Unveiling the Meaning of Personification and Satire through Hermeneutics in the Novel Pulang: A Study in Indonesian Literature Education

Abstract

This study aims to analyzed the use of personification and satire in Pulang by Leila S. Chudori using a hermeneutic approach to uncover their deeper meanings and social critiques. This study explores the meaning of personification and satire in Pulang by Leila S. Chudori using a hermeneutic approach to reveal how figurative language reflects Indonesia’s socio-political realities. The findings contribute to both literary analysis and Indonesian literature education by promoting critical, contextual interpretation aligned with the Merdeka Curriculum. The study employed qualitative textual analysis, identifying excerpts containing personification and satire, categorizing them, and interpreting their significance within the novel’s historical and sociopolitical context. Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutic framework was applied, involving three stages: explanation, interpretation, and application. The findings indicated that personification enriched the novel’s emotional depth and symbolism, reflecting the psychological struggles of political exiles, while satire served as a sharp critique of political repression, power imbalance, and societal disillusionment during the New Order era. The study contributed to literary and stylistic research by demonstrating that figurative language in Pulang not only enhances the narrative but also conveys implicit historical and ideological messages. Additionally, the research offered insights for Indonesian literature education, encouraging a more critical and analytical approach to reading figurative language in literary texts.