이효석의 『화분』과 『벽공무한』은 1940년대 식민지 엘리트의 교양에 대한 인식을 엿볼 수 있다는 점에서 흥미로운 텍스트이다. 이효석은 조선문학이 지방성을 토대로 한 국민문학이 아니라 세계문학으로 나아갈 것을 역설하고, 이같은 견해를 그의 두 장편 속에 재현된 지식인의 행위와 욕망 속에 투사하고 있다. 『화분』과 『벽공무한』에 나타나는 심미주의적 국경 넘어서기의 서사는 식민주의자들의 거짓된 기대와 환상의 창조, 바로 그것의 거울상이다. 제국주의는 단순한 축적과 획득의 행위와 그 결과를 지칭하는 것이 아니라 문화와 지식이라는 형태에 의해 지원되고 추인되는 행위이다. 이 때 문화와 지식이 가장 강력한 제국주의의 동력학으로 작동한다. 이효석의 장편은 그러한 제국과 문화의 경계에 위치하고 있다. 이효석의 소설에는 서양숭배와 엑조티시즘에 내재한 성의 위계질서가 자리잡고 있다. 이효석은 관능적인 엑조티시즘을 환기하는 공간임이 명백한 『화분』의 ‘푸른 집’을 통해 자신의 이국취미와 에로티즘의 관련을 분명하게 보여주었다. 또한 그는 『벽공무한』에서 ‘나아자’라는 미모의 러시아 여성을 등장시켜 엑조티시즘과 에로티즘이 결합된 서양숭배를 강화하고 있다. 이 서양 숭배는 철저한 성의 위계를 상정하고 있으며 그것이 또한 교양주의와 관련을 맺고 있다. 서양숭배와 엑조티시즘과 성의 위계에 기초한 이 그로데스크한 교양주의는 경성제국대학 출신의 식민지 학력엘리트 작가들의 멘탈리티와의 관련 속에서 파악해야 한다.

Lee Hyo-seok's 『Hwabun(flowerpot)』 and 『Byeokgongmuhan(碧空無限)』 are the interesting texts in a sense that can observe recognition on colonial elites' culture in the 1940s. Lee Hyo-seok emphasizes that the Chosun literature will need to advance to the world literature, not the national literature based on locality, and is projecting this opinion into the intellect's behavior and desire, which were revived in his two long pieces. The aesthetic description of passing over the national boundary, which is shown in 『Hwabun』 and 『Byeokgongmuhan』, is just the mirror image of creation in colonialists' false expectation and fantasy. Imperialism is not what designates the behavior and its results in simple accumulation and acquisition, but is the behavior that is supported and ratified by the form called culture and knowledge. At this time, culture and knowledge function as the most powerful dynamics in imperialism. Lee Hyo-seok's long piece is situated in such boundary of empire and culture. In Lee Hyo-seok's novel is positioned the Western worship and the hierarchy in gender, which is immanent in exoticism. Lee Hyo-seok clearly showed the relationship between his exotic taste and erotism through 'green house' in 『Hwabun』 that is clear in being the space of stirring up sensual exoticism. Also, he allowed a beautiful Russian woman named 'Naja' to appear in 『Byeokgongmuhan』, thereby stepping up the Western worship, in which the exoticism and the erotism are combined. This Western worship is presenting the thorough hierarchy in gender. That is also related to culturalism. This grotesque culturalism, which is based on Western worship, on exoticism, and on hierarchy in gender, needs to be grasped amidst the relationship with mentality in writers who are colonially-academic elites from Gyeongseong(Seoul) Imperial University.

Lee Hyo-seok's 『Hwabun(flowerpot)』 and 『Byeokgongmuhan(碧空無限)』 are the interesting texts in a sense that can observe recognition on colonial elites' culture in the 1940s. Lee Hyo-seok emphasizes that the Chosun literature will need to advance to the world literature, not the national literature based on locality, and is projecting this opinion into the intellect's behavior and desire, which were revived in his two long pieces. The aesthetic description of passing over the national boundary, which is shown in 『Hwabun』 and 『Byeokgongmuhan』, is just the mirror image of creation in colonialists' false expectation and fantasy. Imperialism is not what designates the behavior and its results in simple accumulation and acquisition, but is the behavior that is supported and ratified by the form called culture and knowledge. At this time, culture and knowledge function as the most powerful dynamics in imperialism. Lee Hyo-seok's long piece is situated in such boundary of empire and culture. In Lee Hyo-seok's novel is positioned the Western worship and the hierarchy in gender, which is immanent in exoticism. Lee Hyo-seok clearly showed the relationship between his exotic taste and erotism through 'green house' in 『Hwabun』 that is clear in being the space of stirring up sensual exoticism. Also, he allowed a beautiful Russian woman named 'Naja' to appear in 『Byeokgongmuhan』, thereby stepping up the Western worship, in which the exoticism and the erotism are combined. This Western worship is presenting the thorough hierarchy in gender. That is also related to culturalism. This grotesque culturalism, which is based on Western worship, on exoticism, and on hierarchy in gender, needs to be grasped amidst the relationship with mentality in writers who are colonially-academic elites from Gyeongseong(Seoul) Imperial University.

Lee Hyo-seok, Culture, Western worship, colonially-academic elites, grotesque culturalism.