Monolog "Balada Sumarah" Karya Tentrem Lestari | Teater Alegoris | SMAN 1 Ngadiluwih

Summary

The speaker, Sumarah, shares a deeply emotional and personal story about her struggles and the challenges she faced throughout her life. Growing up in a village with strict teachings, she reflects on the influence of political ideologies and the turmoil they caused. Despite her aspirations for a better life as a domestic worker, she reveals the harsh reality of exploitation and abuse she endured. Through her journey, she highlights themes of love, hardship, resilience, and the pursuit of a better future, conveying both a sense of hope and tragedy.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker introduces themselves and makes a correction to a previous statement, expressing gratitude and respect to the judges.
• 😀 The speaker shares their personal history, mentioning how they became a servant and the challenges they faced over many years.
• 😀 They mention a past where they had to suppress their speech to avoid consequences, emphasizing how difficult it was.
• 😀 The speaker refers to their experience in Karangsari, where they grew up, and a lesson from their madrasah teacher regarding a political group (PKI).
• 😀 The speaker recalls the teacher's explanation of the cruelty of the PKI group and its impact on their community.
• 😀 They stress that their family was not involved with the PKI, highlighting a distinction from the group's practices.
• 😀 The speaker shares a personal story of falling in love with a soldier, Mas Edi, who reciprocated their feelings but later distanced himself due to the speaker’s family background.
• 😀 The speaker mentions their attempts to improve their life by becoming a migrant worker, with hopes of financial and personal change.
• 😀 They express their disillusionment after realizing that working as a migrant worker led to suffering and no significant change, only hardship.
• 😀 The speaker reflects on the injustice of their situation, highlighting the fact that despite their efforts, they ended up with no real improvement in their life.

Q & A

Who is the speaker in the transcript?

The speaker introduces themselves as Sumarah, who describes their experiences and struggles.

What is Sumarah's background and upbringing?

Sumarah mentions that they were raised in Karangsari village, where they grew up in an environment that discouraged speaking out, especially against authority.

What significant life choice did Sumarah make, according to the script?

Sumarah chose to become a migrant worker (TKW), believing that it would improve their life, only to face abuse and exploitation.

What does Sumarah mention about their early education?

Sumarah refers to a religious teacher from a madrasah who taught them about the small group of people involved in the PKI (Indonesian Communist Party), whom the teacher described as 'barbaric' and in need of being eradicated.

What role does the PKI play in the context of the transcript?

The PKI is mentioned in relation to the speaker’s upbringing and the ideological climate of the time, with strong negative sentiments towards the group, as voiced by Sumarah's madrasah teacher.

What is the significance of the relationship with Mas Edi in the transcript?

Mas Edi, a soldier, is someone with whom Sumarah falls in love. However, due to the cultural and family background, their relationship does not progress, and Sumarah feels rejected.

What personal challenge does Sumarah mention regarding their family?

Sumarah's family background plays a crucial role in the rejection by Mas Edi, as their family history and situation made it difficult for them to pursue the relationship.

What role does the Indonesian Constitution play in Sumarah's life?

Sumarah memorizes the Indonesian Constitution, particularly the opening and articles, possibly as part of their preparation to become a migrant worker (TKW), symbolizing their desire to align with national ideals.

What expectations did Sumarah have regarding becoming a TKW?

Sumarah hoped that becoming a TKW would improve their life, but they discovered that it led to exploitation, with their wages being taken and little personal happiness.

How does Sumarah describe their work as a TKW?

Sumarah describes their experience as a migrant worker as one of hardship, where they were subjected to abuse, and their earnings were taken, leading to a sense of disillusionment and suffering.