알라딘: 삶 가시인가 꽃인가 Jhamak Ghimire - 네팔 여성 장애인 자막 기미레의 자서전 자막 기미레 (지은이)

알라딘: 삶 가시인가 꽃인가




삶 가시인가 꽃인가 - 네팔 여성 장애인 자막 기미레의 자서전
자막 기미레 (지은이),박정석 (옮긴이)유니스토리2019-12-10






정가
19,800원
판매가
18,810원 (5%, 990원 할인)


318쪽
154*225mm
413g


목차


옮긴이의 말
[영문판] 편집자의 글
추천인의 글
작가 서문

삶의 시작
할머니와 성 차별
장례 이후 훈련
공허 속의 삶
내게 드리운 한 줄기 희망의 끈
희망의 빛줄기
문자로 싹틔운 즐거움
단어가 가져다 준 축복
샤먼과 의사
아름다움에 대한 사회의 시선과 나
누더기 파자마와 부끄러움
처음으로 종이와 펜을 받았던 순간
유럽, 영혼, 산에 대한 나의 믿음
처벌에 대한 전쟁과 부담감
카스트 구분과 나
사춘기와 호기심
이름에 대한 반항
월경과 청춘
가능성을 찾아서
책의 세계로 들어사다
창작의 싹
넓은 길을 따라 간 여행
알파벳 문자 속의 인생사
편지 왕래의 즐거움
더 넓은 세상을 향하여
지식을 향한 갈망과 카트만두 체류 제안
나이와 공부
장애와 우리 사회
자존심과 노동
종교적 믿음 속의 인간의 신
자유를 향한 갈망
펜과 죽음에 대한 공포
피를 갈구하는 시대에 무감각해진 마음
비상사태와 테러가 만연했던 시절
어둠속에서 울려 퍼진 해방의 목소리
칸티푸르의 세계에서
그림, 붓, 캔버스
그들 마음속에 자리 잡은 더러움
문자 대 소총
단쿠타 불타다!
눈물과 함께 신념은 강인해졌다!
위기 속의 삶과 난초의 미소
흐린 하늘이 맑아질 때
분쟁의 상처를 어루만지며
삶의 빛줄기
후원의 손길
가시덤불 속에 핀 한 송이 꽃
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자막 기미레 자서전『삶, 가시인가 꽃인가』의 탄생배경
첫 만남│고빈다 라지 바타라이(Govinda Raj Bhattarai)
네팔 문학계의 새로운 도래│고팔 구라가인(Gopal Guragain)
결론을 대신하여│비스와스디프 티겔라(Biswasdip Tigela)
----------------

『삶, 가시인가 꽃인가』

자막기미레 지음, 박정석 옮김, 신국판, 반양장, 320쪽.

여성으로서 그리고 장애인으로서 험난한 삶을 살아온, 신산하면서도 가슴 찡한, 곁에 있으면서도 보이지 않았던 바로 ‘우리’ 이웃들의 이야기.

