Indonesian Yusuf and Zulaikha: Short Story “The Apple and the Knife” by Intan Paramaditha (2008)

Abstract

The short story “Apple and Knife” (2008) by Indonesian writer Intan Paramaditha (born in 1979) is analysed within the comparative-typological framework of the Biblical and Quranic narrative about Yusuf and Zulaikha. The continuity of the motif transposition is traced from the literatures of the Middle East to that of the peoples of Nusantara who embraced Islam later. The intermediary was the Javanese Serat Yusup, which dates back to the 17th century. The literary skills and methods by Intan Paramaditha’s find their place somewhere in between the feminist literary criticism and horror stories. The deconstruction of some elements of the traditional narrative about Yusuf (e.g. the episode with the noble Egyptian women) makes the popular story to sound more meaningful to the readers of the modern Indonesian literature. In its turn, it sheds some light on the political and social developments of the “re-Islamized” island state of Indonesia.The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.