Beautiful men in Jakarta and Bangkok: the pressure to conform in a recent Indonesian novel

Author: Murtagh, Ben

Source: South East Asia Research, Volume 15, Number 2, July 2007 , pp. 281-299(19)

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Abstract:

Recent years in Indonesia have seen a marked growth in the number of novels taking lesbian or gay relationships as a key if not central theme. One of the most popular of these novels has been Andrei Aksana's Lelaki Terindah [The Most Beautiful Man], published in Jakarta in 2004. The novel describes a love affair between two Indonesian men, from its first flourishing while the men are on holiday in Bangkok, to its final collapse on their return to familial and societal pressures in Jakarta. In particular, the article considers the very different portrayals of Jakarta and Bangkok from a gay male perspective: while Bangkok is painted as a modern and progressive city, Jakarta is portrayed as restrictive and limiting. In addition, the article considers the ideas of beauty and non-heteronormative sexuality as they are presented in the novel.

Keywords: HOMOSEXUALITY; QUEER LITERATURE; INDONESIAN LITERATURE; BANGKOK

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5367/000000007781509562

Publication date: 2007-07-01

More about this publication?

South East Asia Research publishes articles based on original research or fieldwork on all aspects of South East Asia within the disciplines of archaeology, art history, economics, geography, history, language and literature, law, music, political science, social anthropology and religious studies. This peer-reviewed journal is published four times per year by IP Publishing in cooperation with the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). SOAS is the leading centre in this field in Europe and one of the most prestigious centres of South East Asian Studies in the world.
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