The Njai: a Postcolonial Feminist Study of a Woman in Indonesia During The Dutch Colonization Era

Abstract

The Njai is a creative work based on the life of Njai Konsoro, an indigenous (pribumi) njai under the hands of a Dutch businessman named Harald Janssen in Villa Wilantania. However, life for Njai Konsoro was never the same again when William Janssen, the estranged son of Harald, arrived in the villa for a short transit. Throughout the story, Njai Konsoro must come to terms with questions about her worth as both a woman and an indigenous person, which may lead to dangerous consequences. The Njai was written based on the topic of double oppression, as commonly mentioned in postcolonial feminism theories. The double oppression that was explored in the study and in the story was based on patriarchal ideology and colonialist ideology. Inspired by these concepts, The Njai was conceived with its main protagonist, an indigenous woman, constantly shifting her perspective regarding herself: of what her colonial male counterparts thought of her, and how she ultimately thought of herself.