Synopsis of the Novel 'Earth of Mankind' about Love and Struggle in the Colonial Era, Must be on the Reading List

Kapanlagi.com - Pramoedya Ananta Toer is certainly a familiar name, especially for book readers. This is because Pramoedya Ananta Toer is one of Indonesia's renowned writers who has produced many phenomenal works, one of which is the novel 'Earth of Mankind'. As a phenomenal literary work, it is important to at least know the synopsis of the novel 'Earth of Mankind'.

It is not without reason that 'Earth of Mankind' can become a phenomenal work. 'Earth of Mankind' presents an exciting and interesting story, about a romance story wrapped in activism and social-political intrigue during the Dutch colonial era. What's even more interesting, this novel is written inspired by the life story of the National press figure, Tirto Adhi Soerdjo.

So, curious about what the synopsis of the novel 'Earth of Mankind' is like? To find out, just read the following review.

1. Synopsis of 'Earth of Mankind'

(credit: goodreads)

The novel synopsis of Bumi Manusia broadly tells the story of the life of a native man named Minke who lived during colonial times. Minke is a young man of Javanese noble descent. His father was a regent, so Minke could attend HBS which at that time was filled with children of European descent.

Minke is a smart and very revolutionary figure. Therefore, with his revolutionary thoughts, Minke became a figure who was both respected and feared by some. Although living in comfort, Minke still did not turn a blind eye to the injustice and oppression experienced by natives.

One day, Minke met Nyai Ontosoroh, a former Dutch concubine who finally became independent. Minke then admired Nyai Ontosoroh's figure. Nyai Ontosoroh's independent figure also opened Minke's view of Europe and colonialism.

Not only that, Minke also fell in love with Annelis, Nyai Ontosoroh's daughter. Unfortunately, Minke and Annelis' relationship faced a lot of rejection due to their different backgrounds.

The love story between Minke and Annelis became more complicated when suddenly Annelis' custody rights, which had been under Nyai Ontosoroh, were suddenly disputed. As a result, Nyai Ontosoroh, assisted by Minke, had to struggle to defend Annelis. Nyai Ontosoroh and Minke made various resistance efforts to obtain their rights and Annelis' freedom.

2. Interesting Facts about the Novel Bumi Manusia

In addition to the exciting and interesting synopsis of Bumi Manusia, there are still many other reasons why Pramoedya's work must be included in your reading list. Here are some interesting facts about the novel Bumi Manusia that need to be known.

1. Not only focusing on romance, the novel Bumi Manusia also raises complex issues during colonialism. Issues such as colonialism, nationalism, social injustice, racial equality, resistance, and political awareness can also be found in this novel.

2. Bumi Manusia is the first part of a tetralogy of novels. In addition to Bumi Manusia, there are other series, namely Anak Semua Bangsa, Jejak Langkah, and Rumah Kaca.

3. Bumi Manusia was once banned from publication and distribution for a long time. This is because the novel is considered one of the most influential novels. After being allowed to be published and distributed, Bumi Manusia became a novel that received many awards and was considered an influential work in Indonesian literature.

4. Bumi Manusia is one of the novels that has been translated into various languages, ranging from English, Dutch, French, Spanish, and many more.

5. The novel Bumi Manusia was adapted into a film in 2019.

3. Film Adaptation of BUMI MANUSIA

(credit: imdb)

As previously mentioned, the synopsis of the novel Bumi Manusia was adapted into a film in 2019. Being adapted from a phenomenal novel, it was clear that the film immediately became the center of attention. Unfortunately, the film also received mixed reviews. Many readers of the Bumi Manusia novel were eagerly anticipating the film, but there were also many who opposed it.

Despite the mixed reviews, Bumi Manusia was still released and managed to captivate audiences. Bumi Manusia became one of the best-selling films of that year with a total of 1,316,853 viewers.

The success of Bumi Manusia was partly due to the impressive cast. The cast of Bumi Manusia includes:

1. Iqbaal Ramadhan as Minke

2. Mawar de Jongh as Annelies

3. Ine Febriyanti as Nyai Ontosoroh

4. Jerome Kurnia as Robert Suurhof

5. Bryan Domani as Jan Daparste

6. Giorgino Abraham as Robert Mellema

7. Donny Damara as Bupati B, Minke's father

8. Ayu Laksmi as Minke's mother

For those who missed it in theaters, the film Bumi Manusia can now be watched on the Netflix app.

That's the synopsis of the Bumi Manusia novel, which tells the story of love and struggle against colonialism. Are you even more interested in reading the complete story now?

(kpl/gen/psp)