본고에서는 2002년에 노벨문학상을 수상한 헝가리 작가 케르티스 임레의 수용소문학 작품을 폴란드 작가 타데우쉬 보로프스키의 『신사숙녀 여러분, 가스실로』와 오스트리아 출신 신경정신과 의사이자 작가인 빅터 프랭클의 『죽음의 수용소에서』와 비교하며 케르티스 임레의 수용소문학 작품이 갖는 특징을 도출해 보았다. 물론 현재까지 수많은 수용소문학 작품들이 발표되었기 때문에 두 작품을 케르티스 임레의 작품과 비교하는 작업은 다소 본고의 한계를 보여주기도 하지만 현재까지 헝가리 문학에 있어서 수용소문학에 관한 비교연구가 없었다는 점에서 헝가리 수용소문학에 있어서 비교문학 연구의 시발점이 될 수 있다는 점에서 위안을 삼고자 한다. 인류 현대사의 가장 커다란 비극인 홀로코스트 사건을 과연 문학화 할 수 있는가? 하는 문제는 오래 동안 진행되어온 수용소문학과 관련된 논쟁 중의 하나였다. 이러한 논쟁 중에 대부분의 작가들은 수용소문학의 사실성과 예술성 사이에서 사실성에 치중하여 수용소 안에서 벌어지는 참상을 고발하는데 역점을 두었다. 그러나 본고에서 다룬 케르티스 임레는 수용소의 참상보다는 그것을 기초로 한 주인공의 트라우마를 주로 다루었으며 사실성과 예술성 중에서 예술성에 중점을 두고 작품을 집필하였다. 그의 이러한 다른 수용소 작가들과의 차별성은 작품의 논제, 구조, 기법의 측면에서 드러난다.

A great number of concentration camp works were published, but Imre Kertész's works had their own characteristics, thus contributing to his winning Nobel Prize in 2002. Indeed, his works are to be analyzed in various perspectives, but this study approaches the works in terms of content, form and description. In terms of content, his works deal with not only the experiences in concentration camps, but the distortions and distresses in his lives caused by the camp lives, whereas the existing concentration camp works concentrate on the factual record of concentration camp experiences. In general, focus has been made on the achievement of realities, the accuracy of description and the value of record to evaluate the works on concentration camps, Jewish Holocaust or individual or group tragedies. However, Fateless alone realistically depicts the life in the concentration camp for one year from 1944. The remaining works present the agonies and distresses protagonists experienced as Jews outside of concentration camps. In other words, the existing writers realistically described the anguishes in concentration camps, whereas Kestesz's works concentrate on those of Jews outside of concentration camps. In terms of form, the circulation of story and the structure of circulation and repetition and the structure of severance can be referred to as characteristic. The epic incidents in Fateless appear repetitively in Kudarc, Kaddish a meg nem született gyermekért and Felszámolás. Taking transformations, their characters, backgrounds or materials are ceaselessly circulated and repeated toward one consistent goal. Such a circulating and repetitive structure is a product of his intended work design. In addition, characters are closely related to each other in his works. The protagonist is the same person in each of Sorstalanság, Kudarc, Kaddish a meg nem született gyermekért and Felszámolás. Different in age and job, the same character appears in a circulating and repetitive way. Such a conclusion is based on the composition that a protagonist is the same person in each work. The circulating and repetitive structure indicates the history and destiny of Jews in a symbolical manner. It symbolizes that the Jews repetitively circle around the same place, as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because of crime. Ironically, it took 40 years to get Fateless published, as the Jews entered Canaan after wandering in the wilderness. Such a circulating and repetitive structure aims to shift or objectivize scars through repetitive remembrance and recreation of new characters. He imputes his agonies and scars in Auschwitz to doppelgaengers by making them emerge repetitively. "No" is a key word of the structure of severance. The word is a refusal to his wife's wish of a baby, but a declaration of the death of him, Jews and mankind at the same time. The structure of severance means settling the history of wandering Jews in a wider sense and the existence of Kertész himself in a narrower sense. Nevertheless, Kertész's settlement does not mean "end." Rather, it stands for "a new life." This concept seems to be influenced by the burning offering, a Jewish sacrifice ritual. The description technique conspicuous in his works is "getting angry instead" by ironic description. Most concentration camp works realistically describe the distresses and miseries in concentration camps. For example, Henryk Grynber, one of representative Polish concentration camp writers, recorded the painful experiences he made in his childhood, and vividly depicted the collective fear for "extermination" and the survival instinct hidden in unconsciousness. Kertész's Fateless affirmatively describes even German Nazi soldiers, unlike other concentration camp works. Their appearances and national characteristics are described affirmatively. In addition, the protagonist thinks making friends with Germans will do him good. At this point, readers reach the limit, though they have suppressed their anger, thinking such thoughts originate in immaturity. Moreover, the protagonist makes an absurd and incomprehensible confession, saying "I long for the beauty in the concentration camp Auschwitz." Such an unreasonable description reveals his expectation that readers instead get angry with German soldiers.

