Does "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" have a hidden message? - David B. Parker

Translator: Elda Indria Sari Reviewer: Reno Kanti Riananda

In the summer of 1963,

Di musim panas tahun 1963,

a high school teacher changed the way the world looked at "The Wizard of Oz."

seorang guru SMA mengubah cara pandang dunia terhadap "Penyihir Oz."

His name was Henry Littlefield,

Namanya adalah Henry Littlefield,

and he was teaching an American history class.

dan dia mengajar kelas sejarah Amerika.

He'd made it to the late 19th century, a time called The Gilded Age,

Dia sampai di materi Zaman Sepuhan di akhir abad ke-19,

but he was struggling to keep his class interested

tetapi dia kesulitan menarik minat murid-muridnya

in the complex social and economic issues of the time.

akan masalah sosial dan ekonomi yang kompleks di masa itu.

Then one night, while he was reading

Satu malam, saat dia membacakan

"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" to his daughters,

"Penyihir Oz" untuk putri-putrinya,

he had an idea.

dia mendapatkan ide.

In the 1890s, farmers wanted to add silver to the gold standard

Di tahun 1890-an, para petani ingin menambahkan perak dalam standar emas

to put more money in circulation

agar lebih banyak uang beredar

and make it easier for farmers to borrow.

dan petani lebih mudah meminta pinjaman.

In the book, Dorothy walked to the Emerald City on the Yellow Brick Road

Di buku, Dorothy berjalan ke Kota Zamrud menyusuri Jalan Berbata Kuning

in her silver shoes.

dengan sepatu peraknya.

The movie's ruby red slippers started out as silver.

Sepatu merah mirah yang ada di film tadinya berwarna perak.

Silver and gold on the road to prosperity.

Perak dan emas di jalan menuju kemakmuran.

L. Frank Baum had published the book in 1900

L. Frank Baum menerbitkan bukunya di tahun 1900

at the height of The Gilded Age,

di puncak Zaman Sepuhan,

and the analogy didn't seem out of the question.

dan analogi tadi sepertinya tidak mustahil.

No one else had seen these connections,

Tak ada orang lain yang melihat koneksinya,

but that didn't deter Littlefield.

tetapi Littlefield tidak gentar.

He taught his class about The Gilded Age using the book,

Dia mengajar tentang Zaman Sepuhan menggunakan buku itu,

and soon he and his students were finding more connections.

dan tak lama mereka pun menemukan lebih banyak koneksi.

For instance, in the late 1890s,

Misalnya, di akhir 1890-an,

the U.S. had recently recovered from the Civil War

Amerika baru saja pulih dari Perang Sipil

and integrated vast new territories,

dan menyatukan wilayah baru yang luas,

bringing an era of prosperity for some.

membawa era kemakmuran bagi sebagian orang.

But while industry and finance in the North and East prospered,

Namun walau industri dan keuangan di Utara dan Timur berjaya,

farmers across the South and Midwest struggled.

para petani di wilayah Selatan dan Barat Tengah kesusahan.

This led to the Populist movement,

Hal ini memicu gerakan Populis,

uniting farmers and workers against urban elites.

mempersatukan petani dan buruh melawan kaum elit perkotaan.

Tahun 1896, gerakan itu tumbuh menjadi Partai Rakyat,

By 1896, the movement had grown into the People's Party,

and its support of Democrat Williams Jennings Bryan

dan dukungan mereka untuk wakil Demokrat, Williams Jennings Bryan

put him in reach of the presidency.

menempatkannya dalam bursa calon presiden.

Meanwhile in Oz, claimed Littlefield,

Sementara di Oz, Littlefield mengklaim,

Dorothy is a typical American girl

Dorothy adalah gadis khas Amerika

whose hard life in Kansas is literally turned upside down

yang kehidupan kerasnya di Kansas jungkir balik

by powerful forces outside her control.

akibat kekuatan di luar kendalinya.

The munchkins are the common people oppressed by the Witch of the East,

Para munchkin adalah orang biasa yang ditindas oleh Penyihir Timur,

banks and monopolies.

bank dan monopoli.

