Sociology of literature; Human awareness; Social criticism.

Abstrak

Literature functions as a dynamic social document that 
reproduces existential experiences and societal conflicts, 
including structural inequality, discrimination, and collective 
trauma. This study aims to describe literary reflections on the 
realities of human life through a critique of injustice; analyze the 
mechanisms of empathy development through conflict and 
trauma; and demonstrate literature's contribution as a moral 
transformation that strengthens social awareness. A qualitative 
approach using literature review and content analysis of 
Swingewood and Ratna's sociology of literature was used. 
Primary data were from the novel Malam Seribu Jahanam 
(Paramaditha, 2023), the poetry of Cak Nun (2016), and 
Merdeka Karena Hati (Fuadi, 2019); secondary data were from 
the 
journal 2025. Descriptive-analytical analysis with 
triangulation focused on intrinsic elements and extrinsic 
functions. Literature has educational, reflective, socially critical, 
emancipatory, and empathetic functions to build human 
awareness. Representation is through characters with inner 
conflict (70%), themes of suffering (85%), repressive settings 
(60%), and emotional metaphors (90%). In a socio-educational 
context, literature is relevant for awareness-raising (80%) and 
the Independent Curriculum, integrated as character-building 
material.