J.M. 쿳시의 『철의 시대』와 애도의 시학

J.M. Coetzee’s Age of Iron is a deeply moving attempt to confront the profound grief he experienced after his mother’s death. Initially titled “The House on Toll Road,” the novel reflects on the intense emotional turmoil he endured in the aftermath of her passing, with its central focus on a dying woman who vividly evokes memories of his mother. However, He encountered a significant challenge during the writing process—he “found it difficult to locate the voice.” To tackle this challenge, he reimagined the novel as an extended letter—a heartfelt message from a son to his departed mother. However, the process of composing a letter to a deceased mother proved to be an emotionally charged undertaking for the author, resulting in a text saturated with personal grief. Nevertheless, he skillfully balanced the deeply personal nature of the letter, transforming it into a true work of art. One notable adjustment involved shifting the perspective to that of a mother, addressing the letter to a daughter. This change in point of view allowed the author to incorporate political and social issues afflicting South Africa into the narrative. He moved beyond his personal loss and delved into the concept of alterity. The compositional progress of the novel exemplifies T.S. Eliot’s perspective on artists: “The progress of an artist is a continual self-sacrifice, a continual extinction of personality.” Paradoxically, however, the enduring presence of a pervasive spirit of mourning throughout the novel intensifies its emotional impact, making it an even more compelling and poignant narrative. In this regard, Age of Iron can be seen as a form of autobiography, echoing Coetzee’s statement that “all writing is autobiography.” It stands as a testament to the author's exceptional craftsmanship in seamlessly intertwining profound sense of mourning with a compelling political discourse.