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영어

In this paper, I consider Oe Kenzaburo’s thought of intending wholeness that appears in contemporary history recognition through the novels which used the United Red Army Incident as motif. The specific objects of analysis are Bitten by the River Horse(Kaba ni Kamareru), Revolutionary Woman(Kakumei Josei), and The Teaching of Silverberry・ Introduction(Gumi no Ki no Oshie・Jo). Oe Kenzaburo has asked himself what is the whole, what is the eye that sees the whole, and what is the relation between human existence as an individual and the whole, to present the wholeness of the United Red Army Incident. Oe Kenzaburo tried to find the answer from a mythical archetype. Specifically, he created the metaphor called ‘KABA(hippopotamus)’ by focusing on the marginal existence, and introduced the trickster myth as a literary method. In the novel, the imagination of trickster was activated as a method to restore the missing parts in the incident perception and the distorted or not transmitted message. Oe Kenzaburo tried to present the wholeness of the United Red Army Incident through various human models. However, Oe Kenzaburo was most conscious of human existence as an individual. The unique perception of the individual and the whole that can be found from the characters in the novel is due to Oe Kenzaburo’s attitude to give meaning to human existence as an individual. Therefore, it can be said that the wholeness that Oe Kenzaburo intended is the wholeness which human existence as an individual can reach the salvation, namely, the wholeness as the salvation. In addition, it may be said that this is a basic thought to make the root of the contemporary history recognition of Oe Kenzaburo.