Name

: Fajar Supriono

Student ID No.: 0608216 Course Reader Response #1 : Critical Analysis of Prose

Free Will on Dhondys Mandarin Exam

Thats life, said the Headmaster in Farrukh Dhondy The Mandarin Exam is the punch line and the ending of the story as a response to the main characters statement. Spiggy, the main character, shows the reader the dilemma faces by human in everyday life, a consequence he took as he follow the nature of free will. In this story the character Spiggy had a free will to choose whether he took the bet and left the exam or the opposite. The author tries to say that human granted by a free will by God but also need to consider the consequence he/she is going to take. As in the story tells where at first, Spiggy chose to take the bet and left the exam. But, the external force try to remind him the consequence Spiggy would deal if he left the exam. The Headmaster as the external force try to remind Spiggy about the consequence by telling him a story about Mandarin exam as the comparison to what Spiggy is going to do by left the exam. This is done to make Spiggy reconsider his decision. At first Spiggy wanted to take the bet because he did not have the money. Later it is revealed he didnt want to take the exam because he think his free will can make him leave the exam. Furthermore, the exam itself is the symbol of hypocrisy doing by his own teacher. As he explain to his Headmaster, and I dont see the point in doing the exam. See, Mr. Scott he loves the story, right, but if any of the kids in his class behaves like that he dont like it. (p. 52) Spiggy believe that by doing the exam, it means he support the hypocrite attitude of his teacher. This implies to the moral responsibility human have as God command us to inherit the earth. Spiggy, as I observe, try to reflect the basis of our morality question toward the free will God given. As Cathcart and Daniel state:

that we are compelled to believe in our own free will because otherwise there is no basis for our belief in moral responsibility. Our moral choices would be out of our hands. (Cathcart, T. & Klein, D. Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar..Penguin Books, 2006) On the other hand, free will of a person need to be reconsidered as it will be confronted by other. Spiggys free will confronted by Headmasters free will where in this story, the Headmaster wants him to take the exam for Spiggys benefit. Both character has their own free will and purpose deal with their life. Spiggy at the end of the story seems to reconsider his option to leave the exam. This action reflects the reality we deal and confront every day. Our action based on our free will must be considered so it do not clash with others free will and action. It then implies that the free will also must be put into a consideration to make a harmony in life. This story shows me the lesson about how we manage one of the God give to the human, the free will. Although it is a gift purpose for our benefit, we also have to consider other peoples free will. I also learn that even if I have choose one option based on my free will, I have to think more deeply and thorough to take the option. The implication is, we human, have to be more responsible according to the free will and moral responsible we have.