xi
ABSTRACT
ANUGRAH, WINDA. African American Women’s Struggle against Racial
Discrimination in Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees. Yogyakarta:
Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2015.
This thesis discusses Sue Monk Kidd’s first novel entitled The Secret Life of Bees. This novel talks about the life of African American women who experience racial discrimination. In this thesis, the writer focuses on African American women’s struggle against the racial discrimination. There are five women characters; they are Rosaleen Daise, August Boatwright, June Boatwright, May Boatwright and April Boatwright.
In this thesis, there are three problems that are investigated. The first is to identify the characteristics of African American women in the novel The Secret Life of Bees. The second problem formulation is to find out the racial discrimination experienced by African American women. The last problem is to focus on their struggles against the racial discrimination.
The library research method is used in analyzing the work. Sociocultural-historical approach is also applied in this thesis. Through this approach, the writer can get an understanding about the life of African American in 1960s. Then, some theories are also applied in order to answer three problem formulation written in chapter one. Those theories are theory on character and characterization, theory on race, racism, racial discrimination, the relation between literature and society and review of the history of African American in the 1960s.
xii
ABSTRAK
ANUGRAH WINDA. African American Women’s Struggle against Racial
Discrimination in Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees. Yogyakarta:
Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2015.
Skripsi ini mendiskusikan novel pertama dari Sue Monk Kidd yang berjudul The Secret Life of Bees. Novel ini menceritakan kehidupan dari perempuan Afrika Amerika yang mengalami diskriminasi ras. Dalam skripsi ini, penulis berfokus pada perjuangan dari perempuan Afrika Amerika dalam menghadapi diskriminasi ras.
Dalam studi ini, ada tiga rumusan masalah yang dibahas. Yang pertama adalah mengidentifikasi watak dari perempuan Afrika Amerika pada novel The Secret Life of Bees. Rumusan masalah yang kedua adalah mengungkap diskriminasi ras yang dialami oleh tokoh-tokoh perempuan Afrika Amerika. Rumusan masalah terakhir yaitu berfokus pada perjuangan mereka melawan diskriminasi ras.
Metode penelitian kepustakaan digunakan untuk menganalisis karya ini. Pendekatan sosiokultural-historikal diaplikasin juga pada skripsi ini. Melalui pendekatan ini, penulis bisa mengetahui tentang sejarah kehidupan dari orang- orang Afrika Amerika di Amerika. Lalu, beberapa teori juga diaplikasikan untuk menjawab tiga rumusan masalah yang ditulis pada bab yang pertama. Teori- teori itu adalah teori tokoh dan penokohan, teori ras, rasisme, diskriminasi ras, hubungan antara sastra dan masyarakat dan gambaran singkat tentang kehidupan orang-orang Afrika- Amerika pada tahun 1960 di Amerika.
AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN’S STRUGGLES
AGAINST RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
IN
SUE MONK KIDD’S
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
WINDA ANUGRAH
Student number: 104214064
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTEMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
ii
AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN’S STRUGGLES AGAINST
THE PRACTICE OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN SUE
MONK KIDD’S
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
WINDA ANUGRAH
Student number: 104214064
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTEMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
v
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma
Nama : Winda Anugrah
Nomor Mahasiswa : 104214064
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul
AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN’S STRUGGLES AGAINST
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
IN SUE MONK KIDD’S
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas,dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin kepada saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal 7 Agustus 2015
Yang menyatakan,
vi
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY
I certify that this undergraduate thesis contains no material which has been previously submitted for the award of any other degree at any university, and that, to the best of my knowledge, this undergraduate thesis contains no material previously written any other person except where due reference is made in the text of the undergraduate thesis.
Yogyakarta, 7 Agustus 2015
vii
WHATEVER YOU DO, WORK AT IT WITH
ALL YOUR HEART, AS WORKING FOR THE
LORD, NOT FOR MEN
COLOSSIANS 3:23
REACHING A GOAL IS LIKE GROWING OUT YOUR
BANGS. IT GETS UGLY, AND SOMETIMES YOU
WANT TO GIVE IT ALL UP. BUT SOMEDAY IT
WILL ALL BE WORTH IT
(anonymous)
LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
viii
FOR
AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN WHO LIVED IN 1960s
ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I thank my Jesus Christ for everything He had done in my life. Without His guidance and His blessing, I would never be able to finish my thesis. I know that I am blessed for having an opportunity to study in this university.
I would like to express my gratitude to my advisor, Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum., for her time, motivation and patience until this thesis is finished. She always encourages me to check and recheck my thesis. I thank my co-advisor, Maria Ananta Tri S. S.S., M.Ed. for her time to read, to criticize and give advice in revising this thesis. I thank the lecturers of English Letters Department and all the staff of Sanata Dharma University for their help given to me during my study here.
I dedicated my thesis to my beloved father and mother, especially my father who prays for me in Heaven. I know his big dream was to attend my graduation day. I thank my mother for her support, prayer, and facilities to finish this thesis. She is the source of my happiness and my power in this life. I also thank Allo, Willy and Santo for their “warning” and care to finish this thesis.
I thank my family in Jogja and Toraja, Nio, mbak Vica, mbak Shinta, Ona, Tari, Evi, Donna, Kiki, Ayi, Citra, Zhyta, Astrid, Resty, Surya, Angel, Inazt, Agung. Last, I thank my friends in English Letters class C, especially Iche, Acil, Tia, Gita, Ray, Dea, Dien and Meity. All of them are great family and friends. I thank them for their laughter and support.
x
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ... ii
APPROVAL PAGE ... iii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ... iv
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH v STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ... vi
CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ... 6
A. Review of Related Studies ... 6 C. Review on History of African American Women in the 1960s ... 14
D. Theoretical Framework ... 16
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ... 17
A. Object of the Study ... 17
B. Approach of the Study ... 18
C. Method of the Study ... 19
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS (RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS) ... 21
xi
ABSTRACT
ANUGRAH, WINDA. African American Women’s Struggle against Racial
Discrimination in Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees. Yogyakarta:
Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2015.
