The responses of the blacks and the whites toward racial prejudice in 1930s as portrayed in Harper Lee`s To Kill A Mockingbird - USD Repository
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THE RESPONSES OF THE BLACKS AND THE WHITES
TOWARD RACIAL PREJUDICE IN 1930s AS PORTRAYED IN
HARPER LEE’S TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
SYLVIA PUPUT PANDANSARI
Student Number: 07 4214 035
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2011
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
THE RESPONSES OF THE BLACKS AND THE WHITES
TOWARD RACIAL PREJUDICE IN 1930s AS PORTRAYED IN
HARPER LEE’S TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
SYLVIA PUPUT PANDANSARI
Student Number: 07 4214 035
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2011
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A BEAUTIFUL PRAYER I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No. His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No. Patience is a byproduct of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned.
I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No. I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.
I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.
I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No. You must grow on your own! , but I will prune you to make you fruitful.
I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No. I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things. I ask God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.
May God Bless You, "To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might be the world"
"Even the word 'IMPOSSIBLE' says 'I M POSSIBLE' "
Satya Mehta
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I dedicate this thesis to my dearly beloved parents; Sudarti Maria Albertine & Titus Budiyono
And my lovely sisters; Fransisca Romana Ninik Werdiningsih & Natalia Ririh Budyarti,
My beloved mate, and those who love and support me.
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PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH
UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma: Nama : Sylvia Puput Pandansari
NIM : 074214035 Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:
The Responses of Blacks and Whites toward Racial Prejudice in 1930s as
Portrayed in Harper Lee’s to Kill a Mockingbirdbeserta perangkat yang diperlukan. Dengan demikian, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media yang lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta izin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Dibuat di Yogyakarta Pada tanggal 15 November 2011 Yang menyatakan, vi PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Above all, I would express my greatest gratitude to Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary for giving me spirit while acomplishing the undergtaduate thesis.
They give me inspiration and motivation.
I would like to express my gratitude to my undergraduate advisor, Ms. Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S., M. Hum. and my co-advisor, Maria Ananta Tri Suryandari, S. S., M.Ed. for guidance, suggestion, and encouragement from the beginning up to the end. I really appreciate your patience and understanding during the process of finishing my undergraduate.
I would also like to express my gratitude to Sanata Dharma University and the Department of English Letters for giving knowledge both academically and non academically. My gratitude is also directed to my academic advisor, Ms. Elisa Dwi Wardani, S.S.,M.Hum. for the guidance during my studies in Sanata Dharma University Yogyakarta.
I dedicated this thesis to my dearly parents, Titus Budiyono and Sudarti Maria Albertine, and also to my lovely sisters, Fransisca Romana Ninik Werdiningsih and Natalia Ririh Budyarti for their love, affection, and supports to me.
My sincere gratitude goes to Callixtus Fedy Purnawan, for his love, support, and patience. It is delighted to spend the time with him.
I also express my gratitude especially for my best friends, Irene Ossi Widyastuti, Henrica Angelia, and also Denty Setya Putri, Ayu Primasandi, Cyrilla Sarah Nodita, Florentina Noviani, Adita Primasti Putri, Sri Ruth Meilina Sianturi, vii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
Ganis Widyapsasmi, Monica Risky, and Adi Prasatya, and also for my cousin, Astrid Rosaria for always encouraging me to face these stressful and panicky days. Yogyakarta would not be so wonderful without them.
I would not forget to say thanks to my friends of 2007: Yudha, Zi pit, Hellen pib-pib, Ani, Aya, mba Hindra, Diko, Yona, Natasya, Kenan, Simon, Lala, Dito, Gogor, Putra, Satria , Soni, Herman cheng, Martin, Rohman, Harry mungil, Risang, Putra, Natan, and also my friends in Ambarawa: Ratih, Astri Qnco, Evarista, Maya, mba Timtim, Enggar, Alex, mas Andre fosil, Max, Boni bonce, Arip surip and for our lovely friendship during my lifetime, and others whom I cannot mention one by one, also thank for supporting me in this undergraduate.
Sylvia Puput Pandansari viii
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE............................................................................................... i APPROVAL PAGE................................................................................. ii ACCEPTANCE PAGE............................................................................ iii MOTTO PAGE....................................................................................... iv DEDICATION PAGE ............................................................................ vPERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI........................................ vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT....................................................................... vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS......................................................................... ixABSTRACT............................................................................................. xi
ABSTRAK................................................................................................. xii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION............................................................1 A. Background of the Study............................................................
