뿌리뽑힌 자들의 공통감각과 정서적 유대 ─황석영의 「삼포 가는 길」, 「돼지꿈」을 중심으로─

Abstract

In both novels, “The Road to Sampo” and “A Pig Dream,” the main characters share a common theme of losing stable homes and jobs while experiencing a newfound sense of belonging to a community through shared experiences and senses. Those who were uprooted during the industrialization process of the 1970s possess a nomadic identity, living on the road, which makes it difficult for them to establish a fixed sense of belonging or group identity from a traditional community perspective. It is not desirable to exclude or define the dissolution of community solely based on the fluid nature of these individuals' origins, place of residence, or employment status from an exclusive viewpoint. Therefore, one must move away from the perspective of viewing the collective consciousness or community identity of the characters in the works as inherent limitations without a desire to overcome them in reality. In “The Road to Sampo,” a community of relationships is formed based on ethical communication when the characters on the road acknowledge and share each other's lives and emotions. The narrative journey of solidarity among the characters in harsh and cold winter conditions constitutes the central narrative of the novel. The existence of the displaced people inevitably leads them to live as floating entities, constantly being swept away by circumstances. However, author Hwang Suk-young portrays the encounters of uprooted individuals with a nomadic identity as a shared journey and emphasizes the ethical community as they mutually recognize each other's personalities. Similarly, in “A Pig Dream,” resilient vitality is depicted with a sense of sensibility, and the bonds of the lower-class people are portrayed around the vacant lot. The residents of Eighty Street, the main narrative space, live in a territory where they do not know when they will be evicted and cannot assert ownership. However, within this territory, they form relationships and share their daily lives. Despite struggling to make a living day by day, the slum dwellers do not lose their vitality. Through the shared culture derived from the vacant lot, the bond of affection is formed, symbolizing the survival instincts of the people and confirming their dynamic life force, like a flame.