This thesis discusses Sue Monk Kidd’s first novel entitled The Secret Life of Bees. This novel talks about the life of African American women who experience racial discrimination. In this thesis, the writer focuses on African American women’s struggle against the racial discrimination. There are five women characters; they are Rosaleen Daise, August Boatwright, June Boatwright, May Boatwright and April Boatwright.
In this thesis, there are three problems that are investigated. The first is to identify the characteristics of African American women in the novel The Secret Life of Bees. The second problem formulation is to find out the racial discrimination experienced by African American women. The last problem is to focus on their struggles against the racial discrimination.
The library research method is used in analyzing the work. Sociocultural-historical approach is also applied in this thesis. Through this approach, the writer can get an understanding about the life of African American in 1960s. Then, some theories are also applied in order to answer three problem formulation written in chapter one. Those theories are theory on character and characterization, theory on race, racism, racial discrimination, the relation between literature and society and review of the history of African American in the 1960s.
xii
ABSTRAK
ANUGRAH WINDA. African American Women’s Struggle against Racial
Discrimination in Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees. Yogyakarta:
Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2015.
Skripsi ini mendiskusikan novel pertama dari Sue Monk Kidd yang berjudul The Secret Life of Bees. Novel ini menceritakan kehidupan dari perempuan Afrika Amerika yang mengalami diskriminasi ras. Dalam skripsi ini, penulis berfokus pada perjuangan dari perempuan Afrika Amerika dalam menghadapi diskriminasi ras.
Dalam studi ini, ada tiga rumusan masalah yang dibahas. Yang pertama adalah mengidentifikasi watak dari perempuan Afrika Amerika pada novel The Secret Life of Bees. Rumusan masalah yang kedua adalah mengungkap diskriminasi ras yang dialami oleh tokoh-tokoh perempuan Afrika Amerika. Rumusan masalah terakhir yaitu berfokus pada perjuangan mereka melawan diskriminasi ras.
Metode penelitian kepustakaan digunakan untuk menganalisis karya ini. Pendekatan sosiokultural-historikal diaplikasin juga pada skripsi ini. Melalui pendekatan ini, penulis bisa mengetahui tentang sejarah kehidupan dari orang- orang Afrika Amerika di Amerika. Lalu, beberapa teori juga diaplikasikan untuk menjawab tiga rumusan masalah yang ditulis pada bab yang pertama. Teori- teori itu adalah teori tokoh dan penokohan, teori ras, rasisme, diskriminasi ras, hubungan antara sastra dan masyarakat dan gambaran singkat tentang kehidupan orang-orang Afrika- Amerika pada tahun 1960 di Amerika.
1
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
It took so long for African American people in the United States to get their freedom from the racial discrimination. The problem was whites against blacks. The whites felt superior to the blacks, who made them have the right to dominate the blacks. For blacks, their struggles to get the freedom were not just a simple thing but it manifests in many difficult processes. As Darlin Clark Hine Hine and Kathleen Thompson discuss in their books A Shining Thread of Hope:
For black Americans, freedom was glory. It was the long awaited, the fervently desired, the fulfillment of dreams. But it turned out that emancipation was only the first step on the road to freedom, not the last, and the obstacles along the way would be formidable (1998: 148).
In other words, the way to get freedom is not a simple task. The African American people had to struggle to get their rights. By years, the situation has changed. Nowadays, the practice of racial discrimination is not as intensive as what happened in the past.
Looking back in the history about the struggles of African American people, African American women in that time also played an important role that inspires Civil Right movement.
In other words, racial discrimination has made African American women got stronger. They could survive in the difficult situation and had the courage to show their struggle. As Hine and Thompson said that it was only a matter of time. Black women were bound to come into their own in American society. They had the strength, the courage, the creativity (Hine and Thompson, 1998: 296).
From the explanation above, the writer thinks that it is important to discuss thoroughly the struggle of African American women towards racial discrimination in order to convince to other women that they also could find their freedom and get their goals if they want to struggle. Hine and Thompson, in the last chapter of their book, state that:
At the time when the problems of our society often seem insoluble and the obstacles to peace and freedom seem insurmountable, all Americans have a great deal to learn from black women (1998: 314).
The above quotation means that the suffering endured by African American women in their struggle is an important example for people about perseverance.
The socio-cultural historical approach is applied to this study. The purpose is to understand the context of the struggle of African American women at that time. We can learn about the struggle of African American women in the past from literary works such as novels that were written by Maya Angelou, Kathryn Stockett and many more. By learning the characters in novel, we can find their courage and strength to face their problems in life.
issues in the novel. There are 5 characters that the writer uses to explore more about the struggles of African American women toward racial discrimination. Those five characters have different ways to struggle against racial discrimination.
An interesting character from The Secret Life of Bees is one of African American women named August Boatwright. She was a bee keeper. She made a black Madonna label on the honey she produces with a hope that colored women and also men could think that Mary comes for all people, for the white and the black.
The writer decides to choose that novel to study more about African American women’s struggles against racial discrimination due to the presence of different characteristics of African American women. However, there is also a male character in the novel who face racial discriminaton, but the writer wants to focus on female characters. Each of female characters has unique way and reaction toward racial discrimination. By understanding each character, we could understand their perspective and stand up toward racial discrimination. Hopefully, the struggle of women always lives and never dies. The writer hopes this study can be as a tool to study more about the struggle of women especially black women.
B. Problem Formulation
There are three problems which have been formulated in this study. These three problems are:
2. What are the practices of racial discrimination experienced by African American women characters in the novel?
3. How is the African American women’s struggle against the practices of racial discrimination in the novel described?
C. Objectives of the Study
This study focuses on black women characters who struggle against the practices of racial discrimination. The first objective of the study is to answer three questions in problem formulation. According to the problems above, the first objective study is to describe the characteristics of African American women in Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees. The second objective of the study is to
analyze racial discrimination experienced by each character. The third objective of this study is to understand how the African American women struggle against racial discrimination in novel.
D. Definition of Terms
To guide the progress of this study, the major terms are used in this study in order to make it clear and there is no misunderstanding later. The terms are racial discrimination and struggle.
