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Century Java--Cerita Nyai Dasima, the Macabre Story of an Englishman's Concubine* Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 28, No.4, March 1991 Popular Literature and Colonial Society in Late-Nineteenth­ Century Java--Cerita Nyai Dasima, the Macabre Story of an Englishman's Concubine* Kenji TSUCHIYA** Bandung. Later he moved to Batavia (pres­ Introduction ent-day Jakarta) and became involved in editing This paper examines the short novel entitled a Malay magazine. Also, in 1891 he published in Cerita Nyai Dasima written by G. Francis Batavia a biography of Napoleon. Therefore, (1860-1915) and published by Kho Tjeng Bie & we can as least piece together that he was a Co. of Batavia in 1896. Through this work I journalist living and working in a torrid zone shall focus on the world of popular literature under Dutch colonial rule, that he was fluent in during that time within the context of urban Malay, and that he used that language to ex­ society, in order to investigate the relationship press a number of opinions about the conditions between literature and social order in a country of colonial society. under colonial rule. Turning to the novel itself, which is the tragic Francis wrote Cerita Nyai Dasima in every­ story of a Sundanese woman named Dasima, day, colloquial Malay (or Pasar-Malay), which, who becomes an Englishman's nyai, or con­ incidentally, developed into the "language of cubine, we can confidently state that it was a national liberation" along with the growth of the literary work born from definite "hybrid" condi­ nationalist movement in the early twentieth tions, given that 1) it was written in Malay by a century and then became the official language of white foreigner whose native language was not the state of Indonesia. The background of the Malay, 2) it was distributed through a Chinese novel contains interesting and peculiar ele­ publisher, and 3) it circulated in an ethnically ments. First, we know that the author was of mixed, late-nineteenth-century Dutch colonial English descent, but neither his family nor city. career background is very clear. We are not The theme of popular literature has over the even sure that his real name was Francis. years been virtually ignored in the conventional However, we do know that he was on the histories of Indonesian literary movements. It editorial staff of the Malay newspaper Pengadi­ has been treated as a something low class lan, which circulated in the high plains city of genre of suspect and shady origins, to be placed in an altogether different category both from * This paper was originally published in Japanese in the traditional literature and classical literary the journal Bungaku 57 Guly 1989): 48-63. style that characterize the Malay and Javan ** ±~f@7Ei, The Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University court chronicles, and from the modern, "ortho- -17 - 467 dox" nationalist literature. This lack of research The following is an English translation of the initiative means that there are very few source first forty-three lines (three paragraphs) of the materials today that could help us trace the original text, which, interestingly, contains only origins and development of this popular literary five sentence-ending periods, the remaining genre. The novels making up this enormous clauses and phrases being compounded and set body of literature were all relegated to either off by commas and semicolons. This seems to the miscellaneous reading section or the lending indicate a style reflecting a process of transition comer of the book market and thus became from oral narration into written prose. scattered willy nilly throughout the city and subsequently lost for want of systematized col­ This is a story. It is said that about 1813 lecting or preservation activities. This is indeed an Englishman administered Tanah Curcuk unfortunate, for as researchers the world over in the district of Tanggerang. His name now know, popular literature is an important was Edward W. He was not very old and source of information on previously unknown he had a concubine, a nyai, who was a aspects of literary and social history. Fortu­ Muslim girl from Kampung Kuripan, called nately, however, we do have Cerita Nyai Dasi­ Dasima. The gentleman had kept the nyai ma, a late-nineteenth-century popular literary from the time she was a girl. She was very gem that has continued to be read and talked beautiful. Her skin was fair and her hair about up to the present day. was long. Willingly she had studied all the In the sections that follow, I shall describe things a woman should know-cooking, briefly the story