Mystical Elements in the Novels of Marah Rusli

Abstract

Marah Rusli is widely recognized as a prominent figure in Indonesian literature, particularly in the field of writing novels. He is regarded as the 'father' of contemporary Indonesian fiction. His well-known writings, including Sitti Nurbaya, were the subject of numerous analyses. The mystical components, another aspect of Marah Rusli's writing that appears to be recurrent, will be examined by the researchers in this article. The findings indicate that Marah Rusli, despite being aligned with modernist ideals and expressing criticism towards traditional Minangkabau rituals, exhibited a profound inclination towards mystical concepts that can be characterized as rooted in folk beliefs. His autobiographical novel Memang Jodoh, in particular, includes numerous mystical influences and illustrates supernatural events. For the reader, this fact is fascinating as it provides new, important background information about the work of Marah Rusli.