THE REPRESENTATION OF MUSLIMS IN CONRAD’S TRILOLGY, ALMAYER’S FOLLY, AN OUTCAST OF THE ISLAND, AND THE RESCUE

Abstract

Joseph Conrad wrote many works on Malay Archipelago. The most representative ones are his trilogy, Almayer’s Folly, an Outcast of the Island, and The Rescue. In the novels, he presents white adventurers in Malay Archipelago and their encounter with Malays and Arab traders who are both Muslims. In this research, we study the representation of Muslims in the trilogy. How are the Muslims representedd? The objective is to describe the representation of Muslims in the trilogy. The research is conducted through Ricoeurean’s hermeneutics which consists of two steps of reading: distantiation and appropriation. The results are that the Muslims are presented in two contradictive features. Omar el Badavi, an Arab, is presented as pious Muslim with many virtues, brave, and his hand was open, but at the same time, he is presented as a pirate, a great robber, led the men that drank blood, the greatest thief and murderer of the seas. Babalatchi, a gentlemen of Sulu origin, is presented as a Muslim who had kissed the Sacred Stone, but at the same time he is presented as cunning and crafty person who in his old days was a wicked pirate. Abdulla, an Arab, is presented as a pious Muslim, but at the same time, he is presented as a coward and liar. Sherrif Daman, a Malay, is presented as a Muslim in whose breast Al Quran is hanging, but at the same time he is presented as the chief of a bloodthirsty piratical race. Belarab, an Arab Muslim in The Resue, is friendly to Lingard, the white adventurer and trader, but when Lingard’s power was destroyed he asked Lingard to leave the laggon.