Book Review

Cerita Calon Arang

“Tiap-tiap waktu murid-murid harus berkeramas. Yang dipergunakan mengeramasi rambut adalah darah. Darah itu adalah darah manusia juga. Karena itu rambut murid-murid Calon Arang lengket-lengket dan tebal. Kalu mereka sedang berpesta tak ubahnya dengan sekawanan binatang buas. Takut orang melihatnya. Kalau ketahuan ada orang mengintip, orang itu diseret ke tengah pesta dan dibunuh dan darahnya dipergunakan keramas.” (Cerita Calon Arang, p.25-26).

Some sentences before are part of the story of Calon Arang which tells about the cruelty of Calon Arang. This story is rewritten by Pramoedya Ananta Tour. It is unlike his other books because in this book he tells about a tales that can also be read not only by adults but also children. 

It was a story about  cruel widow called Calon Arang who lived at Girah village in Daha. She lived with her beautiful daughter, Ratna Manggali. She also had followers such as Weksirsa, Mahisa, Wadana, Lendesi, Larung, Guyung, and Gandi. All of the villagers were afraid of them. It was because Calon Arang was very cruel. Besides, she had black magic which could kill anyone she wanted.

One day, Calon Arang was very upsed as she heard the rumor about Ratna Manggali. She couldn’t accept that the villagers talked about her lovely daughter at he back just because Ratna Manggali hadn’t married yet eventhough she was already 25 years old. Actually there was nothing wrong with Ratna Manggali. She was beautiful and she didn’t do something bas as her mom did. The fact that her mother was a woman who practiced black magic was the main problem. People got afraid to her mom since Calon Arang liked to spread disease and cause damage.

Calon Arang then decided to revenge by killing people as many as possible. In order to get what she wanted, she went to Durga’s temple to do a worship ritual. Durga is a goddess of devastation. She permitted Calon Arang to kill many people in every village except people who lived in the capital of Daha. Calon Arang agreed. She was very happy because she could take many people’s life. In a short moment, thousands of people died. There was no medicine can help. There were many corpse around.

A news about Calon Arang and her black magic then was heard by Erlangga, the King of Daha. He tried to kill Calon Arang by sending his cavalry to her home. Unexpectedly, Calon Arang cannot be killed easily as she was able to resist weapon. She was extremely magical. Knowing about it, Erlangga asked for gudance from the God. Then, it was known that it was only Empu Baradah who could kill Calon Arang.

Empu Baradah lived in Tulis valley with his daughter, Wedawati, from his first wife. After his wife passed away, hee got married with a woman and then got a son. As he was always busy to teach his students in Wisamuka seclusion, he didn’t know that his new wife always misconducted to Wedawati. Wedawati who could not do anything just could go to her mom’s tomb and became a hermit.

 

After Empu Bahula become Ratna Manggali’s husband, he lived in Calon Arang’s house. Calon Arang never suspected him even once. One day, he asked Ratna Manggali to steal her mom’s book. In that book, there was written all of Calon Arang secret including the way to defeat her. Ratna Manggali as a wife obey her husband request. She took her mom’s book when her mother was sleeping and then gave it to EEmpu Baradah.

After getting Calon Arang’s book Empu Bahula went to Tulis valley and then gave it to Empu Baradah. Empu Baradah read it carefully. After he knew about the weaknesses of Calon Arang, he asked Empu Bahula to return it before Calon Arang realize that her book was gone. He then tried to cure people from the disease based on the information he got from Calon Arang’s book.

Calon Arang still didn’t know that Empu Baradah had already known about her secret. However, she got forecast that danger was close to her. So, when she met Empu Baradah, she wanted to beg atonement from God. She asked Empu Baradah to purify her heart and her body who had done many bad things. On the other hand, Empu Baradah didn’t want to do it because Calon Arang had done many sins and couldn’t be forgiven. Next, Empu Baradah killed Calon Arang.

