The Role of Sexuality and Race in This Earth of Mankind
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3 word format
document in English
social sciences
term papers
published 03/05/2007
review : Completed
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Summary“In the end the issue is always the same: European against Native, against me. Remember this well: It is Europe that swallows up Natives while torturing us sadistically…Eu-r-ope…only their skin is white. Their hearts are full of nothing but hate.” (Toer, This Earth of Mankind, Pg.329) In her eloquent response to unjust and discriminatory treatment, Nyai Ontosoroh captures the theme of Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s This Earth of Mankind. In his novel, Toer explores the inhumane treatment of Nyais and the system that brought about their degradation. He unapologetically criticizes the Indonesian view of sexuality, women’s status in society, and race. Using Minke as an example, Toer illustrates Indonesia’s naive acceptance of Dutch culture and emphasizes that the West does not necessarily bring civilization: instead it can shake the foundations of an ancient culture and force the people to comply with laws decreed by a ruler only known through photos. Through his main characters, Minke, Nyai Ontosoroh, and Annelies, Toer delves into the demons of his nation’s past and offers a poignant critique of the racial tensions and the sexual stereotypes that plagued Indonesia around the turn of the twentieth century.
Table of Contents
- Throughout the entire novel, there are very clear racial tensions
- Minke's uncritical acceptance of the Dutch system
- Minke's final disillusionment
- Minke has spent much of his life in Dutch schools; he eventually graduates as an H.B.S. student,
- Throughout the entire novel, Minke's faith in the system dissipates
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