정동 윤리의 문학 텍스트 : 토니 모리슨의 『그 아이에게 신의 가호가 있기를』 (God Help the Child)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore Toni Morrison's recent novel, God Help the Child on the basis of the affect theory. In the affect theory, affect is conceptualized as an interactive dimension including feeling and emotion. Skin color works as negative affect because of skin privileges as a strategy of the white supremacy in American society. It addresses issues of both affect and ethics as each provides a useful mechanism for exploring the other. God Help The Child delineates the journey of Bride's change of perception on skin color from the traumatic life in childhood to the positive life in adulthood affected by other people and environment. Due to her “midnight black” skin color, in her childhood, she is affected by others as a ‘distasteful’ person, in particular, unfairly abandoned by her father and rejected by her light-skinned mother. Her skin color was regarded by others as a ‘negative affect’ of ‘distaste’ including disgust and repulsion. In her adulthood, however, she is positively affected as ‘taste’ of attracting people by standing out her black skin with only white clothes. Becoming a tasteful and happy person affected by others, she establishes self-esteem and builds trust, responsibility and love. By portraying black skin color as positive affect, Toni Morrison shows a new paradigm to change public perception of the Black, emphasizing egalitarianism in a democratic society. In this regard, God Help The Child by Toni Morrison can be read the literary text of affect ethics.