가족과 자신에게 바치는 헌사: 올컷의 ｢초월주의의 야생 귀리｣에 나타난 이상과 현실의 조율

초록

Louisa May Alcott’s “Transcendental Wild Oats” has been read as a cynical caricature of the father figure, as it is a satiric portrayal of the Fruitlands, the utopian community project founded by her father, Bronson Amos Alcott. However, considering the fact that the work was completed after almost 30 years since her experience, Alcott, who had then attained a status of a successful writer, gives a detached picture of the participation in the utopian experiment. In this vein, this paper analyzes how “Transcendental Wild Oats” can be read as a story which provided Alcott with a first-hand experience about the conflict between ideal and reality. Later on, in face with the hard issue of mediating between ideal and reality throughout her life, Alcott succeeded in fulfilling her aspiration for writing as well as in faithfully doing the duty to the family with her unceasing financial support. As such, “Transcendental Wild Oats” can be read as a tribute to the family and herself.

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