KJC Korea
Journal Central

As reinforcing patriarchal gender politics in late Joseon Dynasty, a single woman who can’t marriage is the typical symbol of a miserable person. People believe a single woman harbors a grudge and it causes plague and drought, or a poor catch of fish and so on. The presence of these women warns the situation that the community does not guarantee the basic rights of human beings. So the main agent of the society always concerns about it. In this thesis, I have studied the ‘dispensation of sexual relationship’(the man has sex with a widow for compassion) themed narrative focusing on two stories which had formed in late Joseon Dynasty, containing a young widow character who has no sexual experience. Though these stories, I pay attention to the narrative structure how it accepts women’s desire and how it makes the gift relationship between man and woman. In the Korean folk narrative, sexual relationship can be an essential mechanism which poor women overcome her situation. But in the case of young widow, their remarriage was prohibited by the system and norms, so even in these stories sexual intercourse motif could not change their life dramatically. On the other side the characters in these stories claim that sexual intercourse and sexual pleasure are the most important thing in the life, consequently these stories interpret the young widow’s desire to sexual stuff only. As the stories arranged the widow’s emotion simply, it is easy to handle her resentment. The man who has sexual relationship with this young widow was valued as a donator who gives her sexual knowledge and pleasure. The narrative transmission group intended to eliminate the moral anxiety easily even structuralize the gift relationship system, disregarding the social responsibility. But these stories was concluded the widow’s suicide, this point ruminates on the purpose of the menfolk and doubts their morality. It is instructed that the leadership class of late Joseon Dynasty was powerless to change the society but aggressive to make a ruling discourses. This kind of narrative are also full of suggestions to understand the contemporary cultural discourse.

This study is analyzing the SaSeolSiJo(辭說時調) which the apperance of paramour and is aimed at discovering the features of the works. SaSeolSiJo is 'paramour, merchant' and so on are various characters appear as the guy whom a girl is meeting of the infidelity. SaSeolSiJo the advent of paramour is different from other infidelity. At the SaSeolSiJo the advent of 'the lover of others', A poetic narrator`s attitude reveals sexual desires, but on the condition of hiding. On the other hand, at the SaSeolSiJo the advent of 'paramour', A poetic narrator`s attitude revealed rather than to hide. Words and actions are open and honorable. Earlier studies found the value of this work at defiance from the traditional Confucian order By the way, I think that 'SoDae Nampyen' is a recognized presence. So this be seen an pieces are dramatically reshaping the normal life. This will be looking in detail in the follow-up study.

Ok Yi’s Buk-gwan-gi-ya-gok-ron (A treatise on a Gisaeng from Hamkyungdo lamenting in the middle of night) and Young-man Byeon’s Baek Wun-Seon both have something in common in that they deal with the episodes of well-known gisaengs’ lives in their contemporary era. It is notable that both of the works describe the stories of ginyeos from the perspective of a male writer, trying to gingerly get access to the interior or psychological scene of the feminine lives. Yi portrays a gisaeng named Ka-Ryeon who is full of confidence, only to face the frustrating situation in making her serious effort to have sex with a beautiful young man with whom she madly falls in love. With this story, the writer strives to explicate the implications of Ka-Ryeon’s desire in terms of relationship between a king and his subject. Byeon recollects a story of a gisaeng named Baek Wun-Seon who seeks to run away abroad with her beloved man, but only to fail in the end. The writer’s primary concern with this episode lies in exploring an absolute value of love and passion. However, when Yi employs the narrative voice of Ka-Ryeon to lead the story in Buk-gwan-gi-ya-gok-ron, the strategic choice ironically betrays the author’s male-oriented perspective and discloses the rather natural scope of the gisaeng’s desire. In so doing, the text formulates fragmented and yet authentic quality of the female voice. The literary engagement of Byeon who is eager to uncover the authenticity of his literary object betrays his initial intention in Baek-Wun-Seon. By focusing on the psychological dimension of gisaengs’ lives, the two male writers initially intend to capture the heart of their feminine lives with their masculine voice. But the strategy is miscarried only to reveal the authenticity or rather genuine quality of ginyeos’ inner lives which often remain undisclosed in common literary discourse. It is notable how this whole process ironically exposes the full scope of gisaengs’ silenced voices in the early modern literary discourse.

