This story is a portrayal of the poor fate of a village girl under Javanese feudalism for hundreds of years even up to 20th century. The main character is just called Gadis pantai (the girl from the coast), who represents girls from poor and uneducated families in villages. She came from a poor fisherman village in the regency of Rembang in north coast of Java, Indonesia in early 20th century.
At the age of fourteen, a local government official that she did not know married her. What she knew was that she had to obey and respect her husband whom she addressed Bendoro (an honorific title for Javanese nobility). She never had any personal relationship with her husband. In her husband's house there were parts that she never set foot. Even there were rooms where she never saw forever. Her husband had married several women before but he had divorced them. She knew it when she saw several babies who had no mother. Their mothers had been divorced so the maid took care of them.
Pramoedya described class discrimination. Mardinah, a new maid, came. She was a daughter of a low rank official. She was arrogant. Her attitude to the girl from the coast was very impolite. Eventually when she accompanied the girl from the coast came home to village, people revealed that she had a mission. She was sent by regent's wife of from Demak to persuade bendoro to marry her daughter. If Mardinah succeeded she would be married as the fifth wife.
Besides disappointment, the girl from the coast enjoyed financial and social advancement. she became a respected membr of village society. When she came home to see her parents everybody in the village warmly welcomed her. She held a party and gave presents to the elderly people.
Until one day she was pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl. The gender made bendoro disappointed. When her parents came to see them, Bendoro called her father to get in his house. When he got out from the house he was downhearted. His daughter was divorced ! Bondoro gave him some money but he had to take her daughter home immediately, while the baby must stay. Maids would take care of her. As she got home she did not want to stay. She immediately left because she could not bear the humiliation.
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Sorrow of Javanese woman under feudalism.
The Girl from the Coast, 2002.
Author : Pramoedya Ananta Toer.
This story is a portrayal of the poor fate of a village girl under Javanese feudalism for hundreds of years even up to 20th century. The main character is just called Gadis pantai (the girl from the coast), who represents girls from poor and uneducated families in villages. She came from a poor fisherman village in the regency of Rembang in north coast of Java, Indonesia in early 20th century.
At the age of fourteen, a local government official that she did not know married her. What she knew was that she had to obey and respect her husband whom she addressed Bendoro (an honorific title for Javanese nobility). She never had any personal relationship with her husband. In her husband's house there were parts that she never set foot. Even there were rooms where she never saw forever. Her husband had married several women before but he had divorced them. She knew it when she saw several babies who had no mother. Their mothers had been divorced so the maid took care of them.
Pramoedya described class discrimination. Mardinah, a new maid, came. She was a daughter of a low rank official. She was arrogant. Her attitude to the girl from the coast was very impolite. Eventually when she accompanied the girl from the coast came home to village, people revealed that she had a mission. She was sent by regent's wife of from Demak to persuade bendoro to marry her daughter. If Mardinah succeeded she would be married as the fifth wife.
Besides disappointment, the girl from the coast enjoyed financial and social advancement. she became a respected membr of village society. When she came home to see her parents everybody in the village warmly welcomed her. She held a party and gave presents to the elderly people.
Until one day she was pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl. The gender made bendoro disappointed. When her parents came to see them, Bendoro called her father to get in his house. When he got out from the house he was downhearted. His daughter was divorced ! Bondoro gave him some money but he had to take her daughter home immediately, while the baby must stay. Maids would take care of her. As she got home she did not want to stay. She immediately left because she could not bear the humiliation.
This story is a portrayal of the poor fate of a village girl under Javanese feudalism for hundreds of years even up to 20th century. The main character is just called Gadis pantai (the girl from the coast), who represents girls from poor and uneducated families in villages. She came from a poor fisherman village in the regency of Rembang in north coast of Java, Indonesia in early 20th century.
At the age of fourteen, a local government official that she did not know married her. What she knew was that she had to obey and respect her husband whom she addressed Bendoro (an honorific title for Javanese nobility). She never had any personal relationship with her husband. In her husband's house there were parts that she never set foot. Even there were rooms where she never saw forever. Her husband had married several women before but he had divorced them. She knew it when she saw several babies who had no mother. Their mothers had been divorced so the maid took care of them.
Pramoedya described class discrimination. Mardinah, a new maid, came. She was a daughter of a low rank official. She was arrogant. Her attitude to the girl from the coast was very impolite. Eventually when she accompanied the girl from the coast came home to village, people revealed that she had a mission. She was sent by regent's wife of from Demak to persuade bendoro to marry her daughter. If Mardinah succeeded she would be married as the fifth wife.
Besides disappointment, the girl from the coast enjoyed financial and social advancement. she became a respected membr of village society. When she came home to see her parents everybody in the village warmly welcomed her. She held a party and gave presents to the elderly people.
Until one day she was pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl. The gender made bendoro disappointed. When her parents came to see them, Bendoro called her father to get in his house. When he got out from the house he was downhearted. His daughter was divorced ! Bondoro gave him some money but he had to take her daughter home immediately, while the baby must stay. Maids would take care of her. As she got home she did not want to stay. She immediately left because she could not bear the humiliation.
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