자막은 선천적으로 장애를 갖고 태어났다. 들을 수는 있으나 말은 할 수 없고, 손과 팔은 거의 움직일 수 없다. 자막의 두 다리는 신체를 온전히 지탱할 수 없으며, 발가락을 사용해 간단한 물건을 겨우 집어 올릴 수 있을 뿐이다. 시력은 미약하여 희미하게 사물을 구별할 수 있는 수준이다. 혼자서는 제대로 먹을 수도, 입을 수도 없는 상태지만 자막은 각고의 노력 끝에 스스로 문자를 터득하여 오늘날 네팔을 대표하는 작가가 되었다. 여러 작품 중에서도 자신의 생애를 서술한 『삶, 가시인가 꽃인가』는 가장 주목받은 작품이라고 할 수 있다.
여성에 대한 종교적 편견과 사회적 차별이 심할 뿐 아니라 경제적으로도 매우 열악한 네팔에서 여성 장애인으로 산다는 것은 상상하기조차 힘든 일이다. 가족과 사회의 멸시 속에서 학교 문턱에도 가보지 못했던 자막은 혼자서 문자를 깨우쳤으며 수많은 서적과 사상을 섭렵하면서 자신의 한계를 뛰어넘어 작가의 길로 들어섰다. 자막은 여성과 남성, 장애인과 비장애인의 경계를 넘나들며 불의와 타협을 거부하고 저항하는 가운데 지식인으로서의 사명을 다하고 있다. 자막의 자서전은 여성으로서, 그리고 장애인으로서 험난한 삶을 살아온, 신산하면서도 가슴 찡한 이야기이다. 이야기의 주인공 자막은 네팔의 여성/장애인이기도 하지만 동시에 ‘우리’ 안의 ‘너’, 바로 ‘나’의 모습이기도 하다. 세상의 절반이 여성이라는 점에서, ‘우리’ 모두 고통과 상처투성이로 살아가는 가시적 혹은 비가시적인 장애인이라는 점에서, ‘우리’ 대다수가 사회의 주변부에 속하는 비주류라는 점에서, 자막의 자서전 『삶, 가시인가 꽃인가』는 어쩌면 여성, 장애인, 주변인으로서의 ‘우리’ 자신들의 이야기라고도 할 수 있다.

【저자소개】
지은이 자막기미레झमक घिमिर Jhamak Ghimire

자막 기미레는 네팔의 작가이다. 1980년 7월 네팔 동부 단쿠타(Dhankuta)군郡의 카치데(Kachide) 마을에서 태어났다. 뇌성마비로 걷지도 일어서지도 못하고, 양손은 움직일 수 없으며, 심지어 말도 하지 못하는 중증장애자이다. 정규교육을 받은 적이 없지만 독학으로 문자를 깨우쳤으며 왼발로 글을 쓴다. 네팔의 저명한 일간지 칸티푸르(Kantipur) 신문의 고정 칼럼리스트이다. 네팔어로 쓴 자서선 『삶, 가시인가 꽃인가』(2010)로 마단 푸라스카르(Madan Puraskar) 문학상을 받았다. 『삶, 가시인가 꽃인가』는 출간 이후 2년 동안 7차례나 증쇄하여 출판되었을 정도로 네팔 역사상 최고의 베스트셀러가 되었다.

옮긴이 박정석朴正石 Park, Jeong Seok

경남 통영에서 태어나 경북대학교 고고인류학과 및 같은 대학교 대학원 고고인류학과(석사)에서 수학하고 인도 하이데라바드 대학교(University of Hyderabad)에서 인류학 박사학위를 받았다. 이후 경북대학교 보건대학원에서 보건학 석사학위를 취득하였다. 국립민속박물관 학예연구사 및 전남대학교 호남문화연구소 연구교수를 거쳐 현재 목포대학교 고고문화인류학과 교수로 재직하고 있다. 저역서로는 『카스트를 넘어서』, 『외사촌누이와 혼인하는 사람들』, 『식민 이주어촌의 흔적과 기억』, 『홍어』(공저), 『전쟁과 사람들』(공저), 『귀환의 신화』(공저), 『파리아의 미소』(역서) 등이 있다.

※ 자세한 내용은 이 책과 민속원 홈페이지 (http://www.minsokwon.com/) 참조.

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A Flower in the Midst of Thorns: Autobiographical Essays by Jhamak Ghimire
by Jhamak Ghimire | Jun 5, 2012




Apr 29, 2016

Sudha Neupane rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
A woman’s eye on beauty, body, sex and disability -sudha Neupane

Jhamak Ghimire is a renowned Literary figure in Global south. She is one of the Nepalese famous people with cerebral palsy, a non curable disability though non contagious either from the mother’s womb or during early birth. She has won many awards for her essays and poetry and above all is her series of autobiographical essays, winner of the nation’s most prestigious award ‘Madan puraskar’. Jhamak Ghimire was born in the hills of Nepal, a remote village of Dhankuta, east Nepal.

