니체의 ‘정신의 세 가지 변화’를 통한 미국 원주민의 허무주의 극복하기

Overcoming Native American Nihilism through “Three Metamorphosis” of Nietzsche: Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The purpose of this paper is to answer the question: is it possible for the Native American to overcome the nihilism caused by historical trauma in order to become a ‘New American Indian?’ I endeavor to do this through a close study of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. In this paper, I will use ‘The Three Metamorphosis’ of Nietzsche to overcome the inherent nihilism of Native Americans. The first step in Nietzsche’s ‘The Three Metamorphosis’ is the Camel Spirit which carries the heaviest burden of prevailing values and morality: the principle of “I must do.” Here the absolute value of the Native American is the return to tradition and the restoration of identity that Alexie wants to forget positively. A submissive camel tries to become a lion through free will. The Lion Spirit is a spirit that shows free will by exclaiming ‘I will do.’ Also Nietzsche suggests the Child’s Spirit as the final step in the becoming of “Übermensch.” The Child-like Spirit means: forgetfulness, a game, a new beginning, and a holy affirmation. It is Nietzsche’s claim that if we do not forget the past, we cannot move towards a new future. Through this process, Alexie hopes to escape from the nihilism life and become a ‘New American Indian.’