코리안 아메리칸 작가 김영교의 문학:세 가지 층위의 글쓰기를 중심으로

Abstract

Kim Young Kyo(1941~) is a renown Korean-American poet and essayist. She had emigrated to Los Angeles (CA, USA) in 1964 to study. She then got married to Kim Tae Hoon and settled down in Torrance. She is a 1st generation immigrant. She has written poems and essays with Korean letters, Han-guel. Her literature had been awarded numerous highly-esteemed literary awards. The purpose of this article is to develop a theory on Kim Young Kyo's literary works since most of the research on her literature have been expository writing till now. This article examines Kim's literature by focusing on 3 parts: inner introspection, interaction with neighbors, and talking to God. The part of the inner introspection in her literature was revealed by the loneliness of a cancer patient, isolation of the immigrator, and self-reflection and repentance. The part of the interaction with neighbors in her literature was about her life as a woman and immigrant. Her poems and essays reveal Kim's conservative gender perceptions and appreciation for Americans and the American land. The part of conversing with God in her literature has been filled with prayers and confessions of faith. Primarily, these dialogues overflow with gratitude towards God. On the other hand, these dialogues also overflow with consciousness of death. In conclusion, Kim Young Kyo's poems and essays are yet another literature with grave implications; Why a first generation immigrant writer wrote with her mother tongue in an immigrants society, and how a immigrant woman perceives gender consciousness as compared to the women living in their mother land.