Saman (novel)
Encyclopedia
Saman is a 1998 Indonesian novel by Ayu Utami
. Telling the stories of four female friends and a former Catholic priest, it was written in seven to eight months. Dealing with themes of sexuality, authoritarianism, and gender roles, it won the 1997 Jakarta Art Institute novel writing contest, which led to its publication. Although initially critically derided for its explicitness and disbelieved to be Utami's own work, Saman eventually was hailed for its groundbreaking portrayal of women's views of sexuality. , it has been translated into six languages and won several awards, including the 1998 Jakarta Arts Council Novel Competition
and the 2000 Prince Claus Award
. It has also been credited with starting a new school of literature named Sastrawangi.
; Cok, a Balinese
lawyer with a high libido; Shakuntala, a bisexual Catholic Javanese dancer; and Laila, a Muslim Minangkabau journalist. The other protagonist is the titular Saman, a former Catholic priest turned human rights activist who becomes the target of sexual advances by Yasmin and Cok.
The first chapter, beginning in Central Park
, New York, shows Laila waiting for the married Sihar and planning to lose her virginity to him. Eventually Laila realizes that Sihar is still in Jakarta
with his wife, and feels depressed.
The second chapter covers Saman's childhood, his entry into priesthood, and his attempt to protect a rubber tapping
community from the attempt by a local plantation to acquire their land. After the attempt fails and the plantation's hired thugs raze the community to the ground and kills those who resist, Saman is captured and tortured. He eventually is broken out of holding by the surviving resistance members, becoming a fugitive, relinquishing his duty as a priest and becoming a human rights advocate instead. He is assisted by Yasmin.
The third chapter, written from the point of view of Shakuntala, tells of how Yasmin, Cok, Shakuntala, and Laila met at high school and their escapades there, both sexual and academic. She also recounts a fantasy she had as a teenager about meeting a "foreign demon", embracing him and then having a debate on the different cultural aspects of sexuality. Towards the end of the chapter, Shakuntala notes that she is attracted to Laila and dislikes Sihar, but supports her friend's efforts as she cares for her.
During the fourth chapter, Saman is spirited away to New York by Yasmin and Cok. Although both Cok and the married Yasmin make advances on him, he initially declines. However, during the middle of the night he and Yasmin have sex, causing Saman to be distressed because he ejaculated quickly
. The entirety of the last chapter consists of emails sent between Saman and Yasmin, discussing their insecurities and eventually becoming increasingly sexualized.
A. Junaidi of The Jakarta Post
suggests that the political insights in Saman are partially inspired by Utami's earlier career as a journalist, both with Forum Keadilan and as a founding member of the Alliance of Independent Journalists
.
regime, including the repression of human rights activists. Utami herself notes that the critique of the New Order government is still relevant, as the Suharto government had left Indonesia with a legacy of "nuclear waste", including a loss of Indonesia's agricultural ability and Indonesians becoming "corrupt, lazy, lov[ing] instant things, bureaucratic, hav[ing] no sportsmanship, [and] hav[ing] no outstanding achievement in sports". Although the novel touches on racial harmony, Utami considers the themes undeveloped.
Utami has also noted that the novel is a reflection of her own restlessness and anxiety. Although little reflects events in her life, she notes that Saman's loss of religion reflects her own, as well as her belief in the double standards regarding virginity in Indonesian culture.
Barbara Hatley notes that Saman contrasts the perceived differences between Eastern and Western cultures. She cites the scene where Shakuntala fantasizes of encountering a "foreign demon" (European explorer) while bathing, later "embracing" him and discussing the "bizarre" requirement of Asian men are required to wear penis decorations and the "crassness" of Europeans not caring about virginity, wearing bikinis in public, and showing sex on television; according to Hatley, this is rendered more ironic by both characters being naked during the discussion. She also notes that Saman touches on the traditional archetype of feminine power drawn from nature and the supernatural, as well as reinterpreting the hero archetype through Saman, who is small, thin, and inexperienced with women but able to withstand torture and defend a community of rubber tappers.
Saman was released in 1998 after winning the 1997 Jakarta Art Institute novel writing contest. Critical reception was mixed. Some critics praised the "rich language" used in the novel. However, others disapproved the open sexuality of the novel, with its explicit use of the words "penis", "vagina", "orgasm" and "condoms" considered "too much"; other controversial terms include "rape me", "I am still a virgin", and "masturbation". Utami's own mother refused to read the novel aloud to her nearly blind husband, stating that it is "not meant for those of their generation".
