AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
ANITA AULIYA NURAINI
Student Number: 034214052
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
2008
By
ANITA AULIYA NURAINI
Student Number: 034214052
Approved by
Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S., M.Hum. January 8, 2008 Advisor
Dewi Widyastuti, S. Pd., M. Hum. January 8 , 2008 Co-Advisor
By
ANITA AULIYA NURAINI
Student Number: 034214052
Defended before the Board of Examiners On January 19, 2008
and Declared acceptable
BOARD OF EXAMINERS
Name Signature
Chairman : Dr. Francis Borgias Alip, M.Pd., M.A. ______________ Secretary : Drs. Himawan Wijanarka, M. Hum. ______________ Member : Maria Ananta Tri S. S.S., M.ed. ______________ Member : Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S., M. Hum. ______________ Member : Dewi Widyastuti, S. Pd., M. Hum. ______________
*
+ , "&
!
!
" ! "
*!
-
! ' (
&
&
(
)
* % %
** !
!
% ! ", '
"
(
! (
*
&& %
(!
*
)
&
! ' & *! '
"
(
* !
)
-
!
*! , !
"
" % **
&& % , %
,
, **
! , ! &
*
!
!
"
+"
! (
* !
)
"
'
" &&
,
!
,
,
! * !(
* % !" "
&
, "& %
, ,
!'
)
! '
!
,!
' *
& ' ()
.
+
/
I dedicate this thesis to
* My beloved Parents
* My Big-Sister
* My Brother
* My Little-Sister
* My lovely _Koibito_
Nama : Anita Auliya Nuraini
Nomor Mahasiswa : 034214052
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul :
Marguerite’s Struggle against the Practices of Racial Discrimination as seen in Maya Angelou’s Gather Together in my Name
beserta perangkat yang diperlikan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal : 23 February 2008
Yang menyatakan
( Anita Auliya Nuraini )
and helps to solve my difficulties in finishing this thesis. I am sure that without His blessing I am nothing. I am still amazed that I finally can finish this thesis. Then I want to dedicate this thesis to my parents for their love, supports, and prayers. My father, SUKAMTO, and my mother, PURTYASIH LUWIH NURITO. S.Pd., they are really the best parents in the world. I am so thankful for their never-ending love, care, attention, supports, and understanding. For my mother, sorry it takes a long time to finish this thesis but finally I can keep my promise to graduate soon.
I would like to express my gratitude to Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S., M.Hum. as my sponsor. I believe that I cannot finish this thesis without her helps, attention, and advice. I am so thankful because she had prevented me to do a big mistake at that time and convinced me that I could finish this thesis because it is not difficult like what I think about. I also thank for her patience when she is giving me suggestions. For my co-sponsor, Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum, I really appreciate her helps in revising my thesis.
For my siblings, Big_Sister (Anggun), my twin brother (Topik) and sister (Yaya), I just want to say that I am so lucky to have them as the part of my life. I am so happy when I go home and find them there. They give me entertainments when my brain is tired with thesis. For my lovely _KOIBITO_ [EKO], I just want to say that we have passed three years together and it is very meaningful for me. I just want to say thank you so much for his support, patience, and understanding. He is always on my side and gives me strength when I was down. Once again I thank him for his computer [^_^].
I am extremely grateful to my wonderful best friends, Wayan, Novie, Sari
and Vivin for the every moment we share together. Keep our friendship girls!! Vivin, I thank for lending me the novel for my thesis. Bayang-san, I will never forget that he have advised me to read Gather Together in My Name. My
lectures, secretariat officers and everybody who have supported me in finishing this hard work. From the deepest of my heart, I want to say thank you so much.
ANITA AULIYA NURAINI
APPROVAL PAGE ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE iii
MOTTO PAGE iv DEDICATION PAGE v
SURAT PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ix
ABSTRACT x
ABSTRAK xi
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1
A. Background of the Study 1 B. Problem Formulation 5
C. Objectives of the Study 5
D. Definition of Terms 5
CHAPTER II: THEORITICAL REVIEW 7
A. Review of related Studies 7
B. Review of Related theories 9
1. Theory on Character and Characterization 9
2. Theory on Race and Racism 11
C. Review on History of African-American Women in the 1940s 14
D. Theoretical Framework 17
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY 19
A. Object of the Study 19
B. Approach of the Study 20
C. Method of the Study 21
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS 23
A. The Characteristics of Marguerite Johnson 23
B. The Practices of Racial Discrimination Experienced by Marguerite 32
C. Marguerite’s Struggles against the Practices of Racial Discrimination 43
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION 55
BIBLIOGRAPHY 59
Name. Yogyakarta, Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2007.
This thesis examines one of Maya Angelou’s works, Gather Together in My Name. This is a story about an African-American woman who experiences racial discrimination. In the story, Angelou wants to tell the readers how an African-American woman struggles against the racial discrimination.
In this research, there are three problems formulated to guide the study. The first problem is to find out the characteristics of the major character named Marguerite A. Johnson; the second problem is to find out the practices of racial discrimination experienced by the major character, and the last problem is to find out the major character’s struggles against the practices of racial discrimination.
In this study, the writer uses Sociocultural-Historical approach to help in answering the problems. Theory on character and characterization, theory on race and racism, and review on history of the African American women are also applied to support the analysis. The writer uses the library research in conducting this study.
In short, the writer concludes that Rita (the main character) is described as a strong, rebellious, optimistic, smart, and independent woman. Rita experiences the practices of racial discrimination since she was a child. She is always insulted by the society and even the member of her own family because of her skin color. She experiences the practices of racial discrimination in some forms: humiliation, prejudice, underestimation, and rejection. She realizes that she can not live in this situation in her entire life. However, she is also a human who has the same right like everyone else. This situation makes her do some struggles. She wants to show to the society and her big family that she also deserves to get a better life. Toward the practices of racial discrimination, Rita shows her struggles in many ways.
Name. Yogyakarta, Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2007.
Skripsi ini membahas salah satu karya dari Maya Angelou yang berjudul
Gather Together in My Name. Karya sastra ini bercerita tentang seorang wanita Afrika-Amerika yang mengalami diskriminasi ras. Di dalam cerita, Angelou ingin mengungkapkan bagaimana seorang wanita Afrika-Amerika berjuang melawan diskriminasi ras.
