RACISM IN MARLON JAMES’S
THE BOOK OF NIGHT WOMEN
A THESIS
Submitted as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Sarjana Degree of English Department Faculty of Letters and Humanities State Islamic
University of Sunan Ampel Surabaya
By: Vandilia Setiyaning Agami
Reg. Number: A73212118
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LETTERS AND HUMANITIES
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF SUNAN AMPEL
SURABAYA
ABSTRACT
Agami, Vandilia Setiyaning. 2016. Racism in Marlon James’s The Book of
Night Women. Thesis. English Department. Faculty of Letters and
Humanities. State Islamic University of Sunan Ampel Surabaya. Thesis Advisor: Sufi Ikrima Sa’adah, M. Hum
This thesis entitled Racism in Marlon James's The Book of Night Women is chosen by the writer because this book tells about racism in the form of slavery that happened outside the United States. Racism becomes the main topic of this study because it always be interesting topic to discuss. This study which the writer conducts is using descriptive method. Firstly, the writer chooses the topic of this study. Secondly, the writer collects the data on Marlon James’s novel which is related to this study. Thirdly, the writer analyzes the data by using African American Criticism to analyze and to examine the racism operates in other part of the world and the effects of racism toward individual’s life and the last is concluding and getting the result of the study. After analyzing the data, it is clear that there are a lot of form of racism operates in the form of chattel slavery and the effect toward Lilith's life is changed her into a black woman who dared to revolt and she became dark. Not only is she dark of her skin but also her soul.
ABSTRAK
Agami, Vandilia Setiyaning. 2016. Racism in Marlon James’s The Book of
Night Women. Skripsi. Sastra Inggris. Fakultas Adab dan Humaniora.
Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Ampel Surabaya. Thesis Advisor: Sufi Ikrima Sa’adah, M. Hum
Skripsi ini berjudul Racism in Marlon James’s The Book of Night Women ditulis oleh peneliti karena buku ini bercerita tentang rasisme dalam bentuk perbudakan yang terjadi di luar Amerika Serikat. Rasisme menjadi topik utama dari penelitian ini karena selalu menjadi topik yang menarik untuk dibahas. Skripsi yang disusun oleh peneliti menggunakan metode deskriptif. Langkah pertama, peneliti memilih topik penelitian ini. Langkah kedua, peneliti mengumpulkan data mengenai yang berkaitan dengan topik penelitian ini. Langkah ketiga, peneliti menganalisis data dengan menggunakan Kritik Afrika Amerika untuk menganalisis dan memeriksa rasisme yang beroperasi di bagian lain dunia dan efek rasisme terhadap kehidupan individu dan terakhir kalinya menyimpulkan dan mendapatkan hasil dari penelitian ini. Setelah menganalisis data, terbukti dengan jelas bahwa ada banyak bentuk rasisme beroperasi dalam sistem perbudakan yang dinamakan chattel slavery dan efek terhadap kehidupan Lilith yang merubah dirinya menjadi wanita kulit hitam yang berani memberontak dan ia menjadi gelap. Tidak hanya kulit dia yang gelap, tetapi jiwanyapun berubah menjadi gelap.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Inside cover ... i
Inside tittle ... ii
Declaration ... iii
Advisor’sApproval ... iv
Examiner’s Approval ... v
Dedication ... vi
Acknowledgment ... vii
Motto ... ix
Table of Contents ... x
Abstract ... xii
Abstrak ... xiii
CHAPTER 1 INTRDUCTION ... 1
1.1Background of the Study ... 1
1.2Statement of Problem ... 5
1.3Objective of the Study ... 5
1.4Scope and Limitation ... 5
1.5Significance of the Study ... 6
1.6Method of Study ... 6
1.7Definition of key Terms ... 8
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED STUDY ... 10
2.1.1 Sociology of Literature ... 10
2.1.2 African American Criticism ... 12
2.2 Review of Related Studies ... 27
CHAPTER 3 ANALYSIS: Racism in The Book of Night Women ... 30
3.1 The Form of Racism in The Book of Night Women ... 33
3.2 The Effects of racism on Lilith in The Book of Night Women novel 49 CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSION ... 68
4.1 Conclusion ... 68
WORKS CITED ... 70
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of The Study
Literature, as Roberts says, refers to compositions that tell stories, dramatize situations, express emotions, and analyze and advocate ideas (1). Moreover, Jones states that literature is simply another way we can experience the world around us through our imagination (1). Based on the above statements, it can be said that literature is a part of human life that reflected the reality in what happened in each aspect of life. It represents life which deals with internal and external factors of human life. Therefore, analyzing literature means analyzing human life in the sense of experiences, ideas, motivations, emotions or
expectations which are expressed in the works. People may get a solution of their problems or a suggestion what they should do in the social interaction by
analyzing literary works.
Peck divides literature into three genres. Genre means a type or a class of literature. The three genres are drama, poetry and prose (1). Roberts states that drama is literature designed to be performed by actors (2). It is derived from Greek word „dran‟ that means „to do‟ or „to act‟. Meanwhile, Kennedy states that
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narrative kind of writing. Based on the form it can be classified as romance, novel, and short story (13).
However, in this study the writer is only going to discuss about the novel. As Burhan says, novel is a fiction which has elements such as plot, theme, character, setting, point of view (10). Novel can give many experiences,
suggestion, and motivation that can be used to make a better life. Lawrence quotes that among many kinds of literary works, a novel is seen as a literary work that can represent life in all its fullness (16). Whatever the explanation, novel is not escaped from story about real life and also the condition around the author.
Richard Taylor in Understanding the Elements of Literature (46) explains that a novel is normally a prose work of quite some length and complexity which attempts to reflect and express something of the equality or value of human experience or conduct. This statement affirms to what Wellek and Warren state that literature „represent‟ „life‟; and „life‟ is, in large measure, a social reality,
even though the natural world and the inner or subjective world of the individual have also been objects of literary ‟imitation‟ (94). Novel is one of the fictitious
stories. Fiction describes invented people and event, not real ones. It originates not in historical facts but in the creative, imaginative powers (qtd in Haloho 2).
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Women. The phrase is repeated throughout Marlon James‟s darkly powerful second novel. It seems to mean that black life in the Americas was a vicious circle, full of the terrible things that whites did to blacks and that blacks did to whites and to blacks because of whites (The Book of Night Women novel).
