The Logic Of Phallus And Object Of Desire: Rethinking ‘Masculinities’ in Literary Works of Contemporary Indonesian Woman Writers

Authors

  • Achmad Fawaid Universitas Nurul Jadid, Probolinggo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15642/suluk.2021.3.2.140-149

Keywords:

Phallus, The Object of Desire, Ayu Utami, Djenar Maesa Ayu, Masculinity

Abstract

The recent studies commonly pointed out that literary works of contemporary Indonesian women writers have coined feminist ideology. However, the study on reading these writers in ‘masculine’ perspective is rarely given. This study amins to analyze the works of two important Indonesian women writers, Ayu Utami and Djenar Maesa Ayu to demonstrate the inadequate definition of labels 'masculine' and 'feminine’ as binary opposition between male and female for explaining a much more fundamental problem: desire. This study concluded that first, the short stories of Ayu Utami and Djenar Maesa Utami demonstrate—in Connell's terminology—the master signifier or—in Lacan's terminology—phallic desire towards male, meaning that, instead of being regarded as "feminist champions," they are possible to be considered as "masculine without an object." Second, concept of "masculine without an object" is plural and splitted. Although neither Djenar nor Utami can avoid the fact that they are female, both of them were born into a multifaceted environment, an environment that strove to break down an essentialist barrier between male and female.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Aveling, H. (2008). Indonesian Literature After Reformasi: The Tongues of Women. Kritika Kultura, 0(8), 5–34. https://doi.org/10.3860/kk.v0i8.49

Ayu, D. M. (2007). Jangan Main-Main (dengan Kelaminmu). Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

Bandel, K. (2006). Sastra, Perempuan, Seks. Yogyakarta: Jalasutra.

Butler, J. (2006). Gender Trouble Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge.

Butler, J. (2011). Bodies that Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex. New York: Routledge.

Connell, R. W. (1987). Gender and Power Society, the Person, and Sexual Politics. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Connell, R. W. (1995). Masculinities. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Diani, H. (2010, March 30). Some Straight Talking with Author Ayu. The Jakarta Post.

Foucault, M. (1978). The History of Sexuality (Vol. 1). Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.

Herlambang, M. (2009, February 28). Kepompong Kenyamanan: Interview with Djenar Maesa Ayu. Retrieved December 24, 2021, from Rustikaherlambang’s Weblog website: https://rustikaherlambang.com/2009/02/28/djenar-maesa-ayu/

Lacan, J. (1953). Some Reflections on the Ego. The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 34(1), 11–17.

Lacan, J. (2003). Some Reflections on the Ego 1. In A. C. Furman & S. T. Levy (Eds.), Influential Papers from the 1950s (1st ed., pp. 295–296). https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429475931

Lacan, J. (2007). Écrits: A Selection (B. Fink, Ed.). New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Listyowulan, W. (2010). Narrating Ideas of Religion, Power, and Sexuality in Ayu Utami’s novels: Saman, Larung, and Bilangan Fu. Ohio University, Ohio.

Rahayuni, A. (2013). Semangat Feminis dalam Novel Saman Karya Ayu Utami dan Novel Nayla Karya Djenar Maesa Ayu: Kajian Intertekstual (Universitas Negeri Semarang). Retrieved from http://lib.unnes.ac.id/18411/

Ratele, K. (2001). Between “ouens”: Everyday Makings of Black Masculinity. Changing Men in Southern Africa, 239–253.

Utami, A. (2021, January 13). Terbang. Retrieved December 24, 2021, from Kutukata website: https://kutukata.id/2021/01/13/nukilan/terbang/

"Biografi Ayu Utami http://www.tokohindonesia.com/tokoh/article/283-direktori/2640-ayu-utami (Accessed 7 April 2014).

Biografi Djenar Maesa Ayu http://www.tokohindonesia.com/tokoh/article/283-direktori/123-djenar-maesa-ayu (Accessed 7 April 2014).

Tabloid Nova, "Si Pembuat Onar yang Suka Bermimpi" (interview with Djenar Maesa Ayu), http://nostalgia.tabloidnova.com/articles.asp?id=8499 (Accessed 7 April 2014).

Published

2021-12-19

How to Cite

Fawaid, A. (2021). The Logic Of Phallus And Object Of Desire: Rethinking ‘Masculinities’ in Literary Works of Contemporary Indonesian Woman Writers. SULUK: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Dan Budaya, 3(2), 140–149. https://doi.org/10.15642/suluk.2021.3.2.140-149

Issue

Section

Articles