Dalam penelitian ini, ada tiga rumusan masalah yang dibahas dalam studi ini. Masalah yang pertama adalah untuk mencari tahu sifat-sifat dari tokoh utama yang bernama Marguerite A. Johnson, masalah yang kedua adalah untuk mengungkap praktek-praktek diskriminasi ras yang dialami oleh tokoh utama, dan masalah yang terakhir adalah untuk mengungkap bagaimana perjuangan tokoh utama untuk melawan praktek-praktek diskriminasi ras.
Dalam studi ini, penulis menggunakan pendekatan Sosiokultural-Historikal untuk membantu dalam menjawab permasalahan-permasalahan dalam studi ini. Teori tokoh dan penokohan, teori ras dan rasisme, dan informasi tentang sejarah wanita Afrika-Amerika juga diterapkan untuk mendukung analisa. Penulis menggunakan metode penelitian kepustakaan dalam mengerjakan studi ini.
Pendeknya, penulis dapat menyimpulkan bahwa Rita (tokoh utama) digambarkan sebagai seorang yang pemberontak, optimis, pandai, penuh percaya diri, pendendam dan juga mandiri. Rita mengalami praktek-praktek diskriminasi ras sejak dia masih kecil. Dia selalu disakiti oleh masyarakat dan bahkan oleh anggota keluarganya sendiri Karena perbedaan warna kulit. Rita mengalami praktek-praktek diskriminasi ras dalam beberapa bentuk: penghinaan, prasangka, diremehkan, dan penolakan. Rita menyadari bahwa dia tidak bisa hidup dalam situasi yang seperti itu untuk selamanya. Bagaimanapun juga dia juga seorang manusia yang mempunyai hak-hak yang sama seperti orang lain. Hidup dalam situasi yang seperti itu membuat Rita melakukan perlawanan-perlawanan. Dia ingin menunjukkan kepada masyarakat dan juga keluarga besarnya bahwa dia juga pantas untuk mendapatkan kehidupan yang lebih baik. Terhadap praktek-praktek diskriminasi ras, Rita menunjukkan perlawanannya dalam beberapa cara
.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
The United States of America is a nation with a multicultural society. In
the book The Enduring Vision: A History of the Americana People Volume I, it is
stated that many immigrants landed in the United States of America between 1815
and 1860.
4.2 millions Immigrants arrived between 1840 and 1860; 3 millions of them came in the single decade from 1845 to 1854. This ten-year period witnessed the largest immigration proportionate to the total population (then around 20 million) in American history (Boyer, et al, 1990: 420).
People in the world are created equal, but they are created differently in
their physical conditions. The differences include height, weight, skin color, hair
color, eye color and many more. Blacks have dark skin, dark and kinky hair, wide
mouths, and thick lips while the whites have the opposite characteristics from
blacks. Whites have light skin, blonde and straight hair, small mouth, and thin
lips.
The different physical characteristics sometimes make some people think
that they are better, or even superior from the other groups. Whites think that they
are better than blacks or colored people. Blacks are assumed uneducated,
uncivilized and rude, and unintelligent. United States of America, which is
famous with its heterogeneous citizens, also underestimates blacks in every
aspects of life.
The treatment which underestimates the African-Americans because of
their skin color is called racism. The African-Americans experience racism since
on the beginning of their arrival in America. They became the slaves of the
whites.
In the United States, after the European failed to enslave the native Indians and to use indentured workers, the European imported several million Africans as slaves over a period of two centuries the status of Negroes as slaves throughout these periods can explain why negroes often being looked down by the whites (Comas, 1953: 11-13).
Slavery caused the African-Americans to experience the practices of
racism. The practices of racism in almost all aspects of their life inspire
African-American writers to articulate their experiences in the form of literary work. One
of the literary works is a novel entitled Gather Together in My Name.
Gather Together in My Name is written by Maya Angelou. Angelou is
known as one of successful American women writers who mostly deal with
racism. She criticizes the racial discrimination experienced by the
African-American women, and their suffering over the power of the men. In Gather
Together in My Name, the writer might say that Angelou concerns to influence
young African-American and also encourage them to gain their dreams and to
support their own lives, despite the authority of the White people and their
prejudice. Gather Together in My Name is published in 1974.
The novel tells about the American society in the 1940s. On December 8,
1941, the United States entered World War II. Many African-American men were
sent to the war, so the African-American women entered the workforce to replace
Black men from South who had held no tools more complicated than plows had learned to use lathes and borers and welding guns, and had brought in their quotas of war-making machines. Women who had only known maid’s uniforms and mammy-made dresses donned the awkward men’s pants and steel helmets, and made the ship-fitting sheds hum some buddy (Angelou, 1975: 1).
Women were hired in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and some of them were
the African-American women. The African-American women held the double
burdens. In their homes, they had duties to serve their husbands and take care of
their children. All the domestic jobs became their responsibility. They also had to
be responsible for the finance of their family and the growth of their children. In
the work place, African-American women got the discriminative treatments, for
example discrimination in the kinds of job. Unlike the white women, the
African-American women were difficult to get the same job. The white women got the
opportunities to work in some companies as the white collar workers, while the
appropriate jobs for the African-Americans women were waitress, cook and
servant.
Here, Angelou, through the description of her main character tries to
reveal the social circumstance she criticizes. It is said by Maria Lauret in
Liberating Literature: Feminist Fiction in America.
Maya Angelou provides the reader with a living history of the major African-American political and cultural movements of the century, from the tail-end of the Harlem Renaissance through Porgy and Bess to the Civil Rights Movement and Black Nationalism to back to Africa in the 1970s, at the rate of one decade per volume of her autobiographical novels (1994: 118).
Since the story was described in the setting of the 1940s America, Maya
toward the way the African-Americans are treated unfairly and the way they
defend their lives. One example of the unfair treatment in society is the existence
of a social hierarchy in the society based on race and sex. They place white men in
the first class, white women are the second class or equal with the
African-American men, and the last class is placed by the African-African-American women
(Hooks, 1981: 53). There are some African-American women who realize that the
condition should not be like that. People should not be classified and
differentiated based on their race and sex because actually people are created
equal. Those who do not agree with the condition made an organization to unite
their power and idea. Even, some of them become the leaders of the organizations
and lead some strikes to get their rights. Unfortunately, there are still
African-American women who just accept the social hierarchy and discrimination. They
prefer to think that everything happens toward them is natural.
