Anecdotes in Novels
Anecdote 1
- “There was a bricklayer. His dementia was beyond help. One day, while he was working in a building, on the twentieth floor. High, right? Suddenly someone shouted: ‘Udiiin! Come home soon! Your wife is giving birth!’ Well, the bricklayer panicked. Without thinking, he immediately jumped. Jumped from the twentieth floor! Floated. Dived lower. Lower. Well, around the eleventh floor, he just remembered: ‘Wait, whose wife gave birth? I’m not married yet’. Lower. Lower again. Precisely on the fifth floor, he realized; ‘My God, my name is Usman. Not Udiiin!’ ….”
Anecdote 2
- “Like this. There was a student with dementia. At school he was often suspended because he often left his books or homework at home. ‘That’s why you should write it down, son, so you don’t forget,’ his mother warned. Yes, and he did obey. After studying, the child always took notes. One by one, they wrote them down. Well, one morning, the child said goodbye to his mother. ‘Look, Ma. Your uniform is complete, huh? You haven’t forgotten your bag. Your books are complete. All your assignments are done. Encep wants to go to school. Go now, Ma,’ said the child. But his mother was dumbfounded. His mother shook her head. ‘Ceeep, Cep, it’s Sunday!’”
Anecdote 3
- “Here’s what he said; there were two senile professors. Chatting at the station while waiting for the train to depart. While they were happily chatting, suddenly the train moved forward. The two professors panicked. They ran after the train. But unfortunately, only one person managed to get on. The professor who was left behind was dumbfounded as if he couldn’t believe what he had experienced. ‘No need to be confused, Pa? There are still many trains. Just take the train that is leaving now,’ suggested a trader. The professor shook his head and said, ‘How can you not be confused? It was Father who was going, not him!’ It turned out that the professor who had gotten on had come to the station just to see him off!”
The anecdotes come through the characters' dialogues and are almost always unpredictable, they can suddenly appear in sad, tense, or scary situations. Readers are given the opportunity to lower the rising tension.
The anecdotes can also be said to have no pretensions, light and fluid. Just dry humor. In reality, Sundanese people do not always create philosophical humor like the story of Si Kabayan, and Godi Suwarna is not allergic to such tastes. Interestingly, he gives more meaning by placing it in a part of the story that is filled with emotional situations, humor is placed in the midst of tension. Through anecdotes, he is like the anonymous author of the story of Si Kabayan, inviting us to laugh when we are sad, angry, or depressed. Life is indeed full of tragedy, and comedy is the balance.
The anecdote can also be seen in a different way. It is said that an anecdote can be called an anecdote if it contains satire or allusion to important objects, to parties in the ivory tower, or targets a big narrative, or noble values. While at this time I have been thinking about pillows, bolsters, blankets, and mattresses. Such a complicated and philosophical and too important problem, perhaps, would be more appropriate if the gentlemen and wiser and more prudent readers would be willing to interpret it themselves. I am sleepy and I give up.