The Mute's Soliloquy by Pramoedya Ananta Toer
"The Mute's Soliloquy" by Pramoedya Ananta Toer is a poignant collection of writings crafted during the author's years of imprisonment. Reflecting the difficult circumstances of his confinement, the work comprises a series of secret documents penned rapidly and often left unsent, highlighting the urgency and rawness of his thoughts. The collection is divided into four distinct chapters, each addressing different themes of personal and political significance. The first chapter, "The Mystery of Exile," explores the broader implications of exile alongside Pramoedya’s own experiences of imprisonment. The second chapter, "Fragments of My Life," offers autobiographical insights, including reflections on his work during World War II and its impact on his views about Indonesian independence. "Lessons for My Children" contains heartfelt messages and lessons he wished to impart to his children, while the final chapter, "Deliverance," reflects on his anticipation of freedom and serves as a tribute to those who suffered in the prison camps. Overall, "The Mute's Soliloquy" stands as a testament to resilience and the enduring human spirit amidst adversity, inviting readers to engage with Pramoedya's profound reflections on life, loss, and liberation.
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The Mute's Soliloquy by Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition
First published:Nyanyi sunyi seorang bisu, 1995-1997 (English translation, 1999)
Type of work: Memoir
The Work
During his years of imprisonment, Pramoedya kept a number of secret written documents. These were written quickly and most of the letters he wrote were never sent, not even the letters to his own children, because he had to keep them hidden from the authorities. These documents, collected in The Mute’s Soliloquy, are not polished pieces of writing, but they have an immediacy that comes from being jotted down as testaments to reflection under the most adverse conditions.
Pramoedya divided the collection into four parts, or chapters. The first, entitled “The Mystery of Exile,” deals with the condition of exile in general and with Pramoedya’s own imprisonment. The second, “Fragments of My Life,” contains autobiographical jottings. One of the most interesting passages in this section, written as a letter, deals with the time he worked for the Japanese during World War II and how this work affected his thinking about Indonesian independence. The third, “Lessons for My Children,” consists of letters and fragments of letters containing lessons he would like to have been able to teach to his own children. The final, “Deliverance,” contains thoughts written while Pramoedya was waiting for release from prison and his memorial to the dead and the missing from the prison camps.
Bibliography
Ali, Nur’ainy. Pramoedya Ananta Toer: Selected Early Works, 1949-1952, an Interpretive Study. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 1999.
Chudori, Leila S., and Dewi Rina Cahyani. “On Translating ’The Mute’s Soliloquy.’” World Press Review 46, no. 11 (November, 1999): 12.
Day, Tony. “Locating Indonesian Literature in the World.” Modern Language Quarterly 68, no. 2 (June, 2007): 173-193.
GoGwilt, Chris. “Pramoedya’s Fiction and History: An Interview with Pramoedya Ananta Toer.” Yale Journal of Criticism 9 (Spring, 1996): 147-164.
Tong, Sebastian. “Unexpected Convergences: Bakhtin’s Novelistic Discourse and Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s ’Epic’ Novels.” World Literature Today 73, no. 3 (Summer, 1999): 481-484.
Vickers, Adrian. “Reading Pramoedya Ananta Toer and Writing Indonesian History.” New Literatures Review 22 (Winter, 1991): 82-102.
Vltchek, Andre, and Rossie Indira. Exile: Conversations with Pramoedya Ananta Toer. Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2006.