It is interesting to analyze this novel because it is amazing to see how an
African-American woman struggles against the practices of racial discrimination
in the society. Being human, she is treated unequally and being woman she is
subordinated by man. She faces double discrimination in the society. Marguerite,
one of the main characters of the novel is a portrait of African-American who
lives in such racial discrimination. She is differentiated and discriminated by the
society because of her skin color and her heritage as an African-American woman.
The writer wants to reveal the practices of racism toward the African-American
women and to show the African-American women’s struggles to be free to reach
B. Problem Formulation
There are three main problems that will be analyzed in this study.
1. How are Marguerite’s characteristics described in the novel?
2. What are the practices of racial discrimination experienced by Marguerite as
seen in the novel?
3. How does Marguerite struggle against the practices of racial discrimination
she experienced?
C. Objectives of the Study
This thesis aims to explain to the readers about the characteristics of the
main character named Marguerite. The next purpose is to show the practices of
racial discrimination presented in the novel. It also aims to see how the main
character struggles against the practices of discrimination as the reaction toward
the oppression that the main character experiences. The writer also hopes that this
research will give clear explanation to the reader in understanding the novel
especially the racism issue.
D. Definition of Terms
In order to avoid a misunderstanding in the terms, the writer gives the
definitions of the related terms.
African-American refers to the Blacks. In Longman Dictionary of
Language and Culture, Black means (of a person) of dark skinned race, especially
Negroes or colored. However, many Blacks people in the United States prefer the
term African-American or Afro-American in formal situation (1992: 113).
According to The Encyclopedia Americana4, Black (Black American) is whether
called blacks, Afro-American, or Negroes, American of African descent are
defined as a racial group and have been subject to discriminatory treatment
because of race. The degree to which individual black has suffered racial
oppression in the United States has varied according to urban or rural residence,
region, and economic class darken skin, sex, and historical period (1955: 28).
In The International Encyclopedia of Ethics, discrimination means the
differential treatment based on physical and social affiliation (Roth, 1995: 156). In
this case, discrimination also refers to the practice of treating someone or a
particular group in society less fairly than others based on their races.
According to The Americana Heritage Dictionary of the English
Language 3rd Edition, struggle is to be strenuously engaged with the problems or
an undertaking to progress with difficulty (1996: 1782). Struggle can be explained
as a resistance on something and the certain condition. Furthermore, resistance
can be in form of thoughts and acts.
According E. Merill and H. Wentworth Elderge in their book entitled
Culture and Society: An Introduction to Sociology, racism comes from attitudes
that have arisen for the physical differences, and it has separated some groups of
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
The publication of literary works has often aroused people’s interest to
give their comment both about the author and the work itself. It is common since
people who read the work have different knowledge that influences their thoughts
in giving different opinion about what they have just read about. Maya Angelou’s
Gather Together in My Name is also one of the literary works that arouses
comments on the content of the work itself and the way Angelou presents her
work.
The first comment comes from Lennox and Birch. Based on the article
“Maya Angelou” (b. 1928) Autobiography: The Creation of a Positive Black
Female Self”, in the book entitled Black American Women’s Writing, A Quilt of
Many Colour, said that Angelou’s autobiography must be seen as the voices of the
Blacks who survived of oppression (1994: 122).
Another interesting criticism on Angelou’s work is the one Guerrin
mentions in Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. He states that
“Angelou is an excellent example of a Black feminist writer who speaks for and in
turn inspires many other women, as having experimented with cultural identities
and the continuing process of self-discovery”(1999: 210).
As stated in Liberating literature: Feminist Fiction in America, Maya
Angelou’s autobiography shows how complicated to be an African-American
(Laurett, 1994: 121). While in the essays Gender, Race, Class and Fiction,
Lizbeth has said that Angelou’s autobiography is a Black woman’s writing that
teaches you how to resist the oppression (1994: 152).
It can be seen through her literary work, in which Maya Angelou tries to
explore her experiences as an African-American woman who lives in society that
is dominated by Whites. Marguerite as the main character experiences the racial
oppression, and that kind of oppression makes her struggles become hard. She
does not only become the economic provider and protector of her son but also for
her independence. Angelou wants to tell the people that it is hard to live as an
African-American people.
Maitefa Angaza cites Will Halsey’s comment, a poet and literature
professor. He says that Maya’s work has resonated with people of all races and
backgrounds and is particularly expressive of the black experience.
<http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HST/is_2_3/ai_72275268/pg_3>
Will Halsey also gives comment on Maya Angelou’s personality. He states
that beauty in the flesh, in the word and in the deed, has become Maya Angelou's
calling cards. The girl who did not think much of her looks has gone on to become
one of the most majestic women we have ever known and we do feel we know
her. We love Maya for who she has dared to be, not perfect, but grand! Her
example is an invitation to liberation, creative fulfillment and love. And we accept
it http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HST/is_2_3/ai_72275268/pg_3>
In this thesis, based on the criticism and articles that have been collected,
experiences oppression as an African-American woman. Those experiences
develop her awareness to struggle for her life. In depth, the study will concern
with Marguerite’s struggles in facing the practices of racism that is found in the
novel.
In this novel, the writer tries to discuss story in different side. The writer
wants to analyze racism that an African-American woman experienced in the
story and the way she struggles against the practices of racism as seen in Maya
Angelou’s Gather Together in My Name.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory on Character and Characterization
A character is the important factor in a fiction. In the beginning of the
story, the author must introduce the characters to the readers. Thus, the readers
may have the clear idea about the story and how the story develops. Characters
must behave like the actual human being and they are in the human situation.
According to Abrams (1981: 20) in his Glossary of Literary Terms,
character is a person presented in dramatic or narrative work, endowed with moral
and dispositional qualities, that are expressed in what they say i.e. the dialogue,
and what they i.e. the action. The ground in a character’s temperament and moral
nature for his speech and action constitutes his motivation.
