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서사의 균열이 드러내는 무의식의 리얼리티 : 찰스 디킨스의 『데이비드 커퍼필드』 : The Function of Narrative Failure in Charles Dickenss David Coppefield

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Authors

한솔지

Issue Date
2014-05-10
Publisher
서울대학교 인문대학 영어영문학과
Citation
영학논집, Vol.34, pp. 33-46
Keywords
Charles DickensDavid CopperfieldVictorian moralityunconscious narrativefailureunrepresentibility
Abstract
This paper aims to illuminate Dickenss ambivalent way of constructing the textual reality in David Copperfield. As an autobiographical narrator, David Copperfield consciously converts his life history into a conventional form of narrative that would affirm Victorian ideal of self-development and the virtue of domesticity. However, the narrators conscious effort to control his narrative and become the hero of [his] own life (13) fails at the very moment of his concealing and disguising social inequality and sexual desire that are implicated in his successful life story. Such failure reveals the hypocrisy and the naivety of the narrators linguistic interpretation of the incidents of his life in terms of Victorian ideals. What is disclosed as a result is the existence of the remnants that are excluded and left out by the mainstream narrative and by the normative discipline of Victorian ideal. The existence of two opponent characters of Uriah Heep and Rosa Dartle debunks the social image of gentleman and an ideal of romantic love which David tries to achieve through the narrative. By constantly intervening Davids narrative while simultaneously refusing linguistic representation, these uncanny characters produce an uncomfortable cleft on the surface of the novels story. Uriah Heep functions as an uncanny double of Davids social ego that freely expresses his desire for a better social status and sexual zeal to Agnes. The uncanny similarity between Uriah Heep and David Copperfield divulges the existence of the hidden desire in David; the desire which is scrupulously obscured by his linguistic effort to maintain the decent identity of a Victorian gentleman. Rosa Dartle as a questioning character interferes in Davids fairytale-like interpretation of his relationship with Pegotty family, leading the narrative effort of David into confusion. She interrogates David and Steerforth as to their subtle sense of social superiority to Pegottys and surfaces the unjust sacrifice of Emily by expressly calling her a pollusion(725). The violent language of Rosa Dartle tears off Davids narrative of romantic love and makes visible the latent social inequality as well as the repression of sexuality.
찰스 디킨스(Charles Dickens)의 장편 소설 『어린 데이비드 커퍼필드의 개인적인 이력과 경험』(The Personal History and Experience of David Copperfield the Younger; 이하 『데이비드 커퍼필드』로 표기)은 작품의 제목에서도 암시되듯 전형적인 성장 소설의 서사를 보여준다. 『데이비드 커퍼필드』의 서사는 어린 데이비드(David Copperfield)가 여러 번의 낭만적 사랑과 모험을 거쳐 굳건하고 자립적인(firm and self-reliant; 363, 504) 어른으로 성숙해 나가는 여정으로 이루어진다. 데이비드가 역경을 거쳐 마침내 근면 성실함의 직업윤리와 함께 헌신적이고 가정적인 아내를 얻게 되는 모습은 빅토리아조가 긍정하고 추구하는 사회적 가치를 재확인하고 훌륭하게 수행하는 것으로서, 이러한 결말은 서사의 완결성에서 오는 만족감뿐 아니라 발전에 대한 긍정적 믿음의 비전을 제공해 준다. 『블리크 하우스』(Bleak House)나 『리틀 도릿』(Little Dorrit)과 같은 이후의 소설들이 빅토리아조의 사회가 작동하는 양상을 좀 더 암울하고 비관적인 시선으로 그려 내었다면, 『데이비드 커퍼필드』는 마치 블레이크(William Blake)의 『순수의 노래』(Songs of Innocence)의 어조를 따르듯 아직 밝고 희망차다.
Language
Korean
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/10371/92457
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