Marlon James was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1970 and now he is living in Minneapolis. James teaches literature at Macalester College in St. Paul,
Minnesota. He has published three novels: John Crow's Devil (2005), The Book of Night Women (2009) and A Brief History of Seven Killings (2014), which was the winner of the 2015 Man Booker Prize. James‟ second novel, The Book of Night
Women, won the 2010 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, The Minnesota Book Award and was a finalist for the 2010 National Book Critics Circle Award in fiction, and an NAACP Image Award (Macalester College).
The Book of Night Women traces the life of Lilith, a mixed race slave on a Jamaicansugarcane plantation in the late eighteenth and earlynineteenth
centuries. Orphaned when her mother dies giving birth to her, Lilith more or less raises herself in the hell of the Montpelier Estate. Lilith has an opportunity to shed her isolation when she was invited to join a group of herhalf-sisters, the “Night Women,” a clandestine slave sisterhood conspiring to stage an island wide
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The writer chooses the author Marlon James because he writes about racism, a topic that drives the writer to conduct the study. With his most recent winning the 2015 Man Booker Prize, James become the first Jamaican recipient of the prize. He is making a name for himself as one of the most important and exciting contemporary writers to come out of the island nation. His works are an expression of Jamaica‟s violent past. He is powerful in writing about his
homeland with the experience of an expat (Theculturetrip).
The writer chooses The Book of Night Women novel because this book tells about racism in the form of slavery that happened outside the United States. The writer is eager to know how racism operates in other part of the world. Racism becomes the main topic of this study because it always be interesting topic to discuss. In real life, the whites are still considered better than the blacks, even though this is not the case in all countries. In some countries, most of companies put whites in higher positions than blacks.
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1.2 Statement of The Problem
Based on the background of the study explained above, the writer is interested in analyzing the problems, which are formulated as follows:
1. What form of racism occurred in The Book of Night Women novel?
2. What are the effects of racism towards Lilith‟s life in the novel?
1.3 The Objective of The Study
In accordance with the statement of the problem stated above, this study has two objectives that can be stated as follows:
1. To examine what form of racism occurred in The Book of Night Women novel.
2. To reveal the effects of racism towards Lilith‟s life in the novel.
1.4 Scope and Limitation of Study
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1.5 Significance of The Study
The writer hopes this study will help students of literary class and any readers who are interested in literature to understand the racism which is
described in Marlon James‟s novel The Book of Night Women. It is also expected
that all reader will be able to catch the deep meaning and the morality of his novel. Also, the writer hopes this study can be a helpful reference for other researchers who are interested in conducting further research and how to use African American Criticism in analyzing a literary work.
1.6 Method of The Study
This study is a qualitative research. A qualitative research is a research which does not use any calculation or enumerating (Moleong 2). The main reason is that because the writer just collects the data, analyses them and then draws conclusion. It is a library research that merely focuses on the analysis of textual data.
1.6.1 Object of the Study
The writer takes The Book of Night Women novel as the object of the study. This novel is written by Jamaican author Marlon James.
1.6.2 Instruments
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because it is impossible to collect, analyze and interpret the data directly without the writer herself.
1.6.3 Data and data Sources
1.6.3.1Type of Data
The data of this research are taken from The Book of Night Women novel. The data consists of words, phrases, dialogues and sentences that are related to the statement of the problems.
1.6.3.2Data Sources
In study, there are two sources of data namely primary and secondary data sources. The primary data source is the novel Book of Night Women written by Marlon James. Secondary data sources are reference and materials related to the study, including books, thesis, journal or internet.
1.6.4 Data Collection
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1.6.5 Data Analysis
After collecting the data, the researcher conducts analysis of the data. It is divided into some steps. First, the researcher classifies some phrases, sentences, paragraph and dialogue which show slavery and racism as well as its effect towards the character‟s life in the novel. Then, the researcher will connect the
theory with the data. The last, the researcher tries to interpret and make thesis statement from the analysis of data.
1.7 Definition of Key Terms
To avoid any different perceptions between the writer and the readers in understanding the study, it is essential to give some definition of key terms used in this study. Here are the key terms explained:
1. 1. Myal : a form of Jamaican spiritual magic. It is a variation of Obeah that is practiced in Jamaica. Its similarities include skills in herbalism, healing aspects, preparation of fetishes, and other objects for influencing behaviors, assuring protection, and reaching one‟s goals. (Bilby & Handler, 157).
2. 2. Slavery : derived from Kevin Bales in his book, Disposable People, which states that slavery is “The complete control of a person,
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3. 3. Discrimination : covers behavior and action to exclude the minority group from accessing to certain facilities and activities, such as education, employment, housing, parks, and so forth (Wishart and
Reichman, 356-357).
4. 4. The Whites : the term white, referring to people, was created by Virginia slave owners and colonial rulers in the 17th century. It replaced terms like Christian and “Englishman” (sic) to distinguish
European colonists from Africans and indigenous peoples. European colonial powers established white as a legal concept after Bacon‟s Rebellion in 1676 during which indentured
servants of European and African descent had united against the colonial elite. The legal distinction of white separated the servant class on the basis of skin color and continental origin. “The creation of „white‟ meant giving privileges to some, while
denying them to others with the justification of biological and social inferiority. (Adair and Powell, 17).
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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Theoretical Framework
In this chapter, the writer reviews some literary theories and concepts which are going to be used in the study. It clarifies the whole theory relating to issues in the statement of the problem. It includes the discussion of previous studies and theory of racial discrimination. The writer applies the Sociology of Literature as an umbrella of whole discussion in her study. The discussion goes on the social matter about racism in the novel. Due to the applied of sociology of literature as the umbrella of overall discussion, African American Criticism will be useful to apply in this thesis, that the perspective is used to approach and identify the racism which operates in Jamaica sugar plantation. Those theories are explained as follows:
2.1.1 Sociology of Literature
The sociology of literature is derivative from the word sociology and literature. Alan Swingewood in his book The Sociology of Literature explains that sociology is essentially the scientific, objective study of man in society, the study of social institutions, and a social processes; it seeks to answer the question of how society is possible, how it works, why it persist (11). While, Rene Wellek and Austin Warren explain in the book Theory of Literature that the term
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Sociology of literature can be analyzed literature at least through three perspectives. Firstly, the perspective of literary texts, the researchers analyzed as a reflection of people's lives and vice versa. Text is usually classified and described the sociological meaning. Secondly, biographical perspective, the researchers analyzed the author. This perspective relates to the life story of the author and social background. Thirdly, receptive perspective, the researchers analyzed the public acceptance of drama texts (Endraswara 80).
In convenient with its name, the sociology of literature is a specialized area of study which focuses its attention upon the relation between a literary work and the social structure in which it is created. It reveals that the existence of a literary creation has the determined social situations. As there is a reciprocal relationship between a literary phenomena and social structure, sociological study of literature proves very usefull to understand the socio economic situations, political issues, the world view and creativity of the writers in which they occur and determinants of a literary work.