Pager and Sheperd as their quotation from Reskin and National Research Council in their Journal The Sociology of Discrimination, Racial Discrimination in Employments, Housing, Credit, and Consumer Market state Racial
to minority group when majority group wants to dominate them culturally, intellectually or even physically.
According to Mifflin (1996: 1782) in The Americana Heritage Dictionary of the English Language struggle means to be strenuously engaged with a
6 CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A. Review of Related Studies
This part consists of related studies that support this analysis. The first study is from Anita Auliya Nuraini’s undergraduate thesis entitled Marguerites’s Struggles against the Practices of Racial Discrimination as Seen in Maya
Angelou’s Gather Together in My Name. Nuraini finds that
Rita as the main character is strong, rebellious, optimistic, smart and independent woman. She also experiences the practices of racial discrimination in some form such as humiliation, prejudice, underestimation, and rejection. The situation makes her do some struggles in many ways in order to get her right as a human being (2008: X).
Both Nuraini’s study and the writer’s study are discuss about African American women struggles against racial discrimination. The difference is that Nuraini’s analysis was focused on one black woman character from Maya Angelou’s novel. However, the writer’s analysis is focus on five characters of African American
women from Sue Monk Kidd’s, The Secret Life of Bees.
The second related study is from Benedicta Novena Sheilla Putri’s undergraduate thesis entitled The Influence of Minor Characters on Lily’s Personality Development The Secret life of Bees. Putri finds that:
Both the writer and Putri use the same novel from Sue Monk kidd’s The Secret Life of bees. The difference is that the writer’s study is to focus on African
American women’s struggles toward racial discrimination. African American
women in that novel is the minor character. One the contrary, Putri’s study was to
focus on Lily’s personality development that influenced by African American
women. Lily is the major character in the novel who finds the love of mother from African American women.
The third related study is from Rintan Kusumaningtyas’s undergraduate thesis entitled The Reaction of African American’s People toward Racial Discrimination in the 1960s Reflected in Kathryn Stockett’s The Help. Kusumaningtyas finds that:
the white still treats the blacks inferiorly as we know, the white belief that they are superior both intellectually and physically. The main characters, Aibileen and Minny that experience the treatments of racial discrimination. By analyzing the blacks’ characteristics, the writer is able to find out the different reaction of them. The writer understands that Aibileen Clarck depicts the blacks who react in a passive way. On the other hand, Minny Jackson reflects the blacks who respon bravely in the 1960s. Later, the forms of reactions that can be seen are acceptance and resistance (2012: X).
Kusumaningtyas’ thesis also develops the writer’s study because the writer can understand the reaction of black women toward racial discrimination from Kusumaningtyas’s analysis. Both the writer and Kusumaningtyas’s study is focus
on African American’s people lives toward racial discrimination in the 1960s.
The fourth related study is from Laura Miller’s article entitled The Help and The secret Life of Bees presentation. She says
deal with the condition and become accustomed to what they got from superior. These individuals are looked upon as scum, who are uneducated and untrustworthy (2012: 1).
From her analysis, the writer finds that the African American women characters in The Secret Life of Bees are the struggle. Racial discrimination does not make them
get down but they keep finding their rights that are taken by White people. Those related studies above have a connection to the writer’s analysis. Those four related study also discovers the writer’s study to understand about African American women’s struggle against racial discrimination. Although,
those related studies above are different from the writer’s study because the writer focuses on the struggle of 5 minor characters of African American women against the practice of racial discrimination in the novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Each character has their own unique characteristics toward racial discrimination.
B. Review of Related Theories
To support the analysis, the writer uses some theories to answer the problems mentioned in the problem formulation. The writer reviews some theories in order to find out which theories that might be able to be used to answer those problems. The theories are character and characterization, race, racism and racial discrimination.
1. Theory on Character and Characterization
M.H. Abrams and Geoffrey Harpham, in their book A Glossary of Literary Terms, said that:
emotional qualities by inferences from what the persons say and their distinctive ways of saying it- the dialogue-and from what they do-the action. The grounds in the character’s temperament, desires, and moral nature for their speech and actions are called their motivation (Abrams and Harpham, 2012: 46).
From this theory, the writer finds that the character is the object in the novel. Character is the maker the story and also character can analyzed from what saying, dialogue and action.
M.J. Murphy (1970: 161-173) states in his book Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and Novels for Overseas Students describes
nine ways to make characters in novel understandable. However, the writer picks only seven ways that related to the analysis of this study.
First is personal description. Personal description is the way the author describes a person’s appearance and clothes. It means the author gives the clue about how the character in the story looks like from their appearance and from what the character wears. Second is character as seen by another. Character as seen by another is a way the author describes a character through the eyes and opinions of another. In other words, it is about people point of view about the character. Third is speech. Speech is the way the author gives an understanding about the characteristic of character through what he or she says. It is about what the character is talking about something in the novel. It can be comment, give opinion or clue. Fourth is past life. Through the person’s past life, the author gives the information about the characteristics of the person, it can be through the direct comment, person’s thoughts, the conversation of another characters as the
Fifth is conversation of other. Conversations with other are employed
when a person’s character can be seen through the conversation to other character.
When the character is speaking with another character, there may be implied meaning that shows the characteristic of the character. Sixth is reaction. Reaction is the author uses to give the reader clue to know how that person reacts to various situations and events. It is about what the character does to face something that happen in the story or face the conflict. Then, seventh is a mannerism. Mannerism in this case is about the person’s habits. In other words, the activity or the thing that the person always does in various situations.
In general, the theories on character and characterization useto help the writer to analyze about the African American women characteristics in the novel. 2. Theories on Race, Racism and Racial Discrimination
Race can be divided into different meaning. Allan G. Johnson (1986: 353) in his book Human Arrangements: An Introduction to Sociology, defines race into two meanings.
First is as the biological concept, race refers to people who share a genetic heritage that result in distinct physical features, such as the color of skin, eyes, and hair, or the shape of the nose or eyes. Second is as an ascribed social status to which they attach values, attitudes, and norms that produce important consequences for the occupants of different racial status.
