17 The writer going to discuss some important aspects which deal with the subject
matter of thesis-racial discrimination. They are, prejudice, segregation, and skin color. There are some other aspects which can be discussed, such as kindness, oppression,
slavery, etc. but the writer believe that it will be significant if only discuss these three aspects.
3.1 Prejudice
Prejudice is seen as having different sources, chief among them being different forms of fear. Stephan and Stephans Integrated Threat Theory of
Prejudice is inclusive of several different types of threat: the expectation that the other will do one harm; the perception that the different worldview of the other
will create challenges to ones own; the presumption that interaction will lead to embarrassment, rejection, or ridicule; and the generation of fear of negative
consequences as a result of negative stereotypes. They posit that several factors are likely to influence the degree to which an individual feels these sources of
threat:
strong identification with ones own group see the article on identity issues;
the degree to which a policy has negative ramifications for that individual;
the quantity and, especially, quality of the individuals previous contact with the
group;
the individuals knowledge of the group;
prior intergroup conflict
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18
The degree of status differential between the individuals group and the other group.
The higher these factors are, the more likely the individual will feel threatened, and, therefore, the more likely she will be prejudiced toward members of that group.
Unfortunately, prejudice is not simply an attitude that remains internal to its owner; it impacts behavior. When negative attitudes on the basis of differences
translate into behavior, we have as a result, discrimination and the social inequity it produces. Therefore, efforts to reduce prejudice are well advised to take the
social context into consideration when focusing on the individuals attitudes.
One should consider the target of the prejudice reduction. It makes a difference whether the individual is already motivated to avoid acting in a non-
prejudicial fashion or whether she feels herhis prejudice is justified. In the former case, the primary prejudice reduction strategy may involve practice. I have
learned my prejudicial ways, and they have become habits; I need to develop new habits. In the latter case, it is likely to involve much more. In fact, there is some
evidence to suggest that attempts to prevent the expression of prejudice by rendering illegal certain type of discriminatory behavior has actually hardened the
prejudicial attitudes of many.
“Your mother?” His face was bright red. “You think that goddamn women gave a shit about you?”
Monk. 2002. p. 39
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19 From the quotation above, it is stated that the nigger is rude. This makes the
white people believe what’s on their mind for a long time. Because the white person recognizes that the colored man is rude. And the prejudice is the beginning of what the
white people think what they had thought for a long time. And it makes the white people unrespectful to the nigger always speaks rudely and hurt other’s feeling. And it is
reflected on the quotation below.
“Y’all stop eating up all Rosaleen’s fritters,” June said. “They’re for our lunch.” “Oh , let ‘em eat,” said Rosaleen, which floored
me, since she’d been known to smack my hand sideways for pinching a single crumb off her fritters before dinner.
Monk. 2002. p. 265
The statement reflects the way of nigger talks about something it shows that their behavior is hard. The character is supposed to be the man lived in the traditional market.
The white person believes that the nigger cannot change the way of their language which is rude. It makes the white people difficult to accept them.
“Shitbucket, hellfire, damnation, and son of mother bitch,” said Rosaleen, laying into each word like it was sweet potatoes on her
tongue.
Monk. 2002. p. 49
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20 From the quotation above, it reflects that the colored women Rosaleen who acts
rudely and makes the white people sure that the prejudice they think before is true. Moreover, Rosaleen acts rudely because of the impolite pointed toward her, therefore she
does it. It is true that the black people are identical with their violent and free life and it makes the white people recognize them as the slave, just like the quotation on below
states.
“Well, you sure had one back at the hospital, coming in there saying we’re going to do this and we’re going to do that, and I’m
supposed to follow you like a pet dog. You act like you’re my keeper. Like I’m some dumb nigger you going to save.”
Monk. 2002. p. 53
In the quotation above, it’s clearly seen that the nigger is just used as a slave by the white, they even recognize the nigger as the animal that can serve them whenever
they want. The white don’t give them any chance to free themselves from the domination of the white. This becomes the beginning of the white’s prejudice to nigger. And in the
next quotation below stated about the rude of nigger in communicated.
