본고에서는 문학작품, 특히 소설에 재현된 이주노동자의 모습을 통해서 문학과 현실의 소통 가능성을 찾고자 한다. 문학은 직접적으로나 간접적으로 현실의 재현이다. 물론 상상력에 의해 환상적인 것을 만들어내기도 하지만 소설에 재현된 내용은 대부분 현실에 근거를 둔 것이다. 따라서 문학에 재현된 상황은 현실에서 일어날 수 있는 가능성이 농후한 것이 많다. 본고의 2장에서는 중심 인물인 카밀, 신우, 사비나의 인물 분석을 통해 이들의 현실 대응 방식과 의식 변화에 대해서 탐구하였다. 3장에서는 신우 가족이 과거에 겪은 아메리칸 드림의 상처와 현재 한국의 이주 노동자에게 되풀이 되고 있는 코리안 드림의 허상을 통해 문학에 재현된 현실에 대하여 논의하였다. 마지막으로 이러한 상처의 치유 방식으로 이 작품에서는 어떤 해결책을 제시하는지에 대해서 살펴보았다. 본고는 단순히 한국에서 일을 하고 있는 이주 노동자의 현실을 재현하는 것이 아니라 이의 재현을 통해서 문학이 현실과 어떻게 소통할 수 있는가에 대해서 논의하려 한다는 점에서 그 의의가 있다. 이 작품에는 카밀이 한국에서 이주 노동자의 현실을 경험하고 이를 개혁하기 위해 투쟁하는 과정이 잘 그려져 있다. 또한 신우의 모성적 사랑이 모든 것을 포용하는 모습도 드러나 있고 한국의 외국인 노동자에 대한 처우를 보여주면서 카밀의 의식화 과정에 대해서 잘 보여주고 있다. 카밀은 농성을 통해 집단 투쟁을 했으나 그 투쟁이 별다른 소득 없이 마무리되려 하자 그는 기꺼이 죽음으로써 자신의 메시지를 전달하려 한다. 문학에 재현된 현실을 보여주는 것만으로는 현실 자체를 뒤바꾸지 못할지도 모른다. 그러나 문학과 현실이 소통할 수 있는 가능성은 열어줄 수 있다. 문학은 현실과의 소통을 통해서 세상의 단절된 벽에 작은 균열을 가하고 틈새를 만든다. 그 틈새가 세상을 바꾸는 힘이 될 것이다.식민적 지역문학 연구가 의미 있는 문학담론의 한 층을 이루기 위해서는 무엇보다도 다양한 텍스트를 상대로 심화된 실증적 구명이 선행되어야 한다.

In this paper, I’m going to find out a possibility of communication between literature and reality through the lives of migrant laborers depicted in the literary work, especially in the novel, Namaste. Literature is the direct or indirect reproduction of reality. Undoubtedly many literary works are fantasies created by imagination. However, most of them are based on the reality. As a result, the situations come alive in the literature are more likely to occur in the real life. In the 2nd chapter, I studied the changes of their consciousness and ways of reaction to the realities of life by analyzing the main characters, Kamil, Shin Woo and Sabina. In the 3rd chapter, I discussed the reality reflected in the literature by comparing the hurts of American dream that Shin Woo’s family went through in the past with the false image of Korean dream repeated to migrant laborers in Korea. In the last chapter, I discussed what solutions the author suggested to heal the hurt feelings in this novel. This paper doesn’t simply depict the real life of migrant laborers in Korean society but it has its significance in trying to discuss howl iterature and reality communicate through the literary reproduction. The novel illustrates well how Kamil goes through the reality of migrant laborers staying in Korea and fights for reformation. And Shin Woo embraces the whole situation with her maternal love. It shows the labor conditions to foreign workers in Korea and the gradual changes of Kamil’s awareness. Kamil fights against it by joining a sit-down strike, but the protest comes to an end without desired effect. Finally, he conveys his clear message with his death. We may not be able to reform the reality only by illustrating the reality reproduced in literature. However, the attempt could make a possibility of communication between literature and reality. Through the communication, literature can make a slight crack on the wall separating the world and create a crevice. The crevice will be the beginning of the changes in society.

In this paper, I’m going to find out a possibility of communication between literature and reality through the lives of migrant laborers depicted in the literary work, especially in the novel, Namaste. Literature is the direct or indirect reproduction of reality. Undoubtedly many literary works are fantasies created by imagination. However, most of them are based on the reality. As a result, the situations come alive in the literature are more likely to occur in the real life. In the 2nd chapter, I studied the changes of their consciousness and ways of reaction to the realities of life by analyzing the main characters, Kamil, Shin Woo and Sabina. In the 3rd chapter, I discussed the reality reflected in the literature by comparing the hurts of American dream that Shin Woo’s family went through in the past with the false image of Korean dream repeated to migrant laborers in Korea. In the last chapter, I discussed what solutions the author suggested to heal the hurt feelings in this novel. This paper doesn’t simply depict the real life of migrant laborers in Korean society but it has its significance in trying to discuss howl iterature and reality communicate through the literary reproduction. The novel illustrates well how Kamil goes through the reality of migrant laborers staying in Korea and fights for reformation. And Shin Woo embraces the whole situation with her maternal love. It shows the labor conditions to foreign workers in Korea and the gradual changes of Kamil’s awareness. Kamil fights against it by joining a sit-down strike, but the protest comes to an end without desired effect. Finally, he conveys his clear message with his death. We may not be able to reform the reality only by illustrating the reality reproduced in literature. However, the attempt could make a possibility of communication between literature and reality. Through the communication, literature can make a slight crack on the wall separating the world and create a crevice. The crevice will be the beginning of the changes in society.

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Migrant laborer, Literature, Communication, Korean Dream, The way of reaction to the realities, The way of healing hurt feelings