이병주 대중소설에 재현된 여성 이미지 연구

A Study on Female Image Representated in Lee, Byung-ju’s Popular Novels

이 글은이병주대중소설에서여성인물이재현되는방식을살펴보는 데목적을둔다. 이병주에대한기존의논의들은이병주문학이가지는의의를역사의기록이라는데초점을두어조명하거나비판하고있다. 그러나이병주의소설에서대중소설역시상당부분을차지하 고있어이병주의소설에대한정당한평가를위해서는대중소설에대한논의도필요하리라 생각한다. 특히작가이병주와당대독서대중의욕망을적극적으로반영하고있는방식으로 재현되는 여성인물에 대한 논의는 이병주의 대중소설을 이해하기 위해 필수적이라 하겠다. 이병주 소설에서 여성은 남성의 전형적 욕망을 반영하는 형태로 그려진다. 성적으로 대상화되는여성, 사랑을위해헌신하는여성의이미지가그것이다. 이병주는여기서한발더 나아가카페마담을훌륭한미모를갖춘순정적이며지혜롭기까지한완벽한여성으로, 유한마담을저급하고아둔하며육체적쾌락만추구하는속물적여성으로형상화한다. 이처럼보편적인식과는다른계급적위치의전복적형상화에도불구하고타락한여성을교화시키는 것 역시 남성이라는 다분히 남성중심적 사고 역시 내재되어 있다. 또한 이병주의 여성인물 중에는남성인물에 예속되지않으려는주체적인 여성인물도눈에띈다. 그들은남성주체의 시선에서타자로형상화되지않고경제적·사회적독립을이루어내는주체적여성을표방한다. 그러나이들이사회내에서진정한주체로서위치를점유했다고보기는어렵다. 오히려 타인에의탁하여경제적자립을이루려하거나순결이데올로기에대한거부를순결을증명하는방식으로표출하는등자가당착에빠진다. 결국이병주의소설에서여성인물은진정한 주체로서 의미를 갖지 못하는 가짜 주체로만 등장한다. 이 같은 방식으로 재현되는 이병주소설의여성 이미지는당대대중의여성 인식을반영하는것이자역사·사회가 낳은비극을 기록하고 확장하는 것으로 이병주 자신의 소설적 목표와도 맞닿아 있다.

This writing aims to look into the style of a female character’s reproduction in Lee, Byung-ju’s popular novel. The existing discussions about Lee, Byung-ju shed light on, or criticize the significance of Lee, Byung-ju literature with focus on historical records. However, popular novels also account for a substantial part of Lee, Byung-ju’s novels, so this writer thinks that there is a need for discussions about his popular novels as well for a legitimate evaluation of Lee, Byung-ju’s novels. Especially, the discussion about female characters in his popular novels, who aggressively reflect desires of writer Lee, Byung-ju and the reading public of his day can be said to be a starting point of Lee, Byung-ju’s popular novel. First, in Lee, Byung-ju’s novels, a female is portrayed in the form reflecting a male writer’s desires. Such an example is the very image of a sexually objectified woman, and a sacrificing woman for love. Taking a step forward from here, Lee, Byung-ju embodies a female cafe manager as a simplehearted, even wise, flawless woman equipped with superb good looks while embodying a wealth, leisured woman as a snobbish woman who is vulgar and thick-witted, pursuing physical pleasure only. Like this, in the face of a subversive embodiment of class location differing from the common perception, also inherent is quite a male-oriented thinking in Lee, Byung-ju’s novels that it is the very male that edifies a fallen woman. Besides, there is also an independent female character attracting a reader’s attention, who won’t be subordinate to a male character among the female characters of Lee, Byung-ju. Such women claim to stand for an independent woman achieving socio-economic independence instead of being embodied as others from the eyes of male subject. However, it’s difficult to judge that they occupy the location as a true subject in society; rather, they fall into self-contradiction by trying to achieve economic independence by relying on others, or expressing their objection to chastity ideology through the way of proving chastity. Eventually, female characters in Lee, Byung-ju’s novels cannot but remain as false subjects who don’t have a meaning as an authentic subject, which aspect might be a limitation of Lee, Byung-ju, and also a reflection of the then public’s perception of women. By recording and expanding the tragedy of history and society, Lee, Byung-ju is in touch with his novel goals.