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SUSASTRA
Mihardj a, Achdiat K.( editor.) I 9 54. P olem ik kebudayaan. Djakarta: Perpustakaan Perguruan Kenenterian P.P. dan K. 3rd. edition. [First edition 1948.J Mohamad, Goenawan. 1982. Menghadapi pemikiran Takdir Alisjahbana. Hori
son, 17(7) , 179-79.
--. 1983. Dealing with Takdir Alisjahbana's thinking. Prisma, 29, 24-30. Nadjib, EmhaAinun.1984. Dari Takdir dan Gunawan sampai sastra yang Indo
nesia. (In Nadjib, EnhaAinun. Sastrayang membebaskan. Yogyakarta: Pusat Latihan, Penelitian dan Pengembangan Masyarakat, 39-47. ) [First edition 1982.]
Sastrowardoyo, Subagio. 1986. Sikap budaya Takdir dalam Polemik Kebudayaan serta pengaruhnya. Horison, 2 I (7), 12-19.
Udin, S.( ed.) 1978. Spectrum, ssays presented to Su tan Takdir Alisjahbana on his seventieth birthday.Jakrta: Dian Rakyat.
�1
'Novel of Ideas":
A Textual Analysis of Mohd. Afandi Hassan 's
Pujangga Melayu
Based on Persuratan Baru
Mohd. Zariat Abdul Rani
Universiti Putra MalysiaAbstract
lhe function of literary works, speciically that of fictional narratives, has been ,, �ource of debate in Westen and Eastern civilisations throughout the ages. The Malay literary tradition is no exception; V.I. Braginsky states that since the 16th 111d 17th centuries, Malays have been aware of the functional value of literature, which among other functions serves to teach, and to enlighten mankind with � 1111wledge. It is important to note that the same issue is still a matter of debate 111 rnntemporary Malay I iterature. Chief amongst those who regularly foreground iht issue is Mohd. Affandi Hassan (heraier Hassan) , a contemporary Malay
1l1c1 uy critic and creative writer. As a literary critic, I lassan generated the no
t i1111 ol 'Pcrsuratan Baru', a notion that amongst other principles urges authors ff, lulay literary works to prioritise the transmittance of knowledge. Naturally, tlt1I invites scrutiny, especially given the context of Hassan being a creative , itc, himself; with such a standing (as a literary critic and creative writer) the j!IC�t11111 lhal immediately springs to mind is whether Hassan heeds his own call. lu llii li�:hl, this article will analyse one of Hassan's works based on his own II� ti1 ,ll framework -Persuratan Baru -in an efort to determine whether the llilt 11l'l1on of said work truly takes into account his own identiication of the 111�111111 11f literary works, that is as a medium of knowledge. llassan's novel tllJ:•' Afelayu (1997) will be the study material, with the employment of 1111l'lil:1tl framework of Persuratan Baru. By using Persuratan Baru which IIH\lli\h'S between 'knowledge' (ilmu) and 'narrative' (cerita) as an analyti-1 ltnanalyti-1analyti-1u ,,,analyti-1,r k, my findings answer the question brought up earlier that Hassan
lildo <I pncuced what he has preached, by presenting Pujangga Melyu as !llifl• 111a11ifcstation of his literary notion: 'Persuratan Baru'.
ln1roduction
I
n contemporary Malay literature, the function of ictional works has been an issue of debate. Chief amongst those who regularly foreground tne issue is Mohd. Afandi Hassan (hereater Hassan) , a contemporary Malay literary critic and creative writer. As a literary critic, Hassan generated the literary notion of 'Persuratan Baru' (hereafter PB), 1 a no tion that amongst its many principles urges Malay authors to prioritise the transmittance of knowledge through their creative works, as will be discussed later. Naturally, this invites scrutiny, given the context of Has sn being a creative writer himself; with such a standing (as a literay critic and creative writer) the question that immediately springs to mind ic whether Hassan heeds his own call. In this light, this article will anal yse one of Hassan 's works, which is Pujangga Melyu ( 1997) (hereater Pujangga ... ) based on bis own analytical framework-PB - in an efort to'determine whether the construction of his work truly takes into account his own identication of the function ofliteray works, that is as a medium of knowledge. The signiicance of Pujanga ... as a 'concrete manifesta tion' of PB is acknowledged by Ungku Maimunah Mohd. Tahir: "Truly, by writing Pujangga Melyu, Afandi ofers himself to judgement: is be practising wbathe preaches?" [Sesungguhya, dengan menu/is Pujangga Melayu, Afandi menawarkan diriya untuk diadili, iaitu adakah Afandi 'bercakp serpa bikin '] (Tahr 2002a:39). 2 In the following section, the notion of PB will be discussed, to highlight several of his main ideas, which will subsequently be used in the analysis of the novel.This literary notion of 'Persuratan Baru' was generated through some of his more seminal works: see Hssan 1992; 1994a, c; 1999; 2003a, b; 2004a, b; 2005; 2006, 2008. To see how PB is applied as an analytical framework, see Rani, 2004a. Recently, besides being discussed by a few local scholars, the notion of PB has also warranted international attention when the book Es1e1ika daripada Pendekatan Tauhidwas listed as one of the most important works on Islam, in the project entitled Muslim Civilisa tions Abstracts organised by the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, The Aga Khan University (Intenational), United Kingdom. See: http://www.aku.edu. This article has subsequently been published in Dewan Sas/era ater a few editorial changes, including an alteration of the title. See 2002b.
