THE IDEAS OF WOMANISM AS SEEN THROUGH
TOMMY’S CHARACTERIZATION IN
ALICE CHILDRESS’ WINE IN THE WILDERNESS
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
GALIH ASRI NINDITA. D
Student Number: 054214069
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
GALIH ASRI NINDITA. D
Student Number: 054214069
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
iv
DO THE BEST IN EVERY
SINGLE THING YOU DO
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to
My Beloved Father and Mother
And
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN KAMPUS
Yang bertandatangan dibawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma:
Nama : Galih Asri Nindita D
Nomor Mahasiswa : 054214069
Demi kepentingan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan
Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul The Ideas of
Womanism as Seen through Tommy’s Characterization in Alice Childress’ Wine
in the Wilderness 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 meminta ijin dari 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: 15 April 2010
Yang menyatakan,
UNIVERSITAS SANATA DHARMA FAKULTAS SASTRA
JURUSAN SASTRA INGGRIS – PROGRAM STUDI SASTRA INGGRIS
PERNYATAAN KEASLIAN KARYA TULIS
Yang bertandatangan dibawah ini, saya menyatakan bahwa skripsi saya dengan
judul: The Ideas of Womanism as Seen through Tommy’s Characterization in
Alice Childress’ Wine in the Wilderness yang dimajukan untuk diuji pada tanggal 24
Maret 2010 adalah hasil karya saya.
Dengan ini saya menyatakan dengan sesungguhnya bahwa dalam skripsi ini
tidak terdapat keseluruhan atau sebagian tulisan orang lain yang saya ambil dengan
cara menyalin, atau meniru dalam bentuk rangkaian kalimat atau simbol yang
menunjukan gagasan atau keseluruhan tulisan yang aya salin, tiru atau yang saya
ambil dari tulisan orang lain tanpa memberikan pengakuan pada penulis aslinya.
Apabila saya melakukan hal tersebut diatas, baik sengaja maupun tidak, dengan ini
saya menyatakan menarik skripsi yang saya ajukan sebagai hasil tulisan saya sendiri.
Bila kemudian terbukti bahwa saya ternyata melakukan tindakan menyalin atau
meniru tulisan oramg lain seolah-olah hasil pemikiran saya sendiri, berarti gelar dan
ijasah yang telah diberikan kepada universitas batal saya terima.
Yogyakarta, 15 April 2010
Yang membuat pernyataan,
vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to express my greatest gratitude to my Lord, Allah, for the blessing, guidance, love and strength. I realize that I have been able to complete my thesis because He is always on my side.
I would like to address my deep gratitude to my advisor, Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S., M.Hum., for her precious time, guidance and support that help me in the process of writing my thesis. I also would like to address my gratitude to my co-advisor M. Luluk Artika W, S.S. I thank to all the lecturers and staffs in the English Letters Department of Sanata Dharma University.
My best gratitude goes to my parents, Sukamto and Sri Hartati Pudji R., for their priceless loves, supports, prayers and wishes that encourage me. I also thank my grandparents, Hartono and Sumini for their prayers and my great sister, Putri Sekar Arum.
My special thanks go to my best friends Elisabeth Ria Handayani, Fransiska Chandra Leonita, and Cindy Abram. Thank you very much for the encouragement, support, the shoulders to cry on, the moments of happiness and sadness. I will never forget that, you are one of the best parts in my life, friends.
viii
CHAPTER II : THEORETICAL REVIEW... 7
A. Review of Related Studies ... 7
B. Review of Related Theories... 9
1. Theory of Character and Characterization... 9
2. Theory of Racial Discrimination ... 13
3. Theory of Gender Discrimination... 16
4. Theory of Womanism ... 18
5. The Condition of Black Women in the Twentieth Century... 21
C. Theoretical Framework... 22
CHAPTER III : METHODOLOGY... 24
A. Object of the Study ... 24
B. Approach of the Study ... 25
C. Method of the Study... 26
CHAPTER IV : ANALYSIS... 28
4. Sonny-Man ... 44
a. Educated ... 44
b. Hypocritical ... 45
B. Discriminations Reflected through the Relationship of Tommy, Bill Jameson, Cynthia and Sonny-Man ... 46
1. Racial Discrimination ... 46
2. Gender Discrimination ... 52
C. Womanism Presented through Tommy ... 56
1. Self-Esteem ... 56
2. Loves the Folks ... 59
3. Appreciates Women’s Culture... 62
x ABSTRACT
GALIH ASRI NINDITA DANASTRI. The Ideas of Womanism as Seen through Tommy’s Characterization in Alice Childress’ Wine in the Wilderness.
Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2010.
In the twentieth century, feminism became an interesting topic to be discussed. It became an interesting topic because there were many more women who had concern and awareness to get an equality with men. Feminism appeared as the way or tool for women to get the equal right with men. Along the history of women’s movement, there appeared branches or various types of feminism with different methods and purposes. This thesis focuses on womanism. Womanism is a term to voice and help the need and struggle of black women. The aim of this thesis is to reveal the ideas of womanism as presented by Tommy’s characterization. Tommy is a black woman who experiences racial and gender discrimination from her friends of her race, Bill, Sonny-Man and Cynthia.
In this thesis, the writer formulates three problems formulation. The first is how Tommy, Bill, Cynthia and Sonny-Man are characterized in the play. The second is how racial and gender discrimination are reflected through the relationship of Tommy, Bill, Cynthia and Sonny-Man. The third problem is what the ideas of womanism are presented through the characterization of Tommy.
The writer applies library research in this thesis. The writer applies some theories such as theory of character, characterization, racial discrimination, gender discrimination and ideas of womanism. The approach that the writer uses is feminist approach as it talks about what the ideas of womanism are presented through the characterization of Tommy.
2010.
Pada abad ke duapuluh, feminisme menjadi topik yang menarik untuk dibicarakan. Feminisme menjadi topik yang menarik karena lebih banyak perempuan memperhatikan dan menyadari kesetaraan dengan pria. Feminisme ada sebagai jalan atau media bagi perempuan untuk setara dengan pria. Seiring dengan sejarah pergerakan wanita, muncul berbagai macam feminisme dengan metode-metode dan tujuan-tujuan tersendiri. Skripsi ini fokus pada womanisme. Tujuan dari skripsi ini adalah untuk menemukan ide-ide womanisme melalui penokohan Tommy. Tommy adalah seorang wanita kulit hitam yang mendapat diskriminasi ras dan gender dari teman- teman pria satu ras, Bill dan Sonny-Man, dan teman perempuan satu ras, Cynthia.
Didalam skripsi ini, penulis merumuskan tiga masalah. Pertama adalah tentang penokohan Tommy, Bill, Cynthia dan Sonny-Man. Kedua adalah tentang diskriminasi ras dan gender yang tercermin melalui hubungan antara Tommy, Bill, Cynthia dan Sonny-Man. Ketiga adalah pertanyaan tentang ide-ide womanisme yang tercermin melalui penokohan Tommy.
