It tells of a young man who goes to seek revenge for his father's murder, before ultimately forgiving the killer.

Through his relationship with Goei, Tan is reunited with his mother and learns of a young man named Kam Po Sin, who has killed a woman.

As such, the critic of Chinese Malay literature Nio Joe Lan classifies Setangan Berloemoer Darah as a historical novel.

[1] Chris Woodrich of Gadjah Mada University questions this, however, noting that it was common for Chinese Malay novels to claim to be based on a true story despite being entirely fictitious.

[7] Beginning in 1929, with the release of Rampok Preanger and Si Tjonat, the use of martial arts became common in domestic productions through a series of bandit films.