earticle

영어

Jessie, a protagonist of Marsha Norman’s play, ’night, Mother, proclaims her plan for suicide to her mother in the beginning of the play. Jessie’s mother, Thelma, tries to prohibit Jessie from killing herself throughout the play; however, Thelma begins to perceive how profoundly her daughter has been sunk in existential despair. Finally Jessie succeeds her original plan and her mother is left with wail of despair and a partial understanding of her daughter. Regarding Jessie’s suicide, many previous researches have been conducted in relation to her strenuous searching for her own identity or her revolt/resistance against patriarchal and psychological oppression. Despite the playwright’s intent to consider Jessie’s decision to suicide as a “meaningful” way of existence, it is considerable discomfort in teaching suicide as worthwhile. Henceforth, this study endeavors to approach Jessie’s suicide through Soren Kierkegaard’s concept of despair and existential stages. By doing so, we can discuss her decision is still valuable; yet, Jessie, with substantial recognition of her self, bravely chooses to fall down an existential dizzy cliff, which is another modality of being in despair in terms of Kierkegaard.