THE INFLUENCES OF GILDED AGE TOWARD RATIONALITY IN MARGARET SYDNEY’S THE FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS AND HOW THEY GREW

Abstract

In this thesis, the writer wants to analyze the American social condition during the Gilded Age. This condition is affected by the Second industrial revolution occurred in 1870-1914. The writer’s analysis is emphasized on the influence of the condition towards rationality of society, especially as social action and relation. The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew is a novel published in 1882. The Peppers family is the major characters in Margaret Sidney’s novel. They live at Badgertown, an urban area in America, with their difficulties and poverty. They also have many relations with the other people such as the neighbors, King’s family, and minister. There are some problems to discuss. The first problem is: how the novel reflected American social condition during the Gilded Age. The second problem is: what are the influences of American social condition towards rationality as social action. And for the last problem, what are the influences of American social condition towards rationality as social relation. Then, to analyze this thesis, the writer uses a sociological approach to analyze the social condition related to the novel and the reality. Sociological approach discusses about the social reflection. Furthermore, this thesis uses inductive method. It means the discussion begins with American social condition, and those particular things come into rationality as the general thing. The writer concludes that American social condition has the positive and negative influences towards social rationality. Moreover, the rationality is based by social action. Then, the social relation is also influenced by the rationality.