drawn to Barry 2002: 192-193. The writer will use postcolonial approach to see how the Western Society, represented by Americans, has certain stereotypes
toward Chinese people in America. This approach will also help the writer to find the reaction of the Chinese-Americans toward the stereotypes to find their racial
identity due to the existence of the theory of identity in post-colonial approach.
C. Method of the Study
In order to analyze the topic of this undergraduate thesis, the writer uses library research as the method of the study. This means that the writer shall
consult books, journals, theses and other written sources, both printed and electronic to support this research.
The primary data to analyze is the novel by Deanna Fei entitled A Thread of Sky. The secondary sources of data are books, journals and theses. Some
important sources are Racial and Ethnic Relations by Joe Feagin, Race Relation by Harry H.L. Kitano, Society in the Novel by Elizabeth Langland, and Theory of
Literature by Rene Wellek and Austin Warren. In the form of journals, there are “The Negroization of the Chinese Stereotype in California” by Dan Caldwell, and
Fighting for Chinese American Identity by Jing Yi Song. There were some steps to do the analysis. First, the writer read the novel in
detail and thoroughly focused on how Kay being portrayed in the novel, what stereotypes that Kay, as a Chinese-American need to face. The writer also focused
on how Kay reacted to those stereotypes, relating to her character, in order to
establish her personal identity. Second, the writer read many books, theses, and journals on character and characterizations, Americans’ stereotypes toward
Chinese-Americans, the relationship between literature and society, and finally, identity.
After the writer understood the theory, the writer went to the third step, tried to find the answer of the first problem formulation about how Kay’s
character being potrayed in the novel. By using the knowledge from the theory of character and characterization the writer identified how the author portrayed Kay
in her novel. The fourth step was to find the answer of the second problem formulation
about the stereotypes that Kay, as a Chinese-American need to face. By using the knowledge the writer got from the theory, the writer identified the parts of the
novel that supported this research’s topic and separated them from the other part. Then the writer made a list of the stereotypes that Kay faced and then analyzed it.
The fifth step was finding the answer to the third problem formulation about How Kay react to those stereotypes to establish her personal identity. After
knew Kay’s character and finding the stereotypes, the writer would see how Kay reacted to those stereotypes to establish her personal identity.
The sixth step was drawing conclusions from the analysis about how Kay’s character being potrayed in the novel, what stereotypes Kay needs to face
as a Chinese-American, and how she reacted to those stereotypes to find her racial
identity. Finally, the writer wrote these conclusions in the final chapter of this research.
