새로운 정치가 시작됐지만 식민 통치의 유산이 지속됐던, 가능성과 불가능성에 대한 전망이 동시에 자리잡고 있던 시기였다. 해방기에는 정치적으로 첨예한 대립구도가 전개되고, 그 선전효과가 중시되면서 연극이 양적으로 팽창하게 되는데, 본고는 냉전질서가 세계를 재편하고 조선에서도 국제문제에 대한 관심이 높아지던 이 시기에 주목한다. 그리고 당대 희곡의 심상지리를 규명함으로써 그 내적구조를 해명하고자 한다. 2장에서는 정범수, 오영진, 유치진 희곡에 나타난 냉전오리엔탈리즘과 이념대결구도를 분석한다. 또한 3장에서는 이같은 식민주의적 심상지리로부터 거리를 두는, 드물게나마 균형을 견지하고 남북한을 점령한 제국를 비판하는 텍스트들을 읽어 본다. 이상의 텍스트 분석을 통해, 독립과 식민지배 사이에 놓여있던 해방기 희곡들의 식민성과 탈식민성을 동시에 짚어내고자 한다. 이처럼 국제정세에 대한 관심이 고조되는 시기에 극작가들의 지리적 상상력을 읽어냄으로써, 당대 희곡의 의의와 한계를 가감없이 고찰할 수 있을 것이다.

The new politics were began during the era of liberation, however the vestiges of colonial rule were endured and prospect of possibilities and limits were inherent at the same time in this period. The number of plays were increased due to its propaganda effect in this term when left and right wing were in sharp disagreement over the establishment of nation. Therefore, this thesis aims to analyze play`s structure through investigating imaginative geography in the era of liberation when the cold war system reorganized world after second world war and people`s interest in international affairs had increased in Joseon. Political and cultural elites predicted `new war-the third world war` and relocated geographical location of Korean peninsula from periphery to center of the world in this period. Imaginative geography is used as the notion `geographical location that establish boundary of `we` and `others` tied with national identity by author` and this thesis investigates mobilization and deviation from the cold war system which new empire produced. This thesis shows play`s coloniality and postcoloniality simultaneously through analyzing text`s dual aspects which were located between independence and colonial rule. Significance and limitation of plays in the Era of Liberation could be figured out without making any adjustments by investigating playwright`s geographical imagination at the time as interests on international affairs have increased significantly. Furthermore, it can be possible to find out aspects of drawing maps through this study after 50`s when cold war system were became permanent.