Exile Trauma and Gender Relevance in the Novel Pulang: Postmemory Studies Marianne Hirsch (Putra et al., 2024)

=== [PDF page 1] === Vol. 12, No. 1, June 2024 page 51—62 https://jurnal.ugm.ac.id/poetika https://doi.org/10.22146/poetika.v12i1.96336 Exile Trauma and Gender Relevance in the Novel Pulang: Postmemory Studies Marianne Hirsch Jalu Norva Illa Putra1*, Damay Rahmawati2, Cao Jia3 Indonesian Literature, Universitas Udayana Jl. Raya Kampus UNUD, Bukit Jimbaran, South Kuta, Badung, Bali, Indonesia, 80361 English Language Study Program, Duta Bangsa University Jl. Pinang No.47, Cemani, Grogol, Sukoharjo Regency, Central Java, Indonesia 57552 Indonesian Language and Literature, Tianjin Foreign Studies University No.117, Machang Road, Hexi District, TianJin, People Repulic of China, 300204 ABSTRACT Inspired by the real-life experiences of Indonesian exiles, Leila S. Chudori’s Pulang explores the journey of an exile of the New Order regime attempting to come to terms with the trauma of the 1965 tragedy, and the inherited trauma of his daughter, who returns to the country of her father’s birth amid political turmoil. This research focused on revealing the discourse of exile as a victim who transmits their trauma to a subsequent generation, as well as the position of gender in the formulation of transmission, affecting the identification of trauma inheritance. Hirsch’s postmemory perspective was employed to analyze the process of trauma inheritance, which was rarely found in Indonesian literary works, as were the historical descriptive, causality, and comparison methods. The trauma inheritance experienced by the first generation is the trauma of loss due to the 1965 tragedy, which was then passed down to a child. Familial transmission becomes the basis of trauma inheritance, strengthened by affiliate transmission, which was a work of authentication in Indonesia. Gender plays a role in the affectivity of transmission, wherein transmissions involving fathers (exiles) and daughters are just as trauma-creating triggers. It is noteworthy that affiliative transmission fosters intersubjectivity among non-exiled female characters who are closely connected to the first generation, thereby enhancing the inheritance of trauma more effectively than familial transmission. The first generation is exiled and identifies its trauma by remembering and bringing with it Indonesian features, in various forms. In contrast, the second generation does it more concretely by becoming a real Indonesian. These findings underpin how an exile’s trauma stemming from the 1965 tragedy can be passed on to the second generation, through a transmission process, a journey back to Indonesia, and gender relevance. Pulang redefines an exile as a victim and as an effort for reconciliation. Keywords: exile 65; gender; Indonesianness; postmemory; trauma INTRODUCTION Exiles have become a new reality in Indonesia, since be exiles. The New Order refers to a political regime 1965 several Indonesian citizens who were forbid- which had the power to forbid certain people to come den to come back home by the New Order appear to back to Indonesia. Even so, the New Order does not === [PDF page 2] === Poetika, Vol. 12, No. 1, June 2024 represent Indonesia as a sovereign country. Whereas Pulang presents a unique narrative. Budiawan noted exiles were the victims of the 1965 tragedy—their in his book that the Partai Komunis Indonesia (PKI) departure abroad was in the leftist (socialist) coun- discourse is often framed as one of revenge (Assa, tries of the mid-1960s and related to the occurrence 2019: 17). This theme is not prominent in Leila’s work, of the G30S/1965 (Gusnelly, 2017: 1). They were In- which instead focuses on the victims from a political donesian citizens who were outside the country to perspective. This study employs Marianne Hirsch’s study or become state delegates to attend high-level concept of postmemory to analyze the process of conferences in socialist countries (Faisal, Muslimah, trauma inheritance from the first generation to & Torry, 2017: 5). Furthermore, Akmaliah (2015: 72) subsequent generations, with particular attention to said that the 1965 tragedy exiles were different from gender perspectives within the context of the 1965 other exiles. The 1965 tragedy exiles are those who tragedy. have a strong vision of Indonesia with the idea that Leila S. Chudori began her career as a journalist before the events of 1965 they would return to their at Tempo, where she realized that not all stories could homeland and build Indonesia. In other words, these be fully captured in news and articles. Consequently, 1965 exiles are a group that has a strong nationalist she turned to literature as a medium to convey what identity with a mixture of socialist and communist journalism could not. During a visit to Paris, France, ideological backgrounds regarding Indonesia. she discovered an establishment named Indonesian Exiles are defined as a marginalized class that Restaurant, where she met its founders, Umar Said and experienced violence from the New Order. Spivak Sobron Aidit, former activists and exiles of the 1965 (1988: 24–25) mentions epistemic violence that ap- tragedy. Their experiences, including the opening of pears in a particular discourse that silences margin- the restaurant and their lives as exiles in France, proalized voices in the Western discourse. Spivak argues foundly impacted Leila. This encounter inspired her that epistemic violence arises from epistemic injustice to write Pulang as she explicitly details in the novel within the structure of knowledge systems (Thambi- (Chudori, 