고려인 문학에 나타난 정체성의 정치 - 양원식 소설을 중심으로

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the characteristics of Korean-Central Asian literature through Yang Won-Sik's novels. Yang Won-Sik represents the type of the 3rd generation among Korean-Central Asian writers' generations. He had to live as a political exile who could not acquire nationality among Korean Diasporas who had to endure disadvantages of a minority race within the former Soviet Union for a considerable time. The reason why we take note of Yang Won-Sik is that he did literary activities with relatively clear artistic sense of identity. His novels maintained critical position on art that becomes political means while standing against socialistic realism. His view of art was not only helpful to grasp the daily life of Korean-Central Asians but also made it possible to have room for interpreting his literary works in diverse ways. Yang Won-sik published his novels on the newspaper of the former Soviet Union, <Lenin Banner>, and in Korea, collection of novels July Shower (2007) was published in the form of a posthumous collection after his death. In the novels contained in this collection, romantic narrations often appear. Among his typical works are Elena and July Shower. In these narrations, the stateless marginal person's attitude to maintain his position while reserving the choice between ‘North Korea’ and ‘the Soviet Union’ is reflected. His novels <Sobakoyed (the race eating dog meat)> and <Green Residence Certificate> in which he describes the racial discrimination he experienced in the former Soviet Union are particularly noteworthy controversial works. In these works, Yang Won-Sik described the life style of Korean-Central Asians as ‘the marginal persons (Korean Diaspora) of the marginal persons (stateless persons).’ <Sobakoyed (the race eating dog meat)> goes toward artistic solution in the imaginary realm while <Green Resident Certificate> embodied the artist's sense of identity enforced by the limitations of social status through substituting concrete events. Yang Won-Sik's novels are worth shedding new light on the aspect of characteristically describing the politics of the identity of Korean-Central Asians. While he described the inner world of young people who came into ethical conflict resulting from the cold war system and North Korean political situations, he embodied the sufferings of Korean Diaspora who had to lead a daily life finishing off the sentiments of Diaspora in conflict with the neighbors. He also showed the appearance of designing catharsis by going through symbolical revenge in the realm of literature through allegorical techniques. The sensitivity of Korean-Central Asians that can be recognized in Yang Won-Sik's literary world is the sense of life that tries to prove one's existence by reserving the choice. This is the survival strategies that the minority takes in the state of political oppression and also the sense of insecurity inherent to Diaspora identity. Yang Won-Sik's novels are meaningful in that they appropriately grasped the characteristic senses of emigrants as ‘reserved or delayed senses.’