Multiple literary identities in contemporary Malaysian literature: an analysis of readers’ views on Heroes by Karim Raslan

Contemporary Malaysian literature not only provides an avenue for creative expression, but also functions as a site for identity creation where writers create multiple identities for their characters. While many studies have examined specific identities possessed by the characters, there is still...

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Main Authors:	Jerome, Collin, Ruzy Suliza Hashim, Ting, Su-Hie
Format:	Article
Language:	English
Published:	Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2016
Online Access:	http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10726/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10726/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10726/1/11999-44193-1-PB.pdf

id	ukm-10726
recordtype	eprints
spelling	ukm-107262017-10-07T17:21:15Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10726/ Multiple literary identities in contemporary Malaysian literature: an analysis of readers’ views on Heroes by Karim Raslan Jerome, Collin Ruzy Suliza Hashim, Ting, Su-Hie Contemporary Malaysian literature not only provides an avenue for creative expression, but also functions as a site for identity creation where writers create multiple identities for their characters. While many studies have examined specific identities possessed by the characters, there is still a need for more research on the multiplicity of literary identities and how they affect readers’ understanding of the characters’ identities and their own identities in the process. This paper presents readers’ views on the construction of multiple literary identities in Karim Raslan’s Heroes. Drawing on the tenets of sociocultural and literary theories, the paper examines readers’ (1) views on the author’s construction and portrayal of the characters’ identities, and (2) understanding of these identities and their own identities in the process. The readers were two undergraduate students from a public university in Malaysia who volunteered to read and respond critically to the author’s work, and share their views about the characters’ identities. The analysis revealed that the author used a wide range of words and phrases to construct the characters’ identities based on ethnicity, religion, gender, familial roles, social rank, place, and profession. While acknowledging that some of these identities overlapped with each other as part and parcel of being Malaysian, the readers opined that the characters’ physical features, feelings and emotions, and values associated to identities could be included into the authorial construction of characters’ identities. Furthermore, while the readers claimed that the author’s identity portrayal enhanced their understanding of the characters’ identities and their own identities in the process, they sought an avenue to challenge such portrayal, given that they too create multiple identities in the narrative of their lives. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2016 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10726/1/11999-44193-1-PB.pdf Jerome, Collin and Ruzy Suliza Hashim, and Ting, Su-Hie (2016) Multiple literary identities in contemporary Malaysian literature: an analysis of readers’ views on Heroes by Karim Raslan. 3L; Language,Linguistics and Literature,The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies., 22 (3). pp. 35-47. ISSN 0128-5157 http://ejournal.ukm.my/3l/issue/view/872
repository_type	Digital Repository
institution_category	Local University
institution	Universiti Kebangasaan Malaysia
building	UKM Institutional Repository
collection	Online Access
language	English
description	Contemporary Malaysian literature not only provides an avenue for creative expression, but also functions as a site for identity creation where writers create multiple identities for their characters. While many studies have examined specific identities possessed by the characters, there is still a need for more research on the multiplicity of literary identities and how they affect readers’ understanding of the characters’ identities and their own identities in the process. This paper presents readers’ views on the construction of multiple literary identities in Karim Raslan’s Heroes. Drawing on the tenets of sociocultural and literary theories, the paper examines readers’ (1) views on the author’s construction and portrayal of the characters’ identities, and (2) understanding of these identities and their own identities in the process. The readers were two undergraduate students from a public university in Malaysia who volunteered to read and respond critically to the author’s work, and share their views about the characters’ identities. The analysis revealed that the author used a wide range of words and phrases to construct the characters’ identities based on ethnicity, religion, gender, familial roles, social rank, place, and profession. While acknowledging that some of these identities overlapped with each other as part and parcel of being Malaysian, the readers opined that the characters’ physical features, feelings and emotions, and values associated to identities could be included into the authorial construction of characters’ identities. Furthermore, while the readers claimed that the author’s identity portrayal enhanced their understanding of the characters’ identities and their own identities in the process, they sought an avenue to challenge such portrayal, given that they too create multiple identities in the narrative of their lives.
format	Article
author	Jerome, Collin Ruzy Suliza Hashim, Ting, Su-Hie
spellingShingle	Jerome, Collin Ruzy Suliza Hashim, Ting, Su-Hie Multiple literary identities in contemporary Malaysian literature: an analysis of readers’ views on Heroes by Karim Raslan
author_facet	Jerome, Collin Ruzy Suliza Hashim, Ting, Su-Hie
author_sort	Jerome, Collin
title	Multiple literary identities in contemporary Malaysian literature: an analysis of readers’ views on Heroes by Karim Raslan
title_short	Multiple literary identities in contemporary Malaysian literature: an analysis of readers’ views on Heroes by Karim Raslan
title_full	Multiple literary identities in contemporary Malaysian literature: an analysis of readers’ views on Heroes by Karim Raslan
title_fullStr	Multiple literary identities in contemporary Malaysian literature: an analysis of readers’ views on Heroes by Karim Raslan
title_full_unstemmed	Multiple literary identities in contemporary Malaysian literature: an analysis of readers’ views on Heroes by Karim Raslan
title_sort	multiple literary identities in contemporary malaysian literature: an analysis of readers’ views on heroes by karim raslan
publisher	Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
publishDate	2016
url	http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10726/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10726/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10726/1/11999-44193-1-PB.pdf
first_indexed	2023-09-18T19:58:18Z
last_indexed	2023-09-18T19:58:18Z
_version_	1777406677471985664

Multiple literary identities in contemporary Malaysian literature: an analysis of readers’ views on Heroes by Karim Raslan

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