i
POST-COLONIAL STUDY OF PRAMOEDYA ANANTA TOER’S
THIS EARTH OF MANKIND: OPPRESSED THOUGHT AND
SUPPRESED VOICE OF A WRITER
A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN FINAL PAPER
Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirementsto Obtain Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education
By
Leonardus Indramarwan Student Number: 111214145
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION
FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
ASarjana Pendidikan Final Paper on
POST-COLONIAL STUDY OF PRAMOEDYA ANANTA TOER'S
THIS EARTH OF MANKIND:
OPPRESSED THOUGHT AND
SUPPRESED VOICE OF A WRITER
By Leonarduslndramarwan Student Number: 111214145 Approved by Advisor
-~.
Carla Sih Prabandari, M.Hum.
ii
ASarjana Pendidikan Final Paper on
POST-COLONIAL STUDY OF PRAMOEDYA ANANTA TOER'S
THIS EARTH OF MANKIND: OPPRESSED THOUGHT AND
SUPPRESED VOICE OF A WRITER
By
Leonardus Indramarwan Student Number: 111214145
Defended before the Board of Examiners on April 9, 2018
and Declared Acceptable
Board of Examiners Chairperson : Yohana Veniranda, MHum., PhD.
Secretary : Christina Lhaksmita Anandari, S.Pd., Ed.M Member : Carla Sih Prabandari, M.Hum.
Member : Drs. Pius Nurwidasa Prihatin, M Ed., Ed. D. Member : Drs. Concilianus Laos Mbato, M.A., Ed. D.
Yogyakarta, April 9, 2018
Faculty of Teachers Training and Education
STATEMENT OF WORK'S ORIGINALITY
[ honestly declare this final paper, which 1 have written, does not contain the work or parts of the work of other people, except those cited in the quotations and the references, as a scientific paper should.
Yogyakarta, March 2, 2018
The Writer
Leonardus Indramarwan 111214145
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma:
Nama : Leonardus Indramarwan
NomorMahasiswa : 111214145
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang beljudul:
POST-COLONIAL STUDY OF PRAMOEDYA ANANTA TOER'S THIS
EARTH OF MANKIND: OPPRESSED THOUGHT AND SUPPRESED VOICE OF A WRITER
Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan. Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikannya di Internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta, Pada tanggal: 9 Maret 2018 Yang menyatakan,
Leonardus Indramarwan
vi ABSTRACT
Indramarwan, Leonardus. 2015. Post-Colonial Study of Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s This Earth of Mankind: Oppressed Thought and Suppressed Voice of a Writer. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.
This Earth of Mankind by Pramoedya Ananta Toer is one of the greatest novels of its time, and like other great novels such as Romeo and Juliet, it is controversial. Written in post-independence era and during Pramoedya’s exile in Buru Island, the novel has gained international attention, despite being blasted by the nation’s majority on its release.
This research answers one research problem which is how the existing external factors during the time Pramoedya wrote this novel affected the outcome. It was to verify a pre-conceived hypothesis that the novel is a reflection directed to the oppressing government at the time.
This research employed a biographical research as proposed by Rohrberger and Woods (1976), with a touch of post-colonialism. It also made reference to an interview between Penguin Publishing House and Pramoedya Ananta Toer as an insight to how Pramoedya considered his own novel.
Based on the result, the writer verified that This Earth of Mankind is indeed a reflection directed to the government at the time - a post-colonial administration that was still thick with colonial oppressing nature. This research also highlighted Pramoedya’s purpose of writing, in which he cited that he wrote for the greater good.
vii ABSTRAK
Indramarwan, Leonardus. 2015. Post-Colonial Study of Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s This Earth of Mankind: Oppressed Thought and Suppressed Voice of a Writer. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.
Bumi Manusia (This Earth of Mankind) oleh Pramoedya Ananta Toer adalah salah satu novel terbagus pada masanya, dan seperti novel bagus lain misalnya Romeo dan Juliet, novel ini menuai kontroversi. Ditulis di era pasca kemerdekaan dan dalam masa pengasingan Pramoedya di Pulau Buru, novel ini mendapat perhatian besar dari khalayak internasional, meski awalnya dikecam oleh mayoritas bangsa Indonesia.
