Love and lust in the Indies : an analysis of the representation of njais in a selection of pre-World War II Malay language literature
Abstract
The dissertation explores how the njai was represented in Malay
language literature of the Indies up to the outbreak of World War
II. Njais were the native mistresses of foreigners, usually
Europeans. They could be required to fulfil many duties: that of
housekeepers, cooks, laundry maids, language teachers, financial
consultants and mothers, but it is in the role of sexual partners or
mistresses that njais are best known. There are many other
facets to the meaning of njai that I shall explore more thoroughly
later in this chapter.