The 5th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS October 2016

THE POETICS OF REPRESENTATION OF ―AMERICA‖ IN UMAR KAYAM‘S COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES SERIBU KUNANG-KUNANG DI MANHATTAN

Fitria Akhmerti Primasita English Department, Faculty of Cultural Sciences Sebelas Maret University [email protected]

Abstract This article is written based on a research on Umar Kayam‘s six short stories entitled ―Seribu Kunang-kunang di Manhattan;‖ ―Istriku, Madame Schlitz, dan Sang Raksasa;‖ ―Sybil;‖ ―Secangkir Kopi dan Sepotong Donat;‖ ―Chief Sitting Bull;‖ and ―There Goes Tatum‖which are collected in his Collection of Short StoriesSeribu Kunang-kunang di Manhattan republished by Pustaka Utama Grafiti in 2003. The six short stories were written when Umar Kayam was in New York finishing his Master and Doctor of Philosophy programs in 1960s. The research aims at finding out how America—through the city of New York and its people—is represented by Umar Kayam, who was born and raised in Ngawi—a small town in Central Java, —and went to study in Solo and Yogya—other small towns in Central Java, Indonesia. The analysis shows that America—through the city of New York and its people—is represented in opposition with Indonesia—through the capital city of and its people—in all the short stories. Unlike the capital city of Jakarta, the city of New York is not a nice place to live in. It is not peaceful and comfortable because it is noisy and hot. It is also scary, unfriendly, and sometimes lonely, although it is full of people from various backgrounds. Life in New York city can be a boring life that is difficult to avoid.Unlike Indonesian people who are sociable and friendly, American people then tend to be individualistic and unfriendly. Furthermore, doing the same things everyday make them become mechanical and lose their creativity. Consequently, they can easily become lonely and bored. Love seems to be something hard to get for American people. Many of them have lost it forever, and many others have to struggle hard to get it. Losing love makes them able to do harm even to people who are close to them. Being fake is another problem of American people. They tend to fake who they really are to get what they want. It does not mean that either Indonesia— through the capital city of Jakarta and its people—or America—through the city of New York and its people—is better than the other. One thing for sure is that there is nothing better than home. Home issweet home for Umar Kayam and for most people.

Keywords: poetics of representation, America, Umar Kayam, Seribu Kunang-kunang di Manhattan

Introduction (1905), The Custom of the Country (1913), New York has been one of the most chosen The Age of Innocence (1920), and Old New American big cities to become setting in York (1924). Israel Zangwill introduced the American literary works. In nineteenth term melting pot in his novel The Melting century, for example, New York became the Pot, which was set in New York in 1908. setting of Horatio Alger‘s Ragged Dick Two of John Fitzgerald‘s well known works, (1868) and Stephen Crane‘s infamous The Beautiful and Damned (1922) and The Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (1893). In Great Gatsby (1925), were also set in New twentieth century, Edith Wharton took her York. Two well known detective stories birth town New York as the setting of some writers, Dashiell Hammett and Mickey of her infamous works—The House of Mirth Spillane, took New York as the setting of

