박완서 소설 『서있는 여자』의 젠더 지리학과 정체성 탐색

Abstract

This paper tries to explore what underlies the changing or unchanging ‘identity’ of characters from the perspective of gender geography. The exploration of 『The Standing Woman』 from that perspective may be briefed as search for ‘traces’ that imply how Yeon-ji, Gyeong-sook and professor Hah experience space and how their perceptions change. The main character of the novel, Yeonji forms her identity between her father and mother in her ‘original space’, that is, her real family’s home. Decisively mediating that formation is her father or professor Hah’s study. Professor Hah’s space lies in a “study” and a “research room” both of which reveals the ‘topology of his existence’. In the novel, his space greatly influences his wife Gyeong-sook and Yeon-ji rather than himself. That space is an inactive area that reveals his existential topology and misfortune. There’s harmony between the professor, his study and his topology(authority). Throughout the novel, his space and life coincides with each other, and he doesn’t experience such identity confusion. Mrs. Gyeong-sook’s space is seen moving and floating. It is revealed by ‘the story of a divorced woman’s pilgrimage’ that might be so-called ‘geography of fear’. She has lived as the wife of professor Hah ever since marriage. She decorates his space and just wants to integrate herself to it. However, her existence is almost rooted out by the husband’s notice of divorce. Ironically, her space is uncertain even at her home as a gender space. She makes a pilgrimage between ‘Dr. Park’s home’ and ‘Eun-seon’s home’. Rather than understanding them, however, Gyeong-sook reassures her unchangeable identity as ‘the wife of professor Hah’ and ‘a housewife’. Finally, she judges the place where she can stay is only her home, and returns there. Yeon-ji’s space is complex. Keeping in mind her ideal towards a ‘garret’ and longing for a ‘study’, Yeon-ji makes her space in a ‘leased apartment’ after marriage. She still goes to work as she watches out herself not to be just satisfied at life as a housewife. For her ideal and future, Yeon-ji chooses to live as a housewife and working woman. But in reality, her marriage life is just a double whammy to her. Cheol-min who is patriarchal has a desire to rule Yeon-ji’s body(womb). He puts violence on her who chooses abortion on her own will. At work as a gender regime, she is heavily pressed by vigilance and demands that are put on married women. Her painful marriage life makes ends due to Cheol-min’s cheating on her. Yeon-ji restructures the leased apartment into a space of her own, and decides to live a life in a way that she truly wants. She pursues her identity as ‘being myself’ that is differentiated.