A SOSIOLOGICAL APPROACH ON LANGSTON HUGHES POEMS
A Thesis
Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty In partial fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Strata Degree (S1)
Ade Agung Sahida 103026027609
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH
JAKARTA
ABSTRACT
Ade Agung Sahida, A Sociological Approach on Langston Hughes. Thesis. English Letters Department. Letters and Humanities Faculty. State Islamic University. Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. May 2009.
This research discusses Langston Hughes poems entitle: Negro, Cross and I, Too in which analyzes the sociological approach by Hippolyte Taine.
The writer attempts to present the poems of Langston Hughes and correlate the poems to African American life in 1930s in America. Significantly, the research is able to enlighten of the way the other researcher in comprehending a community. The objective of this research is to know and recognize how the poems reflects the condition of African American in 1930s. This research uses qualitative method using sociological approach by Hippolyte Taine theory. The researcher uses himself to study the text of poems and find other resources to complete the research references and the analysis unit of this research is the poems entitle: Negro, Cross and I, Too by Langston Hughes.
A SHEET OF APPROVAL
A SOSIOLOGICAL APPROACH ON LANGSTON HUGHES
POEMS
A Thesis
Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty In partial fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Strata Degree (S1)
By
Ade Agung Sahida 103026027609
Approved by:
Inayatul Chusna, M.Hum NIP.150 331 233
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH
LEGALIZATION
The thesis entitled “A Sociological Approach on Langston Hughes” has been defended by the Letters and Humanities Faculty’s Examination Committee on June 23rd 2009. The thesis has already been accepted a partial fulfillment of the requirement for SI in English Letters Department.
Jakarta, June 23rd 2009.
Examination Committee
Chief
Dr. Muhammad Farkhan, M. Pd NIP. 150 229 480
Secretary
Drs. A. Saefuddin, M. Pd NIP. 150 261 902
Members:
Examiner I
Danti Pudjianti,S.Pd. MM NIP. 132 233 516
Examiner II
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of university or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text.
Jakarta, June 2009.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In the name of God, the Infinitely Good, the All – Merciful
First of all the writer would like to thank to Allah SWT, the lord of the universe, has created heavens and earth, and has created mankind and all that we perceive. Peace and blessing be upon to the prophet Muhammad SAW, his fellows and followers.
Second, the writer would like to express his gratitude to his elder brother Dudung Masduki and Teh Usi, thanks for the useful advise and financial support, he also thanks to his beloved mom and dad for the prayer and hope. The writer thanks to H. Rahman Husen, SH.i and Ustd.Padil who have advised him in finishing this thesis.
Next, the writer would like to thank to his supervisor Inayatul Chusna, M.Hum for his careful reading of his thesis, for his valuable suggestions for making this thesis research completely and the most of all for his kind encouragement.
Consequently, the writer also thanks to these following people:
1. Dr.H.Abdul Chair, MA, the dean of Letters and Humanities Faculty Jakarta Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University.
2. Dr.H. Muhammad Farkhan, M.Pd, and Drs. Asep Saepudin, M.Pd, the chief and secretary of English Letters Department.
4. All the Lectures of English Letters Department, who has taught and educated him during his study at the campus.
5. All the employers of UIN Jakarta American Corner Library, FAH UIN Library, FIB UI Library, who help him to get many extra ordinary references to finish this thesis.
6. All his friends at the campus; Erlangga BP, Acep, Syukri , Afrizul, Anwar Yasin , Syafrianto SM, Faisal and Fachri. May Allah blesses and gives the greatest award for them.
Jakarta, June 2009.
Ade Agung Sahida The Writer
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A SHEET OF APPROVAL ………. i
DECLARATION ……….. ii
ABSTRACT ………. .iii
LEGALIZATION……….……….iv
ACKNOWLEGMENT ……… v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ……….vii
CHAPTER I INRODUCTION ……….... 1
A. Background of Study ………. 1
B. Focus of the Research ……… 2
C. Research Question ……….. 3
D. Significance of the Research ………. 3
E. Method of the Research ………. 3
1. Research Methodology ……….. 3
2. Data Analysis ……… 3
3. Unit Analysis ………. 3
4. The Research Time and Place ………4
CHAPTER II THEORICAL FRAMEWORK ……… 5
A. Literature and Reflection of Life ……… 5
B. Literary Sociology of Hippolyte Taine ………. ….8
2. Time ………...11
3. Environment (Milieu) ………..12
CHAPTER III THE ANALYSIS OF POEMS ………. 15
A.Negro ………. 15
B. Cross ………. 19
C. I, Too ………. 23
CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION ………. 29
A. Conclusion ……… 29
B.Suggestion ………. 30
BIBLIOGRAPHY ……….. 31 APPENDICES
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of Study
One of the literary text functions is a reflection to the realities which happened in a society. Through literary work, the author expresses the life problem that is experienced by the society and author.1 Literature represents the description of life consists on social fact. In this case, the life includes the relation among societies and events impressed in someone’s mind which became the substance of literature. It related to the personal and society2.
