LITERACY : International Scientific Journals Of Social, Education and Humaniora

E-ISSN: 2829-3649
P-ISSN: 2829-3908
Vol. 1 No. 1 April 2022
http://jurnal-stiepari.ac.id/index.php/LITERACY

ANALYSIS OF MORAL VALUES IN TERE LIYE’S NOVEL “PULANG”

Marudut Bernadtua Simanjuntak

ABSTRAK
Literary works are creations of aesthetic values that the author wants to communicate through
writing, such as telling a story in the first person or in the third person. The literary novel "Pulang" by a writer
named Dervish with the pen name "Tere Liye". This novel is about traveling home, going through battle after
battle, embracing all hatred and pain for peace. This study aims to describe religious moral values, social
moral values and personal moral values in the novel by Tere Liye. The research method used is descriptive
qualitative. Data collection techniques are library techniques, listening and taking notes. The results of this
study determine the moral values in the novel by Tere Liye, namely religious moral values, social moral
values and personal moral values. In this novel, Bujang never violates Mamak's mandate that he is forbidden
to drink, which shows the existence of religious moral values. In addition, the social moral values in this
novel are manifested in togetherness, and mutual cooperation, especially in the Tong family. And the moral
value of an individual is how Bujang eliminates his inner fear.

Keywords: Literature work; Novel; Religious Moral Values.

INTRODUCTION
Literary works can be born from the life or background of the author, this causes the background of
the author to have an influence on the literary work produced (Howard, J. 2017). The author will use
creativity, taste, and work in his work. The author will capture the symptoms of the soul and then process it
into the text and be equipped with his psyche, so that his own experiences and life experiences around the
author will be projected imaginatively into the literary text. Likewise, readers, in responding to literary works
will not be separated from their own psyche. These literary works can be in the form of novels, short stories,
dramas, and poetry. The form of literature that is well-known among today's society is the novel. Novels
contain fictional stories in written form that have intrinsic and extrinsic elements. The novel tells the life of
living things with their interactions with the environment and others. Novel is a long literary work whose
contents contain a series of stories on the lives of certain characters and the characters who surround them
(Howard, J. 2017). Novels also highlight the character and behavior of each character in the novel.
Imaginative works, literature serves as a pleasant reading material, in it the terms and cultural values and is
useful for adding to the inner wealth for human problems, humanity and life. One of them is a novel that tells
the life of a character that is touching or fun and contains an impression that is not easily forgotten. Literary
works generally contain problems that occur in themselves. Literary works have their own world which is
the result of the writer's observation of the life created by the writer himself in the form of novels, poetry,
and dramas that are useful to be enjoyed, understood, and utilized by the community.
Morality is knowledge of civilized character, good behavior based on some religious views on life
(Ismail, I. 2016). Morality can be seen from two aspects, the inner aspect and the action aspect. Morality can
be said as a manifestation of the good and bad of human behavior based on internal attitudes. In Tere Liye's
novel "Pulang", the author writes a large number of moral values in the form of icons, indexes, symbols, etc.
in the novel, which reflect human consciousness with its nature. The novel Pulang by Tere Liye was chosen
in this study because it is very interesting to study. The strength of this novel lies in its unique and new theme,
namely economic problems related to the world of bouncers. Novels generally tell the story of love for the
opposite sex, but through this novel we realize that love is broad. Love for yourself, parents, friends, and
friends. The love that the author tries to describe is accompanied by betrayal. This betrayal becomes one of
the interesting conflicts. In addition, the author adds a deep religious element as well as struggle and heroism.

