This Earth of Mankind

Pramoedya Ananta Toer uses his characters to symbolize specific groups and ideals in Indonesian society. Using these symbols, he makes observations about classism and racism. For example, Minke’s classmate Robert Suurhof symbolizes the Mixed-Blood Indo, a person caught between the cultural and legal legitimacy of the Pure-Blood Dutch and the marginalized Natives. Thus, the Indo is perpetually looking up with longing and down with scorn. Robert S. represents this internal conflict perfectly. He tells Minke in the first chapter that he will only settle for Pure-Blood women, looking up with longing. He also spends most of the novel telling various authority figures that Minke is only a Native, looking down with scorn. Because Robert S. is in love with Annelies Mellema, he attempts an Indo courtship tactic. When trying to appeal to someone, the Indos know to bring a “monkey” (a “third wheel”) to make themselves look better. However, Robert S. is devastated and outraged when the perfect woman, as symbolized by Annelies, falls for his monkey, Minke. Toer uses Robert S. to demonstrate the shallowness of the artificial Cultural Divisions in 19th Century Javanese Society established by the Dutch East Indies.