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2.1.2 African American Criticism
African American history and culture were excluded from American education until the late 1960s (Tyson 360). American history books did not cover slave uprisings during transportation from the Middle Passage, slave rebellions that occurred on plantations, or the underground resistance formed by slaves. African American history and literature are intrinsically connected. The first published works of African American literature came about in the 18th century, at a time when the United States was just coming into being and when newly
recognized citizens, with clearly defined rights and freedoms, owned slaves. Conditions of slavery produced a certain genre of writing, as slave narratives. By the time the late 19th and early 20th centuries came around, Jim Crow policies led to enormous discrimination and violence in the South, yet novelists still produced some of works of fiction.
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predominant role in African American literature and criticism due to the enslavement of African Americans.
According to Tyson, African American criticism can be both a subject matter, the study of a body of literature written by a specific group of
marginalized people, and a theoretical framework. As a subject matter, any analysis of a literary work written by an African American, regardless of the theoretical framework used, might be called African American criticism, even if no attention is paid to elements in the text that are specifically African American. However, as a theoretical framework and this is our primary concern here African American criticism foregrounds race (racial identity, African American cultural traditions, psychology, politics, and so forth) as the object of analysis because race, in America, informs our individual and cultural psychology, and therefore our literature, in profound ways (394).
Moreover, as a theoretical framework, African American criticism can be used to analyze any literary text that speaks to African American issues,
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The Book of Night Women novel tells about racism in the form of chattel slavery. While, racism is one of African American issues. By using the African American Criticism as theoretical perspective will help the writer to analyze the data.
In analyzing racism, the writer uses some elements from African American Criticism; these are race, racism, white privilege, prejudice, segregation and discrimination. These elements are used by the writer to find out how the racism occurs in the novel and the effects towards Lilith’s life.
2.1.2.1 Race
Most of countries consist of several races. Racial diversity gives many benefits if it is utilized properly, such as the country becomes increasingly rich in culture. Cultural property would bring many benefits, not only in the form of material but could also be a science. However, it is more often causing conflict because people tend to think if the difference is a threat that could destroy their group. In fact, the difference was created by God to be complementary to each other.
Race is always the issues. Williams, Mourey and Warren define race is an unscientific, socially constructed taxonomy that is based on an ideology that views some human population groups as inherently superior to others on the basis of external physical characteristics or geographic origin (26).
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the macro forces of social and political struggle and the micro effects of daily decisions… terms like „black’ and „white’ are social groups, not genetically
distinct branches of humankind (65).
Sacknell states that race is a concept that signifies and symbolizes social conflicts and interests by referring to different types of human bodies. It is a socio historical process by which racial categories are created, inhabited, transformed, and destroyed (2).
According to Brues, a race is a division of a species which differs from other divisions by the frequency with which certain hereditary traits appear among its members (1-2). Among these traits are features of external appearance that make it possible to recognize members of different populations by visual
inspection with greater or less accuracy. Members of such a division of a species share ancestry with one another to a greater degree than they share it with
individuals of other races. Finally, races are usually associated with particular geographic areas.
Taylor defines race in the United States is not defined by one single definition, but simultaneously by several definition. Six definition of race were explored here. One’s race is defined by a combination of the following: by one’s
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government’s definition an who is American India); and finally, by one’s own
self-definition. No one definition is dominant over another in U.S society. Each definition shows the significance of society in defining race (53).
All in all, from the kinds of definition of race in above, the writer
concludes that the definition of race can be viewed from two perspectives. Firstly, defines race from biological perspective which view from the physical appearance such as from the skin color. Secondly, defines race from social construct
perspective, the process of defining the races is usually favor those powers and privileges over the others.
2.1.2.2 Racism
Audre Lorde defines racism as the belief in the inherent superiority of one race over all others and thereby the right to dominance (115). Within white-dominated communities, racism has historically imposed incredible hardships and injustices on people who are not white. Racism has been heavily integrated into social systems; in the past, racism was legal and demanded by many governments across the world. Racism has led to unimaginable acts of violence, to the murder and genocide of millions (and perhaps cumulatively billions) of human beings across the world.
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is a particular form of prejudice defined by preconceived erroneous beliefs about race and members of racial groups (225).
According to Michel Leiris, racism is one of most disturbing phenomena of the great revolution of the modern world. At the very time when industrial civilization is penetrating to all points of the globe and is uprooting men of every colour from their age-old traditions, a doctrine, speciously scientific in
appearance, is invoked in order to rob these men of their full share in the advantage of the civilization forced upon them (8).
Fredman (cited in Bhavnani et al. 15) conceptualizes racism as a process that can be recognised by its penchant for stereotyping which may lead to violence if not prejudice. Racism has two forms of racial relation; they are the form of acceptance and the form of rejection. The forms of acceptance are assimilation, accommodation, amalgamation, and pluralism. The forms of rejection are
prejudice, segregation, and discrimination (qtd. In Bintan 18). The form of racial relation in The Book of Night Women novel is rejection. So that the form of racism in this novel are racial identity (white privilege), prejudice, segregation and
discrimination.
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The person who adopts this presumes that their race is superior so that they consider have the right to organize and belittle other races.
2.1.2.3 White Privilege
Essed says that white privilege is the belief that White is the dominant race and includes many social advantages, benefits, and courtesies. White privilege is a form of everyday racism because the whole notion of privilege rests on the
concept of disadvantage. That is, one can be privileged only in contrast with someone else who is not privileged. So if whites enjoy a system of everyday privileges because they are White, this means that Blacks are deprived of these privileges because they are Black. And this is, of course, a form of racism. More often than not, white privilege is unconscious because it is taken for granted, seen as a natural part of daily life, by those who have it (205).
According to Kendall (1) white privilege is an institutional (rather than personal) set of benefits granted to those of us who, by race, resemble the people who dominate the powerful positions in our institutions. One of the primary privileges is that of having greater access to power and resources than people of color do; in other words, purely on the basis of our skin color doors are open to us that are not open to other people.
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focus on racism specifically. The normalization of whiteness is indicative of the power that has been accorded the white race.
Kirwan argues white privilege is an innate collection of favoured benefits or circumstances which are not earned, that have been granted to white people, who are often considered to be „the mainstream’ in Canada and the U.S. Thus, one
is born into white privilege based on the colour of one’s skin and for no other
apparent reason. This is sometimes termed ascribed status, that is, a standing that is innately assigned or attributed to an individual, and it can be contrasted with achieved status, which is a position that has been earned or deserved based on actions of the individual (3).
