• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.41
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• pp.7-32
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• 2015

This study started from an interest in the unique history and literature of Okinawa and Jeju Islands. The Battle of Okinawa at a late stage of the Asia-Pacific theatre of World War II, and the indiscriminate violence in the 4.3 Jeju Massacre directly show the shared tragedy of the two islands; furthermore, they are are both located on the frontier of a nation's authority, and thus are symbolic cases. This thesis analyzes Oshiro Tatsuhiro's Island of the Gods and Hyun, Ki Young's Sooni's Uncle, both directly deal with the tragedy of two different but analogous incidents, and question the difference in memory struggle and definitions. Thus, though both novels show a similarity in focusing on and exposing the forbidden memory of mass suicide and massacre, the methods of suggesting the course of memory struggle are different. For example, in contrast to Hyun who took a different approach from the fury, accusations, and violence of South Korea to espoused forgiveness and reconciliation, Oshiro showed the changes in the form of responding to the mainland Japan.