조이스의 전래동화 다시 쓰기: 「진흙」과 「신데렐라」

Abstract

By featuring a female character with multiple identities, “Clay” has drawn different critical attention over time. Since the short story consistently reminds us of “Cinderella” in terms of content and form, it can be understood as a modern version of that fairy tale. In this article, “Clay” is analysed in the context of two versions of Cinderella: Charles Perrault’s and Grimm Brothers. With more versions of the fairy tale, more complex and intricate interpretations with multifaceted perspectives would be expected. Though Joyce uses the fairy tale as a backbone of his story, he basically challenges “Cinderella” by presenting a more realistic Cinderella figure called Maria. Through Maria’s pitiable, repetitive, and submissive life, Joyce demonstrates that the Cinderella story cannot be realized as a woman who is not young and beautiful. Even when Maria is described as a diligent, punctual and warm-hearted woman, a happy and bright future is not expected of her. As appropriately implied in Joyce’s title of his story, a fairy tale is just like clay which can be molded into a desired shape. In “Clay,” Joyce creates another version of Cinderella, reflecting his practical and realistic outlook on life.