Poetry is one of literary work that describes the realities in that text. The reality it self will be interpretation of author with the result that what the text of poem is the author’s comprehension about a reality.
Langston Hughes3 is an African American represents the social condition in his poem such as the African American who are not accepted as white as accepted. I, Too is a poet that is written by Langston Hughes shows that out of the numerous races living in America the black man also sings America. It’s mean that American song can sing by all people of America belonging to African
1
Anonymous, Tentang Sastra dan Konflik, Accessed on May 28, 2008. http://www.seuramoe.wordpress.com/2007/04/27/ tentang-sastra-dan-konflik-1/html. P.1
2
Anonymous, hakikat dan pungsi sastra, Accessed on Jun 12, 2008. http:mywritingblogs.com/sastra/2008/02//14/hakikat-dan-pungsi-sastra/html.P.1
3
Langston Hughes was born on Feb. 1, 1902. In Joplin, Missouri, he was grown up mainly in Lawrence, Kansas, but also lived in Illinois, Ohio, and Mexico. by the time Hughes enrolled at Columbia University in New York, he had al ready launched his literary career with his poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” in the crisis, edited by W E.B. Du Bois. He had also committed himself both to writing and to writing mainly about African Americans. He was part of the Harlem Renaissance and was known during his lifetime as” the poet of Harlem”, Hughes was an African American poet who was one of the black voices to hear in America.
Arnold Ramperson, Arnold Ramperson on Langston Hughes, Accessed on March 11, 2008.
American. In Poetry of Negro4 Hughes describes himself and his race as having been a slave, worker, singer and victim who suffered discrimination in several different ways from several different people in several different places. Cross is a poet that is reflected about the speaker mixture between black race and white race. And Cross which was printed in 1930 is representing truth and reflection in racial identity. The realities that he takes on his poems on the title I, Too, Cross, and Negro touches to problem about race, time and milieu or environment.
Sociological analysis human in society, through the process of comprehension from society to individual. This analysis is to know the progress of society, in which can be viewed from particular aspects, such as race, time and environment. Sociological analysis explores the relationships between the writer and society. This approach prophases the confrontation and conflict which happen in a society as inspiration of the writer. In this case, the writer reflects and describes the event which happens in that society. This approach, the literary work is understood as description of social condition which happens in a society. Through this analysis, the writer expects that the research will be successful and it is necessary for all the people who interested in sociological analysis.
4
The term black people usually refers to a racial group of humans with dark brown skin color, the black people had been in the United State since 200 years ago. They came from Africa, in the beginning they called with the term “African”. In 1835 black leaders called upon black Americans to remove the title of “African” from their institutions and replace it with “Negro” or “Colored American.” In 1988 the term “Negro” replace with “African American” because the term has a historical culture base. Since then African American and black have essentially a coequal status and the term African American still used up to now.
In this case, the writer will be used the term African American as substitute from the term “Negro” in this thesis.
B. Focus of the Research
The Research will focus on the thesis writing of Langston Hughes Poems Negro, Cross and I, Too and limit merely on the extrinsic analysis through The Literary Sociological approach by Hippolyte Taine.
C. Research Question
Based on the background above, the statement of the problem is follow: 1. By applying Taine’s theory how do poems Negro, Cross and I, Too reflect
the condition of African American in 1930s?
D. Significance of the Research
Through this research, the writer wants to share the widest perception of human relation, and correlate the literary work to the race, time and milieu. Moreover, it can give enlightenment to the other researchers in exploring the social condition by using The Literary Sociological approach by Hippolyte Taine.
E. Research Methodology
The method of this research involves some important aspects that complete the research as follow:
1. Method of the Research
2. Data Analysis
The collected data of the research is analyzed based on sociology of literature approach by Hippolyte Taine. This approach used the text analyze method to get understanding the structure, then use to know deeper the outside of literature social indication.
3. Unit Analysis
The analysis unit of this research is three poems of Langston Hughes entitle: I, Too, Cross and Negro.
4. Research Time and Place
CHAPTER II conflict and the strained situation among the communities.
A literary work is “a mirror” of human life; however, it portrays bad and good things of human. As quoted from the dictionary of literature terminology, “a literature work is a portrait of society life; moreover, it portrays the author’s personal life”.6 A literary work is a possibility world that produced by an author. In producing the work he or she has to provide a worth and saleable work for the society tastes, and the work will be success if it can reflect the time, so the society will appreciate the work as long as it represents their social, culture and economic life.
