The Effects of Social Problems of Afro-American In The Ghost Boys By Jewell Parker Rhodes

Abstract

African-American has faced a lot of of social problems in their life. The potrayal of this social
problems are finding in a novel that was written by Jewell Parker Rhodes. The social problems that
faced by Afro-American that reflected in Ghost Boys are not different so far from the event happening
in the real world. It is giving very impactful towards the social life of Afro-American. Therefore, the
intention of this research are to describe social problems of Afro-American and the effects of social
problems to them that reflected in the Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes.
So far, the writer has not found yet in research to this novel. However, the writer found book
reviews from the people that have read in this novel. The books reviews from Chicago Tribunes
which responded, “Rhodes has achieved something remarkable here: a kid’s-eye-view of violence
and racism that balances innocence and outrage, wrenching loss and hard-won hope”.(Chicago
Tribune) In doing the study, the writer applies the sociology of literature as one of the analysis method
that using to this research. Alan, and Swingewood state that sociology of literature is a direct
reflection of various facets of social structure, family relationship, class conflict and possibly divorce
trends and population composition. (Laurent, and Swingewood, 1972) For this study, the writer will
focused on direct reflection of society the African-American living in Southern America. There who
are experiencing social problems. Jhones, and Bartles state that social problem is a social condition
that is perceived to be harmful to more than just a few people. (Jhones, and Bartlett) AfricanAmerican society reflected in the novel, to comprehend the social problem of African American in
the novel therefore historical approach is needed. Russel states historical approach is one of the
method to analyze literary work in which the author and the reader comprehend the message of the
literary work by remembering the moment/historic moment a long with the literary work written
(Russel, 1966). This approach to know the events happening African-American society. The social
problem happening to the Afro-American in Southern America is used to support the data from the
novel
To analyze in this research using qualitative research. The object of research is the novel of Ghost
Boys. It is conducted on the close reading technique based on sociology of literature approach. Close
reading is a significant exploration where the sign is seen at the first reading in a work. Literature is
not a self-proven work but must be interpreted carefully (Jacobus, 2002). The data collection are: (1)
reading the novel to find the data based on the formulation of the problems, (2) classifying the data
based on the social problems and the effects of social problem faced by Afro-American.(3)
interpreting the data which is found, (4) processing the data based on the theory used, (5) concluding
the data which is analyzed.
The results of this research is the Afro-American faced several social problems such as; poverty,
violence, crime, racial discrimination, from the data the writer found the dominant social problem
from the highs to lows are racial discrimination, violence, crime,the last poverty. Racial
discrimination is the any discrimination against between the Black and White. Violence that facaed
by Afro-American conducted by the white also among the black it self. In the real world, the common
the high rate of poverty is Afro-American besides the other races. This situation makes them easy to
get the violence and victim of crime. The Afro-American live in the worse neighborhood. They also
faced racial discrimination from American society especially the White American in all aspect. They
faced gap in the school, laws, job field and others. In this research, the most common social problem
faced African-American was racial discrimination. the writer found that the others social problems
are also influenced by discrimination. In this study, these social problems certainly have an effect for
Afro-American life. The effects of these problems are anxiety, isolated, and affirmative action.They
always haunted by the fear of being hurt as a victim from violence, crime and discrimination which
experienced by them so far. besides, after the problems that they had faced so far which never ended,
They decided to isolate themselves from the social and try to keep their distance so that they are no
longer victims of this social problem. Because of disrimination that always experienced by AfricanAmerican. they try affirmative action.to make a movement to solve this problem. This action hope
giving change to the Afro-American life more better and get same right in American society.
Keywords: Afro-American, Social problems, effects.