'Persuratan Baru': An Analytical Framework
Due to the complexity of PB, any explication of the entirety of its principles would require a more detailed and comprehensive discussion than that allowed by the space here. With this in mind, as well as the risk of oversimpliying the notion itself, this discussion will only centre on several of its underlying principles and ideas which will be used in this study. To understand the basic principles of PB and its relevance to contemporary Malay literature, it is important to note that Islam is considered to have played a vital role in the development of the Malay I II Crary tradition since the 16th and 17th centuries. 3 By way of the inlu ence of the Islamic tradition, Malay literature developed rapidly until tmlay, although its development was undeniably challenged by other 111lluences, specifically from the West. Hence, PB's literary philosophy •1·111:rally places Islam as the primay foundational basis of Malay
lit-1,1ture. With this background, it can be stated that philosophically, PB 1· ounded upon the understanding of Qalam in Islam, which is deined tu the Al-Qur'an as a 'pen' that can be utilised in literary ventures. , 1 nrding to PB, the AI-Qur'an also explains that Qalam unctions as 111111 for the dissemination of 'true knowledge' , that is 'knowledge' ( L't 111) that can enable mankind to know his Creator. Essentially, Qalam !111111 !crises the utility of literary works, including ictional narratives,
lli�h 11�cording to PB, is to convey knowledge to the reader, and not mcrcl) tu narrate.
Wi1h reerence to the above, it is important to keep in mind that in ,111cx1 of contemporary Malay literature, the 'narrative' (cerita) is IIC•iilly 1e,arded an integral aspect which shapes the entirety of the Uve wn k, be it in the fonn of a novel, short story, drama, etc. And as llli111mly practiced in Malay literature today, 'narrative' (cerita) and \'!ctlgJ (1/m11) are conventionally seen as forming a unity within a
238 SUSASTRA
creative work. In other words, the 'knowledge' is regarded to be contained within the 'narrative' on display, and this would imply that in the effort to place emphasis on the transmission of 'knowledge' through creative/ literary works, the 'narrative' aspect, as well as the elements of its con struction, must be prioritised. PB, however, profers a diferent viewpoint altogether: based on Hassan's observations of contemporary Malay literature, he found that the author often failed in his task of conveying 'knowledge' (ilmu) because of the priority placed on the presentation of a 'narrative' (cerita). This, according to PB, occurs because 'narra tive' and 'nowledge' inhabit disparate functional spheres. According to PB and as stated above, 'knowledge' functions to reveal the 'h·uth' (which, in the Islamic context, is the existence of the Creator); whereas the 'narrative' only serves to entertain. In line with its sole purpose of producing creative/litera1y works which are focused on the conveyance of nowledge, PB outlines its principles by emphasising the 'primacy of knowledge (keutamaan kepada ilmu) , and the 'subordination narrative to knowledge' (meletakkan cerita pada kedudukannya yang subordinat
kepada ilmu), as Hassan ( 1994b: 11-12) stated:
Novel tidak lagi bercerita, tetpi untuk meyatakan gagasan dan pemiki ran ... Saya tidak berminat untuk haya bercerita, kerana dalam kajian saya, AI-Qur 'an tiakpenah sekadar bercerita. Cerita digunakan untuk menyatakan sesuatu gagasan atau pemikiran, untuk memberi peringatan atau amaran (ilmu).
(A novel no longer narrates, but articulates ideas and thoughts ... J am no longer inclined to just narrate, because in my research, the Qur'an never merely tells a story. Stories are used to state an idea or thought, to give caution or to wan (knowledge).)
Next, PB's differentiation of 'knowledge' (ilmu) and 'narrative' (cerita) , which is the focus of this study, will be explained in greater detail. Where 'knowledge' is concened, it is important to note that the term, according to PB, can function on an operational level to refer to the presence of a certain idea, thought, or notion. n this context, the focus is on the manner in which that idea, thought or notion is present, and effectively operational in a creative work. Bearing in mind the com plex philosophical implications of the term 'knowledge' (i/mu)-which
MOHD. ZARIAT ABDUL RANI 239
would merit a separate discussion in order to do justice to Islam and PB -this study will simpliy the understanding of the term 'knowledge' on a philosophical level by using it on an operational level, which will be hereafter referred to as 'discourse' (wacana). PB states that encom passed within the conception of'discourse' is the agglutination of certain ideas, thoughts and notions, which collectively act as a catalyst for the reasoning process to be sparked to lie within the reader's mind. This process involves 'discourse content' (isian wacana), such as the prior itisation, explication, and interpretation of an idea, which is necessary for the construction of a substantial discourse; the content will then be employed to form a hypothesis, which will subsequently be reinforced through debate, as stated by Hassan (2004b: 54):
Wacana ... ialah pencernaan maklumat yang telah diberi tasiran send-1ri kerana telah disesuaikan oleh watak berkenaan. Wacana adalah pemikiran berasaskan maklumat yang disaring daripada sjumlah maklumat yang telah dimatangkan oleh pemikiran berasaskan konsep 1/mu tertentu ... wacana ada/ah hujah-hujah ilmiah yang digunakan 11nt11k 11w;elaskan sesuatu persoalan sehingga dapat dirumuskan ke dalam k's1mpulan tertentu.
ll )iscourse is ... digesting information that has been given its own inter p1ctution because it has been appropriated to the character. A discourse n111prises ideas based on information, selected from a wider range of 111tormation, which has been matured by thoughts which are built upon 1111· conceptual understanding of a particular field of knowledge ... a d1 ,rnurse involves intellectual arguments which are used to clarify an l mr. until a deinite conclusion can be reached.)
'narra-live content' (isian cerita), which is only useful in developing, moving forward and sustaining the development of the story, enhancing its pre sentation, and exciting the readers. These narrative devices, however, are not considered by PB to contribute to the reasoning process, as opposed to 'discourse content' (isian wacana). To reiterate, the discussion thus far has attempted to identiy the two types of content operating within a creative work, that is 'discourse content' (isian wacana) and 'narrative content' (isian cerita), which are both differentiated by PB according to unction: the ormer, to stimulate the reasoning process, and the latter to develop and enhance the story.
ln addition to the diferent unctions of the two types of content, PB explains that an important aspect that needs to be understood is the concept of 'narrative space' (niang narat),4
which refers to the space limited by the beginning and ending of the story. Despite of the usage of the tenn ·narrative space' however, it is not a part of the narrative aspect. The 'nar rative space' of a novel is neutral in nature, meaning that it can be illed either with 'narrative content', or botl1 types of content, i.e. 'narrative content', and 'discourse content'. According to PB, a novel is considered to have given priority to knowledge if its 'discourse content' dominates the 'narrative space', whereas a novel is said to only present a story if its 'narrative space' is only illed with 'narrative content' alone.
