Psychopath, the monster of modern society and the maternal myth -Goodnight, Mom by Seo Mi-Ae and I’m sorry, Mama by Kirino Natsuo-

Jaejin Yu

日本硏究

2015, (39), pp.199-216
Publisher : The Center for Japanese Studies
Research Area : Japanese Language and Literature

Jaejin Yu ¹

¹고려대학교

ABSTRACT

Psychopath, the monster of modern society and the maternal myth -Goodnight, Mom by Seo Mi-Ae and I’m sorry, Mama by Kirino Natsuo- In today’s detective mystery novels, criminals do not commit murder for vengeance or money. Rather, they are too egotistical and therefore unable to feel empathy with other people. This state causes them to continuously and guiltlessly commit murder in order to fulfill their distorted desires or to gain relief. These serial killers are better known as psychopaths. This study deals with two detective mystery novels, Goodnight, Mom published in 2010 by Mi-ae Seo and I’m Sorry, Mama in 2004 by Kirino Natsuo. Both are stories that feature female serial killers. The ways in which the mothers assert motherhood to be a myth and choose to escape from the restraint of motherhood only leads to the result that their children grow up to be serial killers. The choices they had made are deemed negative. That is, the two novels are paradoxically demanding motherhood by linking the personality development of serial killers with that to “mothers”. In such a way, the thought that society needs to intervene in child care from I’m Sorry, Mama is not shown in Goodnight, Mom. Goodnight, Mom only distinguishes the good mother as absolutely good and the bad mother as absolutely bad. This signifies that this novel fails to escape from the predominant idea in Korean society that sanctifies and enforces motherhood.
KEYWORDS

Detective Stories, Psychopath, Motherhood, Natsuo Kirino, Miae Seo
REFERENCES (14)

[book] 김민주 / 2010 / 키워드로 읽는 오늘의 세상 2011 트렌드 키워드 / 미래의창 : 209~

[book] 도성달 / 2013 / 윤리, 세상을 만난다 / 한국학중앙연구원 출판부 : 187~

[book] 다카하시 도시오 / 2012 / 호러국가 일본 / 도서출판 b : 135~

[book] 미나토 가나에 / 2013 / 모성 / B북폴리오 : 228~229

[journal] 서미애 / 2009 / 인터뷰:서미애 추리소설가 / 계간 미스터리 / 화남Br (여름) : 51~

[book] 서미애 / 2010 / 잘자요, 엄마 / 노블마인 : 34~35

[book] 섀리 엘 서러 / 1999 / 어머니의 신화 / 까치 : 21~

[book] 심성은 / 2009 / 만들어진 모성 : 17~20세기 모성애의 근대사 / 동녘 : 366~

[book] 이재원 / 2014 / 모성애의 발명 / 알마 : 51~85

[book] 폴 롤랜드 / 2010 / FBI 프로파일로들이 파헤친 연쇄살인범의 심리 이웃집 사이코패스 / 동아일보사 : 125~

[journal] 金子幸代 / 2009 / フェミニズムと現代女性文学：映像から考える桐野夏生の『魂萌え！』 / 富山大学人文学部紀要 50 : 304~290

[book] 桐野夏生 / 2004 / I’m sorry, mama / 集英社　 : 262~

[journal] 種田和加子 / 2009 / 剥奪の構図ー桐野夏生作品から考察するー / 日本近代文学 81 : 240~

[book] ボーヴォワール / 1953 / 第二の性ー女はどう生きるかー / 新潮社 : 122~186
KCI Citation (0)

KJC Korea
Journal Central

Statistics

Tools