『고딕 이야기들』에 나타난 가부장적 종교와 희생되는 ‘마녀’들: 「클레어 수녀원」과 「마녀 로이스」를 중심으로

초록

This paper aims at analyzing two stories in Elizabeth Gaskell’s Gothic Tales, focusing on the struggles of female characters oppressed by patriarchal society. Feminist critics claim that the tales foreground the ways in which females are victimized by males at both domestic and social levels. Especially, Gaskell’s rationalistic ideas, influenced by unitarianism, enable her to investigate the religious communities’ patriarchal control over women. Some of the stories trace the tragic lives of women who face death after they are singled out as ‘witches.’ In “Poor Clare,” although Sir Gisborne’s careless behavior is the main source of evil, Bridget’s ultimate death through starvation attests to her sacrifice as a ‘witch,’ who has the potential to threaten the patriarchal order. “Lois the Witch” depicts the scenes of witch hunting and reveals the ways in which this collective madness victimizes ‘other’ in order to maintain the stability of the religious community. Both of these two stories employ narrators who sympathize with the sacrificed female characters, but they do not show their critical attitude toward the patriarchal religions in an overt manner. Rather, the narrators invite the readers to meditate on the traumatic events and feel the need to construct a healthier community.

키워드