Findings FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
The datum above is the example of multiple negation taken from a poem entitled “Mother to Son” showing that there are double negatives, ain’t and no. In
this datum, life for me ain’t been no crystal stair means that the persona wants to
tell the readers that his life never runs smoothly, there is always a problem in life. The author used double negatives to emphasize how hard his life is and it can be
seen through the supporting statements in the next lines, describing that there are always unpleasant things to come although he had been trying to move on to a
higher phase of life. Ain’t and no here as negative markers are stressed to identify
many negative things that happen in his life. However, the persona still gave the advice that the readers should never give up on life even if it was hard because he
himself was still fighting for the life itself. Another example of the use of multiple negation is presented in the following.
Then youre a dope for which
there aint no
hope.
Conjuct. Main Clause Relative Clause Subject
2
Aux. Verb
2
Adj The standard English
: Then you‟re a dope for which there isn‟t hope. Datum No. 23
The example of multiple negation above shows that there are double negatives,
ain’t and no. The datum is taken from a poem entitled “Argument” which discussed about discrimination on African-American. The persona
expressed his feeling of being neglected. Furthermore, African-American had no hope to be recognized in the society. This could be seen clearly from the multiple
negation sentence then you’re a dope for which there ain’t no hope. Previously he
told his friend about the rejection he got through the sentence white is right, yellow mellow, black get back Nevertheless, the persona still empowered himself
that whatever happened, he was black and that was fine. He added that God alw
ays knew the truth of his “African-American” identity. Another example of multiple negations is found in the poem titled
“A Ruined Gal”. This poem tells readers about an African-American girl who feels
disappointed towards her mother and this world because her mother is African- American and in the world nobody wants her as a friend.
The example of “A Ruined Gal” is explained in the following.
Wont be nobodys bride
Verb object
ln 3 The standard English
: Will be nobody‟s bride.
Wont meet nobody
Verb object
ln 7 The standard English: Will meet nobody.
I aint got
no friend
Subject Verb
object The standard English
: I didn‟t get any friends.
Aint nothin
for a ruined gal
Auxiliary Verb object
Prepositional phrase ln 9 The standard English: I am nothing for a ruined gal
Datum No.51 Multiple negations are used in several sentences of the poem. First is in
line 3, in which the persona says “Won’t be nobody’s bride”. The persona used the word
won’t and nobody which emphasizes that she will never marry. Later on line 7, she adds, “won’t meet nobody cause I ain’t got no friend”. The persona used the
words won’t, nobody, ain’t and no friend to give extra details about her loneliness.
It is described that the persona would not meet anyone because she did not have friends. On the last line the persona concludes that a ruined girl cannot do
anything except jumping overboard and being drown. The racism was bold at that
time, and the multiple negations used by Hughes tried to portray them. Another example of multiple negation is shown as follows.
I aint got
no friend
Subject Verb
object ln 11
The standard English : I didn‟t get any friends.
Aint nothin
for a ruined gal
Auxiliary Verb object
Prepositional phrase ln 21 The standard English: I am nothing for a ruined gal
Datum No.31 This datum taken from a poem entitled
“Midwinter Blues” in which the poem narrates the feeling of a woman who feels lonely because her man leaves her but
she still loves him. The persona uses several multiple negations to express the problems that she faces with her man. “Now, if a man loves a woman that ain’t no
time to go ” means that if a man loves a woman, he will not leave her because he
does not have time to go out. The persona feels so frustrated that she says “So when I’m dead they won’t need no flowers from the store”. She says that when she
passes away later on, her family does not have to buy her flowers. On the previous line in the poem, it is explained that the woman plants a red rose. Thus, her family
does not need to buy flowers as she has planted them. It was so tragic that she has planned her death scene later on. The last example of multiple negation is shown
in the following datum.
fortune tellers Never tell
me nothin kind
Subject Verb
Direct object Indirect object ln 7 The standard English: Fortune tellers never tell me something kind.
I wont live
no mo
Subject Verb
Adv ln 15
The standard English : I won‟t live again
Datum No.34