Foverty and Resilience in Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea and Ahmad Tohari's Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk: A Literature Sociological Perspective

Abstract

Literary works often reflect the realities of society, particularly in depicting issues of poverty and how people survive. Through the perspective of Alan Swingewood's sociological perspective, this study examines how the themes of poverty and resilience are portrayed in two novels: Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" and Ahmad Tohari's "Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk." The main objective is to uncover the forms of life's limitations in both stories and then to compare the social portraits they depict. This research was conducted qualitatively using descriptive methods, where data were collected through intensive reading techniques and noting key points. The analysis concludes that both books equally portray the harsh realities of the underprivileged lower classes. However, the characters' survival methods differ. While The Old Man and the Sea showcases resilience centered on the hard struggles of an individual, Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk emphasizes the resilience born of a sense of togetherness and the bonds of the local culture of its people. In light of Alan Swingewood's theory, both novels successfully capture the social situations that actually occurred during their time, proving that literature serves as an honest reflection of real life.