MARIAH BY CHE HUSNA AZHARIPrepared by:

Amir Aizuddin bin Mahmud

Muhammad bin Abas

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Che Husna Azhari Background• Che Husna Azhari was born on November 8, 1955 in Kota

Bharu, Melor, Kelantan, and is a prominent Malaysian writer of literature.

• Ms. Che Husna received a degree from Tunku Khurshiah College, Seramban in 1973, and her A Levels from Oxford College of Further Education in 1975.

• In 1979, she received a degree from Brunel University of West London in Polymer Technology. In 1985, Ms. Che Husna was awarded a PhD in Response Engineering from Brunel University of West London.

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Che Husna Azhari Background• Ms. Che Husna is a Professor at the Faculty of Engineering and

Built Environment, at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, specializing in non-metallic materials processing. She also serves as the Director of the Center for Corporate Planning and Communications at that university.

• Ms. Che Husna’s writings are generally set in Kelantan, Malaysia, and her best known short stories are used as standard teaching texts in Malaysia.

• Her first English anthology, ‘An Anthology of Kelantan Tales’ was published in 1992. Her latest work, ‘An English Sojourn’ is set in the United Kingdom.

• She lives in Pinggiran, Putrajaya.

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Che Husna Azhari Works• An English Sojourn. Selangor, Malaysia: Furada

Publishing House, 2008. (ISBN 9789839974874)

• The Rambutan Orchard. Bangi: Furada Publishing House, 1993. (ISBN 9789839974812)

• Puisi Ambo. Furada Publishing House, 1995

• Kelantan Tales: An Anthology of Short Stories, Furada Publishing House, 1992. (ISBN 9789839974805)

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Mariah Analysis (Synopsis)• This story is about a beautiful, attractive widow named

Mariah who stayed in a small village town of Molo, Kelantan.

• She was a nasi seller in Molo. Her nasi berlauk was famous among the villagers especially men because they really love to watch Mariah, instead of enjoying her nasi berlauk every time they went to her stall.

• In the village, there was the Imam, who was the guardian of modesty and propriety and enforcer of stringent mores. He is the one who the villagers refer to when they faced any problems, especially problems in marriage.

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Mariah Analysis (Synopsis)• This is because his harmony marriage life was an

example to the villagers. His wife, Cik Yam was a good and obedient wife.

• One day, when the Imam saw Mariah, he was transported to his youth time, remembering his past love when he was studying in Pattani.

• At last, he asked for her wife permission to marry Mariah. Because her love towards his husband, Cik Yam allowed the Imam to marry Mariah.

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Mariah Analysis (Themes)

The themes of this story are loyalty, sacrificial love, desires and jealousy.

Loyalty• Cik Yam is very loyal to her husband.• She never missed doing housework in order to serve her husband

the best. She takes a good care of her husband, Imam which was also a model to be followed by the other womenfolk in the village.

Jealousy• the womenfolk in the village really jealous of Mariah because their

husbands keep on having breakfast at Mariah’s stall. • This can be seen when Cik’Gu Nab tries to poison Cik Yam’s mind

with defamation she throw towards Mariah.

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Mariah Analysis (Themes)Sacrificial love

• Cik Yam agreed to the second marriage of her husband because she loved him so much and did not want him to be sad.

• Her husband, Imam was just thinking of himself. • He already had a good wife but he was not satisfied because Cik Yam

can’t be able to produce heir for him. • So, that’s the reason Imam asked Cik Yam to marry Mariah.

Desires• When Imam first saw Mariah, he had a desire on having her as a wife

because Mariah looks like his long lost love.• At first he tried to not to follow his lust and he pray to God to prevent it

from keep on messing on his mind.• But after a little try, he lost the fight and he asked his wife to marry

Mariah.

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Mariah Analysis (Characters)

MARIAH• She was a nasi berlauk seller in Molo.• She was a widow. She had been married one but her husband

passed away soon after.• Mariah was tall and well proportional and move gracefully. • Her faced was unlined, her complexion fair and her very dark, very

black eyes appeared to grow.• Mariah always had on a short kebaya.• She used to cover her head and part of her torso with kain lepas.

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Mariah Analysis (Characters)

IMAM• He such a sainted man.• Imam is Cik Yam husband.• He is also Che’Gu Leh’s friend.• He is quite religional man in the village.

CIK YAM• She is Imam’s wife. • She always took great care in her marriage. • She has culinary and housekeeping skills. Her housekeeping was

also a model to be followed by other womenfolk in the village.

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Mariah Analysis (Characters)

CHE’ GU NAB• She was one of the local women leaders. • She was a teacher at a local primary school. • She like to spread slender. She accused the other peoples without

evidence. Che’Gu Nab told Cik Yam that Mariah might put something in her nasi berlauk.

CHE’ GU LEH• He is Imam’s friend in the village.• He is also Che’Gu Nab husband.• He is religious man and the most trusted man by Imam. • He is a patient man and and nice compared to Che’Gu Nab.

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Mariah Analysis (Characters)

JOYAH• She is Che’Gu Nab best friend.• She is very talkative.• She likes to meddle the other business. • She told Cik Yam about Imam having breakfast at Mariah’s stall.

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Mariah Analysis (Settings)• Molo

• Mariah sells her nasi berlauk in Molo. • The man congregate to have breakfast at Market Square.

• Mariah’s house • Wedding ceremony of Mariah and Imam takes place.

• Bridal Chamber • The place where Imam and Mariah got married. • Mariah sit herself alone in the bridal chamber and ready to again

begin life a new as a married woman.

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Mariah Analysis (Settings)• Imam’s House

• Che’Gu Nab tells Cik Yam about her husband having breakfast at Mariah’s stall.

• Imam asks permission from Cik Yam to marry Mariah.

• Mosque • Imam went to the mosque and pray. • Imam dallied in the mosque. He come out but went in again. Finally Imam

went in and fell into a trouble sleep in the mosque.

• Mariah’s stall ( Kedai Merpati) • The men of the village went to Kedai Merpati for breakfast after Subuh

prayer. • Imam and the men went to Mariah’s stall for breakfast. • Che’Gu Leh invited Imam to join them for breakfast.

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Mariah Analysis (Settings)• Pattani

• When the Imam was young his father sent him to Pattani to learn under the tutelage of a well-known Syeikh.

• Imam fell in love with Syeikh’s daughter.

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Mariah Analysis (Moral Values)• We should willing to sacrify for other happiness.

• Cik Yam willing to sacrify for her husband and agrees with Imam’s request to take Mariah as his second wife.

• Do not meddle the other bussiness.• Che’ Nab tells Cik Yam about her husband having breakfast at

Mariah’s stall.

• We should be an obedient wife to our husband.• Cik Yam is an obedient wife. Although Cik Ya,m refuses to agree

with Imam’s request at first, but as a wife, she realized that she must obey to her husband and let Imam marry with Mariah.

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Mariah Analysis (Moral Values)• Do not spread any slender without evidence.

• Che’ Gu Nab tells Cik Yam but she also not sure about that.

• Do not accuse the other people without any evidence.• Che’ Gu Nab tells Cik Yam that Mariah might put something in her nasi

berluak.

• Be patient for any situations.• Cik Yam only silent and tries to understand when Imam tells her about

Mariah.

• We should be a responsible person.• Cik Yam is a responsible wife. She always make breakfast for her

husband, Imam.

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Mariah Analysis (Literary Theories)• Sociological Critism• In “Mariah” by Che Husna Azhari she implemented the sexuality of a

religious leader, Tok Imam, who falls for the beauty of Mariah who was a widow, and he takes as his second wife.

• The story focus on the attractions of “the attractive nasi seller, Mariah, and the pull of her attraction to all the men of the kampung (including the Imam) due to her mesmerizing “swaying hips” as well as her skill in preparing the ‘nasi berlauk.

• The story addresses conceptions of both Muslim manhood (through the Imam’s sexuality and polygamous tendencies) and womanliness. Mariah is seen as a symbol of Malay womanliness while the Imam represents Malay manhood.

• The existence of the Tok Imam’s manhood and Mariah’s womanliness suggest the unspoken power of religious man and may be interpreted.

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Feel free to visit!• http://jauharkalam.blogspot.com/

• Che Husna Azhari blogspot, and yes, she still alive!

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Prepared by:

Amir Aizuddin

Muhammad

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