아파트 디스토피아를 다시 생각하기 : 박완서 소설에 나타난 아파트 표상의 해방적 전유와 거주하기의 상상력 = Revisiting ‘Apartment Dystopia’ : The Liberating Appropriation of Representations of Apartments and the Imagination of Dwelling in Park Wan-Seo’s Novels

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The purpose of this study is to critically revisit on discourses of ‘apartment dystopia’ in Korea through Park Wan-seo's novels. The term ‘apartment dystopia’ refers to the general perception of apartments as inhuman space. This critical discourse had the aspect of reinforcing the power of ‘the Apartment Republic’ rather than weakening it. This is because the powerful representation diminished the imagination of alternative lifestyle.
However, Park does not simply depict characters who are oppressed by apartments, but also appropriate those negative attributes. In Standing Woman the placelessness of apartment's became beneficial conditions for women trying to escape a sexist community. Meanwhile, in Are You Still Dreaming, the apartment was a real estate rather than a place of authentic life. However, apartments served as an essential resource for people seeking economic independence. Here, the characters in Park's novels do not just passively adapt to the given environment, but can be seen as subjects who change the meaning and function of living space through ‘dwelling’.
In summary, in Park’s novels, apartments were not just inhumane or oppressive spaces, but also spaces where negotiations with the majority took place. Here we can find the possibility of narrative overcoming it, not just reproducing apartment dystopia.