‭Pramoedya Ananta Toer, House of Glass (1988)‬
‭Keyword: colonial order‬
‭“My failure to get my leave to Europe deepened further my understanding of the colonial‬
‭order. At the top, colonial power was supported by a small group of white colonial people‬
‭who in turn were supported by colonial brown people of which there was a greater range‬
‭of kinds and groups. From the top going down, there were bans, oppression, orders,‬
‭insults, and abuse. From the bottom going up, there were arse-licking, submission, and‬
‭slavelike self-abasement. And I had my place in this order. And so anyone who heard my‬
‭boss’s reply yo my request would just smile. ‘There is so much work to do these days,‬
‭Meneer. And you are not allowed to have any helpers or any replacement. You must‬
‭understand, Meneer, that the work you do is new in the Indies.’‬
‭Madness! I swore inside while my lips smiled sweetly and politely. Yes, the smile must be‬
‭sweet and polite, because that is how a subordinate must behave toward his superior,‬
‭because that is the colonial custom we must honor. He also replied with a smile and I could‬
‭feel the insult it expressed” (Chapter 8).‬
‭Here, Pangemanann is seen reflecting on the hierarchical structure of colonial society,‬
‭discussing the power dynamics inherent between different groups of people. The "colonial‬
‭order" he talks about is like a set of rules that kept this system in place. In this setup, the‬
‭top group, mostly white colonial people, had a lot of control. They could make rules, be‬
‭oppressive, give orders, insult, and even be abusive. On the other side, the brown colonial‬
‭people, who were more in number, had to deal with these rules, often having to be‬
‭submissive and act like slaves. Pangemanann's struggle to get permission to go to Europe‬
‭is an example of how people in this system faced limitations. Smiling politely in a respectful‬
‭manner was also demanded of individuals pointing to how everyone had to follow certain‬
‭behaviors set by colonial rules, irrespective of whether the contra reciprocated genuinely.‬
‭Pangemanann's reflection helps us see how unfair and degrading the colonial system was,‬
‭where power imbalances and injustices were deeply rooted in society.‬
‭Kipling, Kim‬
‭Keyword: identity‬
‭“This is the great world, and I am only Kim. Who is Kim?”‬
‭He considered his own identity, a thing he had never done before,‬
‭till his head swam. He was one insignificant person in all this‬
‭roaring whirl of India, going southward to he knew not what fate” (Kipling 94).‬
‭Identity plays an important role and an ongoing theme in Kipling’s text. Being in the diverse‬
‭and complex atmosphere of British India during the late 19th century, Kim engages with‬
‭questions of cultural, social, and spiritual identity as he journeys through the streets of‬
‭Lahore and interacts with people of various, different backgrounds. In this quotation, Kim is‬
‭seen exploring his identity and what that particularly means for him, given his mixed‬
‭heritage and the blending of both his Irish and Indian cultures. Although not as direct and‬
‭apparent in the text, Kim’s identity influences many aspects of his life, including the‬
‭decisions he makes as well as his perspectives and outlooks on the world. The stratified‬
‭social structure of the time further heighte tensions in regards to culture and identity. In‬
‭addition, the spiritual quest alongside a Tibetan Lama introduces a layer of religious‬
‭identity, while the backdrop of the "Great Game" adds an element of espionage,‬
‭challenging many conventional notions of identity and what it means to be a spy during‬
‭this time.‬
‭In “Man of All Work,” Wright portrays Carl in ways that seem to disrupt societal‬
‭expectations. Carl challenges traditional gender roles in the story as he is seen consistently‬
‭rejecting the “male archetype” of the 1960s. Whereas men are primarily the working‬
‭breadwinners of the family, Carl takes on caregiving responsibilities and acts in ways (like‬
‭crying) that are typically associated with women, or femininity. A particular moment in the‬
‭text that shows the disobedient character portrayal of Carl is when, in desperate‬
‭circumstances, threatened with losing his home and financial support for his family,‬
‭disguises himself as a female maid, Lucy. In order to be there for his loved ones, he must‬
‭break the typical stereotypes of a man and his assumed role and position in the household.‬
‭Carl is seen attending to others’ needs, which again go against how men are perceived to‬
‭act during this time period. I find it very interesting how Wright employs disobedience‬
‭within the plots of his storyline and characters, pointing to ways in which literature and‬
‭writing style is rejected.‬