루시디의 정치소설에 나타난 담론과 윤리의 양상-중간보고서

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study aims to read the aspects of discourses and ethics in Salman
Rushdie's major political novels―Midnight's Children, Shame, The Satanic Verses, and The Moor's Last Sigh―in terms of Jacques Lacan's theories of discourses and ethics. Both theories have close relationship with desire: his theory of discourses reveals how a discourse in a society is formed and worked by the Other's desire, while that of ethics uncovers why the subject of a discourse can't be that of ethical acts. The ethical acts of the subject or traversing the fantasy can be possible only when s/he escapes from the desire of the Other.
'Rushdie Affair' is a conflict between Islamic and Western worlds over Rushdie's The Satanic Verses, in which he challenges the authority of Quran and the Prophet Mohammed by considering it as 'satanic verses' and his wives as prostitutes respectively. The West respond to the novel with the freedom of expression, whereas the Islamic see it as a book which intends to blaspheme Islam. As a result, it has been defined as a incident caused by the differences between two cultures or censorships. The truth of 'Rushdie Affair', however, lies in a discourse surrounding the book because the Islamic world believe that it represents the well-plotted great conspiracy of the West on Islam: after undermining Islam, the West will plunder the Islamic world of its resources. This rumor or public opinion has been prevailed so wide that Rushdie gets the sentence to death by Khomeini.
'Rushdie Affair' shows the power of religion discourse. When it functions as
Master's discourse in a society, the society is moved or worked by it. As well
described in Midnight's Children and Shame, Indian subcontinent was divided into India and Pakistan by two master signifiers of Hinduism and Islam when it was freed from the rule of British Imperialism. And in the newly-born countries, both religions have continued to have negative effects on the their politics, being abused in political elections and power by politicians or governments.
Discourse of Master is a discourse that a master signifier rules a society. It is
repressive and violent since it requires unconditional obedience. That is why
Rushdie criticizes Master's discourse. In Shame, his target is dictatorships in
Pakistan. Its society is still groaning under repression, as it was under the
dominance of Imperialism: Harappa who suggests 'Islamic Socialism' to people rules his nation by means of 'panopticon' system; Hyder emphasizing 'Islam
Fundamentalism' governs his people though rigid commandments. Both are failed masters, that is, the dictators.
'Rushdie Affair' and his political novels reveals the impossibility of ethical acts
in the level of discourse. Conflicts and confrontation or antagonism between Islamic and Western worlds can't never be solved, as shown in 'Rushdie Affair.' Likewise, as indicated in the division of India-Pakistan, reconciliation and side-by-side living between Islam and Hinduism also can't be accomplished. Because these discourses are moved by desires or interests which is contrary to each other, ethical acts can never be done by the subject of discourse. That is the point Rushdie wants to show us through a series of his political novels.

국문 초록 (Abstract)

본 연구는 샐먼 루시디(Salman Rushdie)의 주요 정치소설들인 <<자정의 아이들>>(Midnight's Children), <<수치>>(Shame), <<악마의 시>>(The Satanic Verses), 그리고 <<무어의 마지막 한숨>>(The Moor's Last Sigh)에 나타난 담론과 윤리의 양상을 자끄 라깡(Jacques Lacan)의 담론과 윤리에 대한 이론으로 고찰했다.

본 연구는 크게 5단계로 나뉜다.
1단계:루시디의 정치소설과 비소설을 읽고 정리하기
2단계:‘루시디 사건’과 담론에 대한 고찰
3단계:라캉의 담론과 윤리에 대한 이론적 고찰
4단계:루시디의 정치소설에 나타난 담론과 윤리의 양상에 대한 고찰
5단계:결론―루시디의 정치성 및 정치담론에 있어서 윤리적 가능성에 대한 고찰