THE BLACK AMERICANS’ DREAMS AND THE WHITE AMERICANS’ OPPRESSION OF THESE DREAMS AS REFLECTED IN A RAISIN IN THE SUN A THESIS
THE BLACK AMERICANS’ DREAMS AND THE WHITE AMERICANS’ OPPRESSION OF THESE DREAMS AS REFLECTED IN A RAISIN IN THE SUN A THESIS BY NUGRAHENI RIA BUDHIUTAMI 02.80.0037 ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME FACULTY OF LETTERS SOEGIJAPRANATA CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY SEMARANG 2007
THE BLACK AMERICANS’ DREAMS AND THE WHITE
AMERICANS’ OPPRESSION OF THESE DREAMS AS
REFLECTED IN A RAISIN IN THE SUN
A Thesis Presented as a Partial Fulfillment of the Recruitment to Obtain The
Sarjana Degree in the English Letters Study Programme
BY
NUGRAHENI RIA BUDHIUTAMI
Student number: 02.80.0037
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME FACULTY OF LETTERS SOEGIJAPRANATA CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY SEMARANG 2007
A THESIS APPROVAL
THE BLACK AMERICANS’ DREAMS AND THE WHITE
AMERICANS’ OPPRESSION OF THESE DREAMS AS
REFLECTED IN A RAISIN IN THE SUN
BY:
NUGRAHENI RIA BUDHIUTAMI
02.80.0037
APPROVED BY
GM. Adhyanggono,SS.,MA October 25, 2007 Major Sponsor Angelika Riyandari, SS.,MA October 25, 2007 Co-Sponsor
A Thesis Defended in front of the Board of Examiners on
October 25, 2007
And Declared Acceptable
BOARD OF EXAMINERS
Chairperson : GM.Adhyanggono, SS.,MA ……………
Secretary : Angelika Riyandari, SS.,MA ……………
Member : Dra.R.M Sri Suryaningsih,MA ……………
Semarang, October 25, 2007 Faculty of Letters Soegijapranata Catholic University Dean, Heny Hartono, SS.,M.Pd 058.1.1998.221
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First, I would like to express my gratitude to God, I really thank God for His guidance during the making of this thesis, so that finally I can finish it. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone who has helped me in finishing this thesis: 1.
B. Retang Wohangara,SS.,M.Hum and GM. Adhyanggono, SS., MA
as my major sponsor and Angelika Riyandari, SS.,MA as my co- sponsor for the advices, supports, and corrections of some mistakes in my thesis.
2. All of the Lecturers and staffs in the Faculty of Letters of Soegijapranata Catholic University; for all their supports, patience, love, encouragements, hospitality, and friendships.
3. My beloved husband, Aji who becomes my spirit to live. Thanks for your love, supports, suggestion, and affection.
4. My father who always gives the financial support, love, and attention.
5. My best friends in Faculty of Letters, Rosita, Santi, Marina, Riska,
Andi, Happy, Nina, Ana, Icha, Cindy, Sepsy, Tanjung, Arwin, Erna, Putri, Pebri, Rendra, Dony, Jeany, Nia, Padma, Pristy, Ika, Dita,
Terra, Sanny, Lingga, etc. Thanks for your supports and prayers.
Finally. I hope this thesis can encourage everyone to always fight for achieving every dream in life. I wish dreams come true for each of us…
- Nugraheni Ria B.-
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGES OF TITLES ………………………………………… i PAGES OF APPROVAL ………………………………………… ii BOARD OF EXAMINERS ………………………………………… iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………. v ABSTRACT …………………………………………. vii ABSTRAK …………………………………………. viii
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study …………………………………….. 1
1.2 Field of the study……….…………………………………….. 3
1.3 Scope of the Study……...…………………………………….. 4
1.4 Problem Formulation…...…………………………………….. 4
1.5 Objectives of the Study...……………………………………... 4
1.6 Significance of the Study …………………………………….. 4
1.7 Definition of Terms…………………………………………… 5
CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 Approach ………………..…………………………………. 7
2.2 The History of Black Americans....…………………………… 8
2.3 The Social Condition of Black Americans
from 1940s until 1950s …………………………………….. 10
2.4 The Black Americans’ Dreams from 1940s until 1950s…….. 14
CHAPTER III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...………………………. 16
CHAPTER IV. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION4.1 Black American Drams reflected in A Raisin in the Sun..……… 18
4.1.1. Dream of better living condition………………………… 19 4.1.2.
Dream of financial success………………………………. 22 4.1.3. Dream of having qualified education……………………. 29 4.1.4. Dream of finding self-identities………………………….. 30
4.2 The White Americans oppression of Black Americans’ dreams as reflected in A Raisin in the Sun play.……………..………… 35
4.2.1. The Whites want to maintain purity of race……………... 35 4.2.2.
The Whites segregate Blacks in using public facilities…………………………………. 36
4.2.3. The Whites think that Blacks are identical with dangerous and harmful habits…………………...… 42
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSION..……………………………………………. 46
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………...…………………………………………. 49
ABSTRACT
A Raisin in the Sun is one of Lorraine Hansberry’s plays which tells aboutthe struggle of Black American family living in Detroit-Chicago, America during 1945-1959. This Younger family has a dream to get better living condition in their future. Their dreams, unfortunately, were postponed by oppression, especially by legal housing segregation done by Whites.
