백인담론과 모세: 독백적인 사회에 대한 저항

Abstract

Doris Lessing’s first novel The Grass is Singing portrays an oppressive white society. This social environment reflects the monologic world. The novel is set in Southern Africa in the early 20th century. In this work Lessing uses the things that she experienced in Southern Africa. At this time, Southern Africa was a monologic society. Power was passed down paternally from generation to generation and was held only by the white people. Having settled in Southern Africa since the late 19th century, the whites enforced laws against the black people and used every means to take advantage of their labor under the excuse of the progress of the nation. They built a paradise for themselves by oppressing the natives. Thus, this paper focuses on white discourses and Moses who is the native has the resistance of white civilization. Superficially this novel seems to deal mainly with racial problems, however a more important point, is that it is concerned with a radical human problem. The world that Lessing aims at is not a monologic society but a society in which opposite elements can coexist. In this work, she criticizes the oppression by racism and emphasizes communicative relationship that respects the equality and features of every social member on the basis of humanity. In such a way, this study shows Lessing’s hope for a communicative society while picturing a tragic ending and Moses’ resistance of the monologic society.