The Scarecrow is the farmer,

Orang-orangan sawah adalah petani,

considered naive but actually quite resourceful,

dianggap naif tetapi sebenarnya cukup pandai,

Penebang Timah adalah pekerja industri yang diperlakukan secara tidak manusiawi,

the Tin Woodman is the industrial worker dehumanized by factory labor,

and the Cowardly Lion is William Jennings Bryan

dan Singa Penakut adalah William Jennings Bryan

who could be an influential figure if only he were brave enough

yang bisa menjadi figur berpengaruh jika saja dia lebih berani

to adopt the Populist's radical program.

memakai program Populis yang radikal.

Together, they travel along a golden yellow road

Bersama-sama, mereka berjalan di sepanjang jalan kuning keemasan

towards a grand city whose ruler's power turns out to be built on illusions.

menuju kota besar yang kekuatan penguasanya ternyata hanya ilusi.

Littlefield published some of these observations in an essay.

Littlefield menerbitkan beberapa observasi ini dalam sebuah esai.

His claim that this fantasy was actually a subversive critique

Ia mengklaim bahwa kisah fantasi ini sebenarnya sebuah kritik subversif

of American capitalism appealed to many people in 1960s.

atas kapitalisme Amerika yang menarik banyak orang di tahun 1960-an.

Other scholars took up the theme,

Akademisi lain mengikuti,

and the proposed analogies and connections multiplied.

dan jumlah analogi serta koneksi yang diajukan pun bertambah.

They suggested that Dorothy's dog Toto

Ada yang mengatakan anjing Dorothy, Toto,

represented the teetotalers of the prohibition party.

mewakili para anti alkohol di partai larangan.

Oz was clearly the abbreviation for ounces,

Oz jelas merupakan singkatan dari ons,

an important unit in the silver debate.

satuan penting dalam debat perak.

The list goes on.

Daftarnya pun berlanjut.

By the 1980s, this understanding of the book was accepted so widely

Di tahun 1980-an, pemahaman akan buku ini sudah diterima luas

that several American history textbooks

sehingga beberapa buku sejarah Amerika

mentioned it in discussions of late 19th century politics.

menyinggungnya dalam diskusi politik akhir abad ke-19.

But is the theory right?

Namun, apakah teori ini benar?

L. Frank Baum's introduction claims the book is just an innocent children's story.

Kata pengantar L. Frank Baum mengklaim buku ini hanya kisah anak yang polos.

Could he have been deliberately throwing people off the trail?

Apakah dia sengaja mengalihkan perhatian orang-orang?

And is it fair to second guess him so many decades later?

Apakah adil pula untuk meragukannya beberapa abad setelahnya?

There's no definitive answer,

Tidak ada jawaban pasti,

which is part of why authorial intent

yang merupakan satu penyebab mengapa niat penulis

is a complex, tangled, fun question to unravel.

merupakan permasalahan kompleks, berbelit dan menyenangkan untuk diurai.

And some recent scholars have interpreted "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"

Beberapa akademisi belakangan ini menafsirkan "Penyihir Oz"

in the opposite way as Littlefield.

bertolak belakang dengan Littlefield.

They claim it's a celebration of the new urban consumer culture.

Mereka mengklaim buku itu sebagai perayaan kultur konsumen perkotaan baru.

Historian William Leach argued that the dazzling Emerald City of Oz

Sejarawan William Leach menyebut Kota Zamrud Oz yang memesona

was meant to acclimate people to the shiny, new America.

bertujuan membiasakan pembaca dengan Amerika yang baru dan gemerlap.

In the end, all we know for sure is that Baum,

Pada akhirnya, yang kita tahu dengan pasti hanyalah Baum,

inspired by European folk legends,

yang terinspirasi legenda rakyat Eropa,

had set out to create one for American children.

menulis kisahnya bagi anak-anak Amerika.

And whether or not he intended any hidden meanings,

Entah ia memiliki maksud tersembunyi atau tidak,

its continuing relevance suggests he succeeded

relevansinya yang terus ada menunjukkan bahwa ia telah sukses

in creating a fairytale America can call its own.

menciptakan dongeng asli Amerika.