2018). nathan, Kinsella, & Wylie, 2023: 3). In this context, the Pulang narrates the story of Dimas, a man la- New Order government perpetrated epistemic vio- beled as kiri (leftist) and subsequently designated lence against exiles by constructing their own version as an ex-tapol (former political prisoner). Exiled to of history concerning them. This version of history be- France, a country he never envisioned as a potential came integrated into the knowledge structure, making home, Dimas and his friends were forcibly displaced it accessible and influential within society. More clear- from Indonesia due to the 1965 tragedy. In their strugly, Galtung (1969: 172–173) explains that he divides gle to survive in France, Dimas ultimately decides to violence into three; direct violence, indirect violence, open an Indonesian restaurant. Historically, Dimas and cultural violence. Exiles tend to experience indi- embodies the concept of Nasionalisme Jarak Jauh, a rect violence, characterized by its structural nature form of long-distance nationalism commonly pracand systemic integration, rendering the perpetrator ticed by exiles, a concept introduced by Akmaliah anonymous and the source of the violence obscured. (2015: 72). Dimas Suryo lived in France and had a This indirect structural violence was obtained through daughter, Lintang, who inherited his trauma related the New Order government system to forbid exiles to the dark history of the 1965 tragedy. Lintang exfrom entering Indonesia. For this reason, exiles have perienced her father’s trauma as if it were her own, their own memories and traumas. Exiles tend to ex- prompting her to investigate her father’s past and the perience indirect violence, characterized by its struc- events of the 1965 tragedy. Her quest for answers ultural nature and systemic integration, rendering the timately led her to Indonesia during the 1998 crisis, a perpetrator anonymous and the source of the violence pivotal moment that helped her discover her identity. obscured. Exiles experience forced dispossession be- This narrative is particularly significant as it draws cause they are human beings made by their country inspiration from the real-life experiences of an exile and can no longer return to their homeland. in France and is crafted by a journalist. Pulang is a novel that explores the journey of an Wattimena (2016: 165) asserts that the exile attempting to manage trauma in order to survive. 1965 tragedy has become a collective memory Unlike previous works addressing the 1965 tragedy, for Indonesians. Dimas internalizes this collective 52 === [PDF page 3] === Putra, et.al. - Exile Trauma and Gender Relevance in the Novel Pulang memory as a personal trauma, stemming from the loss second generation experiencing the transmission of of a loved one. Faruk (2021: 6) supports this notion the trauma of the 1965 tragedy. Finally, Furqan (2022) by stating that memories of the past are constructions sought to expound on the transmission of the memory of present recollections, and that competition over in the post-generation and explore how the process the truth of the past often manifests as contemporary of returning journey occurs, ultimately showing that conflicts. Dimas represents a modern individual the second-generation characters experience the same negotiating with the memories of his past. events as the first-generation when making a return This article employs the concept of postmemory, journey to Indonesia. which encompasses memory and trauma, to examine The two last studies discuss the textual transthe 1965 tragedy in Indonesia. Faruk (2021) posits that mission in the novel. Mulyadi and Putra (2021) conpostmemory is particularly pertinent to the Indonesian vey that the transmission will use books, museums, context, especially regarding the events of 1965. photos, personal letters, historical documents, and Notably, it is uncommon for the second generation narratives, whereas Furqan (2022) refers to the proof survivors of the PKI massacre to document their cess of a return journey that experiences the same parents’ experiences. In this context, Leila S. Chudori’s trauma as the first generation. two novels, one of them is Pulang, narrate the 1965 The novelty of the present research lies in its fotragedy and the disappearances at the end of the New cus on the trauma experienced by exiles in the context Order. Faruk (2021: 14) emphasizes that any written of the 1965 tragedy, highlighting the discourse of Inmemory inherently involves a connection between donesianness (sense of belonging) for an exile, who is the past and the present, a principle fundamental to often perceived as “another of the other.” Additionally, memory studies. this study examined the roles of familial and affiliative Several studies discuss trauma as an object, transmissions within the specific context of the 1965 Chu (2014) researched the Korean diaspora who tragedy and exile, incorporating gender perspectives experienced the violence of the Japanese, Russian, in the process of trauma inheritance. and American wars. Harris (2020) in her writing re- Postmemory describes the relationship of searched second-generation Jews who grew up in fam- the second generation about the power, trauma, or ilies affected by the Holocaust. Trauma inherited from events that occurred before the generation was born parents is trauma resulting from political conflicts, that were passed on to them to make the trauma like wars of persecution, and genocide, according to Harris theirs (Hirsch, 2012: 5). Hoffman (2004: 13–14) de- (2020), who further states that it is interesting that the fines the post-generation as “the hinge generation” trauma related to the Holocaust was carried out mas- and “the guardianship of the Holocaust” the way in sively, organized, and had a deep psychological impact. which received, transferred knowledge of the events Ernawati (2020), studying the Javanese novel, Jawa is being transmitted into history, or myth. This mem- Kadang Suriname Sanak Merapi, reveals the elements ory is transmitted by the Self, representing the first of memory of Dutch colonialism towards Indonesia, generation, to the Others, or the second generation, and also discusses the narrative of a hyper-mascu- in a manner so profound that it appears as if they linized system through both intergenerational and share the same traumatic experiences. Crucially, the intragenerational identification. second generation does not retrieve these memories Three previous studies have discussed the nov- from their own experiences, as they have no direct el, Pulang. Nasution (2016) found that Pulang has a recollection of them. Instead, they reconstruct these construction of hybridity in the form of diaspora. His memories through the narratives, photos, and other diaspora is characterized by figures who always rem- mediums provided by the first generation, which serve inisce and teach their children to always remember as vessels for these transmitted memories. Further- Indonesia. Mulyadi and Putra (2021), aimed to explain more, Bergson (2023) defines memory as a collection the transmission memory of the events of 1965 from of social memories. This collection of social memories the first generation to the post-generation in liter- will enter the dialectical process for each individual ary work. This transmission is described using the and create individual memories regarding the events sourced text​in Pulang. Their study resulted in the des- they experienced. ignation of the first generation, generation 1.5, and the The postmemorial generation—in displacing 53 === [PDF page 4] === Poetika, Vol. 12, No. 1, June 2024 and recontextualizing these well-known images in that become media in trauma transmission. Furthertheir artistic work—has been able to make repeti- more, the construction process of gender influence tion not an instrument of fixity or paralysis or simple in both transmissions was carried out. Secondly, we retraumatization (as it often is for survivors of trau- discuss the identification of acquired trauma by the ma), but a mostly helpful vehicle of working through a second generation with the returning journey process. traumatic past (Hirsch, 2012: 5). This understanding And thirdly, the results of the Indonesian discourse of postmemory as potentially productive—not stuck built by the first generations​ and culminating in the or static, and as a condition and an approach that is second generations reveal the function of trauma inhaunted (a word that comes up frequently in scholarly heritance in the context of the current 1965 tragedy. discussions of postmemory) yet also hopeful—can This research contributes to the ongoing disbe profoundly moving and motivating for those of us course surrounding the 1965 tragedy by identifying engaged in and with this kind of cultural work (Hong, the transmission of trauma with considerations of 2020: 129–130). gender and intergenerational notions of Indonesi- Further emphasized by Frosh (2019), post- anness. It illuminates Leila’s efforts to redefine the memory provides a space for the second generation discourse of victimhood and perpetuate the victims’ to imaginatively and empathetically assume traumatic desire for reconciliation. Additionally, this study recircumstances for others through themselves (Frosh, veals that Leila inadvertently creates a narrative that 2019: 1). Postmemory will focus on how this trauma keeps the 1965 tragedy relevant in the present, even transmission will lead to two things, one that leads to as the first-generation ages. Ultimately, this research blood relations and one that is social. Furthermore, uncovers the function of intergenerational trauma Kumalasari (2016: 63) highlights the relationship inheritance within a literary work. between postmemory and gender, specifically how gender relations are influential in the transmission of FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION trauma. Kumalasari said that Hirsch saw differences in gender transmission relations between fathers-sons The Transmission and Identification and mothers-daughters. Hirsch concludes that there The inheritance of trauma in postmemory is referred are fundamental differences in women’s subjectivity to as transmission. Hirsch wrote the definition of and intersubjectivity. In this case, the relationship transmission based on the ideas of Jan and Aleida between mother and child will be more visible, im- Assmann, both focused on memory (Hirsch, 2012: pactful, and more dramatic. This article will observe 32). Jan Assmann divided collective memory into two a different case where a familial transmission exists parts, communicative memory and cultural memory. between father-daughter and the affiliative transmis- Communicative memory includes individual memory sion is daughter-mother. and social memory, while cultural memory is divided The research methods used in this research we into political memory and cultural memory. Faruk re historical descriptive, causality, and comparison. (2021: 6) confirmed cultural memory is the interplay Descriptive methods we re used to identify existing between the past and the present in a socio-cultural transmission. The causality method wa s used to dis- context. This was the forerunner to the thinking about cover the