미시적 허구와 거시적 진실

강서정(Kang, Seojung) 한국외국어대학교 영미연구소 2013 영미연구 Vol.29 No.-

This study aims to scrutinize how history is reflected in the following works of literature: William Shakespeare's Anthony and Cleopatra and Aphra Behn's The Widdow Ranter. Both Anthony and Cleopatra and The Widdow Ranter are concerned with people who rose to power in parallel with people who failed to do so. Both works conclude with the rise of a new order, and the tragic elements are juxtaposed with comedic traits. In other words, although the noble heroes (and at the same time, the failures) are highlighted in the plays, they make way for the better politicians or the commoners. In spite of the relative consistency of the characterization, the main characters tend to be described as ambiguous. Every person, winner or loser, is illuminated on the stage in terms of their different virtues. The writers seem to be searching for political and social solutions to the problems that they were facing back then. In that process, some fiction is inserted in the story, as a reflection of the spirit of the age. It is definite that the scientific and political development of the 17th century led to the belief in God's rationality and order, which is circulated throughout the two tragicomedies. This study, which was focused on the world views found in English literature of the 17th century, will be able to show that historical realities are inscribed in the works of literature, by means of figurative language, characterization, and symbolism.

버지니아 울프의 『댈러웨이 부인』에 나타난 에로스와 타나토스, 그리고 결정적 순간

강서정(Seojung Kang) 한국외국어대학교 영미연구소 2024 영미연구 Vol.60 No.-

Mrs. Dalloway is a modernist masterpiece that was written by Virginia Woolf in her prime years. Woolf’s artistic excellence in constantly exploring the meaning of life and the functions of art and her incorporation of these themes into her unique narrative style make this book outstanding. Bresson's concept of a “decisive moment” enables a unique reading of Mrs. Dalloway because Woolf’s narrative reveals the flows of the intersubjective consciousnesses of various individuals in a single moment. All humans encounter Eros and Thanatos simultaneously. However, Thanatos heightens Eros among artists, engaged in creative activities and acts as a driving force that triggers certain epiphanies. Eros is the will of art, but it is accompanied by constant skepticism and doubt, a form of Thanatos. Artists must crucially and completely embrace Eros and Thanatos with maturity in their literary works. Like Picasso, Woolf interweaves impressions of objects from diverse perspectives. The decisive moment captures the consciousnesses evoked in multiple agents in a fleeting moment and represents the world by connecting these discrete perceptions. Woolf’s work shows that the contents of novels are inseparable from their narrative styles or forms. 버지니아 울프의 『댈러웨이 부인』은 작가의 가장 원숙한 시기에 집필된 모더니즘 문학의 정수로 손꼽혀 왔다. 이 작품의 빼어난 점은 무엇보다도 울프가 인생의 의미와 예술의 역할을 끊임없이 탐색하면서 동시에 이러한 주제의식을 내러티브 방식에 그대로 녹여낸 그 예술적 탁월함에 있다. 우리가 만들어가는 삶의 의미는 끊임없는 회의와 의심을 동반하는데, 이 회의와 의심이 바로 예술적 삶의 의지, 에로스(Eros)를 동반하는 타나토스(Thanatos)이다. 모든 인간이 에로스와 타나토스를 함께 접하지만, 창조적 예술 활동을 추구하는 예술가들에게 타나토스란 에로스를 더욱 고조시키면서 동시에 어떤 깨달음으로 이끄는 동력으로 작용한다. 작품이 다루는 삶의 의미, 예술에 대한 관점은 특유의 독특한 내러티브 방식에 구현된다. 마치 피카소의 작품처럼 작가는 다양한 인물들에 비친 한 대상의 모습을, 그 인상들을 한 데 엮어 놓는다. 브레송의 개념 “결정적 순간”은 울프의 『댈러웨이 부인』에 대한 독특한 독법을 제시한다. 『댈러웨이 부인』에서 대상을 표상하는 내러티브는 상호주관적인 의식의 흐름을 통해 다수의 교차하는 의식을 포착함으로써 특정한 순간 다양한 개인의 의식을 거미줄처럼 연결시킨다. 결정적 순간은 이처럼 찰나의 순간에 떠오르는 의식을 포착하는 것이고 그 의식들을 거미줄처럼 연결시킴으로써 세상을 표상하는 것이다. 다시 말해 상호 주관적 의식의 흐름은 시, 공간적 확장 및 개인 간 상호작용을 담아내는 데에 효과적인 내러티브 방식이고, 이러한 내러티브 방식은 더 이상 객관적인 세계 및 인간의 표상이 불가능하다는 울프의 예술관, 세계관과 공명한다. 울프는 이와 같이 작품의 내용과 내러티브 방식이 결코 분리될 수 없다는 사고를 작품 안에 반영하였다. 그것은 예술적 내러티브 안에서 에로스와 타나토스를 원숙하게 수용함으로써 가능했다.