Penulis melakukan riset perpustakaan didalam mengerjakan skripsi ini. Penulis menggunakan beberapa teori seperti teori tokoh, penokohan, diskriminasi ras, diskriminasi gender dan ide-ide womanisme. Pendekatan yang diaplikasikan adalah pendekatan feminis karena pendekatan ini mencakup tentang ide-ide womanisme apa yang tercermin melalui penokohan Tommy.
1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
In the twentieth century, feminism became an interesting topic to be discussed. It became an interesting topic because there were many more women who had concern and awareness to get equality with men. There were many criticisms on stereotype to women and patriarchal culture. Women tried to have equality in politic, economic and many other aspects in life. Feminism appeared as the way or tool for women to get the equal right with men. It appeared from women’s awareness to fight patriarchy that support men domination, superiority, prejudice, discrimination, oppression and exploitation toward women. According to Madsen in her book Feminist Theory and Literary Practice:
Feminist literary theory had three main aims: to expose the working of the ubiquitous patriarchal power structure; to promote the rediscovery of women’s historical achievements (including literary history); and to establish a feminine perspective on critical, literary, political, scientific, philosophical (and other) theories of the cultural forces that shape our lives. The intended aim was to change the sexist bias of traditional educational and social practice (2000: 15).
people but also between black men and black women. Black women have double discriminations, the first is race discrimination, in relation with the white and the second is sex or sexism, in relation with men. Black is the second rank after white and being women are also second level after men, then black women’s position is in the second rank after white and in second rank after men, both white and black men (Myrdal, 1944: 60). Since black women have double discrimination, they have more things to fight than the white have. The black women have more different focuses to struggle , they do not only want to get access in public the same as men but also uplifting the black women’s life from gender, race and other oppression because of that black feminism born. The appearance of black feminism is because although feminist movement offered something new but it is for fulfilling middle-class white women voices. Middle-class white women tend to ignore the desire of black women.
The feminist movement seemed to offer some redress but women of color increasingly say that the concern and standards of the movement were those of white, middle class women who tended to ignore the different needs and desires of women color and Third World women (Makaryk, 1993: 9).
3
feminism and feminism, as the word feminism in the term black feminism is identical with white women’s voices and since feminism is more fulfilling middle-class white women voices than the women of color, as stated above. In
Feminism: A Reader by Humm stated that white women’s voices are to increase access to public to be the same as men, equality in profession, education and home (1992:12). Womanism is used by Walker to describe her commitment to end the oppression of women. According to Walker, a womanist loves women and women’s culture. A womanist is concern to assert women’s identity and independence on their own term. Then being womanist involves wanting to know more and in greater depth than is good for one. In her point of view, womanist represents women as complex undiminished human beings (Madsen, 2000: 227)
Nowadays, the people can see that the term womanism is also reflected through the black women in daily life. People can see many artists, such as Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Oprah Winfrew from The United States who are well known as black singers and presenters. They are famous around the world the same as the white artists. Although they are black but they are proud of themselves. They did not change their appearance to the white style, which are white skin with straight and blonde hair. Being themselves and having their own style, they look confident and have pride on their own style. Another black woman artist who is also famous is Diana Ross. She is a famous black singer. In her fame, she also did not change her style into the white style.
literary work explains about the life of black woman in her community in the United States. In this play, racial discrimination, gender discrimination and womanism is reflected through the main female character, Tommy. Tommy who is a black woman is underestimated by the people from her own race, black people. Not only by black man but also by black woman whose the ways of thinking are like white.
The other reason why the writer chooses the play from Alice Childress are because she is one of the feminist authors in 1960s who takes the problem of black people as the theme in her works and Wine in the Wilderness explains about the fragmentation of the black community along class, race, and gender lines, that prompts a re-examination of Childress work from a feminist perspective, and because Wine in the Wilderness was published in 1969 when at time Black Power movement gathered momentum, and black women also took a new turn. Therefore, the writer thinks that Wine in the Wilderness by Alice Childress is suitable to be analyzed from the feminism view, focuses on womanism.
B. Problem Formulation
Based on the explanation above, the writer formulates some problems as follows: 1. How are Tommy, Bill, Cynthia, Sonny-Man characterized in the play? 2. How are racial discrimination and gender discrimination reflected
5
C. Objectives of the Study
Based on the problems formulation above, the writer has some objectives of the study. The first objective is to know the characteristics of Tomorrow Marie or Tommy, Bill Jameson, Cynthia and Sonny-Man in the play. The second is to identify racial and gender discriminations are reflected through the relationship of Tommy, Bill, Cynthia and Sonny-Man, and the last is to see what the ideas of womanism are presented through Tommy dealing with racial and gender discriminations toward her.
D. Definition Terms a. Discrimination
In International Encyclopedia of Ethics, discrimination is defined as differential or unequal treatment based on physical and social affiliation toward individuals or groups (Roth, 1995: 631).
b. Racism
According to Kuper in The Social Science Encyclopedia Second Edition, racism, the idea that there is a direct correspondence between a group’s values, behaviour and attitudes, and its physical features (1996:715).
c. Gender
characteristics that individuals assign to themselves, and not a description of biology (1995: 11).
d. Womanism
Womanism is a movement to get equality based on race, social class and gender. Womanism does not necessarily imply any political position or value system other than the honoring of Black women’s strength and experiences, because it recognizes that women are survivors in a world that is oppressive on multiple platforms, it seeks to celebrate the ways in which women negotiate these
7 CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
There are many discussions in magazines, articles, essays and other works about Alice Childress and her work. Alice Childress is an African-American who comes from middle-class parents. She was born on 12 October 1916 in Charleston, South Carolina, at the age of nine Childress and her mother, separated from Childress's father, moved to Harlem. From that time she lived with her grandmother. It was Childress's grandmother, Eliza Campbell White, who exposed her to the world of art and culture (www.literaryencyclopedia.com/play/ alice.php). Childress is an African-American author which almost of her works talks about African-American and problem they face.
…focused much of her writing on the African-American experience in the American South of the 20th century
(www.literaryencyclopedia.com/play/ alice.php).
community, black community, and weaving stories around their lives besides by her own experiences. So, those conditions has inspired Childress in writing, which she portrays those situations and conditions through the characters and plots (1996: 896).
Besides writing play, she also writes essays, short fiction, young adult novels and one adult novel, included various themes such as sociopolitical, romantic, biographical, historical included racist, and feminist. Because of that she receives the Paul Robeson Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts for her continues work in literary mediums. Her works are not only critically acclaimed, but also help to raise awareness about important issues such as equal rights for minorities, women's opportunities (Vena, 1996: 897).
Gary Vena in Drama and Performance: An Anthology explains that through Wine in the Wilderness, Childress addresses the charge by the Black Power Movement that black women are culprits in the subjugation of black men. Childress counters those allegations by exploring the effects of institutionalized racism that have forced black women to become brash and self-reliant, then urges the African-American community to band together in their struggle to freedom (1996: 898).
