Racial Discrimination in Chairmaine Wilkerson's Black Cake

Abstract

This study discusses forms of racial discrimination and their impact on the identities and social relationships of characters in Charmaine Wilkerson's novel Black Cake. The novel depicts the lives of a Caribbean diaspora family facing various forms of oppression in the context of modern racism. The research focused on answering two questions: identifying the types of racial discrimination experienced by the characters and explaining how  the impact of discrimination affected the formation of their identities and social relationships. This study uses Fred L. Pincus' theory of racial discrimination, which divides discrimination into three main forms: individual, institutional, and structural discrimination. The approach used is a sociological approach to literature with a qualitative descriptive method. Data in the form of relevant quotations from the novel are analyzed to reveal representations of discrimination and its influence on the psychological and social dynamics of the characters. The results of the study show that there are three forms of discrimination appear consistently in the novel. Individual discrimination is evident through demeaning actions directed at characters based on race. Institutional discrimination is seen in the career and economic barriers experienced by minority characters. Meanwhile, structural discrimination is reflected in the social system, colonial legacy, and cultural conditions that shape the characters' life experiences. The impact of discrimination on identity includes trauma, identity confusion, and pressure to assimilate. The impact on social relationships is evident in strained family relationships, sibling conflicts, and closed communication dynamics due to experiences of racism that are not openly discussed.

 

Kajian ini membincangkan bentuk-bentuk diskriminasi kaum dan kesannya terhadap identiti serta hubungan sosial watak-watak dalam novel Black Cake karya Charmaine Wilkerson. Novel ini menggambarkan kehidupan sebuah keluarga diaspora Caribbean yang berhadapan dengan pelbagai bentuk penindasan dalam konteks perkauman moden. Kajian ini memberi tumpuan kepada dua persoalan utama, iaitu mengenal pasti jenis diskriminasi kaum yang dialami oleh watak-watak serta menghuraikan bagaimana kesan diskriminasi tersebut mempengaruhi pembentukan identiti dan hubungan sosial mereka.Kajian ini menggunakan teori diskriminasi kaum oleh Fred L. Pincus, yang membahagikan diskriminasi kepada tiga bentuk utama, iaitu diskriminasi individu, institusi, dan struktur. Pendekatan yang digunakan ialah pendekatan sosiologi dalam sastera dengan kaedah deskriptif kualitatif. Data dalam bentuk petikan yang relevan daripada novel dianalisis bagi menzahirkan representasi diskriminasi serta pengaruhnya terhadap dinamika psikologi dan sosial watak-watak.Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa ketiga-tiga bentuk diskriminasi wujud secara konsisten dalam novel tersebut. Diskriminasi individu jelas melalui tindakan merendahkan martabat watak berdasarkan kaum. Diskriminasi institusi dapat dilihat melalui halangan kerjaya dan ekonomi yang dialami oleh watak-watak minoriti. Sementara itu, diskriminasi struktur tercermin dalam sistem sosial, warisan penjajahan, dan keadaan budaya yang membentuk pengalaman hidup watak-watak.Kesan diskriminasi terhadap identiti termasuklah trauma, kekeliruan identiti, dan tekanan untuk berasimilasi. Kesan terhadap hubungan sosial pula jelas melalui hubungan kekeluargaan yang tegang, konflik adik-beradik, serta komunikasi yang tertutup akibat pengalaman perkauman yang tidak dibincangkan secara terbuka.