Race, Ethnicity and Nationality in the novel ‘Bumi Manusia’ (The Earth of Mankind) by Pramoedya Ananta Toer

CULTURAL STUDIES

By: Mustika Nur Amalia and Karnia Putri P.

   

Literary works is one of the cultural products. For the author who creates literary works such as novel, they will explore their knowledge and experience in their work. In this paper, we will focus on analyzing a novel entitled ‘The Earth of Mankind’ (Bumi Manusia) by Pramoedya Ananta Toer. We are interested in analyzing this novel since this novel represents how European treated Javanese race and how the differences in Race, Ethnicity and Nationality creates social gap between European as the colonizer and Javanese as the colonized side.

Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality are commonly attached to our identity as human beings. Based on dictionary of cultural studies, race is defined as a signifier indicating categories of people based on alleged biological characteristics, including skin pigmentation. Thus, the distinctiveness of the cultural studies approach to the topic lies in its treatment of race as a discursive-performative construction; that is, race is taken to be a form of identity (Barker, 2004:170). Next, ethnicity is defined as a term that suggests cultural boundary formation between groups of people who have been discursively constructed as sharing values, norms, practices, symbols and artifacts and are seen as such by themselves and others (Barker, 2004: 61). Last is about Nationality. National identity is a form of imaginative identification with the nation-state as expressed through symbols and discourses (Barker, 2004:131). In short, race is related to skin color, ethnicity is related to the value construction, and nationality is identification that represents of shared the same history and experiences through nationhood.

Based on the race, ethnicity, and nationality definition that we have been discussed in previous paragraph, we need to relate the concept of power between indigenous and Dutch. First, we are going to define what race, ethnicity, and nationality that Minke belong to as the main characters. Minke was described as indigenous in this novel who studied in H.B.S (schools for white people). Indigenous here is Javanese since the setting is in Surabaya, one of the cities in Java. This novel clearly stated that indigenous (Minke) has brown skin whereas European as white. As indigenous, his social rank reputed as lower than European. Indonesia did not exist yet when this novel was written, the name of Indonesia at that time was Hindia Belanda. The idea of race is basically the species divide, religious, and belief to determine social status. As we know that race does not have fixed the referent means that no matter how hard Minke tries to get higher education in order to make a change about stereotype that indigenous are usually uneducated, but European still assume him as indigenous whose social status is lower than them. We can see from this quote.

‘Kowe kira, kalo sudah pake pakaian Eropa, bersama orang eropa, bisa sedikit bahasa Belanda, lantas jadi Eropa? Tetap Monyet!’ (Toer: 2005:64).

This quote indicates that no matter how Minke as indigenous try to have higher education as Europe, speak Dutch language in order to be considered more intelligent, but still he is indigenous that will never be able to change his social rank and social status. ‘Monyet’ here symbolizes how low the position of Indigenous. Thus, based on race Minke belong to, he is classified as lower class. The social rank in the first place is Totok (pure european), second is Indo (half-blood), and last is Indigenous.

In the other side, Indigenous also never has a chance to take a part in the government. Even if they take a part in the government, they could only be a Bupati (local government) because European assumes that it is inappropriate to be led by someone who has lower status than them. In the end, colored government was defeated by white government. This quote clearly shows how European point of view about colored government.

“…Pada gilirannya Pemerintah coklat ini dikuasai Pemerintah putih (Toer, 2005: 326)….”

Hindia Belanda at the time was lead by Sultan, and King from different ‘kingdom’, however after Dutch came, the government was taken over by white people. In this case, European ethnicity places themselves in more superior level than indigenous. Even worse, the indigenous society admitted that European status is higher than their status. Look at the stereotype of European that mentioned at the novel by indigenous.

“….Oleh masyarakat terpelajar, Eropa dan Indo dianggap terbaik dan tertinggi nilainya di seluruh Hindia Belanda (Toer, 2005:11). …”

This quote shows how indigenous confirms that European has higher status. However, Minke does not keep the inferiority that is believed by the Javanese. “….Sahaya masih ingat, Bunda. Kitab-kitab Jawa masih saya bacai. Tapi itulah nyanyian keliru dari orang jawa yang keliru yang berani mengalah terinjak-injak Bunda.” (Toer, 2005:193) This quote shows that Minke does not want keep the value that Javanese has regarding to their inferiority syndrome. He tried to shout no matter he will be heard or not.