9
Through her, Childress demonstrate how the “revolution for liberation” will be won only when divisions along gender and class lines are eradicated and when African Americans join hands in acknowledging each other- the educated men and women, the men denied opportunities for work and education, and, most of all, the women who have overcome the triple threat of racism, classism, and sexism (Vena, 1996, 899).
In this thesis, the writer wants to analyze Alice Childress’ Wine in the Wilderness focuses on feminist perspective. The writer wants to find the ideas of womanism that presented through the main female character, Tommy, deals with racial and gender discrimination she experiences, that is not analyzed yet.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
world of the novel, since the secondary characters establish the human context (1977: 87-92).
In A Handbook to Literature: Fifth Edition, characterization is the way the author reveals the characters of imaginary persons in any kinds of fiction, so that they exist for reader as lifelike (Holman, 1986:81). In fiction, there are three basic method, those are:
a. The explicit presentation by the author of character through direct exposition, whether in an introductory block or piecemeal throughout the work, illustrated by action is more common.
b. The presentation of the character in action, with little comment by the author or no explicit one. The expectation of this second method is the reader can deduce the attributes of the actor from the action.
c. The representation from within a character, without any comment on the character by the author, of the impact of actions and emotions on the character’s inner self, with the expectation that the reader will come to clear understanding of the attributes of the character.
In Murphy (1972: 161-173) point of view, there are nine ways in which an author attempts to make his characters understandable to, and come alive for his reader. How the author makes the reader get to know and understand the characters. Those nine ways are:
a. Personal description
11
From the appearance, the personalities of the characters can be depicted whether the characters are strong, weak, glamorous, modern, conventional, etc.
b. Character as seen by another
Besides describing a character directly, the author can describe it through the opinions, views or eyes from the other. The other will give opinion or a view about certain character is like. It can be a significant factor to make the character’s personalities understandable.
c. Speech
The author can give us an insight into the character of one of the persons in the novel or play through what the person or the character says. Whenever the person or the character speaks, or having conversation with another, whenever the person put opinion about something, the person gives us some clues to his character.
d. Past life
e. Conversation of others
The author can also gives us to a person’s character by what people talk about other people. This gives as a clue to us in understanding the person through the others conversation about the person.
f. Reactions
We can understand the person’s character by identifying or knowing how that person reacts to various situations and events. How the person deal, handles, face or do to the various situations. It helps us to understand the person’s character.
g. Direct comment
To make the reader understand about the person’s character, the author can give comment directly on a person’s character. So that the reader needs not to guess or conclude, what the author means because the author gives direct comment.
h. Thoughts
The author can gives us direct knowledge of what person is thinking about. In this respect, he is able to do what we cannot do in real life. The author can tell us what different people are thinking. In the novel, we accept this.
i. Mannerisms
13
2. Theory of Racial Discrimination
According to Benton in The New Encyclopedia Britannica, racism is the theory or idea that there is a casual link between inherited physical traits of personality, intellect, or culture and, combined with it, the notion that some races are inherently superior to other (Benton, 1983: 360). In other words the physical appearance, personality, intellectual and culture of group of people are as a base of racism. People of a race feel superior because they think that their physical appearance, personality, intellectual and culture are more valuable and better than other races, so that they feel superior to other races, then they make other races inferior.
When the people talk about racism it is connected to racial discrimination, because those things mutually reinforce. Racism itself leads to racial discrimination, where the most notable form of racial discrimination according to Benton in The New Encyclopedia Britannica, is that of course, physical segregation by race, but these are many others, such as rules of etiquette defining forms of address between racial “superiors” and “inferiors”, or choice of friends or spouses. The term racial discrimination, then, always refers to behaviour and indeed to social behaviour (1983: 360).
According to Roth in International Encyclopedoa of Ethics, a chain of evolutionary progress was created that placed the black race at the bottom and white of the Nordic pedigree at the summit of humanity. Thus, white race feels superior to black race. White race set the standard, so that people with different skin color, culture, attitude from white race are claimed as inferior race. White race claimed that people, with different appearance with white’s appearance, are not as good, smart, and capable as white people, so that black race often claimed as incapable of higher thought. Therefore, black people’s job mostly as unskilled job, besides their house and facilities they got are not the same as white people got (1995: 723).
According to Terrelonge as stated in Woman : A Feminist Perspective that racism is so ingrained in American culture, and so entrenched among many white women, that black female have been reluctant to admit that anything affecting the white female. Those things are such as white female’s behavior, acts, sex and same objective interest could also affect black female, but many black female have to accept those things officially as useful things and as standard (Freeman, 1984: 563).
15
It can be seen that the white women have settled the idea of beauty in the society. Then, the idea of beauty of women is like white women set. The women that care of their appearance, have white skin color, smooth skin, blue eyes, and straight hair are considered as beautiful and attractive women. This idea influences black society, so black males think the beauty and the attractiveness of women are like the beauty or characteristics the white women have. Those things that make black women get double discriminations either from black male or from white (men and women).
In Encyclopedia of Race and Ethnic Studies, Cashmore stated that racism was first formulated in conflicts between classes. In the other words, gap between classes becomes a factor of racism. It is possible that there is racial discrimination in one race. The people of higher class adopt the value and culture of white race to discriminate the people of lower class although there are in the same race. The people of a higher class feel superior to the people of lower class, although they are in the same race. Then, it leads to racial discrimination in a race (2004: 349).
3. Theory of Gender Discrimination
When people talk about gender, there always lie inequality rights between men and women. Although many people say about the equality rights of men and women, but in fact, there is different treatment toward men and women. In society, women are placed in the second position after men, so that it causes gender discrimination.
According to Unger as quoted in Brannon’s book Gender: Psychological Perspective, the term gender describes the trait and behaviors that are regarded by the culture as appropiate to women and men. Gender is made by social label, includes the characteristics that the culture ascribes to each sex and the sex-related characteristics that individuals assign to themselves, and not a description of biology (1995: 11). Gender is different with sex. Sex is biological identity, people get it since they were born, while gender is mainset or interpretation made by the society. The society shape and construct the characteristics toward men and women then apply it to them, and it has happened since long time, so that the characteristics of feminine constructed to women and masculine to men are always identical to them, whereas those are not always so.
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According to Freeman in her book Women: A Feminist Perspective that from the tradition belief that the social shaped, women are for the pleasure and assistance of men. It is implied when women are told that their role is complementary to that of men, that the women should fullfill their natural “feminine” functions, that the women are different from men and should not compete with men, then to support and obey the men because it’s women’s natural role (1984: 553). From that explanation, women for assistance of men, it is clearly depicted that the society place women under men. Women are not in equal position with men. Women should fullfil men’s needs, orders and wants, since the society shape that those are women’s natural role.
