History 1123

Reading Questions: Max Havelaar, 223-280.

1. Why are people leaving Lebak (a.k.a. Bantam Kidul) and why are bodies appearing in the waterways of Lebak?
   
   
2. Describe how the relationships between the Regent, the Resident, the Assistant Resident and the common folk of the Residency of Lebak prevent abuses from coming to light.
   
   
3. Why did Max Havelaar hesitate in moving to punish the Regent of Lebak and how was his reluctance connected with what Multatuli terms "Governor-General-disease" ?
   
   
4. In which district of Lebak were the worst abuses of the inhabitants of Lebak practised and who was chief of that district?
   
   
5. How did Max Havelaar hope to overcome the problem of relatively powerless villagers having to testify against the Regent or the chiefs of their districts?
   
   
6. What was the nature of the crimes against the villagers of Lebak?
   
   
7. What does Multatuli/Max Havelaar say with regard to the ethnic composition of Java and more specifically of the Residency of Lebak?
   
   
8. Why is Multatuli/Max Havelaar so scornful of those who claim knowledge of the Dutch East Indies based solely on residence in one part of it?
   
   
9. In reading the passages at the end of page 245 and following onto the top portion of 246, what do you find Multatuli/Max Havelaar's attitude toward the issue of racial/ethnic difference to be?
   
   
10. Contrast the previous view of racial/ethnic difference and its role in matters in Indonesia with the views of Droogstoppel on pages 246 through 248.
    
    
11. Why does Droogstoppel mention his suburban retreat in Driebergen in his reaction to Max Havelaar's story?
    
    
12. Why does Droogstoppel praise parson Blatherer's business acumen on page 25l?
    
    
13. On page 255 do you find evidence that there was personal ownership of land in the Residency of Lebak?
    
    
14. Why does Multatuli/Max Havelaar tell the tale of Saijah rather than present us with documents that might be admissible in a court as evidence against the wrongs being done in Lebak?
    

Key vocabulary not defined:

Badur = the village of Saijah and one of the districts of the Residency of Lebak.

Bantam = the westernmost Residency of the island of Java with its capital in Serang.

Batavia = the capital of the Dutch East Indies, presently called Jakarta and the capital of Indonesia, it was/is located on the northwest coast of the island of Java.

Buitenzorg = seat of the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies and of many other administrative and executive offices involved in the Dutch governance of what is now Indonesia. Buitenzorg was located just south of Batavia.

Tangerang = a place located in the Residency of Batavia, the capital of which was Batavia.

Key vocabulary defined: sawah, galangan, kris, user-useran, ontong, pusaka, sarong, batik and kapala.