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The 5th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS October 2016 their detective novels, The Thin Man (1934) literary works, we can learn the authors‘ and I, the Jury (1947). Four of Stephen perception of the Metropolis. King‘s infamous horror novels, The Stand (1978), The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger It is already interesting to read representation (1982), and The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of New York in literary works written by of the Three (1987), and The Dark Tower VI: American authors. It is more interesting, Song of Susannah(2004)were also set in New however, to read representation of New York York. Infamous novels like J. D. in literary works written by a non-American Salinger‘sThe Catcher in the Rye (1951), author. Umar Kayam, who was born and James Baldwin‘sGo Tell It on the raised in Ngawi—a small town in Central Mountain(1953), and Sylvia Plath‘sThe Bell Java, Indonesia, went to study in Solo and Jar(1963) were set in New York. Some Yogya, and lived in Jakarta, the capital city infamous novels adapted into popular films of Indonesia—other small towns in Central were also set in New York. There were Java, Indonesia, wrote six short stories Marcia Davenport‘sEast Side, West entitled ―Seribu Kunang-kunang di Side(1947), Truman Capote‘sBreakfast at Manhattan‖; ―Istriku, Madame Schlitz, dan Tiffany's(1958), Mario Puzo‘sThe Sang Raksasa‖; ―Sybil‖; ―Secangkir Kopi Godfather(1969), William Styron‘sSophie's dan Sepotong Donat‖; ―Chief Sitting Bull‖; Choice(1976), Olivia Goldsmith‘s The First and ―There Goes Tatum‖ when he was in Wives Club(1992),Candace Bushnell‘sSex New York finishing his Master and Doctor of and the City(1997), Meg Cabot‘sThe Philosophy programs in 1963 until 1965. All Princess Diaries (series) (2000), and Lauren the five stories take New York as their Weisberger‘sThe Devil Wears Prada(2003). setting, and thus we can learn an Indonesian Some other twenty-first century novels author‘s perception of the Metropolis. taking New York as their setting were E. L. Doctorow‘sCity of God(2000), Sophie This paper aims at examining and Kinsella‘sShopaholic Takes understanding how America—through the Manhattan(2002), Rick Riordan‘sPercy city of New York and its people—is Jackson and the Olympians series (2005), represented by Umar Kayam. A literary work Meg Cabot‘s Missing You(2006) and is never just a work. It is always a text that Jinx(2007), Zack Love‘sSex in the Title: A has ―a meaning which is grounded in the Comedy about Dating, Sex, and Romance in culture behind the text; a meaning that can be NYC (Back When Phones Weren't So examined and understood‖. Furthermore, ―a Smart)(2013), and Amy Grech‘sRage and text is the mouthpiece for a culture; it is a Redemption in Alphabet City(2015). 1 representative sampling of the overall system Through the representation of New York—be of meanings that constitute an ideology or it merely a setting or a character—in these consciousness that is linked to a group‖ (Brummett, 2006: 36). Since the meaning of a text is grounded in the culture behind the 1―List of Books Set in New York City‖ available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_set_in_N text, examining and understanding the ew_York_City accessed on Friday, July 29, 2016 at meaning of Umar Kayam‘s six short stories 12.41 WIB,―Best Books Set in New York‖ available as texts help us understand the culture behind at the six short stories, that is Indonesian http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/13633.Best_Boo culture. The six short stories become the ks_Set_in_New_York_City accessed on Friday, July 29, 2016 at 12.42 WIB, and Aravecz, N. ―The Best representative sampling of the overall system New York City Novels by Neighborhood‖ available at of meanings that constitute an ideology or https://www.nypl.org/blog/2015/08/13/nyc- consciousness that is linked to Indonesian neighborhood-novels accessed on Friday, July 29, culture. Thus, by defining America—through 2016 at 12.51 WIB.

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The 5th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS October 2016 the city of New York and its people—in his Discussion six short stories, we can understand the In the first short story ―Seribu Kunang- ideology or consciousness about America of kunang di Manhattan, New York and its Umar Kayam as an Indonesian. people are represented through the characters‘ impression of the city, the Methodology characters‘ dialogues, and the author‘s This paper is written based on a research on narration. Thousands of lights that Marno, Umar Kayam‘s six short stories entitled the male main character, who is a Javanese, ―Seribu Kunang-kunang di Manhattan‖; enjoyed watching from the apartment ―Istriku, Madame Schlitz, dan Sang window of his lover Jane reminded him of Raksasa‖; ―Sybil‖; ―Secangkir Kopi dan fireflies he saw in his grandparents‘ rice field Sepotong Donat‖; ―Chief Sitting Bull‖; and in their village (p. 5). New York, via ―There Goes Tatum‖, which are collected in Manhattan, at night was then a beautiful and his Collection of Short StoriesSeribu serene city, and yet it was a lonely city for its Kunang-kunang di Manhattan republished by beauty and serenity made the male main Pustaka Utama Grafiti in 2003. The data character feel homesick. He was longing to were collected from the sixth short stories by listen to the sound of singing crickets and reading the short stories carefully and then frogs (p. 5). He suddenly felt his wife was selecting and recording the data, which around him in Manhattan that night (p. 7). It correlated with the representation of implies that the village where he came from America. was more peaceful. On the contrary, for Jane, the female character, who was an American, Since it focused on the poetics of Manhattan does not seem to be a nice place representation, the selected data were then to stay in. She grumbled when a jet was analyzed using Roland Barthes‘ semiotic flying on top of her apartment building. theory. Poetics of representation is ―Sebuah pesawat jet terdengar mendesau ―production of meaning through language‖ keras lewat di atas bangunan apartemen Jane. (Hall, 1997: 28). In this research, meaning is ―Jet keparat!‖ Jane mengutuk sambil berjalan semiotically read through signs that are terhuyung ke dapur. ….‖ (p. 5-6). She organized into language. This research takes imagined herself to be somewhere else more in Roland Barthes‘ idea that signs operate peaceful (p. 6). She imagined Manhattan was within systems that function to create an island, and they were the only people who different orders of meaning. Therefore, this owned the island. They came to own the research uses Barthes‘ concepts of island after they were stranded on it. They connotation and denotation to delve into the owned the island, yet they were waiting for a articulation of signification around Umar boat to come and rescue them (p. 7). It means Kayam‘s six short stories. In this research, that Manhattan never feels like home. denotation refers to ―the first level, or order, of meaning which derives from a descriptive Marno is lonely because of feeling homesick. relationship, between signifier and signified, Jane, on the other hand, seems to be corresponding to the most obvious and constantly in loneliness. She seemed to consensual level at which objects mean project her own loneliness when she said she something‖. Connotation refers to ―a second was worried that Tommy, her ex-husband, level, or order, of meaning which guides one might feel lonely and cold in Alaska, where to look at the way in which the image she imagined him to be (p. 3). She felt that (object) is understood, at a broader, more she talked too much, but she emphasized that associative, level of meaning‖ (Lidchi, 1997: she needed to keep talking to feel occupied 164). (p. 7). She said that she separated from her

