자크 라캉의 이론으로 접근한 “여름과 연기” 속 ‘알마’의 욕망

Abstract

In this study, I approach and examine the desire of Alma among the characters in Tennessee Williams' play “Summer and Smoke” with Jacques Lacan's theory. To develop the discussion, I first understand Jacques Lacan's theory of desire. Each characteristic was organized by dividing the three areas of desire that Lacan emphasized: the imaginary world, the symbolic world, and the real world. Based on this, the desire acting on Alma's unconscious mind was analyzed. The analysis was focused on the texts of the “Summer and Smoke” play, and Alma's words and actions were closely examined in the scene where the desire for each stage was revealed. As a result, it was possible to understand how Alma's desire entered the real world through the imaginary and symbolic worlds, and how the object of desire was changing accordingly. Thus, it was confirmed that words and actions that contradict the super-objective of the character in the work can be explained on the basis of a psychoanalytically approached desire. Although this character analysis does not make a very different interpretation of Alma, it could suggest the possibility of being applied as a tool to create complex characters reflecting complex modern society in more depth.