Henkle (1977: 87) distinguishes characters in two, namely the major or
main characters and the minor or secondary characters. The major characters are
author or by the other characters). These characters deserve our fullest attention
because they perform a key structural function: we build expectation and desires
and establish our value upon them. Besides the minor characters are the characters
that perform more limited functions, they are less sophisticated, so their responses
to experience are less interesting.
M. J Murphy (1988: 30-38) in Understanding Unseen mentions seven
ways of showing how the characters are presented to the readers. They are:
1. Personal Description: To describe his characters, the author explains to the readers about the physical appearances of the characters. The description is often
related to the psychological condition the personality itself can be reflected from
the external appearance, it is shown that the character is strong or weak, tall or
short, fat or thin, curly or blond, beautiful or handsome.
2. Characters as Seen by Another: In describing characters directly the authors can describe him through the eyes and opinions of another. The others will give
explanation about what a character is like. Someone tries to tell a character from
his or her own point of view. What they think about the certain character can be
significant factor to build up our understanding on him.
3. Speech: Speech is manifestation of character. The author can give an insight into the character through what that person says. Whenever a person speaks, he is
giving us some clues to his character. Frequently, from his speech we know his
motivation and attitude towards life.
4. Past Life: By learning a person’s past life, it can give us a clue of events
connected to his present life.
5. Conversation of Others: The author can also give a clue to person’s character through the conversations of other people and the things they say
about them. To help us get more information to support our judgments on the
character, we need to pay attention to the conversation of other characters.
6. Reaction: The author also mentions that personality of a character by letting the readers know the person’s reaction to the various events or situation. The
character shows her personality from her action. The action concerns to her motives and thought.
7. Direct Comment: The characterization in this way is done by giving the readers a comment on the character. It helps us to find out information about
the character easily. Sometimes, the description is provided at the beginning of
the story when we have not been quite familiar with the personality as the
writer intends to.
In general, these theories of character and characterizations are used
to help the writer in analyzing the major character, in this case is
Marguerite.The deep analysis on Marguerite’s characteristics are needed to
help in analyzing the other problem.
2. Theory on Race and Racism
Benedict argues in the book entitled Race and Racism (1942),
quoted in the book entitled Racism by Robert Miles, race is a differentiation of
three races, the Caucasian, Mongoloid, and Negroid and can be studied
scientifically (1989: 44).
Another idea of race comes from Johnson. Johnson (1986: 353) in
his book, Human Arrangements: An Introduction to Sociology, defines race as
people who share genetic heritage that result in distinct physical features, such
as the color of skin, eyes, and the shape of the nose and eyes.
Thus, because of the differentiations among the races, the term
racism emerges. Merrill and Eldredge’s theory of racism is taken from his
book entitled Culture and Society: An Introduction to Sociology. They state
that racism comes from attitudes which have arisen from the physical
differences, and it has separated some groups of human being (1952: 231).
The other theory on racism is stated by Bell Hooks in her book
entitled AIN’T A WOMAN, Black Women and Feminism. She argues that the
term racism is commonly used to describe the racial discrimination or
prejudice toward the Black people by the white people (1981: 119). In other
words, racism means the treatment where someone discriminates someone
else based on his race. Racism itself includes the act, thought, social habits
that are discriminative to the ethnic group that is supposed to be inferior.
Usually racial discrimination appears when people have the racial
prejudice toward a certain group of people. Racial prejudice practically results
in discrimination toward particular group of people (Rose, 1956: 215).
Prejudice is a state of mind but discrimination is actual behavior. Prejudice is
racial minority. Racial prejudice consists of prejudicing or having a bad
opinion of other people just because they are number of a certain ethnic group.
Discrimination is the act of disqualifying or mistreating people on the basis of
their group membership, while exploitation is the act of treating someone
unfair and selfish manner for one’s own advantages (Sehaefer, 1986:
228-230).
In addition, Comas (1956: 28-29) says that color prejudice creates
inferiority mental on the Black people. The discriminative attitudes toward the
Blacks shape the inferiority that is hereditary given from generation to
generation.
Additionally, the form of racial prejudices also can be seen through
the stereotype attributed upon the Black, such as their brains are smaller, not
smart on arithmetic, have lower intelligence, cannot govern their self, they are
like children, emotional, unoriginal, uncreative, and unintellectual, in which
these stereotypes create inferiority mental upon the blacks and systematically
decrease their roles in politic, economy, and social aspect (Montagu, 1953:
39). There were other stereotypes that were labeled to the African-American
women. They were labeled as stubborn, hateful, bitchy, evil, and treacherous
women (Hooks, 1981: 85).
Racism can develop the segregation. Segregation is a condition when
people from different racial and ethnic groups are separated physically and
Of contact allowed between the dominant and the minority groups. For example,
subordinate group members are not allowed to live where the dominant group live
(Light, Keller and Calhoun, 1989: 287-288).
Usually it consists of segregation in residential areas, in education, and
other public institutions, in public accommodations, such as railroads, steamship
lines, car, bus system, and hospitals. The segregation also happens in church,
factory, and employment opportunities, in legal and political status, in private
business establishment, and other private commercial and professional services,
such as department store, undertaking establishment and doctors’ offices. Even,
there is also segregation in graveyard (Frazier, 1957: 281: 282). Shortly, the
segregation happens in every aspect of their life.
If racism goes continuously, it will have effects. One of the effects is
racism can produce race hatred. Besides, it certainly creates and perpetuates a
feeling of distrust between races. Furthermore, the belief of the white superiority
influenced the black people who were born before or during Civil War to be lack
of confidence in their own race. They thought that what the white people had done
toward the black was natural. Yet, the next generation’s opinion about their own
race changes gradually, when the education of the black people increases
(Locke and Stern, 1946: 544).
C. Review on History of African-American Women in the 1940s
The position of black women in society is subordinated, not only caused
years, black women were forced to work not only for the domestic job but also
outside from their homes even if they do not want to (Giddings, 1984: 141).
