Social and Cultural Issues in the Novels Laut Bercerita and Namiya Zakkaten No Kiseki: A Sociological of Literature

Abstract

Laut Bercerita is one of the many acclaimed novels by Leila S. Chudori. It was published in 2017 by Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia in Jakarta, Indonesia, and spans 379 pages. The novel Namiya Zakkaten No Kiseki (The Miracles of the Namiya General Store) is a work by Keigo Higashino; it was published in 2017 by Kadokawa Shoten in Japan.This study aims to describe the social and cultural issues in the novel Laut Bercerita by Leila S. Chudori and Namiya Zakkaten No Kiseki by Keigo Higashino through Alan Swingewood’s sociology of literature approach. This research employed a descriptive qualitative method with a comparative literature approach. The data consisted of quotations, sentences, and dialogues that reflect social and cultural life in both novels. The results show that Laut Bercerita portrays political injustice, authoritarian repression, social trauma, and the culture of solidarity in Indonesian society during the New Order era. Meanwhile, Namiya Zakkaten No Kiseki portrays loneliness, social alienation, and the values of empathy in modern Japanese society. The similarity between the two novels lies in their depiction of humanity and social relationships in society. The differences are found in the social and cultural backgrounds that influence the conflicts in the stories. Through Alan Swingewood’s sociology of literature approach, both novels can be understood as reflections of the social and cultural life of their respective societies and eras.