In the book The Natural Superiority of Women by Montagu, stated that almost everywhere women are achieving positions which were once considered beyond their capacity (1953: 19). Here, it can be seen that at the beginning women are considered as human that lack of capability. There is always a prejudice that women do not have enough capabilities, without giving them opportunities to show off.
sensitive, so that the suitable job for them is unskilled job and doing routine tasks at home.
Those kinds of stereotypes have been an image of women for long time, and until today there is still no right that guarantees women to control incomes and earnings, to enter any business and profession, to have freedom of speech. Women are like live in men’s shadow, on the second rank after man. It is like stated in The Natural Superiority of Women:
Women have been conditioned to believe that they are inferior to men, and they have assumed that what everyone believes is a fact of nature. Because men occupy the superior positions in almost all societies, such superiority is taken to be a natural one. “Woman’s place is in the home,” and man’s place is in the counting house and on the board of directors. “Women should not meddle in men’s affairs.” (Montagu, 1953: 23-24)
Those things reflect gender discrimination, women have been so long conditioned in the environment of men’s domination that enables women to increase or develop their capability or potency and those things prevent them to get equality with men.
3. Theory of Womanism
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term womanism rather than black feminism in order to distinguish the activism of black women. The emergence of womanism is the same as black feminism’s emergence that is as the reaction to the fact that most of feminism that are led by white women do not voice and help the need and struggle of black women. Womanism is a movement to get equality based on race, social class, and gender. Womanism does not necessarily imply any political position or value system other than the honoring of Black women’s strength and experiences, because it recognizes that women are survivors in a world that is oppressive on multiple platforms, it seeks to celebrate the ways in which women negotiate these
oppressions in their individual lives (www.afeministtheorydictionary.wordpress.com/2007/womanism)
Alice Walker thinks that womanism is the appropriate term to voice and help the need and struggle of black women. Although the words ‘black’ do not appear in this term, but womanism automatically and identically relates to the black women. It is as stated by Emmagunde as follows:
Womanism is a feminist term coined by Alice Walker. It is a reaction to the realization that “feminism” does not encompass the perspectives Black women. It is a feminism that is “stronger in color”, nearly identical to “Black Feminism”. However, Womanism does not need to be prefaced by the word “Black”, the word automatically concerns black women.
(www.afeministtheorydictionary.wordpress.com/2007/womanism)
women. (2) A womanist is concerned to assert women’s identity, independence, and strength on their own term, means that she is proud of and respects herself. In other words, a womanist has high self-esteem (Madsen, 2000: 227).
Other characteristics of womanism also refilled by Alice Walker as stated in her landmark essay, In Search of Our Mothers’ Garden (1984), as quoted by Humm in her book Feminism: A Reader:
Sometimes loves individual men, sexually and/or nonsexually. Commited to survival and wholeness of entire people, male and female (1992:141). Means that a womanist respects and appreciates the existance of male. She does not hate or deny the existance of men. Womanism accounts for the ways in which black women and black men have good relationships, whether in bussiness to cooperative, support or empower the black men, or in private relationship (love the black men) as a tool for understanding the Black woman’s relationship to men as different from the white woman’s.
Beside that, Humm also quoted that other characteristics of womanism are loves struggle, loves the Folk. In other words a womanist appreciates and respects other friends, a womanist appreciates the unity of black people and believes that there should be the unity of black people so that black race can deals with racism that is faced by black people (1992:141).
21
black men. They still need men and have cooperation with them. The black women love and respect themselves and the people of their race.
4. The Condition of Black Women in America in Twentieth Century
There are some explanations that can describe black women’s condition in the Twentieth Century :
a. Black women’s education and work
After World War II, women in common and black women in specific had achieved a strong increase in educational levels that they were able to move out of domestic and service work into proffesional and clerical occupations. Yet, black women, like other minority women, are still notably absent from managerial, skilled craft, and factory supervisory work. Apparently employers are especially unwilling to place women of color in positions where they would supervise or work alongside white men. In other words, it was difficult for black women to have good work or professional job although they got higher education the same as white women. Here, still the factor of racism is exist, although black women got good education they couldn’t uplift their life by getting profesional work. They still worked as laborer. Racism functioned them in a subordinate economic state (Freeman, 1984: 429&558).
b. Black women’s relationship with black men
concern. So that, although black men have already married and have children, many black men leave his wife who is black women, for another woman because they are not interested in their spouse. Then many children do not have father and the condition force the black women to work harder to get income for their survival. Black women have been placed to support the economical issue in her family, so it makes black women independent and get used to be independent in life, that is earning money for herself and family (Freeman, 1984: 429-430&563). In another case, black men do not support the black matriachy. Black matriachy is a view where black women are more dominant than black men in conjugal and parental relationship. It could be constructed as meaning that black women do not depend on on black men, so that there will be no dominant group and dominated group in conjugal or parental relationship. Both of black women and men have the same right (Freeman, 1984:563).
C. Theoretical Framework
23
how to catch the characteristics or the personalities of the characters so that the writer can find the characteristics of the characters. The writer takes theory of characterization from Holman, and Murphy.
The next theory is theory of racial discrimination. This theory is significant to help the writer in identifying racial discrimination experienced by Tommy as reflected through the relationship of Tommy, Bill, Cynthia and Sonny-Man. Theory of gender discrimination is also applied. This theory is used to identify gender discrimination experienced by Tommy from her friends, Bill and Cynthia in the play. So that the writer uses these theories in order to reveal racial and gender discriminations in the play. These theories are needed to answer the second problem formulation.
A. Object of the Study
The play that the writer uses to analyze, Wine in the Wilderness, is written by Alice Childress. The play is a one-act play that consists of 23 pages included review on approach, short biography of the author and testimonial of the first cast as Tommy-Marie on it. This play was published by Harper Collins College Publisher in 1996. Wine in the Wilderness is one-hour drama that was presented for National Educational Television on October 7, 1969, as the first series entitled
On Being Black. In November 1970, the first major stage production of the play opened for a three week engagement and shared the bill with another play by Alice Childress at the New Heritage Repertory Theatre, a community theatre located in Harlem. The play enjoyed numerous productions soon afterwards, in Chicago in 1971 and in Washington, DC, 1972. Perhaps the most important revival was given to Wine in the Wilderness in June of 1978 by the National Black Theatre in Harlem. This production was an important step for the experimental theatre movement in Harlem because it encouraged more traditional African-American plays in an effort to celebrate the creativity of community artist (Vena, 1996: 900).
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were introducing him to a homeless woman, Tommy-Marry, who they believed would be the perfect uneducated, rude, sexless model for the final painting of Bill entitled “The Triptych”. Meanwhile, Bill explains the two completed paintings to his friend, Oldtimer, a sixty-years-old man from the neighborhood.
Uneducated factory worker Tommy-Marie arrived, thinking that her new friends had brought her to meet Bill socially. Embarrassed by her shabby appearance, Tommy was reluctant to allow Bill to paint her, but agreed when he bribed her with food. Believed that Bill’s telephone’s description of his beautiful “Mother Africa” panel was about her, Tommy made herself in an African throw and took off her wig. Bill adored her transformation. Acknowledging a mutual attraction, Tommy spent the night in Bill’s apartment.
