‘저층문학’의 공동체 상상 ― 曹征路의 「那兒」을 중심으로

Abstract

Nar (There/International), which is written by Cao Zhenglu in2004, is named as the beginning of Diceng (Lower) Literature incontemporary Chinese literature. This article reexamines thesignificance of text, Nar, reconstructing the context of how the textbecomes the problematics in Chinese literature sphere since 2000s. Tracing discussion on the “new leftist” literature regarding Nar, Idiscover that the problem, which pros and cons were considered as,shows particular perspective to interpret text in a different andnew way. The point that debates miss is that fact this text raisesa question on Chinese reality and literature, while the pros andcons regard it as an “answer” to the reality and literature inChina. The issue focuses on how character’s failure in narrative isviewed. Specifically the critics consider it as the writer’s incapacityand failure in narrative. But I suggest another kind ofinterpretation on the character’s failure. It is clear that the character’s trace reveals reality that worker tries to resist to thechanged circumstance around Chinese worker since restructure ofnation-owned company, but an existing resistance way of workersdoes not effect any more. The resistance is not successful and thecommunity is deconstruct, but not complete/recovery in narrative. Itis important that workers’ resistance in the text does not articulatehope and perspective easily and directly. I emphasize that theprocess, the character’s failure and the collapse of existingcommunity, is the point that text would narrate throughout thestory. I suggest to turn critics’ attention to character’s failure intospecific thoughts on community. The text is reinterpreted as aninquiry on community. It raises a question whether and how thecommunity can be possible since post-socialist China. Reviewing thetext carefully, we discover that narrative itself experiences andthinks the “limit” of resistance that main character Zhu Weiguo,the leader of workers union, performs. Zhu’s suicide is chosen byprocess of drawing back from his concept of representative forworkers and moving forward “us” beyond himself. Consequently, Itis not suitable that text is viewed as promotion of communitydeconstruction. Zhu and his colleague workers escape all of theproject regarding perfection of community and let an existingcommunity incomplete. And they are waiting for coming communityas the narrative shows in conclusion. It is another narrativeversion of community possibility. Through registering narrativeabout failure, narrative specifically shows the way and possibility,that imagines and practices future and different community againstfailure of the existing community. In other words, it is posit asliterature that revitalizes thoughts on community.