Race becomes the differentiation in society especially about the differentiation of physical characteristics that lead some people to make the term race as social status from racial status. In other words, every race has different social status.
they are superior and have a right to dominate inferior group or individual. Lois Tyson (2011: 211) in his book Using Critical Theory states
Racism is the oppression of individuals or groups based on the race. Racism can be happen in many aspects include economic, political, social, or psychological. Racism is the myth or the belief that oppressed race is inferior to the “ dominant” race.
From the explanation above about racism, racism means the treatment where individual treats another individual based on his or her race. Racism limits
people’s perception about the difference in life. Ellis Cashmore in Encyclopedia
of Race and Ethnic studies says
Racial discrimination is behavioral expression of racism and is aimed at denying members of certain groups equal access to scarce and valued resource. It holding the negative beliefs of them and makes them into action (2004: 345).
In other words, racial discrimination is the expression that treats people unfairly. The people who get discrimination have limitation to live, to access things, and to get their rights as human being.
When people have the belief of racism among certain group, the term prejudice emerges. Aguirre and Turner define prejudice, they state that prejudice refers to negative belief, concepts and stereotypes about people (2011: 29). Another theory comes from E. Franklin Frazier in his book Race and Culture Contacts in The Modern World , he states
From those explanations above, prejudice means having bad opinion about some groups. It can be the negative opinion of their attitude, physical, intelligent etc. Such negative belief not only for one person but also for all members. In this case, the member of African American women.
Racism can develop segregation. Segregation is a process of spatially isolating members of an ethnic subpopulation in areas where they cannot have the same access to valued resources as do people who are not isolated (Jr. Adalberto Aguirre and Jonathan H. Turner, 2011: 7-8). In other words, segregation means the difference space between minority and dominant groups. The difference space can be happen in occupation, education, and housing, health etc. Frazier also shows
the patterns of racial segregation to be in residential area, in educational, recreational, and other public institutions, in quasi-public institutions or privately operated institutions under public control, such as railroads, steamship lines, streetcar and bus system, and hospitals, in private business establishments such as hotels and restaurants under customary or legal mandate to prevent racial contact on a level implying social equality or permitting social intimacy, in other private commercial and professional services, such as department stores, undertaking establishments and
doctor’s offices even in church (1957: 281- 283).
From the theory above, we can see that segregation makes limit in daily life of African American women to discover their lives because it happens in every aspect.
3. The Relation between Literature and Society
literature is closely related to society. Rene Wellek and Austin Warren in their book Theory of Literature state that
Literature has usually arisen in social institutions and has a social function that cannot be purely individual. But literature is not a reflection of the social process, but the essence, the abridgment and summary of all history. Much the most common approach to the relation of literature and society is the study of works of literature as social documents, as assumed pictures of social reality. Used as a social document, literature can be made to yield the outlines of social history. For example is social picture of American life
(1956: 94-103).
From the explanation above, the writer sees what happened in society in 1960 can be revealed from literary work, such as novel. Although, the society in the novel is not always same as the society in real life. It means that the author is not make the content and the detail of the novel same with the real life.
4. Theory on Adaptation to Prejudice and Discrimination
When people face difficulty in life especially discrimination in this case, they try to seek the best way to respond in order to suvive. According to Aguirre and Turner in their book, American Ethnicy, state that
Aguirre and Turner want to say that every one has its own ways to face difficulty in life especially the member who receive unfairly treatment of racial discrimination. Those ways brings them to still make the best in various situation. C. Review of the History of African American in the 1960s
The story of African American was unforgettable one. In beginning, African Americans were brought to United States as slaves. As Black women, the beginning history was very difficult. Angela Y. Davis in her book Women, Race and Class states:
Black women were women indeed, but their experiences during slavery- hard work with their men, equality within the family, resistance, floggings and rape- had encouraged them to develop certain personality traits which set them apart from most white women (1983: 27).
From the quotation above it is known that the position of black women and black men were same in during the slavery. As time passed, women also did resistances to get their rigths. Interestingly, the position of women to struggle for black rights
was strong because the Black woman’s sense of community was a powerful force
in this time of crisis (Hine and Thompson, 1998: 268). There were more women in the movement than men in the years before 1964. Some of women were inspired to join the community because of their friend or family around them. In other words, community holds an important role to their resistance toward racial discrimination at that time. Such difficult and worse thing brought them to make black community. This community makes them together to face all crucial things to get their rights.
community in which they had been involved for two centuries and especially in the sixty years before the Civil Rights Movement- made them ideal political activists (Hine and Thompson, 1998: 267).
This period also become the first step for them to get freedom. Cashmore states:
On December, 1955, Rosa Parks, a black seamstress, refused to give up her seat to white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her action was to prompt changes of monumental proportions in the condition of blacks in the Use. It provided the impetus for the most influential social movement in the history of North American race and ethnic relations. That was the beginning of Civil Rights Movement in United States. Her attitude brought protest from black community in that time. Almost people in the world who concern to racial discrimination that Black people faced in the past know Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. He became leader of black community and could mobilize grassroots black protest and was made to mount a sustained campaign of black protest (2004: 81).
As time passed, some black women were found their way to get freedom. One by one began to appear and to show their skill and power. There were some who successes in business, politics, the arts etc.
History written some Black women who had been fighting for so long to change the racism face of America. Women were also leaders, playing key roles in initiating protests, mapping out strategies, and mobilizing necessary resources. They were Ella Baker, Rosa Parks, Daisy Bates and Diane Nash Bevel. These women and others had kept the issue at the forefront of the American consciousness and conscience. Finally, their effort was success. The federal government started to catch up, passing the Civil rights act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Hine and Thompson, 1998: 283).
From the history above, it can be known that it was only a matter of time
D. Theoretical Framework
This study is focus on the struggle of African American women against the racial discrimination. A novel entitled The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is the literary work that the writer uses to see and to find out the issue of racial discrimination. To solve the 3 major problems, some theories were chosen.
Theory of character is applied to analyze the five characters of African American Women in novel. Then, theory of characterization is to understand and to describe the characteristics from 5 characters African American woman in novel.