1 B. Problem Formulation...................................................................
7 C. Objectives of the Study...............................................................
7 D. Definition of Terms....................................................................
7 CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW............................................
9 A. Review of Related Studies..........................................................
9 B. Review of Related Theories........................................................
13 1. Theory of Character .............................................................
13 2. Theory of Racial Prejudice....................................................
15 C. Review on the Blacks’ Condition on 1930s.................................
19 D. Review of the Blacks’ Responses and the Whites’ Responses....
23 E. Theoretical Framework...............................................................
26 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY........................................................
27 A. Object of the Study.....................................................................
27 B. Approach of the Study................................................................
27 C. Method of the Study....................................................................
30 CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS.....................................................................
32 A. The Description of the Blacks’ and the Whites’ Character in
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird............................................ 32
B. The Revelation of Racial Prejudice of the Whites’ toward the Blacks’ in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird........................... 46
C. The Responses of the Blacks and the Whites toward Racial Prejudice in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird........................ 56 ix
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65 BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................... 67
APPENDICES.......................................................................................... 69
Appendix 1....................................................................................... 69
Outline of the First Problem Formulation..........................................
69 Appendix 2....................................................................................... 70 Outline for the Second Problem Formulation....................................
70 Appendix 3....................................................................................... 71 The Application of Racial Prejudice in Revealing the Unfair Treatment of the Whites toward the Blacks in Maycomb in 1930s...
71 Appendix 4....................................................................................... 74 Summary of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird .............................. 74 x
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ABSTRACT
SYLVIA PUPUT PANDANSARI. The Responses of Blacks and Whites
toward Racial Prejudice in 1930s as Portrayed in Harper Lee’s to Kill A
Mockingbird. Yogyakarta : Department of English Letters, Facutly of Letters,
Sanata Dharma University, 2011 .
In this thesis, the main concern is about the Blacks and the Whites’ relation. Their relation was severe in 1930s because the Blacks were considered as slaves. The Whites think that the Blacks is inferior.When they first came in North, the images or stereotypes which is formed were stupid, dirty, and ugly race. Stereotypes ignore the unique and identical fact of people. The era of 1930s was also the time when some sudden changes happened. The great suffering of economic and agricultural sector gave contribution for racial prejudice toward the Blacks. The migration from South to North makes the rate of unemployment increased. Worstly, racial prejudice and discrimination still exist for the Blacks.
The First problem formulation is about the description of the Blacks and the Whites’ in Maycomb county society. The second problem formulation is about the revelation of racial prejudice through the Whites in Maycomb county society. The third problem formulation is about the responses of Blacks and Whites toward racial prejudice which happened in Maycomb county society.
The method which is used in this thesis is library research method. The data and references which were employed in this research gathered from books, encyclopedia, journals and some on-line references.
The result of the analysis is that racial prejudice is revealed through the White people of Maycomb. The practice of racial prejudice happens in social life and especially in court. The Whites seems to limit the Black people’s right in court. The Blacks have no access to argue. Meanwhile, the Whites earn much power in court, for example as a member of grand juries. Grand juries take important part of court because they decide whether people are guilty or innocent. The writer also discusses about the struggle of Atticus against racial prejudice by defending a Black man named Tom Robinson. Some positive responses come from the people who really against racial prejudice, but some others negative responses also come from the people who support the exsistence of racial prejudice in Maycomb county society. xi PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
ABSTRAK
SYLVIA PUPUT PANDANSARI. The Responses of Blacks and Whites
toward Racial Prejudice in 1930s as Portrayed in Harper Lee’s to Kill A
Mockingbird. Yogyakarta : Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas
Sanata Dharma, 2011.Dalam skripsi ini, objek utama penelitian penulis adalah hubungan antar ras kulit hitam dan ras kulit putih. Hubungan keduanya sangat tidak baik, pada tahun 1930 karena ras kulit hitam diidentikan sebagai kaum budak ras kulit putih. Mereka merasa ras kulit hitam sebagai golongan nomor dua dalam masyarakat. Gambaran ras yang terbentuk dari ras kulit hitam ketika menjajaki daerah Utara pertama kali yaitu ras yang tidak berpendidikan, tidak hidup higienis, dan tidak menyenangkan untuk dilihat. Pandangan stereotip dari ras kulit putih ini tidak menghiraukan keunikan dan ciri khas setiap kelompok masyarakat tertentu.Ketimpangan besar terjadi pada sektor perekonomian dan pertanian mengakibatkan krisis moneter yang parah. Migrasi dari daerah Selatan ke Utara mengakibatkan angka pengangguran yang meningkat. Keadaan ini semakin parah karena masih adanya kesenjangan ras dan diskriminasi bagi orang kulit hitam.
