Toward the end of their conversation his confidence really begins to shine through when he says to himself, "Now it was I who laughed again. These two misses were aping the scholar." In the end, by impressing them, Minke becomes a close friend to the family, and a deep, almost extreme respect for him is established. Their relationship, which would later prove to be quite a valuable resource, never would have occurred if Minke wasn't educated the way he was. Throughout the story there is example after example, showing the significance of education in Minke's life. Minke's character only reaches its height because of what he has learned. Education plays an essential role in the make-up of who Minke is, and what he might eventually be. It makes one wonder what the possibilities were if more natives were exposed to an educated lifestyle.
When looking at Minke's drive to who he wants to be, one has to observe what he is in haps running away from. With every person Minke meets they assume he will become a bupati. Even his family believes he, "will surely become a bupati one day." Minke, however, wants anything else but to be a bupati. One of the reasons why he has such a passion to strive in school might be due to the nagging thought of having to work as a bupati. Perhaps Fatso is a symbol of that distressful thought always popping up in and out of Minke's mind. The same way that Minke is afraid of Fatso, he is afraid of becoming something that he doesn't want to be. Luckily, Minke finds himself liking to write, and even discovers that he is good at it too. His teacher, Magda Peters, even describes him as being a person who, "has proven capable of writing perfectly in a language that is proven that he is capable of writing perfectly in a language that is not his mother tongue." Minke finding his role as a writer is key to whom he understands himself to be. Since writing for him can certainly lead to a career, he can now let go of any thoughts of being anything else, especially a bupati.
