Pengaruh Latar Budaya Melayu terhadap Simbolisme dalam Novel Laskar Pelangi Karya Andrea Hirata.

This research aims to analyze the influence of Malay cultural background on symbolism in the novel Laskar Pelangi by Andrea Hirata. This novel not only depicts the life of the Malay community in Belitung, but also contains symbols that reflect local cultural values, such as religiosity, mutual cooperation and fighting spirit. Using Roland Barthes' semiotic approach and Clifford Geertz's cultural theory, this research identifies the main symbols in the novel, such as rainbows, education, friendship and nature, and examines their meaning in the context of Malay culture. The results of the research show that the symbols in Laskar Pelangi has a meaning that is closely related to the Malay cultural background. The rainbow, for example, symbolizes hopes and ideals influenced by the religiosity of the Malay people, while education becomes a symbol of the struggle to change fate through science. Friendship reflects the strong value of mutual cooperation in Malay culture, while natural elements, such as tin mines and beaches, illustrate the relationship between Malay people and their environment. This research concludes that the Malay cultural setting is not only a supporting element of the story, but also forms the meaning of symbolism in the novel . This study contributes to the study of Indonesian literature, especially in understanding the relationship between local culture and symbolism in literary works.