자기자비에 이르는 길: 루이스 새커의 『구덩이』

A Road to Self-Compassion: Louis Sachar’s Holes

This article aims to investigate the meaning and the function of ‘self-compassion’ in Louis Sachar’s Holes. ‘Self-compassion’ means being open to one’s own suffering, healing oneself with kindness and offering nonjudgmental understanding to one’s pain so that one’s experience is seen as part of the larger human experience. Kristin Neff presents three characteristics of ‘self-compassion,’ that is, ‘self-kindness,’ ‘a sense of common humanity,’ and ‘mindfulness.’ With literary education, students can cultivate three characteristics of self-compassion. In Holes, Stanley’s digging holes and commitment to Zero gives him the attitude of ‘self-kindness’ and ‘mindfulness.’ and ‘the sense of common humanity’ that leads to the self-compassionate attitude. His self-compassion restores a life full of vitality and love not only to himself but to his beloved community.