‘전태일’의 이름으로 문학을 한다는 것－1980년대 전태일문학상의 주체와 양식의 문제를 중심으로

Abstract

This paper discusses the 1980s ‘Jeon Tae-il Literary Award’ as an important object in the study of labor literature and labor writing. This paper analyzes the subjects, genres, and cultural background surrounding of the Award. Various people―who belong to union or workers’ literary clubs, writers who has a progressive ideas, and students, etc.―participated in this award as a subject of writing. Also ‘Jeon Tae-il Literary Award’ tried to form a nationwide field of working class writing through various attempts such as the “Proletarian Literature Night” and the publication of the “Workers Literature News”. The fact that life-writing of working class and report of struggle that cannot be found in other literary awards have become the awarding sections shows the uniqueness of ‘Jeon Tae-il Literary Award’. These two genres existed as workers became the subject of writing themselves and played a role of revealing workers life and struggles as socially meaningful events. On the other hand, novels were often recognized as exclusives of intellectuals. But the novels in the Award were created in close connection with the development of the actual labor movement. The ultimate goal of these novels was to inform the world of the reality of workers' lives and struggles and to change this society. These facts indicate that ‘Jeon Tae-il Literary Award’ sought literature that workers could write and read about their reality for themselves, and supported literature that contributed to changing reality based on the life and struggle of workers. And only such literatures could be placed next to Jeon Tae-il's name.