Essay on Narration and Perspective in Pramoedyas Inem

Narration and Perspective in Pramoedyas Inem Tradition represents an integral component of ones cultural identity, and this is especially so in this rapidly changing world which we live in, where the boundaries between different cultures are increasingly being blurred and distorted by the process of globalisation. While traditions do define the beliefs, practices and collective experiences of a people, the continued existence of certain socio-cultural institutions in which discriminatory and repressive measures still persist cannot be condoned. It is this very dimension that Pramoedya addresses in his short story, Inem: The narrators reminiscences of his childhood perform a serious social commentary and incisive social critique†¦show more content†¦While the comment that She was polite, unspoiled, deft and hardworking - qualities which quickly spread her fame even into other neighbourhoods as a girl who would make a good daughter-in-law (Pramoedya 139) in the expository paragraph does not exactly constitute an instance of prolepsis (a glimpse into future developments in the story), it anticipates the inevitable course that the story takes, and establishes where such a societys priorities lie, as well as what the narrator ultimately focuses on - the (unjust) power relationships between men and women/parents and children. In addition, as one negotiates through the narrative, it is difficult not to help experiencing an impending sense of disaster, which accentuates the idea communicated to the reader that something is inherently and fundamentally wrong with practices such as child marriage; for the narrators memories of Inem do not manifest themselves in a haphazard, discordant fashion, instead, this is effected through the lineal development of the plot that moves inexorably towards the tragic denouement of Inems story. Of course, this narrative not only becomes effective through its structural attributes, but also crucially through the considerable degree of verisimilitude it displays. After the initial innocent exchange about marriage between the narrator as a child and the young Inem that sets the tone for the rest of the narrative, we are rapidly presented and drawn