ANALYSIS OF MORAL VALUES IN THE SHORT STORY 'UMI

KALSUM' BY DJAMIL SUHERMAN

by Noviana Ashshiyamul Itsnaini, Dissa Shiva Oktaviani

Student of English Education Study Program
Peradaban University

Abstract:

This article presents a qualitative descriptive analysis of moral values in the short
story "Umi Kalsum" by Djamil Suherman. Employing a qualitative descriptive
method, the study focuses on the application of moral values, specifically
respecting social norms and religious beliefs in data (a) and (b), and compassion
and empathy in data (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g). The data comprise selected quotes
and dialogues from within the short story. The analysis reveals the significant role
of social norms and religious beliefs in shaping the characters' thoughts and
actions, as evidenced by specific instances in the narrative (data a and b).
Additionally, the study identifies instances showcasing the moral values of
compassion and empathy within the character interactions and dialogues (data c, d,
e, f, and g). This research contributes to a nuanced understanding of how moral
values are portrayed and emphasized in literary works, particularly in the context
of interpersonal relationships and societal expectations.

Keywords: Moral Value, Short Story, Umi Kalsum

A. Introduction
The word "sastra" (shastra) in Sanskrit refers to a book that contains
rules or instructions. In contrast, the term "literature" in Indonesian refers
more specifically to a literary style of writing. Literature can be defined as
imaginative works of fiction or other creative works, or as the skillful
application of elegant language to convey meaning (Taum, 1997: 13). Life is
depicted in literature, and social realities make up the majority of life.
According to this definition, relationships between individuals, between
society and people, and between internal events all constitute a person's life.
The primary standard for evaluating literature is to consider it a representation
of the world and human existence.

According to Ratna (2008), literary works are social facts that are
resolved based on real-world events. Literature is the imaginative or fictitious
representation of people's real-life experiences. In this instance, literature does
serve as a reflection of society. There is a causal relationship between literary
works and the social context in which they were created, according to Herder
(in Atmazaki, 1990:44). This is because literary works are an expression of
their own time and are influenced by their surroundings. Thus, it can be said
that the foundational human urges to express one's existence give rise to
literary creations.

A literary work is regarded as an expression of the reality of

relationships, and its presentation is organised, engaging, and makes use of
linguistic media in the form of text that is assembled from experience and
knowledge that may or may not represent different facets of actual life.
Literary works have significant values, such as moral lessons in stories,
because they are meant to be understood as much as enjoyed. An author
expresses his opinions about the world around him through his literary works.
However, since literature is always about life, it also provides a better
understanding of that life.
Literature acts as a mirror, reflecting personal problems, society
standards, and the changing moral environment. Moral values are principles or
standards used to determine what is considered right or wrong in the behavior
and decisions made by a person or group of people. Moral values can vary
from one individual to another, and can also differ from one group or society
to another. Moral values in literature capture the prevalent ethos of a time and
provide timeless teachings that are relevant to all generations, studying moral
values in literature helps preserve culture. Essentially, exploring the moral
implications of literature improves our ability to empathise, to think morally,
and to have a complexunderstanding of human nature.
Researching moral values is important for understanding the ethical
foundations that guide human actions, shape a just society, and advance
human values. The author of this study looks at a short narrative with a lot of
construction aspects written by Djamil Suherman, called Umi Kalsum. The
decision by Umi Kalsum to take her own life is the climax of this short story.
 While suicide is forbidden in religion and is despised by Allah SWT, we can
learn from short stories or lessons that no matter how difficult a situation
becomes, there is always a way out because Allah tests his people only to the
extent that they are capable of going.
The goal of analysis moral values in short story “Umi Kalsum” by
Djamil Suherman is to identify and comprehend the ethical dilemmas raised in
the narrative. In addition, the goal of this analysis is to effectively connect the
aforementioned moral principles with social, religious, or secular contexts in
order to provide a more comprehensive picture of how moral principles are
upheld and used in religious practice. By understanding the moral values in
short stories, readers can contemplate and absorb the moral messages
presented by the author, and apply this understanding in the context of real
life.
B. Literature Review
The sociology of literature theory approach will be used in this paper to
describe Djamil Suherman's contributions to the Indonesian literary landscape.
This idea is based on the idea that literature deals not just with the writer's
personal life but also, and essentially, with the social world, human attempts to
adapt to it, and his ongoing efforts to make it a better place (Damono, 2000: 3).
Reproducing the social world through literature is an endeavour. Social,
economic, and political structures are important to literature, just as they are to
sociology. Nonetheless, literature delves further than sociology, which gathers
merely objective, scientific accounts and analyses, to show how humans
 Swingewood in Damono, 2000:3). their society. Even Hoggard (in Damono,
2000:3) asserts that observers of society cannot perceive the better aspects of
society collectively in the absence of literary witness.

