신자유주의 시대의 혐오발화와 미학적 은유의 응수(應酬)

Abstract

This thesis examines the nature of utterance of disgust in neo-liberalisml society and contemplates a way to overcome the violence of such utterance through aesthetic metaphors used in Iseol Kim’s literary works. Disgust assault is nothing new and, in fact, was central to racism and ideological discourses in the past. Therefore, this study compares the ideological utterance of disgust from the Cold War era to the contemporary disgust assault in this neoliberal era, while looking for a resolution of the violence. The ideological utterances of disgust were carried out by the government authority but the current ones are done at the individual level. The disgust violence now, therefore, is not as pervasive as the utterance of disgust in the past. However, the current utterance of disgust may be more problematic and desperate as it promotes voluntary attacks on social members by other members of the society. Despair caused by utterance of disgust is emotional and such emotional state may be resolved by the application of aesthetic metaphors. Disgust may be explained by the psychology of contamination as one creates an imaginary identity in order to become clear of what is shared with the disgusted who is then attacked because s/he cannot relate to that identity. Aesthetic metaphors may play a critical role here as they break up the imaginary identity by treating the disgust targets with respect and love. This claim is well illustrated in two novels “Seonhwa” and “Hwanyeong” by Iseol Kim. First, Yoonyeong in “Hwanyeong” finds her menstruating body disgustful in the world of sexual objectification but she soon finds a way to free herself from disgusting after she realizes that her body is the restoration of her existence. Meanwhile, in “Seonhwa”, Seonhwa shows a way in which disgust can be overcome through the ambivalence of love and anger. These two novels tell us that disgust depends upon the imaginary identity while the aesthetic metaphors shatter that identity through existentialism of the disgusted.