JOHN SINGER: A SYMBOL OF ANTI-RACISM EXPECTATION IN CARSON McCULLERS’ THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER

Abstract

Some parts of society (e.g. the white race) believe that their races are the best than the other races. This causes many problems of violence arise. Although there has been a law which controls the civil right but it still does not work maximally. This discussion examines the problem of racism and anti-racism gained from The Heart is a Lonely Hunter novel written by Carson McCullers in 1937 when the Great Depression era took place. The setting of place is a small town in South America, called Georgia. Further, this article examines three problems, they are: John Singer’s idea of equality toward the black race, the impact of John Singer’s idea of equality toward the black’s expectation in getting their freedom and the last is the condition of black race in South America in 1930s portrayed in the novel. To uncover those problems, Critical Race Theory (CRT) by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic is used. From six basic tenets of that theory, this research only uses two of them: the social construction and voice of color because only those two items which have relation for the problems to discuss and give an understanding about the topic of discussion. It can be concluded from the discussion that the writer of the novel, Carson McCullers, through The Heart is a Lonely Hunter shows that John Singer’s role in treating the blacks well belongs to the third class of white men in the South called “the insane class”, who believes that blacks are just men, nothing more and nothing less. As man, Singer has to respect other men, whether blacks or whites. This shows that Singer is an anti-racist white man. McCullers also shows us that Doctor Copeland’s action in helping the black people and struggle for freedom entering him to the second class of blacks, composed of the farm renters and owners, preachers, teachers, students, professional and businessmen.