Another important concept is the 'narrative axis' (pasi naratf) , which, according to PB, refers to the stance of the novel towards an ob ject, event, or opinion, and which simultaneously showcases the novel's views about and the inclination towards the matter.5 In PB, the unction of the 'narrative axis' is considered important because it inluences the employment of the 'narrative space' , speciically the type of content with which it is to be illed.
The idea of 'narrative space' (ntang narat) as a method of textual analysis, adapted to it within the framework of PB, was irst introduced by Tahir in the supervision of my doctoral thesis. This idea is also presented in other instances. See Rani and Tahir 2004, 2005. Also see Tahir 2005, and Rani 2005.
The term 'narrative axis' pasi naratf) was first used by Hassan in his 2002 work, pp 44-7. Nevertheless, the concept of'narrative axis' had been hitherto explicated, most notably when he commented upon evil being used as a 'main theme' (tema ut ama) and 'aesthetic speech' (pengucpanestetis) (both terms coined by Hassan) in moden Malay literary works.
Based on the ideas and concepts discussed above, the next section will analyse Hassan's novel Pujangga ... to identify the type of content dominating the 'narrative space' -either' discourse content' or 'narrative content' -and to then detennine, by way of an initial reading, the novel's prioritisation of either the dissemination of knowledge, or the telling of a story. It is also important to explain that the following analysis will utilise a ew recurring terms such as 'narrative axis', 'narrative space', 'discourse content', 'narrative content' etc., based on the comprehension of those terms according to PB, as described above.
l'hc 'Narrative Axis' (Paksi Cerita) & 'Narrative Space' (Ruang < 't•rita)
/\n initial reading inds that the narrative in Pujangga ... centres on lhc lie story of Awang, the protagonist, from his childhood up until his ululthood. Awang is portrayed as an intelligent child, and building upon 1l1i·, l'ndowment, he is shown to have achieved academic success. Awang's i111i ll1gcnce can be traced to his upbringing in a household that
empha-i1;cd knowledge and Islamic courteousness (adab). This upbringing is tl.-, ;lwwn to shape his personality, where he becomes a digniied and fltllhible gentleman. Based on this story, it can be sunnised that the flt11T1111vc in Pujangga ... is generally ixed on an axis, that is 'the aspira tltl!i� 1111d struggles of a Malay scholar' (cita-cita dan perjuangan hidup
1·t111.1 111,jana Me/ayu). The 'narrative axis' could be identiied partly II Pill 1l11• 11tlc itself, speciically the word 'pujangga', which is deined by ho .m1111.1· /Jewan (I 992: 989) as 'intellectual' (ahliikir) and' litterateur' II /lr,h,1.wlsastera). The word also relects the interest of Pujanga ...
242 SUSASTRA
this postulation is strengthened by the presence of the protagonist, Awang, a proessor and a writer who champions his literary philosophies.
Such an axis enables Pujangga ... to construct its 'narrative space' which is signalled by the beginning of the story, i.e. 'Awang's educa tion from an early age which shapes his scholarship' , and ends in the concluding part which is 'Awang's struggles as a leaned man'. In this context, Pujangga ... needs to widen the gap between the two parts (be ginning and ending oftbe stoy) in order to expand the 'narrative space' , which naturally will increase the number of pages of the novel. Thus, an important question facing this study concens the type of content, either 'narrative content', or 'discourse content', which will fill up the novel's 'narrative space'. This is closely related to the question of how the novel can kick-start and then build up the beginning of the story adequately so that it can maintain a steady progress until the concluding part of the story. The further analysis will ocus on the employment of 'narrative content'.
The Employment of the 'Narrative Content' (lsian Cerita)
As previously stated, Pujangga ... is built upon the 'narrative axis' of 'the aspirations and struggles of a Malay writer'. Pujanga .. then shapes its narrative space using the beginning of the story, i.e. 'Awang's education from an early age which shapes his scholarship'. and the con clusion of the story, i.e. 'the direction of Awang's struggles in lie'. Both the 'narrative axis' and 'narrative space' clariy the focus of the novel, which are the ambitions held and challenges faced in life. This focus then makes possible the development of particular phases in the novel's 'narrative space'. Signalled by Awang's chronological development, the phases reer to Awang's life as a child, his experience with love as a teenager, his married life, his career challenges as an adult and inally his maturity as an author.
Initial observations show that based on the ocus and division of the phases, the novel manipulates several narrative devices to ill up its 'narrative space', especially characters. Based on the focus of the story as mentioned above, Pujangga ... centres the character employment on one character, Awang, who is the sole protagonist. This means that the
MOHO. ZARIAT ABDUL RANI 243
'narrative axis' ('the aspirations and struggles ofa Malay writer'), refers to Awang's struggles in carrying out his responsibilities as an author. To tighten the 'narrative axis', the novel provides Awang's character with relevant and appropriate traits. This is evident when he is portrayed as 111telligent, rom childhood to maturity, as mentioned earlier. Further more, the characteristics make him stand out as an all-rounder, which is relected in his ability to master several disciplines such as medicine, philosophy, language and literature. It is essential to note that the char acteristics invested in Awang allow the novel to highlight the ocus of the story, namely the aspirations and struggles of the protagonist. This is evident when, equipped with these characteristics, he succeeds m real izing his father's dream of becoming a medical doctor before realizing his own dreams to be an author who champions the truth in accordance with the will of Islam.