process of inheritance of trauma and discov- transmission put forward by Hirsch. The distinction er the symbolization of Indonesian discourse using between postmemory and memory for Hirsch is the Marianne Hirsch’s theory. Familial transmission, re- same as Freud’s distinction between physical and turn journey, and affiliative t ransmission reconstruct material reality, between experiences controlled by the trauma inherited by the second generation. This unconscious processes and consciousness. The first process facilitates an identification mechanism to elu- is not immediately present but has an equally large cidate how the second generation’s trauma emerges effect (Stuber, 2015: 1). and how they define themselves based on this inher- Hirsch (2012: 32) mentioned two things; familial ited trauma. postmemory relates to the context of family or blood In this paper firstly describes the identification relations and affiliative postmemory is outside the of familial transmission and affiliative transmission, family or public domain. The two terms postmemory followed by, the symbolization and meaning of objects describe an arena or realm of postmemory work. Both 54 === [PDF page 5] === Putra, et.al. - Exile Trauma and Gender Relevance in the Novel Pulang have the same depth and affectivity in different ways. identity, wondering who she is, whether she is a part Familial transmission is particularly clear of Indonesia or Indonesia is part of her. and almost undeniable in its depth and affectivity of Trauma in this context is defined as an emotrauma transmission. This depth can be identified tional response to an unpleasant thing or experience. through various factors, such as the duration of This unpleasant thing can be exemplified by several exposure, the intensity of encounters is generally things, for example, coercion, rape, natural disasters, lifelong, and facilitating the massive inheritance of or forced exile. The response to this trauma is an act trauma. Additionally, parents possess an inherent of displeasure, which can take the form of several authoritative context, granting them the power to things or actions. The character who has trauma, Dishape their children. This authority indirectly aids in mas, who experiences trauma due to an unpleasant transferring trauma from parents to children. incident, forced exile from his homeland. Due to this Affiliation is often considered unable to compete trauma, Dimas responds to the trauma in the form with the depth and affective of familial transmission. of anxiety. The anxiety has occurred because he lost Familial transmission is indeed the main key in the everything he loves, such as his family, Indonesia, and presence of postmemory (Hirsch, 2012: 30). However, all his happy memories. This anxiety is always presaffiliative transmission is likely to be a significant ent, even though he has got a new life. For Dimas, his determining factor in the transmission of trauma. dreams or achievements are “his past”. He just wants Many aspects that are absent within the family domain to return to his past which was cut and lost because can be found in the public domain. Meanwhile, the of the events of the 1965 tragedy. family acts as a gateway that triggers the emergence of In simple terms, the familial transmission that trauma. It is the public sphere that further elaborates Dimas inherited from Lintang can be seen in four and intensifies this experience. The affiliative domain objects: is vast and boundless, potentially allowing the second 1. Spices in the jars. Dimas collected various spices, generation to receive more transmission in certain such as turmeric and cloves, in a container. cases. If familial transmission is akin to a sketch in These spices are a symbol of Dimas’ longing the form of lines, affiliative transmission adds the for Indonesia. The smell of these spices always color that clarifies and completes the blurred image. reminds him of the taste and familiar ambience Thus, affiliative transmission plays a crucial role and of Indonesia. should be considered a decisive element in the context of postmemory. “Lalu mengapa kunyit, Ayah? Demikian tanya Lintang dengan mata yang besar memandang warna kuning bubuk itu di dalam stoples. Dimas Pulang: The Inheritance of Loss tak pernah menjawab kecuali tersenyum dan This novel narrates the story of Dimas, a man who juga membiarkan Lintang mencium harum strives to survive his exile in France, where he kunyit yang menusuk. Cuping hidung Lintang ultimately receives asylum. While living abroad, kembang kempis”. his paramount dream is to return home. To sustain himself, he establishes an Indonesian restaurant called (Chudori, 2022: 214) Tanah Air Restaurant. Eventually, Dimas marries a “So why turmeric, Dad? Asked Lintang with big French woman and has a child named Lintang. Lintang eyes looking at the yellow color of the powder travels to Indonesia to meet Dimas’s closest friends, in the jar. Dimas never answered except to who are also victims of the 1965 tragedy. smile and let Lintang nose-piercing smell of This article not only focus on Dimas as the turmeric. Lintang’s nostrils flared and deflated”. central figure but also examine the character of Lintang. Dimas’s trauma centers on loss—the 1965 2. Restaurant Tanah Air. Dimas and his friends tragedy robbed him of his people and homeland. decided to build a restaurant serving Indonesian This trauma is inherited by Lintang, who does not cuisine in France. This restaurant is a miniature immediately experience loss in the same way as Indonesia. Dimas tries to present everything Dimas. Instead, Lintang grapples with questions of about Indonesia in this restaurant. 