Representasi Makna Hidup dalam Novel Seporsi Mie Ayam Sebelum Mati Karya Brian Khrisna: Kajian Gastrokritik

Karya sastra hadir menjadi tempat pengungkapan ekspresi penulis yang menghadirkan berbagai pengalaman sosial, salah satunya mengangkat isu kuliner sebagai proses kreatif di dalamnya. Gastrokritik hadir menjadi wadah yang membahas mengenai hubungan kuliner dengan sastra dan berfokus pada berbagai aspek makanan yang memiliki pemahaman mendalam tentang apa yang di makan dan mengandung simbol kuat dari identitas, makna dan pengalaman manusia bukan hanya sekedar kebutuhan biologis. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mendeskripsikan (1) representasi mi ayam sebagai makna hidup dalam novel Seporsi Mie Ayam Sebelum Mati karya Brian Khrisna melalui kajian gastrokritik (2) representasi mi ayam pada pengalaman hidup tokoh Ale dalam narasi novel Seporsi Mie Ayam Sebelum Mati karya Brian Khrisna menggunakan kajian gastrokritik. Metode penelitian ini adalah kualitatif bersifat deskriptif dengan pendekatan gastrokritik, menggunakan teknik pengumpulan data melalui metode membaca dan mencatat. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa mi ayam memiliki makna kenyamanan dan harapan tetap bertahan hidup, pengalaman hidup tokoh Ale menjadi pengalaman sederhana yang patut disyukuri sehingga mi ayam menjadi simbol bagi emosi, penerimaan hidup, serta harapan bagi seseorang. Temuan ini menegaskan bahwa dalam kajian gastrokritik, makanan tidak hanya berperan sebagai unsur naratif, melainkan juga mengandung makna simbolis yang berkaitan dengan pengalaman emosional dan kondisi psikologis tokoh. Kata kunci: karya sastra, novel, makna hidup, pengalaman hidup, gastrokritik

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Literary works provide a medium through which authors express their perspectives and portray diverse social experiences, including the role of food and culinary culture as significant elements of creative expression. Gastrocriticism offers a critical framework for examining the relationship between food and literature by exploring how food functions not merely as a biological necessity but also as a powerful cultural symbol that embodies identity, meaning, memory, and human experience. This study aims to (1) analyze the representation of mie ayam (Indonesian chicken noodles) as a symbol of the meaning of life in Brian Khrisna’s novel Seporsi Mie Ayam Sebelum Mati through a gastrocritical perspective, and (2) examine how mie ayam represents the lived experiences of the protagonist, Ale, as portrayed in the novel. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach using gastrocriticism as its analytical framework. Data were collected through close reading and systematic note-taking and were analyzed by identifying, interpreting, and contextualizing textual evidence relevant to the research objectives. The findings reveal that mie ayam functions as a central symbol representing both the meaning of life and the lived experiences of the protagonist, Ale. Rather than being portrayed merely as an everyday food, mie ayam symbolizes hope, comfort, memory, and a reason to persevere in life. These findings demonstrate that, from a gastrocritical perspective, food serves not only as a narrative element but also as a symbolic medium through which emotional experiences, personal identity, and the protagonist’s psychological condition are represented.