T1 112009006 Full text
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT READERS’ RESPONSE TOWARD TWO R. A.
KARTINI’S LETTERS IN BOOK, “HABIS GELAP TERBITLAH TERANG”
THESIS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan
Eva Evina
112009006
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
SALATIGA
2014
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT READERS’ RESPONSE TOWARD TWO R. A.
KARTINI’S LETTERS IN BOOK, “HABIS GELAP TERBITLAH TERANG”
THESIS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan
Eva Evina
112009006
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
SALATIGA
2014
ii
iii
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Copyright@2014 Eva Evina and Danielle Donelson-Sims, M.A.
All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be reproduced by any means without the
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Language and Literature, Satya Wacana University, Salatiga.
Eva Evina:
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Student ID Number : 112009006
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Faculty : Language and Literature
Kind of Work : Undergraduate Thesis
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English Department Readers’ Response Toward Two R. A. Kartini’s Letters In Book,
“Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang”
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v
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ENGLISH DEPARTMENT READERS’ RESPONSE TOWARD TWO R. A.
KARTINI’S LETTERS IN BOOK, “HABIS GELAP TERBITLAH TERANG”
Eva Evina
Abstract
The influence of Dutch culture on the 19th –century made R. A. Kartini, a Javanese woman from
Jepara broke the traditions. She is an Indonesian heroine who wanted to get the same high education
as men. This thesis analyzes to find out the people opinions or thoughts about R. A. Kartini from the
book, Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang. This book contains two letters of R. A. Kartini that I use to get
some perceptions or feeling from the readers. This thesis deals with the struggles of R. A. Kartini as a
heroine for Indonesian women to get gender equality and the same rights as men. Based on this idea,
Subjective Reader-response theory will be an appropriate tool to analyze the thought of the readers
about R. A. Kartini through her letters. 13 participants ED Students were selected to be the readers‟
response. Subjective reader-response theory is a tool to analyze the response of participants‟ thoughts.
Through this study, it reveals that the readers‟ perception toward R. A. Kartini through her two letters
is that she had to give a real action for Indonesian women. The real action that shows her struggle for
Indonesian women. It is because in her letters, she only shared her own desire to get freedom of her
tradition. She did not mention any other Indonesian women‟s thought or experiences in her two
letters.
Keywords: reader-response, subjective reader-response, tradition, culture, women emancipation
INTRODUCTION
“Habis gelap terbitlah terang” is actually a quote from a book by using Dutch
language, “Door Duisternis Tot Licht”. This quote is from a Dutch man for a Javanese
woman who fought for Javanese women‟s right to get the same education like men. She is R.
A. Kartini, a Javanese Noble woman who broke the traditions through her thoughts.
According to the book by Armijn Pane, Kartini gave some opinions about Javanese
women that made her want to broke Javanese tradition. She said that marriage was the only
way for Javanese women to get better life (Pane, p. 12). She also said that taking care of
children and doing the domestic jobs were only appropriate for women (Pane, p. 13).These
thoughts made her to help the Javanese women‟s life out from the binding tradition by
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breaking the tradition and thinking like a modern people. She wanted Javanese women to get
same education as men. She said that if a woman were knowledgeable, she would be a good
mother and wife to take care of her children or do the domestic jobs (pane, p. 16). R. A.
Kartini showed her struggle toward her letters to her western friends. She shared her ideas to
break her Javanese tradition as a woman and get the same education like men. She wanted to
go aboard for studying like her friends. Those thoughts through her letters can be seen on the
book “Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang” (Indonesian translation) or “Door Duisternis Tot
Licht” (Dutch language).
Based on R. A. Kartini‟s thoughts about changing Javanese women‟s right, she was
known as women‟s emancipation heroine. Then, according to the word of emancipation,
there is some definition about emancipation. Emancipation is the fact or process of being set
free from legal, social, or political restriction (Oxford). The popular definition of
emancipation, according to Muzlikah, is an effort to demand of similarity of women‟s right
toward man‟s right in every sector of life (as qtd. in “Women‟s Emancipation in Islam”). She
stated that “Emancipation is a close word connecting to women, or it is about feminism and
all about women” (n.page). She also stated that Women emancipation mean giving women a
chance to work, study, and make creation like a man (n.page).
Another definition about emancipation is from Mufidah; she said that emancipation is
about sameness. She said that the differences happened because men always are related to the
society, and then women are in domestic jobs. The domestic jobs are cooking, washing,
keeping the house clean, taking care of the children, etc. Women‟s jobs are also related to
reproduction, such as menstruation, getting pregnant, giving birth, and breastfeeding. In the
other hand, men don‟t have relation to those kinds of jobs because they are only suitable to be
addressed by women (Mufidah, p. 8). So, women emancipation is about freedom for women
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to get same right with men. It means that women can freely do what men do without being
forbidden by society.
Moreover, the emancipation which is allegedly struggled by R. A. Kartini is about
differentiation between men and women in their position especially in education. She said
that she wanted to learn about other language beside Dutch because she wanted to be able to
have conversations with foreign author in their own tongue (p.9). She also said that her dream
was able to go to Europe (Pane, p.41).
Based on R. A. Kartini‟s desire to break the tradition for getting the same right in
education as men and an expert‟s perception of R. A. Kartini, I interested to find her struggles
for Javanese women toward her letters. I want to know her efforts to make a change for
Javanese women. He said that R. A. Kartini was nothing more than an artificial heroine by
Dutch (Bachtiar, p.29). R. A. Kartini refused the existence of polygamy, but she became a
victim of her own tradition. It means that she failed to break the tradition. The letters are in a
book, titled “Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang”.
The book “Habis Gelap terbitlah Terang” by Armijn Pane contains many R. A.
Kartini‟s letters. Since I want to find out her efforts and struggles, I have analyzed those
letters because I want to show the readers that R. A. Kartini only struggled for woman
emancipation for herself. From those letter, I found out several facts: R. A. Kartini showed
her desire to be free just by letters. She talked about her desire to get education in Europe
(Pane, p. 31). She did not mention any other Javanese women but she just showed her
jealousy feeling to her European friends, who is studying easily without have to be blocked
by the tradition as a woman (Armijn Pane, p. 31). She wrote in her letter “But, I can do
nothing, less than nothing, on account of Father‟s position among our people‟. Her inaction
proved that she failed to be a heroine. For all women, she couldn‟t struggle for either herself
or Javanese women because she couldn‟t break her own tradition.
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This book also shows that Javanese tradition is a part of Kartini‟s life. It makes hard for
her to break her family‟s traditions. Also, it shows that Kartini did not struggle for Javanese
women but she just did it for herself. She just shared her feeling to her friends in a letter.
Based on Kartini‟s letter in “Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang” and my own analysis about
those letters , I attempt to find out and analyze English Department students‟ perspective
toward R. A. Kartini letters. The reason I choose ED students as a reader response of my
study because I want to know and curious with their perspective about Kartini as woman‟s
emancipation heroine. I believe they have good background knowledge of R. A. Kartini since
they have grown. Then, they also can think the good and bad thing. Moreover, to answer this
question, I would like to use Reader-Response Criticism Theory. This study will focus on
English Department students‟ perspective to her letter.
Furthermore R. A. Kartini‟s struggle can be seen from English Department students‟
response after they read two of her letters. The letters were letters on May 25th and August
18th, 1899. I chose those two letters because in the two R. A. Kartini‟s letters, she talked more
about her tradition in her family and her desire to break the tradition to get the same rights as
men. She was not talking about her attempts to raise the degree of Indonesian women. It was
more talking about her effort to raise her degree as an aristocrat Javanese woman. In her
letters, she said that “For myself, I could find a way to shake them off, to break them, were it
not that another bond, stronger than any age-old tradition could ever be, binds me to my
world1” (Pane, p. 31) and she also said that “In order to give you a faint idea of the
oppressiveness of our etiquette, I shall mention a few examples. A younger brother or sister
of mine may not pass me without bowing down to the ground and creeping upon hands and
knees. If a little sister is sitting on a chair, she must instantly slip to the ground and remain
with head bowed until I have passed from her sight 2” (Pane, p. 35).
1, 2
th
th
Letters to Ms. Stella Zenhandelaar on May 25 and August 18 , 1899
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It means that she had to give real action to Indonesian women so that she would directly
affect all Indonesian women.
Based on this explanation, this study will aim to see the readers‟ perceptions toward
two different R. A. Kartini‟s letters that she just struggled for her self towards her letter to her
European and Dutch friends. In addition, this study is important to make the readers aware
that Kartini‟s struggled for herself because she wanted to break her tradition at that time
(1879). Then if the readers are aware of Raden Ajeng Kartini‟s struggle, they will know that
the heroine who struggled for education was not Kartini but also other women like Dewi
Sartika. Dewi Sartika is a heroine from Jepara who also fought for Javanese women‟s
education.
LITERATURE REVIEW
As stated in the introduction, this study will use Reader-response criticism theory to
analyze the film. That theory functions as a tool to analyze the responses from some readers
toward R. A. Kartini‟s letters. Moreover, this theory is functioned a clear direction for the
topics that I will explain in this study. Reader-response criticism theory is a big theory base,
so I will explain what Reader-response criticism theory is and then I will explain one of the
types. From this theory, I will totally focus on the readers‟ reactions toward R. A. Kartini‟s
letters.
Reader-response Criticism Theory
Reader-response criticism is a theory coined by Lois Tyson, a Professor of English at
Grand Valley state University, author of Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide,
author of Learning for a Diverse World: Using Critical Theory to Read and Write about
Literature. At first, she stated that the idea of the reader‟s reaction is important enough to
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become focus of literary interpretation (p.169). According to Tyson, the definition of Readerresponse criticism is “a board, exciting, evolving domain of literary studies that can help us
learn about our own reading process and how they relate to, among other, specific elements
in the texts we read, our experiences, and the intellectual community of which we are a
member” (p.169). This means that the importance of this theory is the readers.
