Approach of the Study

33 Koesnosoebroto 1988 as explained in the previous chapter argues that there are two types of character which are major and minor character. In accordance to that theory, in the novel This Earth of Mankind, Pramoedya Ananta Toer presents a character named Nyai Ontosoroh as one of his major characters. The first reason is because the plot of the story is related to her also. She is mentioned for many times from the beginning until the end of the story. The second reason is because Nyai Ontosoroh also plays an important role in the novel This Earth of Mankind. It is because some parts of the stories are emphasised from her life experience. In addition to that, using the argument about the dynamic and static character as what explained in the previous chapter, Nyai Ontosoroh can be said also that she is a dynamic character Perrine, 1974. It is because her character is developed from the beginning until the end of the story. It can be seen also from the novel that Nyai Ontosoroh herself also experiences changes in some aspects of her character or her personality. Despite of that, Nyai Ontosoroh whose real name is Sanikem is concubine of Mr. Herman Mellema, a Dutch administrator whom Nyai Ontosoroh often refers him as “the Great Powerful Tuan”. “He even went as far as using a dukun magic man and ascetic practices to cast a spell on the tuan administrator, the Tuan Besar Kuasa, the “Great, Powerful Tuan,” to come to the house. p.80 However, since she is the concubine of Mr. Mellema, people in that era call her or refer her as nyai. The definition of nyai is a native who is bought and 34 becomes the concubine, a “wife” who is not married officially. In the colonialism era, a n yai’s level is higher than a slave. They are wearing the the songket which is embroidered in the gold and silver spun as well as wearing the ear stud from diamonds Depdikbud, 1989. Referring Mr. Mellema as her Tuan Besar Kuasa, Nyai Ontosoroh knows her position very well. She knows that she has no control over her life anymore. It because her master will decide everything for her and decide the life she is going to have. Nyai Ontosoroh has also to obey what her master says no matter what. It is often worst because a nyai has no right also as human beings. Nyai Ontosoroh herself has ever commented her life as a nyai in This Earth of Mankind novel. “Life as a nyai is very, very difficult. A nyai is just a bought slave, whose only duty is to satisfy her master. In everything p.87 She admits that being a nyai is difficult. It is because a nyai is almost the same as the slave. Once her master has done with her or bored, she may be kicked out with her children who are going to be unrecognised by the laws because a nyai will never be married legally. It is supported by Nyai Ontosoroh ’s comment in the part of the novel; “Then, on the other hand, she has to be ready at any moment for the possibility that her master, her tuan, will become bored with her. And she may be kicked out with all her children, her own children, unrecognized by Native society because they were born outside wedlock.” p.87 The second theory used in this study is the theory of characterisation from Murphy 1972 in which he clarifies how an author presents his characters in the