(RE)-READING A KARTINI’S LETTER USING CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

Abstract

Discussing the ideas of Kartini through her collected letters has been done by many scholars. However, they usually come from non-linguistic domain. As a result, the power of language used by Kartini in expressing her ideas almost has not been analysed. This study aims to identify meanings produced in one of her letter. Using the critical discourse analysis approach, the analysis results that by means of her letter, Kartini criticised the custom of Bumiputera society, struggled againts the domination of the custom, and recieved ‘new’ ideology from Western society. The ways she represented the Bumiputera’s and Western’s custom result the way she constructed identities of herself and the others.