Art Original

Max Havelaar

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Max Havelaar: Or the Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company (Max Havelaar, of de koffi-veilingen der Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij), the explosive 1860 satirical and autobiographical novel written by Eduard Douwes Dekker under the famous pseudonym Multatuli. Set in the residency of Banten (West Java) during the height of the Dutch colonial era, the narrative chronicles the fierce, tragic struggle of Max Havelaar, an idealistic and deeply principled Dutch colonial official. Havelaar directly confronts the systemic corruption, human rights abuses, and devastating famine inflicted upon the indigenous Javanese population by the ruthless "Cultivation System" (Cultuurstelsel)—an oppressive apparatus orchestrated by an unholy alliance between greedy Dutch corporate interests and complicit, feudal local regents.

Beyond its gripping narrative and innovative, multi-layered framing structure—which brilliantly contrasts the passionate, empathetic Havelaar against the narrow-minded, money-obsessed Dutch coffee broker Batavus Droogstoppel—the novel functions as one of the most politically influential whistleblowing texts in global literary history. Indonesian statesman and writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer famously credited Multatuli's masterpiece with "killing colonialism," noting its foundational role in igniting the Dutch Ethical Policy at the turn of the 20th century and planting the early seeds of Indonesian national consciousness. For educators, high school librarians, and digital humanities curators, this classic masterpiece stands as an indispensable asset for historical, cultural, and political literacy. It offers students a raw, unvarnished analytical window into the mechanics of institutional oppression, the ethical responsibilities of governance, and the immense power of literature to alter the course of geopolitical history.

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Detail Information

Series Title

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Call Number

4.800.0002.C.U

Publisher

Yogyakarta : Narasi., 2014

Collation

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Language

Indonesia

ISBN/ISSN

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Classification

800

Content Type

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Media Type

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Carrier Type

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Edition

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Subject(s)

Kesusastraan Indonesia

Specific Detail Info

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Statement of Responsibility

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