Javanese women’s resistance to masculine domination in Palaran short story

Abstract

In patriarchal culture, women have always been given a disadvantaged place. It is often expressed in many ways, including in literary works. This study examines how masculine domination is exercised over women and the forms of women’s resistance to it in the Palaran story. Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of masculine domination is applied to dissect the short story “Palaran,” from the collection “Iblis Ngambek” (2003) by Indra Tranggono. Data were collected through a literature review and, drawing on Bourdieu's (2008) theory of masculine dominance, analyzed using a textual analysis method. The results of the study show that the masculine domination exercised by Adipati Anom over Nyi Adipati comprises two types: physical violence and symbolic violence. The resistance carried out by Nyi Adipati as a representation of Javanese Women was to take Adipati Anom's life because she could no longer resist the masculine dominance that she had suffered. The study’s results underscored the importance of public awareness of masculine dominance over women. Further research can examine the form of radical resistance exercised by the feminine against the masculine in literary works.