장용학 「원형의 전설」의 서사와 신화적 장면들

Abstract

「Legend of circularity」 written by Jang Yong-hak is included to an unique work where strong material of incest is combined to symbol and speculative writing style in Korean literary history. Ending of the work has been receiving attention from many critics - the novel ends in ‘extinction’ of a figure who went beyond existence and non-existence. This writing sees that 「legend of circularity」 is a travel for becoming messiah from human through extinction of Lee Jang as a hero in the novel. The writing explores the state of ecstasy, illusion, and position of narrator as factors of narrative that encourages such ending. State of ecstasy and illusion work as revelation for destiny to Lee Jang. Lee Jang always hesitates between two choices and puts off decision. But while he wondered what to do between going to North Korea and An Ji-ya, he experienced a state of ecstasy through sudden accident as if he sees another world. The world called ‘four dimensional world’ makes Lee Jang go to a cave together with An Ji-ya. There, he commits incest crime and at last, faces death called extinction. And illusions of six times make reveal truth and direction to go forward for Lee Jang. Illusion lets him know identity of father. Method to escape from the cave was originated from a dream. On the other hand, the narrator who leads Lee Jang to the state of ecstasy and illusion is an existence like god that looks down him from time after fall of human race. Narrator in the novel overwhelms inner side of a figure in each scene of thinking of the figure and lets agony become one for mankind. Such overwhelming eye assesses a figure's behavior and even thinking, and makes a figure an allegory. But 「legend of circularity」 is ‘human myth’ that intends to recover meaning of human existence by not selecting anything and a youth novel where a story is passionately developed towards a stage going beyond present world. And this novel is a rare work where attractive distortion is created in the narrative and novel space as mythical scenes are intruded into the novel.