이념적 진정성의 시대와 원죄의식의 내면 ― 1980년대 이문열 소설의 존재방식과 텍스트의 이중성

Abstract

This study is focused on the autobiographical novels written by Yi Mun-yol in the1980s. This author is known for being an opponent against the left-leaning activists whoparticipated in the democratic movement. As such he came to be viewed as someone likea spokesman for the conservative party, and critics interpreted his novels as the productof his political perspective. Many critics thought the author’s works bear an antipathy forsocialism on the account of his family’s history. The author’s father defected to NorthKorea, abandoning his family in South Korea, and so he and his family had to suffer politicalrepression. This study has dealt with two points : the first one is about the generational role of hisworks in the period of the democratic movement, the second one is about the ambivalencethat envelopes his works. It was his view that the democratic movement is just ‘agenerational fashion’ or ‘psuedo-ideology’. His view was a reflection of the concealedanxiety of the ideologues who held such strong beliefs. Since ideal beliefs do not necessarilylead to action, ideologues are often afraid that their ideas are only ideas. Also hisworks seemingly show a paradox in which the distrust of political rhetoric and the beliefin political participation both coexisted. In particular, his rhetoric about the politicalthemes is accompanied by an ambivalence between fear and longing. This study has analyzedthe textual dualism of both paradox and ambivalence in his works. And this dualismcan be interpreted as he did try to transcend the issues as a critic but couldn’t helpbut get bogged down by his age.