Hijo de todos los pueblos (Child of All Nations) Book

This is probably my favorite book of Pramoedya Ananta Toer's Buru Quartet. Last year, I re-read Bumi Manusia and knowing the outcome of the story, I wasn't as fascinated by it like I was when I read it for the first time. Fortunately, this wasn't the case with Anak Semua Bangsa. I actually enjoyed this book much more during this re-read, especially in Bahasa Indonesia.

Minke, the protagonist is actually a very complex character and this time I could clearly see that he was brainwashed with colonial mentality. Minke feels special for having received a Western education, which is understandable because he is a "pribumi" (native Indonesian), who were most often denied this privilege. But several of Minke's friends challenge him to break the mold and form his own identity. Jean Marais wants Minke to write in Malay so that his writing can reach a wider circle of local people. Instead of gracefully considering Jean Marais' suggestion, Minke gets offended! How dare a Frenchman who can't even speak Dutch, suggest that Minke should stop writing in Dutch. It didn't even occur in Minke's head to write for his own people. This is why Kommer (an Indo, which back then was a term to describe Eurasian) criticized Minke for not knowing/understanding his own people. Of course, Minke gets offended again but this time he actually takes into consideration what Kommer said, accepted his criticism and made an effort to get to know his own people - the Javanese (this leads to the story of Trunodongso).

Minke went on a vacation with Nyai to her village, where they stayed at the home of Nyai's brother Sastro Kassier. To the horror of Nyai and Minke, a similar fate like Nyai's has befallen to her brother's own daughter Surati. Nyai is furious at her brother for allowing history to repeat itself, especially when he knew how much it hurt her. In the flashback we come across a plague, which ironically I am reading about in this time of coronavirus.

"Dusun di sebelah sana, yang telah ditinggalkan oleh Surati, telah dibakar oleh Kompeni, tumpas bersama pepohonannya yang berpuluh tahun dipelihara oleh penduduknya selama ini. Tulangan sendiri tak pernah dibakar. Dokter didatangkan dari seluruh Jawa untuk menumpas. Pabrik gula besar tak boleh tumpas karena cacar. Modal harus tetap hidup dan berkembang. Orang boleh mati."

We see how Minke cannot imagine a country that isn't ruled by Europe. When he hears that Japanese people were offered equal rights like European citizens in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), because Japan has made technological progress and become a country to fear, Minke is absolutely amazed. But he is also surprised when he meets a liberal Dutchman, who informs him about what is happening right next door in the Philippines: the Filipino educated class wants independence. Minke is shocked. How can an Asian country that isn't Japan, ask for such a thing! Minke begins to realize that European civilization isn't as perfect as he was taught in school. Spain and USA strike a deal and betray the Philippines. The European law disregarded his Islamic marriage to Annelies and have taken her away in the cruelest manner. The law is designed to protect the interests of the European colonizers and their capital. The native people stood not a chance.

"Seribu advokat tak bisa kembalikan anakku padaku," sekarang bukan saja suaranya, juga bibirnya [Nyai] gemetar. "Tak ada satu advokat pun bersedia mengurus perkara Pribumi lawan Totok. Tak ada cara di sini."

When Minke wants to pursue more education, he is faced with the terrible truth that he will just be a screw in a huge machine to help the Dutch colonial government maintain control. Yet there's so much that he needs to learn and those things are not taught in school. Minke finds out that the majority of newspapers in the Indies are funded by the sugar companies, who will never report on the abuse suffered by Javanese sugar farmers. Minke also meets a young Chinese man Khouw Ah Soe who illegally entered the Indies to remind the Chinese people on the archipelago that China needs to catch up with the West in terms of technology and governance. The setting of the novel is around the turn of the 20th century. Pramoedya Ananta Toer really brought to life pre-colonial Indies and the diverse people that inhabited that space.

Anak Semua Bangsa literally continues right after Bumi Manusia. There's no pause. I was a bit confused when it came to the Robert Suurhof story since I had completely forgotten about him and that he was also in love with Annelies. Pramoedya Ananta Toer narrated this entire Buru Quartet orally to his prison mates when he was serving time on Buru Island. He only managed to put it in writing several years later. While I was reading this book, I couldn't help but feel that Pramoedya Ananta Toer would've been outraged by what is going on in the world today, and he would've definitely found the right words to describe what is happening now.

"Bangsa-bangsa yang menolak kekuasaan modal akan mati merana dan lumpuh tanpa daya. Masyarakat yang melarikan diri daripadanya akan menjadi masyarakat jaman batu. Semua harus menerimanya sebagai kenyataan, suka atau tidak."