Fokus utama dalam skripsi ini adalah respon kaum kulit hitam dan kulit putih terhadap kesenjangan ras yang terjadi di masyarakat kota Maycomb. Untuk mendukung analisis tersebut, penulis menggunakan dua pertanyaan lainnya. ertama, penggambaran karakter dari tokoh dalam novel. Kedua, pembahasan tentang kesenjangan ras yang dilakukan oleh ras kulit putih terhadap ras kulit hitam dalam masyarakat Maycomb.
Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah penelitian perpustakaan. Data dan referensi yang digunakan berasal dari buku, ensiklopedia, jurnal dan beberapa referensi on-line.
Hasil analisis dari skripsi ini adalah bahwa kesenjangan ras terbukti dilakukan oleh kaum kulit putih di Maycomb. Praktek kesenjangan ras terjadi dalam kehidupan sehari-hari dan khususnya dalam bidang hukum. Orang kulit putih terkesan membatasi hak-hak orang kulit hitam dalam bidang hukum. Kesempatan untuk berpendapatpun dibatasi bagi kaum kulit hitam. Sedangkan, kaum kulit putih mempunyai kendali penuh terhadap hukum, misalnya saja dengan menjadi anggota juri. Juri mempunyai peran penting karena merekalah yang memutuskan seseorang bersalah atau tidak. Penulis juga membahas tentang perjuangan Atticus melawan kesenjangan ras dengan membela hak seorang kulit hitam bernama Tom Robinson di pengadilan. Tanggapan positif datang dari orang-orang yang juga menolak kesenjangan ras, tetapi tanggapan negatif juga datang dari orang-orang yang setuju dengan adanya kesenjangan ras di Maycomb. xii
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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background Study Race relation is one of the vital concerns in the world because it plays an
important part in the world. Race relation deals with the treatment by one group to another group including the condition that influences the treatment .“By race relations we mean the treatment of one racial group by another and the situation which give rise to such treatment,” (Lafarge, 1943: 11). The specific topic that will be discussed is the Black and the White relation. The relation of the Black and the White in the Great Depression era of 1930s is severe. Both Black and White people were involved in the slave voyage history.
In the past, around fifteen century, Portuguese were interested to move their comodity from gold trade into slaves trade in Africa. It was because they saw the high capability of negro in working under any climate. From that moment, the Whites considered the Blacks as inferior but profitable because they had much experience in agriculture or plantation but they were uneducated and powerless.
The Whites made the same scale between human and things. If a person has many slaves in a field or house he will be considered richer than other persons who have few slaves as what Norton states as follows:
Slaves were therefore vital to the acquisition of fortune. Beyond that, slaves were a comodity and an investment, much like gold; people bought them on speculation, hoping for a steady rise in their value. In fact, for southern society as a whole, slaves equaled wealth almost completely. (1982: 274) 1
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Uncounciously, the Whites built their own mindset, their own belief and their own prejudice toward Negroes. Prejudice is basically irrational because it depends on subjective and negative feeling about ethnic or group. The prejudice is not always true, but because of the hatred feeling. It seems right to judge people based on their subjective feeling. Kitano in the book, Race Relation, states below.
It is generally agreed that race prejudice is an irrationally based negative attitude toward a racial or ethnic group, and it is maintained through stereotypes: “They smell bad.” “They breed like rabbits.” “They lower property of values”. (1974: 50) Racial prejudice creates stereotypes. The negative opinion of a group of people form an image, for example that Whites’ prejudice toward Blacks. Blacks are consider as slaves when they first come in North, so the image or stereotype which is formed is as stupid, dirty, and ugly race. Stereotype ignore the unique and identical fact of people. Everyone or every group are created by their own characteristics. Uniqueness means different from others. So there are totally different characteristic between one group to another.