As mentioned earlter, the employment of the character device m /111jangga .. is centred on the character of Awang. This means that the employment of other characters to ill up the novel's 'narrative space' lllkcs place only ater they are introduced lo Awang. That Pujangga .. Imbues itself with such employment is evident when more direct and indirect communications between Awang and other characters arc fea tured in the novel, as opposed to those amongst the other characters 111 other words, if there were no Awang there would be no story, as the
hc,I, story is virtually told from the perspective of the protagonist. It Ii 11h1 necessay to understand that the employment of other characters 111 rtheless tied to the demands of the 'narrative axis' This means lhllt in an attempt to ill up the 'narrative space' with these characters hc,i, I , Awang) , an important consideration is whether their presence nlil lXplnin chronologically Awang's aspirations and struggles as an illhiw, It is only by taking this consideration into account that characters iCh ns Tok Ayah, Ayah, Awang's mother and siblings are presented as h111f1ttc1s that ill up the irst phase in the novel's 'narrative space', i.e. hl1 childhood. Beitting the phase, these characters are given the
,1i, :clings of love in Awang. Similar unctions are given to characters such as Aishah, Salasiah and Dr. Faridah who play a signiicant role in the story about Awang's polygamy. Likewise, characters such as Pak Is, Bung Kus, Dr. Sahim, Dr. Bah and Prof. Ima serve the purpose of mak ing possible the elucidation of Awang's literay philosophies, which are diferent rom those held by other literary personalities in the county.
It is necessary to explain as well how these characters are given characteristics which strengthen the 'narrative axis'. As mentioned earlier, the story in Pujangga ... is told through the perspective of the first person, Awang. In other words, his aspirations and struggles as an author are presented, channelled or manifested through this character. Jn this context, characters other than Awang are employed to serve the unction of allowing the protagonist to present, channel and manifest his aspirations and struggles. This means that it is the communication between the protagonist and other characters that makes possible the novel's 'narrative space' to be illed with Awang's experiences, view points, ideas and critiques. To affect this result, the novel chooses to depict other characters as wise and articulate. Thus, meetings between Awang and these wise and articulate characters at once create channels of 1 com mun 1cation which allow for dialogues, monologues and discussions. This is evident, for example, with the introduction of characters such as Tok yah and Awang's parents, who are all employed to put forth their views and ideas in the form of advice and instructions, which are instru mental in Awang's maturation as a scholar and an author. It is important to note that the viewpoints and ideas articulated by these characters are used repeatedly to ill the novel's 'narrative space' mainly through Awang's monologues and recollections, even ater these characters have disappeared from the 'narrative space'. This serves to explain that the focus is on Awang's aspirations and struggles, and not the survival of the characters whose role of elaborating these ideas is subsequently passed on to Awang (ater they have been omitted).
In addition to the wise characters, the novel also uses characters who are depicted as being imbued with curiosity. This ofers more opportunities for the novel to develop ther discussions on certain ideas, especially when upon their introduction to Awang, these characters generate elaborate explanations. Among the characters who are employed to ulil this role
is the clever and eloquent Fatimah, whose curiosity encotJrages her to ask Awang about his polygamous marriage. A similar role is given to Abdul Latif, Awang's brother-in-law whose youth and inexperience render guid ance (in the form of advice) rom A wang necessay. It is clear that these
two characters are placed in a subordinate position to the protagonist, which allows Awang's viewpoint and ideas to dominate their conversations.
However, not all the characters in Pujangga ... serve the above unc tion. There are characters who are employed to question and challenge Awang's viewpoints and ideas. This employment, for instance, is evident in the character of Sarasvati who is present in the narrative space as Awang's sparring partner in the debate on polygamy To perform this role, she is presented as a non-Muslim woman who is highly educated md articulate. With these attributes, she is thus bold in expressing her ,cepticism about polygamy. The employment of such a character at once ,Hows the novel to create two diferent discourse lenses, namely that of Awang, a pro-polygamy Muslim man, and that ofSarasvati, a non-Muslim ,\oman with an in-built prejudice towards the practice. Other obvious examples are Prof. Mai, Dr. Ima, Dr. Sob, Dr. Sahim and Dr. Bah who 111c present at a paper-presentation session, and whose viewpoints on lifo as a whole stand in contrast to Awang's own. The presence of these
hancters is interesting, as it allows the novel to ill its 'narrative space' with elaborate and detailed explanation through the character of Awang wl11:n he rebuts their critiques.
Such employment is even more evident when the novel introduces Awanr to jonalists who ask provocative questions about his literary ideas. lhis �trategy of placing Awang in a defensive position gives the novel an 11plc opportunity to ill its 'narrative space' with arguments to reute the ritiq11cs. What is impotant to sress here is that the 'narrative space' , \·hid1 Hi hitheto illed up with characters who communicate with Awang, 1, ,- p,11,ded by propositions made either by Awang or other characters. The itt 111,1,m of these other characters in the 'nrrative space' clerly displays lht 11111lormity of the functions, which are to strengthen and reinforce the
n1untivc axis' , i.e. Awang's aspirations and sruggles as an author. l)c,idcs character and characterisation, the 'narrative space' of Pu niu:o .. is also filled with events. Beitting the aim of strengthening the
240 SUSASTRA
the novel have been selected based on their function to recount Awang's joney in the pursuit of his aspirations and struggles. To this end, the novel has selected a chronological chain of events. The selection is based on their appropriateness with the phases that Awang goes through in tenns of age and maturity. An example is the 'usrah session' (family meeting and conversations), which are usually led by Tok Ayah with the children and grandchildren participating. The selection of this 'usrah session' , an event which oten takes place during Awang's childhood, serves to ill up the 'narrative space' with the childhood phase of Awang 's lie. [f in the irst phase the novel raises and discussesAwang's aspirations as a child, in the second phase, his teenage years, events selected include his introduction to Tengku Aini and Azizah, their educational development and life overseas. 1n the second phase, too, Awang visits Andalusia on his return journey to Malaysia, and this visit is used as a platform for discourse on the Islamic civilization of Andalusia. The inclusion of this event indicates an attempt to balance the 'narrative space' with events that could justiy 'discourse content' ater illing it with tales about Awang's relationship with Tengku Aini and Azizah. In rhe following phase, that of Awang's married lie, the way in which the 'narrative space' is filled with events inAwang-TengkuAini's marriage, marital conlicts and their divorce are showcased. Next, the focus is on Awang writing a novel, which is portrayed as an ourlet for him to forget about his failed marriage. This allows for a shit in ocus from 'narrative' to 'discourse' , particularly when the novel explains the conception, positioning and the development of the writing process, in accordance with Awang's own literary philosophy. What is important to note is how subsequent events, namely his riendship with Aishah in the United States of America and their marriage, are used as occasions or 'discourse content' on Awang's creative process, in paicular when the novel describes Awang and his wie's new interest, which is the creative process of writing a novel, as experienced by Awang. The selection of events clearly shows how the novel is constantly and consciously creating opportunities to allow 'discourse content' to fill up the 'narrative space'.