Moreover, based on Tyson‟s perspective, reader-response theory criticism focuses on
reader‟s reaction to literary texts. This explanation is also supported by Davis and Womack
who said that Reader-response criticism give more attention to the act of the reading in as a
response to literary texts (p. 51). They stated that reader-response criticism gives some model
for understanding the reading process to the readers.
Tyson also argued that there were two beliefs of reader-response theory. The first is
that the role of the reader could not be separated from the texts as readers‟ understanding of
literature. The second is that they have to be actively making their own meaning in literature
(p. 170). The idea of those two beliefs of reader-response will lead to how the readers react to
the texts through their feeling. In that way, Reader-response theory will be utilized in this
study to analyze the feeling on Kartini‟s letter.
Subjective Reader-response Theory
Subjective reader-response theory does not call for the analysis of textual cues. This
theory is led by the work of Bleich. Subjective reader-response theory is a theory based on
the belief of knowledge, feelings, associations, and memories that occur as we react
subjectively to literary texts (Tyson, p. 178). This theory focuses on the mind of the reader.
The theory can help the students produce knowledge about the experiences of reading. Tyson
stated that “subjective reader-response is a coherent, purposeful methodology for helping our
students and ourselves produce knowledge about the experience of reading” (p. 179). Bleich
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points out those students are using the subjective approach probably focused on the same
elements of the text that they selected (cited in Tyson, p. 180). Tyson also said that there were
three ways that the readers have to do when they respond a text toward literary text. They are
“(1) characterize his or her response to the text as a whole; (2) identify the various responses
prompted by different aspects of the text, which, of course, ultimately lead to the student‟s
response to the text as a whole; and (3) determine why these responses occur” (p.180). Those
ways make the readers respond to the texts easily.
In this study, the participants (the readers) focus on their opinion and feeling of the
two of Kartini‟s letters. They will use their feeling to respond to how far R. A. Kartini‟s
women emancipation influences their mind set. They use their feeling when they give their
opinions based on the questions. Then, the participants will be given two questions consisting
of before and after reading the letters. Based on the response of the participants, this study is
aimed to see the readers‟ perceptions toward two different R. A. Kartini‟s letters.
Background Knowledge of Kartini to the Readers Response
R. A. Kartini is known as a Javanese Heroine. R. A. Kartini is declared as a National
Independence heroine at May 2nd, 1964 (Soeroto: 1986, p. 448). Therefore, April 21st is
always commemorated as a National Day.
Based on the declaration to make her as a National Independence heroine, she became
a famous woman who struggled for women‟s emancipation especially to get the same
education with men among students in Elementary School, Junior or Senior High School.
Every April 21st, Indonesian students will celebrate R. A. Kartini‟s day. It is called as “Hari
Ibu Kita Kartini” (Our Mother‟s R. A. Kartini Day). The students will demonstrate by green
Javanese dress or we call it as “Kebaya”. Not only wearing Javanese dress, but also they have
to sing of R. A. Kartini‟s song. It is called as “Ibu Kita Kartini” (Soeroto, p. 449).
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Furthermore, most of the participants get the background knowledge of R. A.
Kartini‟s history when they were in Elementary School. They said that they had to sing
Kartini‟s song when they were celebrating Kartini‟s day and they had to wear kebaya
(traditional Javanese dress). They said that celebrating Kartini‟s day is a must as it is the
government‟s rule. It is also shown at the calendar by coloring 21 st with red color. Even
though the date uses red color, the students do not get their holiday because they have to
celebrate Kartini‟s day at school. However, after they were in junior and senior high school,
some said that they couldn‟t get Kartini‟s history.
“Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang” SUMMARY
The book of “Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang” by Armijn Pane was about a story
before and after Kartini was born. Raden Ajeng Kartini was born on April 21, 1879 in Jepara.
She was the second daughter of Regen Jepara, Raden Mas Duke Ario Sastraningrat. In an age
where Kartini was alive in Indonesia, women had a duty to work for only the domestic job
and to carry their children. The girls were taught to be submissive to her husband.
Kartini was a woman who could get an education on Dutch School at Jepara. She got
an education because she was a Noble. When she was a child, her name was just Kartini
without Raden Ajeng. The name of Raden Ajeng was gotten after she married. Her family
was the generation of Keraton Solo. It was why the name of her family was “Raden Ajeng”.
When she was at school, she felt the freedom. She had some friends. They were Dutch and
Europeans. Kartini‟s friends asked her to refuse the seclusion. Unfortunately, after she was 12
years old, she was secluded by her parents. Her parents hold firm the family tradition, the
Javanese tradition, even though she was from advanced family in the Java Island. She was
not allowed to go out of the house for 4 years. When she was secluded, she corresponded to
her friends by letter. She spent the time reading books and replied the letter from her friends.
She said that she did not like to get married to a stranger, but she had to do it. She could not
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break her sticky tradition on her family. Her dream was to change the women‟s position to be
the same with men. Then, when she was 16 years old, she got married to a stranger. Her
husband was Raden Ario Joyodiningrat. After she gave birth to her son, Raden Singgih, she
died. She died on 17 September 1904.
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
R. A. Kartini Javanese Tradition about woman and the influence of Dutch
The conditions of R. A. Kartini‟s society were influenced by Dutch culture. It is
because they saw that the Dutch people could get an education for both women and men
easily without bound by the tradition. Then, it made many problems appear on the society
itself. The people of R. A. Kartini‟s society thought that the Javanese tradition had many
rules to be followed especially by women. Women were forbidden to get an education and
work outside her house. Next, they were forbidden to occupy positions within a society.
Then, a woman should be subject and a woman should not have a will. A woman also should
be ready to be mated by her parents‟ choice (Pane, p. 12). However, not all women were
forbidden to get an education. They who were from a noble family could get the education in
a Dutch school.
Based on the influence of Dutch culture, there was a thought to change the tradition.
There was also a thought to imitate the Dutch so that they could get a better future (Pane,
p.12). Then, the children who had been taught by Dutch education tried not to believe with
their own Javanese traditions. It is because the traditions on their life could not make them to
feel satisfied to reach their dreams.
Moreover, those tradition‟s rules and the influence of Dutch culture were also
experienced by R. A. Kartini. Then, R. A. Kartini was from a noble family, so she could get a
Dutch education. Her beloved father sent her to the Dutch Elementary school so that his
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daughter could get a chance to learn modern knowledge and education (Bachtiar, p. 78).
Then, her father introduced her to the life of common people of destitution and misery by
entering the school. Then, she saw that women who were only from an aristocrat could get
the education. This condition made R. A. Kartini be tuned in to the seemingly of ordinary
folk.
Based on her fortune to get an education, she showed that she was proud getting the
Dutch education. She said that “I glow with enthusiasm toward the new time which has
come, and can truly say that in my thoughts and sympathies I do not belong to the Indian
world, but to that of my pale sisters who are struggling forward in the distant West”
(Symmers, p. 3). She also said that “The European citizen is a citizen that is truly the most
unmatched superior” (Toer, p. 155). R. A. Kartini felt that by studying in Europe, she would
get everything to make a change to her own Javanese tradition. She wanted to overhaul the
traditions which were entitled only for men.
According to the R. A. Kartini opinion of being proud of Dutch people, it proves that
she was chosen by a Dutch to be shown as a heroine in Indonesia. Bachtiar said that Dutch
did not need a hero because the difficulties which were faced by the Dutch in an attempt to
spread modern education were regarded to indigenous women (79). Through her Dutch
friends and Mr. Abendanon, R. A. Kartini was introduced as an Indonesian heroine. Then,
After Kartini died, they published a book containing some collections of R. A. Kartini‟s
letters entitled “Door Duisternis Tot Licht” on 1911 (Bachtiar, p. 79). This declaration also
can be a prove that R. A. Kartini would not have been known for Indonesian people unless
Dutch people introduced her to Indonesian people through her letters to her Dutch and
European friends.
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R. A. Kartini’s Aspiration
R. A. Kartini admitted that women could not be separated from the traditions. Her
opinion means that by the tradition, women had different right and function with men. Based
on that belief , R. A. Kartini wanted to change the Javanese women‟s position. She wanted
women to get an education so that they could get a job outside of the house. Then, an other
aspiration of R. A. Kartini is that she refused her family‟s tradition to be polygamy, but she
became a victim of that tradition (p. 29). She said that “I am happy only when I can throw the
burden of Javanese etiquette from my shoulders” (Symmers, p. 12). Based on her confession
to her friends in her letters, she showed that she had strong desire to leave her tradition.
Furthermore, R. A. Kartini really wanted to get an education aboard. She said that “To
go to Europe! Till my last breath that shall always be my ideal” (Symmers, p. 29)
The Readers’ Response
As stated above, this study uses Subjective Reader-response Theory. There are 13
participants for this study. They are the students of English Department Satya Wacana
Christian University which I chose randomly. I chose the college students as my participant
because I wanted to know their perspective toward R. A. Kartini after a long time they did
not get a lesson about R. A. Kartini as when they were in Primary school. Then, I chose them
randomly because by doing that I would find some different opinion and perspective on how
Javanese Women should be.
Before I asked them to read the two letters, I gave them questions about their opinions
toward Javanese women. Participant 13 said that “Javanese women had to follow the tradition
such as they are not allowed to laugh loudly in front of people; if Javanese women had
married, they had to follow their husband‟s rule; and also Javanese women were appropriate
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to do the domestic jobs than they had to go to work”. This opinion was also confirmed by
Participant 2 who said that even though today is a new era, Javanese women had to obey the
rule of their tradition. She also said that Javanese women could be out from the tradition
because it had been for a long time ago and the society believed in the Javanese tradition.
Then, Participant 2 also added that if Javanese women breached the tradition, they would
have a negative of view from the society surround them.
Based on the focus of this study, almost all of the participants thought that in the R. A.
Kartini‟s era, Javanese women had to be secluded when they were sixteen. Participant 3 said
that they had to stay at home until they were allowed to go out and married with an unknown
man. Then, participant 1 said that “as I know, women who were from aristocrat would be
secluded and the indigene Javanese women would marry to indigene men. It‟s because on the
Kartini‟s era, people were separated into high and low level such as Noble people and
Indigene people (rakyat biasa)”. Moreover, through the participants‟ opinion about R. A.
Kartini‟s era, the participants knew R. A. Kartini when they were on elementary school until
now. They said that R. A. Kartini is an Indonesia heroine and a woman who declared „women
emancipation‟. 7 to 13 participant said that women emancipation was a situation when
women got the same rights as men in both getting the same education or jobs. However, 9 to
13 participants said that they just know her without any further story of her.
I will analyze the students‟ response based on before and after they reading the letters.
First, before I asked them to read two of R. A. Kartini‟s letters, I asked them some questions
about their childhood‟s mind set or thought about R. A. Kartini. It means that before they
read the letters, they have to give some opinion about R. A. Kartini and the influence of her
in their life.
Secondly, after I asked them to read those two letters, I give them some questions.
Through their feeling after reading the letter, I asked them to give their opinion about R. A.
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Kartini again. Based on the two letters, I want to see if the participants‟ changed their opinion
about R. A. Kartini or not.
Before Reading the Letters
In this section, I will analyze the participant‟s background knowledge about R. A.
Kartini. I will analyze their opinion about who R. A. Kartini is in their mind and the influence
of her struggle for Indonesian women.
Javanese Women Criteria
Most of the participants said that they are Javanese women. They also had different
opinions about the reason why they called themselves as a Javanese woman. Participant 1,
Participant 3, Participant 8, and Participant 11 said that they are Javanese – Chinese people.
They said that it is happened because their parents from Javanese and Chinese generation. It
was why they considered that they are Javanese – Chinese people. They also said that they
knew Javanese tradition, but it did not give more influence to their life because they had two
traditions in their life. It was confirmed by Participant 1 who said that “My mother is a
Javanese woman, she proud of her Javanese tradition and my father is a Chinese. He always
talks in Chinese language at home. It makes me have two different traditions in my life.
Then, they said that I don‟t need to make myself confused to both different traditions. They
said that I have to be proud for being a Javanese – Chinese girl”. Moreover, Participant 11
said that “When I am at home, I have to speak using Chinese language. After that, when I am
outside of my house, I use Javanese or Indonesian to speak with my friends or other people
except my family. I asked to my parents the reason why I have to do it and their answer is
because I am Javanese – Chinese family”.
Moreover, Participant 2, Participant 4, Participant 5, Participant 7, Participant 9 and
Participant 12 considered themselves as a Javanese person because they were born in Java
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Island. In addition, they also said that their parents told them that they were Javanese people
since childhood. Then, Participant 5 said that “My parents use Javanese language in daily
conversation. They also said that I was born in a place that upholds the Javanese tradition, so
I have to follow that tradition‟s rule in my life. It is why I said that I am a Javanese woman”.
Not only Participant 5 but also Participant 2 said that “I consider as a Javanese woman
because I was born in Java and my parents and family tell me that I am a Javanese person”.
However, Participant 13 had different opinion about the standard of being a Javanese
person. She said that to be a Javanese means not only you were born from a Javanese family,
but also it was more on the attitude. She said that nowadays, people must be familiar with the
sentence “wong jawa ilang jawane” (Javanese person who lost their own tradition).
Participant 13 explained that it was because their attitude was not Javanese anymore and they
tend to be proud of others‟ traditions. Based on her perspective about the standard of
Javanese people, she stated that to be a Javanese person should be from the heart when you
could understand and apply the Javanese culture even though Javanese people had known the
westernization and everything had been globalized.
Who is R. A. Kartini?
According to the Participants background knowledge in Elementary School about their
perspectives of R. A. Kartini, Participant 1, Participant 2, Participant 3, Participant 5,
Participant 7, Participant 9, Participant 10, Participant 11 and Participant 13 believe that
Kartini is an Indonesian heroine for women‟s emancipation. This was confirmed by
Participant 1 who said “R. A. Kartini is someone who fought for gender equality”. She also
stated that R. A. Kartini was a woman who emphasized the importance of education for
Indonesian women so that all women in Indonesia could be free and they had equal power
with men in their society. She allowed more minds to be voiced out for the sake of improving
Indonesia. Participant 1 added that “she had bright thoughts to help Indonesian women in
Evina 15
many possible ways than just to breed, good offspring and she was recognizable by many
other (women) to evoke more innovative minds and enrich the country”. Based on her
perspective toward R. A. Kartini, Participant 1 saw R. A. Kartini as a woman who brought
the better life to Indonesian women to get the same rights as men. Then, she thought that R.
A. Kartini was a woman who struggled for Indonesian women to get an education as men so
that Indonesian women could be smart and they can bring Indonesia to be better in the world.
Furthermore, Participant 2 and Participant 13 said that R. A. Kartini was an Indonesian
heroine who came from the era when the Dutch occupied Indonesia. It was confirmed by
Participant 2 who said that because Dutch occupied Indonesia, it made R. A. Kartini
influenced by the Dutch so that she was a kind of woman who wanted to struggle to reach
dignity and equality among men and women like her European friends who can freely get
education as high as men. The opinion of Participant 1 also strongly agreed by Participant 13
who said that the influenced of Dutch culture made R. A. Kartini has a thought to change
Indonesian women to get better education like Western people.
Based on those participants, R. A. Kartini was seen as a woman who was influenced by
Dutch culture, so it made her have a thought to be like a Dutch people. It means that R. A.
Kartini wanted to have freedom like her friends to get a high education as possible. However,
the tradition on her family was a thing that blocked her action to reach her goal to be like her
Dutch friends. It means that it had many rules to be a Javanese woman. It was because the
traditions. Then, it made R. A. Kartini want to break the tradition as a Javanese woman.
According to Participant 3, Participant 5, and Participant 10, R. A. Kartini is an
Indonesian heroine who wanted to break her own tradition so that Indonesian women could
not be forbidden to do anything like men and Indonesian women could get the same
education in the same level like men. That opinion is confirmed by Participant 3 who said
that “Kartini is an Indonesian heroine from Jepara who struggled to break the tradition to
Evina 16
make women having the same rights as men in education” and also confirmed by Participant
5 who said that “R. A. Kartini is a National heroine who brave to break her own tradition to
change a better future for Indonesian women”. Then, not only Participant 3 and 5 who said
that R. A. Kartini is an Indonesian heroine who broke the tradition, Participant 10 also said
that R. A. Kartini is an Indonesian heroine who broke the tradition so that people in the future
could have freedom to share their desire without bound by the tradition.
According to R. A. Kartini‟s struggle, she is a feminist who sacrificed herself so that
Indonesian women could get freedom in anything that they wanted (Participant 7). She fought
for equality so she was very influence for women in her gender (Participant 9). Based on the
Participants‟ opinion about R. A. Kartini, she was an activist-thinker who was struggling to
escape from the traditions that bound her as a Javanese Noble woman. She opened the way of
thinking for Indonesian women to be aware about the importance of getting an education.
Then, because of the emancipation, she is known as an Indonesia heroine because she was the
one who stood up for Indonesian women, especially Javanese, in which they used to be
marginalized.
Based on those opinions above, R. A. Kartini was a woman who wanted to fight for
gender equality and women‟s rights in Indonesia. She was also from an aristocrat family that
had a very tight tradition especially for Javanese aristocrat women. Then, through her
thoughts and opinions to break the tradition in her place, she was known as a heroine of
women emancipation.
R. A. Kartini’s Influences
According to the story of R. A. Kartini who struggled for Indonesian women,.
Participant 3, Participant 4, Participant 6, Participant 8, and Participant 10 gave respect and
appreciation to R. A. Kartini as an Indonesian heroine. They believed that R. A. Kartini had a
Evina 17
big influence to Indonesian women. This was also confirmed by Participant 3 who said that
R. A. Kartini made people to think if there was not R. A. Kartini, the women would not be
able to get an education like men. Then, her struggles made women able to study as high as
their dreams even higher than men. The opinion of Participant 3 could be added by
Participant 10 who said that R. A. Kartini struggled for Indonesian women to get education
so that she wanted Indonesian women to be well-educated and Participant 6 said that R. A.
Kartini‟s struggles could motivate Indonesian women to get high education as possible.
Moreover, Participant 4 stated that because of R. A. Kartini‟s struggles, nowadays
women could be more expressive because they had the same rights as men. It means that R.
A. Kartini had made Indonesian women to be equal with men. It was confirmed by
Participant 8 who stated that R. A. Kartini made Indonesian women not to be oppressed and
bounded by men. Then, she added that nowadays, women can express their opinion and
desire freely in the society.
Based on those opinions, R. A. Kartini had a big influenced to Indonesian women
because she had done extraordinary things that were able to change the fate of all Indonesian
women to get the same rights as men. It means that through her struggles, Indonesian women
can get a better education and jobs as high as men.
However, not all people can accept R. A. Kartini that she had influenced people as an
Indonesian heroine. According to my participants‟ opinion in this study, there were 8 of 13
participants who did not feel that R. A. Kartini had a big influence on them.
Participant 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, and 13 said that she is a heroine in action. She just
pulled out the ideas to break her own Javanese tradition. This was confirmed by Participant 5
and Participant 9 who said that R. A. Kartini could not get out of that tradition until she died
because she lived on the family who worship of the tradition. These opinions are reinforced
Evina 18
by Participant 2 who said that “she is not my big influence because her story can not “shake”
my feeling”. Then she added that R. A. Kartini was only a woman who tried to make women
equal with men and she was not the only woman who fought for gender equality. Then,
Participant 1 stated that “I just know Kartini when I was in Primary school and woman who
influenced more is just my mother”.
