웹툰 <레사>에서 드러나는 히스테리적 서사: 슬라보예 지젝의 논의를 중심으로

Abstract

The webtoon <Lessa>, serialized on Naver, runs a large-scale narrative from the raids of unknown monsters called "D-Men" to the realm of the gods. In this process, the work asks questions about human existence. At this time, concepts such as ‘God’ and ‘Empty’ are selected as the final place for the question. In other words, the work embodies the fantasies revealed when characters with limitations face something far beyond their limits, and treats them as major conflicts. <Lessa>, which highlights the subject or subjectivity as the central message of the work based on the gap between infinity and finite, is in line with the ethics of psychoanalysis developed by Lacan. The ethics of psychoanalysis is ‘not compromising on desire’, which is related to the crossing of fantasy or the end of the analysis. The crossing of fantasy is not simply related to distinguishing between illusions and facts. Rather, realizing that there is nothing behind fantasy means reaching a meaningless place. But meaninglessness is a preliminary step toward new creation, not nihilism. Based on this, this paper intends to analyze the narrative of <Lessa> as a hysteria analysis procedure. In particular, this is mainly analyzed by referring to Zizek’s discussion. In the confrontation between meaning and meaninglessness, webtoons develop narratives in a way that preserves paradoxes, not canceling one side. Therefore, it can be said that the narrative of the webtoon develops the narrative of antinomy, and it can be said to be a hysterical narrative in that it constantly asks questions about the meaning. Finally, what <Lessa> implies in this dynamic movement is not an accurate answer to the question, but a paradoxical meta-language that supports the struggle for life to continue.