『클라우드 나인』에 나타나는 해체적인 성담론 연구

Abstract

Caryl Churchill is one of the representative playwrights whose major concern is to bring the feminist issues to the fore. She has worked with some experimental theatre groups to enlighten the under-privileged women of lower class. Consequently, her stage is an arena where women can become aware of the truth that the various suppressions on them are political and social issues derived from the patriarchal ideology. In addition, Churchill excels other feminist playwrights in that she extends the focus from feminist issue to other related ones. For example, she deals with many other minority groups such as the colored people, and homosexuals on her stage so that the audience has to face different kinds of social injustice practiced on the weak and vulnerable groups of people. Cloud Nine is a good example that shows Churchill's characteristic attempts on stage. One major issue in Cloud Nine is an innovative idea of sexuality. Many characters of the play are liberated from the traditional, binary distinction of sexuality: man/woman, or heterosexual/homosexual, marriage/single. Instead, the characters transform their sexuality according to the change of social or political situations and/or their emotional feelings. As a result, the audience can experience the speedily changing and amorphous aspects of sexuality, which is defined as "plastic sexuality" by Anthony Giddens, a well-known social scientist. By analyzing the play with the new concept of the “plastic sexality,” Churchill effectively attacks the falsehood and injustice exerted on the minority groups by the patriarchal ideologies.