노라 옥자 켈러의 『종군위안부』에 나타난 샤머니즘의 의미

Abstract

This study analyzes the role of shamanism in Nora Okja Keller’s Comfort Woman, focusing on three central characters’ relationships. Comfort Woman depicts two comfort women, Soonhyo and Induk, both of whom were called Akiko at a Japanese “comfort station.” Induk’s soul guides and helps Soonhyo who, as a shaman, remembers Induk’s unmourned death. After discussing the interdependent relationship between Soonhyo and Induk, this thesis examines the significance of shamanism in Soonhyo’s changing relationship with her daughter, Beccah. The thesis concludes by emphasizing that shamanism in Comfort Woman connects Soonhyo and Induk and reconciles Soonhyo and Beccah. Through shamanism, the novel effectively reminds the reader that there is an unfinished story of the dead that the living should listen to.