Abstract
As with many post-colonial countries, Indonesia has suffered from a long conflict between the military and civil society since its independence in 1945. This struggle is reflected in Ahmad Tohari’s novel entitled The dancer (2012), which has been largely credited as being critical towards the military regime. Using the theories of depoliticisation, I argue that the novel is 1) largely supportive of the military regime due to the oppressive situation as well as the author’s own political line, and 2) influenced by other powers besides the government. The fact that the novel dares to touch the once suppressed subjects of the Indonesian Communist Party (the arch enemy of the regime) and the anti-communist persecution shows a drive for politicisation. Nevertheless, further analysis shows that, by portraying it as highly political, The dancer actually depoliticises the party in that it only reinforces what has been said of the party and removes any alternative points of view. It also represses and depoliticises the military’s persecution and killing of the suspected communists through the pretexts of self-defence, ignorance, and guilt.
Highlights
The dancer occupies a unique position in the history of Indonesian literature and, to some extent, cinema
Together they reflect the longstanding issue in the history of the country and the history of Indonesian literature and cinema: the practices of depoliticisation and politicisation
Using the theory of depoliticisation and politicisation, I argue that The dancer is 1) largely supportive of the Suharto regime‟s narrative on the Indonesian Communist Party and the military, and 2) influenced by the government and the market and the literary communities
Summary
The dancer occupies a unique position in the history of Indonesian literature and, to some extent, cinema. The book and its adaptations encapsulate the long, internal struggles between the military and civil society, which are typical in post-colonial nations but still wanting in post-colonial criticism (Mukherjee, 1990; Huggan, 1997) Together they reflect the longstanding issue in the history of the country and the history of Indonesian literature and cinema: the practices of depoliticisation (usually associated with the government‟s political opression) and politicisation (the civil society‟s attempts to promote political issues). She survives the great ordeal but must continue her life with ex-communist status, which is the worst stigma one could have during the Suharto era (196698) in Indonesia After writing this trilogy, Ahmad Tohari reportedly had to face a long, „ideological interrogation‟ by the military (Nugroho, 2015; National Book Committee, 2016). This personal touch certainly fills a gap in the psyche of the fatherless dancer
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