THE INTERTEXTUALITY OF THE MYTH OF TIMUN MAS IN THE SHORT STORY WHY DID GOD CREATE A BLACK CAT? WORKS BY SASTI GOTAMA

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the intertextuality of the Timun Mas myth in the short story "Why Did God Create Black Cats?" by Sasti Gotama. This study is motivated by the tendency of contemporary literature to utilize myths as a source of creating new meanings as well as a means of reflecting social reality. The study uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive interpretative method and Julia Kristeva's intertextuality theory. The research data are in the form of words, sentences, dialogues, and events that show the relationship between the short story and the Timun Mas myth. Data collection was carried out through reading and note-taking techniques, while data analysis was carried out by identifying forms of intertextuality, analyzing the transformation of myth elements, and interpreting the resulting meaning. The results show that the Timun Mas myth is present as a hypogram that builds the meaning structure of the short story. The character Buto Ijo undergoes a transformation from an antagonist figure to a symbol of a victim of social labeling, while Timun Mas is represented as a symbol of a vulnerable group experiencing violence and marginalization. In addition, the moral structure of the myth, which was originally based on a binary opposition between good and evil characters, has shifted to a critique of identity stigmatization and collective violence. The research findings confirm that intertextuality in short stories not only functions as an aesthetic strategy, but also as a means of social criticism that questions moral constructions, power relations,