A great number of concentration camp works were published, but Imre Kertész's works had their own characteristics, thus contributing to his winning Nobel Prize in 2002. Indeed, his works are to be analyzed in various perspectives, but this study approaches the works in terms of content, form and description. In terms of content, his works deal with not only the experiences in concentration camps, but the distortions and distresses in his lives caused by the camp lives, whereas the existing concentration camp works concentrate on the factual record of concentration camp experiences. In general, focus has been made on the achievement of realities, the accuracy of description and the value of record to evaluate the works on concentration camps, Jewish Holocaust or individual or group tragedies. However, Fateless alone realistically depicts the life in the concentration camp for one year from 1944. The remaining works present the agonies and distresses protagonists experienced as Jews outside of concentration camps. In other words, the existing writers realistically described the anguishes in concentration camps, whereas Kestesz's works concentrate on those of Jews outside of concentration camps. In terms of form, the circulation of story and the structure of circulation and repetition and the structure of severance can be referred to as characteristic. The epic incidents in Fateless appear repetitively in Kudarc, Kaddish a meg nem született gyermekért and Felszámolás. Taking transformations, their characters, backgrounds or materials are ceaselessly circulated and repeated toward one consistent goal. Such a circulating and repetitive structure is a product of his intended work design. In addition, characters are closely related to each other in his works. The protagonist is the same person in each of Sorstalanság, Kudarc, Kaddish a meg nem született gyermekért and Felszámolás. Different in age and job, the same character appears in a circulating and repetitive way. Such a conclusion is based on the composition that a protagonist is the same person in each work. The circulating and repetitive structure indicates the history and destiny of Jews in a symbolical manner. It symbolizes that the Jews repetitively circle around the same place, as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because of crime. Ironically, it took 40 years to get Fateless published, as the Jews entered Canaan after wandering in the wilderness. Such a circulating and repetitive structure aims to shift or objectivize scars through repetitive remembrance and recreation of new characters. He imputes his agonies and scars in Auschwitz to doppelgaengers by making them emerge repetitively. "No" is a key word of the structure of severance. The word is a refusal to his wife's wish of a baby, but a declaration of the death of him, Jews and mankind at the same time. The structure of severance means settling the history of wandering Jews in a wider sense and the existence of Kertész himself in a narrower sense. Nevertheless, Kertész's settlement does not mean "end." Rather, it stands for "a new life." This concept seems to be influenced by the burning offering, a Jewish sacrifice ritual. The description technique conspicuous in his works is "getting angry instead" by ironic description. Most concentration camp works realistically describe the distresses and miseries in concentration camps. For example, Henryk Grynber, one of representative Polish concentration camp writers, recorded the painful experiences he made in his childhood, and vividly depicted the collective fear for "extermination" and the survival instinct hidden in unconsciousness. Kertész's Fateless affirmatively describes even German Nazi soldiers, unlike other concentration camp works. Their appearances and national characteristics are described affirmatively. In addition, the protagonist thinks making friends with Germans will do him good. At this point, readers reach the limit, though they have suppressed their anger, thinking such thoughts originate in immaturity. Moreover, the protagonist makes an absurd and incomprehensible confession, saying "I long for the beauty in the concentration camp Auschwitz." Such an unreasonable description reveals his expectation that readers instead get angry with German soldiers.

concentration camp, Imre Kertész, Auschwitz, Fateless, Kudarc, Kaddish a meg nem született gyermekért, Felszámolás.