Based on R. A. Kartini‟s struggles, Particpant 11 and 13 had same opinion saying that
she was a heroine who did nothing real. Participant 11 added that “I just hear her story and I
do not know what she does for Indonesian women”. Moreover, participant 13 sated that there
were many heroines who stood up for the women‟s right in Indonesia and R. A. Kartini is not
the only woman who wanted Indonesian women to get the education for a better life like
men. Then, there were many heroines who really fought and gave action showing their power
to Indonesians.
In contrast to other participants, Participant 7 said that society around her affected her
mind to consider R. A. Kartini as an Indonesian heroine while Participant 7 does not see how
she fought for women to get the same right as men. Participant 7 also confirmed that
nowadays women still follow the traditions even though she can get education as high as
men. The opinion of Participant 7 was reinforced by Participant 12 who said that she could
not see the connection between her current condition and R. A. Kartini‟s struggles at past
time.
Based on those 8 participants, they feel that R. A. Kartini did not give some influence
for them through her real action. She did not show how she fought like a heroine. Moreover,
there are many heroines who showed their action fighting to get gender equality and rights. It
means that they think they had more real in action than R. A. Kartini had.
Evina 19
After Reading the Letters
In this section, I will analyze the opinions or thoughts of the participants after they
finished reading R. A. Kartini‟s letters. Besides giving the opinions about R. A. Kartini, I will
also analyze some of participants who changed their mind about the perception of R. A.
Kartini after reading her letters.
Opinions
This study will focus on the participants‟ perspective or opinions to R. A. Kartini .
Participant 1, 2, 7, 11, and 13 said that R. A. Kartini was focusing on the freedom from
tradition and culture and not so much on life-advancement of women in Indonesia through
proper education and chances to explore their potential. Participant 1 confirmed that R. A.
Kartini‟s story about a man who was astonished to see how simple she was as a princess did
not represent the struggle of most Indonesian women nor show that education surpasses outer
appearance. It was her personal matter. Then, R. A. Kartini‟s focus was merely on freedom of
self and proving that tradition did not give much advantage to her life. In short, the second
letter lacked the passion she once had for emancipation.
Furthermore, Participant 1 said that in the second letter, there was no effort of R. A.
Kartini‟s struggle for Indonesian women. She was focusing on Javanese tradition and herself
as a Javanese princess. Participant 7 confirmed that “this does not represent all Indonesian
women, having different background in tradition and cultural upbringing. She was merely
showing her annoyance towards her own tradition and her inability to completely break it
through”.
Then participant 1 stated “I deduct that from the way she talked in her letter, she was
having a culture shock”. It means that R. A. Kartini desperately wanted to get rid of her
Evina 20
culture as an Indonesian, specifically her inherited tradition and identity as a Javanese.
Moreover, participant 1 also added “I do not see this as desirable because you cannot choose
to which nationality and family you would be born, and it is also undesirable to try to free
oneself from his/her culture that shapes him/her into what he/she becomes”. Participant 7
thought that R. A. Kartini was constantly whining about her unfortunate condition, being a
Javanese princess, she said that “If her sole purpose was to improve the life of the women all
over Indonesia, I think that her complain are irrelevant and it is too personal”.
Moreover, Participant 7 stated that R. A. Kartini she was influenced by the western
ideas she got from her education. Every culture has its own positive and negative sides; to try
to be the complete other is just impossible, one should only take the good things. Then,
Participant 1 said that R. A. Kartini was mesmerized and overwhelmed by the Western
people. Her idea of Western people was civilized and enlightened. She said that we have
never experienced anything but kindness.
Since Indonesia was still colonized by the Dutch and she was in the honorable
position as a princess, Participant 1 thought that R. A. Kartini‟s opinion towards the western
people is very much subjective. She said that “so all along the second letter I was waiting for
some concrete action that can make improvements to women‟s life in Indonesia”.
Based on Participant 1, Participant 2 also had the same opinion of R. A. Kartini. She
said that R. A. Kartini just wrote what she was experienced as Javanese princess. Then she
emphasized her opinion by saying that R. A. Kartini‟s letters never mentioned about what
other woman (like her mother, sister, cousin or other woman outside their family/house) feel,
experienced or do. Kartini just told story from her own experiences and perspectives. She
concluded that “the letter kind of showed that Kartini is just welling around about her life and
did not tell about other woman‟s stories” (Participant 2). She also said that R. A. Kartini just
spoke for herself as an aristocrat who could not do what she wanted to do. She did not speak
Evina 21
for woman who‟s not an aristocrat. She doesn‟t even know what the woman outside her
house feel and do.
Furthermore, Participant saw that R. A. Kartini just wanted to show that Javanese
traditions made them acted like a robot. They were acting like what was told by the elder.
Participant 11 said that “she mentioned that Javanese tradition was really thick and strict”.
Moreover, for participant 13, she stated that R. A. Kartini just struggled for herself. Then, she
noticed that R. A. Kartini never said the word “we” for Indonesian women. It meant that she
was only talking about herself, about how she didn‟t like the culture, about how she didn‟t
want to get married. It is the same with Participant 11 who said that “I think she only showed
for women who lived in a restricted place, like palace, because the rules that she mentioned in
the second letter was mostly seen in a palace”. The letters focused more on herself rather than
on other Indonesian women because she only cared about herself, whereas many other girls
probably were feeling the same with her.
Based on those opinions, R. A. Kartini can be seen as a woman who struggled for
herself. She just shared her own ideas through letters for her European friends. She told that
she did not like a Javanese tradition because it was complicated to do. Moreover, she did not
mention any words which represent all Indonesian women. It means that she just mention
herself and her own family. Then, her letters told the story of her rebellion that she was doing
to her father to escape from the Javanese traditions that she inherented in her family.
The readers’ minds
After reading both letters, Participant 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, and 13 changed their
perspective about R. A. Kartini. It was because R. A. Kartini seemed to find the western ideas
as fascinating and true-to-all idea. By breaking the tradition, she wanted to make herself to be
same as men. It makes the participants change their mind of R. A. Kartini as a heroine. It was
Evina 22
explained by Participant 11 who stated that R. A. Kartini wanted to learn some new
languages and also be free to explore another tradition which at that time was the European
tradition. She felt burdened for living in a condition like what she lived in.
Moreover, Participant 1 and Participant 2 said the reason they changed their perspective
about R. A. Kartini because she was a Javanese woman who little bit of a rebel tried to break
the rules in her family. Then, Participant 2 said that “I think that Kartini had been influenced
by Dutch culture, it seems like she more appreciate Dutch rather than Indonesia or to be more
specific is Javanese culture”. That was confirmed by Participant 1 who said that “I felt like
her conversation shifted from criticizing the Javanese tradition to personal complains that is
not particularly directed towards any general society in Indonesia”. Moreover, it turned out
that R. A. Kartini did not speak up for all of woman in Indonesia or even Javanese, she just
talked about herself.
Based on the Participant 7 perspective after reading both letters, she said that R. A.
Kartini struggled for Indonesian women. Participant 7 also emphasized that R. A. Kartini did
not struggle for them. She said that “R. A. Kartini just shared something happened in her era
and what she had done”. Participant 7 stated R. A. Kartini was not a heroine like another
heroines who struggled by action in a war. Then, not only Participant 7 who changed her
perspective about R. A. Kartini, Participant 5 and 11 also did the same thing. Participant 5
emphasized that R. A. Kartini was a descriptive person. She meant that R. A. Kartini just
shared her opinion toward letters and she did not do something real as a heroine. Participant 5
had the same opinion with Participant 7, she said that “a hero have to do real action to be
called as a hero”. It was also confirmed by Participant 11 that she also changed her
perspective because she stated that “I little bit change my perspective of Kartini because what
she wrote were not for all Indonesian women. She only mentioned what she felt in her life as
an aristocrat woman”.
Evina 23
Furthermore, Participant 3 also said that her perspective about R. A. Kartini was Little
bit change. She stated that in the second letter, kartini seems want to get rid of all the
Javanese etiquette. Opposite with Kartini‟s thinking, Participant 3 thought that there was
some Javanese etiquette that still needed until now. Based on Participant 3, tradition was an
important thing to be identity for Javanese. Moreover, Participant 13 thought that R. A.
Kartini only wanted women to be equal, to get education they need. she probably was so sick
of her culture, because she wanted to break her tradition only to feel like her European
friends who could get education as high as men. Then, it also happened to Participant 8. She
stated that R. A. Kartini just spoke out her voice and overthinking and she said that “she
should prove and struggle by doing something real for women emancipation. Not only by
critics but also by doing a real action”. It was same to Participant 12 who said she did not see
the real action of R. A. Kartini to change the right of Indonesian women as men.
Based on those letters, the participants changed her mind about R. A. Kartini. She was a
woman who little bit rebel to break her own tradition in her aristocrat family. Besides that,
the participant believed that Javanese etiquette still needed until now to make people become
more polite when they are doing something wherever they step their feet. Then, she was a
woman who did nothing or she did not do real action to prove that she struggled for
Indonesian women to get the same right as men.
Evina 24
CONCLUSION
According to R. A. Kartini‟s letters in “Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang”, the letters do
not show her struggle for Indonesian people. I was interested with the readers‟ responds to R.
A. Kartini‟s letters. So, in this study I tried to explore the readers‟ opinion or feeling through
R. A. Kartini‟s letters. Through those two letters in that book, I attempted to find out the
answer of how ED students responded to these two letters. In analyzing the readers‟ response,
I used or applied a theory which is Subjective Reader-response theory. This theory focused
on the participants‟ opinions. After I spread the questionnair
KARTINI’S LETTERS IN BOOK, “HABIS GELAP TERBITLAH TERANG”
THESIS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan
Eva Evina
112009006
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
SALATIGA
2014
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT READERS’ RESPONSE TOWARD TWO R. A.
KARTINI’S LETTERS IN BOOK, “HABIS GELAP TERBITLAH TERANG”
THESIS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan
Eva Evina
112009006
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
SALATIGA
2014
ii
iii
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
This thesis contains no such material as has been submitted for examination in any course or
accepted for the fulfillment of any degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my
knowledge and my belief, this contains no material previously published or written by any
other person except where due reference is made in the text.