Lookiang at Calon Arang’s corpse, Empu Baradah changed his mind. He resurrected Calon Arang. He wanted to purify Calon Arang soul. After he purified her, he killed Calon Arang again. People could live safely again.

I like how the writer make this story easily to be read. On the other hand, I also notice that there are stereotypes about woman. First, the woman in this story is pictured as someone who brings badluck. It can be seen from the characters of Calon Arang who has no fear to kill people she doesn’t like, or Empu Baradah’s wife who become step mother for Wedawati and could love her as she did to her son. Second, the woman who doesn’t get married after she becomes 25 years old or more will be gossipped by society. They will give her negative label as spinster (perawan tua). It means there is something wrong with the woman. It is pictured by Ratna Manggali. For Indonesian people, especially for people who lived in remote area or small village, it still happen which then will bring worried to her family. Whereas in this modern era, it is something common for not getting married in the young age as they are still looking for career. For me, personally, I do not want to get married just because of my age or because people want mw to. I want to get married with someone I love that I feel comfortable so I will not end up in regret. Just make it once in a life time.

I like this story because this story tells about parents’ love to her child. It is pictured by Calon Arang who loves her daughter. She doesn’t mind to do anything for her child. It is also pictured by Empu Baradah who loves her daughter and wants to do anything which can make her daughter feel happy. So, no matter whether you are bad or good, you will still love your children and do the best you could for them.

Story of Life

TUESDAY WITH MORRIE

“Are you happy with all you have had??”

One of my friends posted it in his facebook wall. If It was me before I read the book “Tuesday with Morrie” perhaps I would say “No, not yet. There are many things I haven’t had." But this book is the best memoar to read so far. This book told about Morrie Schwards who were struggling to fight fatal disease in his body, ALS (amyotrophic lateral schelrosis). It is famously known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. This disease affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Gradually, his body became paralyzed. He knew that he did not have long time. He could have spent his life to regret all the things happen to him and moan his disease, but he did not. He expressed thanks to God that he knew he could still give love to people surround him. He could be still happy and so wise.

“Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live” (Morrie)

When we are dying we will know soon that everything we have means nothing. We work so hard and still not satisfied with what we get. It looks like we drink salty water that will never quench our thirst. We want something big but we forget something which is very important. We seek for the recognition of our existance, glory, pride which is like we will live forever but still not feeling happy. It almost same with me who work so hard from morning till night to get money for living and paying my tuition fee. I am completely exhausted when I get home which make me have no time even to chat with my family.

Morrie and his great heart could make us aware that when we get sick, it is not money and power which made him stronger. It was love and respect from his family who made him able to keep smile and warm. He was protected by people who love him.

“Love each other or perish” (Morrie)

In this book, Morrie and Mitch talked about many things. They talked about concepts in life including love, forgiveness, the meaning of life, marriage, aging, etc. They did it every Tuesday. When they were talking about life, it could be understood that life would be meaningful if we could be grateful for what we had. As human we should devote ourselves for loving others and creating some thing that could give us purpose. Morrie always talked to other people and inspired them to live their life to the fullest and love each other. All people will die, but the spirit can keep alive. People will remember what someone has done not who they are. So, someone who can impact society and can be selfless in his/her action will always remain in other people’s heart. As with Morrie, he already died, but as teacher, his influence will never stop. People will always remember him from his lesson and from his wisdom.

“As long as we can love each other, and remember the feeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on – in the heart of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here.” (Morrie)

So, what will you do if today is your last day? Will you still unhappy for what you’ve had?

Book Review

GONE WITH THE WIND

SCARLETT O’HARA was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were. In her face were too sharply blended the delicate features of her mother, a Coast aristocrat of French descent, and the heavy ones of her florid Irish father. But it was an interesting face, pointed of chin, square of jaw. Her eyes were pale green without a touch of hazel, starred with bristly black lashes and slightly tilted at the ends.......................

