오정희의 「옛우물」 다시 읽기 = Re-reading Oh Jung-Hee's An Old Well

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The thesis is an attempt at re-reading the text of An Old Well by Oh Jung-Hee. Existing interpretation of 'the old well' in the text remains unbearably stereotypical. The wide-spread view is that 'the old well' manifests the maternal life force. However, the issue with this interpretation is that the maternal in Oh Jung-Hee's work remains largely indistinct and hazy at best. Rather the maternal in her work is rarely accepted as a positive sign. The problem is that serious conflicts, contradictions and fissures are present internally within the maternal. The maternal simply defies a singular interpretation. In the background of the interpretation of 'the old well' as a source of the maternal life force lies the stereotypical conception or equation of 'serious women's literature as affirmation of maternity'. The thesis raises the question by starting off from this vantage point.

The sequence of events in An Old Well from the disappearance of 'Yoendang house', decision to sell the 'small house', 'his death', smashing of the mirror and then finally filling of the well, forms a close interconnection with dissolution and death in terms of their significance and moreover are intertwined with the sense of loss felt by the present 'I'. The meaning of the old well in Oh Jung-Hee's work should be understood within the context of the symbolic space and also within the space that defines the beginning and end of existence.

The legend of the golden carp that appears at the end of The Old Well can be seen as compensation for the loss of "I" and a narrative to make up for the power of life that is ebbing away. However, to view this immediately as signifying the principle of the maternal life force and its approval in a singular, simplified manner is problematic. 'The old well' that is described in the novel holds its significance within the overall context of those that are in the process of dissolution or already expired with particular reference to the 'Yeongdang house', 'small house' and 'him'. The most fundamental point is that as is the case with Oh Jung-Hee's other work, the significance of the text remains volatile and insurgent. As with the process of writing on parchment, multiple versions of writing remain defiant against an ultimate fixed position of interpretation to offer a multifaceted narrative. This is the case with Oh Jung-Hee's An Old Well. 'The old well' is a world that is covered up voluntarily after having reached a sympathetic rapport on the part of "I" with the blessings offered by the customary order symbolized by family and at the same time, is the root of the primordial feminine narrative that makes up for the principal loss of existence that cannot be cast off.

참고문헌 (Reference)

1 박찬부, "현대정신분석 비평" 민음사 288-, 1996

2 김혜순, "오정희 깊이 읽기" 문학과지성사 223-, 2006

3 오정희, "오정희 깊이 읽기" 문학과지성사 2007

4 김화영, "오정희 깊이 읽기" 문학과지성사 359-363, 2007

5 허만욱, "여성소설에 나타난 내면의식의 형상화 연구 ― 오정희의 ？옛 우물？을 중심으로" 한국비평문학회 (23) : 285-310, 2006

6 황종연, "비루한 것의 카니발" 문학동네 81-, 2001

7 박혜경, "불모의 삶을 감싸안는 비의적 문체의 힘 - 바람의 넋 이후의 오정희의 소설들" (여름) : 121-, 1995

8 오정희, "나의 소설, 나의 삶" (여름) : 1995