The perpetuation of racial stereotypes in “uncle tom’s cabin” a critical discourse analysis = sự dai dẳng của khuôn mẫu chủng tộc trong tác phẩm túp lều bác tom từ góc Độ phân tích diễn ngôn phê phán

The perpetuation of racial stereotypes in “Uncle Tom’s cabin” a critical discourse analysis = Sự dai dẳng của khuôn mẫu chủng tộc trong tác phẩm Túp Lều Bác Tom Từ góc độ Phân tích diễn ngôn phê phán

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

***********************

TRƯƠNG VĨNH NGÂN

THE PERPETUATION OF RACIAL STEREOTYPES IN

UNCLE TOM’S CABIN: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

Sự dai dẳng của khuôn mẫu chủng tộc trong tác phẩm

Túp Lều Bác Tom: Từ góc độ Phân tích diễn ngôn phê phán

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Linguistics Code: 8220201.01

Supervisor: Prof Dr Nguyễn Hòa

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale

According to popular belief, UTC by Harriet Beecher Stowe is a famous anti-slavery

novel that was considered a cause to the American Civil War in the 19th Century Despite its acclaim, Stowe's work has faced substantial criticism from both contemporaries and posterities Beyond aesthetic critiques from figures like Charles Dickens and Henry James,

UTC has been accused of perpetuating a multitude of stereotypes about African American slaves The perpetuation of the black’ stereotypes depicted in UTC has long been a research

topic for many sociologists or historians However, these stereotypes seem to have never been under the scrutinization of linguists, who possess a myriad of powerful tools to carry out investigation from various linguistic aspects Critical Discourse Analysis, among them, proves to be one of the most comprehensive frameworks, because with CDA not only the formal features, but the dialectical influences between the context and the discourse itself as

well are closely examined For these reasons above, the present study intends to place Uncle Tom’s Cabin under the light of CDA to unearth its persistence of racial stereotypes of the

African Americans

1.2 Research questions

In order to achieve the goals outlined above, the research questions are:

● What are the racial stereotypes of the African Americans manifested in Uncle Tom’s Cabin?

● How are the racial stereotypes of the African Americans linguistically manifested in

Uncle Tom’s Cabin?

1.3 Significance of the research

In terms of theoretical significance, this research contributes to the theoretical understanding of how discourse shapes and reinforces racial stereotypes It expands the body of knowledge in critical discourse studies by applying this methodology to a seminal work of American literature

In terms of practical significance, examining the perpetuation of racial stereotypes in

UTC serves as a catalyst for raising social awareness and promoting critical thinking The

findings of this research can inform policy discussions and advocacy efforts aimed at combating racial stereotypes

1.4 Structure of the thesis

The thesis comprises five chapters as follows:

Chapter One: Introduction

Chapter Two: Literature Review

Chapter Three: Methodology

Chapter Four: Findings and discussion

Chapter Five: Conclusion

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Review of theoretical background

2.1.1 Critical Discourse Analysis

In the definition provided by Van Dijk (1998, cited in Tannen, Hamilton & Schiffrin, 2015:466), CDA also aims at (2) eliciting the way this connection are socially sustained He claimed that CDA is a discipline primarily dedicated to examining how abuse of social power, dominance, and inequality are carried out, perpetuated, and challenged through written and spoken communication within social and political frameworks

Although differently worded, Fairclough’s description of CDA (1995:132) also

subsumes both elements (1) and (2) above He perceived CDA as: discourse analysis which aims to systematically explore often opaque relationships of causality and determination between (a) discursive practice, events and texts, and (b) wider social and cultural structures, relations and processes; to investigate how such practices, events and texts arise out of and are ideologically shaped by relations of power and struggles over power; and to explore how the opacity of these relationships between discourse and society is itself a factor securing power and hegemony

2.1.2 Key concepts

2.1.2.1 Critical

According to Wodak & Meyer (2001), being ―critical‖ requires the analysts to distance themselves from the data, take an explicit political stance and be clearly aware of

their roles as scholars doing research (p 9)

2.1.2.2 Ideology

In the study, the researcher would like to adopt the elaborate definition by Fairclough (2001) which he reflected on that of Thompson (1984) It stated that: ideologies represent aspects of the world that help creating and sustaining relations of power, domination and exploitation Ideologies ―may be enacted in ways of interaction (and therefore in genres) and inculcated in ways of being identities (and therefore styles) Analysis of texts…is an

important aspect of ideological analysis and critique (p 218)