Copyright@2014 Eva Evina and Danielle Donelson-Sims, M.A.
All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be reproduced by any means without the
permission of at least one of the copyright owners or the English Department, Faculty of
Language and Literature, Satya Wacana University, Salatiga.
Eva Evina:
iv
PUBLICATION AGREEMENT DECLARATION
a member of the (SWCU) Satya Wacana Christian University academic community, I verify
that:
Name : Eva Evina
Student ID Number : 112009006
Study Program : English Language Teaching Department
Faculty : Language and Literature
Kind of Work : Undergraduate Thesis
In developing my knowledge, I agree to provide SWCU with a non-exclusive royalty free
right for my intellectual property and the contents there in entitled:
English Department Readers’ Response Toward Two R. A. Kartini’s Letters In Book,
“Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang”
With this non-exclusive royalty free right, SWCU maintains the right to copy, reproduce,
print, publish, post, display, incorporate, store in or scan into a retrieval system or database,
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express written permission, as long as my name is still included as the writer.
This declaration is made according to the best of my knowledge.
Made in : Salatiga
Date : ________________
Verified by
signee,
Eva Evina
Approved by
Thesis Supervisor
Thesis Examiner
Danielle Donelson-Sims, M.A
Purwanti Kusumaningtyas, M. Hum
v
Evina 1
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT READERS’ RESPONSE TOWARD TWO R. A.
KARTINI’S LETTERS IN BOOK, “HABIS GELAP TERBITLAH TERANG”
Eva Evina
Abstract
The influence of Dutch culture on the 19th –century made R. A. Kartini, a Javanese woman from
Jepara broke the traditions. She is an Indonesian heroine who wanted to get the same high education
as men. This thesis analyzes to find out the people opinions or thoughts about R. A. Kartini from the
book, Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang. This book contains two letters of R. A. Kartini that I use to get
some perceptions or feeling from the readers. This thesis deals with the struggles of R. A. Kartini as a
heroine for Indonesian women to get gender equality and the same rights as men. Based on this idea,
Subjective Reader-response theory will be an appropriate tool to analyze the thought of the readers
about R. A. Kartini through her letters. 13 participants ED Students were selected to be the readers‟
response. Subjective reader-response theory is a tool to analyze the response of participants‟ thoughts.
Through this study, it reveals that the readers‟ perception toward R. A. Kartini through her two letters
is that she had to give a real action for Indonesian women. The real action that shows her struggle for
Indonesian women. It is because in her letters, she only shared her own desire to get freedom of her
tradition. She did not mention any other Indonesian women‟s thought or experiences in her two
letters.
Keywords: reader-response, subjective reader-response, tradition, culture, women emancipation
INTRODUCTION
“Habis gelap terbitlah terang” is actually a quote from a book by using Dutch
language, “Door Duisternis Tot Licht”. This quote is from a Dutch man for a Javanese
woman who fought for Javanese women‟s right to get the same education like men. She is R.
A. Kartini, a Javanese Noble woman who broke the traditions through her thoughts.
According to the book by Armijn Pane, Kartini gave some opinions about Javanese
women that made her want to broke Javanese tradition. She said that marriage was the only
way for Javanese women to get better life (Pane, p. 12). She also said that taking care of
children and doing the domestic jobs were only appropriate for women (Pane, p. 13).These
thoughts made her to help the Javanese women‟s life out from the binding tradition by
Evina 2
breaking the tradition and thinking like a modern people. She wanted Javanese women to get
same education as men. She said that if a woman were knowledgeable, she would be a good
mother and wife to take care of her children or do the domestic jobs (pane, p. 16). R. A.
Kartini showed her struggle toward her letters to her western friends. She shared her ideas to
break her Javanese tradition as a woman and get the same education like men. She wanted to
go aboard for studying like her friends. Those thoughts through her letters can be seen on the
book “Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang” (Indonesian translation) or “Door Duisternis Tot
Licht” (Dutch language).
Based on R. A. Kartini‟s thoughts about changing Javanese women‟s right, she was
known as women‟s emancipation heroine. Then, according to the word of emancipation,
there is some definition about emancipation. Emancipation is the fact or process of being set
free from legal, social, or political restriction (Oxford). The popular definition of
emancipation, according to Muzlikah, is an effort to demand of similarity of women‟s right
toward man‟s right in every sector of life (as qtd. in “Women‟s Emancipation in Islam”). She
stated that “Emancipation is a close word connecting to women, or it is about feminism and
all about women” (n.page). She also stated that Women emancipation mean giving women a
chance to work, study, and make creation like a man (n.page).
Another definition about emancipation is from Mufidah; she said that emancipation is
about sameness. She said that the differences happened because men always are related to the
society, and then women are in domestic jobs. The domestic jobs are cooking, washing,
keeping the house clean, taking care of the children, etc. Women‟s jobs are also related to
reproduction, such as menstruation, getting pregnant, giving birth, and breastfeeding. In the
other hand, men don‟t have relation to those kinds of jobs because they are only suitable to be
addressed by women (Mufidah, p. 8). So, women emancipation is about freedom for women
Evina 3
to get same right with men. It means that women can freely do what men do without being
forbidden by society.
Moreover, the emancipation which is allegedly struggled by R. A. Kartini is about
differentiation between men and women in their position especially in education. She said
that she wanted to learn about other language beside Dutch because she wanted to be able to
have conversations with foreign author in their own tongue (p.9). She also said that her dream
was able to go to Europe (Pane, p.41).
Based on R. A. Kartini‟s desire to break the tradition for getting the same right in
education as men and an expert‟s perception of R. A. Kartini, I interested to find her struggles
for Javanese women toward her letters. I want to know her efforts to make a change for
Javanese women. He said that R. A. Kartini was nothing more than an artificial heroine by
Dutch (Bachtiar, p.29). R. A. Kartini refused the existence of polygamy, but she became a
victim of her own tradition. It means that she failed to break the tradition. The letters are in a
book, titled “Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang”.
The book “Habis Gelap terbitlah Terang” by Armijn Pane contains many R. A.
Kartini‟s letters. Since I want to find out her efforts and struggles, I have analyzed those
letters because I want to show the readers that R. A. Kartini only struggled for woman
emancipation for herself. From those letter, I found out several facts: R. A. Kartini showed
her desire to be free just by letters. She talked about her desire to get education in Europe
(Pane, p. 31). She did not mention any other Javanese women but she just showed her
jealousy feeling to her European friends, who is studying easily without have to be blocked
by the tradition as a woman (Armijn Pane, p. 31). She wrote in her letter “But, I can do
nothing, less than nothing, on account of Father‟s position among our people‟. Her inaction
proved that she failed to be a heroine. For all women, she couldn‟t struggle for either herself
or Javanese women because she couldn‟t break her own tradition.
Evina 4
This book also shows that Javanese tradition is a part of Kartini‟s life. It makes hard for
her to break her family‟s traditions. Also, it shows that Kartini did not struggle for Javanese
women but she just did it for herself. She just shared her feeling to her friends in a letter.
Based on Kartini‟s letter in “Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang” and my own analysis about
those letters , I attempt to find out and analyze English Department students‟ perspective
toward R. A. Kartini letters. The reason I choose ED students as a reader response of my
study because I want to know and curious with their perspective about Kartini as woman‟s
emancipation heroine. I believe they have good background knowledge of R. A. Kartini since
they have grown. Then, they also can think the good and bad thing. Moreover, to answer this
question, I would like to use Reader-Response Criticism Theory. This study will focus on
English Department students‟ perspective to her letter.
Furthermore R. A. Kartini‟s struggle can be seen from English Department students‟
response after they read two of her letters. The letters were letters on May 25th and August
18th, 1899. I chose those two letters because in the two R. A. Kartini‟s letters, she talked more
about her tradition in her family and her desire to break the tradition to get the same rights as
men. She was not talking about her attempts to raise the degree of Indonesian women. It was
more talking about her effort to raise her degree as an aristocrat Javanese woman. In her
letters, she said that “For myself, I could find a way to shake them off, to break them, were it
not that another bond, stronger than any age-old tradition could ever be, binds me to my
world1” (Pane, p. 31) and she also said that “In order to give you a faint idea of the
oppressiveness of our etiquette, I shall mention a few examples. A younger brother or sister
of mine may not pass me without bowing down to the ground and creeping upon hands and
knees. If a little sister is sitting on a chair, she must instantly slip to the ground and remain
with head bowed until I have passed from her sight 2” (Pane, p. 35).
1, 2
th
th
Letters to Ms. Stella Zenhandelaar on May 25 and August 18 , 1899
Evina 5
It means that she had to give real action to Indonesian women so that she would directly
affect all Indonesian women.
Based on this explanation, this study will aim to see the readers‟ perceptions toward
two different R. A. Kartini‟s letters that she just struggled for her self towards her letter to her
European and Dutch friends. In addition, this study is important to make the readers aware
that Kartini‟s struggled for herself because she wanted to break her tradition at that time
(1879). Then if the readers are aware of Raden Ajeng Kartini‟s struggle, they will know that
the heroine who struggled for education was not Kartini but also other women like Dewi
Sartika. Dewi Sartika is a heroine from Jepara who also fought for Javanese women‟s
education.
LITERATURE REVIEW
As stated in the introduction, this study will use Reader-response criticism theory to
analyze the film. That theory functions as a tool to analyze the responses from some readers
toward R. A. Kartini‟s letters. Moreover, this theory is functioned a clear direction for the
topics that I will explain in this study. Reader-response criticism theory is a big theory base,
so I will explain what Reader-response criticism theory is and then I will explain one of the
types. From this theory, I will totally focus on the readers‟ reactions toward R. A. Kartini‟s
letters.
