MAINTAINING IDEOLOGY THROUGH RACIAL DISTINCTION DURING THE 1930S AMERICA IN RALPH ELLISON'S INVISIBLE MAN

RAISA HANI TAMARA, Achmad Munjid, M.A., Ph.D

2021 | Tesis | MAGISTER PENGKAJIAN AMERIKA

Isu rasisme di Amerika tahun 1930an menggambarkan perseteruan ras yang tinggi antara orang kulit putih dan orang kulit hitam dikarenakan kekerasan rasial massal. Terlepas dari kemajuan Industri yang cepat, orang kulit hitam pada masa ini berjuang untuk mencari keseteraan di dalam masyarakat. Novel Invisible Man dari Ralph Ellion menggambarkan kondisi keterbelakangan social dan ekonomi pekerja kulit hitam di tahun 1930s. Novel ini berlatarbelakang pada masa setelah rekonstruksi Amerika dimana hukum Jim Crow dijalankan. Maka dari itu analysis kesenjangan kelas ini dilakukan dengan menggunakan Post-Nationalist American Studies dan Pendekatan Marxisme. Penelitian kualitatif ini menggunakan teori Ideologi Althusser and Ideologi Aparatus Negara. Hasilnya menunjukkan bagaimana orang kulit putih digambarkan dan dipertahankan.: (1) Penggambaran Ideologi dapat dilihat melalui kesenjangan kelas dan ketergantungan antar kelas dimana orang kulit hitam dibuat inferior dan patuh kepada orang kulit putih. Interseksionalitas antara perbedaan kelas dan ketergantungan antar kelas menciptakan diskriminasi orang kulit hitam kelas menengah.(2) Di dalam proses mempertahankan ideologi, ideologi bergantung kepada konsep Ideologi Aparatus Negara seperti institusi agama, keluarga, Pendidikan, hukum, politik, tempat kerja, komunikasi dan budaya yang berfungsi pembantu negara yang mengabadikan dan merawat nilai-nilai orang kulit putih. Akhirnya, Masyarakat yang terbelah secara umum hanya untuk mendukung kebutuhan kapitalis orang kulit putih sebagai kelas penguasa.

Racial issues in the 1930s America illustrate the high racial tension between the White and Black due to the series of the mass racial violence. Despite the rapid industrialization, Blacks, in this period, struggled to find their equal place in the society. Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man depicts the social conditions of Black workers' socio-economic backwardness in the 1930s. This novel is set during post-reconstruction era of America where Jim Crow laws are instituted. Therefore, this analysis of racial distinction for this novel is conducted with Post-Nationalist American Studies and Marxism approach. This qualitative research utilizes Althusser's theories: of Ideology and Ideological State Apparatus (ISA). The findings show how White ideology is depicted and maintained. It is through: (1) the depiction of Ideology that can be seen through the class distinction and racial dependency in which Blacks are created to be inferior and submissive to White people. The intersectionality between the class distinction and the racial dependency creates the discrimination of middle-class Black man. (2) in the maintenance of ideology, where it relies on Althusser's concept of Ideological State Apparatuses such as religious, family, education, legal, politic, trade union, communication and cultural institutions, function as adjunct of the state that perpetuates and preserves White-centered values. Thus, the racially segregated society essentially only supports the needs of White capitalists as the ruling class.

Kata Kunci : Racism, Marxism, Ideology, the 1930s America, Ideological State apparatus.