류드밀라 울리쯔까야 『메데이아와 그녀의 아이들』고찰 - 신화의 변형과 새로 쓰기

Abstract

Through the interview with radio program, <Echo of Moscow> in October 7, 2000, Ulitskaja mentioned that the most important thing of creation is human's unconsciousness, psychological difference between man and woman and discrimination of writing based on them. It means that Ulitskaja's works are based on unique sensibility of woman and use womanish factors and woman-concerned problem for main motive and theme of work. The study researches womanish factor and its core theme shown in Ulitskaja's work by analyzing 『Medeia and her children』, which is one of representative full-length novel of Ulitskaja. As the title shows incest of myth,『Medeia and her children』selects ‘Medeia’, who is the person of Greek myth, as motive and creates new ‘Medeia’ by changing its shape. It is not different from rewriting of ‘Medeia’ myth. Redefinition of Medeia's distorted shape, which was underestimated in the change process from matriarchy to patriarchy, plays the role of basic motive in myth rewriting. Ulitskaja emphasizes her original image and property of cure and ingenuity by overturning the form of Medeia, which was transformed into evil woman in Greek myth, and creating Medeia with the property of forgiveness, settlement and great mother. Ulitskaja's work shall be understood from the critic position resisting patriarchic ideology contained in myth by reinterpreting the myth based on patriarchic logic with the viewpoint of feminism. However, 'critic distance' between Ulitskaja's work and myth are not concluded only with criticism for or resistance against patriarchic ideology. The writer reminds us of the meaning of 'mother', who becomes the symbol of origin and rest in human's consciousness, by changing Medeia of myth, who is a avenge incarnate and heartless enough to kill her son, into great mental mother regardless of blood relative and order incarnate, who changes betrayal into forgiveness. ‘Mother’ is a escape gate that meets internal desire to search for real rest in the modern society, which is filled with extreme egoism and isolation and is insensitive to morality, and she is a welcome rain that moistens desolate, exhausted mental world. In conclusion, Ulitskaja probes the meaning of Medeia's life providing peace and rest through the work. It means the creation of new myth representing real human love that is enough to forgive self as well as others in the irrational, immoral chaos life, which is created by evil desire of human. Moreover, Ulitskaja's work delivers the message that reproduction of new myth from the social aspect can be performed by the individuals, who participate in the efforts for forgiveness and settlement voluntarily.