Moreover, Giddings (1984:148) explains that the pressure to black women to
work made them had two roles in society, in which they have to do her role as
workers and at the same time they have to rear their children. The
African-American women were forced to work outside their homes to fulfill their financial
need. Most of them were working as the servants of the whites without money
payment but food and second clothes payment. There were only some factory jobs
were opened for women, but most of them were not opened for African-American
women (Hine and Thompson, 1999: 214).
As time passed, the African-American women become more economically
sufficient, better educated, and more involved in self-improvement efforts,
including the flourishing black women’s club movement (Hine and Thompson,
1999: 220). In the church and in the club movement, they were acquiring the skills
of organizing, fund-raising, and communication that would be required for
effective political action. But just as important, they were beginning to tell the
right stories. They wrote plays attacking lynching and made images of racial
pride. They sang songs about being strong and refusing to be exploited (Hine and
Thompson, 1999: 238).
The great depression of the 1930s was one of the most catastrophic periods
in America history. Americans in all walks of life suffered economic hardships,
and the African-Americans were particularly hard hit. As their economic status
racial discrimination and segregation. But there was a great irony in the situation
of the Black Americans at this time. Because of the measures taken by the
Roosevelt administration to assist all Americans, some black people were able to
break through barriers of prejudice they might never have breached otherwise.
The black artists, from painters, and sculptors to writers and actors, were able to
find work in government-sponsored projects (Hine and Thompson, 1999: 241).
A great development was done by the African-American women when
some of them successfully became the leaders. In Detroit, there was a
Housewives’ League consisted African-American women and it was leaded by an
African-American woman named Fannie B. Peck. This league quickly spread to
the other cities (Hine and Thompson, 1999: 245-246). Next example was one of
CIO (Congress of Industrial Organization) affiliate in St. Louis, the Food
Workers’ Industrial Union, was organized by an African-American woman,
Connie Smith. There were also African-American women who became the
physicians, nurses, doctors, journalists, reporters, columnists, and editors (Hine
and Thompson, 1999: 247-248). In art, the African-American woman took a great
development too. For example was Billie Holiday. She was a great jazz musician.
She wrote and sang her own song that told about the protest against the race
violence and discrimination experienced by the African-Americans. She was
severely criticized for singing the song, but she refused to back down (Hine and
Thompson, 1999: 260).
On December 8, 1941, the United States entered World War II. The black
fight. Within six months, they also entered the army itself (Hine and Thompson,
1999: 263). During Second World War, men had to participate in the war. They
left their duties behind to join the war. Women replaced their position. Factories
were established to produce the equipment of war. Women took the significant
roles at that time. Women replaced the works that men conducted before. The war
made the position of the African-American women more significant (Norton,
1982: 834). There were some advances for African-American women in the labor
movement. As in World War I, they during World War II entered the factories
from which they were ordinarily excluded. In May of 1942, the Women’s Army
Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was created. In 1943, it was incorporated into the U. S.
Army as the Women’s Army Corps (WAC). By the end of the war, more than
four thousand African-American women had become WACs (Hine and
Thompson, 1999: 263-264).
D. Theoretical Framework
In analyzing the problems of the study, which are formulated in Chapter I,
the writer focuses on Marguerite’ characters, her experiences of being
discriminated and also her struggles against the racial discrimination and
oppression. The writer, in answering the problem formulation uses some theories
that will give clear analysis.
One of the theories used by the writer is theory on character and
characterization which later will be very useful to analyze how the central
depth how the African-Americans experience the discrimination based on their
race. In general, the history of African-American women can help the writer in
answering the third problem formulation that is the major character’s struggle
against the practices of discrimination in race. The history on the development of
the African-American women is useful to find what kind of struggles done by the
African-American woman to fight the discrimination through her acts and
thoughts.
In short, the related studies and the theories stated previously are very
important and needed to support and help the writer in answering the questions
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
This thesis analyzes Gather Together in My Name published by Bantam
Books in 1993. The author of the book is Maya Angelou. She has been an actress,
an activist, a dancer, a professor, a child victim of rape, a madam, a teenage
mother, a restaurateur, a poet, a prophet, a queen. Maya has been mute and she is
sung for a living, known poverty and life as a multimillionaire, read aloud in
church and read her poetry before heads of state. She has written plays, directed
films and conducted an orchestra. She's been nominated for a Tony and an Emmy,
won a Grammy and had streets, schools and babies named after her
<http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HST/is_2_3/ai_72275268/pg_1>
Gather Together in My Name is the second volume of the five series of
Angelou’s novels that was first published in 1974. Like her other novels, in this
edition Angelou also employs a woman as the main character, named Marguerite
or Rita. Rita is characterized as a young woman who is very optimistic when she
wants to pursue something in her life. She is trapped in drug, prostitution, and free
sex. She is also unmarried woman with a son. Because of that she has a big
responsibility toward her only son. She has to work to fulfill her need and also her
son’s. Unfortunately, she does have to face the racial discrimination in work.
Racial treatment does not only happen in work but in society surround her even in
her own family. She does not only accept that kind of treatment, she shows her
reactions against racism through her act and also her thought.
B. Approach
In analyzing this study, the writer uses the Sociocultural-Historical
approach. Mary Rohrberger and Samuel H. Woods in their book Reading and
Writing aboutLiterature say that:
The Sociocultural-Historical approach is the way to locate the real work in the reference to the civilization that produces it. They define civilization as the attitudes and actions of specific group of people and point out that literature takes these attitudes and actions as its subject matter (1971: 9).
Based on the theory of Sociocultural-Historical approach, the social
condition and cultural values of the society have big influence in the people
attitudes. These attitudes are expressed in their daily life. The application of the
Sociocultural-Historical approach is a way to discuss the novel in the social,
cultural and historical context. The purpose of applying this approach in studying
the novel is to know further about the social, cultural and historical background
that appear in the novel. The racial discrimination against black people closely
relates to the social and cultural concepts practiced in the society in the novel. The
racial discrimination that appears in the novel, relates to the social history of
Africans that were brought to America which then was continued with the
C. Method of the Study
The study analyzes one of Maya Angelou’s works, Gather Together in My
Name. After finding the novel, the writer read it several times to get the deep
understanding of the whole story. Next step was deciding the topic. It was the
most important step to be taken because it would determine the next step.
