ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

This paper analyzes the common themes of webtoons featuring poor adolescents as main characters, then explore the growth stories about poor adolescents in the 21st century, focusing on two webtoons: “A Middle School Girl, A” and “Homeless.” Since the 2000s, social structural contradictions caused by the neoliberal system have grown sharper in Korean society, placing material and psychological pressure on poor youth. In the two webtoons, “A Middle School Girl, A” and “Homeless,” the reality is presented honestly while showing the growth of young protagonists from impoverished backgrounds. The adolescents in these works are orphans or victims of domestic violence, but they hide for a time by creating their own spaces―whether as rooms or worlds―that serve as shelters. For them, homes and schools are dangerous places where the strong prey on the weak, but they overcome these challenges through the extraordinary talents of impoverished youth and solidarity with friends. As a result, they grow into socially accepted members, shedding their former weakness. Most importantly, adolescents develop a healthy self-identity by gaining psychological independence from their parents. This story about economically disadvantaged youth is meaningful as it overcomes the pitiful story tradition that evokes sympathy for the socially underprivileged and the filial piety that unconditionally embraces weak and sick parents. However, there is a limitation: it still sustains the myth of meritocracy, as shown by the fact that exceptional ability is often seen as a main factor in overcoming a crisis.

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