"What's the point in studying European science and learning, mixing with Europeans, if in the end one has to cringe anyway, slide along like a snail, and worship some little king who is probably illiterate to boot. God. God!"(121).
In This Earth of Mankind, Toer creates the character of Minke. As a descendant of Javanese royalty, Minke has the "advantage" of being taught in a school by Europeans. As the novel continues, the reader starts to care for and get the feel for the main character and protagonist. Minke attends a Dutch colonial high school and there he is turned off by astrology in which one of his teachers, Magda Peters is highly interested. Although Minke has this advantage, he is not happy with his European Education and wants more.
The reader feels a sense of sympathy for Minke as we learn about his political views and about his passions. When Minke falls in love with and describes his love in this first person narrative, the reader thinks highly of her too. When Minke describes his right issues, sympathy is again transmitted for him. As Minke feels superior to his family with his European Education, he still feels inferior to the Europeans, so has identity conflicts.
In this novel, the reader learns with Minke very much about the struggles caused by Colonialism. Minke struggles for freedom, and while doing this learns about the harsh truths in life. A very dramatic scene that makes the reader feel extreme sympathy for Minke is when he is taken away by the police in chapter seven. Prior to this we know how strong Minke's infatuation for Annelies is and when she is grabbing his hand so tightly as he descriptivily informs, we feel that their love is being forced apart by the government. Being of high academic standing as an HBS student does not save him, nothing matters except his race. Minke is discriminated against, and it is heartbreaking to read about once knowing all of his personal attributes and how great of a person he really is.
The reader feels strongly for Minke as we view his increasing ambition, hunger to learn, motivation and intelligence. Minke is the minority who works harder than those with better rights and benefits as he. He brutally finds this out but keeps his strength and serves as a motivational role model to any person of any race in any country city or state trying acheive what others may be positive is the impossible.
No matter how intelligent Nyai is, she will never be on the social level of the Europeans and will always be looked down upon. Nyai does not let this stop her and believes that education will provide he with power.
Minke is willing to be one and understanding with all the Europeans, care about their culture and understand their differences, but why can't they understand his?
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