김동리 소설과 화개 －「역마(驛馬)」에 대한 새로운 해석을 중심으로－

Abstract

We have examined meaning and role of Hwagae in Kim Dong-ri's four novels laid in Hwagae. Hwagae in Kim Dong-ri's novels can be separated into two sceneries；Hwagae(화개) as social a background and Hwagaeggol(화갯골) as a natural background. Social background, Hwagae is the place where desire for settlement and the thought that settlement is the desirable value rules and ordinary ethical codes controls. those thoughts, desire and ethical codes sometimes work as suppressing methods that give pain to the villagers and sometimes engrave deep Han(한) on villagers hearts. In this respect, Hwagae is scenery of suppression and lack. Hwagaeggol(화갯골) which is natural scenery is, in contrast, the ideal place with freedom and satisfaction where people are free from restriction of those thought and desire. Characters get hurt from reality of suppression and lack of Hwagae can recover by harmonizing with nature of freedom and satisfaction. Though Kim Dong-ri separated social scenery and natural scenery, he is not trapped in rigid dichotomy of affirming one and denying the other. He tried to understand it by examining both inside and outside of ‘Life’ carried on by the world consisting natural and social scenery. Of course the author's ultimate aim is, as all Kim Dong-ri's literature is, to escape from the social scenery which is the place of suppression and lack and harmonize with natural scenery which is the place of freedom and satisfaction. But the important fact is that this aim is not based on denial of social scenery and the life carried on in the scenery. In middle, high school and college literature classes we usually define 「역마」, the masterpiece of these four novels, as world of amor fati(운명애). It is not wrong but also no right, because amor fati is just one of many faces. Literary works are complex being which have many aspects. As yet our literary education has not reflected this general property enough. Kim Dong-ri's four novels with background of Hwagae make us reflect our reality of literary education.