의사소통 활동으로서의 영문학 읽기

강서정(Seojung Kang) 한국영미문학교육학회 2013 영미문학교육 Vol.17 No.2

This study explores the promotion of communication while reading literary texts. It is based on the assumption that the essence of reading is communicative activities. According to this assumption, this paper shows that, by nature, the reading of literary texts, consists of the interaction among readers as well as the interaction between the text and the readers, which is communication itself. The fundamental problem of recent English language education is in the fact that it neglects the role of learners as subjects of thought and communication. The informants of this study were six out of forty-four students whom I taught during the fall semester of 2012. The class illustrates that group discussions which involve text-self, text-world, and text-text interaction, can promote communication in the process of reading literary texts. The students improved in their ability to use the four skills of English and participated in the activities of summarizing and group discussions to the betterment of their critical communicative abilities. The group discussions in particular provided the students with opportunities to find themselves and explore the world around them while sharing a variety of experiences and interpretations in relation to the texts. The research also offers suggestions based on insights from the class. I hope that this study, which demonstrates a means of helping students to improve in the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, will be supported by future studies.

맥밀란의 『캐나다의 신기한 이야기들』에 나타나는 서구와 인디언 문화 사이의 대화

강서정(Seojung Kang) 한국영미문학교육학회 2021 영미문학교육 Vol.25 No.2

This study explores the interlaced narrative structure between North American Indian myths and Western folktales from Canadian context in Cyrus MacMillan’s Canadian Wonder Tales. The narrative pattern of the anthology sheds an interesting light on the way how native Canadian culture interacts with Westernized Canadian culture. Typically, the protagonists of Indian mythology are anti-heroic. They achieve their goals through magic rather than brute power or bravery. What is important here is not the heroism of the protagonists, but the harmony and festivals of the Indian community. The main characters of the North American Indian myths exist in an open space where the land, heaven, and spirits interact with one another. Humans maintain a close relationship with Mother Nature in the form of rituals or taboos, transmitted from generation to generation. The existence of tricksters in native Canadian myths, too, reveals the inseparable bond among all living and non-living entities. Finally, native Canadian myths seem to be illogical by Western perspectives, but they are still widely read to this day in the form of children’s literature in Canada.

「죽은 사람들」 속 젊은 예술가의 초상

강서정(Kang, Seojung) 한국외국어대학교 영미연구소 2012 영미연구 Vol.27 No.-

This study aims to stipulate how Gabriel in “The Dead” by James Joyce creates the images of the party, females, and himself as a young artist. Above all, Gabriel defines the party in his aunts' house as a form of hospitality, and he goes on to artistically describe the women he sees at the party. For example, he regards the female hosts as the Three Graces, which are historically main objects of art. In addition, Gabriel makes his wife, Gretta, an abstraction of art and colors her mentality with his own imagination. Although he believes that “literature is above politics,” in actuality, the women’s silence in the text reveal that literature is part of politics, and it is difficult to clearly distinguish one from the other. In this way, Joyce shows us what Gabriel thinks, what he says, and what he believes in relation to art. As a young artist, Gabriel is stimulated to mentally create the images of the women surrounding him, and while attacked by them, he tries to arm himself with “generosity,” one of the traditional virtues of the Irish people. Gabriel’s changing perspectives on snow convey his process of mental growth. Snow, as an artistic symbol, which initially represented subconsciousness, death, or mental suppression, later functions as an objective correlative of generosity, love, and tolerance. However, Gabriel’s mental growth is seen as limited and momentary due to his frequent habitual tendency for generosity. Gabriel tries to provide the Irish people with a way to overcome the reality, which is full of conflicts by means of art. However, his efforts tend to be limited due to his repeated hiding behind the mask of generosity. In this way, Gabriel's consciousness carries Joyce's meta-perspectives on art. Thus, we are able to access Joyce's views on art through this portrait of the artist as a young man.

