The thing that needs to be noted, however, is that Annelies has got married with Minke months before. However, since Annelies was still considered underage, the European court did not acknowledge their marriage. A series of defence were made both at court and through newspapers, but to no avail. One of the arguments used was that the marriage was legal in the Islamic law. If the court did not acknowledge this marriage, it meant that the court disregards Islamic law. This argument was successful to get the natives’ attention. However, it did not succeed to change the court’s decision.
In the Child of All Nations, the story picks up from when Annelies was on a ship sailing for Europe. Obviously, considering how weak Annelies has always been, this whole experience has deteriorated her health even more. Before the sail, she was unconscious for days and now even though she is conscious she is barely alive.
Both Minke and Nyai Ontosoroh wanted to accompany Annelies leaving for Europe, but the court disapproved it. Rather, they both were under house arrest during Annelies’s departure. Only three days after Annelies left that they were freed.
Luckily, Nyai Ontosoroh has secretly arranged Robert Jan Daperste alias Panji Darman, a loyal friend of the family, to be on the ship along with Annalies. It is he then who reported to the family about Annelies’ situation on the ship and in the Netherlands. From his letter to Minke we learn that Annelies was getting worse and she did not want to eat and lost hope entirely. From his letter, we also learn that when the ship arrived in the Netherlands, none of the Hellema’s family was present to welcome Annelies. Instead, an old woman was paid by the family to pick her up. Panji Darman then followed the old woman who turned out taking Annelies to her own house, not the Hellema’s house. It became clear that the Hellema’s family would not take care of Annelies. After a few weeks, a telegram from Panji Darma arrived informing that Annelies has passed away.
Personally, I was very disappointed on this part. Here I was thinking that this journey, being away from Nyai Ontosoroh, would make Annelies a strong independent woman. No, instead, she is dead. Such a turn off. On the bright side, Pram kills her early in the book. Again, it shows that Pram considers her character just as a foil baring no significance to the story whatsoever. Once she is dead, Pram continues with more important issues.
The first important issue is about empowering the natives. This theme was brought up through the Khouw Ah Soe’s character who is a member of Chinese Young Generation Movement who came to the Dutch East Indies illegally. He was in contact with Minke because Minke was appointed by a newspaper to write a story on him. However, Minke was disappointed that the newspaper did not publish what he originally wrote. Instead, they completely fabricated an entirely different story which Minke found to be misleading. Luckily, Khouw Ah Soe believed Minke and they became friends. From him, Minke learned that there is a movement in China wishing to develop the country so that they can become equal with that of the Europeans.
The second important thing in the second book is about Japan’s rise in the late 19th century. Because of its significant growth, Japanese people became the first non-white whose status were made equal to the white people before the law. The Japanese was also an inspiration to Khouw Ah Soe in his activism. He wanted the Chinese people to aspire to do the same as the Japanese. However, Japan was also beginning to invade parts of Korea and China. In this regards, the book also talks about international relations of the late 19th century. The book talks about how balance of power politics was about to take place. Obviously, this is a foreshadowing for Japan’s eventual power and greed to invade the entire South East Asia.
The third theme being discussed in the book is identity crisis that Minke was experiencing. Being educated in a European school has made Minke views the world around him with the European lens. As a result, when he sees local customs and people, he can’t help but looks down on them. Increasingly, however, Minke begins to see that European people with their so called “enlightenment” are savage in their own ways. Minke’s experience with the law is one of the examples in which Minke sees that Europeans shield their savageness under bureaucracy and law. But beneath all of them lies deception and exploitation.
Minke’s identity crisis doubles when his European friends encourage him to write in Malay. They assert that Minke should write in a language that the natives understand, that way the natives can benefit from Minke’s wisdom. They also said that Minke does not owe the Europeans anything. All these times Minke has been writing in Dutch and is comfortable to do so. Meanwhile, Minke as an educated native owes his people everything. Hearing what his friend had to say, Minke was defensive and offended at times. But as time goes, he understood why they thought so. But we are yet to see Minke writes in Malay.
Another important event in the second book was Robert’s letter informing where he is. Before he disappeared we knew that he had fallen into Babah Ah Kong’s trap, just like his father was. He entered Bahah Ah Kong’s brothel and slept with a Japanese prostitute who had syphilis. Now on his letter we learn that he lived abroad in Hong Kong and is sick. In his final letter we learn that he is in Los Angeles being treated in a hospital. He also admitted to have impregnated a maid named Minem and asked Nyai Ontosoroh to acknowledge him. However it is so strange that Minem did not catch syphilis, considering they slept after Robert slept with the prostitute who had syphilis. And by the way, Robert died too.
Towards the end of the book, Nyai Ontosoroh and Minke expected Muraits Melemma to arrive and they also expected that he would take over the entire estate. Throughout the book he has been portrayed as an antagonist whose only motive is to take over the Mellema’s wealth. And at the end of the book, Nyai Ontosoroh, Minke, and their two other European friends confronted him for his behaviour, questioned his Christian and European morality. He was mostly quiet the entire confrontation and was forced to leave because many natives had gathered in front of the house hearing May crying and shouting on hearing that Annelies had died. Yes, Nyai Ontosoroh and Minke did not annouce Annelies’ death. Even their close friends did not know about it. Only when Maurits was present that they called him out for his cruelty and blamed him as Annelies’ murderer. And this is where the second book ends. So, we don’t really know if he did take the Mellema’s wealth after all.
See you in book 3.
Adhari's bookshelf: just-finished
The first book of Buru Quartet ends with the death of Mr Mallema and the repercussions it brings to the family. The court decided that the Mellema’s estate and wealth would be divided into three: Robert, Annelies and Mr. Mallema’s son...
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