After deciding the topic, this study was done in some steps. First step was
doing the library research to find some books, criticisms, essays, theories that
were needed. The writer also searched data from internet sites to find reviews and
criticism in order to collect the data as much as possible. The data was divided
into two. They were primary data that was taken from the novel itself entitle
Gather Together in My Name and the second was the secondary data that
consisted of data on criticism, theory on character and characterization, theory on
race and racism, theory on approach and so on.
The theories on character and characterization were taken from Abrams in
his Glossary of Literary Terms, M. J Murphy’s Understanding Unseen and
Henkle’s Reading the Novel: An Introduction to the Techniques of Interpreting
Fiction. To get the theories on race and racism, the writer used the books entitled
Racism, Human Arrangements: An Introduction to Sociology, Culture and
Society: An Introduction to Sociology, AIN’T A WOMAN, Black Women and
Feminism, and so on. The review on history of the African-American women was
taken from Hine and Thompson’s Shining Thread of Hope: The History of Black
The next step was formulating the problems that would be analyzed in this
study. After problems had been stated, choosing the appropriate approach that
would be applied was the next step. Then, the study came to the most important
part that was analysis. In this step, all the problems dictated above would be
discussed one by one deeply. Finally, the study came to the last part that was
drawing a conclusion. Conclusion was taken from the chapter I until the last
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
This chapter is divided into three parts. The first part is about the
characteristic of the major character, named Marguerite Johnson. The second part
is the analysis of the practices of racism experienced by major character. The last
part tells about the major character’s struggles against the practices of racism in
Gather Together in My Name.
A. The Characteristics of Marguerite Johnson.
In describing the major character named Marguerite Johnson, the writer
applies the theory from Henkle. This character deserves our fullest attention
because she performs a key structural function: we build expectation and desires
and establish our value upon them (Henkle, 1977: 87). To identify the
characteristics of the major character, the writer employs the theory from M. J.
Murphy. He mentioned seven ways of showing how the characters are presented
to the readers (1988: 30-38). Characteristics mean the features or qualities
belonging typically to a person, place or thing (McKean, 2005: 285).
In Gather Together in My Name, the central character is Marguerite
Johnson or Rita. Rita is an African-American woman who is different from the
other women of her age in the novel. The first difference is she has a son but she
does not have a husband. She takes a decision to take care of her son by herself.
Rita has a powerful struggle to survive and to save her own life with her son. She
dares to try any opportunities that she considers as the profitable chance. Since,
Rita lives in a society that is dominated by the whites she has to face the people
who always underestimate her because she is an African-American. She is treated
unfairly because of her being black. The society agrees that the white has a control
toward the African-Americans, so that the whites are considered superior and the
African-Americans are the inferior ones.
In applying the various kinds of job, Rita always gets discriminative
treatment because of her blackness heritage. Fortunately, this condition does not
make Rita surrendered. Instead, she becomes more optimistic that she has the
ability to do the jobs that are usually done by the whites. The first job she tries to
apply is a telephone operator in a telephone company. As an African-American,
she is mocked because she dares to apply that kind of job. There is a stereotype
says that African –Americans have the smaller brains, not smart on arithmetic,
having lower intelligence, not able to govern their self, they are like children,
emotional, unoriginal, uncreative, and unintelligent (Montagu, 1953: 39). Rita
does not agree with those kinds of stereotypes, so that she insists to apply that job.
She does not give up when she is rejected at first. She asks the other opportunity
to show her best because she believes that she can pass the exam. Unfortunately
she still can not be accepted with the reason that the company will not accept the
African-American employee.
“The telephone company spends thousands of dollars training operators. We simply cannot risk employing anyone who made the marks you made. I’m sorry.”
“May I take it again?”
“No, I am sorry.” If she said she was sorry one more time, I was going to take her by her sorry shoulders and shake a job out of her (1975: 6).
From the quotation above, it can be concluded that Rita is an optimistic
person that is shown by her effort to ask more than one chance to do the test. She
believes that she can do everything if she wants to try. She is optimistic that she
can be accepted because she does not agree with the stereotypes about the
African-Americans which say that the African-Americans are stupid, not creative
and can not be compared with the whites. She is sure that she has the ability to do
that job.
The next job to pursue is joining the WAC (Women’s Army Corps). Rita
decides to be the woman army. She realizes that being the member of WAC will
give her a chance to have a better life for her and her son. The Army offers the big
salary which later can be used to buy a house and back to school. “The Army has
all those side benefits and I could learn trade. There’s the G.I. Bill, and when I get
out I can go back to school and buy a home at the same time” (1975: 83).
Unfortunately, married women are not allowed to join the Army. However, she
resists on applying that job. Finally, Rita writes a lie about her status when she
filled the applications. She is optimistic that she will be chosen as the member of
WAC. Her lie is successful. She passes all the tests and has been included in the
March-April quota of personnel to enter Officer Candidate School. By joining the
Army, Rita wants to show that she is not afraid to compete with the whites when
she tries to join WAC. Unfortunately, she is treated badly and differently when
Rita is also an ambitious person. This characteristic can be seen when she
tries to be a dancer. When she is offered by R. L. Poole (a white man) to be his
partner, she just accepts the chance although she knows that she does not have
any skills in tap-dancing, jazz and acrobatics, she only dance ballet. However,
Rita does not want to ignore this opportunity. She convinces him that she is the
one he looks for. She believes in herself that she can dance any kinds of dancing.
As stated below, Rita is very optimistic that she can be a dancer he looks for after
studying the certain type of dance he asks.
“The… uh… dancer?” His voice was slow and cloudly.
Dancer? Of course. I had been a cook, waitress, madam, bus girl-why not a dancer? After all, it was the only thing I had studied.
“Yes, I’m a dancer.” I looked at him boldly. “Why?”
“I’m looking for a dancer, to work with me.”
I thought he might be a talent scout for a chorus line or maybe the big stage show, featuring colored dancers, called “Change Your Luck.” (1975: 96)
Rita is optimistic and ambitious that she can be a successful dancer. Actually she
knows that most of the dancers at that time are the whites. She absolutely knows
the risk of being a dancer. It means that she has to compete with the whites to be
the best. She is certain that she can be famous even more famous than the white
dancers. She also feels proud of herself because she can be the partner of the
white man dancer.
