Original Works

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Printed/Published Work Korean(한국어)

전상국 단편선-아베의 가족

About the Original Works

전상국 단편선-아베의 가족
Original Title
전상국 단편선-아베의 가족
Title Romanization
Jeonsanggung danpyeonseon-abeui gajok
English Title(Printed)
Ahbe’s Family
Classification

KDC구분 > literature > Korean Literature > Korean Fiction > 20th century > Short Story

Author
Jeon Sang-guk
Co-Author
-
Published Year
-
Publisher
-
ISBN
-
Main Characters
The narrator Kim Jinho, Ahbe, their sister, their mother
Subject/Theme
Korean War; the reality of division; tragedy and conflict in modern Korean history

About the Author

Writer default image
  • Jeon Sang-guk
  • Birth : 1940 ~ Unknown
  • Occupation : Novelist
  • First Name : Sang-guk
  • Family Name : Jeon
  • Korean Name : 전상국
  • ISNI : 000000011757202X
  • Works : 10
Plot

The narrator Kim Jinho and his brother Ahbe have different fathers. During the Korean War, their mother was raped by a US soldier and later gave birth to Ahbe, who has an intellectual disability and an insatiable sexual appetite. Leaving Ahbe behind in Korea, the family immigrates to the States. One day, Jinho’s sister is sexually assaulted, reminding Jinho of Abe, and the incident makes him realize he can no longer ignore his brother’s existence.

Descriptions(Languages 2)
  • Korean(한국어)
  • English(English)

1979년 <한국문학>에 발표된 전상국의 단편소설이다. 한국 전쟁으로 인한 상처를 '아베'라는 인물을 통해 상징화하고 있다. 분단의 상처란 결코 도피나 망각을 통해 치유될 수 없다는 점을 강조하고 있는 작품이다.

Jeon Sang-guk’s Ahbe’s Family was first published in Korean Literature in 1979. With the character of Ahbe symbolizing the trauma of the Korean War, the novel attempts to illustrate how the trauma of division can never be healed through escape or oblivion.

Translated Books2

  • Ahbes Familie
    German(Deutsch) Book Available
    Ahbes Familie
    JEON Sang-Guk / JEON Sang-Guk / 2008 / KDC구분 > literature > Korean Literature > Korean Fiction > 20th century > Short Story
  • LA FAMILIA DE ABE
    Spanish(Español) Book Available
    LA FAMILIA DE ABE
    Jeon Sang-guk et al / Chon Sang-Guk / 2001 / KDC구분 > literature > Korean Literature > Korean Fiction > 20th century > Short Story