''Sengsara Membawa Nikmat'' (English: ''Blessing in Disguise'') is an
Indonesian novel written by
Tulis Sutan Sati
Tulis Sutan Sati (1898 in Fort de Kock, West Sumatra, Dutch East Indies – 1942) was one of Indonesian prominent writers of the Balai Pustaka Generation.
List of Novels
* Tak Disangka (1923)
* Sengsara Membawa Nikmat (1928)
* Syair Rosina (1933) ...
. It was published in 1929 by
Balai Pustaka
Balai Pustaka (; also spelled Balai Poestaka, both meaning "Bureau of Literature") is the state-owned publisher of Indonesia and publisher of major pieces of Indonesian literature such as ''Salah Asuhan'', ''Sitti Nurbaya'' and ''Layar Terkemb ...
. It tells the story of Midun, the son of a farmer, who experiences many trials before finally living happily with his new wife. It has been noted as one of Sati's most interesting works.
Plot
Kacak, the conceited nephew of a rich village leader in
Padang
Padang () is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. Th ...
, is jealous of Midun, the religious and popular son of a poor farmer; Kacak often attempts to goad Midun into fighting him. After Midun saves his wife from drowning, Kacak becomes enraged at the thought that Midun had touched his wife and attacks him. Midun fights back, quickly knocking Kacak out. As a result of his actions, Midun is forced to do tasks for the village leader under Kacak's supervision.
Still enraged at Midun, Kacak hires an assassin to kill him. When the attempt fails, the assassin and Midun are arrested and sent to prison. While in prison, Midun is tortured until he earns a reputation for being a good fighter. He also meets Halimah, who lives with her stepfather, after returning her diamond necklace. After he is released from prison, Midun takes Halimah to find her father in
Bogor.
After living with them for two months, Midun attempts to go to
Batavia
Batavia may refer to:
Historical places
* Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands
* Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
to find work, and leaves Halimah with her father in Bogor. Along the way, he meets the
Arab Indonesian
Arab Indonesians ( ar, عربٌ إندونيسيون) or ''Hadharem'' (; sing., ''Hadhrami'', ), informally known as Jama'ah, and until the 20th century known as Codjas or Kodjas, note the work was also published in the Hague and Utrecht simulta ...
Syekh Abdullah, who lends him money; after refusing to pay the
high interest or let Abudullah marry Halimah, Midun is arrested. After his release, he saves a Dutch youth being attacked in Pasar Baru. For saving the boy, Midun is granted a job at the police station by the boy's father, the ''hoofdcommissaris'' (head commissioner). He then becomes confident enough to go to Bogor to marry Halimah, and takes her to live with him in Batavia.
Midun is later stationed in Padang upon request to the commissioner, after hearing that his father had died. People in his village are very happy to learn that Midun is appointed as Asisten Demang (district head assistant), except for Kacak, who turned pale and nervous when congratulating Midun. Kacak is arrested for embezzlement, and Midun lives happily ever after.
Themes
''Sengsara Membawa Nikmat'' focuses mainly on the story of Midun, taking a
realistic view. Unlike the earlier novel ''Muda Teruna'' by Muhammad Kasim, part of the story takes place outside of
Sumatra.
C. W. Watson notes that ''Sengsara Membawa Nikmat'', similar to
Marah Roesli
Marah Roesli (; full name: Marah Rusli bin Abu Bakar) was an Indonesian writer.
Biography
Marah Roesli was born in Padang, West Sumatra on August 7, 1889, and died in Bandung, West Java on January 17, 1968. He was one of the most well-known In ...
's novel ''
Sitti Nurbaya
''Sitti Nurbaya: Kasih Tak Sampai'' (''Sitti Nurbaya: Unrealized Love'', often abbreviated ''Sitti Nurbaya'' or ''Siti Nurbaya''; original spelling ''Sitti Noerbaja'') is an Indonesian literature, Indonesian novel by Marah Rusli. It was publish ...
'', reflects Balai Pustaka's "antitraditional stance", which in his opinion required the support of progressive ideas and the condemnation of conservative traditionalism. He points to the two-page passage in the novel where Midun discusses the traditional witch doctors (''
dukun
A dukun is an Indonesian term for shaman. Their societal role is that of a traditional healer, spirit medium, custom and tradition experts and on occasion sorcerers and masters of black magic. In common usage the dukun is often confused wi ...
'') with Halimah, indicating that women who go to the ''dukun'' for help saving their marriages actually end up destroying them with the extra costs; other acts condemned include the traditional love potions and possible vengeful actions of the ''dukun''. This theme is later continued in Sati's novel ''Syair Rosina''.
Dutch critic of Indonesian literature
A. Teeuw
Andries Teeuw (12 August 1921 – 18 May 2012), better known as A. Teeuw in scholarly circles and Hans Teeuw to his friends, was a Dutch critic of Indonesian literature.
Biography
Teeuw was born in Gorinchem, Netherlands, on 12 August 192 ...
notes that the novel's theme is not exclusively
Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to:
* Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people
* Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center
* Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see belo ...
, as it is about the conflict between an evil and a good youth, with the good eventually winning.
Release
''Sengsara Membawa Nikmat'' was originally published by
Balai Pustaka
Balai Pustaka (; also spelled Balai Poestaka, both meaning "Bureau of Literature") is the state-owned publisher of Indonesia and publisher of major pieces of Indonesian literature such as ''Salah Asuhan'', ''Sitti Nurbaya'' and ''Layar Terkemb ...
in 1929. It was adapted into a ''sinetron'' (Indonesian
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
) in 1991. The adaptation was directed by Agus Wijoyono and starred W.D. Mochtar, Septian Dwi Cahyo, and Sandy Nayoan.
Teeuw considers it Sati's most interesting work. He writes that it is capable of immersing the reader in the Minangkabau village life, with its everyday events and natural human reactions.
References
;Footnotes
;Bibliography
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1929 novels
Indonesian romance novels
Novels set in Indonesia
Balai Pustaka books