“No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed to an unchartered land or opened a new doorway for the human spirit”-Hellen Killer.

I wonder what amount of optimism you needed to grasp a pen with the toes of your left foot dear Jhamak ji. Sorry I dared to call you by your first name. It is because we share same age(1980 born). I read your Autobiography “A flower in the midst of thorns”(Jiwan Kada Ki Phool)nepali version and remained stunned, spellbound and speechless. What a great challenge to the so called ‘ideology of being able’. Before I went through this book I considered cerebral palsy is just a medical problem and biologically, it is a state of human disability with the weak joint muscles and blur vision. But the realization of how a female victim of disability goes through the series of torturous challenges in our patriarchal society is totally heart rendering. An ideal definition of beauty, feminine body and secret parts of a woman by our social and cultural norms is put upside down by this courageous autobiography. At the same time the writer pity upon the so called normal people of the society who themselves are disabled, blind and rude and shows inhuman behavior to the one who already is in pain.

Ghimire’s narrative is a real story she lived. It’s not only the story of a disabled woman but the book also portrays a very cruel facet of our society where a female disabled person is attacked continuously by the missiles of discrimination on the basis of religion, culture, gender, patriarchy and the concept of karma. Nepalese society has a specified roles for a female. Marriages are arranged by their parents on the basis of their bodily beauty and sexually healthy or ability of giving birth. Ghimire do not meet all these roles of a female to be selected as a bride and that’s why she was neglected. Even her parents and neighbors would pray for her early death so that she would not have to live a cursed life (disabled life). Her life seems like a punishment. In Nepalese culture, it is believed if a person’s deeds are bad or evil in their past life, they are born disabled in present life. It is believed that all the sufferings is the fruit of karma what he/she did in the past life.

The book also depicts about the superstitious beliefs of Nepalese Society on Shamans. Shamans chant the mantras loudly and tries to cure her disability which was incurable. On the other side, a daughter’s birth is a matter of sadness because she is not supposed to continue her father’s hierarchy. And when a child is born disabled, female, poor, lower caste, her life is already compounded with grief, she grows up to live a life of hatred, tease and pain bestowed by the society. Ghimire is also one of the victim. The social cultural condition of the global south is full of illiteracy, superstition, poverty and it is deeply rooted on the name of rituals, traditions and values. It is more than a curse to be born as a female disabled child in such place of the globe. Comparatively , disabled male have more opportunities in the society than disabled female. For example a disabled man can marry a able woman but disabled woman are forced to remain unmarried through out their lives. The discrimination is doubled by their disability and being female.

However, Ghimire surpassed her bodily pain by expressing herself through her writings. Despite the patriarchal barriers and prejudice, this phenomenal woman very genuinely uses her powerful weapon of expressive writing to blow away the hypocrite virtues, religious beliefs, morals and principles.
The book is one of the good reads and going through it is actually like a big hug on a bad day . As a mother of a girl child I choose this book to gift my daughter and recommend all the mothers to do so.
To sum up, Ghimire’s “Jeevan kada ki phool” is an absolute slap to the so called ‘abled society’ who preaches the glory of goddesses ( says one thing) but in reality subordinate women (does another thing). Thus, the book is an eye opener and a must read for all women and humankind.
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Nov 19, 2012Ashin Zo-c rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
This book is really an inspiring book for a person. This books describes about the different twists and turns that a person has to face in his/her life. It says that life is not easy and smooth that a person thinks whether a person is rich or poor he/she has to face many twists and turns in their life and all people have accept it and bravely fight with it as Jhamak Ghimire has fought. So according to my thinking this book tells every person to fight with different twists and turns without loosing hope in his/her life (less)
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Jul 23, 2015Rabindra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Only one word to Mrs Jhamak Ghimire "SALUTE from my heart"
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Aug 02, 2015Shirjangc rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
ffffffffffr
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Jun 16, 2014Arjun Paudel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
IT is very inspirable
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Nov 29, 2017Naresh Timalsina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Frankly speaking, This has all the truth! All that a differently abled people have to go through. The mentality of society,the struggle of differently abled!! I am all convinced with whatever depiction the author has shown and she owns a very special place in my heart. I haven’t seen Helen Keller or Homer or Whatsoever!! They were in ages!! I know There is Jhamak Ghimire who questions this society about differently abled and depicts truth in the best possible way. You are an inspiration maam!! A must read! (less)

