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Self-Care and the Possibility of Resistance in Park Wan-seo's Old Age Novels: - Focusing on 「When the Long and Boring Movie Is About to End」 and 「Broad-minded table」-

kim mi young 1

1전북대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This article aims to illuminate the subjectivity of elderly women who practice self-care even while under oppression. It also sheds light on the process of resisting power in different ways to protect elders’ autonomy. In Park Wan-seo's novels, elderly women choose speech and self-transformation as counter-subjugation strategies. These women build themselves up through the process of receiving and performing care. In 「When the Long and Boring Movie Is About to End」and 「Broadminded table」, the provision of self-care to escape subjugation is depicted through care situations. 「When the Long and Boring Movie Is About to End」 attempts to demystify the elderly body through characters’ speech. By revealing their vulnerable bodies, they articulate the need for care physically, and in doing so, they resist the attempts to control and exclude the ailing elderly body and thus gain autonomy. 「Broad-minded table」depicts elderly characters who advance to self-care through self-transformation during the performance of care. By choosing “parenthood,” they not only preempt affective equality but also gain autonomy from social oppression. Furthermore, by attempting self-transformation for the purposes of desubjugation and subjectification, they advance towards self-care and healing from loss. If self-care is performed on the premise of the mutuality of care, the shame and fear of receiving care can be transformed into pride. In this sense, Park Wan-seo's portrayal of the elderly in her later novels is significant as it suggests the possibility of self-care.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.