Received February 22, 2022; Revised March 2, 2022; Accepted April 22, 2022
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Economics in this novel can be easily understood by the general public because the author explains in detail
and simply, the author is able to explain in detail the locality of the interior of Sumatra. Economics is
combined with action and religious stories that can stir the heart. The story in this novel cannot be separated
from the bouncer, but the author is able to insert comedy in between these actions.
Novel Pulang is one of the novels by Tere Liye, published in 2015, totaling 400 pages with a book
thickness of 14.8 cm x 21 cm. This novel tells of a young man named Bujang, father named Samad and
mother named Midah. The three of them live far from the city. Bujang is a descendant of a famous butcher
in Sumatra. Midah always teaches religion to Bujang, this is done secretly for fear of being known by his
father. The bachelor will be scolded by his father if he is caught studying religion. One day, a relative of his
father from the city came to the house, the relative intended to hunt pigs in Bujang's hometown. After hunting,
Tauke invites Bujang to be invited by his father's relatives to go to the city. In town, Tauke is kind enough to
send Bujang to an American college. In addition, Bujang aspires to become a reliable bouncer, so Bujang
strives to achieve that desire in addition to pursuing his economics degree. The struggle that Bujang went
through was not as easy as imagined. Bujang goes through ups and downs to be able to achieve success. On
the other hand, Bujang must be sincere because his parents died. Life in the city is in stark contrast to life in
the interior of Sumatra, the area where Bujang was born. City life is synonymous with crowds and wide, even
free association. After a long struggle in the city, finally Bujang was able to return to his hometown.
"I know now, more wounds in my father's heart, than his body. Also my mother, there are more tears
in Mamak's heart than in her eyes." A story about the journey home, through fight after fight to embrace
tightly all the hatred and pain. Go home, a word that means something is back. Which tells the story of a
young man who returns to a state he has been through before. Is a bachelor, started a journey in the black
world after he managed to defeat the leader of the wild boar alone in the jungle of Bukit Barisan, the interior
of Sumatra. Until the nickname "The Wild Boar" attached to him. After a hunting incident in the jungle,
Bujang went with the Young Tauke, the leader of the hunters from the city. Mamak reluctantly let go after
giving a message. The message that will be the promise of a Bujang life. “Mamak knows what you will
become there.. Mamak knows. . but whatever you do there, promise me bachelor, you won't eat pork or dogs.
You will keep your stomach from unclean and dirty food. You will also not touch palm wine and all illicit
drinks. Promise you'll keep your belly off all that, bachelor. So that.. so that tomorrow the day after tomorrow
if your whole heart is black, you will still have one white dot, and I hope that is useful. Calling you home."
Who would have thought that the group of wild boar hunters from the city turned out to be the Tong family.
The ruling family of the shadow economy. But in the Tong family's big house, the bachelor will not be used
as a bouncer like most of the street children the Tauke recruits. Early in life in the big house, the bachelor
was annoyed by various lessons from Frans, his personal teacher whom the Tauke recruited from America.
Yes, bujang are educated. He rebelled, he wanted to be made a bouncer like Basyir, a friend of his age whom
he first met in the house. Although at first he did not allow Bujang to become a bouncer, the Tauke finally
succumbed to the suggestion of Kopong, the head bouncer of the Tong family, so that the bachelor also trains
with him, so that he too can defend himself in the future, without having to leave school with Frans. After
successfully studying with Kopong, Bujang also learns to shoot with teacher Salonga, a sniper from Manila,
also learns samurai with teacher Busyi, the best ninja in Japan.
Who would have thought that the bachelor turned out to be a descendant of the butcher, the blood
of the number one butcher was rushing through his body. His father's grandfather was the number one butcher,
then passed on by his father who was no less great, and continued on to a bachelor. This fact makes the
bachelor more confident to be part of the Tong family. After successfully bringing a bachelor's degree in
economics from America, the bachelor got a job he wanted most in the Tong family. Resolution of high-level
