Racism against African-Americans portrayed in Angelina Weld Grimke’s Rachel

ABSTRACT

Literary work is one of the most interesting parts in studying social phenomenon. Literary work reflects life, the real world, and the situation which happened to human being. Through literary work, human can express their concerns, thoughts, feeling and idea of many aspects.

In early decades of twentieth century, citizens of black African-American were denied basic civil rights due to their skin color. Skin color became the dividing line that caused them could not completely get the right to life, liberty, equality, and happiness under the United States Constitution. During this era, African Americans as a racial minority of color could easily be identified and isolated. The race as a justification for the denial of basic civil rights for African-Americans was used for so long. To be inclusive in this democracy, most African-Americans had to live in a marginal society, segregated in all walks of life due to their race.

Based on the background of the study above, the research problems of my thesis are the first is what are the forms of racism against African American described in Angelina Weld Grimke’s Rachel?, the second how do black people oppose the practice of racism?, and the third how does the play describe racism practice as reflection of the real phenomenon in the African American society?

This research is categorized as literary criticism since the writer conduct the interpretation and analysis on a literary work. The writer uses sociological literary criticism theory in doing the analysis because in this analysis, the writer attempts to link literature and socio-historical context at the time by emphasizing on the perspective that literary work as the historical manifestation and cultural social condition. This research uses an extrinsic method, which attempts to interpret literature in the light of its social context and its external causes.

After analyzing the data, the writer found racism against black portrayed in the play takes three forms, i.e. segregation, prejudice, discrimination. There are three dimensions of discrimination which happen to the black people; they are economic, political and social discrimination. Facing these unequal and unfair treatment from whites, blacks don’t hold peace. But, they oppose the practice of racism by complaining to the authorities of the school and by refusing to bring more black children to bear that are systematically oppressed. And the data that are found by writer reflects the society and condition of both North and South of United States in early decades of twentieth century especially in 1916 when the play was written by Angelina Weld Grimke.