농촌의 해체와 재형성 -이문구의 『우리 동네』를 중심으로-

Abstract

“Uri dongne” is a series of novels by Lee Mun-gu. This novel is evaluated as a representative rural novel set in rural areas in the late 1970s. This thesis proceeds from the fact that “Uri dongne” reproduces the reality, problems, and social customs of rural areas. In other words, it starts from the viewpoint that this novel reaffirms the identity of rural (farmers) in the modernization period and reveals the reformation of a newly created rural community. To this end, it expands the perspective from the existing research perspective from the layer of confrontation between urban and rural areas. Through this, this thesis tried to focus on the rural landscape, farmers' consciousness and attitude, and rural space itself facing the inevitable modernization process revealed in the novel. The rural areas of “Uri dongne” are far from a kinship-centered, self-sufficient traditional society in which agricultural production is internally consumed, or a idyllic living space amidst the bountiful nature. As farmers lose their topophilia to the countryside, the change of farmland to other uses means the destruction of the place, or the loss of the place. Spaces where farmland has disappeared due to urbanization and redevelopment will lose their identity as rural areas. Like this, the process of change and dismantling of rural areas shown in “Uri dongne” asks us to look back at the identity of rural areas (farmers). The rural (farmers) identity is revealed through the process of mixing urban culture with rural culture. Urban culture brought material abundance and convenience of modern culture to rural areas, as well as pressure and control according to the domination of economic logic. This soon reveals the need for farmers to have household and rural economic knowledge. In particular, the deprivation of the farmers' right to make independent decisions, represented by the deprived right to choose seeds, shows that the restoration of this independent decision rights is one of the key components of farmers' identity. “Uri dongne” shows what the requirements of rural and farmers identity are revealed by heterogeneous and negative forces. Through their integration, a new rural and farmers identity is revealed. In other words, “Uri dongne” not only reproduces the rural problems faced by rural areas during the modernization period, but also reaffirms the identity of rural areas in the process. And through this, it shows the reformation of rural communities that will be newly restructured after modernization. This rural community is different from the community in which sacrifices for the benefit and development of the group were circulated in the past. This rural community will build a form of community based on individual interests and respect for individuality.