conflicts, which often occur between large shadow economy families in Asia-Pacific. It started with the Tong
family's conflict with the Lin family at a birthday party for Master Dragon, the leader of the Asia-Pacific
shadow economy. Where the Lin family stole a great invention from the Tong family in the world of health,
a health scanner. Helped by the loyalty of the best team, White, son of Frans from Yuki-Kiko, the twin
grandchildren of teacher Busyi, it was easy for the bachelor to retrieve the health scanner at the Lin family
headquarters in Macau. The conflict with the Lin family is not the only tense conflict in this novel. Because
it was precisely another conflict that was no less shocking within the Tong family itself, betrayal.
Furthermore, where Basyir betrayed the Tong family after the Young Tauke picked him up from the street,
raised him well, allowing Basyir to study directly with Bedouin tribal figures in the Middle East. Just when
the Tauke was seriously ill. The big fight took place at the headquarters of the Tong family who had moved
to the capital. Basyir brought the Lin family who still had a grudge against the bachelor, for killing the leader
of the Lin family while taking the medical scanner. Bujang lost quickly to Basyir, he lost to the khanjar
Basyir, a typical Bedouin weapon. The bouncers who were still loyal to the Tauke were also outnumbered,
against the Lin family bouncers and the Tong family beaters who also betrayed.
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Bujang and Perwes survived the attack by Basyir and the Lin family, after the Tauke pressed a small
object like a remote control in his hand, then suddenly the floor under Tauke's bed cracked, the bed sped
away in seconds, into a secret passage. Perwes himself is the Tauke's confidant to take control of the entire
Tong family's legal business. The secret passage ended in a courtyard, the Tauke died just as he came out of
the hall, the bachelor who was carrying him with the last of his strength fell unconscious. Bujang was
surprised when he woke up and was in a strange place, he was taken away from the capital by his parents
who helped him. Sadness spreads in the bachelor's heart when he finds out the Tauke died. In this strange
place, the bachelor knows a fact that has been hidden for decades, the parent of the owner of the house who
helps him is Tuanku Imam, the elder brother of his mother, the old man calls the bachelor by the name Agam,
only a few people know his real name. The interesting surprise was that the bachelor was still a descendant
of Tuanku Imam Agam. The blood of the famous cleric on the mainland of Sumatra who managed to fight
and repel the Dutch army, flowed profusely in the body of the bachelor.
After the Tauke died, the bachelor returned to having a fear that he considered there were three
layers of walls that covered the fear in his heart, when mother and father died, the walls of fear fell one by
one, the last was the death of the Tauke, which at the same time broke down the last wall, fear again seen in
the heart of the bachelor. Through the moment of sunrise, Tuanku Imam took a walk in the religious school
environment, then stopped at the top of the mosque minaret, watched the sun rise, giving an understanding
of making peace with the past. Bujang also received an injection of enthusiasm to reclaim what was already
owned by the Tong family from Basyir's hands. The best teams are gathered again. White brought his friend
who is both a former marine, Yuki-kiko also came for the loyalty that called, not forgetting the bouncers who
are still loyal to the Tauke. At ten o'clock at night, the great battle broke out, initially the bachelor team was
outnumbered leaving half the bouncers who were still loyal to the Tong family, but the second best team
arrived on time, Salonga and dozens of shooting students.
This fight is the end of the wild boar's journey home. Mamak's message not to eat forbidden food
and drink, gave him the opportunity to go home, return to the true nature, return to God's call. This novel
uses the first person point of view, so that the reader seems to witness each scene because the reader is invited
to imagine. The author uses a mixed plot, so the reader becomes curious and guesses what will happen to the
main character. The author uses simple, neat and interrelated language describing past events and then
describing events that are happening in the present. The definition of going home in this novel is not only
limited to returning home, but also returning to Him. This is wrapped nicely and becomes an inherent moral
message. The meaning of going home in this novel can also be understood by making peace with oneself.
The author conveys simple things that society in general ignores.

