Deconstructing Rahwana’s Alternate Character in Neelakantan's Rahwana: Kisah Rahasia through Derrida’s Perspective

https://doi.org/10.22146/poetika.v12i2.92112

Vistaria Kusuma Wardani(1*), Sulis Triyono(2)

(1) Master’s Program of Applied Linguistics, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
(2) Master’s Program of Applied Linguistics, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract


This study explored the deconstruction of Rahwana's 'Ravana' character in Anand Neelakantan's novel Rahwana: Kisah Rahasia through the lens of Jacques Derrida's deconstruction theory. The novel narrates Rahwana's journey as he strives to elevate the status of his family and nation. Derrida's deconstruction approach was selected to uncover the complex layers within literary texts, challenging traditional interpretations. As a descriptive-qualitative study, this research analyzed textual evidence from the novel to compare the initial portrayal of Rahwana with his deconstructed character. The findings indicated a complex duality in Rahwana's depiction: while his traditional characterization was marked by ruthlessness, arbitrariness, defiance of divine authority, and ambition, the deconstructed perspective revealed his compassionate, just, devout, and even pessimistic dimensions. These contrasting portrayals underscored the fluidity of Rahwana's character, which was uncovered through the deconstruction. The novelty of this research is to rethink of Rahwana's alternate character from his traditional character embedded in popular puppet stories through a deconstruction approach. Finally, the story of Rahwana has various versions, particularly related to Sinta's abduction. Some stories reveal Rahwana's love for Sinta in romantic ways, while in Neelakantan's novel Rahwana: Kisah Rahasia, Rahwana's love is depicted as a father's love for his daughter, not as a couple romance.


Keywords


character study; Deconstruction; Jacques Derrida; Rahwana; Rahwana: Kisah Rahasia

Full Text:

PDF


References

Arikunto, S. (2010). Prosedur Penelitian: Suatu Pendekatan Praktik. Jakarta: Rineka Cipta.

B. R., S., & Aithal, P. S. (2023). OCEAN Model from Ramayana Characters. SSRN Electronic Journal, 7(4), 125–137. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4674894

Darma, B. (2019). Pengantar Teori Sastra. Kompas Media Nusantara.

Desai, S. N. (1970). Rāmāyaṇa—An Instrument of Historical Contact and Cultural Transmission Between India and Asia. The Journal of Asian Studies, 30(1), 5–20. https://doi.org/10.2307/2942721

Fang, X. (2017). A Review on Deconstruction and Criticism. Comparative Literature: East & West, 1(1), 134–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/25723618.2017.1339515

Faturahman, W., & Media Sucahya. (2022). Representasi Watak Manusia Pada 10 Wajah Tokoh Rahwana. TANDIK: Jurnal Seni Dan Pendidikan Seni, 2(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.33654/tdk.v2i1.1601

Hanif, M. N. (2020). Dekonstruksi Struktur Novel Olenka Karya Budi Darma. Poetika, 8(1), 80. https://doi.org/10.22146/poetika.v8i1.56473

Harikrishnan, P. (2020). Multiplicity of Heads in Indian Mythology. Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, 31(1), 6–8. https://doi.org/10.1097/SCS.0000000000005831

Hariwidjoyo, A. (2011). Wayang dan Karakter Manusia dalam Kehidupan Sehari-hari. Yogyakarta: Absolut.

Indriana, A. Z., & Wiyatmi. (2022). Deconstruction of the Other Side of Midun’s Protagonist in Novel Sengsara Membawa Nikmat by Tulis Sutan Sati: Jaques Derrida’s Deconstruction Discourse Analysis. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 5(1), 73–79. https://doi.org/10.32996/ijllt.2022.5.1.10

Johari, D. S. (2023). The Ramayana: An Epic of Indian Ideals and Dharma. Creative Saplings, 1(11), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.56062/gtrs.2023.1.11.208

Kurniawati, Y., Sukri, M., & Nuriadi, N. (2020). Dekonstruksi Tokoh Dua Roman Angkatan Balai Pustaka dalam Novel Trilogi Soekram (Bab Pengarang Tak Pernah Mati) Karya Sapardi Djoko Damono. Basastra, 9(2), 140. https://doi.org/10.24114/bss.v9i2.19689

Liebenberg, W. (1985). Deconstruction, literature and ideology. Journal of Literary Studies, 1(3), 39–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/02564718508529761

Medawattegedara, L. (2021). Air Mobility, Ten Heads and Universal Authority: Exploratory Study of King Ravana in The Folktales of Sabaragamuwa. Proceedings of the Open University Research Sessions (OURS 2021), 1–4.

Miana, S. U., & Suroso. (2020). Deconstruction of Heroism Short Story Dongeng Rama dan Sinta by Sapardi Djoko Damono. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Language, Literature, and Arts Education (ICLLAE 2019). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200804.064

Milles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2018). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Method Sourcebook (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Neelakantan, A. (2017). Rahwana: Kisah Rahasia (1st ed.). JAVANICA: PT Kaurama Buana Antara.

Ningrum, A. N. A., Sutopo, B., & Widoyoko, R. D. T. (2020). Dekonstruksi dalam Novel Aurora di Langit Alengka Karya Agus Andoko (Kajian Dekonstruksi Derrida). Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan, 12(2), 74–80. https://doi.org/10.21137/jpp.2020.12.2.3

Norris, C. (2020). Membongkar Teori Jacques Derrida. Yogyakarta: Buku Bijak.