The reason why the writer chose to read and analyze A Raisin in the Sun play is because the writer wants to know what happened in the play, compared to what happened in the real society during that era, where the Blacks always got discriminated by Whites. The Whites have done many things to the Blacks. The Whites’ discrimination toward Blacks have made the Blacks have dreams to be received by the Whites at every cost, for example: by making themselves physically appear like Whites, and dream of having better life without Whites’ discriminations.
The approach used to analyze this play is Socio-Historical approach. This approach is used to compare between the story in the play and the real social- historical condition, like when the Blacks were oppressed by Whites because historically they were slaves, and how the Blacks were always regarded as second-class citizens by most Whites.
Based on the writer’s analysis, the reason why Whites feel reluctant to mix with Blacks is because they were slaves working for Whites, with low social and educational backgrounds. This makes Whites think that Blacks are rude, illiterate, brutal, and dangerous. The racial discrimination done by Whites has finally brought negative effects to the development of Blacks’ self-identities, because they feel excluded and unwanted, making them feeling inferior, and thus hinder them from greater success. It can also be said that this racial discrimination has prevented Blacks from achieving their dreams, like for example: financial success, better living condition, decent job and education, and social equality.
Keywords: Oppression, Discrimination, Segregation, Purity of Race
ABSTRAK A Raisin in the Sun adalah salah satu drama Lorraine Hansberry yang
menceritakan perjuangan sebuah keluarga kulit hitam yang hidup di Amerika yang terletak di Detroit-Chicago pada tahun 1945-1959, yaitu keluarga Younger dimana setiap anggota keluarga memiliki sebuah mimpi untuk masa depan mereka, terutama untuk mendapatkan kehidupan yang lebih baik. Tetapi mimpi- mimpi mereka terhalang oleh penindasan seperti contohnya pemisahan dalam hal bertetangga yang dilakukan oleh orang kulit putih.
Penulis memilih drama A Raisin in the Sun karena penulis ingin mengetahui keadaan yang sebenarnya terjadi pada masa yang ada di dalam drama dengan sejarah yang sebenarnya telah terjadi dimana orang kulit hitam selalu didiskriminasi oleh orang kulit putih. Banyak hal yang dilakukan terhadap orang kulit hitam. Diskriminasi yang dilakukan oleh orang kulit putih membuat orang kulit hitam selalu memiliki sebuah mimpi untuk menjadi orang yang di terima oleh orang kulit putih dengan melakukan berbagai macam cara, misalnya dengan mengubah fisik mereka agar seperti orang kulit putih dan memiliki kehidupan yang lebih baik tanpa adanya diskriminasi dari segala hal.
Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam menganalisa novel ini adalah pendekatan socio-historical. Pendekatan ini digunakan untuk menggabungkan cerita dalam drama dengan keadaan sejarah yang sebenarnya terjadi, seperti orang kulit hitam yang ditindas oleh orang kulit putih sebagai budak dan orang kulit hitam selalu dianggap sebagai masyarakat kelas dua oleh orang kulit putih.
Dari analisa penulis, alasan mengapa orang kulit putih enggan berbaur dengan orang kulit hitam adalah karena mereka menganggap bahwa orang kulit hitam adalah bekas kelompok budak, dengan tingkat ekonomi rendah dan pendidikan yang rendah pula. Ini menjadikan orang kulit putih menganggap orang kulit hitam kasar, tidak berpendidikan, brutal, dan berbahaya. Diskriminasi ras ini pada akhirnya membawa dampak buruk bagi perkembangan kepribadian orang kulit hitam, mereka merasa tersisihkan dan tidak di-inginkan, membuat mereka minder sehingga kesempatan untuk maju pun juga terhalang. Dapat juga dikatakan, bahwa diskriminasi ras yang dilakukan oleh orang kulit putih telah mencegah orang kulit hitam mencapai mimpi-mimpi mereka, seperti contohnya: kesuksesan finansial, tempat tinggal yang layak, pendidikan dan pekerjaan yang layak, dan kesetaraan sosial.
Kata Kunci: Penindasan, Diskriminasi, Segregasi, Kemurnian Ras.