MENJADI PEREMPUAN TERBAIK: OTONOMI PEREMPUAN JAWA DALAM TUTUR DEDES DOA DAN KUTUKAN

Abstract

This study examines the narrative of women’s autonomy as represented by the female Javanese figure Ken Dedes in the novel “Tutur Dedes: Doa dan Kutukan” (2022) by Amalia Yunus, through the lens of K. K. Ruthven’s feminist literary criticism. Against the background of literary works that have long been shaped by male-dominated narratives which often overlook women’s existence, this study seeks to present a counter-narrative by highlighting the shift in women’s position from object to subject. In this context, the concept of women’s autonomy is developed from Ruthven’s perspective, particularly in relation to the effort to bring forward women’s voices within literary texts. This research employs a qualitative comparative method with two main stages of analysis: identification and critical examination. The first stage focuses on identifying forms of autonomy embodied by the character of Ken Dedes within the novel. The second stage examines the critique of the ideal standards of womanhood that are often constructed within patriarchal societies, while also making contextual comparisons with the earlier literary work “Pararaton”, which also features the figure of Ken Dedes. The findings reveal that Ken Dedes is portrayed as an independent subject who transcends traditional gender roles typically associated with her position as a wife and mother. Through this character, women’s autonomy is ultimately understood as the ability to become a whole human being, free from restrictive gender constructions imposed by society.