Child of All Nations
Book cover
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| Author | Pramoedya Ananta Toer |
|---|---|
| Original title | Anak Semua Bangsa |
| Translator | Maxwell Lane (English) |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Language | Indonesian trans. to English |
| Series | Buru Quartet |
| Genre | Historical novel |
| Publisher | Penguin |
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Publication date
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1980 |
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Published in English
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1991 |
| Pages | 352 |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 35667972 |
| Preceded by | This Earth of Mankind |
| Followed by | Footsteps |
Child of All Nations is the second book in Pramoedya Ananta Toer's epic quartet called Buru Quartet, first published by Hasta Mitra in 1980.Child of All Nations continues the story of the lives of the main character, Minke, and his mother in law, Nyai Ontosoroh. By describing the lives of these two people who live in the Dutch controlled islands of Java, Pramoedya is able to discuss many aspects of life in a colonized nation. Child of All Nations explores the social hierarchy in a colonized nation by giving glimpses of how the oppressed colonized peoples, such as the Javanese farmers, are required to be submissive to their occupiers, the Dutch. That wealthy, educated Javanese like Minke and Nyai were still considered inferior to the Dutch due to their Native birth status and frequently simply the color of their skin. The main theme of the novel is, as the title suggests, that the world is becoming more integrated as revealed in the life of the main character Minke, the self-proclaimed “child of all nations” 1. Minke speaks French, Dutch, Malay, and both high and low Javanese. He writes for a newspaper published in Dutch and has to come to terms with being a 'native' in a European controlled world. His worldview is jaded by the fact that he is wealthy and educated, and therefore closer to the Dutch than other Javanese; however, Minke comes to realize the ethical implications of the injustices being done to his people. His life is caught between two worlds, which the novel follows as he tries to understand who he really is, his role in the Dutch-occupied society, and his duty to his people.
European Imperialism is one of the topics addressed in this novel. The Portuguese were the first to colonize part of what is now Indonesia by starting the spice trade in 1511. Spices like cloves, nutmeg and mace were discovered and thought to cure many diseases. The Dutch eventually gained control of a large portion of the spice trade by the 18th century. In the 19th century the Dutch began to cultivate sugar and coffee on the island of Java. Soon the island was producing three-fourths of the world’s coffee. In Child of All Nations the power of the Sugar cane industry is evident through how it affects most of the main events in the story. Soon after the story in Child of All Nations took place at the beginning of the twentieth century nationalist sentiments became prevalent across the archipelago. After three centuries of imperialistic rule and a brief interlude of Japanese control in World War II the Dutch Indies began to slip out of Dutch control. After four years of guerrilla warfare and diplomatic stalemates, Indonesia finally gained recognition of its independence in December, 1949. After WWII, Indonesians would aggressively seek their own independence. It would take the next five years in order to achieve this goal, and would cost the lives of many thousands of people. Surabaya played an important role in Indonesia’s pursuit of independence. The Battle of Surabaya, which took place during the fall of 1945, involved the Japanese, the Dutch, the British, and the Indonesians. The British initially underestimated the numbers and strength of the Indonesian people who banned together for their cause, but would leave the battle with fewer casualties. While ultimately the British would overcome the Indonesian’s resistance, it marked an important moral victory for their people. It was encouraging in the future, and represented the end of the Dutch colonial power there after.(http://www.nusantara.com/heritage/surabaya.html)
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