Social Criticism of Religious Practices in the Short Story “Robohnya Surau Kami”: A Genetic Structuralism Study

Abstract

This study is based on the assumption that religion in Indonesia plays an important role in shaping social ethics and human values. However, current religious practices tend to shift towards being more formalistic and ritualistic, eroding social aspects and empathy. This reality is also portrayed in literary works, which raise socio-religious issues. This study aims to analyze social criticism of religious practices in the short story “Robohnya Surau Kami” by A.A. Navis using a sociological approach to literature based on Lucien Goldmann's Genetic Structuralism theory. The method used is descriptive qualitative with a focus on analyzing the intrinsic structure of the story, the postcolonial social context, and the characters' worldviews as a reflection of collective consciousness. The results of the study reveal a new reading of this short story, which presents a critique of religious formalism and fatalism, as well as a lack of social awareness. The tension between old traditions and progressive religiosity, as depicted through the characters and narrative, suggests a shift in collective consciousness toward a more contextual, social, and humanistic religion in response to the realities of 1950s Indonesia. This analysis demonstrates how literary works can reflect the social and intellectual dynamics of society.