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Telaah Poskolonial terhadap Nyai Ontosoroh

Dara Windiyarti

Balai Bahasa Surabaya

Abstract

The goal of this article is to study the identity of Nyai Ontosoroh in Pramoedya Ananta Toer Bumi Manusia. Study make use of postcolonial perspective. Result of the study indicates that Nyai Ontosoroh as the main character is a controversial person: in one side she is elegant, wise, and helpful and on the other side she always astonishes her environment. Nevertheless, she is always an idol for other people: modern, thinking freely, open minded, ready to have a go, hard work, and brave. Strong self character leads her way to live in the unknown colonial situation, so she is able to build her self image as a “female lion” who force others not to bother her. Nyai Ontosoroh’s bravery to learn Deutch, general knowledge, and build her company, reflects that indigenous people are always inferior. Nyai Ontosoroh’ existence becomes a reconstructed portrayal of ways of thinking of the orientalist full of cultural bias that Western culture is dynamic and masculine, on the contrary Eastern culture is commonly static and feminine.