Cultural values in Umar Kayam’s para Priyayi

ABSTRACT

Literature is actually a reflection of life experience that includes various aspects of both personal and social lives. The writer choses Umar kayam’s novel because his entire novel use simple language but it has deep meaning. His novel always teaches about noble characters. Fara Priyayi is one of his great works. It tells about the Javanese culture especially Yogyakarta society. This novel describes the effort of farmer family become lower class then they does many ways to get the high status or upper class (Priyayi). In this novel an upper class described not only as an ascribed status but achieved status. Something special from this novel is the fact that the attention and the main story is in rising status, not how characters work hard to get the status.

The study is conducted to investigate: (1) What are the cultural values that appear in the Umar Kayam’s Para Priyayi?. (2) What is the effect of the cultural values on the main character’s personality represented in the Umar Kayam’s Para Priyayi?

This study employs descriptive qualitative research approach, research data of utterances and sentences are obtained from Umar Kayam’s novel, Para Priyayi. Technique of data collection is documentation because the data source of this study is in the form of book. The research instrument is the researcher himself since there is no other instruments possibly can be used. To make the data valid, a careful observation and triangulation are done. Data analysis is done by using interactive model, in which the activity is done simultaneously and repeatedly, that is, data reduction, data representation, data conclusion or verification.

The result of this study shows that there are many kinds of cultural values that represented in Umar Kayam’s Para Priyayi. The cultural values cover (1) social system, (2) kindship system, (3) custom and tradition, and (4) religion.

The writer found out those four kinds of cultural values and give effect on the main character’s personality. Social class has big influence in Yogyakarta حه society. Everyone wants to be upper class. Sastrodarsono docs many ways to get high status. While Lantip he is from lower class. He always studies hard and wishes in future he would be upper class. Kindship system that exists in Yogyakarta society bilateral principle in these case relatives has important rules in family. Yogyakarta society holds on firmly their custom and tradition.

Sastrodarsono could not refuse his family decision of getting married with his parent’s choice. The majority of Yogyakarta society is Moslem, some of them have done the Moslem daily activities purely according Alquran and Hadist. There are many of them do not do the rule purely; instead they are influenced by the tradition،

Finally from this analysis to take lesson from this novel the writer hopes to the reader can understand about the hidden message. The writer has suggestion to the next researcher whop is interested to research a similar topic can develop this research because in this novel there are many kinds of value that can be analyzed. Beside, she hopes that this research encourages knowing more about literary works.