2.1.2.3 Power

The connection between "ideology" and "power" is evident from the perspective

outlined above Ideologies reflect the interests of the powerful, and as a result, power can be

constructed, maintained, or challenged through ideologies In the context of this study, the

focus will be on excavating racial stereotypes perpetuated by the author to reinforce the power dynamics of her race—the white race—over black people These stereotypes serve to maintain existing power structures by legitimizing and naturalizing the dominance of one racial group over another

2.1.2.4 Race and racial stereotypes

"Race" can signify a social group within a given society, defined by physical attributes such as skin color, hair texture, facial features, height, and so forth

In the realm of race and ethnic relations, a stereotype is commonly understood as an oversimplified belief about the behavior or characteristics of members belonging to specific groups These stereotypes may pertain to ethnicity or race and can either be positive or negative, although negative stereotypes are more prevalent

2.1.3 Different frameworks of CDA

2.1.3.1 Fairclough’s three-dimensional framework

Throughout his scholastic career, Fairclough had been building and refining a comprehensive method for analyzing discourse There are three stages of CDA namely Description, Interpretation and Explanation, which correspond to these three dimensions

Description: Linguistic features of the text are closely examined from the micro

levels of vocabulary and grammar to the macro level of textual structures

Interpretation: the interpretation stage focuses on the process of discourse

production and the interpretation of text

Explanation: In this stage, researchers proceed to analyze the bi-directional

relationship between discourse and society: how discourse is conditioned by the social structure (the relation of power) and what influences it exerts on the social structure

2.1.3.2 Wodak’s discourse-historical approach

According to Wodak (2016), DHA adopts a "problem-oriented" perspective, implying that the analysis of language constitutes only a part of the research and should not

be confined to it Contextualizing linguistic developments involves examining the text in relation to other texts and discourses, situational factors (such as the setting of a speech), and the historical and socio-political conditions surrounding the text or speech Through discourse analysis and contextualization, the goal of DHA is to comprehensively analyze,

comprehend, and elucidate the complexities of the subjects under investigation (Wodak,

2016, p 3)

2.1.3.3 Van Dijk’s socio-cognitive approach

Van Dijk's approach encompasses cognition, society, and discourse At the macro level lies society, which delves into power dynamics within both local interactions and global societal frameworks In line with this, Van Dijk (1993b; 2002) introduces the 'ideological square' as a conceptual framework for analyzing discourse comprehension and production, connecting them to the societal context Out-group and in-group sentiments within a society are common outcomes of migration or refugee discourse, leading to the process of Othering

Emphasize our good features Emphasize their bad features

De-emphasize our bad features De-emphasize their good features

2.2 Contextual background

2.2.1 Harriet Beecher Stowe

Harriet Beecher Stowe was born in 1811 in the sate of Connecticut During the initial years of her marriage, she endured both poverty and illness Tragically, her beloved son Henry succumbed to cholera when she turned 38 As a native of New England, Stowe herself emerged from an exceptional family background

While residing in Cincinnati between 1832 and 1849, Harriet Beecher Stowe first encountered Africans and witnessed the dire consequences of slavery It was during this period that many of her opinions and beliefs regarding slavery were shaped Subsequently, while residing in Boston, Stowe encountered black individuals who were fleeing to Canada

in fear of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 Feeling a sense of duty, Stowe believed it was imperative to educate Northern Christians about the atrocities of slavery, hoping that awareness would lead to opposition against the institution

2.2.2 Historical context of Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Published in 1852, UTC depicts the life of an African-American slave separated from his family to save his master from financial difficulties Upon its publication, UTC had

profound and widespread effects The novel rapidly gained immense popularity worldwide, garnering praise from prominent international figures while provoking strong reactions from

both abolitionist and pro-slavery factions It became a ubiquitous household book and significantly impacted discussions surrounding slavery Interestingly, twelve years after the

novel's publication, slavery was abolished While the direct influence of UTC on this

historic development is debated, legend has it that when Abraham Lincoln first encountered Stowe in 1862, he greeted her with the words, "So this is the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war."

2.2.3 Criticisms of Uncle Tom’s Cabin

For many literary critics, the political controversy surrounding Stowe’s text has shifted from debates about her stance on slavery to questions about her portrayal of race

The emergence of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s brought about a heightened reaction to the novel During this era, prominent figures such as James Baldwin,

in his essay "Everybody’s Protest Novel," and Richard Wright, in his collection of short stories titled "Uncle Tom’s Children," (1940) denounced Stowe’s portrayal of black

characters in UTC

One of the most notable criticisms of the racial stereotypes in UTC comes from Toni

Morrison, a renowned female African American author and Nobel laureate In a talk at Havard University which was later published in the book ―The Origin of Othes‖ (2017), Morrison argues that Stowe's novel, while influential in its time and credited with helping to galvanize anti-slavery sentiment, ultimately perpetuates certain stereotypes and myths about Black people and their experiences under slavery