The selection of events in the subsequent phases also displays similar concens, and this is made possible by the novel's focus on Awang's ca reer as a scholar and his maturation into an author. This focus naturally
MOHD. ZARIAT ABDUL RANI 247
allows the novel to funish the pha�cs with events, such as discussions ,md mterviews with students, forums, seminars, paper-presentations and press conferences. ali of which involve Awang, either as a main subject m a participant. 1 his at once imbues the inal phases with 'discourse rnntent' as opposed to 'narrative content' , which will be discussed in :r'ater detail later. At this stage, it suices to note that 'discourse con tent' which ills the novel's 'narrative space' gels with events selected 1i1 illustrate the different phases of Awang's life. This is most evident i11 Fampang Sasterawan' ('Mask of the Linerateur') which describes \wang's career as a scholar. This chapter is heavily laden with discourse 1111 literay philosophies and concept�. Similarly,· jah Pendeta' ('Face {If the Intellectual') which ocuses on Awang's married lie as a polyga-1,,i t contains discourse on Islamic polygamy. The employment of the
v1·11t to raise other issues is also evident. For example, the riction in l.11� marriage of Awang's parents gives rise to the discourse on women's
n11)011Sibilities and honour, whilst the meeting between Awang and l;1siah at a hotel leads to the discourse on money politics. Likewise, lho 111mder of Bakhtiar (Awang's brother) leads to a discussion on the nupt world of politics, whilst the commotion at University Darul (111 i111tiates a discussion on the legal system and the importance of uj]h,,ldin�· Justice and fainess. The discussions cited serve to illustrate how events are employed to enable the inclusion and development of
ll1eo111 :c content', which in tum expands the novel's 'narrative space'. In oil11.:1 words, 'narrative content' is employed in Pujangga ... not merely mctl the needs of a narrative development, but more importantly to
Ill' the employment of 'discourse content'.
I iw 1\111 phi) mcnt of' Discourse Content' (lsian Waca11a)
li�\'11;scd above, the 'narrative space' of Pujangga ... is also I with 1di�course content'. Although the discourses cover a variety npk,, this discussion concentrates only on certain discourses, which llltMO understanding the process ofilling the novel's 'narrative tit1 th, whole, the entirety of the 'discourse content' in Pu
to man's bondage as a 'servant' and 'vicegerent' bestowed with divine responsibilities and accountability to worship his Creator, and to man age his lie in accordance with what has been commanded of him by his Creator. It is important to understand the concept of Tak/, because of its all-embracing reach which encompasses politics and administration, economics, arts and social issues, such as polygamy and familial realtions. In Pujangga ... ideas on administration and literature are discussed. This is not surprising given that the writer, Hassan, is not only a creative writer, but was also an oicial in the Administration and Diplomatic Service (PTD) , and his writings are related to public administrative matters.6 It is important to note that all of Hassan 's ideas on administration and literature are founded upon on the Tak/f framework.
This analysis observes that the ideas contained in Pujangga ... 's 'nar rative space' are formed as well as developed beitting their position as a platonn for the writer's ideas, as well as being an extension of his academic writings. An initial reading shows that the ideas are given due attention in that they are not expressed merely to be abandoned later; this is apparent when the novel irst introduces the ideas on ambition and career, which are evaluated using the Tak/f framework. Based on this framework, the novel suggests writing as the noblest profession in Islam (second to teaching) because of its vital role in disseminating knowledge. It is imperative to note that the novel devotes a significantly expansive 'narrative space', about a quarter of 'Jejak Warisan' ('Trail of Heritage'), or more than 38 pages to discuss the importance of be ing an author (pengarang). This idea is then developed in line with the phases that evolve in tandem with Awang's age. However, unlike the irst 38 pages where the idea is discussed directly, in subsequent pages it is deployed as a central thesis which pervades almost the entire 'narrative space'. This is evident, for example, when subsequent parts (which do not discuss the idea directly) focus on Awang's efforts and hard work in achieving his goal, and henceorth his maturity as an author. The focus at I
For Hassan's works on public administration and management, see Pengurusa1, Pentadbiran dan Kepimpinan da/am Pembinaan Tamadun MamSia, Kuala Lumpur lnstitut Tadbir Awam Negara (INTAN) , 1985; Beberapa Prinsp dan Ciri Utanw Kpimpman dalam Islam, Kuala Lumpur: INTAN, 1989; Tawhidic Approach In Management and Public Administration: Concepts, Principles and an Altenative. Kuala Lumpur: INTAN, 1992.
once become discourses on the epistemology ofknowledge, philosophy, n� well as on the concepts of writing and literature, Qalam and creativity, 1111 of which ill up the 'narrative space' as reinorcements or the central lhcmatic preoccupation ofan author's ambitions and career, about which ,uore will be discussed later. At this stage, it is suicient to note that ideas which initially ill up this pa,t of the novel are later developed to ill up rlw rest of the 'narrative space'.