Peggy McIntosh argues that many white people refuse to acknowledge this privilege. Her paper, White Privilege and Male Privilege, grew from the
identification of a white privilege not dissimilar to the male privilege she was working to expose through her faculty work in Women’s Studies. She examined
how her own white privilege operated and defined her everyday life, discovering in the process 46 assets that she believed she had accrued based solely on the colour of her skin. Her conclusion that “[my] skin color was an asset for any move
I was educated to want to make”, helped redefine racism as privilege for white
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All in all, White Privilege is special advantage or benefit of white persons; with reference to divine dispensations, natural advantages, gifts of fortune, genetic endowments, social relations, etc.
White Privilege is one of elements in African American Criticism which has the important role in this study to analyze how the Whites take advantage of that trust to behave arbitrarily to black slaves. They believe that Whites got a gift from God to be a special race than other races. So that, they consider the Whites is the best among them in every way.
2.1.2.4 Prejudice
Tatum states that prejudice is one of the inescapable consequences of living in a racist society. Cultural racism, the cultural images and messages that affirm the assumed superiority of Whites and the assumed inferiority of people of color, is like smog in the air (125). Prejudice is biased and predetermined opinions or feelings of hatred, resentment, or superiority towards people different from oneself.
Hoyt defines prejudice is preconceived opinion not based on reason or actual experience; bias, partiality (225). Baron & Byrne argue prejudice refers to “a negative attitude toward members of some social group based solely on their
membership in that group,” (Qtd in Her 9). Prejudice also means a preconceived
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According to Allport prejudice is an antipathy based upon a faulty and inflexible generalization. It may be directed toward a group as a whole, or toward an individual because he is a member of that group” (9). This definition contains
three key components worth specifying. First, prejudice is negative in nature and can be individually or group focused. Second, prejudice is based on faulty or unsubstantiated data. Third, prejudice is rooted in an inflexible generalization (Ponterotto 12). Prejudice is common against people who are members of an unfamiliar cultural group. Therefore, certain types of education, interactions, and relationships with people from different cultural groups can reduce prejudice.
Milner statet that “prejudiced attitudes ... are irrational, unjust, or
intolerant dispositions towards other groups, and they are often accompanied by stereotyping. This is the attribution of the supposed characteristics of the whole group to all its individual members. Stereotypes exaggerate the uniformity within a group and similarly exaggerate the differences between this group and others” (5).
Yuni argues that the word prejudice refers to prejudgment or making a decision before becoming aware of the relevant facts of a case or an event. Initially this is referred to making a judgment about a person based on their race, religion, class, without even knowing them personally (35).
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prejudice as “...an organized predisposition to respond in an unfavorable manner
toward people from an ethnic group because of their ethnic affiliation” (4).
Blumer define race prejudice is a defensive reaction to such challenging of the sense of group position … As such, race prejudice is a protective device. It
functions, however shortsightedly, to preserve the integrity and position of the
dominant group’ (5). Moreover, Dovidio, Hewstone, Glick, and Esses conclude
that prejudice is an individual level attitude (whether subjectively positive or negative) toward groups and their members that creates or maintains hierarchical status relations between groups (7).
All in all, prejudice is a decision or conclusions made before obtaining evidence. The conclusion is still “pre” means not tested by objectivity. This is because a person or a group has the pleasure or displeasure. The dominant
element of feeling more used than the element ratio. Prejudice was originally just an attitude of negative feelings that gradually reveals itself in discriminatory measures against persons, including those groups that prejudge the absence of objective reasons in the person that is subject to discriminatory measures.
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2.1.2.5 Segregation
Segregation as a form of separation of ethnical groups imposed by law or by custom, is an extreme form of discrimination. Segregation refers to that restriction of opportunities for different types of associations between the
members of one racial, religious, national or geographic origin, or linguistic group and those of other groups, which results from or is supported by the action of any official body or agency representing some branch of government (Clark, Chein and Cook 495). Williams and Collins define racial segregation as the physical separation of the races in residential contexts (147). Racial segregation is often blamed for part of the achievement gap between blacks and whites.
Moreover, Massey, Rothwell and Domina state that during the first two-thirds of the century, segregation was defined by the spatial separation of whites and blacks. What changed over time was the level at which this racial separation occurred, as macro-level segregation between states and counties gave way
steadily to micro-level segregation between cities and neighborhoods. Segregation involves the separation of socially defined groups in space, such that members of one group are disproportionately concentrated in a particular set of geographic units compared with other groups in the population. The groups themselves may be defined on the basis of any socially meaningful trait race, ethnicity, income, education, age, etc (1).
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fountain, using a rest room, attending school, going the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home. As an integral part of racial discrimination, segregation cover every crucial and fundamental aspect of life. It could be found in the practice of hiring and in the rental and sale of housing to certain races (41).
All in all, segregation of race is the separation, isolation, exclusion of a certain group based on race. Segregation is a forcible separation. Segregation is a form of institutionalized discrimination applied in the social structure.
By using segregation, the writer will analyze how the black slaves and white masters or overseers experience separation. Although they live in one house, but there is a separation and distinction facilities.
2.1.2.6 Discrimination
Discrimination is behavioral because of those attitudes or beliefs.
Discrimination occurs when individuals or institutions unjustly deprive others of their rights and life opportunities due to stigma. Discrimination may result in the exclusion or marginalization of people and deprive them of their civil rights, such as access to fair housing options, opportunities for employment, education, and full participation in civic life (Disability Rights California, 1).
Fershtman, Gneezy, and Verboven state discrimination is defined as
differential treatment of people depending on their group affiliation (371). The
emphasis in the definition of discrimination is on the differential treatment of
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caused by associating with someone, and “discrimination in favor,” which implies
nonmonetary gains from associating with an individual of a particular group (372).
Discrimination is the differential allocation of goods, resources, and services, and the limitation of access to full participation in society based on an
individual’s perceived membership in a particular social group. Discrimination is
negative action toward an individual because of one’s membership to a particular
group (Allport 51; Dovidio, Hewstone, Glick, and Esses 9).
Jones defines discrimination as “those actions designed to maintain own
-group characteristics and favored position at the expense of the comparison group” (4). While, racial discrimination refers to unequal treatment of persons or
groups on the basis of their race or ethnicity (Pager and Shepherd, 2).
Marpaung states discrimination is due to something that the individual did rather than to a person’s group membership. For instance, people who are caught
cheating on their taxes suffer inequality in the form of punishment from their society, which is not inflicted upon those who are not caught cheating on their taxes. Discrimination is differences in treatment of people on the basis of characteristics which may be classified as racial, including skin color, cultural heritage and religion (25).