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The 5th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS October 2016 darling toy, UncleTom, after she met her ex- morning (p. 49-50). It is like showing that husband Tommy in High school. Now that life can be so boring in New York city. Tommy and she had divorced, she wanted Besides that, New York can be Uncle Tom to be around her again (p. 9). complainingly hot during summer. ―…. Di Most of all, Jane took some sleeping pills and luar, hawa musim panas New York yang silently cried when Marno said he could not menusuk itu menerobos pori-pori kulit orang accompany her and left her alone that night yang lalu-lalang. ….‖ (p. 55). (p. 11). It can be said that Jane is in constant need of someone or something to love, and ideal‖. 2 They believe that in America, being loved. In each other‘s company, everybody can be rich with a little bit of however, they still feel lonely and empty. luck, and once they are rich, they will leave Jane‘s company is not enough to get rid of behind their miserable life. Marno‘s feeling of loneliness and emptiness that he decided not to stay in her apartment American people are represented through that night. In Marno‘s company, Jane seems Jim‘s ―speech‖ to Peggy and the coffee to only have someone to talk to, but she sadly shop‘s regulars. The speech is another way realizes she never gets his heart. to say that American people have been living a boring life—doing the same things In ―Secangkir Kopi dan Sepotong Donat‖, everyday—that they become mechanical and the fourth story of the Collection, New York lose their creativity. Yet, what happened to and its people are represented through the Jim afterward shows that American people, characters‘ dialogues and the author‘s especially city people, do not have power to narration. It was ten o‘clock in one summer resist living their boring life. He decided to day in New York. Ten o‘clock is apparently go home, but asked his two friends to ask coffee time in New York, and it is certainly a their boss Mr. McLeod‘s permission for him very busy hour for a coffee shop girl like and said he would come to the office the next Peggy, the female main character of the short morning (p. 52). story. On the contrary, ten o‘clock seems to be the most relaxed hour of the day for most Love, for New Yorkers, seems to be New Yorkers because it is the time for them something worthy of fighting, but it can also to enjoy having a short break by sipping a be something that is lost forever. At the end cup of hot coffee accompanied with a piece of the story, Peggy ran to catch up with her of doughnut or cruller or jelly cake in the lover in where he worked, Dilbert middle of their busy work hours or day. Yet, Supermarket. Apparently, she is touched by one of the background characters Jim ―the his empathy for her miserable condition. She actor Orson Welles II‖ reminded everyone in could not come to his place the night before the coffee shop that one summer morning because of what happened with her parents at that coffee time had been one of New home. She wrote, ―Bapak mabuk lagi Yorkers‘ routines. Sipping a cup of coffee semalam. Ibu dipukuli. Puas, Tuan? Now get accompanied with a piece of doughnut or out! Out!‖ (italics in its original)(p. 53). cruller or jelly cake at ten o‘clock in the After she read her boyfriend‘s answer, ―I am morning, even in a hot summer day, has been sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry.‖ (italics in its just like eating hot dogs or hamburgers for original) (p. 54), she decided to draw a big almost every New Yorker (p. 51). Jim is heart with her red lipstick on the coffee shop apparently in his state of boredom with his window, put the shop‘s arrow picture on it, routines—with his work and even his regular black coffee, a cruller, and a doughnut—that 2 http://www.merriam- instead he ordered a glass of iced water that webster.com/dictionary/American%20dream accessed on Saturday, 30th July 2016 at 13.00.