After the abolition of slavery was declared under the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865, Blacks finally had the legal rights, but otherwise, racial prejudice still persisted. It seemed harder to live freely and to get the job opportunities of because the Whites’ seen the Blacks’ position was as the competitor of White people in 1930s in Maycomb.
Worstly, the 1930s was also the time when some sudden changes happened. The great suffering of agricultural sector causes a Great Depression as what Henretta describe as follows.
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“A distressed agricultural sector had been one of the causes of the Great Depression. In the 1930s conditions only got worse, especially for farmers on the Great Plain” (1999: 682) Great Depression was the worst economic crisis problem in that time. The income was low and unemployment increased. Companies and factory were bankrupt. Cooper and Terrill stated that,
In the nation as a whole, unemployment rose from around 3 percent in 1929 to about 25 percent in 1932, and except for one year, it remained above 15 percent until 1940....Bankruptcy even threatened goverments. Lousiana, South Carolina, and Arkansas defaulted on their debts. (1991: 663) It shows that Great Depression gave contribution for causing racial prejudice toward Blacks.” ...., the depression markedly slowed the urbanization of
Black Americans.” (Boyer, 1990: 908). It was because the African American or Black people migrated to America before World War I. Urbanization from South to North makes the rate of unemployment increased. Worstly, racial prejudice and discrimination still exist for Blacks. So, they live poorly without any jobs. If they get a job, it is only a job as servant, like what Henretta describes as follows. “...the Great American Depression, as you call it, “ one man remarked. There was no such things. The best he could be is a janitor or a porter or shoeshine boy.” (1999:679)
Because of the economic condition in South getting worse they sought other opportunities in North. Quarles in Karenga’s Introduction to Black Studies stated that,
Secondly, it was prompted by the depressed economic situation in the South which include crop failure, the ravage of the boll weevil and natural disasters like the 1915 floods in Alabama and Mississippi which has disastrous result on the agricultural economies....there were intense efforts
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by manufacturing companies who sent recruiting agent in South to solicit Black labor as well as by Black newspaper who induced Blacks to come North for greater opportunities. (1969: 193-194) On the contrary, the North was not the promised island where Negroes can live happily. Racial prejudice that was transformed into racial discrimination began. First, the Whites only think about negative beliefs and feelings or prejudice about a group of people, then they manifested the negative feelings and beliefs overtly to that certain group. Both are connected each other as Rose stated,”...as both analytical and concrete concepts they should not be confused. The difference between prejudice as an attitude and discrimination as overt behavior...” (1997:114).
As the writer stated in previous paragraphs, the Whites felt that Blacks were the competitor of jobs and opportunities. They could not accept the fact that Blacks had the same legal right as theirs. The tension became worse because of the Whites’ mindset since the past that the Black was inferior. It resulted in poor relation between Black and Whites especially in 1930s.
The practice of racial prejudice in 1930 is written in Harper Lee’s To Kill
a Mockingbird . Racial prejudice that happened and existed during the great
depression in the Maycomb county society is clearly pictured in that book. In that book, prejudice is the major theme which is done directly by the Whites in Maycomb as the ethnic group toward a Black man named Tom Robinson. In the court, Tom Robinson was denied to be innocent because he is a Black man. The gconversation between the advocate and Tom Robinson shows that the advocate forced him to be the guilty man as what Lee describes as follows.
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“Were you so scared that she’d be hurt you, you ran, a big buck like you?” “No suh, I’s scared I’d be in court, just like I am now.” “Scared of arrest, scared you’d have to face up to what you did?” “No suh, scared I’d hafta face up to what I didn’t do?” (1960: 225) He was claimed to rape a White girl and he was sentenced to death. The people of Maycomb do not really care about his testimony. He was forced to admitt as a guilty man who raped Mayella.
Responding to this racial issue, the people in Maycomb county took their different responses. Some of them accepted the legalisation of racial prejudice but the others refused it. People like judges or juries supported this injustice among the two races. They even saw the Blacks as inferior creatures.
Meanwhile, some people who refused racial prejudice and who were straightly against this criminal action like Atticus kept struggling their vote to abolish racial prejudice. Atticus Finch, a county lawyer in Maycomb county, took the risk by defending Tom Robinson. Atticus should pay much for this. Because Atticus Finch was a White man, it became a problem to him and his family. It was a shame for Whites to defend Blacks. His children, Scout and Jem were mocked by their friends in the school and their neighbors in Maycomb.