In Saman Utami became one of the first female Indonesian authors to explicitly discuss sexuality, generally a taboo subject for women, in her work. However, when it was first released, Utami faced charges that she was not the actual writer; among those suggested as the author was poet Goenawan Mohamad
, known as Utami's mentor. Mohamad denied the rumors and said that he wished he "could write the kind of prose which Ayu uses".
In 1998, Saman won the Jakarta Arts Council Novel Competition
. In 2000, it received the Prince Claus Award
. By 2005, it had been translated into Dutch and English; the English translation took a long time to write because Utami was concerned that an overexplanation of the novel caused it to lose all of its sensuality. It has also been translated into French, Czech, and Japanese (by two separate translators). , a translation into Korean is underway.
It has been noted as starting a new era of literature after the downfall of President Suharto and igniting the Sastrawangi (Fragrant literature) literary movement as well as an influx of sexually themed literary works. Utami disagrees with the label Sastrawangi, stating that it reflects the press' obsession with the women writers and not their work.
A film adaptation is in the works, with Dutch director Orlow Seunke expressing interest to be attached to the project. However, Seunke and Utami have had creative differences regarding which characters should be kept.
Ayu Utami
Ayu Utami is a female Indonesian writer. She has written novels, short-stories, and articles. Saman is widely considered her masterpiece...
. Telling the stories of four female friends and a former Catholic priest, it was written in seven to eight months. Dealing with themes of sexuality, authoritarianism, and gender roles, it won the 1997 Jakarta Art Institute novel writing contest, which led to its publication. Although initially critically derided for its explicitness and disbelieved to be Utami's own work, Saman eventually was hailed for its groundbreaking portrayal of women's views of sexuality. , it has been translated into six languages and won several awards, including the 1998 Jakarta Arts Council Novel Competition
Jakarta Arts Council Novel Competition
Jakarta Arts Council Novel Competition is annual novel competition held by Jakarta Arts Council in Indonesia....
and the 2000 Prince Claus Award
Prince Claus Awards
The Prince Claus Fund was inaugurated in 1996, named in honor of Prince Claus of The Netherlands. It receives an annual subsidy from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs....
. It has also been credited with starting a new school of literature named Sastrawangi.
Plot
Saman follows four sexually liberated female friends: Yasmin, a married Catholic lawyer from MedanMedan
- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....
; Cok, a Balinese
Balinese people
The Balinese population of 3.0 million live mostly on the island of Bali, making up 89% of the island's population. There are also significant populations on the island of Lombok, and in the eastern-most regions of Java The Balinese population of 3.0 million (1.5% of Indonesia's population) live...
lawyer with a high libido; Shakuntala, a bisexual Catholic Javanese dancer; and Laila, a Muslim Minangkabau journalist. The other protagonist is the titular Saman, a former Catholic priest turned human rights activist who becomes the target of sexual advances by Yasmin and Cok.
The first chapter, beginning in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, New York, shows Laila waiting for the married Sihar and planning to lose her virginity to him. Eventually Laila realizes that Sihar is still in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
with his wife, and feels depressed.
The second chapter covers Saman's childhood, his entry into priesthood, and his attempt to protect a rubber tapping
Rubber tapping
Rubber tapping is the process by which the sap is collected from a rubber tree. An incision is made in the tree's bark, which cuts through the planting cycle to optimise the latex yield....
community from the attempt by a local plantation to acquire their land. After the attempt fails and the plantation's hired thugs raze the community to the ground and kills those who resist, Saman is captured and tortured. He eventually is broken out of holding by the surviving resistance members, becoming a fugitive, relinquishing his duty as a priest and becoming a human rights advocate instead. He is assisted by Yasmin.
The third chapter, written from the point of view of Shakuntala, tells of how Yasmin, Cok, Shakuntala, and Laila met at high school and their escapades there, both sexual and academic. She also recounts a fantasy she had as a teenager about meeting a "foreign demon", embracing him and then having a debate on the different cultural aspects of sexuality. Towards the end of the chapter, Shakuntala notes that she is attracted to Laila and dislikes Sihar, but supports her friend's efforts as she cares for her.
During the fourth chapter, Saman is spirited away to New York by Yasmin and Cok. Although both Cok and the married Yasmin make advances on him, he initially declines. However, during the middle of the night he and Yasmin have sex, causing Saman to be distressed because he ejaculated quickly
Premature ejaculation
Premature ejaculation is a condition in which a man ejaculates earlier than he or his partner would like him to. Premature ejaculation is also known as rapid ejaculation, rapid climax, premature climax, or early ejaculation....
. The entirety of the last chapter consists of emails sent between Saman and Yasmin, discussing their insecurities and eventually becoming increasingly sexualized.
