VALUES IN LITERARY

WORKS
 According to Frankel (1977:7) “a value is an idea,
a concept about what someone thinks is important in
life”

1. Religious Values
Religious values are ethical principles found in
religious traditions, texts and beliefs. Religious values
refer to a religious system refers to the spiritual side of a
culture or its approach to the supernatural.
Analysis example ...
1. In the story of “Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail”
with the permission of the Almighty, Siti Hajar finally
had descendant ... ...
 it means that Siti Hajar could have a descendant due
to the permission of Allah SWT. The mankind just do
what they should do, and hope the result of it. All in
all, the decision depends on the God.
Thus, due to everything happened with the permission
of Allah SWT, it has a religious value.
Analysis example ...
2. In the story of “Mullah Nasruddin”
God bless you with long life and healthy progeny for
this generous gesture!
 the word “God bless you” means that Mullah
Nasruddin always prays the goodness for somebody
else to God. This shows that he does a noble activity,
thus it has a religious value.
Analysis example ...
3. In the story entitled “Social Measures”
yes, I have performed my prayers since it is my
religious duty, ... ...
 this utterance means that Zaynab always performs her
prayers because that is an obligation as a moslem. This
shows that she does a religious duty, thus it has a
religious value.
2. Philosophical Values
Philosophy can be defined as people’s way of
thinking to understand things or idea, to face people’s
life, and to solve their problems of life.
Philosophical values that cover two aspects of
human beings, those are life and love. Philosophical
values attempt to comprehend what people are and how
their existence is. To deal with that, they need to
understand the essences of life and love.
2.1 Values of Love
There are three values of love as one essence of
people existence in this life, they are accepting (the sense
of welcoming someone or some people into one’s life),
appreciating (the sense of appreciating someone’s or
other’s existence in this life), and wanting the best for
others (the sense of wanting someone or some people to
be happy, safe, healthy, and fulfilled).

2.2 Values of Life

There are many values of life, they can help
someone develops a clearer sense of what’s most
important to his or herself in life.
Analysis example ...
1. In the story of “Camelia and Raheem”
they come in our mosquesto worship and find peace.
 Worship can be included in the philosophy value
because worship is meant to cover the whole life.
Worship to God can lead us to have a better life
because we follow God’s command.
Analysis example ...
2. In the story entitled “The Martyred Son”
He spent of his time in the house, rarely going
somewhere except to school and his tutoring.
 From the sentence tells that Metin never went
anywhere except to school and his tutoring. This data
contains a philosophy value about life to study and
seek knowledge.
Analysis example ...
3. In the story entitled “Social Measures”
I like to show myself as I am, with no mask on my
face.
 this sentence shows that Zaynab has independent
personality, she likes to show herself as she is. This
data contains philosophical value about life to be
yourself.
3. Ethical Values
Ethics is moral principles that govern a person’s
behavior or the conducting of an activity, and the branch
of knowledge that deals with moral principles.
There are four kinds of ethical values, namely:
ethics to God (an ethics that arranges relationship
between human and God), ethics to ourselves (ethics
about human relationship with their lives and way of
living), ethics to people (as individual and social creature,
humans need norms or rules that arrange customes and
manner of their life in society and general guide in living
together).
3. Ethical Values
And ethics to nature (people keep their own ethics
to God), nowadays many disasters happen, it is caused by
human acts that they cannot keep their nature carefully.
It is the human’s right as the creature of God to save the
environment.
Analysis example ...
1. In the story entitled “Faithfully Love”
(they say Arabic fluently) Assalamu’alaikum!!!
 it is included ethic to other people, the word
Assalamu’alaikum is a form of greeting someone else
when we meet each other. As we have known in Islam
we are suggested to say salaam to regard when we meet
other people in order we can keep good relationship
among others.
Analysis example ...
2. In the story entitled “The War”
Two years before, her mother had made hajj and
since that time she had taken on a new life and glow.
 It can be included in ethic to God and ourselves. It is
shown that after made hajj, Khodijah’s mother had a
new life, in very beautiful condition. Hajj makes
Moslems feel real importance of life on earth and the
afterlife, by stripping away all markers of social status,
wealth, and pride.
Analysis example ...
3. In the story entitled “Social Measures”
May Allah bless you. I wish I could have your strong
faith and self-confidence.
 It can be included into ethic to other people. By saying
“may Allah bless you”, the mother finally realized her
mistake and prayed the goodness for her daughter to
God.
4. Aesthetical Values
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with
the nature of art, beauty, and taste, with the creation and
appreciation of beauty.
Some aesthetics values in the story or poem are
shown as simile and metaphor form. It shows how the
beautiful thing is figured out by the author. Aesthetics
value evaluates something from the apperance.

Simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison,

showing similarities between two different things (direct
comparison, using “like” or “as”).
Example:
Our soldiers are as brave as lions.
Her cheeks are red like a rose.
4. Aesthetical Values
Metaphor is a figure of speech that makes an implicit,
implied, or hidden comparison between two things that
are unrelated, but which share some common
characteristics.

Example:
My brother was boiling mad. (This implies he was
too angry)
Her voice is music to his ears. (This implies that
her voice makes him feel happy)

Often aesthetical values are found in poems.

Analysis example ...
1. In the poem entitled “Love’s Call”
“ ....
We are higher than heaven, more noble than the
angels
....”
 It is for the next human life here after, when people
are faithfully doing God’s order and worship Him as
God’s line, they could be the best creature than others.
It is very deeply presenting how special we are.
Commonly known that heaven is always wanted by
everyone, and angels are God’s creature, but human is
higher than that.
Analysis example ...
2. In the poem entitled “Desert Rose”
“ ....
I traveled a long time to get to this moment
So many cactuses I stumbled over in the dark
....
One day, when I looked ahead, I saw an oasis
A miracle, I thought, so I slowly walked towards it
-- expecting to be fooled again
....
I touched it and found it was no dream
....“
Analysis example ...
2. In the poem entitled “Desert Rose”
 Those lines express metaphor as the aesthetical values.
The cactus is something commonly lived in desert but
rose is one thing rarely live in. The values in this look
is as human, men are might to have a dream or
something never planned before; they have to receive
it as reality and face it although people have to be in
hard situation and uncommon moment, ready is the
key through their power.
5. Moral Values
Moral values are the standards of good and bad,
which govern an individual’s behavior and choices.
Individual’s morals may derive from parent or family,
society and government, religion, or self.
In the story, moral values are things that we can
learn after reading it.
Analysis example ...
1. In the story entitled “Social Measures”
moral values from the story are:
 we have to be independent and confident person, as a
good believer, we have to believe and have a strong
faith about Islam.
 we should talk politely to our mother in any
circumstances.
 do not let civilization or custom affected our religion
duty/ our belief.