Women in La Galigo: A Feminist Literary Criticism of Bugis Female Representation

Abstract

This study explores the representation of women in the Bugis epic La Galigo, focusing on the characters Wé Datu Sengngeng and Wé Tenriabéng. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach and analyzed through the lens of feminist literary criticism, the research examines how women are depicted in relation to cultural values, gender roles, and the dynamics of patriarchy within Bugis society. The findings reveal that La Galigo constructs the image of Bugis women as ideal figures: loving mothers, faithful wives, guardians of domestic affairs, as well as intelligent, rational, and forward-looking individuals. However, these portrayals are shaped by cultural norms (pangngadereng) that both idealize and confine women, positioning them as treasures of the household—valuable yet restricted within the domestic sphere. The analysis further indicates that women in La Galigo are not naturally inferior but are made so through cultural and patriarchal structures. Despite these constraints, figures such as Wé Tenriabéng challenge stereotypes by embodying rationality, wisdom, and resistance, thereby highlighting the potential of women to transcend patriarchal boundaries. This study underscores how classical texts like La Galigo can be revisited through feminist perspectives to uncover both the constraints imposed on and the strengths embodied by women in traditional societies.