Narrating Trauma and Rebuilding the Self: A Literary Exploration of Kubah
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26877/allure.v6i2.505Keywords:
Ahmad Tohari, identity reconstruction, narrative memory, post-1965 trauma, trauma healingAbstract
This study examines Ahmad Tohari’s novel Kubah as a narrative of trauma healing by highlighting the role of memory, narrative, and temporality in the process of post-traumatic self-reconstruction. Unlike previous studies that generally position Kubah as a representation of history, religious values, or ideological conflicts, this study places trauma as the main analytical framework. The method used is qualitative through close reading, combining Sigmund Freud’s concepts of mourning and melancholia, Cathy Caruth’s theory of latent trauma, and Dominick LaCapra’s concept of working through historical trauma. The analysis focuses on the psychological journey of the character Karman as a former political prisoner who experienced social alienation, ideological disconnection, and an identity crisis after the political events of 1965. The results of the study show that the process of healing trauma in the Kubah takes place through three interrelated dimensions, namely memory activation through narrative, social reintegration in the community, and spiritual reorientation rooted in local cultural wisdom. The novelty of this research lies in the interpretation of Kubah not only as a representation of historical trauma, but also as a model of trauma healing that is narratively, socially, and spiritually integrated within the context of Indonesian culture. This research affirms the contribution of Indonesian literature to the study of trauma and opens up space for interdisciplinary dialogue between the fields of literature, history, and mental health. Thus, this study contributes to literary and trauma studies, aligning with SDG 3 on mental health and SDG 16 on post-conflict reconciliation.
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