In the early 1910s, Semaoen was sentenced to prison for sedition by the Dutch colonial government. The Story of Kadirun, a semi-autobiographical novel, flashes a spotlight on the unjust treatment towards indigenous people and gives an honest and comprehensive insight into the situation of the country at the time. Kadirun's tale, with its picture of Javanese life during the colonial era, tells the readers what must be done to make the world a place fit to live in.