초록

This paper analyzes Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Buried Giant (2015) by using key terms coined by the French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas such as; totality, infinity, exteriority, the face of the Other, hospitality, and the responsible subject. The title of the novel under scrutiny is symbolic of the powerful eruption of dormant hatred leading to an unthinkable and unspeakable massacre. I focus on exploring the common ground shared by the novelist Ishiguro and the philosopher Levinas, highlighting their quests for an ethics based on respect for others and denunciation of totalitarian thought. I draw attention to the protagonist Axl who questions and challenges the validity of totality; namely, the totalitarian power wielded by King Arthur. Clearly, he is at odds with King Arthur who breaches the peace pact with the Saxons. This act of betrayal invites a future backlash from the Saxons. Then I analyze Beatrice, Axl’s beloved wife, who refuses to perceive the strange woman as a “demon” or a “leper”. This hospitable attitude opens up an ethical dimension and serves as an antidote to discrimination and hatred, to war and violence. Ishiguro’s diagnosis of and solution to the culture of hatred and war are quite relevant to the world we live in today. Reading The Buried Giant through the lens of Emmanuel Levinas is both refreshing and rewarding because of that relevance.

키워드

이시구로, 『파묻힌 거인』, 레비나스, 전체성, 무한성, 외재성, 환대, 집단적 기억상실증, 타인의 얼굴, 책임 주체

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