마크 트웨인의 작품에 나타난 지배담론의 전복 문제

The Subversion of Hegemonic Discourses in Mark Twain's Works

This paper aims to explore how Twain subverts his contemporary hegemonic discourses in his works. I argue that Twain's works are not just the criticism of American society, but the subversion of his contemporary hegemonic discourses, which are closely related to his anxieties over writing strategies and the audience's violent responses to his works. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn demonstrates the subversion of his contemporary hegemonic racial discourse, which positions Twain much beyond the critic of racism. Jim seemingly looks like a minstrel darky, but Twain shows Jim's undermining the image of minstrel darky, manipulating the representation of Jim and comparing it with representation of the white. Especially Huck's meditation on his relationship with Jim in the chapter 31 and the representation of Tom and Jim in the Evasion Section could be the climax of Twain's subversion of his contemporary racial discourse. Twain's subversion of his contemporary hegemonic discourse on modernity is revealed in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Especially the scene of the battle of Sandbelt portrays the catastrophic results of Hank's modernity project, which dramatically illustrates Twain's undermining of his contemporary hegemonic discourse on modernity. Twain's subversion of his contemporary discourse on progress depicted in The Mysterious Stranger also demonstrates Twain's undermining of his contemporary modernity discourse. Twain's subversion of his contemporary hegemonic discourse on imperialism is apparent in his later works such as Following the Equator and other short writings. Twain investigates the nature of imperialist discourse and undermines the discourse of the white's superiority over the other races. Twain's subversion of his contemporary hegemonic discourses even reaches out to the undermining of human-centric discourse deeply inscribed in western history and philosophy.