일제말 ‘만주(국)의 근대’에 대한 식민지 지식인의 내면풍경-유진오의 「신경」과 이효석의 「하얼빈」을 중심으로-

Abstract

Manchuria was an independent nation, and an unofficial colony of the Japanese Imperialism. Due to its combined nature of a nation-state, Manchuria’s international open policy and characteristics of a post-nation -state was the object of attraction to the colonial intellectuals experiencing still more acceleration of despotism of the fascist system at the end of 1930s. Yu Jin-o’s 「Shinjing(신경)」 and Lee Hyo-Seok’s 「Harbin(하얼빈)」 are outstanding works that realistically disclose the inner prospect of those colonial intellectuals. The two works with Manchuria’s main cities, Shinjing and Harbin, for the backgrounds superficially take the prospect from the Japanese Imperialism, as do most works during the period. Both works read, in common, Japan’s inquisitiveness toward East Asian modernization and the admiration of it. Nonetheless, they cannot merely be taken to reflect ‘colonialist unconsciousness’; that is, a projection of the colonized nation’s consciousness. On the contrary, the works expose a narrative attitude of roundabout criticism on the problems of Japan’s colonialist administration of Manchuria. Manchuria’s modernization which is considered a different sort of colonialist administration from Joseon has been witnessed not being taken on a sound status and, hence, brought up a new subjectivity (Yu Jin-o’s 「Shinjing(신경)」) and it reveals pathos and a skeptical attitude toward the manifestation of melancholy modernization (Lee Hyo-Seok’s 「Harbin(하얼빈)」). The colonial intellectual’s inner prospect is not indiscriminately buried by the new order in East Asia under the fascist system which still more accelerates in the end of the Japanese Imperialism. Instead, it demonstrates the intellectual’s perplexities while trying to secure a critical position. It is, however, pathetic the perplexity is not exposed in the midst of the confrontation with Joseon’s concrete reality, but with the reality in Manchura, a nation with conspicuously different colonialist administration from Joseon. What is important is, however, not whether it is Joseon or Manchuria. The intellectual’s inner prospect revealing a position in order not to be blind-folded, while witnessing a pursue for Japan-oriented modernization perseverance (criticizing the modernization of the West) by way of The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere and Universal Brotherhood (hakkouichiu), can only be a precious narrative asset.