<![CDATA[Patriarchal ideology has long shaped the construction of female identity in literary narratives by positioning women within unequal gender relations that limit their agency and autonomy. Although previous studies on Eka Kurniawan's Cantik Itu Luka have examined patriarchy, gender discrimination, violence against women, and female resistance, limited attention has been paid to how resistance reconstructs female identity. Therefore, this study investigates the representation of patriarchal structures in the novel and explores how acts of resistance contribute to the reconstruction of female identity. This research employed a qualitative descriptive design using a feminist literary criticism approach integrated with identity construction theory. The primary data consisted of narrative texts, dialogues, and characterizations in Cantik Itu Luka, while supporting data were obtained from relevant scholarly literature. Data were collected through close reading and documentation and analyzed using the interactive qualitative analysis model. The findings reveal that patriarchal domination is manifested through objectification, sexual violence, marginalization, subordination, and symbolic oppression. Nevertheless, the female characters negotiate these oppressive structures through survival strategies, self-determination, and the rejection of patriarchal norms. These forms of resistance enable them to reconstruct their identities and reclaim agency. The study concludes that Cantik Itu Luka portrays female identity as a dynamic and continuously negotiated process, highlighting resistance as a crucial means of challenging patriarchal ideology and redefining women's subjectivity in contemporary Indonesian literature.]]>