2.3 Review of previous studies

The use of CDA in analyzing literary works is not uncommon One of the themes that draws great attention from researchers in investigating literary texts with CDA is gender Prastanti & Syamsi (2022) did an analysis of patriarchal ideologies in the novel

Rajni Sari by Andry Chang Likewise, Ardiyansyah et.al (2020) investigated the story of Saturday Together with Father by Adhitya Mulya to construct the dominant father’s image

in the family

Apart from gender, another notable literary theme among CDA researchers is power and politics Employing Van Dijk’s social cognitive approach, Rasheed & Kazmi (2023) discusses the situation the Muslims after the 9/11 where they became the victims of hate crimes, derogatory media perceptions and other discriminations in two Pakistani novels

The theme of race in literary texts, however, seems to be of less concern for recent CDA research to the best of the author’s knowledge Regarding the topic of racial

stereotypes, Sofyani et al (2022) discuss the novel Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell,

employing qualitative descriptive methods and Teun A van Dijk's socio-cognitive

approach The novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, meanwhile, has not been a subjected to a

linguistic investigation of racial stereotypes to the best of the author’s knowledge These stereotypes seem to have never been under the scrutinization of linguists, who possess a myriad of powerful tools to carry out investigation from various linguistic aspects For these

reasons above, the present study intends to place UTC under the light of CDA to unearth its

persistence of racial stereotypes of the African Americans

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY 3.1 Research methods

3.1.1 Theoretical framework

The author employs qualitative research and intends to apply Fairclough’s CDA framework

3.1.2 Analytical framework

For each research question, the author employed different devices to arrive at its answer

In terms of Research Question 1: What are the racial stereotypes of the African Americans manifested in Uncle Tom’s Cabin?, thematic analysis was utilized to examine

the text for recurrent patterns of racial stereotypes

With regards to Reseach Question 2: How are the racial stereotypes of the African Americans manifested in Uncle Tom’s Cabin?, in an attempt to investigate the linguistic

devices of realizing the patterns of racial stereotypes discovered in thematic analysis, the author incorporated different frameworks by Fairclough (2003), Lakoff & Johnson (2003), and Machin & Mayer (particularly with the help of their book How To Do CDA (2012))

3.2.2 Data collection procedure

The soft copy of the novel was retrieved from the website www.gutenberg.com The copy is produced originally in English

3.2.3 Data analysis procedure

The main work in this part is to apply thematic analysis and discover which linguistic devices were employed in the novel to manifest the racial stereotypes

CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 4.1 Racial stereotypes manifested in the novel

4.1.1 The black make ideal servants

Judging most main slave characters such as Uncle Tom, Aunt Chloe, or Mammy, it is safe to say that the novel made sure to describe them as ideal servants to their owners They possess such characteristics as obedient, childlike, competent, and posing hardly any threats

to the ruling class

Tom, the protagonist of the novel, portrays the obedient and contented slave who eagerly aims to please his master Separated from his family to settle his master's financial debts, Tom remains steadfastly loyal and excessively submissive The portrayal of Uncle Tom also encompasses an eternal childlike quality, suggesting an incapacity to function as

an independent adult Stowe frequently describes him as "big," "friendly," "childlike,"

"simple-minded," and even likening him to a "black dog."

Apart from Tom, female characters are also moulded into common stereotypes of the time Aunt Chloe and Mammy are constructed as contented slaves with special emphasis on her ability to take care of the masters’ family The archetype emerged from the perception

of black slaves fulfilling the roles of nurturers and caretakers within their owners’ households

4.1.2 The black equal animals

Throughout the novel one can find various depictions which serve to reinforce the idea of slaves as less than fully human They range from the physcial appearance of the black to their behaviors

With regard to physical appearance, slaves are often described in terms of their physical attributes of to animals For example, they may be portrayed as having "woolly hair" , "thick lips,", ―glittering eyes‖, or being ―broad-chested‖, ―sleek‖, ―shining‖ Their arms and legs are often called ―limbs‖ which also implies at animal’s body parts

Secondly, the black are depicted exhibiting animalistic behaviors For instance, the slaves’ kids like or Mose and Pete – sons of Uncle Tom and Aunt Chloe, or Harry – sons of

Eliza and George Harris often appear as irrationally playful and hyperactive

Finally, slaves are depicted as exhibiting territorial or hierarchical behavior similar to that of animals within a social group For instance, Rosa and Jane, the two chambermaids in Augustine St Clare's estate, express their discontent with Topsy's arrival and call her a ―low