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discrimination means that someone treats you unfairly or unfavourably, or harasses you, because of your race, colour, descent, ethnic, national origin, nationality (Human Rights and Discrimination Commissioner, 1).
Baron & Byrne argue discrimination refers to “negative behaviors directed
toward members of social groups who are the object of prejudice” (Qtd in Her 9). Moreover, Esposito states discrimination refers to the differential treatment of an issue, a person, or a behavior based on a prejudice (Qtd in Her 9).
Yuni in her thesis states that racial discrimination is one of the worst social problems that still exist up to this very moment in every part of the world. It can be defined as the mistreatment of a group of people on the basis of race, color, and religion. Racial discrimination is also the belief that race accounts for differences in human character and that a particular race is superior to others. This problem is very serious because it always leads to destruction, not only to certain human being but also to the society (6).
Discrimination occurs as a result of the belief that their race was the most superior and looked at the other lesser races. This is a result of white privilege system that encourages action to judge anything without a reason because of a belief that feels themselves superior. Moreover, there was segregation and discrimination, either physically or verbally to those who are considered low.
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equality. Marlon James writes The Book of Night Women novel that portrays Lilith as the main character who is a black slave girl suffers a violence even at her first breath. She and other black slaves suffered many forms of racism such as discrimination and segregation. She experienced a change in attitude due to the effects of the kind of racism that happens to her. She changed into a black woman who dared to revolt and she became dark. Not only she is dark of her skin but also her soul.
2.2 Review of Related Studies
While writing this thesis, the writer has just found one previous study which used The Book of Night Women novel as the object of study. Jessica Marie Best (2013) with her dissertation “Suspended Nameless in the Limbo State”: Neoliberalism and Queer Caribbean Diasporas in Chapter 1, “Suspended
Nameless in the Limbo State”: Orientalism and The Colonial Closet in Marlon
James’s The Book of Night Womenand Shani Mootoo’s Cereus Blooms at Night.
She used Said’s theories on Postcolonialism to reveal the ways in which White,
heterocolonial epistemologies from the colonial era continue to circulate within dominant U.S. culture and thus continue to obscure, or closet, queer subjectivities and epistemologies which have always been present. In this study, Jessica Marie Best focus in the concept of Orientalism and Postcolonialism theory to analyze the data.
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used another novel. The difference is the writer will analyze The Book of Night Women novel using African American Criticism to know the form of racism in the novel.
Second, the student of University of Sumatra Utara, The Impacts Of
Segregation And Discrimination Reflected In Kathryn Stockett’s Novel The Help
written 2014 by Rini Sijabat. She explored the kinds and impacts of segregation and discrimination. From her analysis, there are four kinds of segregation, they are, segregation in housing, public school, public transportation and hospital. It happens because the minority groups believe that they are inferior and cannot struggle against the whites’ power. And as the result, the neighborhoods, schools,
and other public facilities for the dominant group are both separated from and superior to those of the minorities. And there are three kinds of discrimination, they are, discriminantion in economy, politic, and social issue. The impacts of discrimination is poverty, unemployment, violence, alcoholism and high disease.
Rini Sijabat thesis has similarity with this study. The similarity is the topic of the study which is about racial discrimination. The differences are first, the object of the study that is different novel and the author. Then, the writer will analyze the topic using African American Criticism while Rini Sijabat used sociological approach.
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children were divided into three parts. The first is black children feel disappointed and he is motivated by his mother and at the end of the poem, black children have high expectations that black children and white boys can be together in the future life. Second, this study showed the factors that lead to segregation in The Little Black Boy. There was segregation that includes colonialism, racial discrimination (race, racism, racial discrimination). Racial discrimination in The Little Black Boy is when black children are treated differently than white children.
Anitya Hendri Prawesti thesis has similarity with this study. The similarity is the issue about discrimination. The differences are, first the object of her study is poem while the object of this study is novel. Then, she used Poscolonialism and Structuralism theory, while the writer will analyze the issue using African
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CHAPTER III
RACISM IN THE BOOK OF NIGHT WOMEN
The Book of Night Women is one of novels written by Marlon James. It tells about African slavery in Jamaica during the 18th century. James presents the life at Montpelier, a sugar plantation in Jamaica. In that plantation, slaves were often treated brutally by their white overseers, who whipped, raped, and even murdered them. Many female slaves, often barely beyond childhood themselves, bore children as a result of the sexual abuses of white overseers.
“Montpelier, like other estate on the east coast, have one white man for every thirty-three negro... Johnny-jumpers they call them, five to ten in number and they work with whip and on some estate, knife and gun. When a field nigger not keeping up the quota of ground to plough or cane to cut they whip him in the back or punch him in the face or kick him in the balls and tell him work harder ‟cause he not no prince regent here. The Johnny-jumpers raid the slave settlement at night like they be pirate, taking the supper that just cook, or if they hungering for a something else, grabbing the daughter or the mother even if her titty lanky and her pussy no good...” (The Book of Night Women : ch. 1 p. 4-5).
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kicked up. The slaves undergo the violence not only in the morning and daytime when they are working at the plantation, but also at night when the overseer came to satisfy their hunger by snatching the slave‟s supper and satisfy their lust by
raping the female slaves without seeing their age and physical appearance.
The story in The Book of Night Women is narrated by a daughter of female slave names Lilith. She intends, at first, to tell a story about her life, but ends up telling about her mother‟s story. However, she reveals herself as the narrator at the
end of the novel.
“...The first time me write, me wanted to tell a different story, a story ‟bout me, not a story ‟bout her, but such is she that every nigger story soon become a tale ‟bout they mother, even the parts that she didn‟t tell herself. The first time me ever write ‟bout me mother was December 27, in the year of our Lord 1819. This was the first thing me write.You can call her what they call her. I goin‟ call her Lilith.” (The Book of Night Women : ch. 31 p. 233).
At the beginning of the novel the narrator told how Lilith has already suffered a violence even at her first breath. She was born when her mother was 14 years old as a result of sexual abuse by an overseer named Jack Wilkins. Lilith was orphaned because her mother dies directly after giving birth to her. A new life has just snatched another life.
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chile and the papa, and then she drop down dead like old horse... a mother mouth screaming. A weak womb done kill one life to birth another. A black baby wiggling in blood on the floor with skin darker than midnight but the greenest eyes anybody ever done see. I goin‟ call her Lilith. (The Book of Night Women : ch. 1 p. 1).