Short stories are a type of literary work that take the form of narrative
prose. The content of short stories is more concise and gets right to the point.
Short stories typically tell the story of a person's life, which can include
conflict, pleasure, and sadness. A short story, according to Panuti Sudjiman
(1988), is a fictional narrative that only highlights one significant or intriguing
aspect of a character's life in order to leave a lasting emotional impact on the
reader.

According to Kenny (in Nurgiyantoro, 2013:430), morality in literary

works is typically meant as an inference about specific applicable moral lessons
that the reader might draw (interpret) from the relevant story. In literary works,
morals typically represent the author's perspective on life, values, and the
importance of truth, and they also represent the author's intention to the reader.
Nurgiyantoro (2013: 441) says the type of moral value teaching itself can cover
problems, which may be said, is unlimited. It can cover all the problems of life
and human life. The types of morals are:

1. Man's relationship with God

Religion refers more to the institution of worship to God with official

laws. For example, people who living the commandments of God and their
respective beliefs such as worship, pray, and other religious activities.

2. Human relationship with self

Human problems with themselves can vary in type and level of

intensity. It can relate to issues such as self-existence, self-esteem, self-
confidence, and others that are more inward and psychological to an individual.
Examples include individual attitudes and characters such as patience, self-
love, sincere acceptance, and other good attitudes or characters.

3. Human relationships with other humans

Deals with friendship, loyalty, family relationships, love, superior-

 subordinate, and others that involve interactions between humans. Examples
are interaction with other individuals, mutual cooperation and cooperation with
other individuals, and mutual understanding or one mind with other
individuals.

4. Human relationship with nature

This relates to the behavior of people's social life in a place told in a

work of fiction. Examples are humans who try to preserve nature such as
gardening, planting and protecting nature, and utilizing natural products in
moderation.

As stated above, morals in literary works will always relate to the

problem of man with God, man with himself, man with other humans, and
man's relationship with nature.
C. Methodology
The method used in this research is qualitative descriptive. Qualitative
method is a research approach used to understand and describe naturally
occurring events, with an emphasis on the meaning and interpretation provided
by the individuals involved. (Inayyah and Simanjuntak 2022) s states that
Qualitative research aims to maintain the form and content of human behavior
and analyze its qualities, rather than transforming them into quantitative
objects. Meanwhile, descriptive approach is utilized to provide in-depth
descriptions of the narrative, characters, and conflicts present in the short story.
The initial stages of this research involve selecting the short story "Umi
Kalsum" by Djamil Suherman as the subject of study, considering the depth of
moral messages and cultural context it contains. The selected short story is then
analyzed using the triangulation theory analysis technique.
Data collection is carried out through the reading and note-taking
method. The author reads the short story repeatedly to understand each
 message within the story and records important elements that emerge. Note-
taking is done carefully to capture descriptive details, language styles, and
implied moral messages. Additionally, the author also records emotional
responses and personal interpretations of the short
There are simple steps taken by the writer in analyzing moral values on
the short story "Umi Kalsum" by Djamil Suherman. these steps are (1) reading
the text thoroughly, (2) identifying the moral message contained in the story, (3)
noting parts of the story that explicitly or implicitly convey a moral message,
and (4) classifying the moral messages contained in the story (5) translate the
original script into English.
D. Discussion and Finding
We have analyzed the moral values contained in the short story "Umi
Kalsum" by Djamil Suherman. This short story presents a rich narrative with
profound moral elements. Thus, creating a space for reflection and a deeper
understanding of life's values. Through this analysis, we can comprehend how
this short story not only entertains the readers but also provides a profound
perspective on moral questions related to everyday life.
1. Respect for societal norms and religious beliefs
A social norm refers to a widely accepted and expected standard of
behavior within a society or a specific social group. A social norm is present
when individuals engage in a behavior based on their belief that others similar
to them or within their community engage in the behavior (descriptive norms)
or because they believe that those who are significant to them endorse their
engagement in the behavior (injunctive norm) (Cialdini, Reno, and Kallgren
1990).
(Elsayed, Lestari, and Brougham 2023) states religion can offer
individuals a feeling of significance, direction, belong, and influence their
belief regarding the significance and purpose of life, the essence of morality,
and the existence afterlife. The urgency of the religion's existence depends on
the mindset and perception of society in viewing it. This is then reflected in
how the implementation of religious values takes place within the scope of that
community's life.
Based on the results of data analysis conducted on the short story 'Umi
Kalsum' by Djamil Suherman, the moral value of respect for societal norms and
religious beliefs is examined through the character 'I' who attempts to end the
conversation with the character 'Zainab' in the late afternoon before Asr prayer
due to the Islamic rule prohibiting unrelated men and women from being alone
together. This is depicted in data point (a). The character 'I' in the short story
also explains how the influence of strong religious and cultural norms affects
the relationship between men and women in social interactions, as depicted in
data point (b).
The character "I" in this short story is a 16-year-old male. He is a young
man, as indicated by his status as a student and interactions with other young
individuals like Zainab and Umi Kalsum. Being in the age range of
adolescence or young adulthood, he experiences romantic feelings and grapples
with societal expectations regarding relationships with women.
(a) “The time approached the Asr prayer. Students were coming and
going with their belongings. “Haven't you gone home to shower,
Nab?” She turned and looked at me sharply. “Well, let's stop here,
Nab. It's not good for people to see the two of us together. Hey, did
you hear? You're being called by Mother?”

