The Plight of Ms. Lena

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The Plight of Ms. Lena
Pelabuhan Teluk Bayur, Padang, akhir abad ke 19

Yudhi Andoni
Historian and Lecturer at Universitas Andalas, Padang

JurnalPost.com – Ms. Lena, a young Minangkabau woman, suffered misfortune due to her marriage to a man named John Marsden. Allegedly, John was closely connected to William Marsden, an Englishman who once visited Minangkabau and authored the work “History of Sumatra”. Ms. Lena was captivated by the fair and pointed features of John Marsden, leading her to Bengkulu to become a “nyai” (a local term for a concubine or domestic partner of Europeans during colonial times).

In letters rediscovered by E. Ulrich Kratz, intriguing details about the life of a young Minang woman in the late 18th century emerge. Kratz found 6 letters written by Ms. Lena to her “husband,” John, who took their daughters to England.

The 17th and 18th centuries saw the English dominance over the western coastal waters of Sumatra. Unlike the Dutch colonial approach, the English, with their classical nobility tradition, tended to control a region through alliances with local rulers to secure trade commodities, also turning these areas into markets for their manufactured goods.
The significant influence of England at the time enabled them to establish relationships with the Sumatran community, including the Minangkabau people, making Ms. Lena’s encounter with John likely during this period.

The English stronghold on the west coast of Sumatra was centered in Bengkulu. Here, the English established a fortress and a center of power, making the trading ports of Minangkabau, such as Indrapura, Cingkuak, Tiku, and others, vital for the movement of goods and people northward. The stopovers of trading ships and Europeans en route to Bengkulu made the west coast of Minangkabau relatively welcoming to such interactions.

Although the English eventually anchored their power in Bengkulu from the 17th century (1685), the coastal states of Minangkabau had already forged close economic ties with the nation of King Charles III. Historical records by English historians like John Bastin and Jeya Kathirithamby-Wells contain extensive data on Minangkabau society during this period, especially those along the west coast of Sumatra.

Ricklefs and Voorhoeve (1977) highlighted the existence of hundreds of letters from Malays stored in the British Museum from the late 18th century. These letters contain various information sent to and from local rulers, including those from Minangkabau. Among these, the correspondence of Ms. Lena with her husband, John Marsden, stands out.

Acrucial source on the Minangkabau, particularly its women, is preserved in a British museum today. These are letters from a woman named Lena who sent several letters to her husband, who returned to England with their three daughters named Nona Kete’, Nona Gadang, and Nona Nen.

In the archive of letters stored at SOAS with the archive title MS 40320/2, No 77, there is a letter from Ms. Lena on Pulau Perca to Mr. Marsden, dated 7 November 1784. An excerpt from the letter reads:

“1784, the Hijri year, on the 7th day of November at 4 o’clock in the afternoon on Sunday it was. That this address of the letter and its subject come from Lena, sitting in the middle of a garden in the heart of Pulau Perca. Hopefully, by God’s will, this reaches my husband, Mr. Marsden, residing with my daughters Nona Kete’ and Nona Gadang.”

In the text, the writer expresses a profound belief in God, highlighting the significance of day and night in the context of praying for the longevity and well-being of their second child and others in their life. The writer communicates a gesture of sending various gifts, including a pair of umbrellas and pillows, a chest containing perfumes, and a notable Malay poem titled “Syair Si Lindung Delima,” recognized for its superior narrative quality. Additionally, a package of Cempaka flowers is sent, with a note of intent to send more varieties when they are in season. The narrative extends further with the dispatch of items to Nona Kete’ and Nona Gadang, including gloves and fans as symbols of enduring life and wishes for long life and good health.

The letter reflects the deep sorrow and isolation felt by Encik Lena due to the separation from a child who has traveled far away. The text evokes empathy for Encik Lena, who writes to a “husband” who has seemingly abandoned her, leaving her distant from her loved ones. This raises questions about why Encik Lena was not taken to England by Tuan Marsden to live together in happiness.

The status of women at the time is critiqued, likening them to banana plants, valued only for reproduction, devoid of rights, including the right to their own children, born through pain and potentially at the cost of their lives. Encik Lena’s marriage to a white man does not elevate her status; rather, it parallels the plight of “Nyai” in Java during the same period. The suffering of Encik Lena resonates with Nyai Ontosoroh’s experiences in Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s novel “Bumi Manusia” (This Earth of Mankind), where women associated with colonial figures are reduced to mere instruments of production catering to their masters’ desires. The ultimate fate of Encik Lena and her three children remains unknown, leaving their story open to divine knowledge (Wallahu’alam).

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