The process of finding a father and becoming a subject : An analysis of Kim Won-il’s “The Soul of Darkness” and Lim Cheol-woo’s “The Land of the Father”

This paper attempts to examine the possibility of reconciliation in estranged fa ther-son relationships through the “Father Search Journey” in Kim Won-il’s “The Soul of Darkness” and Lim Cheol-woo’s “The Land of the Father.” Here, reconcil iation refers to understanding the father as a being separate from the son “I”; it is a dream of the recovery of the family in a world where the father-son relationship has become fragmented. Accordingly, “The Soul of Darkness” reconstructs this essential relationship by understanding the father as a family through the process of recalling the memories of his son, who belongs to a generation that has expe rienced war, and restores the relationship to reveal the possibility of the recovery of the subject “I.” In contrast, “The Land of the Father” indicates the possibility of recovering twisted family relationships without remembering and recalling the memory of “I,” centering on a son who has not experienced war. Thus, both works present the possibility of being reborn as an independent being (“I”) and embarking on a journey to find the father in different ways. This consequently reveals attitudes toward an ethical life in response to the historical division of the Korean peninsula.