Review of the History of African American in the 1960s

D. Theoretical Framework

This study is focus on the struggle of African American women against the racial discrimination. A novel entitled The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is the literary work that the writer uses to see and to find out the issue of racial discrimination. To solve the 3 major problems, some theories were chosen. Theory of character is applied to analyze the five characters of African American Women in novel. Then, theory of characterization is to understand and to describe the characteristics from 5 characters African American woman in novel. Theory of race is to know the meaning of race and this theory is also leads the writer to know deeply about racism. The theory of racial discrimination is used to know the meaning of racial discrimination because these theories show, explain and give understanding about the practice of racial discrimination that African American experienced in the past. The theory of the relation between literature and society is to help the writer to make a connection between the society in the novel of The Secret Life of Bees with the society of African American women in the real life in 1960. In connection with the struggle, theory on adaptation to prejudice and discrimination are implemented. The review of the history of African American women is used to help the writer to know more about racial discrimination that happened toward them. This theory is also to help the writer to see how they keep struggling toward racial discrimination. The writer sees that every character has their own way to struggle.

CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

A novel entitled The Secret Life of Bees that written by Sue Monk Kidd is the object of the study that the writer uses to analyze the struggle of African American women against racial discrimination in United States. This is Sue Monk Kidd’s first novel. The Secret Life of Bees is a work of fiction and first published by Penguin group in 2002. Since then, the novel has been published in 35 countries. This novel spent more than one hundred weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list and sold more than four million copies. This novel was also chosen as the 2004 Book Sense Paperback Book of the Year and was the recipient of the inaugural Literature of Life Award presented by The American Place Theatre. The Secret Life of Bees has been made into a box- office movie in America. Generally, The Secret Life of Bees tells about the life of Lily Melissa Owens in South Carolina in 1964. Lily was fourteen years old and she was white. Lily also lived with Rosaleen their housekeeper, an African American woman. When Rosallen attempts to register her name so she can vote, three white men mocked her and made her lifted her snuffjug to the tops of white men shoes. Three white men got angry and yelled at her to apologize but Rosaleen did not want to. At last, she was thrown into jail. Lily helps Rosaleen to escape from jail. Since then, their new life in Tiburon, South Carolina began. In there, they met three 17 African American women there who also experienced racial discrimination. One of them was August that showed her struggle of racial discrimination wisely through making a black madonna label on her honey in order for colored men and also women could think that Mary could also in the form of dark skin.

B. Approach of the Study

This part is about the approach of this study. This study uses socio-cultural historical approach that covering theories that were chosen. Mary Rohrberger and Samuel H. Woods in Reading and Writing about Literature state that the sociocultural-historical approach is the only way to locate the real work is in reference to the civilization that produce it. Civilization itself as the attitudes and actions as its subject matter. They also add that this approach leads us to ethnical judgment concerning the truth ot the author’s statement 1971: 9-10. In brief, by learning history background of the novel, the reader can relate it to the situation that happened in history depends on the time that the author uses in novel. It can be said that society and culture in story also reflect to the society and culture in history. The application of this approach is to discuss the novel in the social condition, culture and historical context. The purpose of applying this approach is to know about the social condition, culture and historical context in novel, especially about African American women struggle against racial discrimination in United States. Racial discrimination that Black people got is closely relate to the social and the culture that practiced in the society in the novel.