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Interview with Jhamak Ghimire 

Jhamak Ghimire was one of the nine women in Nepal to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. She has overcome the challenges of being a disabled female in Nepal, who was denied access to schooling in her childhood, to become a journalist and poet. Her story and self-determination are an inspiration to many in Nepal. She has been honoured with a number of awards for her work. Some of her collections of poems include: ‘Sankalpa’; ‘Afnae Chita Agni Shikha Tira’;‘ManchheVitraka Yoddhaharu’and ‘Naulo Pratibimba’. Collections of other writings and essays include; ‘Awasan Pachhiko Agaman’; ‘Samjhanaka Bachhitah At the age of nineteen, Jhamak Kumari Ghimire burst onto Nepal's literary scene with several collections of poems, songs, journal entries, stories and essays that showed off her remarkable mastery of language and literature, and insight into the social realities of which she writes . 

Born with a severe disability that has robbed her of motor control of her arms, slurred her speech, and limited her movement, Jhamak Kumari writes with her foot. Her sensibility is anything but restricted, though. With a skill that rivals that of the best progressive writers of today, she explores hard political, intellectual, feminist and social issues, without shying away from emotional expressions of love, regret, joy and sadness. The intensity of her voice is riveting…There may not be anyone for whom the written word carries so much urgency. Here is someone who palpably lives by her words. 

http://www.nepalitimes.com/issue/105/Literature/10242 

Can you tell us about your family background and your childhood memories? 

