Anthropological Knowledge in Novels: The Example of Marah Rusli’s Anak Dan Kemenakan [Children and Nephews]

Abstract

In this article, the researchers want to find out whether novels written by local authors can be a source of anthropological knowledge. The researchers analysed the novel Anak dan Kemenakan [Children and Nephews], that was written by Marah Rusli. The main objectives were to find out what kind of anthropological knowledge it contains and whether it can be an anthropological source. It was detected that it gives a good impression of the Minangkabau kinship system. Furthermore, the novel also includes anthropological knowledge that describes part of the Minangkabau culture in West Sumatra, like the culture-specific terminology or the importance of discussing in order to achieve a consensus. The researchers concluded that the book Anak dan Kemenakan describes the cultural situation of West Sumatra at the beginning of the 20th century. Furthermore, Marah Rusli used the perspective of the upper class during that time.