‘문학 특집’이라는 식민지적 접촉의 위상학 -「朝鮮ㆍ台湾ㆍ中国新鋭作家集)」(1936.1)과 「朝鮮現代作家特輯」(1937.2)을 중심으로-

Abstract

In the middle of 1930’s, the proletarian literatures were undergoing conversions, the print capitalism was emerging and the imperial censorship was strictly imposed. Under the harsh circumstances, Bungaku annai [Literary guide] carried special literary issues. I examine the works in them with the focus on colonial contacts. I notice the different ways in which the works in them adopted the strategies for introducing themselves to the imperial world, while comparing the original versions with the translated ones. Besides, I look into the temporal space in which Chosŏn and Taiwan interiorized imperial literatures by implicating each other and twisted or foiled them at the same time. Firstly, Bungaku annai aimed to produce and publish literary works created by laboring masses. It contained the section called “Antenna” which carried the readers’ opinions, which complied with the magazine’s plan. Thus, I deal with the sections to understand the nature and goals of the magazine. Secondly, I show the processes in which the magazine designed the introductory sections for the colonial literature, based on popularity free from the ideological code of proletarian literature, the criticism against print capitalism and the creativity stemming from the laboring masses despite the harsh imposition of censorship. The introductory section named “Fresh Report”, which began in October, 1935, developed into “The Collection of New Writers from Chosŏn, Taiwan and China,” which appeared in January, 1935 and “The Special Issue of Contemporary Writers from Chosŏn,” in February, 1937. I consider the development and transitions in the light of the relationships between China, Taiwan and Chosŏn, with a critical discussion about the way how they implicated, compared and stratified one another. Thirdly, the works in “The Collection of New Writers from Chosŏn, Taiwan and China” have their original versions and translated ones. Comparison between the two versions brings to light the way how the writers strategically utilized the chances to be introduced to the imperial literary world, and their criticism against capitalism, colonialism and modernity which they fostered in their inner minds. I suggest the logics and strategies the Taiwanese and Chosŏn writers shared in common through making comparisons. Fourthly, there appeared “The Special Issue of Chosŏn Literature” in the magazine Bungei [Literary arts] in July, 1940. It clearly shows the characteristic features in the early 1940’s, when the language, together with themes, was beginning to be incorporated into the imperial world and, thus, the “Chosŏn” was “absent” from the colonial literary special issue. Then, writers were forced to write only in Japanese, whereas they, in the former days, could write in Korean and translate in Japanese. Here, they changed their strategies to represent their thoughts in the imperial literary situation. I treat the changing tactics they employed. Taiwan Kōron [Taiwan opinion], which interiorized imperial literary systems, carried “The Special Chosŏn Issue,” in December, 1943. None of the Chosŏn writers, ironically, participated in arranging the Issue. However, Taiwan writers expressed their strong colonial emotions like competitiveness, empathy, jealousy and others toward the Chosŏn literature and culture. By carefully looking into the Issue, I reify the colonial contacts and the relationships between Taiwan and Chosŏn. What is remarkable here are the situations in which the victims of imperialist’s violence sold out their suffering experiences (or imparting their information) to the metropole of the empire which inflicted damages on them and the situations in which the intellectuals in the diaspora resisted the centrality the metropole suggests and at the same time they interiorized the empire. Now we ask a question how they appropriate or avoid them. I examine them in terms of the relations between the colonizer and colonized as well as between the colonized themselves. Together with them, I discuss the strategies the writers made use of when they translated their works into Japanese and expound their literary logics while deflecting the imperialist’s intents.