Writing
Saman was originally intended to be a part of the work in progress Laila Tak Mampir Ke New York (Laila Does Not Come to New York), but later published on its own after the character Larung became too developed; the second part of Laila Tak Mampir Ke New York, Larung, was published in 2001. It was written during a period of seven to eight months while Utami was unemployed.A. Junaidi of The Jakarta Post
The Jakarta Post
The Jakarta Post is a daily English language newspaper in Indonesia. The paper is owned by PT Bina Media Tenggara, and the head office is in the nation's capital, Jakarta....
suggests that the political insights in Saman are partially inspired by Utami's earlier career as a journalist, both with Forum Keadilan and as a founding member of the Alliance of Independent Journalists
Alliance of Independent Journalists
The Alliance of Independent Journalists Indonesia is a body that promotes press freedom in Indonesia.The AJI was founded in 1994 by Satrio Arismunandar, Ahmad Taufik and Goenawan Mohamad, the founder and editor of Tempo magazine, in response to the banning by the Suharto government of three...
.
Themes
Junaidi notes that Saman is mainly about the female perspective of sexuality. However, it also deals with the authoritarianism of Suharto's New OrderNew Order (Indonesia)
The New Order is the term coined by former Indonesian President Suharto to characterize his regime as he came to power in 1966. Suharto used this term to contrast his rule with that of his predecessor, Sukarno...
regime, including the repression of human rights activists. Utami herself notes that the critique of the New Order government is still relevant, as the Suharto government had left Indonesia with a legacy of "nuclear waste", including a loss of Indonesia's agricultural ability and Indonesians becoming "corrupt, lazy, lov[ing] instant things, bureaucratic, hav[ing] no sportsmanship, [and] hav[ing] no outstanding achievement in sports". Although the novel touches on racial harmony, Utami considers the themes undeveloped.
Utami has also noted that the novel is a reflection of her own restlessness and anxiety. Although little reflects events in her life, she notes that Saman's loss of religion reflects her own, as well as her belief in the double standards regarding virginity in Indonesian culture.
Barbara Hatley notes that Saman contrasts the perceived differences between Eastern and Western cultures. She cites the scene where Shakuntala fantasizes of encountering a "foreign demon" (European explorer) while bathing, later "embracing" him and discussing the "bizarre" requirement of Asian men are required to wear penis decorations and the "crassness" of Europeans not caring about virginity, wearing bikinis in public, and showing sex on television; according to Hatley, this is rendered more ironic by both characters being naked during the discussion. She also notes that Saman touches on the traditional archetype of feminine power drawn from nature and the supernatural, as well as reinterpreting the hero archetype through Saman, who is small, thin, and inexperienced with women but able to withstand torture and defend a community of rubber tappers.
Diction
In her master's thesis, Micaela Campbell notes that the use of language in Saman reflects the positioning of the female characters as self-empowered and independent, capable of making their own decisions.Release and reception
In Saman Utami became one of the first female Indonesian authors to explicitly discuss sexuality, generally a taboo subject for women, in her work. However, when it was first released, Utami faced charges that she was not the actual writer; among those suggested as the author was poet Goenawan Mohamad
Goenawan Mohamad
Goenawan Mohamad is a renowned Indonesian poet and man of letters.Goenawan Mohamad was born in Batang, Central Java. His early writings include Potret Seorang Penyair Muda Sebagai Si Malin Kundang and Seks, Sastra, Kita ,'"Kesusastraan dan Kekuasaan' Goenawan Mohamad (born 29 July 1941) is a...
, known as Utami's mentor. Mohamad denied the rumors and said that he wished he "could write the kind of prose which Ayu uses".
In 1998, Saman won the Jakarta Arts Council Novel Competition
Jakarta Arts Council Novel Competition
Jakarta Arts Council Novel Competition is annual novel competition held by Jakarta Arts Council in Indonesia....
. In 2000, it received the Prince Claus Award
Prince Claus Awards
The Prince Claus Fund was inaugurated in 1996, named in honor of Prince Claus of The Netherlands. It receives an annual subsidy from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs....
. By 2005, it had been translated into Dutch and English; the English translation took a long time to write because Utami was concerned that an overexplanation of the novel caused it to lose all of its sensuality. It has also been translated into French, Czech, and Japanese (by two separate translators). , a translation into Korean is underway.
It has been noted as starting a new era of literature after the downfall of President Suharto and igniting the Sastrawangi (Fragrant literature) literary movement as well as an influx of sexually themed literary works. Utami disagrees with the label Sastrawangi, stating that it reflects the press' obsession with the women writers and not their work.
A film adaptation is in the works, with Dutch director Orlow Seunke expressing interest to be attached to the project. However, Seunke and Utami have had creative differences regarding which characters should be kept.