The Volcano of the East

This political cartoon uses an erupting volcano as a metaphor for rising unrest in the Dutch East Indies, specifically in Bandung. Colonial judges and officials are shown being swept away by the force of the eruption, symbolizing the fragility of colonial authority. The caption suggests that when “supreme justice” advances, colonial legal power will collapse instantly. Through satire and exaggeration, the cartoon presents resistance as inevitable and portrays colonial rule as unable to withstand moral and social reckoning.