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The 5th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS October 2016 and then leave the coffee shop unattended to cup of sugar or a bottle of cooking oil just to catch up with her lover in Dilbert have a chat with a neighbor (p. 13-4). It is Supermarket (p. 55). It can be said that she worthy to note here that the tactic of refuses to lose love like her parents and borrowing a cup of sugar works with chooses to fight for it. Madame Schlitz (p. 21), but it is likely because she has visited the author‘s wife Umar Kayam becomes the protagonist of his before. Besides that, according to ―aku‖, two short stories, ―Istriku, Madame Schlitz, Indonesian beer was better than American dan Sang Raksasa‖ and ―There Goes beer. ―…. Aku lebih senang Schlitz daripada Tatum.‖ In the second short story ―Istriku, Budweiser atau Ballantine, meskipun kalau Madame Schlitz, dan Sang Raksasa‖, dibandingkan dengan Heinekens dan Anker America—through the city of New York and yang dibikin di Indonesia, belum apa-apa its people—is represented in contrast with ….‖ (p. 16). Indonesia—through the capital city of Jakarta and the city of and its The East and West dichotomy is also people. The author represents America and represented through Madame Schlitz‘s Indonesia in terms of East and West imagination of the East. To Westerners, the dichotomy. According to ―aku‖ the narrator East represents mystery and exoticness. It is (Umar Kayam), in his wife‘s fantasy, New of course stereotyping; not entirely true. York was a giant who eat humans (p. 12). ―Aku‘s‖ wife also thought so (p. 18). New York, then, is a scary place to live in Another stereotyping is that Madame Schlitz because it is big and full of people from thought that all Easterners practice yoga. various backgrounds. Actually, ―aku‖ had ―…. Aku pikir suami Nyonya, karena dari the same impression. Thousands of dunia Timur, tentunya berlatih yoga pula‖ (p. skyscrapers at night had produced terrifying 20). atmosphere for him. He decided to end the story by believing that the missing Madame The author seems to think that fake is one of Schlitz had been swallowed by New York New Yorkers‘ problems. Madame Schlitz is city ―the giant‖. ―‖Sang raksasa telah described as fake. When she was alone, her menelan Madame Schlitz.‖ Aku melihat Austrian accent was gone and replaced by keluar jendela. Ribuan pencakar langit regular midtown Manhattan accent (p. 22). seperti gunduk-gunduk bukit yang hitam, Her husband might still alive, and it was not kaku, dan garang‖ (p. 31). clear whether he was really a chef who was good at cooking wiener schnitzel or not or Furthermore, although it is full of people, it whether he practiced yoga every morning or is not a friendly place to live in. It is very not (p. 30). The villain of the sixth short difficult to meet and get acquainted with story ―There goes Tatum‖, the Negro robber, people even if they live in the same is also described as fake. The Negro villain apartment building. It is unlike where ―aku‖ was smiling and asking politely when and his wife come from—Jakarta, Indonesia. actually he wanted to beg for money. ―…. as the capital city of Indonesia, of course, it ‖Fifty cents, Mistuh,‖ Aku jadi tersenyum is a big city like New York. Yet, it is juga melihat cara mengemis yang enak itu. friendlier than New York. American people …‖ (italics in its original) (p. 67). He was then tend to be individualistic and also asking some questions politely and unfriendly. In contrast, Indonesian people saying frankly that he wanted the author‘s tend to be sociable and friendly. It is then watch when actually he wanted to rob the natural for ―aku‘s‖ wife to feel lonely and is author. ―…. Aku diam. Si Negro tersenyum even longing for the habit of borrowing a menepuk-nepuk bahuku. ―Tuan, aku ingin

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The 5th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS October 2016 jam Tuan. Tuan besok bisa beli lagi. OK?‖‖ children‖. Sybil had to spend a miserable (italics in its original) (p. 69). He seemed to time with her mother scolding her a lot (p. be playing around with his knife when 33-4) and watching her mother coming home actually he wanted the author to feel early with her lover Harry Robertson to threatened. The author finally gave away his spend their late afternoon time in her Titoni watch, which was a gift from his mother‘s bedroom (p. 43-4). It is likely to father. The Negro thanked the author after assume that Sybil was upset when the robbing him. ―‖That‘s a good boy. Thank talkative c