"Bumi Manusia" (The Earth of Mankind)

Buru tetralogy, written by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, consists of four books that tell the life of a character named Minke. Many reader believe that Minke is the name that Pramoedya Ananta Toer created to replace the name of Raden Mas Adhi Tirto Soerjo, a figur that served for the Indonesian national resurgence, but not recorded in history.

The first book of the Buru tetralogy is "Bumi Manusia" (The Earth of Mankind). In "Bumi Manusia" (The Earth of Mankind), Pramoedya Ananta Toer told about a teenager named Minke who was studying in Surabaya HBS. Viewed from this fact, then Minke actually are natives of the lucky ones, cause not anyone can just attend HBS. HBS average student is the son of Dutch officials or Peranakan (Indo). But because her father had a position in colonial goverment, Minke can HBS school.


Minke falls in love with a girl named Annelis, a dutch descent, beautiful like an angel. Their romance began to cause problems for the life of Minke. Annelis who are descendants of Nyai Ontosoroh and a dutch husband named Robert Mellema. But eventually Minke and Annelis could marry a Muslim. This marriage is not recognized by Government of the Netherlands. And since the struggle of Nyai with the legacy son of Robert Mellema, Annelis forced to part with Minke to be brought to the Netherlands.

Nyai Ontosoroh, Annelis mother, described by Pramoedya Ananta Toer as an indigenous and smart women. Being a mistress of Robert Mellema, she can learn and read books of her husband. Thus, Nyai Ontosoroh become modern-minded and independent women. Minke know Nyai Ontosoroh, through Annelis. Know the Nyai affect the lives and the way of thinking of Minke further. Minke grown as a man with much personally-minded and forward.

Thus a glimpse of the "Bumi Manusia" (The Earth of Mankind), the first book of the Buru tetralogy, works of Pramoedya Ananta Toer. Through a compelling language, Pramoedya describes the atmosphere of Indonesia in the early of 19th century, when this nation (Indonesia) began to recognize themselves, and build awareness about the equal rights of all humans.

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