55 === [PDF page 6] === Poetika, Vol. 12, No. 1, June 2024 Restoran Tanah Air, 90 Rue de Vaugirard, 1985 Maman… … Di tangannya ada beberapa lembar, entah kertas “Aduh kenapa lama sekali, ini sudah jam tujuh apa. Dia memegang lembaran itu dengan tangan dan sudah waktunya makan malam. Le diner gemetar. Astaga ada apa? Lintang memberikan sera délicieux. Malam ini menunya adalah nasi lembaran itu, lalu keluar. Terdengar suara pintu kuning dengan lauknya: tempe kering, sayur kamarnya ditutup. Tidak dibanting, Ditutup”. urap empal, dan sambal goreng udang. Ayah “Aku membaca selintas satu per satu, ini adalah akan membuatkan dua macam sambal, yaitu surat dari Surti Anandari di akhir tahun 1960-an sambal bajak yang tidak terlalu pedas—Ayah Ketika Hananto akhirnya tertangkap tentara. selalu membuang biji cabe yang merah itu dan Tapi tunggu dulu, ada beberapa surat lain… menggodoknya terlebih dahulu—agar sesuai tahun 1970,1971, 1972, 1973, 1978, 1979, dengan lidah pengunjung Prancis. Sambal yang 1980…1982… satu lagi adalah sambal kacang dengan cabe rawit yang luar biasa pedas dan hanya dinikmati (Chudori, 2022: 214-215) lidah Indonesia di Paris, Maman, dan Aku”. Maman... (Chudori, 2022: 140) In her hand there were several sheets of paper, I don’t know what. She held the sheet with Restoran Tanah Air, 90 Rue de Vaugirard, 1985 trembling hands. Gosh, what’s wrong? Lintang “Oh, what’s taking so long, it’s already seven the sound of her bedroom door closing. Not o’clock and it’s time for dinner. Le diner sera slammed, Closed”. délicieux. Tonight, the menu is nasi kuning with “I skimmed through them one by one, this was side dishes: tempe kering, empal urap, and a letter from Surti Anandari at the end of the sambal goreng udang. My father would make 1960s when Hananto was finally caught by the two kinds of sambal, that is sambal bajak which army. But wait, there are several other letters… was not too spicy—father always removed the 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1980… red chili seeds and boiled them first—so that it 1982…”. suited the taste buds of French visitors. Another type of sambal is sambal kacang with cayenne 4. Wayang. Wayang is an Indonesian puppet show. pepper which is extraordinarily spicy and is The puppet figures that Dimas introduced to only enjoyed by the Indonesian tongue in Paris, Lintang were Ekalaya and Bima. Bima is a symbol Maman and Me”. of sincerity which is relevant to the way he loves Indonesia and Surti. Dimas loves both of them Lintang receives trauma through familial sincerely without needing anything in return. transmission not only in the form of images and stories Ekalaya is a symbol of sacrifice which is relevant but also through Indonesian cuisine. This culinary to his sacrifice to love Indonesia, he is willing to inheritance highlights the transmission of trauma, lose his identity which is symbolized through the as Strand reveals that food recipes and flavors are loss of his citizenship. crucial elements in forming an identity that connects with the past within a cultural context. These elements “Desiran darah asing itu senantiasa terasa lebih help negotiate with the present, create memories, and deras dan mendorong jantungku bergegas setiap sustain a sense of continuity and identity (Strand, kali aku mendengar suara gamelan di antara 2023: 468). The food, taste, and memory of the food musim dingin yang menggigit; atau ketika aku that Lintang received from her father apparently mendengar kisah wayang dari ayah tentang influenced Lintang in negotiating her identity. Ekalaya yang merasa terus-menerus ditolak 3. Surti. A woman loved by Dimas, his best friend’s kehadirannya atau Bima yang cintanya tak wife. Surti is turmeric and cloves in a container terbalas. in Dimas’ room. Surti is Dimas’ dark and beautiful story that Lintang accidentally finds out. 56 === [PDF page 7] === Putra, et.al. - Exile Trauma and Gender Relevance in the Novel Pulang “The rush of strange blood always felt stronger it closely resembles familial transmission due to and pushed my heart to rush every time I heard Surti’s familial-like relationship with Dimas and his the sound of gamelan amidst the freezing friends. Additionally, Surti is a direct victim of the winter; or when I heard wayang stories from 1965 tragedy. The following is an account of the story my father about Ekalaya whose presence felt Surti shared with Lintang. constantly rejected or Bima whose love was unrequited”. “Semua diawali dari Mas Hananto yang berpamitan di pagi hari tanggal 2 Oktober Bima, one of the Pandawa brothers and karena situasi di kantor tak menentu katanya. Drupadi’s husband, is portrayed as the most Dia meminta aku tak keluar rumah jika tak affectionate toward Drupadi compared to his other perlu. Atau, jika merasa tak aman, kembali brothers, including Yudhisthira, the eldest brother berdiam ke rumah orangtuaku lagi di Bogor. and Drupadi’s first husband. Untuk sementara. Karena aku baru saja Ekalaya, another character in the wayang (a mengungsi ke sana untuk alasan yang berbeda, traditional puppet show), is identified by Dimas as a alasan kekisruhan rumah tangga, tentu saja aku reflection of himself, symbolizing sacrifice. Ekalaya’s menolak untuk pergi. Aku tak menyadari betapa depiction, particularly the act of sacrificing his thumb, meningkatnya suhu politik Indonesia saat itu”. represents Dimas’s sense of forced sacrifice and the loss of his rights. The thumb symbolizes Dimas’s “Dia bercerita hingga mereka dipulangkan, identity as an Indonesian citizen, illustrating that lantas ditahan lagi di Budi Kemuliaan, yang true love does not