In any case, an author is also the member of society, which has to establish a communication between the author and the reader. Through the communication, the literary work can be distributed to the reader as the devotee of literature. In the
5
The term literally is “acquaintance with letters” as in the first sense given in the Oxford English Dictionary, from the Latin “littera” meaning “an individual written character (letter)”.
The has generally come to identify a collection of the texts of work of art, which in Western culture are mainly prose, both fiction and non – fiction, drama and poetry. Anonymous, Literature,
Accessed on April 11, 2008. http://en.wikipefia.org/wiki/Literature, p.1 6
communication process, the author has been sending a massage to the reader.7 In this case, the literary work is described as the message and its content must be recognized between them in order to be comprehended accurately.
Literary work is representation of a world; consequently, the reader has to embody it actively. As a result, the reader will find the author’s ideology within the work. Actually, the author has a particular language to inform the ideology to the reader. So, the reader has to be smart in interpreting the author’s ideology. The literature is able to be informative and creative, it does not only offer the information; yet, it is related to the esthetics experience, which includes into the art and transformed through the language.
According to Swingewood, literature is not only created to overcome the scientific object analysis; however, it also gets into the ground of social life to reveal the way of human to recognize their society. Meanwhile, the other sociologist; Hogart, said that “without the full literary witness, the student of society will be blind to the fullness of a society life”. 8
In this case, literature does not full express the life, because the author occasionally does not make it on purpose; nevertheless, literature still describes the inveisible aspects of society life. However, literary work has an important duty to be a pioneer that gives admission to occurred social symptoms in society life.
Literature is the social institution that uses language medium. Moreover, it “provides life” and almost of the life consists of social reality; occasionally, it
7
Sapardi Joko Damono, Kita dan Sastra Dunia,Baca Artikel. Accessed on Jun 12, 2008. http:// www.mizan.com/portal/template/Baca Artikel/kodeart/222, p.4
8
“imitates” the nature and world of human.9 One of literary work that portrays a society life is fiction. This genre dominates to perform the complete narrative aspects and involves the society culture. The language that used in fiction is easy and understandable; generally, it is also used by the society.10 Accordingly, it can be interpreted that fiction is fairly sociologic and represent the society social, cultural and economic life.
B. Sociological Approach
Sociology is an academic and applied discipline and studies society and human social interaction. As an academic discipline, sociology is typically considered a social science. The world of sociology was coined by French thinker Auguste Comte in 1838 from Latin socius (companion, associate) and Greek logos (word). Comte hoped to unify of humankind- including history, psychology and economic.11
Sociologist hope it is not only to understand what held social groups together, but also to develop responses to social disintegration and exploitation. Meanwhile, Indonesian sociologists; Soemardjan and Soemardi (Yanto: 1980) define sociology:
“Sosiologi adalah ilmu yang mempelajari struktur, proses dan perubahan-perubahan sosial. Yang dimaksud struktur sosial, yaitu keseluruhan jalinan antara unsur –unsure sosial yang pokok, diantaranya kaidah – kaidah, sosial adalah pengaruh timbal balik antar berbagai segi kehidupan, dan salah satu proses sosial yang bersifat tersendiri adalah perubahan – perubahan di dalam struktur sosial.”12
9
Wellek and Warren, Teori Kesusastraan, diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Indonesia oleh Melani Budianta, Ph.D, (Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 1995), p.109
10
Nyoman Kutha Ratna.S.U, Teori, Metode, dan Penelitian Sastra, (Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar, 2004), p.336
11
Anonymous, Sociology, Wiki. Accessed on Jun 12, 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology, p.2
12
Furthermore, sociology attempts to answer the question about how society exists, act and survive. 13 Accordingly, The sociology attempt to get known how the societies enable, how they take place, and how they still exist. This science expands literary world by Hippolyte Taine (1766 – 1817).
1. Literary Sociology of Hippolyte Taine
The Literature is the social institute, which use the language as the medium of language. The language is the social creature.14 The language had shown the life reflection and it means the social reality. In understanding about society life between individualism or between the human and the event happened in someone’s heart had been used to literature is reflected to someone relationship with another or societies. Literature related to certain situation, or with political system, economic and certain social. The research conducted to formulate social influence to literature and literature position in society.15 The literature has created for enjoyable, understanding, and useful for the people. Literature as a creative art using human and all kinds of life as a media convey idea, theory, or system thinking of human can be able to become forwarding of idea thought and felt by man of letters about the human life.
Literature and sociology have a natural relationship. Sociology is the systematic study of human behavior, of the groups to which one belongs, and of the societies that human beings create and within which their lives unfold.16
13
Faruk, PengantarSociologi Sastra, (Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar, 1994), p.1 14
Kenney William, How to Analyze Fiction,( New York: Monarch Press, 1966). P.94. 15
Atar Semi, Kritik Sastra,(Bandung: Angkasa, 1993), p.52. 16
Institutionally, object between sociology and literature is human being in society. Sociology is scientific and objective study about human in society, a study of social organizations and processes.17 The literature approach that tell society elements called sociology of literature.