Theory of race is to know the meaning of race and this theory is also leads the writer to know deeply about racism. The theory of racial discrimination is used to know the meaning of racial discrimination because these theories show, explain and give understanding about the practice of racial discrimination that African American experienced in the past.
The theory of the relation between literature and society is to help the writer to make a connection between the society in the novel of The Secret Life of Bees with the society of African American women in the real life in 1960. In
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
A novel entitled The Secret Life of Bees that written by Sue Monk Kidd is the object of the study that the writer uses to analyze the struggle of African American women against racial discrimination in United States. This is Sue Monk Kidd’s first novel. The Secret Life of Bees is a work of fiction and first published
by Penguin group in 2002. Since then, the novel has been published in 35 countries.
This novel spent more than one hundred weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list and sold more than four million copies. This novel was also chosen as the 2004 Book Sense Paperback Book of the Year and was the recipient of the inaugural Literature of Life Award presented by The American Place Theatre. The Secret Life of Bees has been made into a box- office movie in America.
Generally, The Secret Life of Bees tells about the life of Lily Melissa Owens in South Carolina in 1964. Lily was fourteen years old and she was white. Lily also lived with Rosaleen their housekeeper, an African American woman. When Rosallen attempts to register her name so she can vote, three white men mocked her and made her lifted her snuffjug to the tops of white men shoes. Three white men got angry and yelled at her to apologize but Rosaleen did not want to. At last, she was thrown into jail. Lily helps Rosaleen to escape from jail. Since then, their new life in Tiburon, South Carolina began. In there, they met three
African American women there who also experienced racial discrimination. One of them was August that showed her struggle of racial discrimination wisely through making a black madonna label on her honey in order for colored men and also women could think that Mary could also in the form of dark skin.
B. Approach of the Study
This part is about the approach of this study. This study uses socio-cultural historical approach that covering theories that were chosen. Mary Rohrberger and Samuel H. Woods in Reading and Writing about Literature state that the sociocultural-historical approach is the only way to locate the real work is in reference to the civilization that produce it. Civilization itself as the attitudes and actions as its subject matter. They also add that this approach leads us to ethnical judgment concerning the truth ot the author’s statement (1971: 9-10).
In brief, by learning history background of the novel, the reader can relate it to the situation that happened in history depends on the time that the author uses in novel. It can be said that society and culture in story also reflect to the society and culture in history.
C. Method of the Study
This part is about the procedures that were taken in analyzing the work. First is this study uses library research because most of data include theories and information that the writer use to support the analysis was taken from library. Second is about the primary and the secondary sources.
The primary source was from the novel written by Sue Monk Kidd’s The
Secret Life of Bees. Then, the secondary sources were from some books. They
were A Glossary of Literary Terms by Abram, Understanding Unseen by M.J. Murphy, A Shining Thread of Hope: A History of Black women in America by Hine and Thompson, American Ethnicity: The Dynamics and Consequences of Discrimination by Aguirre and Turner, Race and Culture Contacs in the Modern
World by Frazier, Race and Culture by Thomas Sowell, Reading and Writing
about Literature by Rohrberger and Woods, Theory of Literature by Wellek And
Warren.
21
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
The Secret Life of Bees tells about the life of African American women
against racial discrimination in South Carolina. This chapter is divided into three parts which are the answers of the problem formulations questioned in chapter one. The first part analyzes about the characteristics of the Black women characters in novel, Rosaleen Daisy, August Boatwright, June Boatwright, May Boatwright and April Boatwright. The second part discusses the practices of racial discrimination in 1960 as described in novel. The last part discusses the African American women‟s struggle against racial discrimination through the characters in The Secret Life of Bees.
A. The Characteristics of the African American Women
In this part the writer‟s analysis is about the African American Women
characteristics in the novel entitled The Secret Life of Bees is written by Sue Monk Kidd. As explained in Chapter II, character is the important element that makes the story alive. Character is also the object in the novel and without it, the story cannot be made. Abrams and Harpham in their book, A Glossary of Literary Terms-tenth Edition, state that the characters are:
From the quotation above, it is clear that character is the maker of the story and gives the reader information about people in the story from dialogue, action and motivation. It is also the way someone speaks and behaves reflects their character background.
There are five characters of Black women in the novel. First is Rosaleen Daise. She is a housekeeper of white people. Another is the family of Boatwright that consist of August, June, May and April. They live in Tiburon and sell Black Madonna honey. The writer tries to examine the personal appearance and the personality of each character. To examine their characteristics, the theory of
characterization taken from Murphy‟s book is applied. There are nine ways to
study about their characteristics. However, the writer only uses seven ways. Those ways are personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation with other, reaction, and mannerisms.
1. Rosaleen Daise
Rosaleen Daise is a big black woman. “She had a big round face and a body that sloped out from her neck like a pup tent, and she was so black that night seemed to seep from her skin” (Kidd, 2002: 2-3). The quotation above indicates that Rosaleen is a black woman who has a big body. Her body is so big in an unproportional way to her head. Her skin is extremely black; none might realize her presence in the night with the absence of light.
In the novel, Rosaleen is brave. She gets her bravery when she decides to go to register her name to vote. “This is my practice sheet,” she said. “For the
myself to vote” (Kidd, 2002: 44). She is black woman with very low literacy rate and she musters her courage to practice writing her name in the practice sheet in order to be eligible to vote. She is not afraid of anything that will come to her later if she becomes a voter. At that time, the chance to vote for coloured people is condemned by White people. White people think that Blacks deserve nothing for freedom in the United States. Then, as explained in the next paragraph she meets three white men and with full of confidence she says that she wants to register her name as a voter of coloured people.
After a few blocks we approached the Esso station on the corner of West Market and Park Street, generally recognized as a catchall place for men with too much time on their hands.
I noticed that not a single car was getting gas. Three men sat in dinette chairs beside the garage with a piece of plywood balanced on their knees. They were playing cards.
“Hit me,” one of them said, and the dealer, who wore a Seed and Feed cap,
slapped a card down in front of him. He looked up and saw us, Rosaleen fanning and shuffling, swaying side to side. “Well, look what we got coming here,” he called out. “Where‟re you going, nigger?”
Firecrackers made a spattering sound in the distance. “Keep walking,” I whispered. “Don‟t pay any attention.”
Reaction is also one way to know the characteristics of a person.
Rosaleen‟s words that she is going to register her name as voter of coloured
people intrigued three white men to mock her. In spite of that, Rosaleen is not afraid to these men and reacts to them in a brave manner.
Coming alongside the men, Rosaleen lifted her snuff jug, which was filled with black spit, and calmly pured it across the tops of the men‟s shoes, moving her hand in little loops like she was writing her name-Rosaleen Daise-just the way she‟d practiced (Kidd, 2002: 53).
What Rosaleen did drive three white men angry and they yelled to her to ask to apologize. In short, even Rosaleen is under arrest and those white men hit her, she never apologize “....He hit me till the policeman said that was enough. They didn‟t
get no apology, though” (Kidd, 2002: 76). The last chapter of the novel, it is
written that Rosaleen is still going to register her name as a voter. She does not worry about what happened the last time she tried to register her name but does not give up easily until she gets what she want. She perseveres and endures the beating from the white men in order to achieve her goal.
From the quotation above, the writer concludes that Rosaleen is a brave woman. While some people at that time are afraid to register their name to vote for the freedom of coloured people, Rosaleen is brave to register her name to vote for freedom of coloured people. Then, she is also brave to lift her snuff jug to
white men‟s shoes and even she is hit by them to force her apology, she does not
The writer also sees that Rosaleen is caring person. Rosaleen works for T-ray, a white man. T-ray has a daughter named Lily, she is fourteen years old. Since Lily was a child, Rosaleen has worked for the family even she took care of
Lily because Lily‟s mother has passed away. Her caring personality is exhibited
through the conversation between Lily and her.
“She Jerked the broom as she swept, raising a wind. “What happened?”she said.
“I went out to the orchard last night. T-ray thinks I met some boy.”
“Did you?.”
I rolled my eyes at her. “No.”
“How long did he keep you on these grits?‟ I shrugged. “Maybe an hour.”
She looked down at my knees and stopped sweeping. They were swollen with hundreds of red welts, pinprick bruises that would grow into a blue
stubble across my skin. “Look at you, child. Look what he‟s done to you,”
she said” (Kidd, 2002: 40-41).
From the conversation between Lily and Rosaleen above, the writer knows that Rosaleen cares for Lily by the way she looks at the bruises in Lily‟s knees. It also shows that she is worried about Lily. Her loving for Lily is also expressed by her way of calling Lily “child”.
The other proof that Rosaleen is a caring woman is from Lily‟s words, “...She made me go to school wearing long britches under my Pentecostal
From explanation above, it is known that Rosaleen is a brave person, does not give up easily and is also a caring person. Her characteristics will lead the writer to examine the way she struggles against racial discrimination that she faces.
2. August Boatwright
August Boatwright is a bee-keeper who lives in Tiburon with her sisters, June Boatwright, May Boatwright and April Boatwright. Through the conversation between Lily and a man in the store, the writer knows about the physical appearance of August as an old black woman.
„” I know what you mean. A lot of folks won‟t buy it cause it‟s got the Virgin Mary pictured as a colored woman, but see, that‟s because the woman who makes the honey is colored herself.”
“What‟s her name?”
“August Boatwright,” he said. She keeps bees all over the country”‟ (Kidd, 2002: 105).
From the conversation between Lily and a man above, it is clear that August Boatwright; the producer of the black Madonna honey is a black woman. Many people do not buy the honey since she is black. Then, the proof that August is an old woman is through using Lily‟s words.
“She was almond-buttery with sweatand sun, her face corrugated with a
thousand caramel wrinkles and her hair looking flour dusted, but the rest
of her seemed decades younger” (Kidd, 2002: 117).
The writer sees that Lily describes August as a woman with wrinkles in her face and with grey hair. These indicate that August is an old woman. Nevertheless, Lily also points out that August appears much younger than her age.
women to teach were rare. It made her change her job as housekeeper. From August‟s speech the writer sees that she is an educated black woman.
“I studied at a Negro teacher‟s college in Maryland. June did, too, but it was hard to get a job, since there weren‟t that many places for Negroes to teach. I ended up working nine years as a housekeeper. Eventually I got a job teaching history. It lasted six years, till we moved down here” (Kidd, 2002: 240).
From August‟ speech above, the writer sees that August is not only an
educated black woman but also a hardworking woman. Although it was hard to get a job at that time, she still tried to get another job, which was different from her previous working experienced as a teacher.
In the story, August is wiser than the others. It is proved by the way she reacts, says and thinks about something. She realizes that as a black woman, she has limited part to do something because of the treatment and the rule from white people. Therefore, she continues to make a black Madonna honey to show black people that Mary is not only come for Whites but also for Blacks. The writer sees that from her black Madonna honey, she conveys a message about hope to Black people who buy her honey. A hope that God is with them even they are in discrimination. Her conversation with Lily below shows that she is wise.
„“How come you put the Black Madonna on your honey?” I asked...
.”I wish you could‟ve seen the Daughters of Mary the first time they laid
eyes on this label. You know why? Because when they looked at her, it occurred to them for the first time in their lives that what is divine can come in dark skin. You see, everybody needs a God who looks like them, Lily”‟ (Kidd, 2002: 232).
August and June, the writer sees that August is a kind person to accept people whoever they are.
“Youknow she‟s lying,” said June.
“I know, “Augusttold her. But they‟re in some kind of trouble and need a
place to stay. Who‟s gonna take them in if we don‟t-a white girl and a
Negro woman? Nobody around here.”. . .
A pause followed. I crept closer to the edge of the porch. “ I just have a feeling about this, June. Something tells me not to send her back to some place she doesn‟t want to be. Not yet, at least. She has some reason for leaving. Maybe he mistreated her. I believe we can help her” (Kidd, 2002: 142- 143).
