이바스키에비츠의 <자작나무 숲> 인물들의 성격

The Characters in <The Birch Grove> by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz

야로스와프 이바스키에비츠는 폴란드 현대문학을 대표하는 작가중 한 사람이며, <자작나무 숲>은 그의 대표작이다. 심리적, 서정적, 탐미적 성격을 띠고 있는 <자작나무 숲>은 사회성이 철저하게 배제되어 있는 것이 특징이다. 주인공 스타시가 죽음에 다가서면서 삶의 진실된 이면을 깨닫게 되는 과정을 그리고 있다. 작품 속에서 파편처럼 산산이 부서진 인간관계는 결국 ‘가족애’와 ‘죽음’을 통해서 치유되고, 화해되고, 완성되어진다. 생의 막다른 골목에 이르러 가족의 품에 닻을 내린 스타시는 대자연의 품에서 평화롭게 삶을 마감하게 된다. 잃어버렸던 생의 숭고함을 되찾아 가는 스타시의 마지막 여정을 통해 독자들은 ‘죽음은 존재의 소멸과 어두운 심연이 아니라 사랑하는 이들의 가슴속에 영원히 머무는 것’임을 느낄수 있다. 이바쉬키에비츠는 감각적이면서도 탐미적인 문체로 인생의 무상함과 덧없음을 한 폭의 수채화처럼 담백하고 서정적으로 그려내고 있다. 음악에도 일가견이 있었던 작가는 언어 자체가 가지고 있는 멜 로디와 음악성을 살리는데 주력하는 한편, 여기에 소리와 빛깔, 색채를 절묘하게 접목시켜 공감각적인 생생한 표현을 빚어내고 있다.

<The Birch Grove> is one of the most famous novels by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz (1894-1980). His works include over seventy short stories and novels. The protagonist of the novel, a young man named Sta&#347;, is a tuberculosis patient with only a few months to live. He lives in a sanatorium in Davos, Switzerland until the doctors tell him to leave the institution; the doctors do not want to have their patients dying there. The doctors, therefore, recommend that he goes to the woods for his last days. Thus Sta&#347; goes to his elder brother, Bolesław, who lives in the woods in Poland. Bolesław lost his young wife a year ago and finds himself in sorrow. Since his wife's death, he has been living in isolation and doesn'teven take care of his daughter. When Sta&#347; arrives, Bolesław does not welcome him. He disapproves that Sta&#347; likes the “European” life style and that he always talks about his days in Switzerland. Besides, Sta&#347; cares about nothing and behaves as he likes. Malina, a healthy and simple young girl from the neighborhood attracts Sta&#347;'s attention and the two often meet in the forest. One day, Bolesław sees his brother meeting with Malina. After that incident, he also shows keen interest in her. After Bolesław is assured that Malina likes him, he changes and he finds new pleasure in life. Sta&#347; knows that he will die soon. Feeling his death nearing he finds new aspects of nature and life. He hears beautiful musics in the raining and sees wonderful scenes in the foggy forest. And through love with Malina he feels the strength for life. Love wakes him a new hope. Before he met Malina, he thought his life is empty. He realized that his life in Switzerland was only a dance of death, and that a day in the forest is more maluable than all days there. After Sta&#347; died Bolesław feels happy and relaxed peace of mind, meets Malina and recovered normal daily life and also thinks how he can take care of his only daughter Ola whom he neglected since her mother died a year ago.