2. Inge is an Independent Woman.
In Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 1995: 604, independent is the state of being not dependent on other people or things; not controlled by other
people or things. Inge’s independence could be seen from her past. Although she lived in a broken family, it did not make her lost her dignity as a woman. Her
childhood was full of sorrow, since her family was migrants, therefore young Inge was forced to adapt in the new environment. Besides she had to face the problem
inside her family. Since Inge was a little girl, her mother, Lisl never loved her because she was an unwanted baby. Inge’s mother traded her body in order to get
safety from the war and when Inge’s mother gave birth to Inge, she was still too young. Young Inge never got love from her mother neither from her step father.
She was lack of affection, her step father, Karl always took advantages to rape her. Inge spent her adolescent years avoiding her step father’s advances and in
return she got her independence. She could not depend herself on her mother neither her grandmother. They seemed to blame Inge for Inge’s beauty that made
Karl attracted to her. They always tried to make Inge really ugly or locked up her so that she could not get into trouble. Actually what children needed the most
were to be loved, but young Inge never got love, she was lack of affection. Lisl did not give any support at all or try to protect Inge from her step father’s
advances, however, she kept on blaming and hating Inge, she could not stand anymore and preferred to run away. Lisl, Inge’s mother kept on hating Inge until
she died. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
Inge’s childhood was unhappy and full of sorrow. She had to survive for the internal problems in her family and also external problem, which she had to
face her new environment as a migrant from Germany. She had to work hard to be accepted in the new school, she had to learn English, she had to blend with the
other students in her new school. This hard situations that she got had made her independence grew since she could not depend to anyone to live her adolescent
years. “The school is tiny, one for the seniors, one for the juniors, in the larger
room I learnt to speak English, to hate my origins, to survive; blending into the rhythms, the nuances, the hierarchy of my surroundings.”p.42
She had to force herself to do what actually she did not want to do in order to be accepted in the new environment. Finally she was accepted in her new
environment, she could adapt well, she was welcomed by her friends, and in a way, she became popular girl in her school, and through her effort in struggling to
live in her new environment by herself had shown her independence as a girl. In Kiwa-Kiwa where David becomes a teacher, Inge also shows her
independence. Most of the white wives have boy house, a native young man who could help all of the house works with low price only for eight dollar a week. But
not with Inge, she does not want to have it since she still could do the house work by herself. When one of the wives asks Inge why she does not want to have
helper at her house, she answers that she still can do all of the house work by herself.
“You should have. At eight dollars a week how could you live without PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
one? Alice says. “Well I don’t want know. It’s a bit like slave labor, isn’t it? I mean we get
twenty times that amount and having a grown man do your housework when you’re quite able bodied as a bit strange.”p.105
By preferring not to have a helper at her house although the payment is
cheap, Inge not only shows her independence, that she still could handle all the household things by herself, but also her concerns about the slavery labor issue.
Moreover, when one of the teachers in Kiwa-Kiwa is leaving she is offered to replace the place as the new teacher. Although her background of
education does not fit with the subject she has a will to try it. By trying to fill the position, she wants to prove to David that she is also capable to teach. She could
do like what David could. She goes alone to the Moresby, where the education department is located. Although the place is really far away from her village and
the street is not in a good condition, she still goes by herself, she does not ask her husband to take her to the education department, and it shows her independence
too as a woman. David, as Inge’s husband, does not feel happy to know Inge’s succeed to fill the position, in fact he looks suspiciously, as if Inge does not have
the ability to teach. By becoming the new teacher, in the other hand Inge wants to prove to David that she could do whatever she wants and that she has the ability
to do it. In conclusion, Inge could be said as an independent woman. She could work and it proves that she is financially independent.
3. Inge is a Kind-hearted Woman.
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