Representasi Trauma dan Rekonsiliasi Tokoh Meutia dalam Gadis yang Menulis Surat Setiap Malam Karya Arafat Nur: Kajian Struktur Naratif

Sekar Ayu Ningrum, Prof. Dr. Pujiharto, S.S., M.Hum.

2026 | Skripsi | S1 SASTRA INDONESIA

Penelitian ini bertujuan mendeskripsikan representasi dan rekonsiliasi trauma tokoh Meutia dalam novel Gadis yang Menulis Surat Setiap Malam karya Arafat Nur. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode deskriptif-analitis dengan sumber data berupa teks novel Gadis yang Menulis Surat Setiap Malam karya Arafat Nur. Data dikumpulkan melalui teknik pembacaan mendalam (close reading) dengan membaca teks secara berulang untuk menemukan bagian-bagian yang menunjukkan pengalaman traumatis tokoh, baik melalui narasi, dialog, maupun tindakan tokoh. Analisis dilakukan dengan menggunakan teori struktur naratif Robert Stanton, teori trauma Cathy Caruth yang meliputi konsep belatedness, repetition, dan unclaimed experience, serta teori rekonsiliasi trauma Dominick LaCapra yang meliputi konsep acting out dan working through. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa trauma Meutia direpresentasikan melalui struktur naratif novel dalam bentuk penundaan (belatedness), pengulangan penderitaan (repetition), serta pengalaman yang sulit diungkapkan secara langsung (unclaimed experience). Representasi tersebut dibangun melalui unsur alur, tokoh, dan latar yang saling berkaitan. Selain itu, rekonsiliasi trauma tokoh berlangsung melalui dua fase. Pada fase acting out, Meutia masih terjebak dalam pengulangan trauma yang ditandai oleh ketakutan, keterasingan sosial, serta kebiasaan mengurung diri. Sementara itu, pada fase working through, tokoh mulai menunjukkan upaya mengolah traumanya secara lebih reflektif melalui aktivitas menulis, penerimaan terhadap pengalaman hidup, serta perubahan sikap dalam menghadapi tekanan sosial. Rekonsiliasi yang digambarkan dalam novel tidak sepenuhnya pulih, tetapi tokoh berupaya berproses secara bertahap untuk membangun hubungan yang lebih reflektif terhadap pengalaman traumatisnya. 

This study aims to describe the representation of trauma and the process of trauma reconciliation experienced by the character Meutia in the novel Gadis yang Menulis Surat Setiap Malam by Arafat Nur. This study employs a descriptive-analytical method, with the novel Gadis yang Menulis Surat Setiap Malam serving as the primary data source. Data were collected through a close reading technique by repeatedly examining the text to identify passages that portray the character’s traumatic experiences through narration, dialogue, and actions. The analysis draws upon Robert Stanton’s theory of narrative structure, Cathy Caruth’s trauma theory, which encompasses the concept of belatedness, repetition, and unclaimed experience, as well as Dominick LaCapra’s theory of trauma reconciliation, which includes the concept of acting out and working through. The findings reveal that Meutia’s trauma is represented through the novel’s narrative structure in the forms of belatedness, repetition, and unclaimed experience. These representations are constructed through the interconnected elements of plot, character, and setting. Furthermore, the character’s trauma reconciliation unfolds through two phases. In the acting out phase, Meutia remains trapped in the repetition of trauma, as reflected in her fear, social isolation, and tendency to withdraw from her surroundings. In the working through phase, however, she begins to process her trauma more reflectively through writing activities, acceptance of her life experiences, and changes in her attitude toward social pressures. The reconciliation portrayed in the novel does not result in complete recovery; rather, the character gradually undergoes a process of developing a more reflective relationship with her traumatic experiences. 

Kata Kunci : trauma, rekonsiliasi trauma, struktur naratif, novel, Arafat Nur