Reader-response Criticism Theory
Reader-response criticism is a theory coined by Lois Tyson, a Professor of English at
Grand Valley state University, author of Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide,
author of Learning for a Diverse World: Using Critical Theory to Read and Write about
Literature. At first, she stated that the idea of the reader‟s reaction is important enough to
Evina 6
become focus of literary interpretation (p.169). According to Tyson, the definition of Readerresponse criticism is “a board, exciting, evolving domain of literary studies that can help us
learn about our own reading process and how they relate to, among other, specific elements
in the texts we read, our experiences, and the intellectual community of which we are a
member” (p.169). This means that the importance of this theory is the readers.
Moreover, based on Tyson‟s perspective, reader-response theory criticism focuses on
reader‟s reaction to literary texts. This explanation is also supported by Davis and Womack
who said that Reader-response criticism give more attention to the act of the reading in as a
response to literary texts (p. 51). They stated that reader-response criticism gives some model
for understanding the reading process to the readers.
Tyson also argued that there were two beliefs of reader-response theory. The first is
that the role of the reader could not be separated from the texts as readers‟ understanding of
literature. The second is that they have to be actively making their own meaning in literature
(p. 170). The idea of those two beliefs of reader-response will lead to how the readers react to
the texts through their feeling. In that way, Reader-response theory will be utilized in this
study to analyze the feeling on Kartini‟s letter.
Subjective Reader-response Theory
Subjective reader-response theory does not call for the analysis of textual cues. This
theory is led by the work of Bleich. Subjective reader-response theory is a theory based on
the belief of knowledge, feelings, associations, and memories that occur as we react
subjectively to literary texts (Tyson, p. 178). This theory focuses on the mind of the reader.
The theory can help the students produce knowledge about the experiences of reading. Tyson
stated that “subjective reader-response is a coherent, purposeful methodology for helping our
students and ourselves produce knowledge about the experience of reading” (p. 179). Bleich
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points out those students are using the subjective approach probably focused on the same
elements of the text that they selected (cited in Tyson, p. 180). Tyson also said that there were
three ways that the readers have to do when they respond a text toward literary text. They are
“(1) characterize his or her response to the text as a whole; (2) identify the various responses
prompted by different aspects of the text, which, of course, ultimately lead to the student‟s
response to the text as a whole; and (3) determine why these responses occur” (p.180). Those
ways make the readers respond to the texts easily.
In this study, the participants (the readers) focus on their opinion and feeling of the
two of Kartini‟s letters. They will use their feeling to respond to how far R. A. Kartini‟s
women emancipation influences their mind set. They use their feeling when they give their
opinions based on the questions. Then, the participants will be given two questions consisting
of before and after reading the letters. Based on the response of the participants, this study is
aimed to see the readers‟ perceptions toward two different R. A. Kartini‟s letters.
Background Knowledge of Kartini to the Readers Response
R. A. Kartini is known as a Javanese Heroine. R. A. Kartini is declared as a National
Independence heroine at May 2nd, 1964 (Soeroto: 1986, p. 448). Therefore, April 21st is
always commemorated as a National Day.
Based on the declaration to make her as a National Independence heroine, she became
a famous woman who struggled for women‟s emancipation especially to get the same
education with men among students in Elementary School, Junior or Senior High School.
Every April 21st, Indonesian students will celebrate R. A. Kartini‟s day. It is called as “Hari
Ibu Kita Kartini” (Our Mother‟s R. A. Kartini Day). The students will demonstrate by green
Javanese dress or we call it as “Kebaya”. Not only wearing Javanese dress, but also they have
to sing of R. A. Kartini‟s song. It is called as “Ibu Kita Kartini” (Soeroto, p. 449).
Evina 8
Furthermore, most of the participants get the background knowledge of R. A.
Kartini‟s history when they were in Elementary School. They said that they had to sing
Kartini‟s song when they were celebrating Kartini‟s day and they had to wear kebaya
(traditional Javanese dress). They said that celebrating Kartini‟s day is a must as it is the
government‟s rule. It is also shown at the calendar by coloring 21 st with red color. Even
though the date uses red color, the students do not get their holiday because they have to
celebrate Kartini‟s day at school. However, after they were in junior and senior high school,
some said that they couldn‟t get Kartini‟s history.
“Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang” SUMMARY
The book of “Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang” by Armijn Pane was about a story
before and after Kartini was born. Raden Ajeng Kartini was born on April 21, 1879 in Jepara.
She was the second daughter of Regen Jepara, Raden Mas Duke Ario Sastraningrat. In an age
where Kartini was alive in Indonesia, women had a duty to work for only the domestic job
and to carry their children. The girls were taught to be submissive to her husband.
Kartini was a woman who could get an education on Dutch School at Jepara. She got
an education because she was a Noble. When she was a child, her name was just Kartini
without Raden Ajeng. The name of Raden Ajeng was gotten after she married. Her family
was the generation of Keraton Solo. It was why the name of her family was “Raden Ajeng”.
When she was at school, she felt the freedom. She had some friends. They were Dutch and
Europeans. Kartini‟s friends asked her to refuse the seclusion. Unfortunately, after she was 12
years old, she was secluded by her parents. Her parents hold firm the family tradition, the
Javanese tradition, even though she was from advanced family in the Java Island. She was
not allowed to go out of the house for 4 years. When she was secluded, she corresponded to
her friends by letter. She spent the time reading books and replied the letter from her friends.
She said that she did not like to get married to a stranger, but she had to do it. She could not
Evina 9
break her sticky tradition on her family. Her dream was to change the women‟s position to be
the same with men. Then, when she was 16 years old, she got married to a stranger. Her
husband was Raden Ario Joyodiningrat. After she gave birth to her son, Raden Singgih, she
died. She died on 17 September 1904.
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
R. A. Kartini Javanese Tradition about woman and the influence of Dutch
The conditions of R. A. Kartini‟s society were influenced by Dutch culture. It is
because they saw that the Dutch people could get an education for both women and men
easily without bound by the tradition. Then, it made many problems appear on the society
itself. The people of R. A. Kartini‟s society thought that the Javanese tradition had many
rules to be followed especially by women. Women were forbidden to get an education and
work outside her house. Next, they were forbidden to occupy positions within a society.
Then, a woman should be subject and a woman should not have a will. A woman also should
be ready to be mated by her parents‟ choice (Pane, p. 12). However, not all women were
forbidden to get an education. They who were from a noble family could get the education in
a Dutch school.
Based on the influence of Dutch culture, there was a thought to change the tradition.
There was also a thought to imitate the Dutch so that they could get a better future (Pane,
p.12). Then, the children who had been taught by Dutch education tried not to believe with
their own Javanese traditions. It is because the traditions on their life could not make them to
feel satisfied to reach their dreams.
Moreover, those tradition‟s rules and the influence of Dutch culture were also
experienced by R. A. Kartini. Then, R. A. Kartini was from a noble family, so she could get a
Dutch education. Her beloved father sent her to the Dutch Elementary school so that his
Evina 10
daughter could get a chance to learn modern knowledge and education (Bachtiar, p. 78).
Then, her father introduced her to the life of common people of destitution and misery by
entering the school. Then, she saw that women who were only from an aristocrat could get
the education. This condition made R. A. Kartini be tuned in to the seemingly of ordinary
folk.
Based on her fortune to get an education, she showed that she was proud getting the
Dutch education. She said that “I glow with enthusiasm toward the new time which has
come, and can truly say that in my thoughts and sympathies I do not belong to the Indian
world, but to that of my pale sisters who are struggling forward in the distant West”
(Symmers, p. 3). She also said that “The European citizen is a citizen that is truly the most
unmatched superior” (Toer, p. 155). R. A. Kartini felt that by studying in Europe, she would
get everything to make a change to her own Javanese tradition. She wanted to overhaul the
traditions which were entitled only for men.
According to the R. A. Kartini opinion of being proud of Dutch people, it proves that
she was chosen by a Dutch to be shown as a heroine in Indonesia. Bachtiar said that Dutch
did not need a hero because the difficulties which were faced by the Dutch in an attempt to
spread modern education were regarded to indigenous women (79). Through her Dutch
friends and Mr. Abendanon, R. A. Kartini was introduced as an Indonesian heroine. Then,
After Kartini died, they published a book containing some collections of R. A. Kartini‟s
letters entitled “Door Duisternis Tot Licht” on 1911 (Bachtiar, p. 79). This declaration also
can be a prove that R. A. Kartini would not have been known for Indonesian people unless
Dutch people introduced her to Indonesian people through her letters to her Dutch and
European friends.
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R. A. Kartini’s Aspiration
R. A. Kartini admitted that women could not be separated from the traditions. Her
opinion means that by the tradition, women had different right and function with men. Based
on that belief , R. A. Kartini wanted to change the Javanese women‟s position. She wanted
women to get an education so that they could get a job outside of the house. Then, an other
aspiration of R. A. Kartini is that she refused her family‟s tradition to be polygamy, but she
became a victim of that tradition (p. 29). She said that “I am happy only when I can throw the
burden of Javanese etiquette from my shoulders” (Symmers, p. 12). Based on her confession
to her friends in her letters, she showed that she had strong desire to leave her tradition.
Furthermore, R. A. Kartini really wanted to get an education aboard. She said that “To
go to Europe! Till my last breath that shall always be my ideal” (Symmers, p. 29)
The Readers’ Response
As stated above, this study uses Subjective Reader-response Theory. There are 13
participants for this study. They are the students of English Department Satya Wacana
Christian University which I chose randomly. I chose the college students as my participant
because I wanted to know their perspective toward R. A. Kartini after a long time they did
not get a lesson about R. A. Kartini as when they were in Primary school. Then, I chose them
randomly because by doing that I would find some different opinion and perspective on how
Javanese Women should be.
Before I asked them to read the two letters, I gave them questions about their opinions
toward Javanese women. Participant 13 said that “Javanese women had to follow the tradition
such as they are not allowed to laugh loudly in front of people; if Javanese women had
married, they had to follow their husband‟s rule; and also Javanese women were appropriate
Evina 12
to do the domestic jobs than they had to go to work”. This opinion was also confirmed by
Participant 2 who said that even though today is a new era, Javanese women had to obey the
rule of their tradition. She also said that Javanese women could be out from the tradition
because it had been for a long time ago and the society believed in the Javanese tradition.
