존 스타인벡의 「국화」와 「뱀」에 나타난 성 이미저리
Sexual Imagery in John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” and “The Snake”
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This paper is a study of the sexual imagery in John Steinbeck's “The Chrysanthemums” and “The Snake.” These two works are entirely different from the previous works of Steinbeck. Just as the titles of “The Chrysanthemums” and “The Snake” strongly imply, the two stories are rich in sexual imagery. Therefore, to those readers who are familiar only with his previous social novels, these two stories show a surprisingly new horizon in his literary world. Sexual imagery in “The Chrysanthemums” is not outspoken, but suggested. The chrysanthemum stalks resemble phalluses and Elisa's inserting the “little crisp shoots” into the furrows of earth suggests coitus. Elisa's voice grew husky and her breasts swelled passionately, and she crouched low like a fawning dog. Sexual imagery in “The Snake” develops from when the woman searches for a male snake, which was identified as male because Dr. Phillips found him copulating with a smaller one. Watching the snake approach the rat, her body was crouched and stiff like when she was excited. Before the male snake eats the rat, he touches the body all over with his chin, which seemed to measure the body and kiss it. The message the author wishes to deliver through “The Chrysanthemums” and “The Snake” may be to show a variety and exquisiteness of imagery. But the true message that the author infers through Elisa and the snake-like woman is that female characters no longer serve only as the object of sexual desire but equally as the subject of the desire.
Abstract
This paper is a study of the sexual imagery in John Steinbeck's “The Chrysanthemums” and “The Snake.” These two works are entirely different from the previous works of Steinbeck. Just as the titles of “The Chrysanthemums” and “The Snake” strongly imply, the two stories are rich in sexual imagery. Therefore, to those readers who are familiar only with his previous social novels, these two stories show a surprisingly new horizon in his literary world. Sexual imagery in “The Chrysanthemums” is not outspoken, but suggested. The chrysanthemum stalks resemble phalluses and Elisa's inserting the “little crisp shoots” into the furrows of earth suggests coitus. Elisa's voice grew husky and her breasts swelled passionately, and she crouched low like a fawning dog. Sexual imagery in “The Snake” develops from when the woman searches for a male snake, which was identified as male because Dr. Phillips found him copulating with a smaller one. Watching the snake approach the rat, her body was crouched and stiff like when she was excited. Before the male snake eats the rat, he touches the body all over with his chin, which seemed to measure the body and kiss it. The message the author wishes to deliver through “The Chrysanthemums” and “The Snake” may be to show a variety and exquisiteness of imagery. But the true message that the author infers through Elisa and the snake-like woman is that female characters no longer serve only as the object of sexual desire but equally as the subject of the desire.
참고문헌 (18)
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