The Whites did not want Blacks to earn same right or to be treated justifiable. The Whites considered that they had much more rights than Blacks.
Little in his article, Race and Society stated that “ Moreover many people for both in the Southern part of United States and in the Union of South Africa continue to argue that the Negro is biologically inferior to the white men.” (1956: 165). From the quotation, The Whites seemed completely arbitrary. They used the parameter of their own appearance and the characteristics of their race higher than Blacks’.
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They thought anyone whose their characteristics are like white, light skin, straight hair and small nose can be called as the highest among the others.
When this kind of mindset appears, the minority group will be judged based on the dominant group’s mindset, not based on their own quality. These mindsets make certain race and culture seem worse than its reality, as Rose stated in his article entitled The Roots of Prejudice below,
Many of the false belief take the form of what social scientists call stereotype. These are exaggerations of certain physical traits or cultural characteristics which are found among members of the minority group and are then attributed to all members of the group. When stereotype exist, an individual is judged, not on the basis of his own characteristics, but on the basis of exaggerated and distorted belief regarding what are thought to be the characteristic of his group. (1965:219) In this case, stereotype will also create assumption to the minority group, which is the Black. Like what Rose stated in The Roots of Prejudice, “Negroes in
South Africa and United States, for example depict them as brutal, stupid, and immoral, but also as happy generous and faithful, ” (1965: 219).
There are only few people who are brave enough to fight racial prejudice in the dominant society. For this reason, the novel To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee is chosen as the novel that reflects the racial prejudice of Whites toward Blacks in 1930s. In the novel, some characters wanted to change the strict rules in the society. By their responses, they intended to show their justifiable attitude toward Blacks.
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Problem formulation
For analyzing the issue, the writer would like to analyze some problems that can be formulated into these three following questions which based on the background mentioned above.
1. How are the Blacks and the Whites described in Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird?
2. How is the racial prejudice of the Whites toward the Blacks revealed in the novel?
3. How are the responses of the Blacks and the Whites toward racial prejudice in
the novel? C.
Objective of the Study
In this writing, the objective of the study is to answer the problems formulation in sufficient and concise way. The writer will focus the analysis on describing the people which are Blacks and Whites. Further, the writer will focus on the practice of racial prejudice which happened in Maycomb county society that was revealed through the Whites. The next point, the writer will focus on the responses of Blacks toward the practice of racial prejudice happened to them in their society.
D. Definition of Terms
To avoid misunderstanding on certain terms, there are some terms that need to be explained in this research, entitled The Responses of Blacks and Whites
toward Racial Prejudice in 1930s as Portrayed in Harper Lee’s To Kill a
Mockingbird . The first term that will be explain is the word race. Based on
William Benton in the book, The New Encyclopedia Britannica states as follows.
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The term race as applied to man has been variously used-by politicians, military leaders, philologists, human biologists, demographers, and historians. Some “races” constitute language groups, often of peoples whose only kinship is that they speak a common language. Such what the original meaning of the so-called Aryan race. Some “races” are simply hypothetical, invented to embrace present distribution of such genetic (heredity) characteristic as stature or hair colour. (1983: 348) The second term is the word prejudice. Based on Rose in the book, They
and We, Racial and Ethnic Relation in the United States , describs as follows
“...defined as a system of negative beliefs, feelings, and action-orientations regarding a group of people.” (Rose, 1997: 113) The third term is the phrase racial prejudice, as what Roth states in the book International Encyclopedia of Ethics is defined as “unequal valuation of persons on the basis of race. It diminishes respect for person and promotes social injustice.”(1995: 721)
The fourth term is the word response, based on Roth, in the book
International Encyclopedia of Ethics is “the awareness of doing or the memory of
having done the action when held accountable in a judgement context of sahred relevant moral values.” (1995: 742) The fifth term is the word Mockingbird, based on Nauvoo, in the book,
Encyclopedia Americana International edition volume 19, is
an American bird famous for its ability to sing and mimic,….Its song repertoire includes phrases from other birds’ songs, imitations of familiar sound, and a melodious song of its own.(1892: 289)
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CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies Nelle Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that mostly tells
about racial prejudice in Maycomb County, Alabama. Atticus Finch, was a lawyer in Maycomb, ordered to fight racial prejudice by defending a Black man who is accused of raping white woman. It is a difficult choice for Atticus. Despite dealing with a matter of justice and equality toward Blacks and Whites, his children, Scout and Jem will be put in danger. People in Maycomb society thought that Whites is more educated than Blacks. So, in other words, if the man even did not rape the White woman, still he would be guilty. That is why it is a shame for Whites to help Blacks. Stratton in his review from the online source, (http://www.hoboes.com/Mimsy/Books/to-kill-mockingbird/), entitled Mimsy
were the Borogoves states as below,
Atticus Finch, is a lawyer charged with a defense that is making him an outcast to half the town. He was appointed by the town judge as public defender to a black man accused of raping a white woman. The town seems divided on the case: half think it doesn’t matter whether he did it or not, because he’s black. The other half take the larger view and think that it doesn’t matter whether he did it or not, the blacks have been getting uppity and need to be put in their place. Atticus and a few friends are not of either kind.