contained in the novel, ex­ sewing and dressmaking-from Mrs. amine its content, and finally consider its after­ Bonnet, who also happened to be living at math in terms of how it was received by the Curcuk. Dasima was a diligent and intelli­ society that read it and how popular ideas about gent person. the story changed over time. In this way I hope Mr. W loved her as though she were his not only to discuss one particular work of popu­ legal wife. He entrusted the care of all his lar literature, but also give the· reader some property to her. Dasima had even given insights into the social and cultural history of him a pretty girl, named Nancy. Mr. W Indonesia. was very fond of Nancy. So he gladly bought the nyai all sorts of things, like cameo brooches, diamond pins, orna­ I Synopsis mented boxes and gold jewelry, each Cerita Nyai Dasima is a short novel of nine worth over 3, ()()() guilder. Besides that, he thousand words, covering thirty-nine pages (in­ gave her a hundred guilder a month to cluding two illustrations) in the first edition. I) spend. She kept the money in a piggy-box, which she stored with the numerous items 1) The novel was first published as Tjerita Njai of clothing she had accumulated, such Dasima. by G. Francis [1896]. The original style of text has been preserved in Pramoedya Ananta things as jackets, sarongs, with gold and Toer [1982: 223-247]. silver thread woven through them, and 468 -18- K. TSUCmYA: Popular Literature and Colonial Society in Late-Nineteenth-Century Java various typeS of silk blouses. Her master with more sincerity. Ma Buyung becomes a never minded her having these things in housekeeper for Dasima and works very hard the least. to gain her trust. Then the old woman begins Some eight years later the land was sold to urge Dasima towards the ways of.Islam. Her and became the property of another land­ guides in this endeavor are to be none other lord. Mr. W ceased to manage the estate than Samiun's mother, Saleha, and his wife, and moved to Batavia. He settled at Hayati. Then Samiun is able to approach Dasi­ Gambir, near the bank of the Ciliwung, and ma in order to convey his sentiments toward found a position with an English shop in her, telling her that he has been deeply in love Kota. Each day he went to work early, with her for a long time. Meanwhile, Buyung and returned home after five o'clock. continues to collect strands of Dasima's hair, Within two years, Nyai Dasima's fame and when they have been wound into the size of had spread throughout the nearby Muslim an egg, she gives the bundle to Samiun for 2 settlements. Everyone knew that she was pasmat. Samiun then takes the hair to the both beautiful and rich, the possessor of famed witch doctor, Haji Salihun, in the Pece­ much money and jewelry. A great many nongan area and asks him to produce a "potion" Muslim men wanted to get close to her, so for the price of 10 pasmat. Haji Salihun makes they could gain control of her wealth, and two kinds of potions: one that will make Dasima sent older women to her to plead their hate Edward W and one that will make Mr. W case. Nyai Dasima did not like their pro­ do anything Dasima wishes. posals and always angrily sent the old During this time Mr. W dreams that a long women away. Unfortunately she never black snake attacks his Nyai Dasima and "cuts" told her master of these evil proposals. her throat, despite his desperate efforts to She kept them a secret. No one else at all help. knew about them. Meanwhile, Dasima is repeatedly urged to At that time, a young Muslim man break off with Mr. W if indeed she is to named Samiun lived in Kampung Pejam­ embrace Islam sincerely. She finally decides to bon. He too had heard how rich and cut off all relations with Mr. W and marry beautiful Nyai Dasima was. Although he Samiun, who, she believes, is deeply in love had tried various strategies to win her, with her. One day, Dasima tells Mr. W that she none of them had come to anything. is leaving and taking all of her belongings except Samiun therefore decided on a new for Nancy, whom she has decided to leave with scheme. He ordered an old woman who him. The poor gentleman tries to persuade her lived nearby, namely Ma Buyung, to come not to go, but his efforts are in vain, for she to his house. [Francis 1988: 2-3] says, "Saya tiada harep masuk agama kafir" (I don't want to become a kafir, an infidel). The The story continues as Samiun offers the next day Dasima departs taking with her prop­ smart old woman 50 pasmat (piaster) to per­ erty totaling 6, ()()() florins. suade Dasima to follow the teachings of Islam The story now enters its second phase.
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