클라인의 ‘두 위치 이론’으로 되짚어 본 밴드 혁오의 <멋진 헛간> = Revisiting Hyukoh’s < Wonderful Barn > through Klein’s ‘Two Positions’ Theory

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper analyzes the song < Wonderful Barn > by Hyukoh using Klein’s ‘two positions theory’ and Kohut’s notion of optimal frustration. The analysis suggests that the protagonist represents the psychological transition from the paranoid-schizoid position to the depressive position. Klein explained that the paranoid-schizoid position is characterized by the infant’s lack of a concept of “a whole person,” relating instead to part-objects, whereas the depressive position begins when the infant perceives the mother as a whole person and establishes relationships with whole objects. She further argued that for the paranoid-schizoid position to gradually progress to the next developmental stage, namely the depressive position, positive experiences must outweigh negative ones. If the individual can tolerate the integration of loving and hating images, anxiety shifts toward a concern for the happiness and survival of the other as a whole object. Ultimately, this process evokes feelings of regret, guilt, and profound sorrow, accompanied by a yearning for what has been lost or damaged through hatred and a desire to restore it. The protagonist of < Wonderful Barn > encounters a thief who empties the barn, reflecting his lingering state in the paranoid-schizoid position. This event, however, places him at the boundary between the paranoid-schizoid and depressive positions. In psychoanalytic terms, major events in individual lives or societal phenomena can represent “moments of peril yet potential.” At this juncture, the protagonist’s progression to the depressive position requires positive experiences, which Kohut terms as “optimal frustration.” A psychoanalytic examination of the protagonist in < Wonderful Barn > offers a lens not only to understand individual experiences but also to address societal issues such as bullying, online harassment, and social withdrawal. Thus, this study proposes that psychoanalytic research on popular music could serve as a means to challenge and resolve the prevailing societal biases toward psychoanalysis.