The concept of literary sociology represents that literary work written by an author, and the author is a silent being. Therefore, literature also formed by society that literature stay in network of system and assess in societies. Sociology of literature in definition is involved all the approaches, each based on the action and certain theories view. Another Lenin line follower critic had done the sociology approach which use by the France writer team, sure about the Literature engage idea. There are two principle tendencies in analyzing sociology in literature. First, the approach based on opinion that literature is merely reflection of economic – social process. This approach moved from the out side factors of literature to discuss it. The literature would be valuable only with the factors relationship in out side of literature it self. Second, the approach based on the literature text as the research substance. The sociology of literature use the text analyze method to get understanding of the structure, then it use to know deeper the out side of literature social indication.18 So, the duty of literary sociology is to connect the author creation situation and the people experience with history circumstance representing his genesis.
The sociology of literature can be explained shortly, sociology as the objective and natural analyze about the human in society, institute, and social process. The sociology attempt to know how the societies made, how they
17
Faruk, Pengantar Sociology Sastra, ( Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar, 1994), p.1. 18
take place, and how they exist. The approach literature sociology approach today paid a big attention to documentary of literature aspect: based on opinion that the literature was the reflection era. This opinion considered that the literature is direct reflection from all social structure aspect, family relationship, class conflict, and so on. In this case, sociology of literature task is relating to experience of the fancy characters and the author’s creation situation with the histories sources.
The writer used literary sociology of Hippolyte Taine in analyzes this paper. The period of positivism of scientific, a well- known figure of literary sociology is Hippolyte Taine (1766 – 1817). He is a philosopher, historian, politician, and critic of France naturalist. He is figure of literary sociology modern. In his work, Taine influenced a number of nationalist literary movements throughout the world, who used his ideas to ague that their particular countries had a distinct literature and thus a distinct place in literary history. In addition, post-modern literary critics concerned with the relationship between literature and social history continue to cite Taine’s work, and to make use of the idea of race, milieu, and moment. Taine used these words in French ( race, environment, and time); the terms have become widespread in literary criticism in English, but are used in this context in senses closer to the French meanings of the words than the English meanings, which are, roughly,(race, environment, and time).19 Taine wants to formulate literature sociology approach by using method which used in natural philosophy and relationship between literature and social history. Race
19
(nation), environment (milieu), and time (moment) are three aspects of the literary critic and sociologist Hippolyte Taine’s attempt at a scientific account of literature. Taine argued that literature was largely produce the author’s environment, and that analysis of that environment could yield a perfect understanding of the work of literature. In his book, History of English Literature (1863), His mention that a literature work will be explained according to three factors are race, time (moment), and environment (milieu). Knowing fact about race, time (moment), and environment (milieu), we get the picture spirituals climate and culture which produce an author and his works. According to him, this factors produce structure mental author realized in art and literature.
a) Race.
Taine gives definition of race from characteristic of man like behavior, feature of body, the action being born, a breed, and tribe in soul human being20. Race is a human group with some observable, common biological feature. The most prominent of these is skin color, but racial group also differ in the other observable ways such as eyelid shape and the color and texture of hair. People as well as societies differ from one another, and these differences have become the basic from classifying people into large group. Race, religion, nationally, and other culture distinctions are a few of these human differences that have been used in to categorize people, and usually these classification have been to the
20
disadvantage of the individual as well as the group. He also explain that although much nation in the world, but identity of characteristic from one nation still there. Taine did not mean race in specific sense now common, but rather the collective cultural dispositions that govern everyone without their knowledge or consent.
b) Time (moment).
Time is a condition social politic at one period. It is a component of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify the motions of objects. Time has been a major subject of religion, philosophy, and science, but defining it in a non-controversial manner applicable to all fields of study has consistently eluded the greatest scholars21.The moment is the accumulated experiences of that person, which Taine often expressed as momentum. Every momentum have idea’s dominant which can hold out in the centuries. Time is literature tradition; influence literary on the after tradition literary.
c) Environment (milieu).
Environment is condition of nature, climate, and the social.22 This concept of environment try to giving explains about genesis of literary work. Milieu is the particular circumstances that distorted or
21
Anonymous, , Sociology, accessed on March 26, 2008. http://www. wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippolyte_Taine/html. P.4
22
history at the expense of critical judgment, though Tine’s own abilities as a critic were considerable.
The theory that will be used in analyzing these poems is Taine theory by using the sociological approach. According to Hippolyte Taine as quoted by Suwardi Endaswara, Sociological approach is desirable well to do reflection three point, that are race, moment, and milieu23
23
CHAPTER III
THE ANALYSISIS OF POEMS A. Negro
I am a Negro 1
Black as the night is black, Black like the depths of my Africa.
