Posisi dan Pemosisian Perempuan dalam Novel Entrok (2010)

This study aims to analyze gender roles and positioning in Okky Mandasari’s novel Entrok. The novel, which explores the lives of Javanese society in the early years of Indonesian independence, depicts how political, religious, and governmental changes had a profound impact on society, particularly on women. Mandasari also links these societal changes to one of Indonesia’s most traumatic historical events: the 1965 incident. To further complicate the narrative, the novel also highlights intergenerational conflict through the characters of Simbok, Marni, and Rahayu. By applying existentialist feminist theory, specifically the master-slave framework, this study seeks to demonstrate the marginalization and oppression of women. Women are positioned not to exist for themselves but to exist for others. The research findings reveal that women are consistently treated as inferior or second-class citizens due to a patriarchal power system that prioritizes male authority. Changes occurring in society have not altered this positioning of women. The cross-generational portrayal demonstrates that women have diverse experiences. These experiences indicate that, fundamentally, “being a woman” is a form of individual negotiation with societal conventions built upon the patriarchal system.