The next morning Tommy discovered that she had been invited to Bill’s studio to model for the “messed-up chick.” Then she became very upset and angry, she lashed out at Bill and his friends as snobs who were deluded into believing that they are superior to her. Touched by the truth of Tommy’s words and the dignity of her pride and independence, Bill removed the fantasy potrait from his easel and begins to skecth a new triptych that would depict Sonny-Man and Cynthia as the hope of the future, Oldtimer as the man broken by racism, and Tommy as the “Wine in the Wilderness” from which they all gain sustenance.
B. Approach of the Studies
Guerin implies that feminist literary criticism has the same function with feminist approach (2005:196). Since in many cultures focus on male domination, feminist literary criticism tries to reveal and deconstruct the unequal power of gender that exists in the society as reflected in literary text.
Feminist literary critics try to explain how power imbalances due to gender in a given culture are reflected in or challenged by literary texts (Guerin, 2005:196).
Besides focusing on the imbalance of gender in society through literary texts, feminist critics also see the act of speaking as a focus for studying the women author or women writer (Guerin, 2005:197).
In general, feminists agree to expose the patriarchal patterns resulting prejudice to women. Their goals are to promote discovery and reevaluation of literature by women, besides to examine social, cultural, and psychosexual context of literature and literary criticism (Guerin, 2005:197).
Based on those statements the writer assumes that Feminist approach is suitable to apply in this analysis. Through the description of Feminist approach or feminist literary criticism, it can give description about what the focus on feminist approach.
C. Method of the Study
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Alice Childress. The secondary sources are article whether from internet or books, books of literary theory, undergraduate thesis and encyclopedias.
In this chapter, the writer will answer the three problems formulation that were formulated in chapter I. To answer the three problems formulation, this analysis will be divided into three parts. The first part will describe about how Tommy, Bill, Cynthia and Sonny-Man are characterized in Wine in the Wilderness, means it answer the first problem formulation. The second part of this analysis is going to reveal racial and gender discriminations as reflected through the relationship of Tommy, Bill, Cynthia and Sonny-Man in the play. Then the last part of this analysis is going to analyze womanism presented through Tommy.
Character and characterization are two of the important intrinsic elements in drama. Moreover, this analysis deals with the character to represent the ideas of womanism in the story, so that it is significant to get deeper understanding on the character and the characterization. Then, the theory of character from Abram and the theory of characterization from Murphy will be applied by the writer to get deeper understanding and then apply them to analyze.
A. The Characterization of Tommy, Bill, Cynthia and Sonny-Man
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the main male character, and the minor characters, Cynthia and Sonny-Man. They have significant role in the story.
Tommy is a thirty years old woman. She is a poor black woman whose job is as a labor of dress factory, but she does not give up easily with the situation. She loses her house in a riot, then she goes to the bar, in the bar Cynthia and her husband, Sonny-Man, meet Tommy. They take Tommy to their friend, Bill, because Bill needs a unfeminine, ignorant, poor model for his third triptych painting, entitled Wine in the Wilderness. Tommy comes with Cynthia and her husband, Sonny-Man, without knowing their real intention. Their real intention by taking her to Bill because they think that Tommy is suitable for Bill’s third triptych which describes black woman who is unfeminine, ignorant, poor. Bill thinks that Tommy is suitable to be his model on the third triptych. He treats Tommy merely as an object to complete his painting.
As it is stated before that in analyzing the characters, the writer will apply the theory of characterization from Murphy to get deeper understanding on the characterization of the four characters and to see the ideas of womanism as reflected through Tommy.
1. Tomorrow Marie or Tommy a. Poor
comes from poor family. What Tommy wears and what she has in her hands describe that she is a poor person.
SONNY-MAN. And-a here we come! ( Pushes the door open. Enters room with his wife CYNTHIA and TOMMY... He is in his late twenties, his wife CYNTHIA is a bit younger. She wears her hair in natural style, her clothing is tweedy and in good, quite taste....TOMMY is dressed in a mis-matched skirt and sweater, waring a wig that is not comical, but is wiggy looking. She has the habit of smoothing it every once in a while, patting to make sure it’s in place. She wears sneakers and bobby sox, carries a brown paper sack) (Childress, 1969:906).
When Tommy’s appearance is compared with another woman, Cynthia, whose appearance is good, Tommy’s appearance looks messy, in her mis-matched skirt, sweater, sneaker and comical wig. As a labor whose income is little, she does not have money to buy good clothes. Besides that, the way she dress, that is in mis-matched skirt and sweater, indicates that she does not know how to dress well. As a poor woman she does not have any reference and attention on how to dress well, so that her appearance is messy and not attractive.
Besides from her appearance, her poverty can also be depicted from her speech, she tells Oldtimer and Cynthia that her house and every thing inside are burnt in a riot. She is homeless and she cannot save the things inside her house. She does not have anything except a paper bag and what she wears.
TOMMY. A damn shame. My clothes.... Everything gone. This riot blew my life. All I got is gone like it never was
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b. Uneducated
Tommy’s poverty prevents her to be an educated woman because she has no enough money to get higher education. She gets education until eight grade only. After eight grade of school, she does not continue her study. Because she lives only with her mother, her father leaves them for another woman, so only her mother who works to get money for their life and the income is not enough to pay the tuition fee.
It is like stated by Terrelonge, that in the twentieth century, it is common that there was an absence of black male in the family, so that the women have to work harder. Although they worked hard the salary was not good because black women were employed only in unskilled jobs (Freeman, 1984:559). Tommy’s mother’s income is also not good. The income cannot fulfill the needs of Tommy’s and her mother’s life, evenmore to send Tommy to school. From Tommy’s speech, it can be depicted that she is uneducated.
TOMMY. Eight grade, that’s all I had of school. You a social worker, I know that mean college. I come from poor people. (Examining the book in her hands.) (Childress, 1969:906).
TOMMY. (tersely). You brought me a frankfooter? Tat’s what you think-a me, a frankfooter?
BILL. Nothin’ to do with what I think. Place is closed.
TOMMY. (quietly surly). This is the damn City-a New York, any hour on the clock they sellin’ the chicken in the basket, barbecue ribs, pizza pie, hot pastrami samitches; and you brought me a frank-footer? (Childress, 1969:910).
From previous quotation, it can be seen that she cannot control her emotion. She shows her anger and offensive to Bill when she gets upset. Tommy speaks up what she feels explicitly, she shows to Bill that she is angry and upset. From her reactions show that she less feminine.
In the Twentieth century in America, the chance for black women to get education has not really banned,it is not like in the nineteenth century that the education for black women is still banned (Freeman, 1984: 429). Yet, still Tommy could not get the higher education because she does not have enough money to continue her study so that she cannot take the chance of getting education.
c. Optimistic
Tommy is an optimistic person. When she has lost her house and everything inside in a riot, she is still optimistic that she will always have a place to stay. It can be depicted from her speech when she answers Oldtimer’s question.