The above passage describes the situation when Lilith was born. A newborn baby who was supposed to bring happiness for the parents was cursed by the mother. Her birth was unwanted because the baby came out of rape. And she directly became a slave the moment she came out of the mother‟s womb. The slavery made the baby a slave because she was born by
a slave. This situation is reinforced by James with the use of the phrase “EVERY NEGRO WALK IN CIRCLE. TAKE THAT AND MAKE OF...”
repeatedly to open several chapters. This phrase seems like the meaning of connotation of Sisyphus mythology, where the Gods assigned Sisyphus to roll a great stone to the top of a steep hill. However, the stone has been created by the Gods to always roll back down while trying to reach the hill. Sisyphus continued to do this and was not able to complete the task.
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3.1 The Form of Racism in Marlon Jame’s The Book of Night Women Novel
a. Racial Identity: White Privilege
One form of racism that exists in The Book of Night Women novel is white privilege. In this novel, white privilege embodied in the practice of slavery
occurring in Montpelier Estate in the height of 18 century. This information was obtained from the early part of the novel in chapter 1. The system of slavery at that time was black chattel slavery. That system made the slave became a non-person: a chattel, a thing, an object to be bequeathed and inherited, sold and bought. This condition is seen when Lilith accompanied Isobel to go to town and they drove past a slave auction:
“SLAVES, BOUGHT AND SOLD. She think that Miss Isobel see her this time, but Miss Isobel busy cussing people to get out of her goddamn way. The carriage can barely move now, sake of the crowd of people...”
“A fine buck is what we ‟ave ‟ere, gentlemens, a fine buck! the auctioneer say and he open him tight collar to free him fat neck.”
“A ripe one, this lassie is, not yet fifteen, methinks. Aye, I‟m sure of it. An exotic princess was she back in the dark continent, a boon to any household. And fine gentlemen such as you are surely you know a good value, so lets start at one hundred, do I hear one and twenty? the auctioneer say.”
“One hundred ninety-five, sold! say the auctioneer.”
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need to buy a nigger again. Spiting me own self out of business, yes I am. Shall we start at two hundred? Again, plenty hand shoot up one after the other. Lilith looking at the white mens buying and the black bodies shining and didn‟t notice they eye....”
“Two hundred ninety pounds! the auctioneer shout and the woman jump...” (The Book of Night Women : ch. 25 p. 175-176).
Those paragraphs potray on how a slave auction happens. The black slaves are classified based on their virtues. The virtue determines the slave‟s price. A
teenage female slaves is favorable because she can be a sex slave to produce more slaves. A strong male slave is also highly priced because his strength may cover more works that save the master‟s money to buy more slaves.
In the auction the slaves are bought and sold like chattel, then they have to work relentlessly. In the plantation, they work from dusk to dawn even to dusk again. There is almost no time to rest. The master and the oversees only think about their own profits.
“Most time the field negroes work all through the night cutting cane, trashing the leaves, dodging rat and snake, and piling the cane together to send to the mill. Crop time is where the slave reap the cane and the massa reap the money. The overseer too, with his commission of every hogshead over one hundred twenty. On Montpelier, crop time is what keep the estate going. Next to rumor of rebellion, crop time is the only time a white man lose sleep.” (The Book of Night Women : ch. 20 p. 137).
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attacks then sending the harvest to the factory to process the cane into sugar. The master does not come to work, but those who received the money. The overseer also does not need to spend quite a lot of power. They just need not to sleep to oversee the slaves. Slaves are like machines that are required to work without interruption.
The above explanation also shows how powerful and superior the Whites are. Whites can do anything at will on blacks, “EVEN THE DIRTIEST,
SMELLIEST POOREST, MOST GODFORSOOK, black teeth, worthless Cockney bastard know that white skin carry God power” (The Book of Night
Women : ch. 21 p. 142). The Whites are always superior over nigger. They can grab a nigger and kill them without any significant reason.
James uses the word pickney several time in this novel. The word pickney is derived from piccaninny but it has different connotations. Piccaninny is now usually regarded as an offensive racial slur for a black child, whereas pickney is commonly used to mean „child‟ in West Indian English and in that context does
not generally have offensive or racial overtones.
“White pickney and black pickney play all the time when they little, as if they be combolo, one and the same” (The Book of Night Women : ch. 1 p. 1).
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The word pickney reinforces the meaning if blacks and whites are
different. When the whites and blacks are still in childhood, they play together and become friends. But if they grow up, it is no longer valid. Whites will be the masters while Blacks will be the servants. They no longer be friends and live in different position or status. Blacks become their slaves to work and serve them. Moreover, it is also explained if “on some estate even the pickneys work, mostly
in the trash gang to pick up rubbish on the estate or to carry water for the field slaves to drink, or to get firewood. That be the negroes” (The Book of Night
Women : ch. 3 p. 17).
In several time the word pickney have offensive, racial overtones and angrily applied in this novel. Most of character called Lilith as pickney.
The other nigger in the kitchen look ‟pon her. Some laugh and Lilith see.
—Me give any of you stinking nigger joke? Lilith say.
—Stink me could be, but me still get pick and not you, Andromeda say.—Mayhaps is you who should smell under you arm again, she say and laugh.
—Go smell under you cunt!
—Lilith! Enough out o‟ you. You think the mistress owe you something?
—She not the mistress.
—Neither be you. Now go peel two potato and settle youself. —She goin‟—
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Homer silent. She open her mouth slow.—You sure you can handle big woman chat, pickney? You sure you ready for that journey? You think good before you answer. Because some people about to forget that me be the head bloodcloth nigger in here. Now, go peel two potato and don‟t draw me tongue out in this place. (The Book of Night Women : ch. 9 p. 54).
The quotation above is the conversation between Homer and Lilith in the kitchen. Homer tried to awaken Lilith, considered her the same with another nigger. She‟s just a slave. Homer called her pickney in an angry tone to confirm
that she is a nigger who became a slave. However, Lilith is angry. She was offended, because she felt special with her green eyes and she did not know if she was the daughter of slaves who were raped by the overseer. So that when she grew up she would be a slave. She thought that she was the daughter of Circe and Tantalus because she live with them when she was child.
In another chapter, the meaning of pickney is to humiliate someone, it is clear from Lilith‟s anger when people call her with pickney.
—Make haste, pickney, de massa soon wakes up, and we still have egg to collect.
—Me no know how to do them things! Lilith say.
—Excuse me please? How come you is nigger and you don‟t have nigger skill? Look here, pickney.
—Me don‟t name pickney, me name Lilith.