I’ve been a slave:
Caesar told me to keep his door-steps clean. 5 I brushed the boots of Washington.
I’ve been a worker:
Under my hand the pyramids arose. I made mortar for the Woolworth Building.
I’ve been a singer 10
All the way from Africa to Georgia I carried my sorrow songs.
I made ragtime. I’ve been a victim:
The Belgians cut off my hands in the Congo. 15 They lynch me still in Mississippi.
I am a Negro:
Black as the night is black,
Black like the depths of my Africa. 19
1. Explications
Negro is a poet that is written by Langston Hughes in 1926. It is reflected to the history of African American, trials, and tribulation they endured in the past and continue to endure in the present. In this poem, “I” is described to all African American.
shows that the speaker in this poem “I” as one black man, as the entire black race throughout history.
2. Analysis Race
Negro is a poet that is written by Langston Hughes, it is described about history of African American as slave in the time of Caesar era until Washington. The African American in this poem is described as a poor man and suffer life it’s different with the other race.
I’ve been a slave:
Caesar told me to keep his door-steps clean. I brushed the boots of Washington.
(Line 4-6)
The analysis “I” in this line is race of a tribe and breed, “Caesar” and “Washington” indicated that African American having been slave during that time because Caesar and Washington are symbol of period. In this poem, African American described also as a worker but still as a poor people, we could see from the line 7-9.
I’ve been a worker:
Under my hand the pyramids arose. I made mortar for the Woolworth Building.
In the word “the pyramids arose” and the word “the Woolworth Building” is reflected to the era and different time so African American as a worker from the pyramid arose until the Woolworth Building.
In the next of other period the African American has changed as singer and good condition if we compare with the period before as slave and worker.
I’ve been a singer
I made ragtime
(Line 10-13)
In this line of analysis “I carried my sorrow songs” as race of behavior. This poem resonated with black people or African American because the events are the real events of suffered, and enlightens how far African-Americans as a people have come. The main point of this poem describes about African American being discriminated in so many places and by so many people, how horribly he and others have been treated.
3. Analysis Moment
The second of Tine’s theory is time (moment). Time is a social condition at the one period. The moment is the accumulated experiences of the person, which Taine often expressed as momentum. Every momentum has idea dominant which can hold out in the century. The story and event in the poem Negro happened in 1926s.
present. Hughes describes himself and his race as having been a slave, worker, singer and victim who suffered discrimination in several different ways from several different people in several different places.
4. Analysis Environment
The third of Taine’s theory is environment (milieu). Environment (milieu) is the particular circumstances that distorted or developed the dispositions of a particular person. According to Taine, literature is not just personal imagination in characteristic personal, but representing its period record. The environment in the Poetry of Langston Hughes is Harlem of New York’s city. Harlem is a community in New York City, in northern Manhattan Island. Its population is mostly Negro.24 New York’s Harlem was a center for musical and artistic talent during that era. So those, Harlem than became a fashionable residential community.
In the beginning, 1910 -1920 Harlem made one of largest black communities in the United States. At the same time, Harlem became an animating force for other black America communities. Many Black writers have been Harlem residents.
One of central figure of Harlem Renaissance is Langston Hughes. He was an African American poet who was one of the first black voices to be heard in America.
I’ve been a victim:
The Belgians cut off my hands in the Congo. They lynch me still in Mississippi
(Line 14-16)
24
This poem refers to environment in Harlem because this poem written as a voice of they souls as black people in Harlem and presented his environment. B. Cross And wished she were in hell, I'm sorry for that evil wish
And now I wish her well.
My old man died in a fine big house. My ma died in a shack.
I wonder where I'm gonna die,
Being neither white nor black 11
(1930)
1. Explications
Cross is written by Langston Hughes, its poem as reflection to racial identity. “I” in this poem is speaker and as mixed son between black people and white people so because it, the speaker wonder about his position as white people or black people.
2. Analysis Race
Cross is poem of Langston Hughes, its poem as struggle reflection of speaker in looking for his identity. The identity of race make person into a group, sometimes in a community indirectly a large group make discrimination to other group or other race and that is problem which happening in America. its poem cultural identity or race of breed, the speaker in this poem is a child of hybrid who confused to choose of his identity of race. The speaker uses the word “I” as a hybrid. He has denied he is black or white people so he cannot possibly be at the same status of race as his parents. He is not taken in by the African culture because he is part white and he is not taken by the whites because he is black. He is taking his curses back from his mother and father because he realizes that this is all he has left of his heritages and without them, he is no longer part of either society.
If ever I cursed my white old man I take my curses back.
If ever I cursed my black old mother
And wished she were in hell, I'm sorry for that evil wish
(Line 3-6) I wonder where I'm gonna die,
Being neither white nor black
Its line refer to race of breed and also reflected the distance between black and white and how he is unsure of where he stands in America's view and the speaker in this poem wonder about his culture being a white people or black people because he seems to not have a race.