Penelitian ini menjawab satu permasalahan yaitu bagaimana faktor eksternal yang ada pada saat Pramoedya menulis novel ini mempengaruhi hasil tulisannya. Penelitian ini dimaksudkan untuk mencari tahu hipotesis yang telah dikemukakan sebelumnya bahwa novel tersebut merupakan refleksi yang diarahkan kepada pemerintah yang bersifat menindas pada saat itu.
Penelitian ini menggunakan penelitian biografi seperti yang diusulkan oleh Rohrberger dan Woods (1976), dengan sentuhan post-colonialism. Penelitian ini juga mengacu pada sebuah wawancara antara Penguin Publishing House dan Pramoedya Ananta Toer mengenai pendapat Pramoedya tentang novel tulisannya sendiri.
Berdasarkan dari hasil tersebut, penulis mencari tahu bahwa Bumi Manusia ini memang merupakan refleksi yang ditujukan kepada pemerintah pada saat itu - sebuah pemerintahan paska penjajahan yang masih kental dengan nuansa penindasan. Penelitian ini juga menyoroti tujuan penulisan Pramoedya yang menurutnya adalah untuk kebaikan masyarakat banyak.
viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This final paper could not be completed without the continuous support from my advisor, family, and friends. I would like to present my deepest gratitude to my advisor, Carla Sih Prabandari, M.Hum., for her guidance and support to encourage me for finishing my final paper. My deepest gratitude also goes to Made Frida Yulia, M.Pd. and Yohana Veniranda, M.Hum., Ph.D. for their love and patience in guiding me.
My special gratitude for my beloved ones, my father Sutiyono, my mother Maryuliati, my litlle sister Angelina Andesta Cininta and my family for their love and support throughout the process of writing this final paper. My tears are shed for them while finishing this final paper.
My special thanks also go for Maria Vianney, Natalia Sulistya Aryani, Lusiana Rani Oktaviani, Adityo Prawinanto, Wilhelmina Kurnia Wandut, Anita Yusticia Sari and Septriyani Gloria for their helping in the last seconds of finishing this paper.
ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE PAGE ………... i
APPROVAL PAGES ………... ii
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ……… iv
PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ……… v
ABSTRACT ……….. vi ABSTRAK ………. vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS……….... viii TABLE OF CONTENTS ……….. ix LIST OF APPENDICES ……… x CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION 1 A. Background ………... 1
B. Approach of the Study …..………...…… 4
CHAPTER II. DISCUSSION ………. 6
A. Indonesia Post-Independence and the Socio-Political Tension 6 B. Theoretical Description …….……….. 8 1. Motivation ………. 8 2. Kinds of Motivation ……….. 8 2.1.Intrinsic Motivation ………. 8 2.2. External Motivation ……… 8
C. A Brief Look on This Earth of Mankind ………. 9
D. Oppressed Thoughts and Suppressed Voice ……….. 11
CHAPTER III. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 14
A. Conclusion ………. 14
B. Recommendations ……….. 15
REFERENCES ………. 16
x
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix A
Bumi Manusia, This Earth of Mankind, and Buru Quartet ………... 17
Appendix B
A Summary of This Earth of Mankind …..…..……….………. 18
Appendix C
1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
This study aims to analyze post-colonialism within Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s Bumi Manusia (herein referred to as This Earth of Mankind) and verify a hypothesis that the novel also serves as reflection towards post-independence Indonesia. It highlights Pram’s work in This Earth of Mankind, including the theme and storyline, and the socio-political tension during the time Pram wrote the story.
A. Background
This Earth of Mankind is an acclaimed Indonesian novel written by one of Indonesian literature legends, Pramoedya Ananta Toer. The novel depicts a story of a local man and his quests of social justice and true love during Dutch-occupied Indonesia. It offers a classic Shakespearean take on romance like the sad ending of Romeo and Juliet, and embeds a bunch of local culture and social values. The novel, which was initially banned in Indonesia, has received tons of positive review worldwide, with many citing that it is one of the greatest literary works of its time.
