This Earth of Mankind: Difference between revisions

'''Description of Artwork:''' The novel, ''This Earth of Mankind'', was orally composed by Pramoedya Ananta Toer while he was a political prisoner on Buru Island in eastern Indonesia from 1965 - 1979.  The novel tells the story of a young Javanese writer's struggle against Dutch Colonial oppression in the 1890's. As explained by the novel's translator, Max Lane, "...In one scene in the book... The writer, Mingke, is forced to walk on his knees to see the local official, who turns out to be his father. Mingke's reaction is, 'What is the reason you created customs that would so humiliate your own decendents?' Lane goes on to comment, "What Pramoedya is saying to modern day Indonesians is that they should not crawl on in front of authority figures..." (Tom Krausse, "Indonesia's Banned Bestseller", World Press Review, August 1982, pg. 59)

'''The Incident:''' "Max Lane was sent home from his Australian diplomatic post for translating what has been described as the best, most beautiful novel in the history of modern Indonesian literature. He was recalled from Jakarta September of 1981 for translating what was the bestselling novel of its time until banned by the Indonesian Government (of Suharto)..." (Tom Krausse, "Indonesia's Banned Bestseller", World Press Review, August 1982, pg. 59)