Fate, Desire, and Shame: Janda in Indonesian Pop Culture

Abstract

AbstractResearch on images of femininityin Indonesia has largely focused on either the image of femininity produced by the state or, relatively, high-brow cultural forms of femininity. However, popular culture produces images of females that often stand in contrast to such symbolism. This article contends that thejanda, the divorcee or widow, one of the foremost images of femininity in popular music, drama, and literature, has been, for the most part, overlooked. Seen as sexually available and lascivious, thejandarepresents the “fallen woman”; an object of both fascination and pity. This article analyses thejandaimage as one of the foremost symbols in Indonesian popular culture. It is argued..