This article will now examine the process of developing ideas con l111ned in Pujangga ... 's 'narrative space'. Referring again to the idea of ,1111horship and the ambition to be an author, it is pertinent to point out 1'1111 the idea is irst expounded clearly on page 8. It is then ollowed by 111 ilnalysis of the important position which Islam grants authors, as well
11 the position of knowledge which constitutes the oundation of the 111 nlcssion. lt is interesting to note how the novel reinforces the argument hy describing and reviewing the works of such great Islamic scholars as 1h11 Sina, lbn Rashid and Abu Bakar AI-Razi, which clearly assist in the lll'nglhening of the ideas mooted. As mentioned earlier, Pujangga .. 'I, , oles many pages to discussing at length the importance of being an
11111111 This is evident when propositions and analyses of the idea do not \up 111 the immediate analysis, but are extended to other related aspects, \\ 1•11 ns or purposes of comparison to jounalists, athletes, business lllC'll und authors who are similarly evaluated according to the Tak/if ll!it1u·work, in particular the extent to which their respective professions 11cr1111,,gc acknowledgement of God. Discussions on the importance of hvi11! ,111 author which are expounded, analysed and are then followed
<r1111plcs and comparisons, successfully result in a sound discourse I 11 II, up the 'nauative space' of the novel.
Ai 1•xplained earlier, the idea of authorship and the importance of 111! 1111 11u1hor later become the base for other ideas in Pujangga ... 's
, 1111" 1· space'. This becomes apparent when the novel, ater starting a ,111 ,, on the impotance of being an author, draws attention to the full tllh 111rc of the calling, particularly in terms of philosophy, concepts I pllliJlh l"\ ofliterary activities, all of which are maniested in Awang's
250 SUSASTRAI MOHD. ZARIAT ABDUL RANI 251
nature of knowledge and practice (hakikat ilmu dan ama), and the nature and unctions of literature (hakikat dan fungsi sastera) , all of whic_h constitute the foundation of an author's literary activities. This focus on philosophy is then extended to the concept of literature which, among others, include ideas on Qaiam, 'style' and the role and position of nar rative in a creative work. The variety of topics, all of which are expounded I and analysed clearly, allows for lengthy and substantive 'discourse content' on philosophy and the important concepts related to literay activities as initiated by Awang. It is mportant to note that the 'discourse content' on philosophy and literay concepts are then reinforced when discussions on this subject are repeated requently in subsequent parts.
It is important at this juncture to introduce two concepts which are crucial to PB, namely 'persuratan' ('letters') and 'sastera' (' literature') (hereater the Malay originals are retained). In his academic writings, Hassan makes a clear distinction between the two concepts. Concomi tant with this, the 'discourse content' on the philosophy and concept of 'persuratan' is urther reinforced by making comparisons with the philosophy and concept of'sastera'. Thus, a large part of the 'narrative space' , especially ' Tampang Sasterawan' ('Mask of the Litterateur') is taken up by discussions on the philosophy and concept of 'sastera' by way of highlighting their diferences rom 'persuratan'. To this end, ideas such as mimesis, the relativity of values in the evaluation of 'sastera' , the preponderance of evil as a narrative axis in 'sastera', reedom of literary expression, are expounded and analyzed in depth because of their importance as a foundation for any literary activity. As mentioned earlier, the Ta/f framework is used to discuss these ideas. The use of this framework in evaluating the ideas concened leads the novel to a crucial conclusion, namely the literay philosophy and concepts currently in use in the Malay literary activity are shallow and supeicial, because they are employed for purposes of discussing largely emotional, as opposed to intellectual, matters, which are regarded as trivial. On the one hand, the conclusion clearly highlights the differen_ces between the pursuit of 'sastera' and that of 'persuratan'. On the other, said conclusion at once relects the novel's seriousness in exploring the subjects. It is worth repeating that this article will only avail itself of a few choice examples by way of buttressing its arguments. Thus it is important to reiterate that
/'11/cmgga ... 's 'narrative space' is also oten .Jled up with other ideas 1111d 'discourse content' including those which revolve around issues of ,1 xuality, particularly polygamy,7 political ills and economic and social 111J Ustices. Pujangga ... 's 'narrative space' is thus loaded with 'discourse 1 u11tents' , all of which are seen through the Tak/if perspective.
lldween 'Narrative Content' (lsian Cerita) and 'Discourse Content' (Mfl11 Wacaua): DominancePriority in Pujangga Melayu
I he discussion above clearly establishes the fact that PB, the analyti-1 1I framework of this study, distinguishes between the 'narrative content'
_ 1111d 'discourse content'. According to this framework, both orms cou Id
rll serve as contents of the 'narrative space' of a novel. Concomitant
\t 1th this, it is worth repeating that PB stands on the principle of 'primacy
111 I nowledge' and 'subordination of narrative to knowledge'. This, in
1111 n, draws attention to the question as to which type of content dominates IIH narrative space' , either 'narrative content', or 'discourse content'. I Ill' dominant content, having been identified, will clariy the priority of l 1111vd, whether it is either knowledge or story that is being prioritised. It i this evaluation that determines definitively the relative position of
Ii nurse content' and 'narrative content' vis-a-vis its dominance or
11li111 d1nation within the context of the 'narrative space'.
