Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus and Afro-American Folktales

PURNOWIDODO, Dr. Djuhertati Imam Muhni, MA

2003 | Tesis | S2 Pengkajian Amerika

Studi ini bertujuan untuk mengungkapkan elemen-elemen cerita rakyat Afro-Amerika yang ada dalam cerita Uncle Remus. Dongeng Uncle Remus yang dikumpulkan oleh Joel Chandler Harris ini menjadi bahan kajian untuk mencari aspek-aspek folklor dalam kumpulan ceritanya yang selama ini mengundang banyak perdebatan mengenai keabsahan penggambaran mayarakat Afro-Amerika dalam kumpulan ceritanya. Studi ini juga bertujuan untuk menggambarkan pengalaman hidup masyarakat Afro-Amerika dimasa perbudakan yang membentuk nilai-nilai budaya mereka. Dengan menggunakan pendekatan interdisipliner, studi ini mengkolaborasikan aspek sosiologi, antropologi, dan sastra. Sudut pandang sosiologi digunakan untuk memahami hakikat dan prilaku sosial masyarakat kulit hitam dijaman perbudakan. Sudut pandang Antropologi digunakan untuk mengungkap bentuk dan ciri serta perkembangan dari cerita rakyat bangsa Afro-Amerika, sedangkan analisa sastra digunakan untuk mengungkapkan nilainilai masyarakat Afro-Amerika yang tercermin dalam karakter binatang pada dongeng Uncle Remus. Hasil analisa menunjukkan bahwa dongeng Uncle Remus yang dikumpulkan oleh Joel Chandler Harris masih merefleksikan cerita rakyat asli masyarakat Afro-Amerika. Dongeng Uncle Remus memenuhi berbagai karakteristik dari cerita rakyat Afro-Amerika. Karakter Brer Rabbit juga memenuhi ciri dari tokoh penipu pada cerita rakyat kaum budak. Brer Rabbit dalam dongeng Uncle Remus menggambarkan keadaan seorang budak didalam masyarakat kulit putih yang di representasikan dalam karakter Brer Fox, Brer Bear, dan Sis Cow. Melalui karakter Brer Rabbit nilai-nilai dan metafor masyarakat Afro-Amerika diungkapkan.

This thesis is an attempt to find out to what extent the elements of Afro-American folktale are contained in Uncle Remus tales. Joel Chandler Harris’ Uncle Remus tales are explored here to find out some aspects that show the folkloristic elements in his work in line with the controversy over his Uncle Remus collection. Some scholars feel that the Uncle Remus tales give a false view toward the Blacks. This thesis also intends to reveal Afro-American lives and experiences in the slavery era as these are contained in Harris’ Uncle Remus tales, especially as they that might show Afro- American cultural values. To be able to have a total comprehension of the issue, this thesis applies the interdisciplinary analysis, and studies the matter from the viewpoints of sociology, anthropology, and literature. The sociological viewpoints enable the writer to understand the nature and sociological behavior of the Blacks in the slavery era. The anthropological angle is used to find out the social structural development of the folktales, which are oral histories of Afro- American lives. Literary analysis is also used to reveal the values of Afro-Americans as represented in the characters in Joel Chandler Harris’ Uncle Remus Tales. The results of this study indicate that Harris’ Uncle Remus tales still mirror genuine Afro-American folktales. Uncle Remus tales share three out of four characteristics of Afro-American folktales, in that they use Negro dialect, are mostly open ended, and depict the real life of Negro Slaves together with their daily problems as allegorically presented in the animal characters and their interactions. Brer Rabbit, the trickster of the tale, represents the slave position in dealing with the White society, as seen in Brer Bear, Brer Fox, Brer Gater, and Sis Cow. Through Brer Rabbit’s character Afro-American values and metaphors are depicted. Survival and morality aspects, as the basic values of Afro- Americans, are clearly presented.

Kata Kunci : Sastra Inggris Amerika, Cerita Rakyat Afro Amerika, Uncle Remus, trickster, folktale, survival, values