DEKONSTRUKSI RELASI GENDER TOKOH UTAMA DALAM NOVEL AMBA KARYA LAKSMI PAMUNTJAK

Novel Amba by Laksmi Pamuntjak presents the representation of a woman living under the constraints of patriarchal culture and Indonesia’s dark historical past. The character Amba faces various forms of unequal gender relations, yet she refuses to surrender. Instead, Amba asserts herself as a powerful and autonomous subject. This study aims to describe the forms of gender relations, their impacts, and the deconstruction of gender relations experienced by the main character in novel Amba. This research employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive method. The data analyzed consist of narrative and dialogical excerpts from the novel. Data collection involved the stages of reduction, presentation, and conclusion drawing. The excerpts were analyzed based on their forms, impacts, and elements of deconstruction, using relevant theoretical frameworks. The results indicate that Amba experiences domination from her father and patriarchal surroundings, subordination in personal and social relationships, and marginalization in public spaces. These conditions lead her to reject gender stereotypes and resist oppressive cultural systems. Through deconstruction, Amba emerges as a female character who rejects the singular meaning of femininity and positions herself as an active subject challenging established social structures. The findings of this study is Amba is not merely portrayed as a victim of patriarchy but as a subject who resists gender stereotypes and deconstructs the social meanings attached to her identity as a woman. She asserts control over her life path. Thus, the novel Amba serves as a site of female resistance against unjust social systems and offers critical space for reinterpreting gender identity and representation in Indonesian literature.