From the quotation above, we can see that Stratton implicitly says that the Whites do not really care about the Black man’s virtue. It is sure that the Black man will be accused as the guilty one. So, whether or not Atticus defended the Black man, it was quite impossible for him to free the black man.
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10 Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird was published in the ‘right time’. It can be a critical issue for the relation of the race in the world. It was published in the era of Civil Right Movement in 1960s when the Blacks began to build their power movement. It is also states in Mimsy were the Borogoves, from (http://www.hoboes.com/Mimsy/Books/to-kill-mockingbird/) as follows.
This was when the civil rights movement was still a black movement, after Brown v. Topeka ordered desegregation at “all deliberate speed”, and the South responded with more deliberation than speed. “To Kill a Mockingbird” came at the right time, and it “said what it had to say”. She has yet to write (or at least to publish) another one. She has supposedly been able to live comfortably off of the book and movie proceeds, thus making her my hero for life.
From the quotation above, we know that To Kill a Mockingbird is the novel that is used to criticize the world in the era of racial prejudice and discrimination which has climax on segregation. The novel, To Kill a
Mockingbird, was written for supporting equality between Blacks and Whites.
In 1962, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird was visualized through a film. Monroeville, Alabama, where Harper Lee grew up and lived, was made a record on universal Studios’ set. The film lifted the same value as the novel, like justice and equality. The criticism is to oppose prejudice which happened in South as what Dirks states in the article entitled The “Greatest” and the “Best” in Cinematic History as follows.
The poor Southern town of deteriorating homes was authentically recreated on a Universal Studios' set. Released in the early 60s, the timely film reflected the state of deep racial problems and social injustice that existed in the South. (http://www.filmsite.org/toki.html)
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The remarkable fact is that it received three awards from The Academy Award as what Tim Dirks reviewes in the article entitled The “Greatest” and the
“Best” in Cinematic History as follows from (http://www.filmsite.org/toki.html)
It was honored with three awards, Gregory Peck won a well-deserved Best Actor Award for his solid performance as a courageous Alabama lawyer, Horton Foote won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar, and the team of Art Directors/Set Decorators also received the top honor.
Atticus struggled for helping people, no matter what their races were, by his job as a lawyer, but further his important purpose was also for his children’s personality in the future. In his daily life, Atticus was nice and kind to both Blacks and Whites. His action of defending black man was one protest toward the government and the people in Maycomb County as what Okkie Maryanna states in her thesis entitled The Reaction of Atticus Against the Practice of Racism in the Society as Seen in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird as follows.
Atticus as the protagonist character in the novel is a good lawyer who defends people without considering their race... his reaction are for the purpose of building up his children’s personality... Atticus’ reaction are as form of the disagreement against the practice of racism. (1999: 30) From the quotation above, Atticus struggled to form equality for Blacks and Whites in Maycomb county. He attempted to treat Blacks and Whites equally.
One of the form is by defending the truth about Tom Robinson’s case in court. From that point, Atticus had another purposefor his children’s personality. He hoped that his children in the future would have the understanding about racial prejudice. He also hoped that in the future his children would follow his own step. Further, he hoped that there were less of people who would have misconception about racial prejudice especially for Blacks an Whites.
