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A Comparative Study on the Symbolism of the Combination of Animals One Another in East Asian Comedic Stories and Proverbs
Cross-Cultural Studies
2016,
42(), pp.205-240
DOI : 10.21049/ccs.2016.42..205
Publisher : Center for Cross Culture Studies
Research Area : Literature
DOI : 10.21049/ccs.2016.42..205
Publisher : Center for Cross Culture Studies
Research Area : Literature
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The combination of animals has been developed in each of the cultural spheres as a method of metaphor and symbolism of the cultural code. However, its symbolism is not a fixed constant, but a variable and relative constant. This work focused on its features in comparison with East Asian cultural spheres comedic stories and proverbs. Consequently, several features were identified. First, the combinations of animals in similar comedic stories and proverbs among Korea, Japan and China show a difference in point of view. Korean focuses on the difference of the two animals, but Chinese and Japanese focus on the differences in value and level. Second, the method of anthropomorphization is relatively more developed in China and Japan than Korea. The combinations of animals of Chinese comedic stories and proverbs particularly in the field of anthropomorphization, are most focused on age and sex of the animal. The animal's age or sex remains mostly undetermined in Korean animal's proverbs, unlike Chinese proverbs. On the other hand, two animals in Japanese comedic stories and proverbs are usually of the male and female gender from. Third, the combinations of animals of Chinese and Japanese focus on the animal's body and its characteristics of action. Chinese and Japanese combine the characteristics of the two animal's bodies and actions. This feature apparently caused the resultant combinations of the animal's body parts, for example, the Dragon. Understanding of the combinations of two animals is a good portal into the features of East Asian culture sphere.
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