entail relinquishing one’s rights. berbeda dari membaca surat-surat itu, kini aku When rights are surrendered, it inevitably leads to mendengarnya sendiri dari suara yang sudah loss, rendering Dimas unable to love fully. Thus, to ditimbun oleh 32 tahun yang menekan. Suara love means to possess. itu sesekali terdengar tenang dan mantab. Tapi These elements are transmitted to Lintang as saat menceritakan tentang Kenanga yang mulai memories of her father’s past. At this stage, Lintang menyaksikkan kekejian di usia terlalu dini, Tante only acknowledges her father’s suffering and his Surti mulai parau”. perspective on Indonesia. In Lintang’s mind, Indonesia remains a blurred image, oscillating between a (Chudori, 2022: 379-387) beautiful homeland and the country that exiled her “It all started with Mas Hananto saying goodbye father. in the morning of October 2nd because the Lintang’s departure to Indonesia opened up situation at the office was uncertain, he said. a new avenue for affiliative transmission. In France, He asked me not to leave the house if I didn’t Lintang’s exposure to affiliative transmission was very have to. Or, if I felt unsafe, I should go back to limited. Her journey to Indonesia, therefore, becomes my parents’ house in Bogor. For the meantime. a crucial component of the trauma transmission Because I had just fled there for a different process, on par with the familial transmission from reason, for reasons of domestic problems, of Dimas. This new form of transmission is particularly course I refused to leave. I didn’t realize how impactful through direct visualization. Upon arriving much the political temperature in Indonesia in Indonesia, Lintang immediately experienced the had risen at that time.” country’s landscape, atmosphere, and conditions firsthand, solidifying and confirming the transmissions “She told the story until they were sent home, she received while in France. This direct experience then detained again at Budi Kemuliaan, which allowed the trauma to become internalized, making is different from reading the letters, now I hear it feel as if it were her own. it for myself in a voice that has been buried for The more significant affiliative transmission 32 years of pressure. The voice occasionally came from Surti, Lintang’s father’s first love. This sounded calm and steady. But when she transmission is particularly important because it told about Kenanga, who started witnessing encompasses personal and psychological aspects, atrocities at an young age, Aunt Surti started embodying intersubjectivity. Despite being affiliative, to get hoarse”. 57 === [PDF page 8] === Poetika, Vol. 12, No. 1, June 2024 The character of Surti and the timing of from other female characters, Surti and Kenanga, Lintang’s arrival, which coincided with the fall of who are mother and daughter. In the novel Surti the New Order and the Trisakti riots, were crucial is a stranger to Lintang, but the closest person to in completing the trauma inherited from her father. Lintang’s father. This is what is then considered as The previously vague and monochromatic sketch of allo-identification in this case. The intersubjectivity Indonesia now gained texture and color, reflecting between Dimas, Lintang, and Surti is a unique Lintang’s observations. No longer limited to thinking phenomenon. Alienation and familiarity appear or imagining, Lintang was able to grasp the reality in the process of affiliative transmission towards of Indonesia. This newfound understanding allowed Lintang. In the dialog, Lintang and Surti are involved her to comprehend both her own identity and her in an intimate relationship between women. Lintang relationship with Indonesia more profoundly. seems to feel Surti’s struggles because they are both women. This appears in the letter that Lintang sent The Role of Gender in the Transmission of to her father in Paris. Exile Trauma “Mewawancarai Tante Surti adalah pengalaman Hirsch emphasizes the view of posmemory from a yang paling meruntuhkan hati, karena saya feminist perspective (Altınay & Pető, 2015: 387). sudah mengenal nama keluarga ini sejak kecil”. She tries to map the connection between the first and second generations through the lens of gender. (Chudori, 2022: 395) In her book The Generation of Postmemory Writing and Visual Culture after the Holocaust, she highlights that “Interviewing Tante Surti was the most heartmasculine transmission (father to son) is different breaking experience, because I have known this from feminine transmission (mother to daughter). family name since childhood”. Mother and daughter’s transmissions are considered This quote emphasizes how Lintang engages by Hirsch to have their particularities (Hirsch, 2012: with Surti psychologically through the objects and 98–99). These particularities refer to all-identification memories she inherits. In the transmission process, which emphasizes certain feminist practices. This Lintang and Surti are both foreign and familiar to difference is not mapped by Hirsch because it is very each other. The clear distinction lies in how trauma contextual to the transmission process that occurs is transmitted, Surti provides a direct account of her between generations. This becomes important in the experiences during the 1965 tragedy in Indonesia. transmission that occurs in the novel Pulang. Although both Dimas and Surti are victims of the Familial transmission occurs within the same event, their forms of suffering differ. Surti’s relationship between father and daughter, while trauma stems from direct physical and mental affiliative transmission fosters connections between violence, whereas