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The next review comes from Mike Peters in the National Association for the Teaching of English’s article entitled Examining a set text – To Kill a
Mockingbird fifty years on. He stated that an English teacher in London’s Lilian
Baylis Technology School named Sharpe admitted that the novel was an effective tool to teach. She never had a class which did not like the novel. She added that the actor of Boo Radley and the courthouse scene invited views from the students as what Peters in http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do says below.
I've never had a class that didn't love it,' says one enthusiast. 'There are few book like it for raising issues surrounding responsibility within the community,' claims Caroline Sharpe, an English teacher from London's Lilian Baylis Technology School, who goes on to say that the character of Boo Radley and the court-case 'raise passionate views from students ... It's the best device I can think of for illustrating the atrocious treatment of black folk at the hands of a white only judicial system at that time in history. (http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do)
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel about a White man who assisted an
accused black man. The black man was mistakenly accused because of the stereotype of Whites toward Blacks. The Whites prejudiced that Black is inferior.
Since this stereotypical image existed in the society of Maycomb, to help or to defense a black man was considered as an embarrassing mistake. Even the Finch family who was immensely popular in Maycomb was also considered embarassing because of Atticus act in defending a Black man. For defending a black man in the court was a useless thing because they would always be as guilty rather than White would. But Atticus and some friends kept fighting for the equality and justice between Blacks and Whites.
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It was really unacceptable for the Whites for being the same and equal to Black in the court and other parts of their lives. For this reason , the novel To Kill
a Mockingbird is chosen by the writer to reveal racial prejudice of the Whites to
Blacks. This research entitled, The Responses of Blacks and Whites toward Racial
Prejudice in 1930s as Portrayed in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is
different from others because this research does not only focus on Atticus’ response but also some others characters’ responses of Blacks and Whites in Maycomb county.
B. Review of Related Theories
In this research entitled The Responses of Blacks and Whites toward
Racial Prejudice in 1930s as Portrayed in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird ,
the writer applies two theories. They are theory of character and theory of racial prejudice.
1. Theory of Character
Most stories contain a central character, who is relevant to every event in the story; usually the events cause some changes either in the character or in readers’ attitudes toward the character. Every author wants their readers to understand the characters and the motivation properly, but not at once. The readers need to let each new clue qualifies the impression and avoid a sudden interpretation until they see all of the evidences.
To understand a character, we should be critical in analyzing the author’s explicit description or the way the author describes the character explicitly, as what Stanton stated, “Another sort of evidence, usually more important, is the
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author explicit description and comment upon the character. Personal description almost always helps us both to visualize the person and understand his character.” (1965: 17-18)
Stanton also added other information for recognizing major characters’ characteristics from other characters’ characteristics. Usually, the attitude of the other characters toward the major character will also help us in determining the characteristics of the major characters.
“A third type of evidence, is provided by the other characters in a story, even the minor ones. Obviously, their attitudes toward major characters are important. Not so obviously, their similarities to, or differences from him helps to define the most significant traits.” (1965:18).
But all of those ways to understand a character, the most important and basic thing is by analyzing the behavior and the dialogue of the character, as what Stanton states, “The most important evidence of all is the character’s own dialogue and behavior. In good fiction, every speech and every action is not only a step in the plot but also manifestation of characters.” (1965: 18)
The point is that the readers do not really read the characters before they know how the author formulates the characters; until then they know them only as they know the conversation of strangers on a bus. Through our knowledge of the characters, the readers understand their actions; through their actions, the readers understand the characters and characteristics.
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Theory of Racial Prejudice
There are many definitions of prejudice. It is because prejudice is a difficult subject to study because people might be confused of the stereotype and the target which have posibility to change .
The definition which is used in this writing is Kitano’s. Although he said that many kinds of definition revealed, he decided one which explained about exploitation as what Kitano states below, There are many explanation of prejudice. One is its use in exploitation.
The dominant group can avoid feelings of sympathy and empathy for the dominanted through stereotypes or overexaggerations of negatives qualities. (1987: 50)
For completing this theory, the writer also takes theory of racial prejudice from Rose. As what Peter I. Rose (1997: 113) says that “prejudice may be defined as a system of negative belief, feelings, and action orientation regarding a group of people”. Rose means that prejudice has a negative characteristic because prejudice usually is a result from hostile mind. Later, Rose divided the idea into three levels of theory of prejudice. It contains of the cognitive or beliefs, the affective or feelings, and the conative or behavior in the particular way as what Rose said as follows.