Pramoedya’s This Earth of Mankind tells a story of two characters, an aspiring student and a humble concubine in the East Indies, Dutch-ruled Indonesia, in the brink of 20th century. The two characters own different but related story arch, which is still within the scope of the lives of colonialized people during an oppressing colonial administration (Toer, 1996).
The first character of the story is Minke, a young enthusiastic man from the land of Java. Minke hails from a local aristocrat family, thus earning him a privilege to study in the colonial school. The young royal soon finds out that he is still an outcast among his school friends, despite coming from a respected family.
The second character of the story is Nyai Ontosoroh1, a self-taught concubine who was sold by her own father for 25 Gulden to Herman Mellema, a Dutch man living in Indonesia. Nyai Ontosoroh’s storyline lingers on her struggle to cope with the social stigma, as being a concubine is considered dishonorable – despite the fact that she is made into one against her own will.
The two characters are intertwined for their love for Annelies Mellema, Nyai Ontosoroh’s daughter and Minke’s love interest. Annelies in the story serves as the catalyst, the ideal state for both Minke and Nyai Ontosoroh. Annelies is the kind of daughter Nyai Ontosoroh has been dreaming of, the kind of daughter that will make her proud as a mother for her love of the local culture and humility. Annelies is also the kind of woman Minke wants to marry and have kids with.
This Earth of Mankind, however, is a romance without a happy ending as the love at its premise is never redeemed in the end. It shows that in the end, all dreams are seemingly lost, leaving the two characters in desolation.
This sad closure of the novel was the key driver for the writer in analyzing the external factors. The writer believed that Pram was heavily influenced by the injustice he saw during Dutch and Japanese colonization, as well as the
1Nyai is a local designation for an adult woman, yet it was used to refer to a concubine during the Dutch colonization (Gordon, 2007).
different kind of injustice that the new government of Indonesia during the few years after independence.
The writer expected a conclusion that This Earth of Mankind is actually a comparative reflection of the old time (colonization) and the new time (post-colonization) – a criticism towards the status quo at that time. The writer believes that through This Earth of Mankind, Pramoedya was trying to break down the social injustice that was present in the likes of the ruling post-colonial government, such injustice got him exiled in Buru and other facilities. By verifying the hypothesis that the life situation stated above had influenced the outcome of the novel, this study would be useful for future studies as it will show the driving force behind a novel and how critics can be masked in literary works.
This study aims to analyze This Earth of Mankind from post-colonial angle, focusing more on the time following Indonesian Independence in 1945 and putting the writer, Pramoedya, as the focal point of this study. In short, it will analyze Pramoedya’s writing from external perspectives (i.e. socio-political tension) and learn how those factors motivate him and/or influence the outcome – the novel This Earth of Mankind.
B. Approach of the Study
This study employs biographical approach, in which the writer looks for information from available resources in library, online sources, or other media. Rohrberger and Woods (1976) state that biographical approach refers to the necessity for an appreciation of the ideas and personality of the author to an understanding of the literary object. The basis of biographical approach is fact that
that a work of art is a reflection of a personality. Therefore it takes the reader to experience the author’s consciousness and personality. The writer aims to find the external factors behind the creation of This Earth of Mankind and how those external factors influenced Pramoedya during the creation of the novel.
The first step to conduct this study is to read the novel This Earth of Mankind by Pramoedya Ananta Toer. Originally titled Bumi Manusia, the book was translated by Max Lane from the Australian Embassy into English. The original book was published in 1980, but the Indonesian government later banned its publication, citing that the book contains forbidden content of Marxism and Leninism. Despite the seemingly difficult start, the book managed to gain international fame, being translated into 33 languages and giving Pramoedya a string of international awards on literature.
The second step is to list down some facts about the book author, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, and some additional information that support the creation of this book. The author’s biography plays an important part in this study, as it helps the writer to learn about the author’s background, particularly his life during the 14-year exile in Indonesia. The writer will also expose related literature on the situation in Indonesia post independence, and the socio-political atmosphere when Pramoedya was detained and during the time he was exiled.
The third step is to find the any theories and approaches that can help the writer to relate to the study. The theory employed in this paper is the theory of motivation, the kinds of motivation, and the theory of human motivation.
