The Female Body as a Site of Resistance: A Feminist Analysis of Gender, Power, and Identity in Djenar Maesa Ayu's Short Stories

Abstract

This study explores the representation of the female body as a site of resistance against patriarchal domination in Jangan Main-main (dengan Kelaminmu), a short story collection by Djenar Maesa Ayu. The main issue addressed is how women's bodies, sexuality, and identities are constructed and contested within the narrative of contemporary Indonesian literature. The aim of this research is to reveal how the author employs bodily experience and language as subversive tools to challenge the social structures that oppress women. This study adopts a feminist literary approach using qualitative textual analysis. Theoretical frameworks include Simone de Beauvoir's concept of "woman as the Other," Hélène Cixous's écriture féminine, and body studies in literary discourse. The findings show that Djenar Maesa Ayu's works deliberately position the female body as an active subject that rejects hegemonic norms. The narratives illustrate a process of deconstructing social taboos, sexual repression, and moral control imposed on the female body. These findings affirm that Djenar's literature is not merely an aesthetic expression, but also a powerful ideological statement on women's freedom, autonomy, and agency in contemporary urban society.