해방이후 전체주의와 조지 오웰 소설의 오독

Abstract

This article discusses the process of the reception of George Orwell’s novels in Korea after its National Liberation. George Orwell, who advocated democratic socialism, accused totalitarianism of its limping with his novels Animal Farm and 1984 in the form of allegory. Orwell’s negation of totalitarianism was translated into that of despotism with the simplification of the theme in South Korean society after its National Liberation. As a result, his novels turned into anti-communist novels against communist regimes including Il-seong Kim’s and Stalin’s despotic ruling. Animal Farm was translated and published in October 1948. Translated by Gil-jun Kim, a bureaucrat of the Ministry of Information, it was used as a means for political correction. With its foundation in 1948, the South Korean government translated and published this work for the purpose of accusing communism of its limping and expressing the justice of the democracy-oriented rightist government. In 1949, the contents of 1984 were presented in the form of cartoon in a popular daily newspaper. Though it was unusual to quickly introduce Orwell’s new work, this also remained accusing communist society of its extreme limping with a stimulating image (‘hatred for two minutes’). Although 1984 published three publishing company in 1950s, a translator is same. I guess 1984 was first translated by Man-sik Ra by the 1950s. According to the forward written in March 1950, the translator had read this book due to his own individual critical mind, and translated it though having difficulty getting his hands on it. Though he shared Orwell’s life and critical viewpoints, the translator was not able to read the allegory of the totalitarianism that were contemporarily prevailing since he thought of this work as a ‘future that never happened.’ The blind reflection (misunderstanding) on George Orwell’s novels in Korea after its National Liberation is involved in totalitarianism. As a result they were insensible of the spread of Ilminjuuy (Ideology of One Nation), another form of totalitarianism appearing in 1949.