Dimas suffers from alienation as daughters and other female victims. Dimas, an exile an exile viewing Indonesia from afar. Consequently, living in isolation, is depicted as highly masculine yet the trauma inherited by Lintang from Dimas differs profoundly melancholic. He tends to create monuments significantly from that inherited from Surti. to commemorate his life’s history through various Surti offers a more comprehensive and deeper objects, embodying the role of a true memorializer. account of her trauma, which is further intensified by Dimas’s memories of Indonesia, symbolizing his the shared femininity that bonds her with Lintang, trauma of loss, are transmitted to Lintang. This almost like a mother-daughter relationship. Their transmission is influenced by the gender difference connection, facilitated by Dimas, allows for a more between father and daughter, which in this case acts complex and impactful transmission of trauma. as a barrier to direct transmission. Consequently, the Therefore, affiliative transmission proves to be a more familial transmission between father and daughter effective and affective means of passing on trauma serves as a catalyst for a more extensive and impactful than familial transmission. transmission process. Affiliative relationships are important because they function to authenticate inherited trauma. Reconstruction and Autentification Lintang as a daughter gets an affiliative transmission Lintang saw Indonesia as something foreign, 58 === [PDF page 9] === Putra, et.al. - Exile Trauma and Gender Relevance in the Novel Pulang something that was beyond her. This emerged when this journey is essential for making it whole. Lintang’s she met with her lecturer to present a proposal for a trip to Indonesia serves as a process to confirm the documentary film she would make in Indonesia. memories transmitted to her. Visiting the place where the trauma occurred is the only way to piece together “Lintang merasa sedang melalui sebuah upaya the trauma puzzle that she received. This act of visiting mencapai satu titik tujuan asing yang bernama the scene of the incident helps bridge the past and the Indonesia”. present. However, the time gap can create confusion (Chudori, 2022: 257) or doubt in the recipient of the transmission. Thus, Lintang’s journey back to Indonesia functions as a “Lintang felt that she was going through an trauma reconstruction process. effort to reach a foreign destination called Lintang’s journey to Indonesia aligns with Indonesia”. Hirsch’s assertion, as she discovers the truths Slowly, as this affiliative transmission is and authenticates the transmissions she received increasing, she begins to realize that Indonesia is not before her departure. Through her findings, Lintang something that comes from outside herself. This is the concludes that her father is indeed a victim. The beginning of Lintang’s duality. sorrow surrounding her father’s rejection by his country and subsequent exile substantiates this “Lintang berlari-lari sepanjang koridor. Dia conclusion. Furthermore, her father’s depiction of the merasa seperti akan menggapai sesuatu. wayang character Ekalaya, unequivocally defined as Menggapai sesuatu yang selalu asing dalam a victim, reinforces this understanding. dirinya. Memetik satu dari I.N.D.O.N.E.S.I.A….” Lintang first received transmissions about Indonesia from her father while in France, who (Chudori, 2022: 258) described it as a beautiful, fertile, and cultured country. This view was further reinforced by her “Lintang ran along the corridor. She felt like she father’s friends, the environment at the Tanah Air was reaching out for something. Reaching for Restaurant, and various books she read. Lintang something that had always been foreign to her. Picking up one of I.N.D.O.N.E.S.I.A....” internalized this perspective, considering Indonesia as an embodiment of beauty and exoticism, a notion This quote encapsulates Lintang’s evolving heavily influenced by her father’s memories. perception of Indonesia following a discussion However, through her father’s transmission, with her lecturer and leading her to recognize that Lintang also learned about the deteriorating Indonesia is an intrinsic part of her identity. This conditions in Indonesia due to the 1965 tragedy. realization triggers Lintang’s dual identity. She has She understood that Indonesia was facing a crisis an ambivalent view toward the trauma she inherited. and experiencing oppression from its government, From Dimas, she received familial trauma, manifesting marked by numerous murders and disappearances, as anxiety and fear of loss, which exacerbates her and political strife that sacrificed its people. worries about her identity. Conversely, through Despite this understanding, Lintang’s direct affiliative transmission, Lintang acquired a different experience in Indonesia profoundly altered her form of trauma, characterized by fear of the New perception. The initial idyllic image her father painted Order regime and Suharto as its authoritarian figure. was replaced by the harsh reality she encountered. Space and time influence the nature of The beauty and exoticism seemed like mere fairy transmission, as evidenced by Lintang’s departure tales as she faced the sweltering heat of Jakarta and to Indonesia, which triggers a crisis for her. Hirsch discovered a new, more complex Indonesia. When (2019: 173) discusses how the second generation’s Lintang was in Indonesia, the political temperature journey to trace additional information fosters was at its peak, there were lots of actions everywhere a closer connection to sites, objects, or people. because of