“How come y’ll have names from a calendar?” Rosaleen asked her.
Monk. 2002. p. 73
From the quotation, it is clearly stated about the way the nigger talk, especially Rosaleen who is recognized due to the way she talks immorally. While, the nigger do it
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21 since they do not have their rights in their life and always treated badly from the white.
Therefore, this doen’t means that they act something without any reason and this is reflected from the quotation below.
I turned my pillow over and over for the coolness, thinking about May and her wall and what the world had come to that a person
needed something like that. It gave me the willies to think what might be stuffed in among those rocks. The wall brought to my
mind the bleeding slabs of meat Rosaleen used to cook, the gashes she made up and down them, stuffing them with pieces of
wild, bitter garlic.
Monk. 2002. p. 98
Here, in this statement, Lily makes a prejudice that Rosaleen is really a slave because of physically of Rosaleen. Rosaleen has a strong, massive black body. It makes
the performance of Rosaleen recognized as a slave, it’s not like any other ordinary girl’s body. Because of that, there is an image that the nigger is just for the slave of the white.
And it can be seen through the quotation.
“One day,” August said,” a slave named Obadiah was loading bricks onto a boat that would sail down the Ashley River, when
he saw something washed up on the bank. Coming closer, he saw it was the wooden figure of a woman. Her body was
growing out of a block of wood, a black woman with her arm lifted out and her fist balled up.”
Monk. 2002. p. 108
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22 In this statement, it is clearly seen that the nigger is always recognized as the
slave and that the real fact is. From the statement also, a nigger women becomes a rude and hard worker of slave that is actually the job is done by the men. However, the fact,
Obadiah a nigger women works as a hard worker slave which is impossible to do by the white women. And because of that the nigger identical with crime likes statement below.
I started thinking maybe I should find out what I could about my mother, before T. ray or the police came for us. But where to
start? I couldn’t just pull out the black Mary picture and show it to August without the truth wrecking everything, and she would
decide-might decide, would decide, I couldn’t say-that she was obliged to call T. Ray to come get me. And if she knew that
Rosaleen was a true fugitive, wouldn’t she have to call the police?
Monk. 2002. p. 101
In this statement, it is stated that the nigger always do the bad thing or violences, because on the text it is quoted that Rosaleen is supposition as a police wanted for what
she do. Meanwhile, what she has done is not like what T. Ray thinks. But it always makes T. Ray feels that Rosaleen is such a harmful nigger who likes to make violences. Because
that’s only thing he thinks on his mind and finally, it makes T. Ray feels that the nigger deserves to be the slave. Therefore, the nigger difficult to develop in the white’s society.
And it can be seen through quotation below.
“That’s fine with me,” I said, a little annoyed. “I’ve just never heard of a Negro lawyer, that’s all. You’ve got to hear of these
things before you can imagine them.”
Monk.2002. p. 121
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23 The statement above states that the nigger is very hard to develop in the white’s
society because of the prejudice that state the nigger is dumpy. Here, Lily says to her nigger friend Zach that it’s very difficult for nigger to be a lawyer even though she tells
in the rhythm of a bit sorry. Therefore, this proves that the white people is very difficult to accept the existence of the nigger in the society. In spite of being friend, there is no
guaranteed for the nigger to get along with the white people and it is reflected on the quotation below.
I closed my eyes. “All right then, I’m imagining a Negro lawyer. You are a Negro Perry Mason. People are coming to you from
all over the state, wrong-accused people, and get at the truth at the very last minute by tricking the real criminal on the witness
stand.”
Monk. 2002. p. 121
From the statement, it is stated that a nigger is impossible to be a lawyer though she tries to understand the nigger because the start of all these are the prejudice it makes
the dreams of the nigger is difficult to get. No matter how hard they have tried, it means nothing for them. Because their move is limited by the white people. So that they cannot
develop themselves. There is also prejudice that the nigger always is rude again which the statement below.
I still tell myself that when he drove away that day he wasn’t saying good riddance; he was saying, Oh, Lily, you’re better off
there in that house of colored women. You never would’ve flowered with me like you will with them.
