김중혁 소설에 나타난 죽음의 의미 연구

초록

This paper examined the meaning of death portrayed in Kim Jung-hyuk’s novels. Kim Jung-hyeok made his debut as a writer in 2000 by publishing a short story “Penguin News” in the magazine “Literature and Society”. Since then, he has continued to write prolifically, showing interest in various fields. In particular, he has repeatedly reflected on the meaning of ‘death’ since the 2010s. In this paper, the awareness of ‘death’ was analyzed with a focus on several full-length novels by Kim Jung-hyeok. How death was embodied in his novels were examined, and the meaning of death in human life was explored. The meaning of death, which approaches human life in the form of experiencing the death of someone else, is created particularly in relationships with others following the death. A contemplation on specific causes and results in relation to death appear in various ways in the writer’s various works. In his novels, Kim Jung-hyeok continues to talk about the point that it is impossible to fully understand the meaning of death without being responsive to the death of others. The death of others affects my identity, and at the same time, contributes to determining my way of life. His work “Zombies” shows his awareness of the cycle of death and life through encounters with zombies that are neither alive nor dead. In “Your Shadow is Monday” and “Deleter”, he ponders the question of how the dead and the remaining people perceive what is remembered and dissipated after death, and as a result, how the life after death is changed and formed. In “I am a joke”, he explores another way to endure death, the greatest tragedy of life, through the images of people who have left their awareness of death in the form of endless jokes, stories, and voices. As this show, exploring the meaning of death exhibited in Kim Jung-hyeok’s novels is a problematic point that runs through his entire world as a writer. Moreover, it is significant as a serious thematic awareness in modern Korean novels of the 21st century.

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