Then, Participant 2 also added that if Javanese women breached the tradition, they would
have a negative of view from the society surround them.
Based on the focus of this study, almost all of the participants thought that in the R. A.
Kartini‟s era, Javanese women had to be secluded when they were sixteen. Participant 3 said
that they had to stay at home until they were allowed to go out and married with an unknown
man. Then, participant 1 said that “as I know, women who were from aristocrat would be
secluded and the indigene Javanese women would marry to indigene men. It‟s because on the
Kartini‟s era, people were separated into high and low level such as Noble people and
Indigene people (rakyat biasa)”. Moreover, through the participants‟ opinion about R. A.
Kartini‟s era, the participants knew R. A. Kartini when they were on elementary school until
now. They said that R. A. Kartini is an Indonesia heroine and a woman who declared „women
emancipation‟. 7 to 13 participant said that women emancipation was a situation when
women got the same rights as men in both getting the same education or jobs. However, 9 to
13 participants said that they just know her without any further story of her.
I will analyze the students‟ response based on before and after they reading the letters.
First, before I asked them to read two of R. A. Kartini‟s letters, I asked them some questions
about their childhood‟s mind set or thought about R. A. Kartini. It means that before they
read the letters, they have to give some opinion about R. A. Kartini and the influence of her
in their life.
Secondly, after I asked them to read those two letters, I give them some questions.
Through their feeling after reading the letter, I asked them to give their opinion about R. A.
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Kartini again. Based on the two letters, I want to see if the participants‟ changed their opinion
about R. A. Kartini or not.
Before Reading the Letters
In this section, I will analyze the participant‟s background knowledge about R. A.
Kartini. I will analyze their opinion about who R. A. Kartini is in their mind and the influence
of her struggle for Indonesian women.
Javanese Women Criteria
Most of the participants said that they are Javanese women. They also had different
opinions about the reason why they called themselves as a Javanese woman. Participant 1,
Participant 3, Participant 8, and Participant 11 said that they are Javanese – Chinese people.
They said that it is happened because their parents from Javanese and Chinese generation. It
was why they considered that they are Javanese – Chinese people. They also said that they
knew Javanese tradition, but it did not give more influence to their life because they had two
traditions in their life. It was confirmed by Participant 1 who said that “My mother is a
Javanese woman, she proud of her Javanese tradition and my father is a Chinese. He always
talks in Chinese language at home. It makes me have two different traditions in my life.
Then, they said that I don‟t need to make myself confused to both different traditions. They
said that I have to be proud for being a Javanese – Chinese girl”. Moreover, Participant 11
said that “When I am at home, I have to speak using Chinese language. After that, when I am
outside of my house, I use Javanese or Indonesian to speak with my friends or other people
except my family. I asked to my parents the reason why I have to do it and their answer is
because I am Javanese – Chinese family”.
Moreover, Participant 2, Participant 4, Participant 5, Participant 7, Participant 9 and
Participant 12 considered themselves as a Javanese person because they were born in Java
Evina 14
Island. In addition, they also said that their parents told them that they were Javanese people
since childhood. Then, Participant 5 said that “My parents use Javanese language in daily
conversation. They also said that I was born in a place that upholds the Javanese tradition, so
I have to follow that tradition‟s rule in my life. It is why I said that I am a Javanese woman”.
Not only Participant 5 but also Participant 2 said that “I consider as a Javanese woman
because I was born in Java and my parents and family tell me that I am a Javanese person”.
However, Participant 13 had different opinion about the standard of being a Javanese
person. She said that to be a Javanese means not only you were born from a Javanese family,
but also it was more on the attitude. She said that nowadays, people must be familiar with the
sentence “wong jawa ilang jawane” (Javanese person who lost their own tradition).
Participant 13 explained that it was because their attitude was not Javanese anymore and they
tend to be proud of others‟ traditions. Based on her perspective about the standard of
Javanese people, she stated that to be a Javanese person should be from the heart when you
could understand and apply the Javanese culture even though Javanese people had known the
westernization and everything had been globalized.
Who is R. A. Kartini?
According to the Participants background knowledge in Elementary School about their
perspectives of R. A. Kartini, Participant 1, Participant 2, Participant 3, Participant 5,
Participant 7, Participant 9, Participant 10, Participant 11 and Participant 13 believe that
Kartini is an Indonesian heroine for women‟s emancipation. This was confirmed by
Participant 1 who said “R. A. Kartini is someone who fought for gender equality”. She also
stated that R. A. Kartini was a woman who emphasized the importance of education for
Indonesian women so that all women in Indonesia could be free and they had equal power
with men in their society. She allowed more minds to be voiced out for the sake of improving
Indonesia. Participant 1 added that “she had bright thoughts to help Indonesian women in
Evina 15
many possible ways than just to breed, good offspring and she was recognizable by many
other (women) to evoke more innovative minds and enrich the country”. Based on her
perspective toward R. A. Kartini, Participant 1 saw R. A. Kartini as a woman who brought
the better life to Indonesian women to get the same rights as men. Then, she thought that R.
A. Kartini was a woman who struggled for Indonesian women to get an education as men so
that Indonesian women could be smart and they can bring Indonesia to be better in the world.
Furthermore, Participant 2 and Participant 13 said that R. A. Kartini was an Indonesian
heroine who came from the era when the Dutch occupied Indonesia. It was confirmed by
Participant 2 who said that because Dutch occupied Indonesia, it made R. A. Kartini
influenced by the Dutch so that she was a kind of woman who wanted to struggle to reach
dignity and equality among men and women like her European friends who can freely get
education as high as men. The opinion of Participant 1 also strongly agreed by Participant 13
who said that the influenced of Dutch culture made R. A. Kartini has a thought to change
Indonesian women to get better education like Western people.
Based on those participants, R. A. Kartini was seen as a woman who was influenced by
Dutch culture, so it made her have a thought to be like a Dutch people. It means that R. A.
Kartini wanted to have freedom like her friends to get a high education as possible. However,
the tradition on her family was a thing that blocked her action to reach her goal to be like her
Dutch friends. It means that it had many rules to be a Javanese woman. It was because the
traditions. Then, it made R. A. Kartini want to break the tradition as a Javanese woman.
According to Participant 3, Participant 5, and Participant 10, R. A. Kartini is an
Indonesian heroine who wanted to break her own tradition so that Indonesian women could
not be forbidden to do anything like men and Indonesian women could get the same
education in the same level like men. That opinion is confirmed by Participant 3 who said
that “Kartini is an Indonesian heroine from Jepara who struggled to break the tradition to
Evina 16
make women having the same rights as men in education” and also confirmed by Participant
5 who said that “R. A. Kartini is a National heroine who brave to break her own tradition to
change a better future for Indonesian women”. Then, not only Participant 3 and 5 who said
that R. A. Kartini is an Indonesian heroine who broke the tradition, Participant 10 also said
that R. A. Kartini is an Indonesian heroine who broke the tradition so that people in the future
could have freedom to share their desire without bound by the tradition.
According to R. A. Kartini‟s struggle, she is a feminist who sacrificed herself so that
Indonesian women could get freedom in anything that they wanted (Participant 7). She fought
for equality so she was very influence for women in her gender (Participant 9). Based on the
Participants‟ opinion about R. A. Kartini, she was an activist-thinker who was struggling to
escape from the traditions that bound her as a Javanese Noble woman. She opened the way of
thinking for Indonesian women to be aware about the importance of getting an education.
Then, because of the emancipation, she is known as an Indonesia heroine because she was the
one who stood up for Indonesian women, especially Javanese, in which they used to be
marginalized.
Based on those opinions above, R. A. Kartini was a woman who wanted to fight for
gender equality and women‟s rights in Indonesia. She was also from an aristocrat family that
had a very tight tradition especially for Javanese aristocrat women. Then, through her
thoughts and opinions to break the tradition in her place, she was known as a heroine of
women emancipation.
R. A. Kartini’s Influences
According to the story of R. A. Kartini who struggled for Indonesian women,.
Participant 3, Participant 4, Participant 6, Participant 8, and Participant 10 gave respect and
appreciation to R. A. Kartini as an Indonesian heroine. They believed that R. A. Kartini had a
Evina 17
big influence to Indonesian women. This was also confirmed by Participant 3 who said that
R. A. Kartini made people to think if there was not R. A. Kartini, the women would not be
able to get an education like men. Then, her struggles made women able to study as high as
their dreams even higher than men. The opinion of Participant 3 could be added by
Participant 10 who said that R. A. Kartini struggled for Indonesian women to get education
so that she wanted Indonesian women to be well-educated and Participant 6 said that R. A.
Kartini‟s struggles could motivate Indonesian women to get high education as possible.
Moreover, Participant 4 stated that because of R. A. Kartini‟s struggles, nowadays
women could be more expressive because they had the same rights as men. It means that R.
A. Kartini had made Indonesian women to be equal with men. It was confirmed by
Participant 8 who stated that R. A. Kartini made Indonesian women not to be oppressed and
bounded by men. Then, she added that nowadays, women can express their opinion and
desire freely in the society.
Based on those opinions, R. A. Kartini had a big influenced to Indonesian women
because she had done extraordinary things that were able to change the fate of all Indonesian
women to get the same rights as men. It means that through her struggles, Indonesian women
can get a better education and jobs as high as men.
However, not all people can accept R. A. Kartini that she had influenced people as an
Indonesian heroine. According to my participants‟ opinion in this study, there were 8 of 13
participants who did not feel that R. A. Kartini had a big influence on them.
