Shit: An Analysis of ‘Tinja’ by Sutardji Calzoum Bachri

“Caring about others, running the risk of feeling, and leaving an impact on people, brings happiness.”

At this occasion, I'll tell you about literature.  I'll share a literary work titled “Tinja dalam sastra”. Actually it's an Indonesian essay, so I don’t know exactly how to translate ‘that’ to English, because according to Putu Wijaya, ‘tinja’ is mean shit, but in America the word is too bad. This essay is tell about ‘tinja or ‘tahi’ in literature. When I read the title, I think the mean of word ‘tinja’ is not mean ‘tinja’ in the right meaning. I thought that the article inform something that make angry. It’s began from a journalism, Putu Wijaya have interviewed a writer named Parakitri Tahi Simbolon, his name is consist of ‘Tahi’ which at Sundanesse, it mean shit. Although everybody knew that the right meaning wasn’t shit but ‘Tahi’ it’s too weird. And in Batak habits, ‘Tahi’ have different meaning. Actually, this paper is not teaching us about what is ‘tinja’. But, with ‘tinja’ they want to open our minds about them, the poor. Using such a language, the author tries to rebuke the person above with this great writing.

Why did I say that?

Because the essay has been released in 2001. And at that time, the essay was posted on the compass web page, which at that time, in Indonesia still not many people who use the internet except the upper class people such as president, state officials, etc.

What is the writer’s purpose of write this text?

The writer was trying to give information about people (the poor) that have some problems in their lives about their costly living expenses to the upper class people who had more power that time. Also, he wants to prove and open our mind that ‘tinja’ or ‘tahi’ not forever contains the real meaning (disgusting) but using ‘tinja’ in literature, he proves that ‘tinja’ also have positive meaning and are not always negative. Which persuade the reader to pay more attention to around them.

Who is the target reader?

When the essay has been released at 2001 in internet, at that time there’s only some people who have high office who can read that essay. Indirectly, the writer wants to convey this writing to them. Or it could be printed in several newspaper, but in that time not much people who often read the newspaper except educated people (which not much people who studied in that time).

What the writer want from the reader?

Poverty. Source : Google

We can conclude that the writer want to have a good reaction from the readers to giving sympathy by give them help or pay more attention to them by improving the economic system in Indonesia.

In a book ‘Tahi’ by Sutardji Calzoum Bachri he described ‘tinja’ clearly and disgustingly that I would vomit after reading it, but it does mean something else. He intends to inisuate the wealthy officials whose work it just wasting money.

So I took conclusion that the writer sneering loudly with his subtle language using ‘tahi’.

By Hany Hanifa Munjiya (Santri of Pusaka Bustanul Wildan, Student of English Literature State Islamic University of Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung)