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Racial Prejudice Underlying the Jim Crow Law Practices in the Deep South Revealed in John Howard Griffin's Black Like Me

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Racial Prejudice Underlying the Jim Crow Law Practices in the Deep South Revealed in John Howard Griffin's Black Like Me RACIAL PREJUDICE UNDERLYING THE JIM CROW LAW PRACTICES IN THE DEEP SOUTH REVEALED IN JOHN HOWARD GRIFFIN’S BLACK LIKE ME AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters By ALICE FEBRIANNE Student Number: 034214039 ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2007 i A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis RACIAL PREJUDICE UNDERLYING THE JIM CROW LAW PRACTICES IN THE DEEP SOUTH REVEALED IN JOHN HOWARD GRIFFIN’S BLACK LIKE ME By ALICE FEBRIANNE Student Number: 034214039 Approved by Paulus Sarwoto, S.S., M.A. July 28, 2007. Advisor Elisa Dwi Wardhani, S.S., M.Hum. July 28, 2007. Co-advisor ii A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis RACIAL PREJUDICE UNDERLYING THE JIM CROW LAW PRACTICES IN THE DEEP SOUTH REVEALED IN JOHN HOWARD GRIFFIN’S BLACK LIKE ME By ALICE FEBRIANNE Student Number: 034214039 Defended before the Board of Examiners on September 26, 2007 and Declared Acceptable BOARD OF EXAMINERS Name Signature Chairman : Dr. Fr. B. Alip, M.Pd., M.A. _____________ Secretary : Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M. Hum. _____________ Member : G. Fajar Sasmita Aji, S.S., M.Hum. _____________ Member : Paulus Sarwoto, S.S., M.A. _____________ Member : Elisa Dwi Wardhani, S.S., M.Hum. _____________ Yogyakarta, October 22, 2007 Faculty of Letters Sanata Dharma University Dean Dr. Fr. B. Alip, M.Pd., M.A. iii For with GOD Nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1 : 37) iv This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to my beloved parents, my sisters and brother, my beloved mate, and those who love and support me. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to thank Jesus Christ for His love and kindness. His greatest blessing and miracle has guided me in finishing this thesis. I would also like to thank Mr. Paulus Sarwoto, S.S., M.A. for his guidance in writing this thesis. I thank him so much for being patient in reading, correcting, and re-reading this thesis. I also thank the co-advisor, Ms. Elisa Dwi Wardhani, S.S., M.Hum. for her suggestions that surely improve this thesis. My greatest gratitude goes to my beloved parents, Langgeng Cahyono and Nora Siamsuria, and Tante Henny for their supports and prayers; my sisters, Gretha Carolina and Jeannie Stephanie, and my little brother, Ricky Nelson for their supports that pushed me to finish this thesis soon.. I would also thank my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins for their supports, prayers, trusts and love that means a lot to me. My great gratitude also goes to SPM sisters, especially Sr. Veronique, SPM. I would thank my beloved mate, Albert for being patient in facing my temper, especially during this thesis making process. I would also thank ce Rita, ko Wawan, and Joe for their supports and their efforts to cheer me up facing these stressful days. I would like to thank my friends, A ching, Dwi, Renzzie, Tika, Poppy, Reni, Tio, Andhika, Margareth, Nina Sing 02, ce Vany, ko Aswin, Bernard, Tatag, E’in, Detty, Cahyadi, Fr. Dimas, Nova, Meta for the lovely friendship we have. Last but not least, I would thank everyone whose names are not mentioned here, who has helped me finish this thesis. May God bless them. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE .................................................................................................. i APPROVAL PAGE ........................................................................................ ii ACCEPTANCE PAGE ................................................................................... iii MOTTO PAGE ............................................................................................... iv DEDICATION PAGE ..................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .............................................................................. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................ vii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................... viii ABSTRAK ..................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study ..................................................................... 1 B. Problem Formulation ........................................................................... 3 C. Objectives of the Study ........................................................................ 3 D. Definition of Terms ............................................................................. 