Belenggoe (Perfected Spelling: Belenggu; translated to English as Shackles) is a novel by Indonesian author Armijn Pane.

[1] Belenggu was based on themes present in two of Pane's early short stories: "Barang Tiada Berharga" ("Worthless Thing"; 1935) and "Lupa" ("Forget"; 1936).

Unlike said works, which kept to traditional themes such as good versus evil, Belenggu mainly focused on its characters' psychological conflict.

After completion, Belenggu was offered to the Dutch colonial government's state publisher, Balai Pustaka, in 1938, but rejected as "immoral".

Proponents argued that it served as an honest representation of the internal conflicts faced by Indonesian intellectuals, while opponents dismissed the novel as "pornographic" because of its inclusion of prostitution and adultery as normal facets of life.

Later reviews have been more positive: in 1976, the writer Muhammad Balfas called Belenggu "in every respect the best novel of pre-war Indonesian literature".

While others, such as his elder brother Sanusi, stressed the need for "Asian" values, the younger Pane disregarded conventional Indonesian morality.

[6] The novel begins as Sukartono (Tono), a Dutch-trained doctor, and his wife Sumartini (Tini), residents of Batavia (modern day Jakarta), are suffering a marital breakdown.

In response, Tini has become active in numerous social organisations and women's groups, leaving her little time to deal with household work.

[23] The novel was written in the middle of the writer's career, and two of Pane's earlier short stories, "Barang Tiada Berharga" ("Worthless Thing"; 1935) and "Lupa" ("Forget"; 1936), contained plot points used in Belenggu.

[26] Unlike works published by Balai Pustaka, Belenggu does not provide full exposition; instead, it only explicitly states key points and leaves the rest for the reader to interpret, thus inviting more active participation.

Instead, in Belenggu Pane relies on the Indonesianised loanwords, with a glossary of difficult or uncommon words provided with early editions of the novel.

[31] Teeuw notes that, unlike most Indonesian novels at the time, Belenggu did not feature a good and pure protagonist in a struggle against an evil antagonist, or present conflict and differences between generations.

Teeuw writes that the novel portrayed the interior struggle of a "new kind of human",[b] one who is the result of a mixture of Eastern and Western cultures.

[32] According to Christie, earlier themes in Indonesian literature such as feudalism and forced marriage are not intrinsically significant to the character's lives in Belenggu.

[35] Balfas notes that a factor driving Tono from Tini is the latter's former relationship with Hartono; due to her guilt over the affair, she is unable to express her love for the doctor.

[25] Aveling agrees, writing that the conflict arises over Tini's refusal to "mother" her husband as expected from a traditional wife.

He writes that the characters seem to be part of a "society suspended in a vacuum",[17] without an explicit connection to colonialism but also unable to come to terms with traditional mores.

Christie describes Sukartono's relationship with Rohayah as symbolic of attempts by intellectuals to engage with the masses through a shared popular culture, but ultimately failing;[17] Taum notes such a thing occurring in a scene where Tini plays a sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven on her violin in front of a group of regular citizens who prefer local music.

[32] Tham sees the underlying message of Yah's refusal to marry Tono as that "morals and ethical standards are frequently beyond the ken of intellect, reason, or rationality", indicating that intellectuals may not be able to collaborate effectively with the masses.

[1] In 1969, Belenggu received the first annual Literary Prize from the government of Indonesia, along with Marah Rusli's Sitti Nurbaya (1922), Salah Asuhan, and Achdiat Karta Mihardja's Atheis (Atheist; 1949).

[39] Belenggu has been translated into multiple languages: in 1962, Mandarin as 桎梏 (Zhìgù); in 1964, Russian as Okovy; in 1965, Malay under the original title; in 1989, English as Shackles; and in 1993, German as In Fesseln.

[43] For example, journalist S. K. Trimurti wrote that the novel clearly reflected issues faced by highly educated Indonesians in dealing with traditional culture.

[45] Alisjahbana wrote that the novel was fatalistic and defeatist, as he felt it did not portray the freedom of spirit necessary for people to choose their own destiny;[46] he decried the plot as lacking causality.

[45] According to Teeuw, the initial mixed reception was due in part to Indonesian readers – accustomed to idealised literature – being shocked by the realistic portrayals in Belenggu.

In 1955 Johns wrote that Belenggu was a "great advance on any previous work", with which the Indonesian novel came to maturity;[47] he praises the structure, plot, and presentation.

[22] Jassin wrote in 1967 that, although he found the characters still came across as caricatures, the novel was capable of making readers stop and think about modern conditions.

[48] In 1969, Indonesian writer and literary critic Ajip Rosidi wrote that the novel was more interesting than earlier works because of its multi-interpretable ending.