In a quantitative analysis of themes explored in the creative writing classes at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, it was found that over 60 per cent of all writings dealt with the parent-child relationship, with many dealing specifically with the trope of the anak derhaka, or unfilial child. A closer look at the anak derhaka texts showed that their endings almost invariably showcased a formulaic trajectory that punished the unfilial child and restored family order. This article examines the significance of this recurring trope and its inevitable ending in the context of Brunei Darussalam's tripartite state ideology and discourse, Malay Islamic Monarchy, consisting of race, religion and political identity. By preserving the continuity of traditional Malay-Muslim worldview, this recurring trope underscores an innate desire, or anxiety, to maintain local identity and cultural values amid the chaos of external, global pressures and events. At the same time, the texts reveal a fascination with difference, or Otherness. This paper will consider how these instances of difference are negotiated, for they reveal moments of tension and ambivalence which appear to undermine the state discourse even as the texts move toward the "correct", closed endings.
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