4 CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies.................................................................... 5 B. Review of Related Theories.................................................................. 7 1. Theories on Character and Characterization ............................. 7 2. Theories on Setting .................................................................. 10 3. Theories on Society ................................................................. 12 4. Theories on Prejudice .............................................................. 16 C. Theoretical Framework ........................................................................ 21 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study............................................................................... 22 B. Approach of the Study.......................................................................... 24 C. Method of the Study ........................................................................... 24 CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS 1. Jim Crow Law Practices Revealed in Black Like Me Through the Character of Griffin and the Deep South Society ............................ 26 2. Racial Prejudice Underlying the Jim Crow Law Practices in the Deep South as Revealed in Black Like Me ..................................... 38 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION .................................................................... 45 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................... 49 vii ABSTRACT ALICE FEBRIANNE (2007). Racial Prejudice Underlying the Jim Crow Law Practices in the Deep South Revealed in John Howard Griffin’s Black Like Me. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University. This study discusses a work by John Howard Griffin entitled Black Like Me, which was written in the year of 1959. This book was aimed as an investigative journalism book since it reflects plainly the period of bitter racism towards the Blacks practiced by the Whites in the Deep South. Therefore based on a clear understanding that this investigative journalism book is clearer in exposing the real condition of the society in that era than any other literary work, the writer chooses John Howard Griffin’s Black Like Me to be discussed further. In this study, there are two objectives to guide the analysis. First, this study attempts to find out how the Jim Crow Law practices revealed through the character of Griffin and society as setting in Black Like Me. Second, the study is aimed to see how the race prejudice underlying the Jim Crow Law practices revealed in Black Like Me. To do the analysis, the writer did several steps. First, the writer conducts library research in working on the subject. Next, sociocultural-historical approach is applied as a means to analyze the problems. Then, some theories such as theories on character and characterization, theories on setting, theories on society, and theories on prejudice along with the review on Jim Crow Law are also employed to guide the analysis. The result of this analysis shows that the characterization of Griffin and society as the setting implied the practices of Jim Crow Law as a means of segregation in the Deep South with racial prejudice stood behind its practices. Those practices impacted on the Blacks’ feeling of inferiority. They denied their identity, their negritude, their culture, as a demand to follow the prejudices Whites put on Blacks. viii ABSTRAK ALICE FEBRIANNE (2007). Racial Prejudice Underlying the Jim Crow Law Practices in the Deep South Revealed in John Howard Griffin’s Black Like Me. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma. Skripsi ini mengupas sebuah karya dari John Howard Griffin yang berjudul Black Like Me, yang ditulis pada tahun 1959. Buku yang dimaksudkan sebagai jurnal investigasi ini menggambarkan dengan gamblang masa-masa pahit merebaknya rasialisme oleh masyarakat kulit putih terhadap orang-orang kulit hitam. Mengingat buku jurnalisme investigasi ini dapat memberikan gambaran yang lebih jelas tentang kondisi yang sebenar-benarnya mengenai jaman tersebut dibandingkan karya-karya literatur lainnya, maka penulis memilih Black Like Me karya John Howard Griffin ini untuk dikupas lebih dalam. Dalam skripsi ini terdapat dua pokok bahasan yang akan mengarah ke sebuah analisa nantinya. Pertama-tama, dalam skripsi ini akan dipaparkan mengenai penerapan dari Jim Crow Law yang dialami oleh sang tokoh, Griffin dan lingkungan dalam Black Like Me. Kedua, skripsi ini akan menganalisa bagaimana Black Like Me mengungkap bahwa prasangka terhadap ras tertentu mendasari diterapkannya Jim Crow Law tersebut. Dalam melakukan analisanya, penulis menggunakan beberapa tahapan. Yang pertama, penulis melakukan studi pustaka. Kemudian sebuah pendekatan sosiokultural-historikal diterapkan untuk menganalisa permasalahannya. Akhirnya, beberapa
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