3. Analysis Moment
The plot story in the poem Cross was happened in 1930s. America on the 1930s money was scarce because of the depression, so people did what they could to make them happy. In the great opportunity was now the land of depression. What was once the land of hope and optimism had become the land of despair.25 African American always experience discrimination in their life. Discrimination and pressure, and racial still there if American especially whites society still see blacks as minority community.
In the early 1930s, Hughes wrote his poem entitled “Cross” in this poem African American feels discrimination. It is also reflected to social and economic condition in America where African American in this poem is described as poor and suffer people than white people.
In this line, my old man refers to white man and in good position we can see when a white people died and we see how black people died. This poem also reflected in the economic and social condition in America. In this poem African
25
American is described as suffer people in this life “died in a shack.” it is so different condition from white people is described good position in economic “died in a fine big house.”
4. Analysis Environment
"From 1920 until about 1930 an unprecedented outburst of creative activity among African Americans occurred in all fields of art. Beginning as a series of literary discussions in the lower Manhattan (Greenwich Village) and upper Manhattan (Harlem) sections of New York City, this African American cultural movement became known as "The New Negro Movement" and later as the Harlem Renaissance. More than a literary movement and more than a social revolt against racism, the Harlem Renaissance exalted the unique culture of African Americans and redefined African American expression. African Americans were encouraged to celebrate their heritage and to become "The New Negro," a term coined in 1925 by sociologist and critic Alain LeRoy Locke.
In the early 1930s, Hughes wrote his poem entitle Cross. This poem as a voice of speaker in looking for his identity.
“My old man’s a white old man and my old mother’s black.” (Line 1-2)
“My old man died in a fine big house My ma died in a shack.”
(Line 8-9)
Langston Hughes where he stays in a community African American places
They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed - -
I, too, am America. (1932)
1. Explication
I, Too is written by Langston Hughes, as reaction to racial discrimination in America where African American are considered as class.
2. Analysis Race
Fist line of the poem, “I, too, sing America clearly signifies one thing: just because his skin color is different from whites, he argues that he also sings the National Anthem/Star Spangle Banner the same as whites do because they are African American also American people.
“I, Too, sing America,” “I am the darker brother.”
(Line 1-2)
This poem refer to the feature of body of race, this poem is used of the word “I” as Hughes on titles his poem, “I, Too” By using the word “I” he tells the reader that he, personally, is the subject of the title. Essentially, he is saying that he, too, or he also. By using the word “too”, he is implying that he is included in it as well and is also part of whatever it is he is referring to the title is particularly interesting, in that it seems to be a sort of miniature dialog snippet.
In the line “I am the darker brother,” showing how he is a part of the family that is the American society, more specifically, the African American part. He implies that he is the black citizen who is brother to the lighter skinned white American. The word “brother” symbolizes a more significant and closer relationship with his siblings, or in this case, fellow citizens. He is also American the poet writes about servant who is a black and serves a white American.
“Tomorrow, I'll be at the table when company comes.
Nobody will dare Say to me, "Eat in the kitchen,” (Line 8-13)
While the civil helped reunite the united state and slavery was legally dissolved, racial ideologies remained, and the barriers that prevented black from integrating into American Society still exited.26 This century black people were discriminated through the act of segregation. Black society was separated from whites in most public areas including trains, park, event cemeteries, and segregates school.
3. Analysis Moment
Racial Discrimination acted by the white race to the black race always continues daily in America. In 1932 Langston Hughes wrote his poem “I, Too” This form allowed him to illustrate the damage caused by racism while portraying the African American as an intelligent human being. Hughes, his style of writing reflected the plight of the African American while not idealizing "black folk. In his poem “I, Too” Hughes wanted to capture the dominant oral and improvisatory traditions of black culture in written form", but he was more concerned with the possibility of his work "lapsing into racist primitivism. The condition about racism in America still exists, and those issues appeared in American society, and this problem discussed in the American government.
Tahun 1964, digunakan oleh senat Amerika sebagai siasat untuk mencegah diloloskannya Undang –undang Hak Sipil. Rancangan undang –undang itu bertujuan mengakhiri diskriminasi ditempat – tempat umum, berdasar warna kulit dan jenis kelamin. Banyak warga Amerika frustasi karena Rancangan Undang –undang itu nyangkut di
26
Senat. Sebagian besar orang Amerika ingin agar RUU itu disetujui. Pada waktu itu muncul istilah baru “filibuster” untuk menyebut siasat yang digunakan dalam senat untuk merintangi langkah kelompok mayoritas. Filibuster berasal dari kata Belanda - Prancis- spanyol, yang secara harfiah, artinya adalah pembajak atau perampok. Selam 150 tahun ini , filibuster digunakan dari waktu kewaktu oleh golongan minoritas dalam Senat Amerika untuk menunda atau merintangi
lolosnya Rancangan Undang-Undang.27
It defines that on 1964, American senate discussed about Legislation Program that had purpose to finish discrimination in public places, based on race and gender. Much American society got frustrated because Discrimination Legislation Program still in American Senate. Part of American society wanted that the Senate agreed Discrimination Legislation Program. However, minority in America Senate did not want to allow that the Legislation Program applied in public, because they felt that discrimination should have made happened in America- for the best race that born from Aryan race or white people and the second race that born from black, Asian, Jewish, Indian people, etc.