Those are the opening lines of this epic masterpiece. This story tells Scarlett O’Hara who can conquer all men she wants with her undeniable charm. She gets what she wants easily. She has loving family, wealth, friends, sixteen inch waist but Ashley Wilkes. Instead of loving her as many other men, Ashley Wilkes marries his cousin, Melanie Hamilton. Rhett Butler, a mysterious man who was exiled from his home witnesses how Ashley tells Scarlet that he loves her but still prefers to marry Melanie because of his belief that Melanie has in common with him.

 She was sixteen years old at that time. She never thinks about working, slavery, political matter. Her only problem is she has to revenge and make Ashley jealous by marrying  Charles Hamilton a day before Ashley’s marriage. It is only two months as she has to admit that Charles Dies in the beginning of the Great war after she finds out that she is pregnant.

The civil war changes Scarlet’s life. She has to live as widow with one child in Atlanta. Not only she lost her cotton plantation, but also her mom, Ellen Robillard. Her father, Gerald O’Hara becomes insane and her sisters, Suellen and Careen O’Hara are sick. The slaves in her home run away. It is only Mammy, Pork, Dilcey, ad Prissy who are still loyal to her family. She can not depend on someone as she is the first child on her family and she has to be family leader in her family. She never worry about what to eat and what to use but war make her work and think really hard to make nine people in her house can still eat even a little. Since then, she transform from a spoiled and belle girl from Georgia who can only dance in party into selfish woman who always chase for money and think that money can bring happiness.

“Child, it’s a very bad things for a woman to face the worst that can happen to her, because after she’s faced the worst she can’t ever really fear anything again. And it’s very bad for a woman not to be afraid of something.” (Grandma Fountain)

Scarlett is a strong woman. She can raise and move forward while other people still mourn and look back to the memory before war. She does everything to get money and make Tara, her cotton plantation, still belong to O’Hara’s family. For this she even steals her sister’s boyfriend, Frank Kennedy, in order to get his money to save Tara. Slowly but sure, Scarlett forgets everything she learns from his mom about love, ethics, kindness, politeness, and many other things. What she cares about is only she has to get prosperity without fear for starving. Her selfishness even makes her husband killed.

Scarlett characters are change. But her feeling to Ashley remain same. At the same time, Rhett always accompanies her, listening to her mind, and making her laughing and getting angry. Rhett knows her very well even her evil mind. He loves her but he does not want to say it literally or show it clearly. But Scarlett who is too selfish and always thing that she is the center of the world never sees this. She never sees the expectation from this charming, lustful, and smart man. What is on her mind is only the ambition to have Ashley on her hand that she thinks it is love. But Ashley who always doubt about his feeling actually never really loves Scarlet. He and Scarlet never understands each other.

“If he didn’t guess it without being told, he’ll never know anything about you and your precious mind.” (Rhett Butler)

When finally Rhett marries Scarlet, she could be happy. She could be happy if she could appreciate what she has and realize how Rhett love her in his own way. But Scarlet is always late in appreciating everything until she doesn’t have it anymore. She suffers from lost of her daughter, Bonnie Blue Butler even though at first she doesn’t want to have another child after Wade Hamilton and Ella Kennedy. She hates Melanie but then realize that Melanie is like a sword and shield in a short time before her death. And in the last, when she realized that it is not Ashley Wilkes that she really loves but Rhett Butler, it is already too late. Rhett doe not love her anymore. His love has gone since the burial of her daughter who he loves with all of his heart. He just walks out. It is only unhappiness and regret left for Scarlet O’Hara. Life teaches her a lesson of having. When you don’t appreciate it, you will lose everything. And Scarlet O’Hara should have bitter life as a consequences to regard loves around her as useless.

“Scarlett, I was never one to patiently pick up broken fragments and glue them together and tell myself that the mended whole was as good as new. What is broken is broken – and I’d rather remember it as it was at its best than mend it and see the broken places as long as I lived.” (Rhett Butler)

This story teach us that we can’t get all we want. Life is not a fairy tale. It doesn’t always have a happy Ending. Overall I can say that this book is very well written. As a reader we can be part of this book from a good description of the personality of each character, the story background, and the conflict in it. It will always be my favorite classic book ever.