OLDTIMER. And you ain’t got no place to stay. (Bill is studying her for portrait possibilities.)
TOMMY. (rises and walks around the room). That’s a lie. I always got some place to go. I don’t wanta boast but I ain’t never been no place that I can’t go back for the second time... (Childress, 1969:906).
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bar, she meets Cynthia and her husband, Sonny-Man, who take her to Bill’s house to be Bill’s model, so that she can get the place to stay that night.
Tommy’s optimism is also depicted from her desire to find a soulmate. Although she has already been thirty years old and has never been married, she has not given up to find a partner in life. She has a dream of finding her soulmate. She believes that someday she will find her soulmate who cares and loves her. From what she says her optimism can be found.
TOMMY. I have a dream, too. Mine is to find a man who’ll treat me just haf-way decent... just to meet me half-way is all I ask, to smile, be kind to me. Somebody in my corner. Not to wake up by myself in the mornin’ and face this world all alone (Childress, 1969:910).
d. Independent
Tommy is an independent woman. Since she was a child, she gets used to live independently. Her father leaves her and her mother, so she lives only with her mother. The income of her mother is not enough for them so she also works to get more money to fullfil their needs. It can be seen from her past life.
TOMMY. Talkin’ ‘bout poverty this and poverty that and studyin’ it. When you in it you don’t be studyin’ ‘bout it. Cynthia, I remember my mother tyin’ up her stockin’s with strips-a rag ‘cause she didn’t have no garters. When I go home from school she’d say.... “Nothin’ much here to eat.” Nothin’ much might be gritd, or bread and coffee. I got sick-a all that, got me a job. Later for school (Childress, 1969:908).
Perspective that black women have been placed to support the economical issue in their family, so it has made black women being independent and has used to be independent. In other words black women used to earn money for theirselves and family, evenmore when there is an absence of man in the family or the man in the family loses his job or jobless (Freeman, 1984:559).
Besides that, from her explicit statement about herself, Tommy’s independence in earning money can be seen. She does not need somebody else to fullfil her needs, because she has used to be independent to earn money since she was child. She does everything to get anything she needs. From her speech, her independence explicitly derived.
TOMMY. Tommy’s not lookin’ for a meal ticket. I been doin’ for myself all my life (Childress, 1969:908).
e. Confident
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slave’s improvement. She prouds of getting opportunity to teach in A.M.E Zion, it makes her being confident. Then she shows it off confidently to Bill , who is in higher education than her.
TOMMY. Oh, I’m just showin’ off. I taught Sunday School for two years and you had to know the history of A.M.E Zion.... or else you couldn’t teach. My great, great grandparents was slaves (Childress, 1969:913).
In the previous quotation, Tommy explicitly shows off her experience. It shows her confidence in herself so that confidently she shows her teaching experience in Sunday School in A.M.E Zion off. Tommy does not feel inferior to show it off to Bill, who gets higher education than her.
2. Bill Jameson a. Disrespectful
poor black woman. Then Bill’s friend, Cynthia and her husband take Tommy as a model to represent the third canvas. Bill agrees with Cynthia and her husband that Tommy has characteristics for being the model of the third canvas, then because Bill thinks that Tommy has characteristics that appropriate to be the model of the third canvas, a black woman that is underneath the grass roots, unfeminine, coarse and ignorant, so Bill does not respect Tommy. It can be depicted through Bill’s speech.
BILL. Kill me ‘bout it, baby! Go ‘head and shoot me six times. That’s the trouble with our women, yall always got your mind on food (Childress, 1969:910).
When Tommy asks for Bill to buy her a bucket-a-Foo-yung but he comes back with frankfooter, Tommy becomes mad. It makes Bill also feels mad then he shows his disrespect by giving prejudice to Tommy that she is the same as the other black women who only thinks of food. From his prejudice it can be seen that he disrespects Tommy. He considers Tommy does not have pride and value, the same as the black women in common. From what he says about Tommy, prejudice, it shows his disrespectful.
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explain about black people’s prominent figures she does not know. Instead of giving explanation, Bill shows his disrespect by giving prejudice to Tommy.
TOMMY. Okay, I’m askin’. Teach me things.
BILL. Aw, baby, why torment yourself? Trouble with our women,... they all wanta be great brains. Leave somethin’ for a man to do (Childress, 1969:911).
In the quotation above, the prejudice that is pointed to Tommy shows Bill disrespects her. Bill tells Tommy that it will suffer Tommy if he teaches her. In other words he underestimates the capability of Tommy in learning. He also tells Tommy that as a woman Tommy does not deserve to get education because it is a man’s thing, so woman is not necessary to get education. The prejudices that he points out to Tommy show his disrespectful to Tommy. He has no will to respect and appreciate Tommy.
b. Selfish
Another Bill’s characteristic is selfish. He does not care with the other’s feeling. He focuses and concerns on what he wants that is finishing his final triptych sooner so that he has less care and sensitivity to his model, Tommy. When Cynthia and her husband get Tommy to Bill’s house, he wants to paint Tommy immediately, so that he can finish his painting. However, Tommy does not want to be painted as she is tired because of the riot. Yet, Bill does not care, he forces Tommy to obey what he says.
Bill. And so I must paint you tonight, .... Tommy in her moment of tragedy.
Tommy. I’m tired
From Bill’s mannerism in previous quotation, it can be seen that he forces Tommy to pose so that he can start painting her and finish it sooner. Bill does not care of Tommy’s feeling, all he wants is Tommy has to obey him, to pose.
c. Rude
Bill is a rude person. It can be depicted through his mannerism toward Tommy. In this case, Bill treats Tommy roughly by hollering her often.
BILL. Maybe you oughta hang out your shingle and give art lesson! You too damn opinionated. You gonna pose or you not gonna pose? Say somethin’!
TOMMY. You makin’ me nervous! Hollerin’ at me. My mama never holler at me. Hollerin’.
BILL. I’ll soon be too tired to pick up the brush, baby (Childress, 1969:911).
Tommy comes to Bill’s house to be a model so that Bill can finish his last triptych, but he does not treats Tommy well. He prefers to give command in rude way than in good one. Bill commands Tommy in rude way by hollering at her instead of persuading her gently.
Besides that, his speech also shows that Bill is a rude person. He shouts rude and impolite words to Tommy aloud.
TOMMY. ... hell, I can’t wear this. I’m soaked through. I’m not gonna catch no double pneumonia sittin’ up wringin’ wet while you paint and holler at me.
BILL. Bitch!
TOMMY. You must be talking about your mama!
BILL. Shut up! Aw, shut up! (Phone rings. He finds an African throw-cloth and hands it to her.)... (Childress, 1969:912).
