ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

This paper aims to explore the theme of historical uncertainty through a study of Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle (hereafter, High Castle). The novel, which remains work in the genre of alternate history, creates a world in which the Axis powers have won World War II. Alternate history is a genre that is fundamentally concerned with history. However, High Castle goes beyond the genre and alters historical reality by posit a new reality. In the alternate history of High Castle, Germany and Japan have won World War II and occupied the United States. When the novel begins, Hitler, now allegedly insane, is confined to a mental institution, and Martin Borman is the Chancellor. Through the novel, Dick warns us that a fixed view of history and reality is illusory. I argue that High Castle explores not only the concept of historical contingency, but also the nature of history. While time travel and parallel worlds are the mainstay of alternate history, High Castle explores issues about history itself and the uncertainty of historicity through an alternate colonial history of America.

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