Max Havelaar

An ex-Assistant Resident of Manado and Lebak who adopts a moral crusade against colonial abuses. He discovers the Regent’s exploitation and fights to indict the offenders, only to face a corrupt system that thwarts his efforts. Disillusioned by official complicity, he resigns and seeks justice beyond the colonial bureaucracy.

A powerful local ruler who extracts tribute and enforces labor, maintaining control through fear and manipulation. He resists oversight and uses his authority to shield abuses from the central administration. His actions trigger Havelaar’s determination to challenge the system.

A local power broker who enforces the Regent’s will and orchestrates resource extraction from villagers. He defends his authority with coercion and relies on fear to maintain control. His clashes with Havelaar reveal the brutal mechanics of feudal governance in the colony.

A boy from a farming family who symbolizes the peasants’ vulnerability under the Regent’s rule. He witnesses kerbau looting and endures the consequences of oppressive policies, ultimately becoming entangled in the region’s turmoil. His experiences illustrate the human cost of colonial oppression.

A poor farmer who negotiates survival under coercive power, selling his heirloom kris to acquire a kerbau. His family’s vulnerability culminates in the destruction of their property and his subsequent illness, highlighting the personal tragedies of colonial rule.

Assistant Resident of Lebak whose secret papers threaten the Regent’s crimes. He dies under suspicious circumstances, and his documents become a catalyst for Havelaar’s pursuit of truth. His death embodies the peril faced by those who challenge the status quo.

Havelaar’s controller within the colonial administration, who navigates duty and loyalty to the bureaucracy. He embodies the pressure to maintain the status quo and the limits of reform within the system.

The Bantam-based Resident who colludes to obscure Lebak’s abuses and blocks Havelaar’s indictment. He uses his position to shield the colonial apparatus from accountability and preserve the system’s integrity.

The Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, a distant authority who ultimately governs from the imperial center. He accepts arrangements that appease the political machinery, illustrating the empire’s detachment from local abuses.

Havelaar’s wife, who challenges his decisions about finances and responsibilities, representing the domestic perspective on wealth, sacrifice, and moral choices in the colony. She provides personal insight into the costs of reform and the strain on family relations.