v
ABSTRACT
Novita Indriana (10120070014)
ANALYSIS OF TWENTIETH CENTURY SOUTHERN
AMERICAN SOCIETY REFLECTED IN HARPER LEE’S TO
KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
(xiv+ 59 pages; 2 figures ; 2 appendices)
This research examines the reflection of the general society’s behavior in Southern American society during the 1930s found in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The writer explores the characters, actions and behaviors through sociological approach to literature. There are two research questions proposed. The first is what are the historical backgrounds of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The second is how to the social tensions in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird reflect to the American South and social change in the 1930s. The objective of this research is to examine how the novel To Kill a Mockingbird reflected Southern American society.
The sources used in this research are in the forms of written documents, such as the novel itself, books and trustworthy websites on Southern America society, Harper Lee’s biography and sociological approach to literature. The analysis was conducted in three steps. First, the writer described the historical backgrounds related to the novel. Second, the writer described the social tensions in the Southern American society. In the last step, the writer described the social tensions reflected in the novel.
At the end of the research, the researcher found that Harper Lee succeeded in expressing her childhood experiences through the novel and portrayed accurately some important issues in the society during 1930s. Some of the issues are social class stratifications, racial segregations, and racial injustice.
vi
ABSTRAK
Novita Indriana (10120070014)
ANALYSIS OF TWENTIETH CENTURY SOUTHERN
AMERICAN SOCIETY REFLECTED IN HARPER LEE’S TO
KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
(xiv + 59 halaman; 2 figur ; 2 lampiran)
Penelitian ini meneliti refleksi prilaku masyarakat Amerika Selatan secara umum pada tahun 1930an yang ditemukan dalam novel To Kill a Mockingbird yang ditulis oleh Harper Lee. Penulis menyelidiki karakter-karakter yang ada, tingkah laku dan sikap mereka melalui pendekatan sosiologi dalam literatur. Ada tiga pertanyaan yang akan dijawab dalam penelitian ini. Pertanyaan pertama adalah tentang latar belakang sejarah yang berkaitan dengan novel ini. Kedua adalah tentang ketengangan sosial yang terjadi di masyarakat Amerika Selatan pada tahun 1930an dan yang terakhir adalah ketegangan sosial yang tergambar dalam novel To Kill a Mockingbird.
Sumber-sumber yang digunakan selama penelitian ini adalah dalam bentuk tertulis seperti novel itu sendiri, buku-buku dan website-website terpercaya mengenai masyarakat Amerika Selatan, biorafi pengarang dan pendekatan sosiologi dalam literatur. Analisa dalam penelitian dilakukan dalam tiga langkah. Pertama, penulis menggambarkan latar belakang sejarah yang berhubungan dengan novel ini. Kedua, penulis menggambarkan ketengangan sosial yang terjadi di masyarakat Amerika Selatan dan yang terakhir, penulis menggambarkan ketengangan sosial yang tergambar di dalam novel.
Dari hasil penelitian, dapat dismpulkan bahwa Harper Lee berhasil menggambarkan pengalaman masa kecilnya ke dalam novel tersebut dan menggambarkan beberapa isu penting dalam masyarakat pada tahun 1930an. Beberapa isu di antaranya adalah stratifikasi kelas sosial, pemisahan rasial, dan ketidakadilan rasial.
vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The writer wants to express her gratitude to:
1. Jesus Christ. Thank You for Your guidance and blessing during the writing process of this research.
2. My family: Dad, Mom, Aunty, my brother and my sister: thank you for your support and love. Dad and Mom, you give me strength when I had a difficult time and always pray for the best for me. Aunty, you make me become a better person. My brother and sister, thank you for all the advices and your experiences.
3. Mrs. Paula Miller: thank you for your guidance, mam. I would not be able to finish this thesis without your help and support. At the beginning of my thesis, I was struggled but you helped me and motivated me to do it better and better. Your Narrative and Novel class. It was a great experience for me and also from that class I knew “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Thank you, Mam.
4. Mrs. Hanna Suteja : Thank you for your help as my second supervisor, mam. You are willing to give advices and supported me. Your classes were meaningful and surely will be useful in the future.
