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''Tjerita Sie Po Giok, atawa Peroentoengannja Satoe Anak Piatoe'' (better known by the short title ''Sie Po Giok'') is a 1911
children's novel Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...
from the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
(now Indonesia) written by
Tio Ie Soei Tio Ie Soei (; 22 June 1890 – 20 August 1974; also known by the pen name Tjoa Pit Bak) was a ''peranakan'' Chinese writer and journalist active in the Dutch East Indies and Indonesia. Born in the capital at Batavia (now Jakarta), Tio e ...
in vernacular Malay. It tells the story of Sie Po Giok, a young orphan who faces several challenges while living with his uncle in Batavia (now
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
). The story, which has been called the only work of children's literature produced by Chinese Malay writers, has been read as promoting traditional
gender roles A gender role, or sex role, is a social norm deemed appropriate or desirable for individuals based on their gender or sex. Gender roles are usually centered on conceptions of masculinity and femininity. The specifics regarding these gende ...
and questioning
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
identity.


Plot

The orphan Sie Po Giok lives with his uncle, Sie Thian Bie, his uncle's wife, and their seven children at their home in Batavia (now
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
). He is sensitive, well-mannered, and polite, yet feels insecure, and two of his cousins hate him. However, Po Giok can usually confide in Thian Bie's eldest daughter, nine-year-old Kim Nio. One day, he sees Ho Kim Tjiang stealing some
guava Guava ( ), also known as the 'guava-pear', is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava '' Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), nativ ...
s. When Po Giok attempts to accost the older boy, he is threatened into silence. Only after several days does his conscience for Po Giok to tell his uncle about the theft. Thian Bie fires the boy, who begins plotting revenge with his mother. Po Giok, meanwhile, is called a coward for not immediately exposing the perpetrator of the crime. Conflict between Po Giok and his cousin Si Po Houw is exacerbated when the former outperforms the latter at school. In revenge, his cousin steals a '' sawo'' fruit then slips the skin into a window leading to Po Giok's room. Po Giok is accused of having stolen the fruit and punished. The following morning Thian Bie,
hungover A hangover is the experience of various unpleasant physiological and psychological effects usually following the consumption of alcohol, such as wine, beer, and liquor. Hangovers can last for several hours or for more than 24 hours. Typical s ...
from a party the night before, forces Po Giok to pray to his parents then takes a stick of
rattan Rattan, also spelled ratan (from Malay language, Malay: ''rotan''), is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the clos ...
and beats the boy "half dead" when he refuses to admit to the theft. Po Giok collapses, and is unable to attend school; he is further alienated from his adoptive family. Ultimately, Thian Bie learns that Po Houw had stolen the fruit, and as he prepares to hit the boy Po Giok insists that Po Houw not be harmed. Thian Bie agrees, and instead forces his son to eat separately from the family. Po Houw and Po Soeij slowly warm to their cousin as they see his pure heart. Po Giok learns that his long-lost uncle, Tjan Haij Boen, wants to take him as a son. When Haij Boen meets with Po Giok and Thian Bie, they agree that the former will join him in China in several months. However, before this plan can be set into motion Kim Tjiang—long unable to find a job in Batavia owing to his theft—sets fire to the Sie family's home. As Kim Tjiang escapes with some of their valuables, Po Giok rescues Kim Nio from the burning building. They are both severely injured, but survive. At the agreed time, Po Giok goes to China, where he becomes immensely wealthy over the next twenty years.


Writing

''Sie Po Giok'' was written by
Tio Ie Soei Tio Ie Soei (; 22 June 1890 – 20 August 1974; also known by the pen name Tjoa Pit Bak) was a ''peranakan'' Chinese writer and journalist active in the Dutch East Indies and Indonesia. Born in the capital at Batavia (now Jakarta), Tio e ...
, a Batavia-born journalist of
Chinese descent Overseas Chinese people are people of Chinese origin who reside outside Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan). As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese. As of 2023, there were 10.5 million people livin ...
. It was his first novel. The story consists of eighteen chapters and has multiple footnotes in which Tio expands on the content, including one towards the end of the novel which tells the reader the ultimate fates of Thian Bie and his children.