From her speech, the writer sees that August is a kind person. “Well, you
can stay here till you figure out what to do. We can‟t have you living on the side
of the road,” said August” (Kidd, 2002: 188-119). August kindly gives enough
time for Lily and Rosaleen to stay in her house. She does not have the heart to let them to be homeless. The way she gives many things to Lily and Rosaleen like giving a place to live, foods, and jobs is the proof that she is kind hearted through give what Rosaleen and Lily need that she has.
“All right, then. Rosaleen can help May in the house, and you can help me and Zach with the bees. Zach is my main helper, so I cant‟s pay you
anything, but at least you‟ll have a room and some food till we call your
aunt and see about her sending some bus money.”
“ I don‟t exactly know her whole name,” I said. “My father just called her
Aunt Bernie; I never met her.”
“Well, what were you planning to do, child, go door to door in Virginia?” “No, ma‟am, just Richmond.”
“I see,” said August. And the thing was, she did. She was right through it” (Kidd, 2002: 122).
“August got into her truck and went straight to the Amen Dollar Store, where she bought Rosaleen four pairs of panties, a pale blue cotton nightgown, three waistless, Hawaiian-looking dresses, and a bra that could
have slung boulders” (Kidd, 2002: 135).
All of the quotations above explain that August is a kind hearted person. She is willing to sacrifice her money and time to help Rosaleen and Lily without asking in return, except for Rosaleen and Lily to lend a help in the house.
3. June Boatwright
June is the second child in that family. From her physical appearance, she has short gray hair. The writer finds it by using a perspective of Lily.
“When the door opened, it was not the woman in white but another one
wearing red, her hair so short it resembled a little gray, curlicue swim cap pulled tight over the scalp. Her face stared at us, suspicious and stern. I noticed she carried a musical bow tucked under her arm like a riding. It crossed my mind she might use it on us” (Kidd, 2002: 112).
Therefore from the explanation above, it is clear that June has short gray hair. At the first time Lily and Rosaleen came to their home, June showed that she did not like Lily very much and showed cold reception. June is an unfriendly person especially to Lily who is white. The conversation between June and August will prove that June is an unfriendly person.
“Why don‟t you just ask her point-blank what kind of trouble she‟s
in?”“Everything in time,” August said. “The last thing I want to scare her
off with a lot of questions. She‟ll tell us when she‟s ready. Let‟s be
patient.”“But she‟s white, August” (Kidd, 2002: 143).
“What about June?”
She laughed. “June- you wouldn‟t catch her keeping house for white
people. She went to work at a colored funeral home, dressing the bodies and doing their hair” (Kidd: 2002: 240).
The quotation above shows that June even prefers to dress up deceased black people rather than working for living white people.
June loves to play music. From August words below, the writer sees that June loves to play music especially playing cello.
The one it was hard to get a fix on was June. She taught history and English as the colored high school, but what she really loved was music. If I got finished early in the honey house, I went to the kitchen and watched May and Rosaleen cook, but really I was there to listen to June play the cello. She played music for dying people, going to their homes and even to the hospital to serenade them into the next life (Kidd, 2002: 141).
From the quotation above, the writer sees that June loves to play music. She plays cello not only because she likes it but also to lighten the sadness of the dying people.
4. May Boatwright
conversation between Lily and August below will show that May is very sensitive and emotional person, especially since her twin died.
“Was she born like that?” I asked.
“No, she was happy child at first.” “Then what happened to her?”
August focused her eyes on the stone wall. “May had a twin. Our sister April. the two of them were like one soul sharing two bodies. I never saw anything like it. If April got a toothache, May‟s gum would plump up red and swollen just like April‟s. Only one time did our father use a belt strap on April, and I swear to you, the welts rose on May‟s legs too. Those two had no separation between them.”
“The first day we were here May told us that April died.
“And that‟d when it all started with May,‟ she said, then looked at me like she was trying to decide whether to go on. “It‟s not a pretty story” (Kidd, 2002: 158).
The other proof that May is very sensitive and emotional is through her mannerism. When May hears something painful, she will react as if she experiences the pain.
It was Rosaleen who figured out the mystery of “Oh! Susanna.” She said if you kept things on a happy note, May did fine, but bring up an unpleasant subject-like Rosaleen‟s head full of stitches or the tomatoes having rot -bottom and May would start humming “Oh! Susanna.” It seemed to be her personal way of warding off crying. It worked for things like tomato rot, but not for much else.
A few times, she cried so bad, ranting and tearing her hair that Rosaleen had to come to get August from the honey house. August would calmly send May out back to the stone wall. Going out there was about the only thing that could bring her around
May had to have a banana every morning, and this banana absolutely could not have a bruise on it. One morning I watched her peel seven bananas in a row before she found one without a bad place. (Kidd, 2002: 139-140)
May‟s habit happened for years and it is the only way for her to struggle in life. The most difficult thing in her life is the time when she hears that one of black people named Zach who works for them in the honey house was put in the jail because he had a fight with white men. It makes May prones to depression and even going to the wall of lamentation cannot make her calm. She becomes desperate and cannot control her sadness. Finally, she commits suicide by sank her body in the river.
Although May is very sensitive and emotional, she is a friendly person. The first time Lily and Rosaleen come to their house, May is the most friendliest to welcome them and without a doubt introduce herself to them. From her speech, the writer sees that May is warm person. “I‟m May Boatwright,” she said. “I‟m
August‟s sister, too.” She smiled at us, one of those odd grins that let you know
she was not an altogether normal person” (Kidd, 2002: 113).
Another proof that May is a friendly person is when she becomes close to Rosaleen without difficulty. This is because May is like an innocent child with open mind. The writer finds it from Lily words.
May and Rosaleen hit it off right away. May was simpleminded. I don‟t mean retarded, because she was smart in some ways and read cookbook nonstop. I mean she was naive and unassuming, a grown-up and a child at the same time, she was a touch crazy (Kidd, 2002: 114).
5. April Boatwright
In the novel, The Secret Life of Bees written by Sue Monk Kidd, April‟s characteristic is not deeply discussed. The writer concludes this from August
speech “May had a twin. Our sister April. The two of them were like one soul
sharing two bodies “(Kidd, 2002: 157). Her physical appearance is not really clear.
