Tazkia Izzah Afifah

1185030204

5E

TRAGEDY IN EKA KURNIAWAN’S NOVEL’S

LELAKI HARIMAU

In literature learning, it is not enough to just read it then,

but it is more complex than that. The complexity lies in how

literary works are appreciated and even criticized. Literary work

is not only read and then stucked just in the text, but readers will

begin to imagine as a manifestation of the literary work.

According to Itsna in her book, the quality of an

appreciation is the quality of the appreciator. The more qualified

the appreciator, the more capable he is to provide criticism of the

resulting literary works. Because of the importance of these

qualities, a critic needs a suitable theory to support his idea.1

One of kind critical theory comes from Plato and Aristotle

which states that literary works are the result of imitation or

imitation of real life. None the less, between the two

1
Itsna Syahadatud Dinurriyah, Theory of Literature:An Introduction (Surabaya:
Faculty of Letters and Humanities UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya.hlm:1.
philosophers there are differences of opinion. According to

Plato, the basis for his consideration is the world of experience,

that is, literary works cannot represent the real reality, but only

as an imitation. Meanwhile Aristotle argued that works of art try

to purify the human soul, as catharsis (Danyati, 2018: 1).

The mimesis study according to Abrams in Rafiqa (2019:

14) states the mimesis approach is a literary study approach that

focuses on its study of the relationship between literary works

and realities outside literature. Mimesis itself comes from the

Greek which means imitation or it can also be an embodiment. In

relation to literary criticism, mimesis is defined as an approach

in which in studying a literary work, an attempt is made to relate

the literary work to reality or reality. This mimetic approach

aims to examine the elements of events that occur in the novel

and whether they also occur in real life. 2 However, mimesis is

not just an imitation of reality, it has passed through the author's

consciousness or idea realism.

2
Ratna Danyati, Penerapan Mimesis Dalam Novel Empress Orchid Karya Anchee
Min (Penelitian Analisis Isi) (Jakarta: ABA BSI Jakarta)2018.hlm:1.
 Poetic is a theory from Aristotle that appears to answer

Plato's theory of criticism. In Nurrachman (2017: 41) stated,

“it appears that Aristotle means to answer directly Plato’s

critism of the poet as merely an imitator of appearances (phenomena).

He disagrees with Plato about where to locate reality. He does not

believe that the world of appereances is merely an ephemeral copy of

changless idea (form). Indeed he denies the being of idea (in Plato’s

sense) apart from things. He believes that change is fundametal

reality, a process of nature, which is a creative force with teological

direction.” In this theory, there is an aesthetic concept. This aesthetic

concept does not only discuss beauty or beauty criteria. One opinion

states that poetics does not represent the aesthetic theory, but it is an

analysis conducted by Aristotle for the method of literary creation.3

In mimesis, works of art are done by imitating objects,

events, and actions, so the human image in the work must be

imitated in several categories of morals as character, namely: (1)

Better than us; (2) Worse than us; (3) Same with us (Nirvana,

2018: 55). This can be the difference between tragedy that shows

people better and comedy shows people worse. A tragedy

Aristotle said to emerge because of the improvisation carried out

3
Aditya Nirwana, Sekelumit Tentang Risalah “Poetics”, Karya Aristotle (384-322
SM) (Universitas Ma Chung)2018.hlm:53
by the epic. Meanwhile, the comedy arises from the results of

improvisations by lampoon or satire.

Literary works are always associated with human life,

both social issues, household issues, romance so that people's

lives can be used as very interesting objects in the world of

literature (Zuriyati, 2019: 13). Social symptoms or experiences

experienced by an individual or more can be an inspiration for an

author to write his writing in the form of a story or other literary

work.

Eka Kurniawan's novel entitled Lelaki Harimau is one of

the reflections of human life problems which are reflected in the

form of a story full of tragedy and includes real life matters,

namely, social, household to love. The story in it is written with

a very neat selection of diction so that it adds to the value of this

literary work. There is a strong connection to the reader because

it tells of family conflicts which everyone has experienced.

The novel, which was first published in 2004, tells the

story of Margio, a man in a village who kills a man named

Anwar Sadat for a reason that makes Margio so angry.

 He is the son of an unharmonious couple, Komar bin

Syueb and Nuraeni. Since childhood he and his mother received

harsh treatment from Komar, as well as his younger sister

Mameh, who often became an outlet for his father's anger.

Behind the story of the household tragedy, there is a love story

that was one of the triggers for Margio's cruelty towards Anwar

Sadat. Apart from that, social issues are also tucked away,

namely community customs which are still used in real life in the

novel Lelaki Harimau.

Departing from this review, this novel can be studied

using a mimetic approach, which holds that in analyzing

literature, tracing the reality of reality is necessary. And there is

a representation of the concept of tragedy in this novel.

The first element to be examined is when the character

Margio killed Anwar Sadat out of a grudge by gnawing at his

neck. As in real life, there is often a murder over a grudge. This

is a tragedy in which it is an imitation of an action that is serious,

comprehensive, and has a certain scope, which is manifested by

beautiful words delivery, With separate elements, in various

plays, in imitation of action and not a narrative, through

compassion and horror which has implications for catharsis

through the emotions that arise (Nirvana, 2018: 55-56).

Ia mendekap erat Anwar Sadat, yang terkejut dan

berusaha meronta, namun dekapan itu kuat di
bawah lengannya, tangan Margio menjuntai ke
atas merenggut rambut Anwar Sadat bikin
kepalanya tak banyak kutik. Saat itulah Margio
menancapkan gigi-giginya di leher kiri Anwar
Sadat, seperti ciuman kekasih yang membara ke
permukaan kulit di bawah telinga, mendengus dan
hangat penuh nafsu, dan lelaki itu masih terpana
untuk tahu apa yang diperbuat Margio
(Kurniawan, 2004:32).

Departing from this quote, a tragedy is written seriously

and uses a beautified words. Researchers can also feel the horror

when Margio killed Anwar Sadat so sadistically. In this

quotation too, the author wrote an element of tragedy that is

outside the habits of normal people in general. Meanwhile, the

grudge in murder in this novel is explained on the last page of

the following novel,

Di depannya, tanpa membuang tempo sebab dirinya

sadar waktu bisa melenyapkan seluruh nyali, ia
berkata kepada lelaki itu, “Aku tahu kau meniduri
ibuku dan Marian anak kalian,” kata nya. Kalimat itu
mengapung di antara mereka, Anwar Sadat pasi
menatap wajahnya. Margio melanjutkan, “Kawinlah
dengan ibuku, ia akan bahagia.”
 Tergagap Anwar Sadat menggeleng, dan dengan kata
terpatah ia bergumam. “Tidak mungkin, kau lihat aku
ada istri dan anak.” Tatapan itu jelas mencela
gagasan konyol Margio. Dan kalimat selanjutnya
memberi penjelasan melimpah, “Lagi pula aku tak
mencintai ibumu.”Itulah kala harimau di dalam
tubuhnya keluar. Putih serupa Angsa (Kurniawan,
2004:190).

In the above quotation the researcher sees a image that the

tragedy led the two figures to horror and sorrow for both parties.

As at the beginning of the novel's opening, Margio ended Anwar

Sadat's life, and his own suffering that he experienced in his

family. Being the end in the outlet for the wounds he

experienced. Researchers see that this back and forth plot is one

of the conditions when the writer wants to present the tragedy, it

must contain a complicated plot and discard trivial plots or

stories.

The next element that presents a tragedy is domestic

violence committed by the head of his family, Komar bin Syueb,

to Nuraeni who is his wife, and also Margio, the main character

in this novel who is also a son of Komar. Occasionally Komar

also took out his anger on his daughter, Mameh. One of the
emotional effects that can be generated through thinking is

feelings of compassion, pity, horror, anger, and so on.4

Mereka menjalani hari yang murung, saat-saat

yang damai hanyalah ketika Komar pergi dengan
sepedanya ke kios cukur di pasar hingga waktu
pulang datang. Bahkan Mameh yang tak banyak
polah, sekali waktu dapat juga pukulan rotan
penggebuk kasur itu, sebagaimana kucing lewat
sekali dua dihajarnya pula (Kurniawan, 2004:117).
Dalam keheningan itu, Mameh mendengar
semacam isak tangis, sedu kecil, tak meragukan itu
datang dari mulut ibunya, di tengah gumaman tak
ada makna. Betapa mengejutkan itu bagi Mameh,
menyadari perempuan ini bisa bersedih pada
suami yang sepanjang hidupnya dihabiskan untuk
memukuli dirinya, untuk salah ini dan salah itu
dan tanpa salah sama sekali. Mameh cukup yakin,
jika ibunya bersedih, itu bukan karena ia
mencintai Komar, tapi disebabklan oleh kebiasaan
hidup bersamanya, semenderita apa pun
(Kurniawan, 2004:67-68).

From this quote, the researcher feels sad because Nuraeni

and Mameh are often treated harshly and persistently. In fact, it

has become a habit that they experience every day. Violence is

the main problem that causes female figures to become

miserable and the root of this misery is triggered by several

factors.
4
Aditya Nirwana, Sekelumit Tentang Risalah “Poetics”, Karya Aristotle (384-322
SM) (Universitas Ma Chung)2018.hlm:58.
 In a tragedy, the plot should have a single event flow,

even though it consists of events of many characters /

characters, it must lead to a single event / incident (Nirwana,

2018: 56). Tragedy after tragedy occurs due to a single, related

event. This continuity also triggers the development of the

character Margio, who is actually innocent and honest, but with

the courage to kill someone without mercy.

The murder of Anwar Sadat by Margio was because he

took revenge on Nuraeni, his mother. Nuraeni became pregnant

Anwar Sadat's child because of the awareness of both of them

and Marian was born.

Baru lama kemudian Margio mengetahui apa yang

terjadi Nuraeni tengah hamil, dan jauh di dalam
perutnya tengah berbaring si bayi kecil yang kelak
diberinya nama Marian (Kurniawan, 2004:124)
Malam di pemutaran film perusahaan jamu
tersebut, Margio masih mengecamuk diri dengan
pikiran apakah ia mesti kasih tahu bahwa Marian
adalah anak Anwar Sadat,…(Kurniawan,
2004:181).

Nuraeni did this because she just felt she was loved by

Anwar Sadat because she did not feel it when she with Komar

bin Syueb because her husband's treatment did not show a

feeling of love and instead she always received repeated

torments. Departing from this incident, Margio asked Anwar to

marry his mother after Komar's death. However, Anwar refused

and said that in fact he did not love his mother. Then there was

the terrible murder.

In fact, the author gave the researcher elements of tragedy

by hiding the name of Margio's grandfather without directly

mentioning it. We can find out the name of Margio's grandfather

from his father's name, Komar bin Syueb. It can be concluded

that Margio's grandfather's name is Syueb.

In conclusion, Lelaki Harimau tells the story of a tragedy

which has the main character, Margio, who is also the killer of

Anwar Sadat due to events that have become one of the triggers

for this violence. The characters change according to the

storyline so that the characterization of the characters in the story

develops.

The use of mimesis as a literary critical approach to

novels refers to the relationship between literary works and real

world realities outside literature. In the view of mimesis, literary

works cannot possibly be understood without relating it to the

universe as the source of its creation.5 According to Feldman in

Rafiqa (2019: 21), he explains that the benefits of the artificial

world built by the author with mimesis are as a safe place for

problem solving, to find solutions in backgrounds that are

removed from life. And it is also possible to find meaning from

everyday experiences without becoming a burden.

The author observes, analyzes and then creates the literary

work through reality and empirical experience. So that the

function of literary works is as a place to find solutions and solve

problems. And find the ultimate truth. Unlike in the real world,

where a solution to a problem is often lost without providing a

solution or even covering up the problem by diverting the issue.

The author writes literary works by observing the real

world, even though in reality this problem has never occurred.

However, with this, the writer can reflect on the human problems

that will occur in society. For example, in the novel of the Lelaki

Harimau, Margio kills the character Anwar Sadat by tearing his

neck with his teeth without any tools. Until now, this has never

5
Syarifa Rafiqa, Analisis Novel Terjemahan Mencari Perempuan Yang Hilang Karya
Zuroyati (Kajian Pendekatan Mimesis) (Jakarta: Universitas Negeri Jakarta) 2019.
Hlm.22.
happened, But it does not rule out the possibility that an innocent

and honest person would dare to do this to other people.

REFERENCES

Danyati, R. (2018). Penerapan Mimesis Dalam Novel Empress

Orchid Karya Anchee Min (Penelitian Analisis Isi)
Jakarta: ABA BSI Jakarta.

Dinurriyah, I.S. (n.d.). Theory of Literature: An Introduction

Surabaya: Faculty of Letters and Humanities UIN
Sunan Ampel Surabaya.

Kurniawan, E. (2004). Lelaki Harimau. Jakarta: PT. Gramedia

Pustaka Utama.

Nirwana, A. (2018). Sekelumit Tentang Risalah “Poetics”,

Karya Aristotle (384-322 SM) (Universitas Ma Chung).

Nurrachman, D. (2017). Introduction to Criticism. Bandung:

Pustaka Aura Semesta.

Rafiqa, S. (2019). Analisis Novel Terjemahan Mencari

Perempuan Yang Hilang Karya Zuroyati (Kajian
Pendekatan Mimesis) Jakarta: Universitas Negeri
Jakarta.