This study aims to find and analyze the cultural values contained in the anthology of short stories “Sampan Zulaiha” and serves to know its usefulness as a literary reading material in high school. This research is qualitative research by qualitative descriptive method. Approach used was done by literature sociology with the study of text. Data collection technique used was literature review technique. Instruments used to know its usefulness as a reading material is by writing tests, observations, and interviews. Resource persons in this study consisted of three Indonesian language teachers and sixty students in SMA Negeri 8 Medan. Based on the results of the research, it can be concluded that there are 98 cultural values divided into five patterns of cultural values, namely 1) human relationship with God, 2) human relationship with nature, 3) human relationship with society, 4) human relationship with others, 5) human relationship with oneself. Based on the results of observations and interviews of cultural values in the anthology of Zulaiha, it is very useful to be used as a literary reading material in high school.
Keywords: Cultural Values, Literary Reading Materials, Short Stories