the reformation (Agus, et al., 2023: 1), Lintang’s presence in Indonesia provides her with a Lintang saw Indonesia in a new context. new understanding of the country. Given that trauma Lintang’s duality does not just happen, her transmission is inherently fragmented and incomplete, departure to Jakarta and finding a figure named Alam 59 === [PDF page 10] === Poetika, Vol. 12, No. 1, June 2024 is the beginning of her duality. France and Indonesia, self-recognition the distance that separates them from Paris and Jakarta, and Nara (Lintang’s girlfriend) and others. Although the resolution of the crisis aligns with Alam are binary oppositions that represent Lintang’s others’ expectations, the process and reasons differ choice. These three oppositions refer to the confusion that resulting in a heteropathic form of identification. about Lintang’s identities, which later become a choice This signifies that the self can distinguish between as her identity. their own identity and the identities of others. Lintang does not necessarily have France or Indonesia, Paris or Jakarta, but she chooses Alam. Reconciliation This is clearly seen in the text. Reconciliation efforts continue to be advocated by “Alam jangan pernah lagi bertingkah memberi various parties in Indonesia. A significant trigger ruang untukku. Aku tak ingin ada ruang kosong was President Joko Widodo’s press conference on yang isinya cuma aku sendiri! Aku tak ingin the Recognition of Major Human Rights Violations in punya jarak denganmu. Tidak satu sentimeter. Indonesia in 2023, where 12 cases were acknowledged, Tidak satu milimeter” with the first being the events of 1965-1966. Opinions on reconciliation vary. “Reconciliation is a societal process that “Alam never again acts to make room for me. I involves mutual acknowledgment of past don’t want an empty space where it’s just me! suffering and the changing of destructive I don’t want to have distance from you. Not one attitudes and behavior into constructive centimetre. Not a millimetre.” relationships toward sustainable peace”. This quote explains that Lintang has chosen (Brounéus, 2021: 22) Alam, which also means choosing Jakarta and Indonesia. Lintang is finished with her dual identity Reconciliation is defined as a social process and defines herself as Indonesian. Indonesia is within involving the recognition of traumatic past events her. that have led to destructive attitudes and behaviors, Indonesia is both a subject and an object for transforming these into constructive relationships Lintang. Indonesia defines Lintang and is also defined that foster sustainable peace. It aims to establish by Lintang. Quoting research from Fernanda on the positive and enduring peace among those involved in “Transmission of Memory and Trauma in Dmetri armed conflict. Leila, through her novel, suggests that Kakmi’s Mother Land: Postmemory Studies”, he said unresolved conflict cannot lead to positive change. that the country of Turkey represents the icon of As a writer, Leila seeks to advance the principles destruction from the transmission given to the second of “truth and reconciliation.” Her work reflects a generation (Fernanda, 2017). This icon of destruction new enthusiasm to challenge the longstanding New serves as a metaphor for transmission that triggers Order regime. Although Leila did not experience the the emergence of trauma. Similarly, Lintang perceives trauma firsthand, she listened to the victims’ stories Indonesia as an icon of destruction, reflecting the and applied logical analysis to understand why these complex and traumatic legacy she has inherited. victims deserve recognition and justice. This includes According to Hirsch (2012: 85), the concepts both exiles and those who directly experienced the of idiopathic and heteropathic identification are 1965 events in Indonesia. relevant when examining how Lintang receives The novel’s purpose is not merely to revisit trauma transmission from another, specifically her the tragedy of 1965 but to inspire a new spirit of father. Initially, the self is able to internalize another’s resistance against the government responsible for trauma as if it were their own, which is evident in perpetuating this trauma. Leila and Lintang advocate the identity crisis Lintang experiences. However, the that while the events of 1965 are over, it is time to journey to the location of the trauma is crucial for the forgive without forgetting. Forgetting is a decision that self’s identification process. This journey, facilitated cannot instantly heal the wound. Wounds are eternal by affiliative transmission, provides a new context and cannot be erased by forgetting. Forgiveness aims that differs from familial transmission, helping the to reconcile conflicting parties, eliminating resentment 60 === [PDF page 11] === Putra, et.al. - Exile Trauma and Gender Relevance in the Novel Pulang and hostility, but it does not imply erasing the memory totally free from any conflict of interest regarding the of the conflict. data collection, analysis, and the editorial process, and the publication process in general. CONCLUSION The four familial transmissions that Dimas passed REFERENCES down to Lintang form the basis of her inherited Akmaliah, W. (2015). Indonesia Yang Dibayangkan: trauma. Gender plays a crucial role in affiliative Peristiwa 1965-1966 Dan Kemunculan Eksil transmission, as transmission between women Indonesia. Jurnal Masyarakat & Budaya, 17(1), involves intersubjective relationships that trigger 65–77. Retrieved from www.indonesiandiaspora. affective trauma in the second generation. 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