The Girl from the coast

The Girl from the Coast.

Author : Pramoedya Ananta Toer.

This story is a portrayal of the poor fate of a village girl under Javanese feudalism.  For thousands of years even up to 20th century the Indonesian people suffered from feudalism. 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 in the novel. 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 member of village society. When she came home to see her parents everybody in the village warmly welcomed her. She threw 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 because 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. Gadis pantai (the girl from the coast) was deeply hurt, disappointed and ashamed.  So as she got home she did not want to stay. She immediately left because she could not bear the humiliation.

When I read Pramudya’s interview with Time magazine I realized that the novel is based on true story. He told Time he came from a wealthy family in a small town in central Java.  One day an old poor woman came to his home to buy old stuff that she would resell.  Soon her mother and the old woman had a warm conversation.  But not long after that her mother was very surprised when she found out that the old woman was her mother.  Unfortunately Pramudya’s grandfather divorced her when Pram’s mother was still a baby.  Then out of desperation and frustration she left her home.  She never met her daughter again until that day God had them reunited.  Pram’s mother offered her to stay with them but she refused.   So Gadis pantai in the novel is actually Pram’s grandmother. 

It is a touching novel based on true events. The novel has been translated into English so you can enjoy it.  If you want to know the social condition of Java in the past, this novel is a good choice.