하이브리드 존재로서 사이보그와 장애 연구의 새로운 패러다임 : 사이보그 문학에 나타난 기술과 인간의 새로운 관계 맺기의 가능성을 중심으로

초록

Disability is a prime example of the posthuman condition, the process and experience of mutation and human enhancement. The marginalization and nomadic subjectivity of disability connect with those of the cyborg. Cyborg provides an opportunity for reflection on identity-related issues facing contemporary society, such as transhumanism, gender fluidity, and human enhancement. This article looks at the connection between disability and cyborgs in Cami McGovern’s Say What You Will (2014) and Marge Piercy’s He, She and It (1991). A potent form of resistance, the hybrid figure of the cyborg subverts the rhetoric of otherness that justifies ableist views and reinterprets what disability is. By depicting different responses to the cyborg condition, the two novels highlight the individuality of human experience and the fact that there is no single approach that can address the multifaceted and complex nature of disability. This article argues that both novels succeed in avoiding stereotypical representations of disabled bodies through the portrayal of characters with diverse personalities, struggles, and lifestyles, and thus can help us explore new directions in disability narratives. Consequently, by illustrating new ways of being that alter the definition of disability, I have demonstrated that these texts may be a part of a new disability narrative trend that marks the progression of the discourse surrounding disabilities.

키워드