カルティニの心象風景(<特集>東南アジアの世界像)

Abstract

Kartini (1879-1904) is unique in the intellectual history of modern Indonesia. On the one hand, she is adored in the nation's 'hagiography' as an early advocate of nationalist sentiment and an emancipator of Java's women from 'feudalism'. On the other, she has been sympathetically accepted in Dutch literature as a representative figure either of Ethical Colonial Policy or of the 'Tempo Doeloe', 'The Old (Golden) Days'. This paper discusses this figure in relation to particular cultural phenomena of late 19th century of Java. Three points are presented with special reference to Kartini's descriptions of Java's landscape in the Door Duisternis Tot Licht("Through Darkness Towards Light"), the collections of her letters to Dutch friends. First, the descriptions, which are full of 'cliches', reflect accurately the contemporary 'mestizo culture' of colonial Java. From the late 19th century the 'mestizo culture', typically expressed in the pictures of 'the Beautiful Indies' and the croncong melodies, enjoyed growing popularity both among the Dutch and Eurasian societies and the Javanese aristocracy. Second, the Dutch language was indispensable to her description of Java's landscape. Dutch functioned as a highly efficient lens through which she was able to gaze at not only the natural landscape but also the landscape of the colonized society. Both Dutch and Javanese societies in colonized Java were brought sharply into focus through this lens. Third, Kartini was a forerunner of the Indonesian nationalist movement in the sense that she convincingly gave 'nationality' to the landscape. Removed from the 'mestizo' cultural milieu, the landscape she described was, thus, a 'naturalized' Javanese (Indonesian) landscape.