earticle

영어

This study examines Joseph Brodsky’s experiences in the cultures of other countries: America, Turkey and Italy through Oberg’s culture shock theory. Culture shock is the experience a person may have when moving into a foreign culture. Its manifestations develop in four stages: honeymoon, culture shock, adjustment, and adaptation. Brodsky’s experiences with the cultures of those countries did not follow the U curve of Oberg's theory, demonstrating his predisposition to love individualism and freedom. The former studies seeing Brodsky as a cosmopolitan or an imperialist should be reconsidered. His encounter with the United States in A Part of Speech started with culture shock without any honeymoon stage; he was able to cope with American culture not only owing to his mastery of English but also the values he esteemed the most: freedom and individualism. In his encounter with Turkish culture in “Flight from Byzantium,” he only experienced culture shock throughout his stay in Istanbul. Meanwhile, his experiences in Italy in Watermark only took place within the honeymoon stage. In light of this study, we can see that Brodsky’s encounter with other cultures provided him an opportunity to write freely away from the steel cage of his home culture.