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The paragraph above is the conversation between Dulcimena and Lilith. It happens when Lilith is at the first time work in Coulibre after she makes a mistake at Montpelier. Dulcimena call Lilith pickney, she was angry because she never like if people call her like that. Based on the conversation above, pickney may mean to degrade a nigger or black. It was clear the Dulcimena which states to emphasizes that Lilith is a nigger but could not do the nigger job. The use of the word pickney which refers the word child is only shown for black child, while if they call white child without designations and simply based on their real name. It shows the differences between Whites and Blacks.
In this novel, there are three most important white characters that have different nationalities and different class from one another. The first is Massa Humphrey. He is British and owns a slave estate that produces sugar cane for sale and distribution; he is the wealthiest and the most powerful (elite) among the three of them.
“The young son Massa Humphrey who was getting learning in England receive order to come back to the plantation directly to take up him station in life. When Humphrey Wilson reach Jamaica, the year was 1800 and he be twenty-one years of age.” (The Book of Night Women : ch. 3 p. 18).
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Those paragraphs above describes that Massa Humphrey is a white man British descent. He is the son of Patrick Wilson, an owner and manager of the largest sugar plantations in Jamaica. After he completed his education in England, he got a duty to go back to The Montpelier Great House to be the successor his father. He succeeded his father after his father died. Old Massa has been replaced by a new young Massa.
The second person is Robert Quinn. He is “an Irishman, take over as
overseer, and live in the great house. Sake of Jack Wilkins getting on in years Massa Humphrey make he stay.” (The Book of Night Women : ch. 4 p. 22). Robert
Quinn is one of the white man from Ireland. He is a best friend of Massa Humphrey who was invited to Jamaica to be one of the overseers in his sugar plantation. Quinn is not a landowner or private slave owner, he worked for Massa Humphrey.
The third person is Miss Isobel. She is French and lives on a wealthy slave-owning estate, but her estate does not produce any crops or product for sale like Humphrey‟s, and she is not the owner of her estate.
“Soon everybody talking ‟bout Saint-Domingue. Miss Isobel say it be a colossal, bloody tragedy on account that she still be having some sort of cousin over there. —My family is at least half French, you know, she say.” (TheBook of Night Women : ch. 12 p. 75).
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Humphrey and Quinn take advantage of their white privilege in the colony through sexual practices in which the violence of rape and sexual dominance are perpetuated.
“The colony can change a man if he willing and there be things he can do here that he can‟t do nowhere else. Regard this, coming to a land where a man can seduce, rape or sodomise any niggerwoman or boy or girl he wish and there be nothing that nobody goin‟ do, for every other white man be doing the same.” (The Book of Night Women : ch. 4 p. 23)
The paragraphs above confirming that Humphrey and Quinn uses their privileges for immoral lust and sexual abuse to the slaves. Immediately upon Humphrey‟s arriving at Montpelier, he resorts to carousing with Quinn
by drinking and having sex with the colored women on the island, both free and enslaved, asserting his gender and racial dominance. They came to the foreign land with overbearing and do things or whatever they wish. They feel that their race is superior so they can do as whatever they likes.
Meanwhile, Isobel uses racial boundaries in an attempt to construct herself as the proper French lady.
“Out in the courtyard be a black brougham carriage, big enough to seat four, with a negro at the reins dress up in a green suit and two white horse that get frighten by the dogs. Massa Humphrey run down the steps, and shoo away the dogs. Then he quiet the horse.
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—I thought hell‟s very hounds were about to make short work of me, she say. —And to think I‟ve been such a good girl.” (The Book of Night Women : ch. 8 p. 47)
In order to construct her white female identity on the slave plantation, Isobel seems aware that she must behave in a certain way. Upon first arriving at Montpelier after Humphrey‟s return, in order to take up the domestic affair of
planning a ball at the great house, Isobel arrives in a horse-drawn carriage with an escort and rebukes the gentlemen about not appearing in proper dress in front of a lady.
Along with regulating the behavior of the white men in the house, Isobel takes a firm hand with the house slaves and believes that she knows them better than they know themselves. Isobel believes that white woman is superior than black slave woman because it has been handed down from her father, Massa Roget, who proclaims about the African slaves, stating that:
“Oh, no, young sir, they are nothing like us, they have no interest in the finer arts, knowledge, literature and science, nothing that man has put in place for his own advancement. No, sir, Massa Roget say.” (The Book of Night Women: ch. 17 p. 112)
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“—That good, trusty nigger resilience. I dare say you blackies could survive Armageddon with no loss of life or limb. God must be wise in giving every living thing just what it needs. I mean, look at you. Why are you here? You tried to use the mind, the brain, but you silly girl, those things are lost to the negro. What you have is a back that won‟t break, a skin that won‟t crack, legs like an ox and teeth like a horse. How fortunate you are that we found each other, Lilith!” (TheBook of Night Women : ch. 16 p. 107)
The paragraph above confirms that is Isobel like her father. She believes that she knows the true character of the slaves, even as she constructs them as animal like through her words. Further, she reveals that she is superior than Lilith by stating that Lilith is lucky to have her around to supply the intellect to Lilith‟s
brutish ways.
In The Book of Night Women, the ideology of white privilege embodied in the practice of slavery in which British trades the black slaves as goods and they exploit this ideology to defend their superiority in force. Because they are not have superior in numbers, they show their superiority by becoming more and more brutal and ruthless toward their slaves, which in turn creates more anger and resentment and further the preexisting tensions.
b. Prejudice
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inflexible generalization. It may be felt or expressed. It may be directed toward a group as a whole or toward an individual because he is a group member”.
Moreover, prejudice is a feeling of like or dislike for someone or something especially when it is not reasonable or logical (Merriam-Webster, Dictionary). In The Book of Night Women, prejudice in this novel is labeled on the Blacks that tend to be considered criminal behavior.
Lilith know the other niggers don‟t like her. They know she have something to do with the missing Paris and that the Johnny-jumpers lay waiting any of them. War broke out between Johnny-jumper and house slave unawares to everybody but them... she know the other house slaves hate her. They have to. For she was thinking that if she wasn‟t Lilith she would hate Lilith too. (The Book of Night Women : ch. 4 p. 24)
The quotation above describes that all the black slaves become the accused for the death of Paris. They feel unsafe at any time because they will be punished for defamation actions which they never did. Because of Lilith trying to protect herself from rape, all blacks feel unsafe. It makes house slaves hate Lilith. But Lilith also thought if she were another nigger who do the same way, she will hate her. But what she did was to protect herself. Johny-jumper judges without seeing the truth of what had been happened.
c. Discrimination
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inhuman treatment such as verbal and sexual abuse, and makes the Black slaves cannot be free to determine their own lives.
