Title: Echo Across the Ocean- Selected Prose Of Hamzah Hussin and The House Of Earth Trilogy By Pearl S. Buck
Abstract:This paper focuses on the issue of external contacts in early modern Malay literature in the 20th century. It applies historical and comparative methods of research to three renowned novels by the Mal...This paper focuses on the issue of external contacts in early modern Malay literature in the 20th century. It applies historical and comparative methods of research to three renowned novels by the Malay author, Hamzah Hussin, written between 1951 and 1956. This paper aims to trace their possible connection with the famed The House of Earth trilogy (1931-1935) by the American Nobel Prize Laureate, Pearl S. Buck. The results of analysis demonstrate notable correspondences between the respective novels of Hamzah Hussin and Pearl S. Buck on the level of issues raised and storyline. Both sets of novels also share the same central image of house/home, which provides the core development of plot. Additionally, the women characters are found to share commonalities in both sets of novels. It is hoped that this paper prompts future studies on the Occidental influences in Malay authors and literature. Keywords: Malay literature, American prose, novel, Hamzah Hussin, Pearl S. Buck, literary contacts, Occidental influence Abstrak Artikel ini memfokuskan isu hubungan luar kesusasteraan Melayu modern pada awal abad ke-20. Artikel ini memanfaatkan kaedah kesusasteraan bandingan dalam penelitian terhadap tiga novel terkenal penulis Melayu, Hamzah Hussin di antara tahun 1951 dan 1956. Artikel ini bertujuan untuk menjejaki kemungkinan hubungan dengan novel terkenal trilogi The House of Earth (1931-1935) oleh penulis Amerika dan pemenang hadiah nobel, iaitu Pearl S. Buck. Daripada analisis menunjukkan terdapat kaitan antara novel-novel Hamzah Hussin dan Pearl S. Buck tentang isu yang diutarakan dan jalan cerita. Novel kedua-dua penulis ini berkongsi tumpuan imej yang sama, iaitu rumah atau kediaman yang menyediakan asas pembangunan plot. Selain itu, watak wanita dalam novel mereka didapati berkongsi permasalahan yang sama. Diharapkan artikel ini mengundang kajian lanjutan pada masa akan datang terhadap pengaruh oksidental dalam karya penulis dan kesusasteraan Melayu. Kata kunci: Kesusasteraan Melayu, prosa Amerika, novel Hamzah Hussin, Pearl S. Buck, hubungan persuratan, pengaruh oksidentalRead More