Aesthetic Transformation, Separation of Work, and Reinterpretation of Women’s Body Economy in the Fiction of Madurese Writers, Indonesia

<p class="ql-align-justify">In recent years, discussions surrounding gender equality, labor justice, and bodily autonomy have become central to the global development agenda, particularly within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 5 on gender equality and SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth. Literary texts can serve as critical cultural arenas through which these social issues are reflected, negotiated, and reinterpreted. This study, therefore, examines the relationship between aesthetic transformation, work separation, and the reinterpretation of women’s body economy in contemporary Madurese fiction. The research uses qualitative textual analysis of five novels: <em>Damar Kambang</em> by Muna Masyari, <em>Tanjung Kemarau</em> by Royyan Julian, <em>Istana Para Kuli</em> by Yahya Umar, <em>Matahari di Atas Gilli</em> by Lintang Sugianto, and <em>Silsilah Duka</em> by Dwi Ratih Ramadhany. The analysis is grounded in Michel Foucault’s theoretical perspective, particularly his concept of power relations and bodily discipline, combined with the analytical notion of body economy to understand how women’s bodies become sites of social regulation and symbolic value. The findings reveal that the female body in these narratives functions as a socially regulated domain shaped by reproductive expectations, familial authority, and gendered labor divisions. Women’s participation in formal labor is frequently subordinated to domestic and reproductive responsibilities, reflecting a cultural separation of work that structures the social meaning of the female body. At the same time, the novels aesthetically transform these social realities into narratives that expose subtle forms of negotiation, resilience, and reinterpretation by female characters. </p>