SOCIAL MOBILITY IN INTERLOK BY ABDULLAH HUSSAIN

This article aims to study the entire novel Interlok (Interlock) Work of Abdullah Hussain. This novel is uses as a Form 5 Komsas text in the central zone, namely, Selangor, the Federal Territory, Negeri Sembilan and Malacca. This novel turned out to be controversial and caused political issues after an ex-Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department indicated that there is sensitivity among the Indians as paria, among other words, were used. From a realistic perspective, this article attempts to analyze thoroughly the concept of social mobility based on Ting Chew Peh’s explanation in his book “Basic Concepts of Sociology”. There are two dimensions of social mobility, i.e. horizontal social mobility and vertical social mobility. The results of the analysis indicated that it was clear that the Malays, represented by the Seman family in this novel, have horizontal social mobility. On the other hand, Cing Huat family and the Maniam family, although historitacally are immigrants, but their social mobilities are better as they move vertically. It is not the intention of the novelist to insult any ethnic groups, but to write based on reality in the society then. This is in the line with the opinion of Hippolyte Taine, a French literature scholar in the 19 century that the understanding of a society has to be based on race, moment and milieu