Biographical approach is being used in this paper in order to help find the external motivations that drove Pramoedya to write this book.
6 CHAPTER II DISCUSSION
The content of this chapter is about the discussion of the problem formulation that has been written in chapter 1. This chapter contains post-colonialism in Indonesia, the summary of the book This Earth of Mankind, and the motivation he came up with of writing the book. The theories of motivation, human motivation, and kinds of motivation will be added as additional theory to support the study.
A. Indonesia post-independence and the socio-political tension
Independence was a growing theme in the years following 1945 in Indonesia, as the country had just been liberated from the clutch of colonials. Changes were inevitable in newly emerged countries post the World War II, in all sectors and to all layers of society, as Herbert Irving Schiller, in his book of entitled Communication and Cultural Domination, reiterated (Schiller, 1976:39).
In the case of Indonesia, changes were not always positive. Similar to what Brewster wrote in Literary formation: Post-colonialism, Nationalism, Globalism, the voice of the marginal group of society was often silenced in post-colonial culture (Brewster, 1995). The reasons might vary from the fact that Indonesia is a continental country and that the marginal community was far from reach, to the fact that the ruling government was under the impression that they needed to sustain power with “do whatever it takes” attitude.
As a result, some groups of people often felt oppressed by the new government, with many minorities, according to A History of Modern Southeast Asia: Colonialism, nationalism, and decolonization, have become either passive onlookers or helpless pawn in the “nation building” of political leaders (Bastin, J. & Benda, H. J., 1968).
This inequity of aspiration was a subject of critics from many vocal individuals, including once a budding journalist, Pramoedya Ananta Toer. His critics and attitude towards the ruling government at that time handed him a time behind bars, serving as a political prisoner2. It was during his time on 14-year exile as political prisoner that he came out with the idea to write This Earth of Mankind, which was subsequently released and translated into various languages.
It was said on his memoir that during his time of exile, Pramoedya received immense pressure and brutal treatment from the authorities, especially given the accusation that he was involved in pro-Chinese movement (Toer, 1999). There was also an ongoing concern of the growing influence of communism which culminated in the nation-wide attempt of rebellion known as G30SPKI, two weeks prior to Pramoedya’s arrest and exile in October 13, 1965.
Pramoedya earned a stigma that he was detained and exiled as a part of a national purge of the communists. Although the accusation was lifted and he was pardoned in the end, his works were not publicly accepted by the ruling government under the new regime era. It was only after the fall of new regime, he began to earn utmost and open respect from the Indonesian public.
2 Political prisoner is locally referred to as Tapol (Tahanan Politik). Tapol was often associated with people who might have plotted for an insurgence or other radical movements.
B. Theoritical Description 1. Motivation
Motivation is internal drive that pushes an individual to do and act in order to achieve something (Harmer, 2001). McClellan (1985) also stated that human habits increase one’s motivation, as do expectations and motives or drives. McClellan stated three major factors of motivation can arise namely habit, expectation, and hunger. Habits are usual activities that can happen every day in repetition. Expectation means something that we hope to happen. Hunger is the important reason why one’s motivation exists. A simple analogy is; people are hungry so that people must eat to satisfy the hunger. Hence the need that pushes people to eat is what we call as motivation.
2. Kinds of Motivation
As Schunk, et al (2002) stated, there are two kinds of motivations; those motivations are intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation.
2.1.Intrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation refers to motivational engagement in an activity for its own sake (Schunk et al, 2002). An example in education is on students who are intrinsically motivated to do some exercises would find them enjoyable. The enjoyment of completing the exercises itself is the reward. The intrinsic motivation does not depend on another satisfaction or other external constrains.
2.2.External Motivation
Extrinsic motivation is a negative motivation to have an engagement in an activity as a means to end (Schunk et al, 2002). Individuals who are motivated
extrinsically will do something because they believe in their action will have result in desirable outcomes such as reward, praise, or avoidance of punishment. One example is when one individual works just for praise/acceptance. An individual will do his/her job as best as possible, for later to be praised by his/her colleagues and boss. By that example, we could see the satisfaction itself came from external motivation; praise.