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fact, he becomes mad and angry with Tommy. He does not want to understand and be kind to Tommy. He thinks that it is Tommy’s fault so it is obvious for Bill to get angry with Tommy. Therefore, he shouts rude words. From the words he shouts to Tommy, his rudeness is depicted.
3. Cynthia a. Educated
Cynthia is twenty five years old woman. She is the wife of Sonny-Man. Both of them are friends with Bill and they take Tommy to be Bill’s model to represent an ignorant black woman of Bill’s last triptych. Cynthia is a black woman the same as Tommy. Although both of them are black, Cynthia gets higher education than Tommy. That Cynthia gets higher education than Tommy can be seen through her conversation with Tommy.
TOMMY. I didn’t take it from him, how I’m gonna give it back? What else is the matter with me? You had school. I didn’t. I respect that. (Childress, 1969:911).
The previous quotation shows that Cynthia gets well education.. As she gets well education, Cynthia becomes educated woman so that she gets a good job. She works as a social worker. As a social worker she gets more experiences about life. From those experience she has wider knowledge. It can be depicted from her speech.
According to Freeman in her book Women: A Feminist Perspective, in the twentieth century, the black women who can get higher education were much more increased than in the previous century, nineteenth century. Although more black women in the twentieth century got higher education, still the educated black women are notably absent from professional, clerical occupation, managerial, skilled craft and factory supervisory work. The employers were still unwilling to place the educated black women in those position, so there were still many educated black women worked in domestic and service work the same as uneducated black women do (1984: 429). In this case, as an educated black woman, who has job as a social worker means professional job, Cynthia is different from the educated black women in tweentieth century who are difficult to get professional job. Cynthia can get both good education and good job.
That Cynthia is an educated woman can also be seen from her appearance. The author gives the personal description about what she wears.
SONNY-MAN. And-a here we come! ( Pushes the door open. Enters room with his wife CYNTHIA and TOMMY... He is in his late twenties, his wife CYNTHIA is a bit younger. She wears her hair in natural style, her clothing is tweedy and in good, quite taste... (Childress, 1969:906).
The author describes Cynthia’s appearance is in natural hair style, tweedy clothe and in a good taste to show Cynthia as an educated woman. As an educated woman, Cynthia has enough money to buy good clothes and reference on how to dress well.
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a house. It is different with Tommy who is homeless. That Cynthia has a house can be depicted from Sonny-Man’s speech.
SONNY-MAN. While you’re posin’ Cynthia can run down to our house and fix you some eggs (Childress, 1969:907).
b. Conceited
As Cynthia gets higher education and good job, she tends to be conceited person. As she is conceited person she has too much pride in herself. Her characteristic is depicted through her speech. When Tommy states about Cynthia’s education level, Cynthia repeats it to make it clear.
TOMMY. I didn’t take it from him, how I’m gonna give it back? What else is the matter with me? You had school. I didn’t. I respect that.
CYNTHIA. Yes, I’ve had it, the degree and the whole bit.... ( Childress, 1969:911).
Her repeat of what Tommy states about herself shows that one of Cynthia’s characteristic is conceited.
Another proof that Cynthia is a conceited person is when Tommy reveals her dream to get married someday, Cynthia gives her advice to not in hurry to get married. Since she is a social worker, who has seen many other’s life experience of divorce, Cynthia thinks that prevents Tommy not to in hurry to get married is a good advice for Tommy.
CYNTHIA. I’m a social worker... and I see so many broken homes. Some of these men! Tommy, don’t be in a rush about the marriage thing
As a social worker, who has seen many broken homes, Cynthia thinks she has more experience of life than Tommy. Being a social worker makes her being conceited person, she has too much pride in her opinion. She thinks that what she thought is right and good for Tommy therefore she advices Tommy not to getting married soon. Yet, she does not concider Tommy’s age. As a thirty years old woman, Tommy deserves to get married.
As Cynthia is a conceited person, she tends to underestimate Tommy. Cynthia underestimates Tommy by saying Bill is too good for Tommy, so it is better for Tommy not to fall in love with Bill. From Tommy’s response, it can be concluded that Cynthia means to say Bill is too high to be Tommy’s boyfriend. It is not obvious for Tommy to fall in love with Bill, because of Tommy’s characteristic, that is unattractive in appearance. From Tommy and Cynthia’s conversation, it can be depicted that Cynthia underestimates Tommy.
TOMMY. (sits facing CYNTHIA). What’s wrong with me? CYNTHIA. I don’t know what you mean.
TOMMY. Yes you do. You tryin’ to tell me I’m too high by lookin’ at Bill (Childress, 1969:908).
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TOMMY. (combing out her wig with her fingers while holding it). Didn’t call you no low, degraded person. Nigger! ( To CYNTHIA who is handing her a comb.) “Do you have to wear a wig?” Yes! To soften the blow when yall go up side-a my head with baseball bat (Childress, 1969:915).
Despite her being black, Cynthia’s ways of thinking and her standard of beauty tends to be similar to the white’s standard that care about the appearance, being feminine, have straight hair, and having smooth skin. Therefore, when she looks at Tommy’s appearance, wearing comical wig and wearing mis-matched skirt, Cynthia underestimates her. Cynthia compares Tommy’s appearance to the white’s standard.
c. Hypocritical
Cynthia is a hypocritical person. She pretends to have moral standard or opinions that she does not really have. That she is a hypocritical person can be seen from another character’s response, Tommy’s. When Cynthia advise to Tommy to not believe in men, Cynthia believes in a man and it leads her getting husband, Sonny-Man. In her tewnty five years old she has already married. She tries to give advice without looking back on what she has done. From below quotation, it can be depicted that she is a hypocrite woman.
CYNTHIA. Right, don’t be too quick to put your trust in these men.
TOMMY. You put your trust in one and got yourself a husband. CYNTHIA. Well, yes, but what I mean is... oh, you know. A man
Another proof that Cynthia is a hypocrite woman is from direct comment of the author about her attitude when Cynthia has conversation with Tommy. The author gives direct comment that Cynthia is trying to be diplomatic when Tommy tells Cynthia that she likes Bill. Cynthia acts as if she respects Tommy’s feeling whereas she does not.
CYNTHIA. But why count on him? There are a lots of other nice guys. TOMMY. You don’t think he’d go for me, do you?
CYNTHIA. (trying to be diplomatic). Perhaps you’re not really his type. (Childress, 1969:909)
4. Sonny-Man a. Educated
He is a twenty seven years old man. Sonny-Man is a husband of Cynthia. He is also a friend of Bill. That he is an educated man can be seen from his profession, that is a writer. It can be seen when he has conversation with Bill. Both of them stated on what each other is going to do.
BILL. The revolution is here. Whatta you do with her? You paint her!
SONNY-MAN. You write... you write the revolution into a novel nine hundred pages long (Childress, 1969:910).
Sonny-Man states on what he is going to do that is writing. It shows his profession. He is going to write about revolution of black people. As a writer, he has wide knowledge and good education background. These also show that Sonny-Man is educated.
