The Settlement Area Constructing the Attitudes of the Natives

the table manners, the routine activites and the accessibility in gaining an appropriate education.

1. The Settlement Area

On the first sequel of The Laskar Pelangi Quartet, The Rainbow Troops 2009, Ikal describes the exclusive compound of the company’s staffs as follows: The Staff—almost none of whom were Belitong-Malays—lived in an elite area called the Estate. This area was tightly guarded by security, fences, high walls and harsh warnings posted everywhere in three languages: Formal colonial style Indonesian, Chinese and Dutch. The warning read “No Entry for those without the Right.” In our eyes—the eyes of poor village children—the Estate looked like it said, “Keep your distance.” TRT: 32 He sees invulnerable life of the staff in the elite area. Afterward, he places himself as an outsider of the elite compound and only becomes part of poor Belitung- Malays village children. Whereas in the Indonesian version, not only does the explanation mention about the physical performance of the building, but also about the people: The Estate is Belitung’s land mark. This area was tightly guarded by high walls. There was only one way to access the area. It was like cul de sac concept in modern settlement concept. Colonial style became the style of the architecture and landscape design. People who lived inside the Estate were having odd name, such as Susilo, Cokro, Ivonne, Setiawan or Kuntoro. There were not Malay’s name, such as Muas, Jamali, Sa’indun, Ramli, or Mahader, and they were not using bin or binti as usually Malay’s people used. 72 [My translation] That quotation shows the exclusivity of the people who live in the Estate. The colonial style is explained more detail in English version as a Victorian style. Then, people without Malay’s name who stay on that compound shows that not all of the Belitung-Malays are able to have position as the staff. The Estate becomes the symbol of the ultimate high class lifestyle. The houses’ designs, decorations and furnitures are superb: 72 Gedong adalah land mark Belitong. Ia terisolasi tembok tinggi berkeliling dengan satu akses keluar masuk seperti konsep cul de sac dalam konsep pemukiman modern. Arsitektur dan desain lanskapnya bergaya sangat kolonial. Orang-orang yang tinggal di dalamnya memiliki nama-nama yang aneh, misalnya Susilo, Cokro, Ivonne, Setiawan atau Kuntoro, tak ada Muas, Jamali, Sa’indun, Ramli, atau Mahader seperti nama orang-orang Melayu, dan mereka tidak pernah menggunakan bin atau binti.” LP: 42 The luxurious houses of the Estate were built in the Victorian style. … the legendary Belgian peeing mannequin … . … a square cage decorated with Roman pillars. It was the home of the English pigeons, voracious but tame. …Victorian rosewood sofa. Sitting on it, one felt like an exalted king. TRT: 33 The luxurious physical description of the Estate above refers to European style. Therefore, to show the houses elegant style, Europe becomes the reference. In comparison to the Estate dwelling, the natives live outside the Estate’s wall with their opposite condition: Just an arm’s length outside of those fortress walls spanned a strikingly contradictory sight, like a village chicken sitting next to a peacock. There lived the native Belitong-Malays, and if they didn’t have eight children, then they weren’t done trying. They blamed the government for not providing them with enough entertainment, so at night, they had nothing to do besides make children. … It would be an exaggeration to call our village a slum, but it would be not wrong to say it was a laborer’s village shadowed by an endless eclipse since the dawn of the industrial revolution. TRT: 39-40 Peacock is the symbol for the Estate, whereas the native Belitung-Malays’ compound is a village chicken. It indicates the deprived condition of the natives’ compound, although the word slum is mentioned as hyperbolical choice. To contrast the settlement area of the native Belitungese and the company people, the European style becomes Ikal’s choice to strengthen the imbalance condition. In my opinion this is part of constructing the intangible part, particularly the attitude of the colonized on seeing their environment. When the natives Belitung need to describe their own society they will compare themselves with the PN Timah as the extension of the colonial rules. Since the standard that they know and they learn are from the company people as the controller and the highest class in Belitung.

2. The Table Manners