C. A Brief Look on This Earth of Mankind
The novel This Earth of Mankind shows a story of a protagonist in a Dutch-colony of Java named Minke. A man of privilege, having born with the royal blood, he saw injustice in social life as a citizen of a colony. The story of Minke intertwines with the story of Nyai Ontosoroh and her daughter, Annelies Mellema.
Pramoedya in this novel attempts to depict the situation that happened during Dutch colonization of Indonesia. He also emulates the classic recipe of a best-selling romance novel by creating a bitter-sweet ending.3
In This Earth of Mankind, Minke introduces himself and then launches into his story. His story is essentially a love story. He sets the backdrop of his class and education, and then moves into the first meeting of the Mellema family.
3 The following summary of This Earth of Mankind is as retrieved from
http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-this-earth-of-
mankind/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAzrTUBRCnARIsAL0mqczGd4E-dDol1TEom4jR2OfvSCKjPkSn8GA_623kJkoP1KTZdx8405QaAj8OEALw_wcB#gsc.tab=0 on February 21, 2018
The Mellema family consists of daughter Annelies, son Robert, Mistress Nyai Ontosoroh, and Mr. Mellema. Minke is awestruck by the beauty of Annelies at his first meeting. He gets to meet her because a classmate, Robert Suurhof, invites him to come along. Suurhof's goal is actually to humiliate Minke, but to Suurhof's surprise, Robert Mellema grudgingly invites Minke into his home, and to his greater surprise, Annelies becomes smitten with Minke and her mother also approves.
Thus, Minke is brought into the Mellema family's life, although he has doubts about them. He consults with his friend and business partner, a French artist named Jean Marais, who advises him not to judge the family based on pre-conceived notions, but rather to spend time getting to know the family and then make a judgment call. Minke does this, and discovers that Nyai is self-educated, follows many European customs, and runs the successful family business. He moves into the family home at her invitation, and develops a deep bond with Annelies, while Robert Mellema becomes increasingly jealous of him. Minke continues his studies at school while living with the Mellema's, but one day gets taken away by the police, without warning. The police take him to his father, who has arranged for the police to bring him.
Upon his return to Surabaya, Minke thinks he is being followed by a Chinese man. His suspicions are confirmed when the Mellema family guard, Darsam, tells him that Robert has ordered Darsam to kill Minke. Darsam is loyal only to Nyai, however, and as Nyai treats Minke like a son, Darsam has sworn to
protect him. Nonetheless, Minke decides he should live at his boardinghouse for the time being. He returns to school and tries to concentrate on his studies.
Minke receives letters from Nyai imploring him to return to her home because of Annelies' declining health. Eventually, Minke can no longer stay away and visits her. He is charged by the family doctor with the task of nursing her back to health, for it seems that only his love will cure Annelies. Thus he begins living with the Mellema's again. He eventually marries Annelies, and shares much happiness with her for a few months.
However, the happiness is short-lived when Herman Mellema is discovered dead and shortly after, his son Maurits takes the family to court to get the family business and have control of Annelies' future. Minke, Nyai and their friends fight the courts, but are powerless to change the decision. Annelies will be shipped to the Netherlands, and her marriage with Minke is ruled invalid since she is not legitimate and it was not a Christian marriage or sanctioned by the government. In the end, Nyai and Minke must watch her sail away, and thus the novel ends.
D. Oppressed thought and suppressed voice
Pramoedya worked on This Earth of Mankind when he was serving his time as a political prisoner. In a tell-tale interview with Penguin Publishing
House4, Pram revealed his insights on the book and his critics towards the ruling post-colonial government.
The writer believes that this piece of interview is pivotal in the study to learn about what truly drove Pramoedya to write the story. In the interview, Pramoedya said that all people in Indonesia should be reached out and he believed that writing was a means to do that.
“Yes, the power of the word. Even though no one admits it, writers are leaders in their communities. And Indonesia, especially, needs writers who can reach the people evenly, regardless of class or station.” (interview with Penguin Publishing).