글쓰기 치료를 접목한 역량 기반 교양영어 수업 사례

강서정(Seojung Kang) 한국영미문학교육학회 2016 영미문학교육 Vol.20 No.1

This study aims to present a model of competence-based English education in a university, based on the acknowledgement that General English Education in universities should focus on enhancing competencies on the part of learners. We define the purposes of college English education as a nourishment of “communicative competence” and “problem-solving abilities” with a focus on affective factors such as tolerance, rooted in understanding of oneself and others. This is based on the assumption that negative emotions can lead to poor cognitive performances. Thus, we examine how to incorporate writing therapy(which is commonly called ‘poetry therapy’) with English education as an effective way to improve various competences fostered by emotional factors like self-confidence and sound social relations. This study is meaningful in that it provides an efficient way to make use of a literary text, not a typical ESL text for language education. Besides, by integrating various voices on what competences we should nourish in our students, we draw a conclusion that college English education should put as much emphases on affective factors as on 4 language skills. This conclusion will trigger active discussions among all the parties of current college English education. Lastly, it will propel more in-depth research on integrating language education with writing therapy (or specifically ‘journal therapy’).

소집단 활동을 활용한 통합적 영문학 수업 모델

강서정(Seojung Kang) 한국영미문학교육학회 2011 영미문학교육 Vol.15 No.2

This study aims to develop an integrative literary education program which enhances equally both intellectual analysis and emotional appreciation on the part of university students. The research questions are as follows: 1. How can we promote students’ genuine emotional responses as well as intellectual ones to English literary texts? 2. How can we most effectively use small group discussions as a way of taking an integrative approach to English literature? 3. How can we enhance communication between the students and the instructor? This study showed that the simple use of music and a creative writing group project contributed to the students’ deep integrative appreciation of literature. Furthermore, the various types of questions that the instructor offered stimulated the students to fully invest their emotions as well as intellect. In the process, different kinds of communication devices, including the instructor’s diary, students’ literature diaries, and surveys were truly useful for establishing mutual understanding between the instructor and the students. This study will contribute to designing new literary education programs which are apt for current educational surroundings by means of subsequent action researches.

Action Research: How to Implement Transmedia Activities in a Foreign Language Class?

강서정(Kang, Seojung) 한국외국어대학교 영미연구소 2020 영미연구 Vol.49 No.-

이 실행 연구는 영어 수업을 위한 새로운 전략을 확립하는 데에 목적이 있다. 제안되는 계획은 새로운 미디어 기반 영어 프로그램을 시행하는 과정에서 얻은 통찰력에 근거를 두고 있으며, 학생들의 학습 경험을 분석하는 과정에서 고안되었다. 본 연구는 미디어를 통해 사회와 문화를 비평하는 데에 큰 흥미를 느끼지 못하는 이공계 학생 49명을 대상으로 하였다. 본 연구는 미디어 기반 영어교육 프로그램이 학습자의 동기와 태도에 어떻게 영향을 미치는지, 학습자들의 자신감에 어떤 영향을 미치는지를 분석하는 데에 초점을 두었다. 연구는 설문지, 그룹 인터뷰, 자기 평가 포트폴리오를 도구로 사용하였다. 연구 결과 학습의 성공 여부는 미디어나 미디어 관련 자료를 활용하는 것보다 수업에서 활용하는 활동의 유형에 더 영향을 받는 것으로 드러났다. 이러한 발견은 단순히 다양한 미디어를 활용하는 것만으로는 수업의 성공을 보장할 수 없음을 의미한다. 본 실행 연구의 결과는 다음 학기 새로운 실행 계획을 제공한다. 이러한 발견은 고등 교육 뿐 아니라 초, 중등 학교에서도 활용할 수 있는 본보기를 제공한다는 점에서 의미가 있다. 또한 본 연구는 트랜스미디어 수업에서 학생들에게 제공할 과제의 틀과 관련하여 중요한 교육 원칙을 제공한다는 점에서 중요한 의미를 지닌다. This research aims to establish a new strategy for the conduction of English language classes. The proposed plan is grounded in insights obtained in the process of implementing new media-based English programs and was devised through the analysis of the learning experiences of students. The subjects of the study comprised 49 students majoring in Science and Engineering for whom the criticism of society and culture via media was not adequately interesting. The investigation purposed to determine how a media-based English program affects the motivation and attitudes of students, and how it can influence the self-evaluation of their achievements. The investigation was conducted through questionnaires, group interviews, and self-evaluation portfolios. The analysis revealed that success was influenced more by the types of activities accomplished in the classroom than using media or media-related topics. These findings suggest that the simple use of diverse media does not guarantee success in class. The outcomes of this action research offer a new implementation plan for the next semester. This investigation is significant because it sets an example for the future use of elementary or secondary teachers. In addition, it offers essential pedagogic principles pertaining to a framework of tasks teachers should present to students in trans-media classes.