Different from May, April is a stubborn person. Murphy‟s theory about characterization is one of the ways to know person‟s characteristics is by seeing
her or his past life. By using the medium of another character that is August as her sister, the writer can see that April is a stubborn person and does not like to be discriminated against white kids. She also finds it hard to accept the disc rimination.
“Well, when April and May were eleven, they walked to the market with a
nickel each to buy an ice cream. They‟d seen the white children in there
licking their cones and looking at cartoon books. The man who owned the market gave them the cones but said they had to go outside to eat them. April was headstrong and told him she wanted to look at the cartoon books. She argued with the man for her own way, like she used to do with Father, and finally the man took her arm and pulled her to the door, and her ice cream dropped to the floor. She came home screaming that it
wasn‟t fair. Our father was the only colored dentist in Richmond, and he‟d
seen more than his share of unfairness. He told April, „Nothing‟s fair in this world. You might as well get that straight right now” (Kidd, 2002: 158- 159).
April‟s past life that is told by August is the proof that she is a stubborn
“She got deflated about life, I suppose you‟d say. It opened her eyes to things she might not have noticed, being so young. She started having stretches when she didn‟t want to go to school or do anything. By the time she was thirteen, she was having terrible depressions, and of course the whole time, whatever she was feeling, May was feeling. And then, when April was fifteen, she took our father‟s shotgun and killed herself” (Kidd, 2002: 159).
From the quotation above, the way she cannot accept the thing like racial discrimination drives her to be a desperate person. It makes her does not want to go to school and then kill herself because her terrible depressions. Her desperation happened for years because she cannot accept the condition about the racial discrimination around her. She struggle to face this desperation but she finally give up.
B. The Practices of Racial Discrimination
The novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd tells about racial discrimination against African American women. Lois Tyson (2011: 211) in his book Using Critical Theory states that
Racism is the oppression of individuals or groups based on the race. Racism can be happen in many aspects including economic, political, social, or psychological. Racism is the myth or the belief that oppressed race is inferior to the “ dominant” race.
Lois Tyson wants to say that racism happens in various aspect of minority‟s life. Racism results in different treatments to different people. Racism makes the oppressed race have limitation to live as normal as the dominant race.
The first practice of racial discrimination in the novel The Secret Life of Bees is negative stereotyping about African American people. In the story, Lily is
within herself when she meets an educated, smart, and well-behaved black woman.
T. Ray did not think colored women were smart. Since I want to tell the whole truth, which means the worst parts, I thought they could smart, but not as smart as me, me being white. Lying on the cot in the honey house, though, all I could think was August is so intelligent, so cultured, and I
was surprised by this. That‟s what let me know I had some prejudice
buried inside me (Kidd, 2002: 129).
It can be said even Lily just turns into fourteen years old but she has prejudice to African American women. Her father tells her that colored women are not smart like white people. It makes her also think that all African American women are not smart too. Therefore, prejudice happens hereditary in white‟s society and makes the problem of racial discrimination between white and black people is difficult to end.
Aguirre and Turner said that prejudice refers to negative belief, concepts and stereotypes about people (2011: 29). Frazier also says the object of racial prejudice is not only for individual with certain observable characteristics but an individual who is identified as a member of racial group (1957: 275). As written, Lily has had a bad judgment about colored women from beginning that they are not as smart as herself who is white. She thinks that just because she is white she is smarter than colored women. Without realizing it, she discriminates August based on her skin color. In other words, she has racial prejudice toward August and other African American women.
because of the label. In the society, most people believe that the Virgin Mary comes from whites. Therefore, whites are condemned if there is another Virgin Mary that is black.
I pointed to the honey jars. “Where did you get those?”
He thought the tone of shock in my voice was really consternation. “I know what you mean. A lot of folks won‟t buy it‟ cause it‟s got the Virgin Mary pictured as a colored woman, but see, that‟s because the woman who makes the honey is colored herself (Kidd, 2002: 105).
From the quotation above, it is known that even just a honey jar that is labelled black Madonna can make some people lose interest to buy it. This result in a condition where the profit that August and her sisters make is not worth with the effort that they make to produce the honey. White people think the word
“Black” relates with the idea of bad and dirty. The meaning of this idea is that
African American people must be bad in terms of their physicall appearance and their attitude.
The second practice of racial discrimination can be seen when the whites have the term to call one of African American women character in novel that is Rosaleen. The word Nigger is the impolite word not only for African American women but also for African American men. “Well, look what we got coming here,” he called out. “Where‟re you going, nigger?” (Kidd, 2002: 51).
The third practice of racial discrimination as written in the novel The Secret Life of Bess is in public places. Segregation according to Aguirre and
men, she was brought to a hospital. As written in the novel, the place and the facility for White people are different from those for African American people.
Sylvan Memorial Hospital was a low brick building with one wing for whites and one for blacks. I stepped into a deserted corridor clogged with too many smells. Carnations, old people, rubbing alcohol, bathroom deodorizer, red Jell-O. Air conditioners poked out from the windows in the white section, but back here there was nothing but electric fans moving the hot air from one place to another (Kidd, 2002: 74- 75).
From the quotation above, an example of the different treatment for White and the African American people is that the air conditioner is provided for White people and electric fans are provided for African American people. This unfair treatment that African American people get is injustice because they cannot get as comfortable as the White people at the hospital.
The other public places where discrimination towards African American women takes place is at the motel and white‟s house. As written in the novel The Secret Life of Bees, there is no motel that will serve any African American woman
even though they can pay it. It is also emphasized by Rosaleen that no White people will take any black woman into their house.
“If we can find some place open when we get to town, I‟ll go in and get us
some food, “I told her.
“And what‟re we gonna do for beds?” she said.
“If they don‟t have a motel, we‟ll have to rent a room.”
She smiled at me then. “Lily, child, there ain‟t gonna be any place that will take a colored woman. I don‟t care if she‟s the Virgin Mary; nobody‟s
letting her stay if she‟s colored” (Kidd, 2002: 98-99).
Another public place that African American women find it difficult to access and to get their needs is the market. It happens to May and April.
“Well, when April and May were eleven, they walked to the market with a