This citation shows how important the nationality in shaping social status in the society. Someone who is considered as Dutch, they will be have more power and more superior.  Here is the example.

….Waktu mamanya, seorang Indo juga, hendak melahirkan, ayahnya, ayahnya juga Indo, buru-buru membawanya ke Tanjung Perak, naik ke atas kapal Van Heemskerck yang sedang berlabuh, melahirkan di atas sana, dan ia bukan hanya kawula Belanda, ia mendapat kewarganegaraan Belanda. Begitulah sangkanya, tapi belakangan aku tahu lahir di atas kapal Belanda tidak punya hukum apa-apa (Toer, 2005:21). ……

The example above shows how being a Dutch could grant you with such exclusiveness. Being a Dutch could elevate your status as a human being in Hindia Belanda in that era. Being a Dutch is so important that the parents are obsessed to make sure that their baby could get the status as a Dutch. They even tried hard to deliver the birth for the baby in Dutch ship. Unfortunately, being born in a Dutch ship is not enough reason to grant the baby with the status as a Dutch.

In contrast to the concept of indigenous put as low class, the new generation of European has the idea of new hope that indigenous could be the leader, it delete the concept of European stereotype about indigenous that they do not have capability. This quote is taken from Meriam’s (European girl) letter.

…’Minke, kalau kau bersikap begitu terus, artinya mengambil sikap eropa, tidak kebudak-budakan seperti Jawa seumumnya, mungkin kelak kau bisa jadi pemuka….

Kata-kata menyakitkan. Ya setiap kali ujud Jawa disakiti orang luar, perasaanku ikut tersakiti. Aku merasa sepenuhnya Jawa. Pada waktu ketidaktahuan dan kebodohan jawa disinggung, aku merasa sebagai orang Eropa….(Toer, 2005:219-220).

From this quote we can see a new idea about indigenous from the perspective of a higher level society member. Minke as indigenous kept his identity as Javanese, but he could act as European even if Javanese reputed his choice as stupid. He wants to show to the European that not all Javanese as indigenous society are stupid. But still, the new idea that have mentioned by new European generation that Javanese could live hand in hand with the European in the government is only stop at the level of discourse, without any application in reality. That idea had not been accomplished.

The issues of Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality in Hindia Belanda at that time were represented by Minke characters was R.M Tirto Adhi Soerjo’s life, the first Journalism in Hindia Belanda who fought the colonial government (www.pelitaku.org). Triyana (2006) mentioned that he was an indigenous who fighting for indigenous rights and criticize the colonial government towards his writing. Pramodeya met R,M Tirto Adhi Soerjo in Buru Island when they were jailed by colonial. In 11 facts about Pramodeya article reveals that he was jailed three times, at the colonial era, Orde lama era, and Orde Baru era. At the first time the story about Tirto’s experienced was told by oral, then, in ten years later when Pramodeya become kwon as writer internationally, he got an inspiration in writing Tirto’s life journey as indigenous journalism who is bravely criticize and reveal the scandal of colonial government. The story of Bumi Manusia or The earth of Mankind cannot be separated about the issue of indigenous life about racist, unfairness, etc in the era of colonialism.

In conclusion, this novel tries to portray how caste in Hindia Belanda era was decided by the race, ethnicity, and nationality that a person has. A Javanese could try his/her best to duplicate all the lifestyle of a Dutch, yet that Javanese will never be considered equal with the Dutch. For example, a Javanese could taste the same education as the Dutch, yet in the reality that person still does not have power or chance to be a prominent leader in the society. That person could only be a local leader, at the most. However, the Javanese were still limited until the time Indonesia got their independence. This is different from the Dutch who have full access to all position in the society. Yet many Javanese try their best to imitate all the lifestyle that the Dutch have to show that they are the same as the Dutch.

References:

Barker, 2004. Dictionary Cultural Studies. London: SAGE publication Ltd.

Toer, P.A. 2005. Bumi Manusia. Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

http://pelitaku.sabda.org/11_fakta_mengenai_pramoedya_ananta_toer

http://bonnietriyana.wordpress.com/2006/11/10/tirto-adhi-soerjo/

http://tokohsejarah.blogspot.com/R.M TirtoAdhi Soerjo