Although Rita is a very young mother, she is an independent person. Her
independence can be seen when she decides not to marry her son’s father since
her son’s father is a white man. Actually, she realizes that the society will not
the risks that have to be faced, she still believes that her decision is right. If she
marries a white man, the society will mock her. The society will not agree if an
African-American marries a white. It is a kind of dilemma for Rita. Finally, she
takes a decision that she can bring up her son without a help from his father. She
considers that his son’s father is a coward person and not appropriate to be
married. Her son is her own responsibility. The statement below states she is
extremely sure that she can take care of her son by herself.
“Where’s the baby’s daddy?” “I don’t know.”
“He wouldn’t marry you, huh?” his voice hardened in the question. “I didn’t want to marry him.”
“Well, he’s a low-down bastard in my book and need his ass kicked.” I began to love him at that moment (1975: 16).
Rita is an eighteen-year-old girl. When she was three years old, she had
experienced her parents’ divorce. She felt that her parents ignore her and her
brother (Bailey). Since they were so busy with their own business and decided to
send them to Stamps, Arkansas, alone by train. Then, she had to live in Stamps
with her only brother and stay with her grandmother who is called Momma. She
lost the figure of the mother and the father in her childhood. She and the other
African-Americans had the hard life in South because of the depression time.
In her childhood, she had never been treated as a sweet little girl who was spoiled
with money, beautiful clothes and candies, although her family could be
considered having a good economic condition compared with the other
African-American family in Stamps. That experience and Momma’s treatments toward
Rita made her to be the independent woman.
Rita is a clever woman since she is a high school graduate. She had ever
studied in The California Labor School majoring Art. There, she studied dancing.
Although she does not go to university, she can be categorized as a clever student.
Furthermore, she can speak English well. Usually, the African-American can not
speak English well, but Rita speaks English like the whites. It can be seen when
she teaches her son speaking in the right grammar and structure.
He had picked up Big Mary’s run-over-shoes accent. I kept repeating the proper pronunciations as he dropped past tenses and plurals (1975: 147).
She also has a good memory that made her get a good tip when she works in
café. “I worked cleaning ashtrays, serving drinks and listening for over a month.
My tips were good because I was fast and had a good memory” (1975: 33).
Rita is smart because she can take every opportunity which can create
money to fulfill her need and her son’s. For example, when she totally can not
cook, she wants to learn cooking to be a cook. Her inability to cook does not stop
her intention to be a cook and to get the money for her life. Rita also likes reading
because from her books she can learn anything, so that she loves her books so
much. “I found it hard to think of leaving my books. They had been my elevators
The statement showing that Rita is a smart girl also comes from Mother
Cleo (a nanny of her son). She is very proud of her so that she wants her being her
own daughter.
“You’re just what I wanted for a daughter. You smart and manner able and truthful. That’s what I like most. You living a Christian life. Keep up the good work. Good bless you and the child. And your mother.” (1975: 60)
Rita also likes listening music and Billie Holiday is her favorite singer. As
explained previously that Billie Holiday is an African-American woman who
becomes the famous jazz musician. Her song lyrics are known as the protest
toward the racial prejudice and racial discrimination toward the
African-American. The lyric is very touching for Rita, so that it becomes an inspiration for
Rita in struggling against the racial discrimination. She is a person whose mind is
easily awakened. Rita is inspirited to do a struggle toward the discriminative
treatments in society when she is listening Billie Holiday’s songs.
Rita has a strong principle. Sometimes her principle leads her to be
considered as a rebellious and uncontrolled person. When she is in Stamps,
Arkansas, she is told by her grandmother not to go to the White Town. In Stamps,
the African-Americans live separately from the whites. The whites live in a place
called the White Town and the African-Americans live in the other part called the
Black Town. The rule says that the African-Americans are not allowed to go to
the White Town. However, Rita does not obey this rule. She decides to go to the
White Town. She goes to the Stamps’s General Merchandise Store to order
something. Some days later, she goes back to that place to take her order. There,
her quarrel. She is very angry with Rita because she has made stupid mistakes by
going to the White town and getting a quarrel with the white woman.
“Mr. Coleman’s granddaughter, Miss June, just called from the General Merchandise store.” Her voice quaked a little. “She said you was downtown showing out.”
So that’s how they described my triumph to her. I decided to explain and let her share in the glory. I began, “It was the principle of thing, Momma—“
I didn’t even see the hand rising, and suddenly it had swung down hard against my cheek.
“Here’s your principle, young miss.”
I felt the sting on my skin and the deep ache in my head. The greatest hurt was that she didn’t ask to hear my side.
“Momma, it was a principle.” My left ear was clogged, but I heard my own voice fuzzily (1975: 78).
From the quotation above, it can be seen that Rita insists on defending her
principle. Rita has her own opinion about everything strongly. She convinces her
Momma what she has done toward the white woman in that shop is right. Momma
can not accept Rita’s behavior. She is asked to go to California to avoid the
trouble with the white woman. Actually Momma is a person who does not agree
with the discrimination but when she is facing the reality that it has been a rule in
society where the whites take a control toward the African-Americans, she just
keep away from messing the rule. In short, Rita is a person who has strong
principles on something. What she believes is right, she will do it certainly.
Being an African-American woman is a burden since she is always
underestimated by the society (not only by the whites but also comes from the
blacks themselves). Rita always gets the unfair treatments. Luckily, instead of
being weak, those kinds of treatments make Rita to be strong person. She is full of
toward that person. The evidence shows that she is a revengeful person can be
seen when she is invited by the two women who are lesbian (Beatrice and Johnnie
Mae) to go to their house. There, Rita is treated badly. She feels that those women
have played on her by asking her to smoke until she is suffered from a cough.
They also consider Rita as a silly person by showing the sexual action in front of
her. She does not like what they do toward her, so she is thinking to take revenge
to them. Rita will not let somebody laugh at her and make her hurt. She does not
like being underestimated. If somebody has made her suffered, she will do the
same thing toward that people as described on the quotation below.
