Racial Discrimination Reflected in Ku Klux by Langson Hughes

1. English Poetry 2
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION REFLECTED
IN KU KLUX BY LANGSTON HUGHES
a presentation
by
Megalistha Pratiwi
Irene Heni
Atikah Rahmawati
Clara Ariski

2. ABSTRACT
Makalah ini merupakan analisis diskriminasi ras yang terkandung
dalam Ku Klux karya Langston Hughes. Fokus pembahasan dalam
makalah ini ialah pencitraan, eufinisme, ironi, dan pemaparan tentang
diskriminasi ras. Metode yang digunakan adalah tekstual dan close
reading. Melalui analisis unsur-unsur intrinsik dalam makalah ini,
pembaca dapat memahami diskriminasi ras yang terdapat dalam puisi
Ku Klux.
Kata kunci: eufinisme, ironi, pencitraan, diskriminasi ras, Ku Klux

3. Poetry is a literary work that conveys meaning
beyond the words and can be understood with sense
of feeling. While in poetry analysis, we will find out
the poet's intention in writing the poem in critical
way. The writer uses the poem Ku Klux by Langston
Hughes to be analyzed. The poem mainly contains
imagery, euphemism and irony.
BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY

4. PURPOSE OF THE
STUDY
To analyze the use of imagery in the poem.
To analyze the use of euphemism in the
poem.
To analyze the use of irony in the poem.
To analyze race discrimination in the poem.

5. T h e s c o p e o f t h i s s t u d y i s t o a n a l y z e
t h e i n t r i n s i c e l e m e n t s i n K u K l u x b y
L a n g t o n H u g h e s w h i c h a r e i m a g e r y ,
e u p h e m i s m , a n d i r o n y . T h e t y p e s o f
i m a g e r y a r e a u d i t o r y k i n e s t h e t h i c a n d
v i s u a l . F o r t h e e x t r i n s i c e l e m e n t s ,
t h e w r i t e r w i l l a n a l y z e d i s c r i m i n a t i o n
o f r a c e i n t h i s p o e m .
SCOPE OF THE
STUDY

6. Born in Joplin, Missouri, in
1902.
His first published well-
known poem called "The
Negro Speaks of Rivers"
Received the First Prize for
Poetry of the magazine
Opportunity, Guggenheim
Fellowship, a Rosenwald
Fellowship.
Died in 1967.
BACKGROUND OF
THE POET

7. KU KLUX
- They took me out
To some lonesome place.
They said, "Do you believe
In the great white race?"
I said, "Mister,
To tell you the truth,
I'd believe in anything
If you'd just turn me loose."
The white man said, "Boy,
Can it be
You're a-standin' there
A-sassin' me?"
They hit me in the head
And knocked me down.
And then they kicked me
On the ground.
A klansman said, "Nigger,
Look me in the face ---
And tell me you believe in
The great white race."

8. L I T E R A R Y R E V I E W : I n t r i n s i c E l e m e n t
Imagery
Use particular words to create sensations that can be received by
senses.There are 7 types of imagery: visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory,
tactile, organic and kinesthetic. From seven imageries that are mentioned
above, the writer will only discuss three kinds of imagery. Kinesthethic
imagery describe sense of movement or tension. Visual imagery describe
thing that can be seen by our sense of sight. Auditory imagery is a sound
made from an action and percieved through sense of hearing.
Euphemism
Euphenism is a figure of speech in which use indirect statement to avoid
bluntness.
Irony
Irony is a figure of speech that express the opposite meaning of the actual
intent.

9. L I T E R A R Y R E V I E W : E x t r i n s i c E l e m e n t
Discrimination
Definition : Discrimination, which consists of treating people
differently from others based primarily on membership in a social
group.
Divided into interpersonal, organizational, and cultural
discrimination. Racial discrimination comes from cultural
discrimination.

10. LITERARY REVIEW:
EXTRINSIC ELEMENT
Definition : Ku Klux Klan is a secret
organization in the United States,
especially associated with the south.
The original clan was formed to
maintain white supremacy in the
South after the Civil War
Brief explanation :
It was initiated in order to resist
political and economic equality for
blacks. Their activity includes
kidnapping, torturing, lynching, and
killing colored people flourished in
the South where blacks were
minority.
KU KLUX KLAN (KKK)

11. V i s u a l I m a g e r y
T o s o m e l o n e s o m e p l a c e .
T h e y s a i d , " D o y o u b e l i e v e
I n t h e g r e a t w h i t e r a c e ? " ( l i n e 2 - 4 , f i r s t s t a n z a )
K i n e s t h e t i c I m a g e r y
T h e y t o o k m e o u t ( l i n e 1 , f i r s t s t a n z a )
T h e y h i t m e i n t h e h e a d
A n d k n o c k e d m e d o w n .
A n d t h e n t h e y k i c k e d m e ( l i n e 1 - 3 , t h i r d s t a n z a )
A u d i t o r y I m a g e r y
T h e y s a i d , " D o y o u b e l i e v e
I n t h e g r e a t w h i t e r a c e ? " ( l i n e 3 - 4 , f i r s t s t a n z a )
DISCUSSION
Intrinsic Element

12. E u p h e n i s m
T h e y h i t m e i n t h e h e a d
A n d k n o c k e d m e d o w n .
A n d t h e n t h e y k i c k e d m e
O n t h e g r o u n d . ( l i n e 1 - 4 , t h i r d s t a n z a )
I r o n y
I s a i d , " M i s t e r ,
T o t e l l y o u t h e t r u t h ,
I ' d b e l i e v e i n a n y t h i n g
I f y o u ' d j u s t t u r n m e l o o s e . " ( l i n e 5 - 8 ,
f i r s t s t a n z a )
DISCUSSION
Intrinsic Element

13. DISCUSSION
Extrinsic Element
Oppression from Ku Klux Klan
In this poem, the character that mentioned were “Klansman” and
“Nigger”. “Klansman” , as the subject of oppresion, indicates the member
of Ku Klux Klan. “Nigger”, as the object of oppresion, is a nickname to
derogate black people. The klansman feel that his race is superior than
the nigger because he refers himself as “great white race”. From this
indication it can be concluded that this poem contains racial
discrimination against black people by Ku Klux Klan.

14. “Do you believe in the great white race” indicates the oppression towards
the object to believe their greatness. Irony which existed in this poem
expressed in the usage of “Mister” from the nigger to call the klansman.
In the last line of first stanza, the nigger said:
“Mister, To tell you the truth,
I'd believe in anything
If you'd just turn me loose."
Second stanza has connection with that statement whereas the white
man respond and he realize that the nigger is mocking at him.
“Boy,
Can it be You're a-standin' there
A-sassin' me?"

15. Euphenism in third stanza shows the abusing process in this poem
seemed light. It is only mentioned as “hit”, “knock”, and “kick”. It does not
correspond with the fact that their oppression was much severe and
sometimes led to murder.
While in fourth stanza, “Do you believe in the great white race” becomes a
coercion after the abuse.

16. CONCLUSION
From the analysis of Ku Klux, it can be concluded racial
discrimination from Ku Klux Klan is easier to understand by the
reader through intrinsic and extrinsic elements. The reader can
also understand the victim’s emotion and experience in the
imagery, fight that reflected in the irony, and physical abuse in the
euphenism. Each element describe the situation and tension in a
racial oppression, therefore the reader can feel empathy toward
coloured people.