Themes

Sim Chee Cheang of the
Universiti Malaysia Sabah Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS; English: University of Malaysia Sabah) is a public university in Malaysia. It was officially established on 24 November 1994 as the ninth public university in the country. The university is located on a 999-acre ...
categorises ''Sie Po Giok'' as one of several Chinese Malay works which seemingly aimed to "impart morals according to the teachings of
Confucius Confucius (; pinyin: ; ; ), born Kong Qiu (), was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Much of the shared cultural heritage of the Sinosphere originates in the phil ...
" by highlighting the "moral decay" of Chinese in the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
(now Indonesia) and of
Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, Religious Confucianism, religion, theory of government, or way of li ...
to overcome it. She writes that, along with
Thio Tjin Boen Thio Tjin Boen ( zh, t=張振文, p=Zhāng Zhènwén, poj=Tiuⁿ Chín-bûn; 1885–1940) was a Chinese-Indonesian writer of Malay-language fiction and a journalist. Biography Born in Pekalongan, Central Java, in 1885, Thio is recorded as working ...
's '' Tjerita Oeij Se'' (1903), Gouw Peng Liang's '' Lo Fen Koei'' (1903), Oei Soei Tiong's ''Njai Alimah'' (1904), and Hauw San Liang's ''Pembalesan Kedji'' (1907), ''Sie Po Giok'' actually "looked back to the 'past', questioning and critiquing the Chinese past and identity." These themes, according to Sim, are shown through the main characters' ultimately futile attempt to find happiness by applying traditional beliefs. Sim also notes a predominant theme of submissiveness amongst the female characters, a reinforcement of traditional
gender roles A gender role, or sex role, is a social norm deemed appropriate or desirable for individuals based on their gender or sex. Gender roles are usually centered on conceptions of masculinity and femininity. The specifics regarding these gende ...
. She writes that Po Giok's aunt is only seen to prepare food or plead for her husband to stop beating Po Giok. Kim Nio, meanwhile, is only able to support Po Giok emotionally, but cannot protect him physically and is unable to stop her father's beatings or brothers' hatred of the orphan.


Release and reception

''Sie Po Giok'' was first printed as a serial in the Chinese-run daily ''
Sin Po Sinbo () was a minister who served the kings in Gaya confederacy. Queen Mojong who was the second wife of Geodeung of Geumgwan Gaya was his daughter. He served as government officer of Gaya confederacy. In 48, when Heo Hwang-ok came over from I ...
'', where it was a success. The story was then novelised in 1911 (some sources give 1912) and published by Hoa Siang In Giok, a publishing house owned by Tio's in-laws; a second edition was published by Goan Hong & Co. in 1921. In 2000 the book was reprinted, using the
Perfected Spelling System Indonesian orthography refers to the official spelling system used in the Indonesian language. The current system uses the Latin alphabet and is called (EYD), commonly translated as ''Enhanced Spelling'', ''Perfected Spelling'' or ''Improved Spel ...
, in the first volume of ''Kesastraan Melayu Tionghoa dan Kebangsaan Indonesia'', an anthology of Chinese Malay literature. In his history of Chinese Malay literature,
Nio Joe Lan Nio Joe Lan (; also known by the Indonesianised name Junus Nur Arif; 29 December 1904 – 13 February 1973) was a Chinese-Indonesian writer, journalist, and history teacher. Biography Nio was born on 29 December 1904 in Batavia, Dutch Eas ...
wrote that ''Sie Po Giok'' was the only book produced by Chinese writers which was fit for children to read. He notes that Tio made the audience explicit in his foreword, which also included a statement directed at female readers. Other works directed at younger readers were educational ones, such as for studying the alphabet.


Notes


Footnotes


References

* * * * * {{refend 1911 novels Malay-language novels Children's novels Chinese Malay literature 1911 children's books Novels first published in serial form Novels about orphans Children's books set in Indonesia