WHEN WORDS BECOME REALITY: PERFORMATIVITY AND THE POWER OF LANGUAGE IN CONTEMPORARY FICTION

Abstrak

Language in contemporary life functions not only as a means of conveying information but also plays a significant role in shaping identity, social relations, and understandings of reality. This phenomenon becomes increasingly relevant when language operates within social spaces shaped by norms, authority, and the repetition of discourse, including contemporary fiction that represents human experiences and social conflicts. This study aims to analyze how language acquires performative force and contributes to the construction of social reality in contemporary fiction, particularly through processes of naming, repetition, legitimation, and the negotiation of meaning. The study employs an interpretive qualitative approach with a textual-narrative analysis design. Data were obtained through documentation and close reading of utterances, dialogues, monologues, and narrative passages that demonstrate the social consequences of language use. The data were analyzed thematically using Speech Act Theory, Judith Butler’s concept of performativity as the primary perspective, and discourse and power theory as a supporting perspective. The analysis reveals four main patterns: language as a means of identity formation, the repetition of utterances as a mechanism for constructing social reality, unequal authority among voices, and the negotiation of and resistance to norms through language. These findings demonstrate that words become “reality” not automatically, but when utterances receive recognition, are repeated, legitimized, and translated into social action. Theoretically, this study extends the understanding of linguistic performativity in literary studies, while practically providing a basis for strengthening critical literacy concerning language, identity, and power relations in educational and contemporary social contexts.