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An Analysis of Claire Keegan's Foster and Its Implications for Liberal Arts Education

  • The Journal of General Education
  • 2025, (33), pp.97~129
  • DOI : 10.24173/jge.2025.10.31.3
  • Publisher : Da Vinci Mirae Institute of General Education
  • Research Area : Social Science > Education > Field of Education > General Education
  • Received : September 21, 2025
  • Accepted : October 17, 2025
  • Published : October 31, 2025

Shin, Hee Sun 1

1숙명여자대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study analyzes Claire Keegan’s novella Foster from the perspectives of ‘care’ and ‘growth’, exploring its implications for liberal arts education. Set in rural Ireland in the 1980s, the work portrays the journey of a young girl who, having lived an invisible life in a poor family under the neglect of her biological parents, regains self-esteem and develops her sense of self through the warm care and emotional bonds she experiences in a foster home during the summer. By contrasting the atmosphere of the birth family with that of the foster family, this paper examines the role of care in the girl’s growth. Particular attention is given to her experiences of running and reading with the Kinsella couple, as well as her inner development in understanding the value of secrecy and silence in human relationships. Through a textual analysis of Claire Keegan’s work, which has received relatively little scholarly attention in Korea, this study reflects on the meaning of care relationships that transcend traditional notions of family. Ultimately, it has been shown that the literary symbolism and social message of Foster justify its worth as a modern classic and highlight its usefulness as a text in university liberal arts education.

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This paper was written with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea.
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