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Sonny-Man is wearing slacks and a dashiki over a shirt
(Childress, 1969:906).
As an educated man, he has good job that gets him to have good income. Therefore, he has enough money to buy a good clothes and a house. Sonny-Man and Cynthia have a house for them to live. As an educated man, who has good job, Sonny-Man affords to buy house to live.
SONNY-MAN. While you’re posin’ Cynthia can run down to our house and fix you some eggs (Childress, 1969:907).
b. Hypocritical
One of his characteristics is a hypocritical. He pretends to have moral standard or opinions that he does not really have. He is a writer, he writes about the revolution of his race, black race, but he has less sympathy to Tommy. He does not have brotherness with Tommy, the woman from his race whose conditions need to support and care. He also does not have unity feeling with the people of his race, Tommy. He prefers to call Tommy “the sister” rather than “my sister”. Moreover, he calls the people of his race “the masses” rather than “my masses”.
SONNY-MAN. The sister is upset.
TOMMY. and you stop callin’ me “the” sister, ... if you feelin’ so brotherly why don’t you say “my” sister? Ain’t no we-ness in your talk. “The” Afro-American, “the” black man, there’s no we-ness in you
SONNY-MAN. I was talkin’ in general er... my sister, ‘bout the masses. TOMMY. There he go again. “The” masses. Tryin’ to make out like we
B. Tommy’s Experience of Racial and Gender Discrimination 1. Tommy’s experience of Racial Discrimination
In the first analysis, the writer has analyzed the characterizations of Tommy, Bill, Cynthia and Sonny-Man. Then, in this second analysis, the writer will reveal racial and gender discrimination Tommy experiences. As a black woman, Tommy gets double discriminations that are as a black woman and a woman. She gets double discriminations from her friends of her race. It is not only from men, Bill, and Sonny-Man but also from a black woman, Cynthia. In this first point of the second analysis, the writer will reveal racial discrimination that reflected through the relationship of Tommy, Bill, Cynthia and Sonny-Man.
In Encyclopedia of Race, Cashmore stated that racism was first formulated in conflicts between classes. In the other words, gap between classes becomes a factor of racism. It is possible that there is racial discrimination in one race. The people of higher class adopt the value and culture of white race to discriminate the people of lower class although there are in the same race. The people of a higher class feel superior to the people of lower class, although they are a race. Then, it leads to racial discrimination in a race (2004: 349).
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In the previous analysis, Bill is characterized as an artist who live by himself in his own house. His profession and his house show that his class is higher than Tommy, which is characterized as poor, homeless, and uneducated black woman. Bill is working on his triptych , three canvases on blackwomanhood, entitled Wine In The Wilderness. He works on the third painting which he describes as underneath grass roots black woman that the society has made out of black women, she is ignorant, unfeminine, coarse, vulgar. This black woman is very different with the black woman on his second painting, that Bill calls the Wine In The Wilderness, the paradise of life. A painting of a Mother Africa as a perfect black womanhood. A beautiful woman, deep mahogany complexion draped in startling colors of African material, very “Vogue” looking. It is like stated by in Woman : A Feminist Perspective that racism is so ingrained in American culture, and so entrenched among many white women, that black female have been reluctant to admit that anything affecting the white female. Those things are such as white female’s behavior, acts, sex and same objective interest could also affect black female, but many black female have to accept those things officially as useful things and as standard (Freeman, 1984: 563). Then that standard of beauty also affects Bill. Bill adopts and refers to the value and culture of white race, which consider the personality, skin color, attitude as the ideal beauty.
unattractive, uneducated, less feminine. This is like what the society, white society, describe black women.
BILL. Not gone, ... she’s not painted yet. This will be the third part of the triptych. This is the unfinished third of “Wine In The Wilderness.” She’s gonna be the kindachick that’s grassroots, ...no, not grass roots, ... I means she’s underneath the grass roots. The lost woman... what the society has made out of our women. She’s as far from my African queen as a woman can get and still be female, she’s as close to the bottom as you can get without crackin’ up... she’s ignorant, unfeminine, coarse, rude...vulgar...a poor, dumb chick that’s had her behind kicked until it’s numb (Childress, 1969: 905).
According to Benton in The New Encyclopedia Britannica, racism is the theory or idea that there is a casual link between inherited physical traits of personality, intellect, or culture and, combined with it, the notion that some races are inherently superior to other (Benton, 1983: 360). Here, although Bill and Tommy are the same in race, both of them are black, but Bill feels superior to Tommy as he has skill to paint so that he positions himself the same as a white person. Bill claims Tommy that there is a casual link between her physic, black woman, and her intellect. Bill claims Tommy, a black woman, is incapable of higher thought.
When they have conversation about prominent figures of black people, Bill notices that Tommy has less information about them. Instead of giving explanation, Bill puts Tommy in a kind of test. Then, when Tommy asks Bill to explain and teach Tommy, Bill refuses to do that. With his disrespectful manner he gives prejudice to Tommy, that leads him not to explain and teach Tommy.
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BILL. Aw, baby, why torment yourself? Trouble with our women,... they all wanta be great brains. Leave somethin’ for a man to do (Childress, 1969:911).
Bill thinks that Tommy, a black woman, is difficult to teach because he thinks that black women is incapable of higher thought, whereas not all black women are like what he thinks. He gives prejudice to Tommy and it leads him not to explain and teach her. He does not give Tommy any question and information about prominent figures of black people after he gives Tommy prejudice.
In Sociology fifth edition, Light states that prejudice and discrimination are related. Prejudice is a belief without adequate evidence or experience, where discrimination is the action caused by prejudice. Any kind of prejudice for sure lead to discrimination, but discrimination is not always as the result of prejudice (1989: 352).
As her idea of beauty refers to the idea of beauty of white beauty, she discriminates Tommy. Cynthia and her husband, Sonny-Man, are the persons that take Tommy to be Bill’s model to represents a black woman of Bill’s third painting, entitled Wine In The Wilderness. Cynthia and her husband, Sonny-Man, meet Tommy in a bar. Cynthia knows the characteristics of black woman that Bill wants for his last painting. At the time they meet Tommy, Tommy wears comical wig, dresses in a mis-matched skirt and shoes, Tommy is homeless because at that time she has lost her house in a riot. Cynthia takes Tommy to Bill’s house without telling Tommy her real intention, the real role that Tommy is going to portray. As Tommy does not know, she agrees, then Cynthia takes Tommy to Bill’s house and Bill agrees to take Tommy as model. In the other words Cynthia has the same point of view with Bill in the idea of beauty, so that both of them discriminate Tommy. Cynthia discriminates Tommy by taking Tommy to Bill’s house.
CYNTHIA. Bill, meet a friend-a ours ... This is Miss Tommy Fields. Tommy, meet a friend-a ours ... this is Bill, Jameson ... Bill, Tommy(Childress, 1969:906).