From his line, we can infer that Pram had the utmost respect for a writer as a profession, believing that writing can change the course of a nation. Pram, having been often put inside an isolation cell5 during his time in prison, had no other choice but to write his aspiration, even though he was not equipped with stationery. The story, This Earth of Mankind, was first orally introduced to his prison buddies, which in turn spread the words.
Only the general outlines were orally transmitted. The details had to be written down later, when paper was available. (interview with Penguin Publishing).
This shows the struggle that Pramoedya experienced in order to voice his critics. He was detained and accused of doing things he didn’t do for 14 years. Even when he was later acquitted of his charges and released from prison, he didn’t look for fame. He didn’t follow the trend to meddle with the government and help shape the nation. Pramoedya decided to stick with his choice as a writer.
4 See Appendix B
5 By definition, an isolation cell, or a solitary confinement, is a holding cell specialized for a single prisoner with less than minimum facility and a degrading atmosphere. It is often meant to break down one’s mental state and force compliance. (Davis, 2011)
I feel I am in the place that I have chosen for myself my whole life. I feel it’s more appropriate for me to be where I am today than to be a member of parliament or a minister or president. (interview with Penguin Publishing).
It shows his stance in the political world of Indonesia. He wanted to be a constant reminder, a critic, to the government. It shows his true motivation, as also depicted in This Earth of Mankind, that he wrote to serve social justice – not administrative justice.
Furthermore, he was recorded saying this:
Every award for me is important because it means a slap against militarism and fascism in Indonesia. (interview with Penguin Publishing).
Pramoedya, being one of the greatest Indonesian novelists of all time, is a beacon of literature for next generation’s novelists. It is important to note that This Earth of Mankind has received international attention. His statement above also shows that This Earth of Mankind is meant to serve as a reflection towards the government at his time, a post colonial government with the same oppressing touch.
At last, Pramoedya’s choice for ending is a significant call-out that he didn’t write to satisfy people. He wrote to inspire; although back then, his voice and thoughts were inaudible.
I don’t write to give joy to readers but to give them a conscience. (interview with Penguin Publishing).
14 CHAPTER III
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter will present the writer’s conclusion on the study of Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s novel of This Earth of Mankind and recommendations for fellow students and researchers.
A. Conclusion
This Earth of Mankind is no doubt one of the greatest, if not the most controversial, novels of its time. Pramoedya has undergone a lot of obstacles upon writing and publishing his book, from the stigma he endured and the imprisonment he was in.
Before committing his time and resources, the writer set up a hypothesis that this novel is a reflection of the post-colonial era, during which Pramoedya wrote this novel. It was later verified from an interview with the publishing house that Pramoedya wrote this novel to serve social justice and to address the oppressing government.
This Earth of Mankind is one of a kind. It is a writing that is honest, a writing that serves the greater purpose than that of commerce and politics. Quoting Pramoedya at the last line of his interview, a line that becomes his concluding remarks of what he thinks of his book, “(Pramoedya) write to give conscience.”
B. Recommendations
The writer, after concluding that this novel is indeed more than just a simple work of literature, came up with a set of recommendations for fellow student and honorable lecturers of English Language Education Study Program, as well as to future research writers. The writer recommends that students should look up to Pramoedya and to not be afraid to voice their thoughts whenever necessary. As for the lecturers, the writer recommends that this paper should give a clear outline on how Pramoedya’s work can be explored in so many different ways, i.e. by employing post-colonial approach. The writer also hopes that this study can inspire future writers to consider using Indonesian literature as the source of their study as it has the same, if not greater, sense of literature compared to that of foreign origin.
REFERENCES
A conversation with Pramoedya Ananta Toer, reprinted courtesy of the progressive. Retrieved from
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/328806/this-earth-of-mankind-by-pramoedya-ananta-toer/9780140256352/readers-guide/ on
February 14, 2018
Bastin, J. & Benda, H. J. (1968). A history of modern Southeast Asia: Colonialism, nationalism, and decolonization. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Brewster, A. (1995). Literary formations: Post-colonialism, nationalism, globalism. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.
