박지리의 『맨홀』에서 본 장소감과 장소 상실

Abstract

In this research, Park Ji-ri’s work, “Manhole,” is examined from the perspective of a sense of place and placelessness. Park Ji-ri was born in 1985 and debuted in 2010 by winning the “Sakyejul Literary Award” from Sakyejul Publishing. Her works vividly express the inner senses of adolescents, and in particular, they closely capture the painful inner lives of psychologically isolated adolescents. Her works show that adolescent novels cannot be lumped together as bildungsroman novels. The protagonist of “Manhole” also fails to grow up. Rather, he escapes from opportunities to enter existing society several times and ultimately reaches a self-destructive conclusion. Based on the space theory of Yi-Fu Tuan and Edward Ralph, a “house” is the fundamental center of human existence and the foundation of human existence. A “house” is the most concrete and intimate place, and it is the center that allows one to feel a true sense of place. However, the “house” in “Manhole” is a place where one cannot gain a sense of place. The father’s extreme violence deprives the family of a sense of place that they can get from their house. The protagonist, who cannot get a sense of place at home, is in an unstable psychological state where he cannot form comfortable relationships even outside. The father’s violence deprives not only his family but also himself of a sense of place. The protagonist feels a sense of place in a ‘manhole’ to escape his father, but it is not permanent. The sense of place he feels in ‘the sofa by the river’ and ‘Hee-ju’s house’ is also temporary. The placelessness that the protagonist feels eventually leads to murder, and furthermore, to the result of cutting off all of his relationships. Thinking of the hole that the protagonist is absorbed in at the care facility also leads to the conclusion of the annihilation of existence.