HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Idrus (12 September 1921 – 18 May 1979) was an Indonesian author best known for his realistic short stories and novels. He is known as the representative of the prose of the '45 generation of
Indonesian literature Indonesian literature is a term grouping various genres of South-East Asian literature. Indonesian literature can refer to literature produced in the Indonesian archipelago. It is also used to refer more broadly to literature produced in areas ...
.


Biography

Idrus was born in
Padang Padang () is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. Th ...
,
West Sumatera West Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Barat) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the west coast of the island of Sumatra and includes the Mentawai Islands off that coast. The province has an area of , with a population of 5,534,472 at the 2020 ce ...
on 12 September 1921. His education before the
Japanese occupation of Indonesia The Empire of Japan occupied the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) during World War II from March 1942 until after the end of the war in September 1945. It was one of the most crucial and important periods in modern Indonesian history. In May ...
in 1942 was entirely in Dutch-run schools, where he read works of Western literature and practiced writing short stories; he finished his education in 1943, then began working at
Balai Pustaka Balai Pustaka (; also spelled Balai Poestaka, both meaning "Bureau of Literature") is the state-owned publisher of Indonesia and publisher of major pieces of Indonesian literature such as ''Salah Asuhan'', ''Sitti Nurbaya'' and '' Layar Terkem ...
 – the state-owned publisher of the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
 – as an editor. Between 1943 and 1944, Idrus wrote six short stories that were eventually published in the collection ''Corat-Coret di Bawah Tanah'' (''Underground Markings''). At the beginning of the
Indonesian National Revolution The Indonesian National Revolution, or the Indonesian War of Independence, was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during Aftermath of WWII, postw ...
, where Indonesian revolutionaries asserted independence between the Japanese surrender and Dutch return, Idrus was in
Surabaya Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesian province of East Java and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. L ...
,
East Java East Java ( id, Jawa Timur) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost hemisphere of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean bord ...
; while there, he witnessed the
Battle of Surabaya The Battle of Surabaya was fought between regular infantry and militia of the Indonesian nationalist movement and British and British Indian troops as a part of the Indonesian National Revolution against the re-imposition of Dutch colonial r ...
, in which British forces under the command of Aubertin Walter Sothern Mallaby and revolutionary forces under the command of
Moestopo Major General Professor Moestopo (13 July 1913 – 29 September 1986) was an Indonesian dentist, freedom fighter, and educator. He was declared a National Hero of Indonesia on 10 November 2007. Born in Kediri, East Java, Moestopo moved to Surab ...
began fighting after a miscommunication. In response, he wrote the novelette "
Surabaja Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesian province of East Java and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. L ...
" about the human issues faced during the battle and aftermath from October 1945 to May 1946; Indonesian writer and literary critic
Muhammad Balfas Muhammad Salim Balfas (25 December 1922 – 5 June 1975), better known as M. Balfas, was an Indonesian writer and literary critic. Biography Balfas was born in Krukut, Batavia (now Jakarta), Dutch East Indies, on 25 December 1922. He came f ...
describes it as "perhaps the only satire of the Indonesian revolution". During the war, Idrus became increasingly contemplative. His following works, the short story "Jalan Lain ke Roma" ("Another Way to Rome"), novelette ''Perempuan dan Kebangsaan'' (''Women and Nationalism''; published in the magazine ''Indonesia'' in 1949), and novel ''Aki'' (1950). After pressure from the communist-backed
Lembaga Kebudajaan Rakjat The Lembaga Kebudajaan Rakjat (Enhanced Indonesian Spelling System, EYD: Lembaga Kebudayaan Rakyat, often abbreviated Lekra; meaning Institute for the People's Culture) was a very prolific literary and social movement associated with the Indonesian ...
, Idrus fled to Malaysia, where he published ''Dengan Mata Terbuka'' (''With Eyes Open''; 1961), and ''Hati Nurani Manusia'' (''Man's Conscious''; 1963). All of these later writings were less well received. Idrus moved to
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Australia, in 1965 to serve as a lecturer at
Monash University Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has a ...
; in 1974 he graduated from the institution with a master's degree in art. He died on 18 May 1979 in Kampung Tanah, Padang. At the time he was working towards a doctorate degree from Monash, while still serving as a lecturer.


Styles

Idrus wrote with a style which emphasized the harsher aspects of reality, using short, concise sentences and abandoning the aesthetics present in the earlier
Balai Pustaka Balai Pustaka (; also spelled Balai Poestaka, both meaning "Bureau of Literature") is the state-owned publisher of Indonesia and publisher of major pieces of Indonesian literature such as ''Salah Asuhan'', ''Sitti Nurbaya'' and '' Layar Terkem ...
and ''
Poedjangga Baroe ''Poedjangga Baroe'' (pronounced ; Perfected spelling: ''Pujangga Baru'', also known by the intermediate spelling ''Pudjangga Baru'') was an Indonesian ''avant-garde'' literary magazine published from July 1933 to February 1942. It was founded b ...
'' eras. Balfas describes his style as being full of cynicism and sarcasm. However, towards the end of the national revolution he became increasingly contemplative. Dutch scholar of Indonesian literature
A. Teeuw Andries Teeuw (12 August 1921 – 18 May 2012), better known as A. Teeuw in scholarly circles and Hans Teeuw to his friends, was a Dutch critic of Indonesian literature. Biography Teeuw was born in Gorinchem, Netherlands, on 12 August 192 ...
suggests that Idrus was influenced by the works of
Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...
,
John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...
,
Erskine Caldwell Erskine Preston Caldwell (December 17, 1903 – April 11, 1987) was an American novelist and short story writer. His writings about poverty, racism and social problems in his native Southern United States, in novels such as '' Tobacco Road'' (1 ...
, and
Willem Elsschot Alphonsus Josephus de Ridder (7 May 1882 – 31 May 1960), was a Belgian writer and poet who wrote under the pseudonym Willem Elsschot (). One of the most prominent Flemish authors, his most famous work, ''Cheese'' (1933) is the most translated ...
. Most of Idrus' characters were average persons, as opposed to nobility found in works by earlier authors such as
Amir Hamzah Tengku Amir Hamzah (February 1911 – 20 March 1946) was an Indonesian poet and National Hero of Indonesia. Born into a Malay aristocratic family in the Sultanate of Langkat in North Sumatra, he was educated in both Sumatra and Java. W ...
. This is caused in part by the political motivations of the Japanese occupation government, which ruled from 1942 until mid-1945; the Japanese found it necessary to promote the rights of the masses to maintain control.


Legacy

According to Teeuw, is often said to be the
Chairil Anwar Chairil Anwar (26 July 1922 – 28 April 1949) was an Indonesian poet and member of the " 1945 Generation" of writers. He is estimated to have written 96 works, including 70 individual poems. Anwar was born and raised in Medan, North Sumatr ...
of prose, namely the writer who brought forth a new style through his writings; he is also said to represent the '45 generation of
Indonesian literature Indonesian literature is a term grouping various genres of South-East Asian literature. Indonesian literature can refer to literature produced in the Indonesian archipelago. It is also used to refer more broadly to literature produced in areas ...
in prose. However, Teeuw disagrees with such a view; he considers Anwar's contributions much more significant.


Personal life

Idrus married Ratna Suri in 1948. Together they had four sons: Nirwan, Slamet Riyadi, Rizal, and Taufik; as well as two daughters: Damayanti and Lanita. A polyglot, Idrus spoke German, English, and Dutch as well as Indonesian.


References

;Footnotes ;Bibliography * * * * * {{Authority control Indonesian writers Minangkabau people People from Padang 1921 births 1979 deaths