문학작품 속에 나타난 치매서사의 탐구

Abstract

This paper examines the discourse on dementia and memory through the dementia narratives in literary works, pursuits how memory loss is used in them, and explores the meaning, function and role of memory. First of all, this paper attempts to understand general aspects of memory in order to comprehend the dementia narratives in literature. It considers that memory plays a crucial role and function in connecting past, present and future in human life, keeping each person’s identity, and continuing the formation of culture. It also reveals that memory has creative, variable, fluid, and subjective characteristics. Based on such inquiries, it analyzes five works dealing with dementia narratives as major discourses, King Lear, “A Butterfly of Hallucination”, Scar Tissue, Ways of Memory for a Murderer, and “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” In each work, it examines the various uses of memory while analyzing the story of dementia narrative. All works also confirm that memory is the basic and essential element of human life. When suffering from memory loss, it is important for people with dementia who only recognize the present to spend time with dignity. ‘Meaning making’ is important for that. This ‘meaning making’ is best accomplished through memories that have made them enjoyable and proficient throughout their lives. In King Lear, it relates the loss of memory to human dignity, and in "A Butterfly of Hallucination" considers the bondage of memory and forgetting memory. In Scar Tissue, it deals with the musings of memory and the problem of a caregiver. In Ways of Memory for a Murderer, it discusses the fictitiousness and dissolution of memory fixation. It emphasizes that “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” provides the readers with life skills and shows them a positive realistic alternative.