Discrimination toward the Black People in Ernest J Gaines

Discrimination toward the Black People in Ernest J Gaines

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Charles Johnson states that actually there had been no “Black problem” until the Civil War. It is because before the Blacks had only been chattels. The War happened because the Blacks want their freedom in education, employment, the vote, regularized marriage and even the acquisition of a surname (Butcher: 243).

The Congress in 1875 adopted a statue which allowed the equality of facilities and accommodation for every race and color, but the famous Plessy-Ferguson Decision in 1896 gave legal discrimination and segregation by virtue of its “separate but equal” doctrine. This doctrine arouse the discrimination and segregation toward the Black people (Gordon: 108)

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman which is written by Ernest J Gaines consists the life of Blacks in America who are discriminated by the White Americans. This issue inside Gaines’ novel attracts me to analyze the topic of discrimination toward the Blacks in America. The analysis applies interdisciplinary approach to find the aspect of social, history and morality inside the novel discussed. The method of research of this paper uses the library research. The primary source of this paper is Ernest J Gaines’ The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and the second sources are the information which is taken from the library books and the Internet.

CHAPTER II

THE DISCRIMINATION OF THE BLACK PEOPLE

This chapter discusses about the discrimination toward the Black people in America which is reflected by Gaines in his novel. Gaines tells about the discrimination which is experienced by Jane Pittman and her race. Jane Pitman has been lived for one hundred and ten years. Therefore, through his novel, Gaines explains about Pittman’s live from her childhood until her old age which happens during the civil war up to the civil right movement < E:Teen Voices Volume 3 Book Review The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.htm>

The civil war that happened in America did not end both the slavery and the discrimination toward the Black Americans. The discrimination toward them is still continued in which it causes the Civil Right Movement.

The first prove about the discrimination toward the Blacks is the slave names which are given to the Blacks. It means that the slaves are given the names which are different from the White’s names. They are for example Ticey, Buck and Big Laura The names are given by their masters (Gaines:17).

Any slaves who are dares to owe the names like the White’s names will be punished by their masters.