dominant and the dominated group whereby the dominant has power to control. Confrontations because of unequal power as the legacy of colonialism can be
occurred within the colonized after the end of colonization. It emerges between “native” versus “migrants”.
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Native here means the local residents, whereas migrants are newcomers that usually from different ethnic that move to another
region and stay in the native’s region. Economic reason usually becomes the reason that supports them to migrate.
The confrontations that happened because of unequal power indicate the existence of colonialism that spread out in different ways on many aspects of
society. Therefore, the colonizer and the colonized as the actors of colonialism are still exist with different performance. Their performance is not about the power on
physical attack but more as an ideology that has latent characteristic to influence people and has been done by the extension of the colonizers.
Postcolonial approach is used in this study to reveal how The Laskar Pelangi Quartet reinforces the colonizers’ values through the main character’s
view and attitude and shows the ongoing effects of colonialism. Therefore, some theorists who develop ideas related to postcolonial approach are chosen to make
this study complete.
1. Modern Colonialism
Loomba explains what modern colonialism does to people they invaded.
European colonialisms, in particular, use strategies to dominate the colonized with the intention to produce economic imbalance for the growth of European
capitalism and industry. By restructuring the economies of the colonized, they
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A term that is adopted from Melani Budianta’s essay. Melani Budianta, “In The Margin of The Capital From “Tjerita Boedjang Bingoeng” to “Si Doel Anak Sekolahan” in: Tony Day and Keith Foulcher, Clearing A Space: Postcolonial
Readings of Modern Indonesia Literature Leiden: KITLV Press, 2002 p. 237-271
exploit the natural and human resources for their prosperity. The consequence of restructuring the economic of the colonized is economic imbalance that creates
inequality. Inequality that emerged is to strengthen colonial domination through class system to differentiate people, which put the colonizers as the highest class.
Thus, Loomba’s concept of modern colonialism is used in this present study to identify inequality as the product of modern colonialism, which emerges because
of economic imbalance.
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Meanwhile, according to Sutrisno, there are two characteristics of modern colonialism:
a. First, the colonies do not only pay the taxes the concept of earlier
colonialism but their economies are also being constructed. The purpose is to control the economy of the colonized for the mother country’s profit.
It is not only constructing the tangible, but also intangible area namely: ideas, perspective and reflection of the existing realities in cognition,
aesthetic, religiosity, and also cultural mentality. b.
Second, the colonies from colonialism system become the market for the mother country’s goods and being forced to buy their products.
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Seen from the first characteristics, in terms of restructuring the economic of the colonized, Loomba and Sutrisno complete each other. The tangible and intangible
areas are also being constructed through constructing the economy of the colonized. The attitude of the native on confronting with inequality is discussed
based on the notion of constructing the intangible area. Therefore, colonial
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See Loomba, p. 9
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He mentions two characteristics of modern colonialism that construct the economies of the colonized for the colonizers’ importance. Mudji Sutrisno, S.J., Ranah-Ranah Kebudayaan Yogyakarta: Kanisius, 2009 p.11
domination through economic control is not the only way to perpetuate modern colonialism, since constructing the attitude of the colonized is also involved.
2. Colonial Discourse
