美國의 參與文學 = Social Consciousness in American Literature

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The thesis is to study the history of American literature from a view-point of social consciousness in literature which means a writer's participation in social problems through his literary works. This kind of participation in literature takes a form of resistance, revolt and protest against a social authority of a period, form the necessity of inquiry or defense of humanity. It also includes areform movement to lead the nation and its people to the realieation of the so-called "American dream."
American literature has its tradition as mystic, allegorical and symbolic romance and the escape into nature from cultural world and the transition into psychological thought from realistic world can be taken as its characteristics. This tradition or trends in American literature was dominant in the 19th century and was succeeded down to Eugene O'Neiil William Faulkner and other writers. This side of American literature is now explained through the study symbol, archetype, myth or assumption.
But the other main stream of tendency in American literature is to study the natural and social conditions in the great tradition of democracy. Accordingly the important function of literature was mainly protest and rebellion against the society and criticism on individuality and society. The social awareness was reflected even in the romantic writers. The was appeared in a form of reform literature to buid up "anearthly paradise."
Then American Writers became to concern with the social injustices and the conflict between East and West. American realism was resulted from an attack or revolt against
the social evil, dishonesty, injustice which were involved with the development of industrialism in American society. Above all. American naturalism the main trend in American literature dated from the latter·half of 91th century, dealt with the outward reality rather than with the inner reality. Many writers attacked the defects of the conventional life and social evils of their times. Fiction writersional as criticissm of life, centered on social issues, problems of individual integrity where personal values were challenged by social change, the criticism of middle class society, and the revolt against the basic institutions of society and social injustice, which aroused vigorous protest and defense. American writers with a strong social consciousness cast a glance at various social problems and protest against a wrong structure of authority.
American literature, inherited from the traditional American spirit, has taken a form of participation literature which is comparatively strong in social consciousness, criticism and protest. This tendency was resulted from the reform movements and the respect of individuality and defense of liberty and the consciousness of individual integrity and pursuit of individual happiness. In this study, American literature. divided into four periods, is examined in its literary trends and cha-racteristics.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Ⅰ. 文學과 社會參與
• Ⅱ. 第2의 樂園
• Ⅲ. 個人의 尊嚴과 自由의 擁護
• Ⅳ. 個人과 社會와의 모순
• Ⅴ. 巡禮者