THE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AS VICTIMS OF MASCULINE POWER IN CANTIK ITU LUKA BY EKA KURNIAWAN: AN EXISTENTIALIST FEMINIST STUDY

This study analyzes the representation of women as victims of masculine
power in Cantik Itu Luka by Eka Kurniawan through the lens of Simone de
Beauvoir’s existentialist feminism. The novel was chosen for its intricate
portrayal of women’s suffering and social positioning within Indonesia’s
patriarchal structure, marked by violence, sexuality, and moral oppression.
While earlier research has explored themes of women and patriarchy in
Kurniawan’s works, studies explicitly connecting Cantik Itu Luka to
Beauvoir’s existentialist feminist theory remain scarce. This study therefore
contributes to a deeper understanding of women’s freedom and existence
in Indonesian literature. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, the
research draws on the text of Cantik Itu Luka as the primary data source.
Analysis is conducted through close reading of narrative elements,
symbols, and character actions, framed by Beauvoir’s concepts of freedom,
oppression, and woman as the “Other.” The findings reveal that masculine
power in the novel manifests through physical violence, sexual
exploitation, and moral or social control over women’s bodies. The
protagonist, Dewi Ayu, together with other female characters such as
Alamanda and Maya Dewi, embodies the subjugation of women under
patriarchy. Yet, amid this suffering emerges an existential awareness that
urges women to assert freedom and autonomy as self-determining
subjects. Through his use of magical realism, Kurniawan captures the
tension between oppression and resistance, illuminating women’s search
for meaning and agency. Ultimately, this study enriches feminist literary
criticism in Indonesia by showing how literature reflects women’s
existential struggles toward liberation and self-sovereignty.