II ts vital to bear in mind that, as clearly shown in the above discus-1.111, l'ujangga ... 's 'narrative space' is illed with both types of content ( '11!111,111ve content' and ' discourse content'). Consequently, a discussion J( 1111 question of priority in Pujangga ... highlights several important lhillll, through its 'narrative space' and its employment ofboth 'narrative 1111tr111' and 'discourse content'. Of interest is the attention given to the lim,111 sc content' that ills its 'narrative space'. This can be seen in the 1111vul ·, constant repetition of the same discourse in a substantial portion r l111 'n;11ralive space'. An example is the discourse on the philosophy I ,1ym tpts of 'persuratan' which is repeatedly articulated, despite the 1 th,11 the subject has been treated at length in preceding parts. Besides ilii1r ,, specific chapter, 'Tampang Sasterawan' ('Mask of the
the conclusion. In fact, the explanation of the Tak/f framework which is constantly repeated up to the final pages, urther illustrates the novel's strategy of consolidating Tak/f as the framework which underpins the novel. The efect of the strategy is the amassing of 'discourse contents' to saturate the 'narrative space'. The dominance of'discourse contents'
in Pujangga ... 's 'narrative space' vouches in the clearest terms possible
the novel's prioritisation of knowledge over and above narrative. A close look at the employment of the 'narrative content' sheds further• light on the priority given in Pujangga .... What is clear in Pujangga ... is that several narrative devices are consciously subordinated to the demands of the discourse. An example that stands out is the minimising of the conlict, a common device in narrative construction. It is impor tant to understand that conlicts in Pujangga ... are not ully employed to eventuate subsequent events. It is clear in two conlicts presented in Pujangga ... , i.e. Awang-Tengku Aini 's marital discord and Tengku Aini's jealousy towards Aishah, Awang's second wife (Hassan 1997a: 143-144). The inclusion of these conflicts is obviously to facilitate discourse on the clash of values between those upheld by eudalism on the one hand, and I those which decry it on the other, which is made possible by commoner
Awang's marriage to the aristocrat, Tengku Aini. Similarly, the Tengku Aini-Aishah conflict riggers discourse on jealousy among wives involved in a polygamous marriage, a recurrence of events that took place in Prophet Muhammad's household (as recounted in the Prophetic Tradition or Ha dith). It is important to note that the two conlicts per se are not treated seriously and are allocated only a few pages. Their values as conlicts lie in the 'discourse contents' which they initiate. In addition, subordination of the cause-&-effect principle to discourse is also evident, particularly in the novel omission of some events or scenes which, according to the cause-and-effect principle, are crucial to the progress and development of the story. For example, the transition rom the conclusion of 'JjaA Warisan' {'Trail ofHeritage') to the beginning of'Citra Pujangga' ('Vis age of the Scholar') is rather abrupt, due to tpe omission of events that could clariy Awang's choice of wife (Tengku Aini or Azizah) beore the story progresses to Awang-Tengku Aini 's marriage.
Similarly, the scenes depicting Awang's marriage to Dr. Faridah, as well as that which depict his marriage to Salasiah, are stripped of any
�l.iboration. Indeed, information about the two marriages is gleaned 1111ly later in the st01y; info1mation which, according to the
cause-and-1 llcct principle, is crucial to Awang's polygamous lie. The leanness of til' two maniage scenes depicted testiies to the novel's disinterest in 1hr cause-and-effect principle which, narrative-wise, would help boost
!ltc' portrayal and development of a polygamous life. Of more interest
I that this 914-page long story about polygamy does not even present i11n explicit scene depicting the characters' sexual relations, which saps 1111111 f'ujangga ... any trace of sexual and erotic elements, which are 1111vcntionally manipulated in order to spice up a story (Tahir 2002: 11 J002b: 36-43). Instead, the novel's 'narrative space' is only illed with lour love scenes, one or each of Awang's our wives, all of which 110 pll'Sunted implicitly and devoid of any erotic acts. This muting of
11,1h clements is achieved by the insertion (sisipan) of poetic words,
1111111 ,1111s, poetry or letters whose use creates the necessary narrative li,1n11rL' between reader and the scenes depicted. For instance, in a love tHJ katuring Awang and Dr. Faridah, the novel unobtrusively slips in IUilc1 the content of which successfully shits the narrative focus from
IJ(I I, 1v1 act to a discussion of the concept of 'sastera '. Pujangga ... 's llt!Lllt of its love scenes renders irrelevant manifestations of sex and lko, 11 d:cidedly conscious choice given that a story about polygamy
h l!l /'t1/(1J1gga ... makes depiction of sexual acts not only possible but J'Cl k<l. A consequence of such an employment is the abandonment vent! n,,rrative devices, which could spice up the story as a whole. 111111'11tivc maneuvering reinorces the contention that story is NOT
; , 's priority; on the contrary, the story is manipulated to acili ln th and justiy 'discourse contents' which then dominates
narrative space'.
1itlt.-l11H
254 SUSASTRA
scholar'. And this 'narrative axis' then inluenced the novel's employment of 'narrative space'. Pujangga displays a keen awareness of the pos
sibilities offered by 'narrative space' vis-a-vis the contents which it can
accommodate, namely either 'narrative content', or 'discourse content', or both. The analysis also shows the work imbues itself with both types of content to ish its 'narative space'. In Pujagga ... , 'discourse content' dominates the 'narrative space', and 'narrative content' is employed for the singular purpose of giving prominence to 'discourse content'. Besides revealing the primacy of knowledge in Pujangga ... , these indings also
answer the question brought up earlier in the discussion, that Hassan has indeed practiced what he has preached, by presenting Pjangga ... as a concrete manifestation of his literary notion -PB (Persuratan Barn).
Acua11
A 1-Attas, Syed Muhammad Naquib. 1972. Js/am dalam Sejarah dan Kebuyaan
Me/ayu. Kuala Lumpur: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Braginsky, Vladimir I. 1993. The System o/Classica/ Malay Literature. Leiden:
KITL.
---. 1998. Yang lndah, Berfaedah dan Kamal: Sejarah Sastera Melayu dalam Abad 7-19, Jakarta: INIS.
Hassan, Mohd. Afandi et al. 2008. Gagsan Persuratan Baru: Pengenalan
dan Penerapan. Bangi: lnstitut Alam dan Tmadun Melayu (ATMA),
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
---. 2002. "Era Picisan dalam Sastera Melayu: Shahnon, Azizi,Rohman Shaary".
Dewan Sastera, July: 44-7.
---. 1992. Pendidikan stetika darpada Pendekatan Tau hid. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
---. 1994a. Medan-medan da/am Sistem Persuratan Me/ayu.
Kota Bharu: Penerbit Tiga Puteri.
---. 1994b. "Mengapa Saya Menu I is Aligupit". kat, September: 11-2. Dewan Masyara ---. 1994c."Pemikiran dan Pendekatan dalam Kesusasteraan Melayu Moden" , in Kesusasteraan Mefayu: Mitos dan Realiti (se/ Kritikan Hadiah Sas/era Malysia 1988/1989 Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. pp 68-122.
