Struggle of Girl Character in The Folklore of KaguyaHime andPutriPinangGading: Comparative Literature

Abstract

Japanese folklore KaguyaHime (fairy tale) and Indonesian folklore Putri Pinang
Gading (legend) tell the story of a girl found in a bamboo stick which is then taken care of by
husband and wife.Each girl grows up to be a girl who fights for herself and others.This study
aims to compare the struggles of girl characters in two folklore from different countries.
Literature review by the author did not find research using Putri Pinang Gading
folklore.However, the authors found two studies using KaguyaHime folklore, namely
research on the self-image of Hime figures and analysis of Ecranization.Research by the
author is different from previous studies.The author compares the struggles of girl characters
based on the similarity of themes / motifs in folklore KaguyaHime and Putri Pinang Gading,
namely the struggle of girl characters.The theory used is comparative literature studies
(comparative literature) in many senses, generally still emphasizing the comparison of two
works or more than at least two different nations or with different cultural settings (Damono,
2005).
This research is a comparative descriptive study. Comparative descriptive research is
carried out by describing the results of the analysis in accordance with the data found and
then compared.The data collection technique used in this study is library research.The data
analysis technique that the authors do is that the data is processed using the comparative
descriptive method using the following steps,(1) reading and translating KaguyaHime
folklore, (2) reading Putri Pinang Gading folklore, (3) analyzing the characterization, court,
and plotting of the two folklore, (4) comparing the characterization, court, and plotting of
both folklore, ( 5) analyzing the struggle of the second girl folklore, (6) comparing the
struggle of the second girl folklore, (7) summarizing the results of the study.
The results of research on the struggle of this girl character are (1) effort full of
difficulties and dangers, (2) the form of social interaction.In an effort full of hardship and
danger, the whole struggle of the girl character is motivated by the brave and clever character
of the two figures.In the Kaguya figure, the struggle carried out is more fought for himself to
be free from the proposals of nobles and emperors and prioritizes the brain rather than the
muscles.While Pinang Gading's figures, the struggle is done more for others and prioritizes
muscle as well as brain.The form of social interaction with the Kaguya figure, namely
maintaining the emperor's feelings by exchanging waka. Whereas in the Pinang Gading
figures, the form of social interaction by convincing parents to get permission and help save
the village of KelekakRemban from the attacks of Gerude birds.The difference in the struggle
of the two girl characters, namely the struggle of Kaguya ended by being taken to the moon
and separated from his parents.While Pinang Gading struggle ended with the success of
saving the village and the villagers celebrate the success by holding a big
party.KaguyaHime's fairytale matches the characteristics of a fairy tale, which is not really
happening and is not bound by time and place because Kaguya went to the moon. The legend
of Putri Pinang Gading is in accordance with its characteristics because it has a strong reality
and is related to a certain place, namely in the sub-district of Membalong, Belitung Regency.
Keyword: fairy tales, legends, comparative literature, struggles of girl character