Since that time, had appeared new concept “Filibuster” that used by minority group in America Senate to block the majority’s way that had purpose to finish racial discrimination that happened in America. “Filibuster” came from Nederland – French-Spanish, which mean hijacker. About these 150 years, used by minority in American Senate to adjourn or block Discrimination Legislation Program to be applied to the public. This way, filibuster was successfully used by minority and made the issue about racial discrimination still occur in America.
It means, in American Government, issue about racial discrimination would be long problem. Part of American Government in Senate agreed racial
27
discrimination should have made occurred in America. This problem affected the American society, which somebody could intimidate any everyone based on race and gender. And, it caused many crimes happened in America.
4. Analysis Environment
I, Too which was written by Langston Hughes is a poem which refers to environment in Harlem because this poem as a voice of they souls as black people in Harlem and presented his environment.
“I” in the poem of “I, Too” is described as Negro people. The first line of the poem “I, too, sing America,” clearly signifies one thing: Just because his skin color is different from whites, he argues that he also sings the National Anthem/Star Spangle Banner the same as whites do. More importantly, the voice of the poem, the servant, argues that he too is American.
In this poem “I, Too” African American is described that African American were not accepted. Black was discriminated , separated from using the same facilities and being in the same place as white, just to name a few.
"They send me to eat in the kitchen” “when company comes,”
(Line 3-4)
Both of poem represented Hughes as black skin and he is thinking that black race beautiful. It is poem also influenced from his life as black people in Harlem and refers to his environment.
CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
A. Conclusion
Langston Hughes poems attempts to present the sociological aspect, according to Taine the sociological can be seen from three aspects such us: race, time and milieu. The plot story and event in the poems Negro, Cross and I, Too, happened in 1930- 1941s.
Negro is a poet that reflected to the history of African American, trials and tribulation they endured in the past and continue to endure in the present. In this poem, African American is described as second class than whites’ people.
In the poem of I, Too African American were discriminated against, separated from using the same facilities and being in the same place as white just name a few. The discrimination in this poem show when African American people must eat in the kitchen, it’s so different than white’s people.
Cross is the poem is written by Langston Hughes, as reflection to racial identity. “I” in this poem is speaker and as mixed son between black people and white people so the speaker wonder about his position as white people or black people. This poem as struggle reflection of speaker in looking for his identity. The speaker in this poem as “hybrid.” He has denied, he is black people or white people so his disability possibly be at the same social status as his parents.
New York city. Harlem is a community in New York City, in northern Manhattan Island. Its population is mostly Negro. Because of that environment, Langston Hughes tells about black people in his poems as a voice of souls as black people in Harlem and presented his environment in his poems Negro and I, Too.
B. Suggestion
The thesis entitled A Sociological Analyzing on Langston Hughes poems Negro, Cross and I, Too is one of many exertions to find the news treasure in literature and this thesis hoped could giving the appreciation to literature itself. The writer suggests those who are interested in studying about the
sociology, which analyzes the social activities of people, through the Hippolyte Taine theory. The plot story and even in this poems was happened in 1930-1941s in America.
The discourses of any readers and appreciators upon the literary works in websites, and books are some helpful to accomplish this thesis.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Books:
Anonymous. The Encyclopedia America. USA: Grolier Incorporated, 2001. Damono, Sapardi Djoko. Sosiologi Sastra. Jakarta: Depdikbud, 1984. Faruk, Pengantar Sosiologi Sastra.Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar, 1994. Laela Sari & Nurlailah, Kamus Istilah Sastra.Bandung : Nuansa Aulia, 2006. Markson Stein, Hess. Sociology. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co.Inc, 1982.
Stuart Olson, James. The Ethnic dimension in America History, Volume one. New York: ST.Martin’s Press, 1979.
Semi, Atar. Kritik Satra. Bandung: Angkasa, 1993.
Shackel, Paul A. Memory in Black and white. USA: Alkamira, 2003. Subianto S, Yanto. Soal –Jawab Sosiologi. Bandung: Armico, 1980.
William, Kenney. How to Analyze Fiction. New York: Monarch Press, 1996.