---. 1997a. Pujangga Melyu. Shah Alam: Penerbit Fajar
I
Bii.---. 1997b. "Persuratan Baru dan Cabaran Intelektual: Menilai Kembali Kegiatan Kreatif dan Kritikan". Paper presented at Kolokium
MOHD. ZARIAT ABDUL RANI 255
Membina Teori Sastera Sendiri. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur, 6-8 December.
2003a. "Dari Danau Ke Taman: Sajak-sajak Muhammad Hj Salleh dan Wan Mohd. Nor". Paper presented at Majlis Bicara Buku
Mutiara Taman Aabi karya Prof. Dr. Wan Mohd. Nor Wan Daud dari ISTAC, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Wilayah Timur, Kota Bharu. 21 September.
---. 2003b. '·Unsur Jenaka dalam Novel Kawin-Kawin: Kegaga lan lntelektual Seorang Sasterawan". Paper presented al Seminar Jenaka Melayu Nusantara, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka & Universiti Malaya. 21-23 September.
---. 2004a.Attachment A: "Birokrat Tulen: Satu Analisis Krc atif dari Sudut Persuratan Baru". Seksualiti dalam Novel Melyu: Satu
Analisis Tes Berdasarkan Persuratan Baru. By Mohd. Zariat Abdul
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----. 2004b. "Kcsusasteraan Melayu di Persimpangan Jalan:
Anti-lntelektualisme, Hasad, Pandirisme". Paper presented at Wacana llmiah DAMAI, InsitutAlam dan Tanauun Melayu (ATMA), Universiti Kcbangsaan Malaysia, Sangi. 21 December.
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----. 2004b. "Wacana Seksualiti Insan dalam Novel Pujangga
,Hlayu oleh Mohd. Affandi Hassan". Paper presented at the Seminar I ,ender dan Seksualiti, organised by Institut Alam dan Tamadun Melayu
( \IMA) , Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi. IO August.
--. 2004c: "Kesigniikanan Islam dalam Kesusasteraan Me
l11v11", MANU (Journal of the Centre for Promotion of Knowledge and L1111y11uge Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah), No. 9 111-26
-. 2005 "Penggemblengan Paksi & Ruang Naratif dalam Panrita k111 y11 Arena Wati: Satu Analisis Teks Berdasarkan Persuratan Baru". l'11pc1 presented at the Wacana Abad 20, organised by Dewan Bahasa 11,111 l'ustaka, Kuala Lumpur, City Bayview Hotel, Pulau Langkawi.
. 2006. ·'Wacana Seksualiti Insan dalam Novel Pujangga Melayu
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Employment of Narrative Space in Hiayat Faridah Hanom by Syed Syeikh AI-Hadi and Pujangga Me/ayu by Mohd. Afandi Hassan: A Comparative Analysis". Paper presented at the I J•h Colloquium of the Malaysia Society ofAustralia, Australian National University, Canberra
26 - 27 November.
---. 2005. "Persuratan Baru Dan Penggemblengan Ruang Naratif: Satu Kajian Perbandingan Antara Hikat Faridah anom Karya Syed Syeikh AI-Hadi dengan Pujangga Me/u Karya''. Paper presented at Seminar Teori dan Kritikan Sastcra Melayu Serantau ll, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur. 22-24 March.
Tahir, Ungku Maimunah Mohd. 2002a. ''Pujangga Me/yu oleh Mohd. Afandi I lassan: Satu Tinjauan Awai". Paper presented at Siri Diskusi Buku, hosted by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur, 27 February.
---. 2002b. ''Bagaimana Pujangga Melayu Harus Ditasirkan".
Dewan Sastera August: 36-43.
- ---. 2005. ·'Salam Maria oleh Fatimah Busu: Satu Analisis Ber
dasarkan Persuratan Baru". Paper presented at the Persidangan Antara bangsa ··world in Discourse: Representations of Rcaliiies·· , organised by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Sheraton Subang Hotel & Tower, Subang Jaya. 21-23 November.
0o
Peta Politik Sastra Indonesia (1908-2008)
Asep Sambodja
(}11iversitas Indonesia\ hslract:
I luw 1s the political map of the Indonesian literature in the last 100 years
(1908-/00X)? This paper will provide a descriptive political map of the Indonesian lill'111turc in one century of the National Awakening. We know that politics
['I•)·� n very important role in the development of Indonesian literary history.
I iu� 70-year cycle of political changes, for example, can clearly be seen in the 11:�•.urization of generations made by the critic H.B. Jassin.
In 111, :olonial era, the inluence of politics was shown in the works of literature, 1!111 , in those which contained the spirit of anti-colonialism during the Dutch 11p,1llon or those which, due to the very repressive situation, employed
symbol-lit 1h111ng the Japanese occupation. In Soekarno's time, the sharp diferences of
il11ric, nationalism, religion and communism-had directly inluenced the l11pnc11t ofTndonesian literature, both in the ideology embraced by writers
I 111 lhc works they produced. This can clearly be seen in the literary polemics 11 writers who belonged to the Lekra (Institute of People's Culture), who 11cvrd 111 social realism, and those ofManikebu (Cultural Manifesto), who
llr.vt1d Ill universal humanism.
111111· of Soeharto, the polemics between the Manikebu and Lekra writers
1.,·d Ill the irst half of his governance, nevertheless, in the second half it
1otl np,uin. This was indicated by the polemics about the 1995 Magsaysay L \1·h1lh was given to PramudyaAnanta Toer, a Lekra novelist. The
polcm-1.11tt<I by Tauik Ismail, a Manikebu poet.
1111 ,1I I ,t 1c tendency done by Soeharto 's regime also invited reactions among
111111111. which was the issue ofrevitalizing local literature, refusing Jakarta
lier \p111 t from that, the apolitical tendency applied by Soeharto's regime ltli l'llHHldcd by the idea of contextual literature voiced by AriefBudiman
tie! I k1y1111to.
i,1 111, l'I II of reformation, Indonesian writers have enjoyed the freedom