METHODS
The object of this research is the novel “Pulang” written by Tere Liye as the author. The novel
“Pulang” is one of the works published by Tere Liye in 2015 which consists of 400 pages with a book
thickness of 14.8 cm x 21 cm. The appearance of the novel "Pulang" succeeded in attracting the attention of
researchers, making the novel "Pulang" the object of research. The research method used is descriptive
qualitative. Data collection techniques are library techniques, listening and taking notes. Descriptive research
is to describe the results of research that has been done. It is said to be descriptive because the data collected
aims to identify and describe the research subject (Nassaji, H. 2015). According to Sugiyono (2016:9)
qualitative descriptive method is a research method based on the philosophy of postpositivism used to
examine the condition of natural objects (as opposed to experiments) where the researcher is the key
instrument of data collection techniques carried out by triangulation (combined), data analysis
Inductive/qualitative character emphasizes meaning rather than generalization. Qualitative descriptive
research aims to describe, describe, explain, explain and answer in more detail the problems to be studied by
studying as much as possible.
Data collection technique is a method used to collect data and information as supporting facts of
research, which is derived from the novel “Pulang” by Tere Liye. Data collection techniques are an important
factor in determining the quality of research, so appropriate technology is needed to achieve research
objectives (Andriani, S., et al, 2018). Data was collected through reading technology by reading the novel
“Pulang” by Tere Liye. The data analysis technique used in this study is qualitative because the data requires
descriptive interpretation.
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FINDINGS
Moral values are values from the basis of society to determine whether a person is good or bad
which is accepted by everyone in general regarding actions, attitudes, obligations, and so on that become the
customs of the community. Based on the results of the analysis, there are several moral values contained in
the novel "Pulang" by Tere Liye as the object of research which will be described as follows. In language,
the word morality has the meaning of character, habit and etiquette. At the same time, in terms of the nature
contained within the self that makes the action done is good or bad. In the novel “Pulang” by Tere Liye, the
moral value that connects humans with God is the character's relationship with God. This can be found in the
quote in the novel as follows. Mamak who was finally willing to give up and let Bujang go to the city said
"You can forget mamak, you can forget this whole village. Forgetting all the education that Mamak gave.
Forgetting the religion that Mamak taught secretly when your father wasn't home…” Mamak was silent for
a moment, wiping his nose “Mamak knows what you will become in that city… Mamak knows…. But,
whatever you're going to do there, promise me Bujang, you won't touch and eat pork, dog meat. You will
keep the stomach from unclean and dirty food. You also don't ever touch palm wine, all illegal drinks will be
later." Bujang always kept the promise said by his mother during his life and until his mother died. That he
would not drink liquor. The banquet went smoothly, which was made by the Tong family to welcome me and
the Tong family also experienced the usual thing, namely drinking alcohol. But I still firmly answered no and
always refused to drink liquor and eat unclean food.
A promise made by Mamak to keep Bujang's stomach from all haram things so that tomorrow the
day after tomorrow, if Bujang's whole life and heart are black. Bujang still has one white spot, and it will be
useful to call you home. Until his mother died Bujang kept his promise to his mother not to touch forbidden
food and all illegal drinks. Fear is a fear that arises anytime and anywhere. Everyone has a different level of
fear. Emotions in psychologists have the meaning of complex reactions involving experience, behavior and
physiology to deal with important events experienced by individuals. Humans basically have 6 emotions,
namely fear, surprise, joy, disgust, sadness, and anger. The moral value associated with Tere Liye's novel
“Pulang” is that of a young man who dispels the fear that is in his heart. This can be found in the quote in the
novel as follows: If humans are recognized 5 emotions, namely happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, and anger.
I only have 4 emotions and have no fear. That night in the rain, at the bottom of the moss-covered and dark
Sumatran jungle, a terrible monster took my fear. That night, my chest felt like it was being ripped open, the
fear that was inside had been expelled from it. I put up a great fight that will be remembered. The day I
realized my amazing ancestral heritage, I don't even know the definition of fear anymore.
Bujang fights his fear to fight a big pig like a monster. Bujang gripped the spear that Mr. gave him,
stood with sturdy legs, looked forward, and stared at the pig. Bujang had no choice, running in vain but the
pig's movement was very fast. Bujang didn't leave the others injured, so if Bujang had to die, he would give
his best fight. In language, the word morality is a term that comes from Sanskrit. Su which means good or