헬레니즘과 헤브라이즘: 조이스의 『율리시스』의 로터스 먹는 종족 읽기

강서정 ( Seojung Kang ) 한국제임스조이스학회 2023 제임스조이스저널 Vol.29 No.1

James Joyce’s Ulysses presents new humanism and portrays a new image of Christ. Thereby, it deconstructs early 20th century Dublin, a city based on the two pillars of Western culture, Hellenism and Hebraism. The lotus flower paralyzes the minds of those who eat by triggering in the urge to indulge in pleasure. Joyce displays discrete forms of paralysis encountered on Dublin streets through Bloom’s eyes, including horse racing, the Irish penchant for religion, and colonial remnants that Dubliners fail to recognize. The male protagonist Bloom’s exchange of love letters with Martha Clifford is also merely lotus eating: he tries to satisfy his desires through language. Joyce also associates the image of a man floating in the sea reading a book with the properties of lotus eating, manifesting the lure of language inscribed in books as an effect of ingesting the lotus flower. Above all, the Catholic religion represents the most evident lotus in this chapter: Bloom secularizes the Eucharist during the Mass, elucidating that the body of a living man is a better means of salvation than eating a ‘dead body.’ Ulysses focuses primarily on the sexual vitality of women: however, the chapter “Lotus Eaters” attends to the reproductive abilities of men. Bloom’s immersion in the water in the final scene of the chapter amounts to the declaration that he is purifying the church as a new Christ of life. Christ in the symbolic world is replaced by Christ in the real world by connecting Christ, the Word, with the sexually inactive love letter (word), then shifting to the author’s work (book), and finally moving to Bloom’s body.

미술사의 관점에서 읽는 쇼팬의 『각성』

강서정(Seojung Kang) 한국아메리카학회 2020 美國學論集 Vol.52 No.2

본 논문은 쇼팬(Kate Chopin)의 『각성』(The Awakening)을 19세기의 문학사 및 미술사조를 중심으로 살펴본다. 작품 내에서 로버트의 동생 빅터의 이국적이고 아름다운 모습에 감탄한 메이블런트 양은 “오! 말로 표현하기보다 물감으로 그림을 그릴 수만 있다면!”이라고 말한다. 이는 감각적이고 회화적인 이 작품의 글쓰기 방식을 분명히 드러내고 있다. 쇼팬의 『각성』은 이 회화적 글쓰기를 중심으로 이루어지고 이러한 글쓰기에서 미술사의 다양한 사조가 상호작용하고 있다. 작품은 크게 볼 때 낭만주의와 사실주의의 상호작용을 통해 전개된다. 더 나아가 에드나의 각성 과정에서 낭만주의와 사실주의의 상호작용은 인상주의로 이어지고 이는 다시 형체와 색, 질서와 사물의 본질을 강조하는 후기 인상주의와 연결된다. 지극히 현실적인 크레올 공동체와 반대로 에드나는 바다에 대한 상상과 낭만주의적인 사랑을 꿈꾸어 왔다. 감수성이 풍부하며 예민한 에드나는 그녀에게 강요되는 어머니와 아내로서의 역할에 숨막혀 한다. 그녀는 “가정 안의 천사” 라티뇰 부인의 성적 매력을 끌어내고 자본주의 중심의 사고와 인습을 폭로하기도 한다. 쇼팬은 이와 같은 미술사의 변천 과정을 배경으로 주인공의 각성 과정을 드러내며, 여성이 고통스럽고 사회로부터 고립될지라도 예술가로서 홀로 서는 것이 중요함을 피력한다. This study takes a historical approach to the interpretation of The Awakening by Kate Chopin with attention to the interplay between major nineteenth-century art trends. A unique and sensual pictorial narrative is characteristic in this work. In other words, The Awakening revolves around the interplay between Romanticism and Realism, which are developed later into Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. Thus, by following the process of the female protagonist’s awakening, we can appreciate the work as we see paintings of major art trends in the period. Edna, who dreams of romantic love, refrains from the ideal beauty of classicism and goes a step further to expose the conventional social norms of Creole society. In addition, she captures the sexual attraction of Madame Ratignolle, who is initially idealized as an “angel in the home.” Likewise, through the reflections of art history Chopin shows Edna’s efforts to achieve independence from social conventions, exposing the difficult reality of a female artist who attempts to achieve subjectivity on her own.