Nugraha, E., Darmayani, D., & Solihati, N. (2023). Dekonstruksi Tokoh Perempuan dalam Novel Hanum & Rangga: Faith & The City. Jurnal Sastra Indonesia, 12(2), 103–112.

Pradopo, D. R. (2017). Prinsip-Prinsip Kritik Sastra. Yogyakarta: UGM Press.

Pratiwi, P. N., Suyitno, S., & Wardani, N. E. (2018). Paradigm Deconstruction of Jejak Dedari Yang Menari di Antara Mitos dan Karma a Novel by Erwin Arnada. Lingua Didaktika: Jurnal Bahasa Dan Pembelajaran Bahasa, 11(2), 223. https://doi.org/10.24036/ld.v11i2.8470

Ranjan, P. (2022). Mahishasur: A People’s Hero. New Delhi: The Marginalised.

Rukajat, A. (2018). Pendekatan Penelitian Kualitatif (Qualitative Research Approach). Yogyakarta: Deepublish.

Saddhono, K., Setiawan, B., & Dewi, K. R. S. (2018). Ramayana and Mahabharata Deconstruction Literature Studies in Indonesia. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education (ICSE 2017), 526–530.

Sanmugeswaran, P., Fedricks, K., & Henry, J. W. (2019). Reclaiming Ravana in Sri Lanka: Ravana’s Sinhala Buddhist Apotheosis and Tamil Responses. South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, 42(4), 796–812. https://doi.org/10.1080/00856401.2019.1631900

Saputra, A. W. (2022). Dekonstruksi Nilai Hidup Pastor dalam Novel Orang-Orang Oetimu. Jurnal Bebasan, 9(2), 135–151.

Senroy, S. (2000). Exploring Emotion through the Myth of Ravana, the Ten Headed Demon King. Dramatherapy, 22(2), 22–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/02630672.2000.9689546

Shukla, A. (2011). From Evil to Evil: Revisiting Ravana as a Tool for Community Building. In Villains and Villainy, 173–191. BRILL. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789401206808_010

Shyam B R, Aithal, P. S., & Litt, D. (2024). Stimulating Constructive and Destructive Leadership Behaviours through the Emperor of Lanka and Villain of Ramayana. International Journal of Management, Technology, and Social Sciences (IJMTS), 8(3), 262–274. https://ssrn.com/abstract=4715262

Siegel, M. B. (1990). Shadow Past and future. Source: The Hudson Review, 42(4), 621–628. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2307/3852375

Suarta, I. M., & Dwipanya, K. A. (2014). Teori Sastra. Yogyakarta: PT Raja Grafindo Persada.

Sudanta, I. N., Ngurah, I. B., & Putra, I. gede S. (2022). Pertobatan Wibisana dalam Novel Rahwana Kisah Rahasia Karya Anand Neelakantan Tinjauan Etika Rene Girard. Vidya Wertta, 5(1), 100–115. https://ejournal.unhi.ac.id/index.php/vidyawertta

Sugara, H. (2019a). Kajian Dekonstruksi Karakterisasi Tokoh Rahwana dalam Novel Ramayana Karya Sunardi DM Kaitannya dengan Pendidikan Karakter dan Nilai Budaya. Bahasa: Jurnal Keilmuan Pendidikan Bahasa Dan Sastra Indonesia, 1(2), 71–85. https://doi.org/10.26499/bahasa.v1i2.34

Sugara, H. (2019b). Kajian Dekonstruksi Karakterisasi Tokoh Rahwana dalam Novel Ramayana Karya Sunardi DM Kaitannya dengan Pendidikan Karakter dan Nilai Budaya. Bahasa: Jurnal Keilmuan Pendidikan Bahasa Dan Sastra Indonesia, 1(2), 71–85. https://doi.org/10.26499/bahasa.v1i2.34

Sugiyono. (2015). Metode Penelitian Pendidikan. Bandung: Penerbit Alfabeta.

Sutisno, A. (2017). Kajian Dekonstruksi Derrida dalam Novel Sengsara Membawa Nikmat Karya Sutan Sati. Bahtera Indonesia; Jurnal Penelitian Bahasa Dan Sastra Indonesia, 2(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.31943/bi.v2i2.27

Suyono, S. J. (2021). Perbandingan Sosok Rahwana Prambanan dengan Kakawin Ramayana dan Novel Anand Neelakantan. Dharmasmrti: Jurnal Ilmu Agama Dan Kebudayaan, 21(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.32795/ds.v21i1.1661

Teeuw, A. (2018). Sastra dan Ilmu Sastra: Pengantar Teori Sastra. PT. Dunia Pustaka Jaya.

Wang, Y., Yu, X., & Chen, Q. (2020). Translation and negotiation of gender stereotypes: metamorphosis of female characters in the English version of a Chinese classical novel. Perspectives, 28(5), 702–716. https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676X.2019.1663887

Widyantoro, C. M., & Ernawati, Y. (2021). Dekonstruksi Feminitas Dalam Novel Jemini Karya Suparto Brata (Kajian Dekonstruksi Jaques Derrida). JOB: Jurnal Online Baradha, 17(1), 154–176.

Zvelebil, K. V. (1988). Rāvaṇa the Great in modern Tamil fiction. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland, 120(1), 126–134. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0035869X00164184



DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/poetika.v12i2.92112

Article Metrics

Abstract views : 1945 | views : 336

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.




Copyright (c) 2024 Poetika: Jurnal Ilmu Sastra

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

ISSN 2503-4642 (online) | 2338-5383 (print)
Copyright © Poetika: Jurnal Ilmu Sastra under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

free web stats View My Stats