Participant 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, and 13 said that she is a heroine in action. She just
pulled out the ideas to break her own Javanese tradition. This was confirmed by Participant 5
and Participant 9 who said that R. A. Kartini could not get out of that tradition until she died
because she lived on the family who worship of the tradition. These opinions are reinforced
Evina 18
by Participant 2 who said that “she is not my big influence because her story can not “shake”
my feeling”. Then she added that R. A. Kartini was only a woman who tried to make women
equal with men and she was not the only woman who fought for gender equality. Then,
Participant 1 stated that “I just know Kartini when I was in Primary school and woman who
influenced more is just my mother”.
Based on R. A. Kartini‟s struggles, Particpant 11 and 13 had same opinion saying that
she was a heroine who did nothing real. Participant 11 added that “I just hear her story and I
do not know what she does for Indonesian women”. Moreover, participant 13 sated that there
were many heroines who stood up for the women‟s right in Indonesia and R. A. Kartini is not
the only woman who wanted Indonesian women to get the education for a better life like
men. Then, there were many heroines who really fought and gave action showing their power
to Indonesians.
In contrast to other participants, Participant 7 said that society around her affected her
mind to consider R. A. Kartini as an Indonesian heroine while Participant 7 does not see how
she fought for women to get the same right as men. Participant 7 also confirmed that
nowadays women still follow the traditions even though she can get education as high as
men. The opinion of Participant 7 was reinforced by Participant 12 who said that she could
not see the connection between her current condition and R. A. Kartini‟s struggles at past
time.
Based on those 8 participants, they feel that R. A. Kartini did not give some influence
for them through her real action. She did not show how she fought like a heroine. Moreover,
there are many heroines who showed their action fighting to get gender equality and rights. It
means that they think they had more real in action than R. A. Kartini had.
Evina 19
After Reading the Letters
In this section, I will analyze the opinions or thoughts of the participants after they
finished reading R. A. Kartini‟s letters. Besides giving the opinions about R. A. Kartini, I will
also analyze some of participants who changed their mind about the perception of R. A.
Kartini after reading her letters.
Opinions
This study will focus on the participants‟ perspective or opinions to R. A. Kartini .
Participant 1, 2, 7, 11, and 13 said that R. A. Kartini was focusing on the freedom from
tradition and culture and not so much on life-advancement of women in Indonesia through
proper education and chances to explore their potential. Participant 1 confirmed that R. A.
Kartini‟s story about a man who was astonished to see how simple she was as a princess did
not represent the struggle of most Indonesian women nor show that education surpasses outer
appearance. It was her personal matter. Then, R. A. Kartini‟s focus was merely on freedom of
self and proving that tradition did not give much advantage to her life. In short, the second
letter lacked the passion she once had for emancipation.
Furthermore, Participant 1 said that in the second letter, there was no effort of R. A.
Kartini‟s struggle for Indonesian women. She was focusing on Javanese tradition and herself
as a Javanese princess. Participant 7 confirmed that “this does not represent all Indonesian
women, having different background in tradition and cultural upbringing. She was merely
showing her annoyance towards her own tradition and her inability to completely break it
through”.
Then participant 1 stated “I deduct that from the way she talked in her letter, she was
having a culture shock”. It means that R. A. Kartini desperately wanted to get rid of her
Evina 20
culture as an Indonesian, specifically her inherited tradition and identity as a Javanese.
Moreover, participant 1 also added “I do not see this as desirable because you cannot choose
to which nationality and family you would be born, and it is also undesirable to try to free
oneself from his/her culture that shapes him/her into what he/she becomes”. Participant 7
thought that R. A. Kartini was constantly whining about her unfortunate condition, being a
Javanese princess, she said that “If her sole purpose was to improve the life of the women all
over Indonesia, I think that her complain are irrelevant and it is too personal”.
Moreover, Participant 7 stated that R. A. Kartini she was influenced by the western
ideas she got from her education. Every culture has its own positive and negative sides; to try
to be the complete other is just impossible, one should only take the good things. Then,
Participant 1 said that R. A. Kartini was mesmerized and overwhelmed by the Western
people. Her idea of Western people was civilized and enlightened. She said that we have
never experienced anything but kindness.
Since Indonesia was still colonized by the Dutch and she was in the honorable
position as a princess, Participant 1 thought that R. A. Kartini‟s opinion towards the western
people is very much subjective. She said that “so all along the second letter I was waiting for
some concrete action that can make improvements to women‟s life in Indonesia”.
Based on Participant 1, Participant 2 also had the same opinion of R. A. Kartini. She
said that R. A. Kartini just wrote what she was experienced as Javanese princess. Then she
emphasized her opinion by saying that R. A. Kartini‟s letters never mentioned about what
other woman (like her mother, sister, cousin or other woman outside their family/house) feel,
experienced or do. Kartini just told story from her own experiences and perspectives. She
concluded that “the letter kind of showed that Kartini is just welling around about her life and
did not tell about other woman‟s stories” (Participant 2). She also said that R. A. Kartini just
spoke for herself as an aristocrat who could not do what she wanted to do. She did not speak
Evina 21
for woman who‟s not an aristocrat. She doesn‟t even know what the woman outside her
house feel and do.
Furthermore, Participant saw that R. A. Kartini just wanted to show that Javanese
traditions made them acted like a robot. They were acting like what was told by the elder.
Participant 11 said that “she mentioned that Javanese tradition was really thick and strict”.
Moreover, for participant 13, she stated that R. A. Kartini just struggled for herself. Then, she
noticed that R. A. Kartini never said the word “we” for Indonesian women. It meant that she
was only talking about herself, about how she didn‟t like the culture, about how she didn‟t
want to get married. It is the same with Participant 11 who said that “I think she only showed
for women who lived in a restricted place, like palace, because the rules that she mentioned in
the second letter was mostly seen in a palace”. The letters focused more on herself rather than
on other Indonesian women because she only cared about herself, whereas many other girls
probably were feeling the same with her.
Based on those opinions, R. A. Kartini can be seen as a woman who struggled for
herself. She just shared her own ideas through letters for her European friends. She told that
she did not like a Javanese tradition because it was complicated to do. Moreover, she did not
mention any words which represent all Indonesian women. It means that she just mention
herself and her own family. Then, her letters told the story of her rebellion that she was doing
to her father to escape from the Javanese traditions that she inherented in her family.
The readers’ minds
After reading both letters, Participant 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, and 13 changed their
perspective about R. A. Kartini. It was because R. A. Kartini seemed to find the western ideas
as fascinating and true-to-all idea. By breaking the tradition, she wanted to make herself to be
same as men. It makes the participants change their mind of R. A. Kartini as a heroine. It was
Evina 22
explained by Participant 11 who stated that R. A. Kartini wanted to learn some new
languages and also be free to explore another tradition which at that time was the European
tradition. She felt burdened for living in a condition like what she lived in.
Moreover, Participant 1 and Participant 2 said the reason they changed their perspective
about R. A. Kartini because she was a Javanese woman who little bit of a rebel tried to break
the rules in her family. Then, Participant 2 said that “I think that Kartini had been influenced
by Dutch culture, it seems like she more appreciate Dutch rather than Indonesia or to be more
specific is Javanese culture”. That was confirmed by Participant 1 who said that “I felt like
her conversation shifted from criticizing the Javanese tradition to personal complains that is
not particularly directed towards any general society in Indonesia”. Moreover, it turned out
that R. A. Kartini did not speak up for all of woman in Indonesia or even Javanese, she just
talked about herself.
Based on the Participant 7 perspective after reading both letters, she said that R. A.
Kartini struggled for Indonesian women. Participant 7 also emphasized that R. A. Kartini did
not struggle for them. She said that “R. A. Kartini just shared something happened in her era
and what she had done”. Participant 7 stated R. A. Kartini was not a heroine like another
heroines who struggled by action in a war. Then, not only Participant 7 who changed her
perspective about R. A. Kartini, Participant 5 and 11 also did the same thing. Participant 5
emphasized that R. A. Kartini was a descriptive person. She meant that R. A. Kartini just
shared her opinion toward letters and she did not do something real as a heroine. Participant 5
had the same opinion with Participant 7, she said that “a hero have to do real action to be
called as a hero”. It was also confirmed by Participant 11 that she also changed her
perspective because she stated that “I little bit change my perspective of Kartini because what
she wrote were not for all Indonesian women. She only mentioned what she felt in her life as
an aristocrat woman”.
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Furthermore, Participant 3 also said that her perspective about R. A. Kartini was Little
bit change. She stated that in the second letter, kartini seems want to get rid of all the
Javanese etiquette. Opposite with Kartini‟s thinking, Participant 3 thought that there was
some Javanese etiquette that still needed until now. Based on Participant 3, tradition was an
important thing to be identity for Javanese. Moreover, Participant 13 thought that R. A.
Kartini only wanted women to be equal, to get education they need. she probably was so sick
of her culture, because she wanted to break her tradition only to feel like her European
friends who could get education as high as men. Then, it also happened to Participant 8. She
stated that R. A. Kartini just spoke out her voice and overthinking and she said that “she
should prove and struggle by doing something real for women emancipation. Not only by
critics but also by doing a real action”. It was same to Participant 12 who said she did not see
the real action of R. A. Kartini to change the right of Indonesian women as men.
Based on those letters, the participants changed her mind about R. A. Kartini. She was a
woman who little bit rebel to break her own tradition in her aristocrat family. Besides that,
the participant believed that Javanese etiquette still needed until now to make people become
more polite when they are doing something wherever they step their feet. Then, she was a
woman who did nothing or she did not do real action to prove that she struggled for
Indonesian women to get the same right as men.
Evina 24
CONCLUSION
According to R. A. Kartini‟s letters in “Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang”, the letters do
not show her struggle for Indonesian people. I was interested with the readers‟ responds to R.
A. Kartini‟s letters. So, in this study I tried to explore the readers‟ opinion or feeling through
R. A. Kartini‟s letters. Through those two letters in that book, I attempted to find out the
answer of how ED students responded to these two letters. In analyzing the readers‟ response,
I used or applied a theory which is Subjective Reader-response theory. This theory focused
on the participants‟ opinions. After I spread the questionnair