Prejudice and Discrimination in Owens' Where the Crawdads Sing = Prejudice and Discrimination in Owens' Where the Crawdads Sing

SYIFA PUSPITA SARI PUTRI ASMAN. Prejudice and Discrimination in Owens’ Where the Crawdads Sing (supervised by Herawaty and Rezky Ramadhani). This research aims to reveal the extent of prejudice and discrimination experienced by Kya in Delia Owens’ Where the Crawdads Sing (2018). The research also examines social conditions in the United States similar to those faced by Kya during the novel’s setting to illustrate how societal issues may have influenced Owens’ writing. Employing a sociology of literature approach, the analysis identifies three indicators of prejudice directed at Kya: degrading intelligence, degrading cultural/individual attributes, and degrading morality. Furthermore, the study identifies three types of discrimination against Kya: verbal expression, avoidance, and exlcusion. Additionally, the research draws parallels between Kya and the people of Appalachia, highlighting shared identity characteristics and similar experiences of prejudice and discrimination.

Keyword : social issues, prejudice, discrimination, sociology of literature