강경애의 『인간문제』 연구 —병과 음식의 메타포를 통한 몸 읽기

Abstract

The body discourse can provide so many useful and salient points of reference in reading Kang, Kyung Ae's 『Ingan Munje(of Human Issues)』(1934), which this article analyses. According to this discourse, the ruling power tries to reduce human being into material body and make the body subordinate to its domination, while human being may pose some objection against the domination via such a body. The novel shows so clearly that the latter process can be represented in this real world. The subject who has properties and/or knowledge can treat the others as the bodies, who, in turn,respond to and challenge such treatment through presentation of the desires that stem from the bodies. Illness and food may constitute the main signals that unveil violent nature of social system and show solemn declaration of being humans who stand against such violence. Kang's novel has made a salient success in these aspects. It depicts secular desires of the female bodies so vividly, from which resisting power to challenge the dominant ruling powers and the ethics of the intercorporéité are firmly secured. The intercorporéité of the novel can make ever changing relationship between the characters, which is leaving apart from competition and conflict and moving toward sympathy and solidarity. It opens small but important possibility of feminized way of resist against de-humanizing powers.