Wellek and Warren, Teori Kesusastraan, diterjemahkan kedalam bahasa Indonesia oleh Melani Budianta , Ph.D, Jakarta : Grammedia Pustaka Utama, 1995.
Websites:
Anoymous, Tentang Sastra dan Konflik, http://www.Seuramoe.wordpress.com/2007/04/27/tentang- Sastra-dan-konflik-1/html. Accessed on May 28, 2008.
Anonymous, Hakikat dan Fungsi Sastra, http:mywritingblog.com/sastra/2008/02/14/hakikat-dan-pungsi-sastra/html. Accessed on Jun 12, 2008.
Anonymous, Literature, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/literature. Accessed on April 11, 2008. Anonymous, Sociology, wiki. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sociology. Accessed on Jun 12, 2008. Anonymous, African American, http: //www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/27.html.
Accessed on March 26, 2008.
Anonymous, Black People, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki.html. Accessed on May 16, 2009. Damono, Sapardi Djoko. Kita dan Sastra Dunia, Baca Artikel. http://www.mizan.com/portal
/template/Baca artikel/kode art/ 222. Accessed on Jun 12, 2008
APPENDICESS Biography of Langston Hughes
Who was Langston Hughes? What did he do? Langston Hughes was a black poet who made black people who were sad, cheerful. He had a broken family and was partly raised by his grandmother. Still, he became one of the most famous African-American poets.
Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri, on February 1, 1902. On the same day Langston was born, his father was very angry because a new law said that no black person could be a lawyer. Langston's father had studied very hard during his school days to be a lawyer, otherwise, he couldn't get a job. So he left the United States and headed for Mexico. There he started his own business. When Langston went to school, he was the only black student in his class. Since he was black, no one wanted to play with him, so he made friends with characters in his books. When Langston was 8 years old, he went to live with his grandmother because his mother can't afford to pay the rent for their house. He used to listen to stories his grandmother told him. His favorite story was about his grandfather, who was killed when fighting for freedom before Langston was born. When Langston was 12 years old, his grandmother died. By then, his mother had married another man, so Langston went to live with them.
that he wrote a poem called "My People" to show how much he loved being black. Langston liked living there, but he didn't like school. Soon he quit school.
When he was 21 years old, he joined the crew of S.S. West Hesseltine. He was the only one who brought books. One day, in a sudden attempt to leave his troubled past behind, he threw his books overboard. The only book he kept was Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. When he was in New York again, Langston worked as a busboy in Washington D.C. at a hotel because at that time, Langston's mother was there, and she wanted to be near him, so Langston moved there in 1925. Once, at the hotel, a very famous poet named Vachel Lindsay was staying at the hotel. So, Langston put some of his poems by Lindsay's dinner plate. Later in the night, many people came to hear Vachel Lindsay read his poems. He read Langston's poems too. He said that he had discovered a new poet. Newspapers and magazines throughout the country wrote about Lindsay's reading. Soon everyone knew about the new black poet, Langston Hughes.
Langston Hughes died at the age of 65 in New York City from complications of cancer-related surgery.
Here are some answers to questions about Langston's poetry:
• Was work published during his lifetime?
Yes, work was published during their lifetime. The first published work by Langston Hughes was printed in The Crisis magazine in 1921 when Langston was only 19 years old.
• What influenced his poetry?
couldn't find a job in the United States and had to find a job in Mexico because he was a black.
• What poetry devices were often used by this poet?
Langston Hughes uses a lot of similes in his poems. Sometimes he uses metaphor and personification.
• What is important to remember about Langston Hughes?
One thing to remember about this poet is that Langston Hughes wrote poems describing how good black people are in a big way by using euphemism. Also, he wanted to tell black people not to be sad and to be proud that they're black.
The Dream Keeper
Bring me all of your dreams,
you dreamers,
Bring me all your heart melodies,
that I may wrap them in a blue cloud cloth,
Away from the too rough fingers of the world
that Langston Hughes was a great poet and showed black people what they can do to stand up for their people and he gave them ideas by writing poems.
Negro
I am a Negro
Black as the night is black, Black like the depths of my Africa.
I’ve been a slave:
Caesar told me to keep his door-steps clean. I brushed the boots of Washington.
I’ve been a worker:
Under my hand the pyramids arose. I made mortar for the Woolworth Building.
I’ve been a singer
All the way from Africa to Georgia
I carried my sorrow songs. I made ragtime.
I’ve been a victim:
The Belgians cut off my hands in the Congo. They lynch me still in Mississippi.
I am a Negro:
Cross
My old man's a white old man And my old mother's black. If ever I cursed my white old man I take my curses back.
If ever I cursed my black old mother And wished she were in hell, I'm sorry for that evil wish
And now I wish her well.
My old man died in a fine big house. My ma died in a shack.
I, Too.
Written by Langston Hughes I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.
Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed - -
