WOMEN POSITION IN
DRAMA PREH BY ASMA NADIA
Hiqma Nur Agustina,
SS, M. Hum, M. Si.
Dosen Tetap Pendidikan
Bahasa Inggris FKIP Universitas Islam Syekh Yusuf (UNIS) Tangerang
Abstrak
Drama sebagai salah satu produk satra selalu menarik untuk
diperbincangkan berbagai kalangan secara umum dan oleh penikmat sastra secara
khusus. Terlebih pembahasan drama Preh yang
ditulis oleh salah satu penulis naskah drama Indonesia yang sedang naik daun
dewasa ini, Asma Nadia.
Drama Preh
menonjolkan cerita tentang para perempuan Aceh beserta konflik yang berkaitan
dengan relasi dan ideologi patriarki. Sisi menarik dari drama Preh ini adalah peran perempuan yang
(lagi-lagi) dilindas oleh ideologi patriarki sehingga mereka tidak mampu untuk
menyuarakan keinginan, harapan bahkan menentukan nasibnya di atas relasi kuasa
laki-laki. Pembahasan tentang relasi patriarki akan selalu menarik untuk dikaji.
Melalui drama ini, kita bisa melihat sebuah tradisi bisa menjadi kebiasaan yang
secara turun-menurun dan berurat-akar diturunkan dan dilakukan dari generasi ke
generasi berikutnya tanpa ada keinginan untuk melepaskan diri dari belenggu
tradisi yang membudaya yang berlaku di masyarakat tersebut.
Kata kunci: ideologi patriarki, relasi kuasa, tradisi
INTRODUCTION
Drama is one of the great parts of
literature which always attract people to enjoy it. It has some superior values
such as a part of performing arts. The variety of themes made the development
of drama is really lustrous. In 1970-1980, the theme was about poverty for the
lowest and middle group in Indonesia .
In 1990 until now, the theme tends to be variation, but still relates with the
problem of humans in the society.[1]
The problem of poverty arose two
main attitudes and behaviors, they are critical mind toward government policy
and the deviation done by the government institution and the aparatus. It
became worse when those bad characters also followed by desperate attitude
which made the poverty be metaphysic problems. They did not protest with the
destiny; they tend to accept all the conditions even they can make it up.[2] It
also can be seen through Tsunami effects for Acehnesse reflected in drama Preh.
The same with drama Kena Batunye that is also from the
collection of drama Tiga Naskah Drama, Hasil Lokakarya Perempuan Penulis Naskah Drama, drama Preh also takes the women’s problem
which is seen from the women perspective mixed with the beauty of local
culture. If drama Kena Batunye reveals
about Poligami that is much influenced by Betawi culture, moreover in drama Preh takes the Acehnesse problem when
they have to be waiting their beloved men (can be their son or husband) after
Tsunami happened.
Drama Preh written by Asma Nadia
became one of the winners in Lokakarya Penulisan Drama held by Dewan Kesenian
Jakarta at six areas around 2004/2005. Ratna Sarumpaet as the the script writer
of drama and also as the Chairman of Dewan Kesenian Jakarta said that the
position of women on the Indonesia Theatre Stage has experienced an empty
period for a long time. She wants Indonesian women can become the pioneer in
writing the script of drama not only as the facilitator and the assistant for
the Indonesian man script writer. Becoming the central of substance which will
be expressed on the stage, determined the color, form, spirit and soul on the
stage in the future. That is supposed to be the women’s role to contribute to
the advance of Indonesia
drama.[3]
Drama Preh is a tragic drama consists of five parts. Preh has a meaning waiting (in Aceh) is a symbol of in between
position, a territory between (betwixt and between). It is stated between exist
and no exist, one territory that causes a liminality problem.[4] In
this drama, all the women characters put on that positions, the only different
is the variation of the intensity. Among the other characters, the character
Limah is the main trapped character in this situation.
All the characters in this drama are
women. The existence of men characters only are represented by Zein; while the
character Father, Cutbang and Bang Nurdin are present through the story from
other characters. After looking all those conflicts, the writer are interested
to compare the women characters one to another related with the men characters,
which are present direct or indirect in the story.
II. ANALYSIS
1. The character of Mak
Mak is one of the women characters
who has already 50 years old and lived in very
difficult condition in Aceh. She lives and thinks in patriarchy ideology. This
ideology was inherited and internalized to her daughters implicitly, especially
to Limah.
This ideology really appears when
Mak always be patient in waiting her son, Cutbang, even she has two daughters,
Bibah and Limah. Bibah wants to let their village, Kajhu to get some better
life. Moreover, Mak has known that probably Cutbang is died, but she still
insists herself to stay in the kampong. This information is revealed by
Cutbang’s friend, Zein. Zein has been looking for Cutbang starting from
Takengon until Langsa (p. 28). In fact, there is not any information about
Cutbang. The social construction that is full with patriarchy insists Mak not
leaved Kajhu. For Mak, this kampong, hometown, mother village (feminist area)
has given her a life, husband and son (masculine) also two daughters which she
neglected. The two daughters were put in the lower position than men. As a
result, when the masculinity symbolized through her husband and son leaved, Mak
is alike lost her life, her soul. These sentences describe Mak’ suffer when she
thinks that she has lost her main hope in her life:
“Saat kehilangan laki-laki pertama
dalam hidup Mak, Mak mencoba tegar, karena menganggap itu adalah sesuatu yang
biasa terjadi, toh laki-laki itu sudah menurunkan kepada Mak seorang laki-laki
lagi, juga dua anak perempuan. Tapi ketika laki-laki pemberiannya itu pun harus
pergi, membawa semua harapan yang lama Mak bangun, …”.[5]
Mak is described to keep staying in
her kampong even she has persuaded to leave it by some refugee who passed her
house. Furthermore, Mak still does not torment even she has to face the
terrible death. Mak prefer waits her only son to save her life and her two
daughters. The interesting part is Limah also agrees with that decision. The
only person who resists with that decision is Bibah. It is really a choice
which is connected with phalusentris orientation. The man is described has over
power through woman’s life. The saddest thing is when the man does not exist,
the power still can push Mak and her two daughters to stay and wait without any
certainty.
2. The character of Limah
Limah is the youngest daughter of
Mak who has already 25 years old. Limah is described as a patient, fully
attention and very close to her mother. Limah is presented as an ideal woman in
man’s eye. She is a beautiful, young and obedient woman. In her power relation
with the man, Limah always place herself as a subordinate position. With her brother,
Cutbang, she always put herself as the saving sister. Cutbang acts as her
savior for her life, financial and physical (p. 13). Meanwhile Zein, Limah
always depend on Cutbang. Actually, Limah can find her bother through her
relations but she kept asking for help to Zein every day.
Limah’s character is being trapped
on dilemmatic situation on the liminality position, they are between the
decision to go to chase her dreams or keep staying in her kampong waiting for
her brothers. Limah has a lot of confusing thoughts, if she will leave the
kampong so she will let her mother stay alone but if she keep staying, she can
not actualize herself. It is because she wants to teach at Meunasah (Moslem
school in Aceh) in other area in Aceh. The previous meunasah in her kampong was
destroyed by Tsunami.
The relation of power between Cutbang
and Limah through Mak has power to kill herself or even the actualization
potential. The worst thing is can uproot her rights as a woman. This relation
has impeded her to search the happiness to marry with Zein. In fact, she knew that
Zein has loved her silently through Zein’s attitude and Bibah’s satire. Limah
is too busy to think about her brother and her mother’s happiness without
thinking her happiness. Toward Limah’s attitude, we can see that Limah’s choice
was oriented in phalusentris. The man who did not exsist had power to control
women’s life. The greatest part is the man power has made Limah never stop to
embody her dreams.
3. The character of Bibah
Bibah is the second daughter of Mak
who is 28 years old. She has a tough, temperament, impulsive, indifferent and
careless character. She is not like Limah who has an ideal type for a woman.
Bibah is not as beautiful as Limah. Bibah is quite brave in asking and fighting
against through the discriminative threat given by Mak. If Limah insists to
stay, it is not happened to Bibah. Bibah changed her mind after going back to
the refugee camp, she tried to search Cutbang. She did not want to only wait
without knowing the certainty.
The character of Bibah is really
different with other women characters in this drama. Limas is described as a
character who really knows her real wish and dreams, in order to achieve those
matters she kept fighting to chase them, not only kept waiting like others.
Bibah’s sentences reflect the point of surfeited which has tight herself and
intend to stay away for her kampong.
Kalau begitu sampaikanlah dengan
caramu, bahwa saya tak bisa terus menunggu, apalagi jika tak jelas sampai kapan
harus menunggu.[6]
Bisa gila saya
kalau menunggu terus! Orang harus berusaha mengubah keadaan, bukannya diam. Apa
tak lihat orang-orang yang mengungsi? Bahkan Haji Leman yang kaya, punya took
mas yang besar, dan kemana-mana selalu berkendaraan, saya dengar rela tidur
berhimpit-himpit dengan banyak macam orang di pengungsian. Ini malah … Heh …
Pokoknya saya tak bisa terus larut dalam kesedihan. Saya harus pergi.[7]
Bibah
also thinks that she never gets enough love and affection from Mak. She thought
Mak only gave attention to Cutbang and Limah. Moreover, by knowing Mak
intention to keep staying in her house and did not want to join with other
refugee arose her spirit to leave.
Limah, cuma kamu
anak perempuan kesayangannya. Mak selalu pilih kasih. Hanya kamu dan Cutbang.
Saya tak pernah dapat tempat di hati Mak. Apa karena saya tak secantik kamu?
Apa karena saya tak pernah menyenangkan Mak? Apa karena saya tak selalu
menuruti apa kata Mak? Apalagi setelah Cutbang hilang. Cuma dia saja yang Mak
risaukan sekarang. …[8]
Seen
Bibah effort to fight the resistence over the power relation by leaving her
mother and sisters is not really pure a feminist realization. Bibah has
ambivalent action when she takes to the decision. This action is not merely
because she wants to show her resistance to her brother, Cutbang and her mother
and sisters; but because she is afraid when Bang Nurdin will postpone in marrying
her. In her mind, Bang Nurdin will be fallen in love to other woman if she does
not follow Bang Nurdin. (p.12). This matter is also influenced by the culture
values when woman must marry before 30s. And Bibah is almost thirty years old.
For the villagers, those ages was not categorized as young ages anymore, it
comes to the limitation for the girls to get marry, to release her status
become a wife for a man. This matter is really fixed with the villagers thought
whose still have those opinion tightly and made it become a strict rule for
their daughters. No body tried to change the determined tradition; even some of
them disagree with that tradition. They have a tendency to be agreed.
In other side, Bang Nurudin shows
the different attitude. He does not want to join with Zein to see Bibah in
Kajhu. He tends to go to Medan
alone without asking permission to Bibah. This behavior is not proper when Bang
Nurdin really love Bibah. Through Bang Nurdin behavior, we can see Bibah also
participates to form unparallel relationship between man and woman. Bibah also
strength the patriarchy ideology because she thought that it is the woman job
to keep a relationship not the man did. It is included when he leaved the
family and searched for her couple, meanwhile the man does not have to do the
same like the woman does.
4. The character of Cut Intan
The role of Cut Intan in this drama
seem not appear directly; but this character cannot be neglected. Cut Intan is
a woman character described to strength Bibah desire to leave the kampong. Cut
Intan goes farther than other girls, she decided to go to Jakarta . Jakarta is famous with a big metropolitan
city that offers hopes and dreams for the villagers. Jakarta is symbolized as the achievement for
the villagers who can be the conqueror. Cut intan decision by leaving the
kampong and find a new place shows an effort of a woman to struggle their
choice. Through Cut Intan character, the script writers wants to reveal that
the woman can do and chase their dreams, hopes and ambitions. They are deserved
to have the same attitude like the man had.
III. SUMMARY
Among the four characters in this
drama, the writer can summarize that there are three characters related with
the men power relation. The first type is the fight of a woman who tried to run
away from the bound of ideology patriarchy. It is represented by Cut Intan and
Bibah. Even Bibah also has an ambivalent character but she has tried to release
from this matter. The second type is the typical of woman who made the ideology
patriarchy kept continued over and over; they never tried to release from this
boundary. This position is presented by Mak’s character. And the last type is
the kind of women who has in the intersection position, they place themselves
between the invention and the rebellion toward patriarchy values and gave up
over men’s power at the end. This character is represented by Limah. One
character who has in between situation; it can be expressed in this drama, Preh means Waiting. Through all the women characters revealed in this drama,
we still can see the varieties of women character in the kampong with their own
strict mind, being trapped by patriarchy ideology strictly and also there are
others who want to release and find new way of thought and life.
REFERRENCE:
Dipayana, Agus. Arya (penyunting) 2005. Tiga Naskah Drama. Hasil Lokakarya Perempuan Penulis Drama. Jakarta : Dewan Kesenian
Jakarta.
Nadia, As,a. 2005. Preh (dalam Tiga Naskah Drama, Hasil Lokakarya Perempuan Penulis
Naskah Drama). Jakarta :
Dewan Kesenian Jakarta.
Sumardjo, Jakob. 1992. Perkembangan Teater Modern dan Sastra Drama Indonesia Bandung : Citra Aditya Bakti.
Turner, Victor. 1985. The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-structure. New
York : Cornell
University
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