Monk. 2002. p. 299
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24 From the quotation above, it is stated that the nigger cannot make the white
people happy, because of the life style of the nigger it self. They seem to be free on her life which is identical with the violence. That’s why, the white people T. Ray make a
judge that the nigger not savage. They think how come the nigger can make other people happy but they do not have morality. But, that doesn’t prove what they feel is right.
Because of the quotation below stated that the prejudice is not right.
“It wasn’t like that,” I said.” See, she was singing her favorite hymn,’ Were you there when they crucified my Lord?’ I don’t
believe those men are Christians, Brother Gerald, because they yelled at her to shut up with that blankety-blank Jesus tune.
Rosaleen said,’ You can curse me, but don’t blaspheme the Lord Jesus.’ But they kept right on. So she poured the juice from her
snuff cup on their shoes. Maybe she was wrong, but in her mind she was standing up for Jesus.” I was sweating through my top
and all along the backs of my thighs.
Monk. 2002. p. 44
From the statement above it is stated that the rude which is dove by the colored women Rosaleen is because of unreason. It can be clearly seen where Rosaleen has
character like the white women do generally. Even though the people judge her as an immoral and rude women, that does not mean she wasn’t a religious person. Indirectly,
she says that she is not as bad as white people think, or in after world, don’t judge a book by it’s cover, because the contents of the book is not always as good as it’s cover. And it
is clearly seen on the next quotation.
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25 When August and I reached the honey house, we had to huddle
in the door and wait on her. Rosaleen glided along, gathering rain in the pan and flinging it out like a child would do. She
walked on puddles like they were Persian carpets, and when a clap of thunder boomed around us, she looked up at the drowned
sky, opened her mouth, and let the rain fall in. Ever since those men had beaten her, her face had been so pinched and tired, her
eyes dull like they’d had the light knocked out of them. Now I could see she was returning to herself, looking like an all-
weather queen out there, like nothing could touch her. If only she could get some manners.
Monk. 2002. 75
Here it tells about the freedom in life without limitation for Rosaleen the nigger. But , in fact, they don’t have their rights for that. The white people limitate their
action to the nigger. They don’t want the nigger get some knowledges in every case because, if only they got it, their behavior perhaps weren’t rude just like what the white
people say. They even perhaps could be smarter than the white people. Because of that, the white people don’t let them to get their rights. So that they can always become slaves
and treat bad. And the following quotation prove that the nigger is very polite and well speaking.
“I’m may Boatwright,” she said. “I’m August’s sister, too.” She smiled at us, one of those odd grins that let you know she was
not an altogether normal person.
Monk. 2002. 69
From the quotation, it is clearly seen that all of the done by the white to nigger August and May is not right. This quotation reflects tell that the nigger is very polite and
well speaking, and they appreciate the white so much without having a particular aims.
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26 They serve their guests purely, though their guest is the white. But sometimes the white
doesn’t appreciate them at all. The prejudice they have made for so long is finally not right. And the quotation below strengthen oppose that prejudice.
“Well, you can stay here till you figure out what to do. We can’t have you living on the side of the road,” said August.
Monk. 2002. p. 72
In the statement above, it is stated that the love owned by the nigger August is very high. They don’t want to let the white stays alone on the street. She gives her a place
to stay. She helps somebody without choosing who she wants to help. Even though when it happens to the white, it most impossible for them to help nigger. It doesn’t stop the
nigger to help the white. It is clear that the prejudice thought by the white isn’t proven. And actually they can unite to the nigger if only they can accept the negative inside their
hearts and it is reflected through the quotation below.
I thought, we’re going to be friends. Monk. 2002. p. 117
From the statement, it is strictly stated that the nigger and the white people can be united if only they are able to accept the negative side of themselves. From the text, it’s
said that Lily, the white women makes a relationship with Zach, the nigger man. From this reality, what the white people say for a long time is breakable and it’s not suitable as
what they prejudice they make. Because of all that thoughts are back to person; how they
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27 behave to the nigger. If they could appreciate the nigger, they would be friends. On the
contrary, when they don’t want to appreciate it, they can’t be united.
3.2 Skin color