From excerpt (a), it falls under the moral value of respect for societal
norms and religious beliefs because the character "I" applies a hadist narrated
by Imam at-Tirmidzi from the companion Abdullah bin Umar: "No man is
secluded (alone) with a woman, except that the third among them is the devil."
This rule is well-embedded, making it one of the etiquettes of interacting with
the opposite gender in Islam. On the other hand, the traditional society, which
is deeply obedient to religious rules, considers it a common practice that should
be followed by their descendants.
(b) “Due to the strong influence of religion and customs in our
community, there are rarely interactions between men and women
 unless they are family members or closely acquainted and known by
each other's parents, such as my relationship with Zainab. Even
though such interactions are not explicitly prohibited, people
naturally refrain from them out of fear of committing sins. Religion
also prohibits any form of interaction that may evoke feelings or
desires. Our interactions are limited to greetings only, and anything
beyond that is not allowed. If a man is interested in a woman, the
man's parents must formally propose to the woman's parents, and
marriage takes place only when both parties agree.”

From excerpt (b), it can be inferred that the community in Kedungpring

highly upholds social norms and religious values. They never cross the
boundaries of interaction between men and women due to their fear of
committing sins. This action aligns with the instillation of religious moral
values, as mentioned in a hadist narrated by Al-Ghazali: "Know that fearing
Allah is commendable. However, sometimes people think that when all these
fears are commendable, then having more and stronger fear is even more
commendable; this is a mistake. Fear of Allah is His whip that motivates His
servants to continually increase knowledge and righteous deeds so that, through
both, they can draw closer to Him."
2. Compassion and empathy
Compassion is a sympathetic understanding of someone's suffering,
combined with a desire to alleviate that suffering. It involves a deep awareness
of the emotional state of others, coupled with a genuine concern for their well-
being. (Knol 2017) explains that compassion lies at the core of every religious,
ethical, and spiritual tradition; however, there is little consideration given to the
possibility of debating or discussing whether this is a positive aspect or not.
On the other hand, empathy is the ability to understand and share the
feelings of another person. It involves stepping into someone else's shoes,
experiencing their emotions, and seeing the situation from their perspective.
(Rosyanti 2017) says someone is said to have empathy if they can empathize
with the feelings of others and can perceive the external situation according to
that person's reference patterns, and communicate their understanding of the
feelings, behavior, and experiences of that person personally.
Based on the analysis conducted, several parts of the short story "Umi
Kalsum" by Djamil Suherman were found the implementation of the moral
values of compassion and empathy. The character "I”, who receives and reads
the letter from Umi, is able to feel what Umi is experiencing. His sense of
compassion is demonstrated through a hyperbole figure of speech depicted in
the data (c). The character "I" who feels guilty about what happened to Umi,
accidentally meets her and engages in a conversation. This is portrayed through
several sentences expressing sorrow and even curses directed at Umi's father. It
demonstrates the immense empathy that the character "Aku" possesses
regarding what befell Umi that night. This part is illustrated in data (d). The
application of the moral values of compassion and empathy by the character "I"
is further depicted through a sentence illustrated in data (e). Not only does the
character "I" exhibit these qualities, but also the parents of "I" in the short story
show their compassion for Umi through a conversation that takes place one
night, as reflected in data (f). Lastly, the moral values of compassion and
empathy are demonstrated by the character "I" through a short sentence
depicted in data (g).

(c) Like the melting wax, the feeling in my heart is gradually fading. Oh,
how unfortunate her fate is. But unbeknownst to me, from behind,
Zainab appears and comes to snatch the letter. Fortunately, I had
crumpled it. How red her face became when she saw the letter. She
bowed down.

The expression " Like the melting wax, the feeling in my heart is
gradually fading. Oh, how unfortunate her fate is." This sentence appears after
the character "I" receives and reads Umi's letter, which describes her struggles
in life. Despite feeling happy to see and hear the voice of someone she admires,
there is a significant obstacle that makes her feel constrained. The girl seems to
harbor fear towards Zainab and especially her father, who restricts her
interactions with men. She feels like "a monkey chained in a cage" because she
is not allowed to see men. The rebellion in her is reflected in her smile, which
is actually a form of protest against her difficult fate.

