Multiculturalism: The Belle of Tjililin by Soeka Hati and Raden Adjeng Moerhian by Njoo Cheong Seng

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Introduction

This writing reveals the multiculturalism concept of two novels, The Belle of Tjililin by Soeka Hati and Raden Adjeng Moerhian by Njoo Cheong Seng. Both are written in 1934.
Multiculturalism is an interesting theme which discusses about the different tribes, religion, languages, social status and culture mentioned in those two novels that are written before 1950s. We can see through the stories in these novels that multicultural is already existed far before multiculturalism concept is being discussed nowadays.
The Belle of Tjililin tells about the love relationship between two people who have different ethnic, Siti Arsiah as Javanese and Lim Seng Ho as Chinese. Seng Ho is an old friend of Siti Arsiah when they were students at M.U.L.O in Semarang. Siti Arsiah is famous as a beautiful girl and has good language among the girls in her village. Because of that popularity, Siti Arsiah is named by The Belle of Tjililin that means as the most beautiful girl from Tjililin. There are a lot of men fall in love with her.
Tjililin is a name of an area in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia and a place where Siti Arsiah parents lived. From the total amount of men who fall in love with Siti Arsiah, there is Abdullah, the son of the head village. Siti Arsiah prefer loves Seng Ho to Abdullah. Being known that his love is refused because Siti Arsiah prefer choose Seng Ho which is Chinese, it made Abdullah envied and intended to rape Siti. This bad intended can be failed by Seng Ho. Siti’s parents is being more liked when they know Seng Ho already saved their daughter.

Multiculturalism in a novel
Multiculturalism is one aspect in life that cannot be avoided in people’s life. It does not relate with a trend or phenomenon; but it is c...

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...e will not be easy if there is too much interfere from people in our surroundings and in this novel the interference comes from the parents from each. Finally, the happiness involve the couple at the end as the happy endings close the novel brilliantly.

Primary Sources:
Hati, Soeka. (1987). The Belle of Tjililin. Soerabai: Tan’s Drukkery.
Hoo, Njoo Seng. (1980). Raden Adjeng Moerhia. Djakarta: Sinar Harapan.

Secondary Sources:
Balibar, Etienne, and Immanuel Wallerstein. (1991). Race, Nation, Class. London: Verso.
Bhabha, Homi K. (1990). Nation and Narration. London: Routledge.
Dardjowidjojo, Soenjono. (1996) Bahasa Nasional Kita. Bandung: Penerbit ITB.
Foulcher, Keith. (1993). Literature, Cultural Politics and the Indonesian Revolution. Dalam Text/Politics in Island South-east Asia, ed.D.M. Roskies. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Center for International Studies.

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