Book Review : Java after World War II

Ranked #14,741 in Books, Poetry & Writing, #591,357 overall

Bookmark

Bookmark and Share

Add this to your lens »

Bookmark and Share

IT'S NOT AN ALL NIGHT FAIR

IT'S NOT AN ALL NIGHT FAIR

Title : Its Not an All Night Fair.
Author : Pramoedya Ananta Toer

Pramoedya managed to use a simple story as a portrayal of social economic situation of the Indonesian people after world war II.
He used himself as the main character. He received a letter asking him to come home because his father was seriously ill. He came home to Blora, Java, by train with his wife. Along the way home he saw poor social economic condition after the war.
Got to Blora still he saw poverty and suffering. He met his father who suffered from tuberculosis in a hospital. Then he took care of his father with his brothers.
One day an uncle asked him to find a sorcerer. The sorcerer gave him an incense and told him to mix it as a drink. But it did not help. His father still suffered from tuberculosis.
Several days later he ran out of money so he said to his father that he would go back to Jakarta. His father asked him to stay one more week. One night he had a conversation with his younger brother. He told sufferings of the family. His mother died earlier. He lost his grandfather, and also a kid brother. Poverty and famine were also other suffering that they had to bear.
His father did not want to become a member of local parliament. He did not want to become an official of the department of education either. He chose to be a teacher so he could teach students. Due to his position that received very little salary he could not afford to pay a sanatorium.
One week later his father said it was time to go home. So he brought him back home. Neighbors came to see him.
One day his father said that he was a son of an ulama ( an Islamic clergyman) but he did not want to be one. He wanted to be a nationalist although he said it was hard to be one. Before long he passed away.
When mourners gathered they expressed their impressions about his father. Someone said he was a hard card player who could play for days without any rest. Another friend of his said he was a responsible party activist. Once he paid in full a set of stolen bond. Someone recalled him as an official of the Dutch colonial government but at the same time as a pro-indepedence party activist. The other friend said he was disappointed with revolutionary leaders who fought each other for power after independence.
So Pramoedya nicely used the character of father and the situation to describe people's suffering like poverty, death and sadness due to political conflict.
*

Pramoedya's books on Amazon

Loading

Articles about Indonesia

Loading Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

Please leave your notes here.

submit

Indonesia on New Amazon Voting (Plexo)

Indonesia (Country Guide) by Ryan ver Berkmoes

Indonesia (Country Guide) by Ryan ver Berkmoes

With a Lonely Planet guidebook you'll get the best more...0 points

The Indonesia Reader: History, Culture, Politics (The World Readers)

The Indonesia Reader: History, Culture, Politics (The World Readers)

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago, encompassing more...0 points

In the Time of Madness: Indonesia on the Edge of Chaos by Richard Lloyd Parry

In the Time of Madness: Indonesia on the Edge of Chaos by Richard Lloyd Parry

In the last years of the twentieth century, foreig more...0 points

A History of Modern Indonesia by Adrian Vickers

A History of Modern Indonesia by Adrian Vickers

Although Indonesia has the fourth largest populati more...0 points

Globe Trekker - Indonesia (Double DVD)

Globe Trekker - Indonesia (Double DVD)

3 Episodes: Bali & Sulawesi, Java & Sumatr more...0 points

Indonesia Travel Pack (Globetrotter Travel Packs) by Debbie Martyr

Indonesia Travel Pack (Globetrotter Travel Packs) by Debbie Martyr

The highly successful "Globetrotter Travel&qu more...0 points

Indonesia - Culture Smart! by Graham Saunders

Indonesia - Culture Smart! by Graham Saunders

Culture Smart! provides essential information on a more...0 points

Find Latest Netflix Movies

The Netflix module has been phased out. You should edit your lens and try adding an Amazon module instead!

Indonesia on New Amazon MP3

Check out my favorite songs! I've handpicked these MP3s from Amazon. Take a listen. If you like, you can click to buy them on Amazon.

by

bbudoyono

Hi ! My name is Bambang Udoyono. I live in Indonesia. I am a writer and blogger. I write articles about Indonesia for Hubpages and now for Squidoo too... more »

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!

Amazon Spotlight 

Amazon Spotlight