. Martha had came to America to work and left her man and her son in England and now she looking for a cheap apartment to rent. She have meeting with Pam Roberts to get some apartments to rent one, during their conversation Martha had expressed her awareness. For example, when Pam asked Martha if she have been to America before and Martha answered, ' Only Florida when I was twelve. I didn't like it- it's quit vulgar?' (Prescott, 2008:184). Also, when Mrtha asked Pam if there are any black students study in the university, that is very good example for her awareness of the cultural encounter (Prescott, 2008:185) How is the concept of ''colour/skin'' used to highlight the theme of cultural encounter in the story? The cultural encounter by highlighting upon the colour or skin is understood by the following instances, first instance, when the narrator and the main character Pam Roperts met Martha the other main character in the short story in the first time, she described her, ''Her face, very black, could not blush..'' (Prescott, 2008: 181).

Second instance, when Martha asked Pam if there aren't black student in the university then Pam behaved strangely at that time and I will write her reacted, ''..stopped in her position like a scarecrow, ' well, of course there are students of colour, dear! I see them all the time- I mean, even before the affirmative action and all of that – I mean, there's always been the basketball scholarships and the rest – though it's much, much better now of course' '' Also she mentioned the colour people as example as black colour too when she continued, ' Lot's of Chinese young people too, and Indian, many. Many! Oh, there's plenty, plenty of people of colour here, you'll see'' (Prescott, 2008:184). In fact, we can see how people with colored skin attract attention to them in the countries that they are migrating to in the cultural encounter.

Conclusion

The cultural encounter is discovering new world, new ideas, new people and an impact on people. We clarified above the cultural encounter in the character and their awareness through the examples and by answered these questions, first, how is the concept of cultural encounter treated in the short story? Is it a mere encounter, or does it develop into something more? Second, Is the author aware of the cultural encounter theme? How does she manifest that awareness in terms of ideas and her selection of words or scenarios? Third, is Pam Roberts, the main character in the short story, aware of the cultural encounter theme? How does she express her awareness? Forth, is the other main character in the short story, Martha Penk is aware of the cultural encounter theme? How does she express her awareness? And last, how is the concept of ''colour/skin'' used to highlight the theme of cultural encounter in the story? Moreover, Cultural differences in the characters through appearance, language and different colours, all that is the nation of identity, as my lecturer said. In fact, the ideas and cultures conveyed by immigrants throughout the ages have been replaced by new ideas, benefits and intelligence for subsequent generations.