Art Original

Belenggu

---

Set in Batavia (modern-day Jakarta) during the late colonial period, the story exposes a tragic, psychological love triangle involving three deeply flawed, modern intellectuals who are all chained—or shackled—by their own pasts and unmet expectations.

Dr. Sukartono (Tono): A brilliant, highly dedicated doctor who pours all his time and energy into treating his patients, often leaving him emotionally exhausted.

Sumartini (Tini): Tono’s fiercely independent, highly educated, and modern wife. She actively participates in women's social organizations but completely rejects the traditional, submissive role of a housewife.

Tono and Tini’s marriage is a cold, hollow shell. They are utterly incapable of communicating. Tini feels neglected by Tono's constant work, while Tono feels unloved because Tini refuses to give him the gentle, comforting domestic sanctuary he craves. Secretly, both are haunted by ghost-like memories of past romances that they cannot let go.

The breaking point arrives when Tono is called to treat a mysterious patient at a local hotel. The patient turns out to be Siti Rohayah (Yah), a childhood friend who has secretly loved Tono for years. Yah’s life has been tragic—she was forced into a miserable arranged marriage, ran away, and eventually became a high-class singer and courtesan to survive.

Unlike the sharp, distant Tini, Yah treats Tono with absolute devotion, warmth, and submission, providing the emotional escape he desperately needs. Tono and Yah begin a passionate, hidden affair.

When Tini eventually discovers the infidelity, she confronts Yah directly. Expecting an ugly fight, Tini is shocked to find that Yah is deeply empathetic and genuinely loves Tono. Both women realize they are trapped in the exact same cycle of loneliness. In a heartbreaking twist of self-sacrifice, Tini decides to leave Tono to grant him freedom, while Yah—believing her scandalous past will only ruin Tono’s medical career—disappears entirely, boarding a ship away from Batavia. The novel ends with Tono completely alone, staring at a broken radio, realizing that all three of them remain shackled by their own minds.

---

Availability

Detail Information

Series Title

-

Call Number

4.813.0029.B.U

Publisher

Jakarta : BALAI PUSTAKA., 2013

Collation

-

Language

Indonesia

ISBN/ISSN

-

Classification

NONE

Content Type

-

Media Type

-

Carrier Type

-

Edition

-

Subject(s)

Fiksi Indonesia

Specific Detail Info

-

Statement of Responsibility

-

Other version/related

File Attachment

Comments

---

You must be logged in to post a comment