When I remembered how they were ready to let me choke to death and how I vowed to get them, the tears rolled down my cheeks. That was really funny. They didn’t know what I was thinking and I didn’t know what I was thinking and I didn’t know what form my revenge would take (1975: 45).
Being an African-American does not make Rita feel inferior when she is
among the whites. She is confident with her blackness. It can be proved when she
has to face the two lesbians in a café where she works. One of them is the white,
and it seems that they try to underestimate her. They think that Rita is stupid. Rita
can not believe on their opinion about her because she finds that she is a clever
person and even cleverer than them as stated on below quotation.
I had no chance to show them how clever I was because wit is communicated by language and I hadn’t yet learned theirs. I understood their lack of interest to imply that smart women were prostitutes and stupid ones were waitresses. (1975: 33)
The other reason why Rita becomes the confident person because of her
experience living in a city that makes her proud of herself. She had ever lived in
when she goes back to Stamps. She is so confident that all the people there like
her and want to be her friend. Her experience about the city also makes her
superior among the others. Rita does not believe that her friends laugh at her.
“They’re not your friends. They’re laughing at you.” He had misjudged. They couldn’t be laughing at me. Not with my sophistication and city ways. (1975: 69).
In the poor Southern part of the United States, racial discrimination and
prejudice still exist. Rita, with all her pride and dignity, is able to apply her
principle of the life when she has to face the two communities, Black and White,
Rita thinks of herself as an elegant woman who applies the California taste of life,
she, then becomes too proud of herself in joining the new community. She is
optimistic that she will be respectfully accepted by the community, including the
whites because of her Northern upbringing.
Age and travel had certainly broadened me and obviously made me more attractive. A few girls and boys, with whom I’d had only generalities in common, all my life, asked me along for an evening at Willie Williams’ Café. … Although I had no education, my California past and having a baby made me equal to an evening with them (1975: 66).
2. The Practices of Racial Discrimination Experienced by Marguerite
The practices of racial discrimination happen when among the different
races have racial prejudice toward each other. Merrill and Eldredge (1952: 231)
state that racism comes from attitudes which have arisen from the physical
differences, and it has separated some groups of human being. Racism also
appears when people realize that they are different of race from others. They will
unfair treatment toward certain race that is considered lower. This condition also
happens in the story of Gather Together in My Name. The story tells the
relationship between the African-Americans and the whites. The whites treat the
African–Americans unfairly in every aspects of life. This part discusses about the
practices of racial discrimination experienced by Marguerite. Racial
discrimination does not only happen in the society, but it also happens in the
family.
The first discrimination appears when Rita tries to apply a job in a
telephone company. The white woman who becomes her examiner says that she
does not pass the test although Rita can do all of the test well. She does not really
pay attention to her and avoid facing her. She does not treat Rita kindly and
friendly.
“She stood behind her make-up and coiffed hair and manicured nail and dresser-drawers of scented angora sweaters and years of white ignorance and said that I had not passed” (1975: 6).
Furthermore, she also says that the company will take a risk by employing
her in the company. The white woman treats Rita impolitely because Rita is an
African-American. She discriminates her based on her color skin. She has a racial
prejudice toward Rita. Racial prejudice means having a bad opinion of other
people just because they are number of a certain ethnic group (Richard, 1986:
228-2230). She has had a bad judgment about Rita from the beginning. The word
“Black” that is associated with the African-Americans relates with the idea of
dirty. The idea of dirty means they must be bad inside and outside. They must be
minds, and they stamp the African-Americans as the worst race. She has an
opinion that Rita is stupid, brainless, and incapable to do the job. She thinks that
Rita is not appropriate to work in a company. As an African-American, Rita is
only appropriate to get a job that explores her muscles. Then she suggests Rita to
apply a job for a bus girl in a cafeteria. A bus girl is someone who collects the
dishes, wipes the tables, and makes sure the salt and pepper shakers are clean.
“There is an opening, though”-she might have sensed my unspoken threat-“for a bus girl in the cafeteria.”
“What does a bus girl do?” I wasn’t sure I could do it (1975: 6).
Montagu (1953:39) says that there are stereotype attributes toward the
black such as their brains are smaller, not smart on arithmetic, have lower
intelligence, cannot govern their self, they are like children, emotional, unoriginal,
uncreative, and not intellectual. Because of those attributes, the
African-Americans are difficult to find the jobs that are equal with the whites. For
example is, the African-American women are difficult to be accepted working in
a company, as the white-collar workers.
Moreover, racial discrimination in job happens since hundreds years ago.
It is supported with the fact that the African-Americans will only get the jobs
which do not explore their brains. It will be impossible for the African-Americans
to compete with the whites although the African-Americans have educational
backgrounds. If there are the African-Americans who have an ability to do the
same thing like the white, the whites will not give them the chances with any
There is another evidence shows that an African-American only get a job
that does not explore their brain and knowledge. When Rita applies for a cook in a
Creole café and she is accepted easily but her father asks her to find the other
jobs, because the African-Americans have been cooks since hundreds years ago.
“Why the sheeit do you want to work in a goddam kitchen?” “Papa, the job pays seventy-five dollars a week.”
“Busting some goddam suds. Disgust wrinkled his face. “Papa, I’ll be cooking and not washing dishes.”
“Colored women been cooking so long, thought you’d be tired of it by now.” (1975: 10).
From the conversation above between Rita and her step father, it can be
concluded that the African-Americans were accustomed to be the cooks, someone
who serve the whites since hundreds years ago. The African-Americans had been
the white’s slaves and servants since along time ago.
When Rita tries to join the Army, she is dismissed because she studied in a
school that is involved in communism. The government can not tolerate such kind
of the forbidden organization and decide to expel her from the Army, without
even considering Rita’s success in all the examination. It seems that communism
issue is only a reason to cover the reality that Rita is actually dismissed because
she is an American. From this fact, it can be seen that the
African-Americans’ achievements at that time were less appreciated. The governments do
not appreciate Rita’s successfulness in doing the examination, and they just expel.
Her successfulness can not become the considerable to accept her in WAC.
It is clearly stated by Rita that everyone can be accepted in WAC except her but
in fact, she is easily dismissed. Based on Rita’s opinion, the issue of racial
discrimination is the main reason why she is expelled from WAC. Actual
