This study begins with the portrayal of inequality, which is seen as the effects of exploitation on natural and human resources that have been done by
modern colonialism practice. Inequality becomes the main character’s way to define Belitung society and his identity as a Belitungese. It is also a trigger to
improve his “self”. Thus, education becomes his choice as a ladder to enhance his social rank and to construct his identity. However, through colonial discourse,
education is seen as a potential discourse that legally imparts the colonizers’ values to the colonized. Education becomes the way to maintain their values and
to control the society. For that reason, colonialist ideology is explored to examine how the main character is described to harbor colonialist thinking by affirming the
colonizers’ values. Thus, this study hopes to show an undisclosed issue inspite of The Laskar
Pelangi Quartet’s popularity by using the postcolonial perspective. It is expected to enable readers to be more critical and aware of the issue that the writer brings
through the story. Specifically, it aims to reveal how The Laskar Pelangi Quartet reinforces the colonizers’ values and shows the ongoing effects of colonialism.
B. Research Questions
Based on the explanation above, the hypothesis holds that The Laskar Pelangi Quartet reinforces the colonizers’ values through the main character’s
view and attitude, as well as reveals the ongoing effects of colonialism. Therefore, two questions are formulated:
1. How does the main character in The Laskar Pelangi Quartet portray inequality in relation to modern colonialism practice?
2. How does The Laskar Pelangi Quartet reveal colonialist ideology?
C. Scope of the Study
The focus of this study is to explore the quartet, i.e. Laskar Pelangi 2006, Sang Pemimpi 2006, Edensor 2007 and Maryamah Karpov: Mimpi-
mimpi Lintang 2008 as well as the two English versions The Rainbow Troops 2009 and Edensor 2011. This study excavates colonial discourse implanted in
the main character’s view and attitude in his attempt to portray and confront with his social class, and as a Belitungese for becoming a Europeanized “native”.
To limit the study, this research does not base its discussion on translation studies perspective, although postcolonial translation can be used to figure out the
intention of the translation version. This study emphasizes the colonial discourse that is captured in the original and translated version through the main character’s
view and attitude. Therefore, this study is the initial ground to dig out the influence of colonialism on the original and translation version based on
postcolonial approach by examining the colonial discourse inscribed in The Laskar Pelangi Quartet.
D. Significance of the Study
Literature as a text, speaks about many things that happen around human and life itself with which an appreciation towards society and life may emerge.
Regarding the condition of Indonesia that still deals with poverty problems and skepticism to various modes of government policy, the existence of The Laskar
Pelangi Quartet may signify that the life of the marginalized people hardly improves with the end of colonialism. However, the story seems to give easy
solution to handle this underprivileged condition. It gives hope and alternative
solution for Indonesian people to solve their poverty problems. This is indeed a suspicion.
Conversely, the quartet shows that the way the marginalized confronts with their marginality and overcome their underprivileged condition are by going
to the “centre” as the place where the ideal role model is born. Then, pursuing education to Java and Europe becomes the way to unravel their marginality. Java
is seen as the colonial extension for the marginalized. Furthermore, through education, the colonialist values, particularly European way of life, is assumed
herein as being the normal, natural, or the universal guidance for becoming a fully human being. Therefore, reading The Laskar Pelangi Quartet with decolonizing
the mind
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is attempted in this study. By decolonising the mind, it means to challenge the continuing and enduring influences of Eurocentrism as the
colonialist values. What raises my curiosity is that why do the natives articulate themselves
by using the colonizer’s construction and confronting with their marginalized condition by following and taking the colonizers’ as their role model? The Laskar
Pelangi Quartet brings a hint message that the novels affirm the colonialist thinking as the best way to articulate an identity and the solution to improve the
life of the ex-colonized. For that reason, to reveal the ongoing effects of colonialism, the postcolonial approach is used to examine colonial discourse
implanted in the quartet.
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Decolonising the mind is a term from Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s book entitled Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature, 1994. Decolonising the mind shows the process of revealing colonialist power that is
maintained through culture. Thiong’o states that the biggest weapon of imperialism today is the cultural bomb with its effect: “The effect of cultural bomb is to annihilate a people’s belief in their names, in their languages, in their
environment, in their heritage of struggle, in their unity, in their capacities and ultimately in themselves” p.3 Inferiority characteristics become the intended result, then colonialism acts as the savior with its colonialist values. Therefore, political
independence does not mean that the colonized free from colonialist values since those persisted in many aspects, i.e political, economic and cultural of the colonized.
It is important to deeply analyze The Laskar Pelangi Quartet alongside their English versions to sharpen people’s awareness as to appreciate Indonesian
literature. Moreover, understanding the works in both languages The Laskar Pelangi Quartet will be meaningful for the English Studies Program because the
inclusion of Indonesian literature will enrich the existing studies.
E. Research Method