At the beginning of chapter 21, the narrator tells that actually the Whites feel insecure and afraid of niggers. Therefore, they become cruel and brutal to protect themselves. The narrator also tells about the evil behavior of white people towards black people. The whites whipped the blacks hundreds of times, they burn with hot iron mark on their chest, breast or ass cheek. Then, they shoot the slaves in the head if the cane do not cut right, they shoot if they not moving with haste. They step on them after the whipping and rub salt pickle, lime juice and bird pepper in the wound until they cry blood.
The whites brutality also occurs when Quinn punishes Lilith because she spilled hot drinks to a white woman.
Work stop and all the negroes gather to watch. Some of the womens don‟t look. They bind Lilith hand tight with a long piece of rope. A Johnny-jumper throw the long end over a high branch and the other two pull her up. Lilith scream again. (The Book of Night Women : ch. 14 p. 91)
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Other form of racial discrimination in this novel is verbal discrimination through painful words. The Whites insulted or mocked the Blacks with vulgarity and demeaning word.
“That‟s the lot of all niggers: little knowledge, less sense. Some of you even think you can aspire to something greater than your fate....” (TheBook of Night Women : ch. 15 p. 98).
“That good, trusty nigger resilience. I dare say you blackies could survive Armageddon with no loss of life or limb. God must be wise in giving every living thing just what it needs. I mean, look at you. Why are you here? You tried to use the mind, the brain, but you silly girl, those things are lost to the negro. What you have is a back that won‟t break, a skin that won‟t crack, legs like an ox and teeth like a horse. How fortunate you are that we found each other, Lilith!” (The Book of Night Women : ch. 16 p. 107).
The paragraph above is the dialog between Isobel and Lilith. Isobel insulted Lilith with rude and painful word. She insulted the Lilith physical by comparing her with animals such as legs like an ox and teeth like a horse. It is very discriminating and brash. How could a human being be compared to animals. Human is different from animals. She felt that the Whites are superior race and very different from a Negro. Moreover, she reminds Lilith if she should be grateful and very lucky to have a master like her.
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“—You seem to be thinking lately that me and you is same size. You don‟t think it uncanny that in slave life you be the only nigger who live in house with mama and papa? Even man and woman who soft for each other can‟t live together, for they know how things go.
—How you mean?
—Look beyond you mirror, chile. This be Montpelier. It no matter who you be, nigger is nigger and any day you could get whip, kill or sell. Just like that. Only thing sure in nigger life is that nothing sure...” (TheBook of Night Women : ch. 7 p. 41).
The statement above is the dialog between Lilith and Homer. Homer tells Lilith that their fate is the same. The Blacks could not live freely according to what they expect. Montpelier is located in Jamaica the place where they were born. However, their rights have been deprived by the White overseer and White Master. They should have rights which all people are born free and have the dignity and the equal rights.
Homer explains to Lilith that the Blacks never live happily. The
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d. Segregation
Segregation is the separation or isolation of a race, class, or ethnic group by enforced or voluntary residence in a restricted area, by barriers to social intercourse, by separate educational facilities, or by other discriminatory means (Merriam-Webster, Dictionary). Marlon James conveys the racial segregation in his novel The Book of Night Women. The setting of place this novel is in the Jamaica. The novel shows how the Blacks are treated unequally during the slavery. The Blacks as the slave are treated inhumanly by Whites as their Massa and overseer. As the practice of racism, the racial segregation happens when the Blacks must live in different place from the Whites.
“He give her a new hut that make from wood, not mud like what common nigger live in (TheBook of Night Women : ch. 1 p. 1)
The quotation above describes that common nigger or slave live in hut made from mud. As an act of penance, Jack Wlkins shelters Lilith for the first portion of her life. She knows nothing of her true parentage, and lives in hut from wood with a deranged slave man and a slave woman who earns money by selling sexual services. Thus, the Blacks usually live in a very simple building of mud, in contrast to the Whites who live with a comfortable building. This is confirmed by some quotation below:
“Robert Quinn, who we come to know was an Irishman, take over as overseer, and live in the great house.”
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“A few months after Homer put her there Lilith forget how she get to the great house and say,……..me tired of the damn cellar” (TheBook of Night Women : ch. 4 p. 22-24).
The paragraph above concludes that in the Montpelier Estate, the slave house is in cellar. It is so pathetic. Cellar is a room under the ground floor of a building, used for storing things not for living. Usually the cellar is dark, cold, smelly and full of mice. It is no wonder if Lilith is tired with such condition. Meanwhile, the Massa lives in the great house. They eat, sleep or live very
comfortably. Even, Massa Humphrey‟s bedrooms are very spacious because they
are enough for three large mattress. “They live supported with good and luxurious facilities such as everything ‟bout white people circle round bedroom, ballroom
and dining table. The dining table near as long as two carriage and the wood dark like night. The edge curve around like circle and carve up with leaf and flowers in the wood” (TheBook of Night Women : ch. 12 p. 74).
Moreover, the segregation in the Coulibre is not too different with in Montpelier. Coulibre is an estate but is not an estate at all. No sugar be growing in this place, nor tobacco, nor cotton neither. The slaves live in pickney room. It just that the architecture of the building is different. Coulibre is all stone and the roof point to the sky like church.
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“Lilith walking down the corridor to the pickney room. It strike her how this house so hard with all the stone, but every room noisy and light cover all the walls” (TheBook of Night Women : ch. 16 p. 105).
The passage above plainly describes that even though the Blacks and the Whites are living in the same house, they live apart from each other. The Blacks live in the first floor and the Whites live in another floor but never in the first floor. As the Massa, Humphrey and Roget have managed segregation very well, they have prepared distinctive room for the slaves. The segregation makes the Blacks to go through hardship in order to survive and are really pushed to the limit of their existence as a human being. They could not live comfortably with their family.
3.2 The Effects of racism on Lilith in The Book of Night Women novel.
The central character in this novel is Lilith as the witness of this tragedy. She is young slave who seeks to be human in an inhuman world. Lilith is among six mulatto house servants at the Montpelier Estate whose mothers were all raped by the same overseer, Jack Wilkins. The six half-sisters or “night women” form a clandestine sisterhood, plotting revolt, with the hope of creating a slave free state.
“They only hate nigger who forget where they come from, she say. They only hate negro who start to think they white too.
—So you tell them that you half white, sister? Lilith say to Gorgon. —De only white be full white, fool. Whether you mulatto, mustee or octoroon, you still nigger. Some o‟ we forget dat, Gorgon say.