(d) At that moment, my body felt as if sins were sticking to it. Oh, my
tears fell. I cried. And suddenly, my heart swelled with anger and
hatred as I pictured the face of that hypocritical Hajj. I felt the urge
to go to his house and say to him, "You're a lecherous pilgrim.
Hopefully, you'll die soon!" Or, "May your money be devoured by
termites." But suddenly, I shivered as the wind whispered around my
head. A few moments later, the howling sound was no longer heard.

The passage illustrates how the character "I" experiences a deep sense of
sadness and anger simultaneously in response to what happened to Umi.
(Fitriani 2020) states that Individuals involved in interpersonal conflict may
experience various negative impacts, such as trauma, anger, feelings of hatred,
and resentment. That aligns with the intense emotions depicted as "I"
considers expressing their strong dislike for Haji Basuni, entertaining the idea
of cursing him, who is Umi's father. It mirrors a complicated array of emotions,
encompassing sorrow and evolving into resentment in the character's response
to the situation involving Umi.

(e) Oh, my sweet heart Umi Kalsum, her fate is truly accurate; my
lament. If only that pilgrim wasn't so miserly, my sentiments towards
him wouldn't be like this. Since that unfortunate incident that night,
it's been a long time since I dared to meet Umi. I couldn't even bring
myself to look at her. And indeed, I have never seen her again.

The passage reflects the bitter feelings and disappointment of the

character towards Haji Basuni, referred to as a "pilgrim" or Hajj in that context.
The character expresses grievances regarding the fate of Umi Kalsum, referred
to as "my sweet heart Umi Kalsum." The disappointment seems to be related to
the behavior or wrongful actions committed by Haji Basuni on a sorrowful
night. The character reveals that since that incident, it has been difficult for
 them to meet or even see Umi again, possibly due to trauma or negative
emotions associated with the event.

(f) I think, then what my father and mother said yesterday is true. "Poor
Umi," said Dad. "Why her?" Mom asked. "Her father is too harsh.
Poor her," Dad replied.

The conversation reflects concern and empathy for Umi's fate. The
father expresses pity for Umi, highlighting possible suffering or difficulties she
is facing. The mother's question, "Why her?" indicates confusion and regret
regarding the situation Umi is in. The father then expresses his view that Umi's
father is too harsh, indicating that their sympathy and empathy are directed
towards Umi, who seems to be facing hardship or unfair treatment from her
father. Thus, this conversation reflects compassion and empathy for Umi's
suffering in the context of a family relationship that may be challenging for her.

(g) Since that day, my thoughts have been influenced by the sad news.
Who would have guessed that such an event would befall Haji
Basuni's family? Afflict Umi Kalsum, who is so gentle? Oh, my
long-cherished life gem that I intended to seize with all my feelings,
is now stained.

The passage demonstrates compassion and empathy through the

character's expression of concern for the fate of Haji Basuni's family, especially
Umi Kalsum. When the character states, "Who would have guessed that such
an event would befall Haji Basuni's family? Afflict Umi Kalsum, who is so
gentle?" - this expression reflects astonishment and empathy towards the
misfortune that befell someone they consider gentle and perhaps undeserving
of suffering. The use of words like "Oh, my long-cherished life gem" portrays a
high emotional value associated with the character's hopes and dreams
regarding a relationship with Umi Kalsum. However, when the unfortunate
event occurs, those hopes and dreams feel shattered and tainted, creating
feelings of disappointment and bitterness.
E. Conclusion
 Based on the analysis conducted on the short story "Umi Kalsum" by
Djamil Suherman, the conclusion is drawn regarding the application of the
moral value of respecting social norms and religious beliefs in data (a) and (b).
In both instances, it is evident that social norms and religious values play a
pivotal role in shaping the thoughts and actions of the characters in the
narrative.
Data (a) and (b) illustrate how adherence to social norms and religious
values influences the main character's thoughts and actions regarding the
relationship with Umi Kalsum. This suggests an awareness of the significance
of following social norms and adhering to religious beliefs as guiding
principles in life.
Furthermore, the analysis of moral values also recognizes the
application of the moral value of compassion and empathy in various data
points. In data (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g), it is observed how the main character (I)
responds to events and Umi's condition with profound empathy and sympathy.
The portrayal of empathy reflects a genuine concern for the suffering of others,
while also showcasing the character's comprehension of the complexity of the
interpersonal situation faced by Umi.
Therefore, the conclusion drawn from the analysis of moral values in
this short story underscores the application of the moral value of respecting
social norms and religious beliefs on one side, and the application of the moral
value of compassion and empathy on the other side. The combination of these
two moral values adds a nuanced dimension to the narrative, underscoring the
importance of comprehending and respecting social norms, religious beliefs,
and exhibiting sensitivity towards the suffering of others.
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