오키나와문학 속의 오키나와여성 - ‘류큐신보단편소설상’ 수상작을 중심으로 -

Abstract

This paper examines how Okinawa women are described in the Ryukyu short story prize winner. It considers how Okinawa women are depicted mainly in six novels that set women as a main character among works from the first prizewinning novel (1973) to the 30th prizewinning novel (2002). It also explains in a specific way how women writers and men writers are different in using the emblem of Okinawa women and analyzes how the difference of the emblem can be interpreted. Okinawa is a place where patriarchal perception still remains due to an old tradition and custom. However, due to the women's lRecently, active research has been devoted to Okinawa literature, but it has been researched mainly by writers repiberation movement that has started since the 1970s, the wind of change began to blow even in Okinawa. Since the 1970s, the characters of novels have begun to refuse the oppression and change to an autonomous disposition despite oppression and discrimination in patriarchy and represent an independent woman by breaking a fixed idea about women gender. In the six novels that set woman as a motif, various types of mother figures can be observed. In particular, a woman repressed under patriarchy and a woman conceiving a boy is depicted in contrast. The feudal custom, a male direct succession system in Okinawa, has a tremendous influence on women's status, and a floating emblem of women is also applied in describing a mother. Both men and women writers are common in describing Okinawa women as minorities who are oppressed and excluded in a society. However, from the perspective of women, women have been repressed by men, but feminism is a prerequisite for the autonomous change that is contrary to power or discourse. From the viewpoint of men writers, only feminity which refers to beauty of women is expressed as the most important keyword, and women are mystified. Only 'sex' of women has value. Also, they idealize women who are oppressed in the patriarchal society or use women as a tool for representing problems facing Okinawa.