Davis, A. Y. (2011). Are Prison Obsolete? New York: Seven Stories Press. Gordon, R. (2007). Existential Thinking. Munchen:Waxman Verlag GmbH. Harmer, J. (2001) The practice of English language teaching. London: Longman. McClelland, D. C. (1985). Human motivation. London: Scott, Foresman and
Company.
Review Bumi Manusia. Retrieved from
http://rumaharman.blogspot.co.id/2017/06/review-bumi-manusia.html on
February 24, 2018.
Rohrberger, M. & Woods, S. H. (1976). Reading and writing about literature. New York: Random House, Inc.
Schiller, H. I. (1976). Communication and cultural domination. White plains, New York: International Arts and Science Press.
Schunk, D. H. et al. (2002). Motivation in education theory, research, and applications. Columbus: Pearson Education, Inc.
Summary on This Earth of Mankind. Retrieved from
http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-this-earth-of-
mankind/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAzrTUBRCnARIsAL0mqczGd4E-dDol1TEom4jR2OfvSCKjPkSn8GA_623kJkoP1KTZdx8405QaAj8OEAL
w_wcB#gsc.tab=0 on February 21, 2018
Tetralogi Pulau Buru (The Buru Quartet). Retrieved from
https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-must-read-Indonesian-books on
February 24, 2018.
This Earth of Mankind. Retrieved from
https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Earth-Mankind-Pramoedya-Ananta/dp/014006334X on February 24, 2018.
Toer, P. A. (1996). This earth of mankind. London: Penguin Books Ltd. Toer, P. A. (1999). The Mute’s Soliloquy. London: Penguin Books Ltd.
17
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A
Bumi Manusia, This Earth of Mankind, and Buru Quartet
Retrieved from https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Earth- Mankind-Pramoedya-Ananta/dp/014006334X on February 24, 2018 Retrieved from https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Earth- Mankind-Pramoedya-Ananta/dp/014006334X on February 24, 2018 Retrieved from http://rumaharman.blogspot.co.id/2017 /06/review-bumi-manusia.html on February 24, 2018. Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/What -are-some-must-read-Indonesian-books on February 24, 2018.
18 APPENDIX B
A SUMMARY OF THIS EARTH OF MANKIND
In Pramoedya Ananta Toer's, This Earth of Mankind, the protagonist comes of age against the backdrop of a colonial Java being ruled by the Dutch. Minke introduces himself and then launches into his story. His story is essentially a love story. He sets the backdrop of his class and education, and then moves into the first meeting of the Mellema family.
The Mellema family consists of daughter Annelies, son Robert, Mistress Nyai Ontosoroh, and Mr. Mellema. Minke is awestruck by the beauty of Annelies at his first meeting. He gets to meet her because a classmate, Robert Suurhof, invites him to come along. Suurhof's goal is actually to humiliate Minke, but to Suurhof's surprise, Robert Mellema grudgingly invites Minke into his home, and to his greater surprise, Annelies becomes smitten with Minke and her mother also approves.
Thus, Minke is brought into the Mellema family's life, although he has doubts about them. He consults with his friend and business partner, a French artist named Jean Marais, who advises him not to judge the family based on pre-conceived notions, but rather to spend time getting to know the family and then make a judgment call. Minke does this, and discovers that Nyai is self-educated, follows many European customs, and runs the successful family business. He moves into the family home at her invitation, and develops a deep bond with Annelies, while Robert Mellema becomes increasingly jealous of him. Minke continues his studies at school while living with the Mellema's, but one day gets taken away by the police, without warning. The police take him to his father, who has arranged for the police to bring him. His father has been promoted, and wants Minke to be the translator at his ceremony. While staying with his family, Minke makes new friends of a governing official's Dutch daughters.
Upon his return to Surabaya, Minke thinks he is being followed by a Chinese man. His suspicions are confirmed when the Mellema family guard, Darsam, tells him that Robert has ordered Darsam to kill Minke. Darsam is loyal only to Nyai, however, and as Nyai treats Minke like a son, Darsam has sworn to protect him. Nonetheless, Minke decides he should live at his boardinghouse for the time being. He returns to school and tries to concentrate on his studies.