I was born in 5 July 1980 in Dhanakuta Municapality-3, Kachide in Dhanakuta. I am the eldest daughter to my parents Krishna Bahadur Ghimire and Asha Devi Ghimire. I also have four sisters and a brother. My family was a normal Nepali family who had to strive to meet our daily needs, living from hand to mouth. I was born disabled and couldn’t do anything with my hands. I was not able to speak. There was deep discrimination between son and daughters in my family, as there was a lot of gender discrimination in society in general at that time. Both of my parents were literate and the main source of income was from my father’s work. Being a handicapped daughter, I was not well cared for by my parents and I often felt people treated me more like an animal. As a child I received a lot of care and love from my grandma, but sadly she died when I was only five years old. My grandma passing away meant that I had to learn to eat by using my feet, as there was nobody there to help me eat. My parents were not too happy because I was born to them as a handicapped daughter, so they didn’t like to take care of me very well. I spent my childhood striving to get my basic rights and faced great difficulty. As I was disabled I could only eat and go to the toilet with the help of others so you could say that my childhood life was full of struggle. I was not able to speak with others to express my feelings and say what I needed, and this left me totally dependent upon others. I passed most of my childhood playing with mud and rock particles that were nearby, whilst at the same time my sister used to go school. My mother and grandmother used to work on a farm. They did not have time to take care of me, and I was left to excrete in my clothes. At the age of seven, my playing activities began to differ. I tried to play by using my toes to write on mud. I began to dream about learning to read and write, but I didn’t have the opportunity. When I saw my sister going to school, it made me really want to go too. It was this that inspired me to begin to write letters in the mud with my toes. My parents would put shoes on my feet to keep me out of the mud, but they didn’t realise that by putting shoes on my feet they were preventing me from learning, as the shoes stopped me using my toes. The shoes took away my independence. I used to try to tear them off by rubbing them in the soil and the mud. I remember that I used to be able to write on the ground in the open areas in the early morning with the help of the dew. After that I started writing in my sister’s notebooks that she used to leave at home. During that time my father used to say that there was no point in educating me, and he used to always separate me from my sister because he thought I would disturb my sister's environment for education. But I never stopped trying to learn and read internally by my heart. However, when I did new things, my father would punish me. I was often called names like snake as I used to have to crawl about. I always felt like I was a great burden on my family and I would pray to god that I would die. Can you tell us about what or who inspired you in your life? My major sources of inspirations were the open earth, the sky, and also my thin and lean toes which had worked as pens and pencils. Those negative behaviours and habits of my parents towards me fully inspired me to do something in my life. My keen interest in learning and my success as a writer have further inspired me to learn more and work harder. Art and Literature always attracted me and I can never get away from them. I continuously tried to work with Art and Literature. I feel that the difficulties I faced and scarcities I experienced have all helped me become successful today. My communication tools were my feet and toes and they became as necessary to me as my internal organs. I started writing poems and articles using my toes, and this gained the attention of the staff working at the Kantipur Daily. The local politician, Govinda Raj Bhattrai, inspired me to write literature for publication. I don’t really recall having any specific aim in my childhood. I feel that my career has developed from my struggles to get my basic rights such as food, care, education, etc. I was strongly dedicated towards literature and the arts and had to struggle to work in this field. As my only means of communication was by writing I was compelled to write. If I wanted to communicate I had no choice. Even though I taught myself to read and write effectively, but have never had the chance of schooling or higher education. Who supported or inspired you in your journey? As I began to succeed in writing articles and other literature, many people were eager to help and support me. Nowadays my family members are also helping my work. My sister, Meena, is helping my daily activities. She is helping me to eat, bathe, and anything that I need assistance with. Different publication houses like Online Nepali Sahitya Munch are now taking full responsibility to publish my literary articles. Also nowadays my parents are taking care of me, and providing their full support. My sisters are responsible for looking after the activities of printing, publicizing, and selling all my creative work through different media. What do you feel are your main achievements? I am very happy to be in the position that I am in - for me this is a great achievement. You are here to interview me and I see this as great achievement. The Government of Nepal provides me with a good salary on a monthly basis which I think an achievement. I regularly write articles in Kantipur Daily, for which I am also paid which again is an achievement. I feel that another significant achievement for me is that there has been an Academy established in my name, called ‘Jhamak Ghimire Literature and Academy, Nepal’, which works to enhance the status of young emerging writers who have not yet been discovered in Nepal. I am a very lucky writer because I can focus on writing and being creative, and the publishing houses come to my home looking to see my work. I have about ten published books, some of which are collections of poems. It makes me feel proud that I have had my work published and that people read my work. I am very glad to tell you that I have won various awards and medals in recognition of my contribution to the field of literature. 

These awards and medals are: the Kabitaram Bal Sahitya Prativa Puraskar, 2055, Aswikrit Bichar Sahitya Puraskar, 2056, Captain Gopal Prasad Janakalyan Puraskar, 2057, Prawal Gorkha Dashinbau Puraskar, Fourth, 2057, Apanga Prativa Puraskar, 2057, Dr. Bimala Bandi Puraskar, 2062, Award from the Government of Nepal, 2063, Chhetriya Prativa Puraskar, 2065, and the Dhankuta Prativa Puraskar, 2066. 

I feel that in everybody’s life there is ninety percent of success and only about ten percent of challenge in their lives. But what happens is people only see the ten percent of challenge in front of them and they forget the ninety percent of success that they have experienced, so people are often sad. The main challenge in my life that I face is just living from day to day as I need the full support of someone else to just get by. That is, I am totally dependent on other people to do everything for me. Also I face other challenges in this society because I am female as well as handicapped. In the society where I am living I am seen by many people with a different angle of vision due to my disabilities. What are you future plans and do you have any advice for women reading your story? My main plan is to help transform the world that we live in into a better place and through my work, to make this life a beautiful flower in this society. Firstly the discriminatory vision between males and females in this society is not good. I suggest that we all remove and eliminate discriminatory views from our mind. Everyone should have a plan for the future that they are working towards.