good, while for sila which means the basis, principles, rules of life, and existing norms. So morality means
behavior, good behavior, and noble which is the guideline for human life. Giving or listening to advice has
become commonplace around us. Advice there invites people to good and prevent bad. The moral value
associated with Tere Liye's novel “Pulang” is giving advice to Bujang to stay in school. This can be found in
the quote in the novel as follows: "You have to go to school, Bujang." Tauke looked at Bujang with an angry
face, and a face that didn't like it. Bujang shook his head. “You have to go to SCHOOL, SINGLE!!” Tauke
snapped at Bujang. Then the Tauke spoke and persuaded Bujang to stay in school, saying “You have to go
to school, Bujang. Frans will teach you privately in this house so you can catch up on classes and don't miss
the material. You should be in first year of high school.” “How was your school Bujang and how was it like
going to school?” asked Kopong one night. Then, Bujang answered Kopong's question with a laugh, “It's
smooth. In three months I will be taking the high school equivalency exam. It feels like school doesn't exist.
It's the same as a lounger in the mess." Kopong laughed too, realizing how naive his question was. “You have
to go to high school Bujang. Don't be like me." Kopong rubbed his face, “You know, back then Big Boss, I
mean Father from now Tauke, took me from the market when I was twelve years old. I'm an orphan who
doesn't know who my parents are, been a street kid since I can remember. Pickpocketing, stealing is my job,
even I am desperate to break into shops. Until one day I was caught breaking into the Tong Family's shop."
Kopong was silent for a moment, smiling that made his fresh face look even more sinister, like glaring at
him.
At that time when Bujang was offered to go to school he did not understand what the Tauke was
preparing. After a few years Bujang realized it. This is the first time Bujang has heard the story. Bujang
finally understands why Kopong is willing to teach him to fight every night, persuades the Tauke that Bujang
be allowed to train, and gives advice to stay in school instead of being like Kopong who doesn't know what
it's like to go to school. In social life, social interactions are found between one individual and another. One
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form of social interaction is known as Gotong royong. Gotong royong has become a tradition in Indonesian
society. The reason, because it has a variety of positive values. In gotong royong activities reflect a sense of
togetherness. Because people want to work together to help others. The moral values associated with Tere
Liye's novel “Pulang” are mutual cooperation in carrying out a mission and creating the best team. This can
be found in the quote in the novel as follows:
Bujang said “I need someone to rely on, keep watch on the second perimeter, If something goes
wrong then you are the right choice. Bring all your heavy weapons. Are you interested in White?” The
American who was across the table wiped his temples, while fixing his apron, “Entering into the Lin family
headquarters is tantamount to Bujang's suicide. There are hundreds of personal guards on guard, not to
mention the official security of the casino. Even if you get in, there's no guarantee that you'll get out alive.
The four of us, not to mention the twins, don't know what stupid thing they're going to do in there, that could
make such a sudden mess." "Are you coming or not, White?" Bujang smiled, put down the spoon, then handed
him a small note containing his plans for tonight.
"Okay, I'll come with you. I'm tired every day just chopping squid, and beating shrimp. I haven't
shot criminals in a long time." White took the paper Bujang gave him.
Bujang has the best team to carry out its mission. The best people and loyal to Bujang, as he said
before that everyone in the Tong family has ties in history with a past that will be remembered. Yuki and
Kiko as the grandson of teacher Bushi, and White the son of Frans the American. Frans used to ask Tong's
family for help to save him from being held hostage in Baghdad.

CONCLUSION
The moral values in the novel Pulang by Tere Liye are religious moral values, social moral values
and personal moral values. The results of the analysis of the findings of the data on moral values contained
in the novel Pulang, it can be concluded that in the novel there are many moral values. Social, as a form of
norms adopted by society, regarding what is considered good and what is considered bad by society. Morals
are traits that are embedded in the human heart, whether it is bad, or good from morals, actions will appear
without consideration and thought. Ethics is a value that questions how humans should act by considering
the good and bad of human behavior according to their lives. Morals are the basis, principles, rules, or norms
of a better life.This novel tells the story of starting with the setting of a small child who is faced with a large
wild boar he faces his fear and turns it into courage (Bly, R. 2015). And continued with his adventure
following his father's best friend to the capital. It was there that Bujang understood the meaning of going
home. Returning to his father and mother to avenge his hard past. However, the harsh reality had to hit him
because he had to become the Great Tauke of the economic ruler in the black world.

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