역사적 객관화와 은유를 통한 성찰: C. K. 윌리엄스의 「공포」가 9/11 이후의 미국에 던지는 질문

초록

This paper analyzes C. K. Williams's “Fear” as a response to the surge of patriotic sentiment that swept the United States in the aftermath of 9/11. Unlike traditional elegies that focus on mourning and commemorating the victims, “Fear” functions as an anti-elegy, examining the broader social and historical dimensions of the tragedy. Williams draws a compelling parallel between post-9/11 America and late 18th-century England—facing the threat of a French invasion—by quoting Samuel Taylor Coleridge's “Fears in Solitude.” This intertextual reference sets the stage for a critical interrogation of binary oppositions such as “us vs. them” or “victims vs. assailants.” This critique of simplistic binaries is further enhanced by Williams's use of metaphor, particularly his vivid depictions of grackles and cockroaches. Though birds and insects are biologically distinct, Williams highlights their shared patterns of aggression to suggest that violence is not confined to one form or species. While “Fear” does not pinpoint the exact source of fear itself, it warns against the perils of projecting unchecked hatred onto specific ethnic groups and the widespread public endorsement of military retaliation.

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