Minke receives letters from Nyai imploring him to return to her home because of Annelies' declining health. Eventually, Minke can no longer stay away and visits her. He is charged by the family doctor with the task of nursing her back to health, for it seems that only his love will cure Annelies. Thus he begins living with the Mellema's again. He eventually marries Annelies, and shares much happiness with her for a few months.
However, the happiness is short-lived when Herman Mellema is discovered dead and shortly after, his son Maurits takes the family to court to get the family business and have control of Annelies' future. Minke, Nyai and their friends fight
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the courts, but are powerless to change the decision. Annelies will be shipped to the Netherlands, and her marriage with Minke is ruled invalid since she is not legitimate and it was not a Christian marriage or sanctioned by the government. In the end, Nyai and Minke must watch her sail away, and thus the novel ends.
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20 APPENDIX C
A CONVERSATION WITH PRAMOEDYA ANANTA TOER
A CONVERSATION WITH PRAMOEDYA ANANTA TOER, REPRINTED COURTESY OF THE PROGRESSIVE
In This Earth of Mankind, one of your characters says, “Without a love of literature, you’ll remain just a lot of clever animals.” Where did your love of literature come from?
I couldn’t do anything else, apart from writing.
Ever since you were a boy?
At first I had no inclination to write. But I failed in trying to do other jobs, so I decided to become a writer.
How did you manage to write your quartet while in prison?
Before I got permission, I had to do it behind their backs. For a long time, I was not permitted to write, so I had to do it orally. From 1971 until mid-1973, we were not allowed to socialize with the others. During mass executions of political prisoners, in the isolation cell I told the stories to my friends. During official ceremonies, my fellow isolated friends told the stories to other friends who were not being isolated, and that’s how they were spread.
How did you convey such a long and involved story orally?
Only the general outlines were orally transmitted. The details had to be written down later, when paper was available.
Minke, the hero of your quartet, is a journalist, and you, for a time, were a journalist, too. Did you become a journalist as a way to fight for Indonesian independence?
No, when I was a teenager, I had to find a job. And journalism was the one open to me.
But you soon began to realize the power of the word?
Yes, the power of the word. Even though no one admits it, writers are leaders in their communities. And Indonesia, especially, needs writers who can reach the people evenly, regardless of class or station.
But you have a character in your quartet warn Minke “to be a writer, and not a speechmaker.” Are you making the point that speechifying gets in the way of art?
I chose to write, and not to make speeches, though I did make some speeches before I was imprisoned. But writing is still writing. And it depends on the quality of the writing itself whether someone is creating art or not.
In Child of All Nations, Minke’s mentor also says, “A good author, Mr. Minke, should be able to provide his readers with some joy, not a false joy, but some faith that life is beautiful.” What did you mean by that?
I don’t know; I never reread my own writing.
Why is that?
If I reread it, I’ll keep rewriting it, and it’ll never be finished.
But were you advising yourself to provide joy in your own writing?
No, no. This is about Minke; it is different for myself.
But surely as a writer, you must think it’s important to provide some joy, some faith?
I’ve got to ask you the obvious question about your quartet: Why did you remove Minke as the narrator of your fourth installment, House of Glass, just as he enters confinement?
Because, practically, Minke’s life story has already finished. The fourth book is about how power defeats Minke–colonial power. His life doesn’t continue. If there is a continuation, then the continuation is with the history of independence. And that process of continuation is in the hands of others.
Near the end of House of Glass, Minke’s guard writes up a release form for him to sign, which says that Minke forswears future involvement in politics and organizing. Minke rejects the offer with an eloquent speech. Is this scene at all autobiographical?
With me, I did sign it. But in the letter of release it mentioned that it was not legally proven that I was involved in the Indonesian Communist Party.
Minke, in This Earth of Mankind, says, “Maybe one day I could become a great writer like Hugo.” Now you are like an Indonesian Hugo. Are you comfortable in that role?
I feel I am in the place that I have chosen for myself my whole life. I feel it’s more appropriate for me to be where I am today than to be a member of parliament or a minister or president.
You’re often mentioned as someone who is likely to win the Nobel Prize for literature. Is that important to you?
Every award for me is important because it means a slap against militarism and fascism in Indonesia.
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