5. Mr. Hananto : Thank you for your help, guidance and understanding as my academic advisor and also my lecturer.
viii 6. Mr. Agus Santoso : thank you for the fun yet useful classes I experienced
with you, Sir.
7. Ma’am M.B Rini W : thank you for the Research Methods and Proposal Writing class ; I could not have written this without your help and guidance,mam.
8. Mr. I Made Markus: thank you for your classes, Sir. Your kindness and patience will inspire me to become a better teacher one day.
9. Kelvin Hamdani : thank you for your support and love during these years.
10.My classmates: Dora Chandra, Silviana J.W, Vera Hartono: Thank you for being my best friends during these four years. All of you had been very supportive in my weakest and happy days and I will miss the fun classes with all of you.
11.All of 2007 English Department Batch: thank you so much for the togetherness I experienced with you guys and girls: Sarah, Eli, Renata, Michelle, Regina, and others.
12.All HMJ members that I met in my HMJ years.
13.All English Department seniors and juniors that I have met especially
14.My high school mates: Among them Ejeth, Intan, Uni, Vynna, and Poetri.
Thank you for those people above and for the readers who care to read this. Although this thesis is far from perfection, the writer still hopes that it can bring benefits and knowledge to people reading it.
ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ORIGINALITY STATEMENT OF THESIS ... ii
APPROVAL BY THESIS SUPERVISOR ... iii
THESIS EXAMINATION COMMITTEE ... iv
ABSTRACT ... v
ABSTRAK... vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... ix
LIST OF FIGURES ... xii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ... 1
1.1 Background of the Study ... 1
1.2 Research Questions ... 4
1.3 Purpose of the Study ... 4
1.4 definition of Terms ... 5
1.5 Organizations of the Reports ... 6
CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW ... 7
2.1 Theoretical Description ... 7
2.1.1 Critical Approaches in Literary Analysis ... 7
2.1.1.1 Psychological Criticism ... 7
2.1.1.2 Reader-Response Criticism ... 8
2.1.1.3 New Historicism Criticism ... 8
2.1.1.4 Marxist Criticism ... 8
x
2.1.2 Literary Elements ... 9
2.1.2.1 Plot and Structure ... 9
2.1.2.2 Character ... 10
2.1.2.3 Point of View ... 10
2.1.2.4 Theme ... 11
2.1.2.5 Setting ... 11
2.1.2.6 Symbolism and Allegory ... 11
2.2 The Relationship between Literature and Society ... 11
2.3 Historical Events Related to the Novel ... 12
2.4 An overview of Twentieth-Century Southern American Society Reflected in To Kill a Mockingbird ... 14
2.5 Theoretical Framework ... 14
CHAPTER III : METHODOLOGY ... 16
3.1 Research Methods ... 16
3.2 The Procedures of Conducting the Research ... 17
3.3 The Setting ... 18
3.4 Data Collection and Data Analysis ... 20
CHAPTER IV : FINDINGS ... 21
4.1 Historical Backgrounds ... 21
4.1.1 American Civil War ... 21
4.1.2 The Great Depression ... 23
xi
4.1.4 Civil Rights Movement ... 26
4.2 Twentieth Century Social Conditions Reflected in the Novel To Kill a Mockingbird ... 28
4.2.1 Class Issues ... 29
4.2.1.1 Social Class Stratification ... 29
4.2.1.2 Economic Struggles ... 31
4.2.1.3 The Outcasts and Contradiction ... 34
4.2.2 Discrimination ... 38
4.2.3 Racial Segregation ... 40
4.2.4 Justice System ... 43
4.2.5 Groups ... 49
4.2.5.1 Groups are Influential ... 49
4.2.5.2 Groups Shape Society ... 51
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ... 53
5.1 Conclusion ... 53
5.2 Limitation of Study ... 55
5.3 Recommendation ... 55
WORKS CITED ... 57
xii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.1 Theoretical Framework 15 Figure 2.1 Poverty Rates by Race and Hispanic Origin: 1959 to 1999 26
