Nyai Ontosoroh ; A Concubine Phenomenon A la Pramoedya Ananta Toer

Abstract

Concubines are often stigmatized as seductive, immoral, and uneducated women. However that negative perspective does not fit to Nyai Ontosoroh. Even, she is able to turn over the mainstream point of view in Bumi Manusia by getting honor from some educated people around her. This research is aimed at the finding out how Nyai Ontosoroh is able to turn over the mainstream point of view and whether the novel confirms or rejects the post colonial theory. This research used post-colonial theory, especially one which is coined by Bhabha who stated that the colonized tend to imitate the colonizer to keep their existence in the colony which called as mimicry phenomenon. As the result of imitating the colonizer, they will face identity problem and trapped in liminal space or third space which will lead them into a new identity, not the colonizer or colonized but the ‘black-western’. This research found that Nyai Ontosoroh is able to turn over the mainstream point of view about concubine by getting knowledge from the west but the novel does not confirm Bhabha’s postcolonial theory.