Object of the Study

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CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS

The analysis presented in this chapter focuses on the aspects that support discrimination which happens in an Afro American Community as depicted in Paradise. Before the analysis on the major topic, the social background of the Afro American Community in the United States is presented.

A. Social Background of the Ruby Community

Knowing the social background of an Afro American community in the United States is a must in order to get deeper understanding for analyzing the novel. Ruby is a community that consists of Afro-American Families. They isolate themselves because they are discriminated by white people. Ruby community consists of eight families named after the founder of Ruby. All of the families have their own role in developing Ruby. Most of them are businessmen and also merchants. Ruby builds their own community based on their own rule and agreement. Each of the members has the same right in front of the law. The purity and legal married between its members are strongly maintained. This situation is clearly stated as a law in the United States at that time: a man born a Negro or a White is not allowed to pass from one class to another Myrdal 668. In the following sub division, some characteristics of Afro American Community are explained. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

1. The Picture of Puritan Afro American Community

In the beginning black people were imported from Africa as workers. They were treated as commodity for the sake of white land lord. Slavery in the United States started in 1619 when the first Africans arrived. In that year a Dutch vessel landed in Jamestown and the captain sold 20 blacks to Virginia settlers Pinkney 1. Slave trading was a common thing at that time. The landlord needed slaves because they had a lot of farms to be cultivated. The slaves were imported from many countries. They had different culture and language. Those were the reason why they managed to communicate each other and they formed a mixed language from their own community. The land lord also forced them to learn English for the sake of the land lord in ordering them to do something. Breaking the communication barrier, in this case language, gave them a new change in managing better life. This situation enabled them to form a community that strengthened them in the same feelings as slaves. Church was a place that became the foundation of Afro American community life. Church as the central of black community had a great role in motivating black people to get their freedom. Most of the freedom movements formed by black community were discussed within religious community of Afro American people. Church was the safe place. So, church was not only a place for praying or communicating with God, but also a place for sharing knowledge in managing freedom from slavery and solving problem they have. In the beginning, the Whites became the leader of black community as missionaries. Yet in progress, Black people chose their own preacher. Every men