The painting for cold diminution, gugusohwan-do originated from the folk custom of the northern Asia that represents eighty one days which nine days as a unit repeat nine times from dongji(winter solstice). People believed that spring comes after passing eighty one days. The custom called 'sugu' starts from 19 end in 99, which reflects on 'song of eighty one days, gugu-ga' and 'painting for cold diminution, gugusohwan-do'. The song was already popular among peoples in various areas before Tang(唐) and Song(宋) dynasties. In some places, the lyric of the song was modified pursuant to the climate condition and ecological environment. It has been presumed that it was passed down from the northen Asian custom in that the song reflected on the hydraulic system and climate condition of the northern nomads in its forms and contents. The song, gugu-ga, based on the 'sugu' custom, had developed into the 'hwagu, drawing the number nine, and the 'sagu', copying the number nine' throughout Ming and Qing(明淸) dynasties and had produced the painting, 'gugusohwan-do' later on. It can be categorized into the painting with Japanese apricot flowers, the chart pattern of painting and the number nine character style of the painting. In the other way, different types of poetry have evolved on the concept of nine times nine. Also, the form of printing has been varied with an arbitrary transforming. The painting is a visual culture medium of folk knowledge converged with the psychiatric evaluation on solar term, calendar, geography and object. Even though it began from the extravagance, it is basically based on dongji(winter solstice) of lunar calendar. The painting is not only for the way of counting number but also for seasonal custom reflecting the perspective of calendar and climate culture implicating nature meterological phenomena. It has effect on both seasonal magical and extravagance, which is correspondent to climate prediction based on experience and interpretation as well as augural practice. In this sense, the painting was used and circulated widely by manufacturing painting blocks. What it was commercially circulated means that it characterized as annual painting on dongji(winter solstice) custom. It was popularized regardless of status to achieve human wishes. Therefore, it still, although partially, continues as one of seasonal customs in both royal court and commoners.

Confucian sacred texts had presented the Confucian gentleman(君子, jun zi) as the most exemplary person. In the period of Ha-eun-ju(夏殷周),), the word ‘君子’ had been used to indicate the nobleman. Since Confucius, Confucian gentleman referred to the intellectuals who tried to attain the perfection of their personality and to practice their ideals in reality through study and self-discipline. This paper aims to examine how the Confucian gentleman type characters were represented in the classical novels of Chosun dynasty and interpret the meaning of it. For this purpose, firstly the concepts of the Confucian gentleman were explored. In Chosun dynasty, those words such as seonbi(선비) which means a man of virtue, eunsa(隱士) which means a retired scholar, and chuhsa(處士) which means a retired scholar were similarly used to refer to the Confucian gentleman. The Confucian gentleman type character appeared in Sohyunseongrok, a long piece novel written in Korean in the 17th century. It is notable that in the novels of Chosun dynasty, the Confucian gentleman type characters became to turn into the hero characters. This remarkable change might be caused by the tendency that Chosun dynasty preferred the characters who were loyal to their own desires to the Confucian gentleman characters who focussed on cultivation of their personality and the commitment in reality. For women, it is worth noting that while those females called the Confucian gentlewoman(女中君子) who had attained both knowledge and virtue really existed in Chosun dynasty, novels did not represent those kind of women. This absence of the Confucian gentlewoman character in the novels of those times might result from the tendency that female characters acted not through fulfilling their own ethical choice but through the obedience to the Confucian ideals and their discipline.

This paper examines figures of old age appearing in entire classical narrative. After that, it examines figures of Korean full-length classical novels in which figures of old age in family relations are notably shown comparing to other subtypes of classical narrative. Old people in classical narrative usually function as wise people who solve problems in social relationships or people who cause tension by delaying resolving a conflict. However, in Korean full-length classical novels figures of old age are usually seen in family relations and their roles are focused on roles as ‘grandfathers’, ‘grandmothers’ or ‘seniors of a family’. They teach their children strictly and manage themselves. They are embodied as people who are respected by others because they are capable and do not look young. At the same time, they love their grandchildren and physically contact with them. In addition, they help family members to reconcile and console by creating an atmosphere for adjusting conflicts. However, they say and act in a patriarchal manner regardless of their gender because of their status as seniors of a family. Like these, old people in classical narrative play important roles in a family and are respected by others, so figures of old age in classical narrative can be suggested as solutions for modern family conflicts and the alienation of old people.

This paper investigates Chosungidam[朝鮮奇談] written by An, dongsu[安東洙] in 1922 which was published in company of Chosundoseojusik[朝鮮圖書株式會社]. This text have 104 stories which are different genres. The stories are subdivided into several categories, myths, folk tales and Yadams[野談]. This paper sees the hybridity as the Chosungidam’s characteristics and studies the process. This paper aims at revealing why Chosungidam has the hybridity and how it is explained. Chosungidam contains traditonal and modern Yadams, ancient and recent histories modern stores and mythic stories. It includes stories and customs, myth and history, macro and micro history. The text presents diversity of narrating attitude as well as narrated stories. It is narrated by copy and change, imitation and creation, translation and collection(or recording). This paper rearranges the diversity in respect of orality and literacy, modern and traditional and concludes the traditionality, historicity and literacy gain an ascendancy over modernity and orality.

This study intended to investigate the life and literary world of Haeam Kim Eung-Jung. He was a country nobleman who was writer of Sijo poetry who lived in Gangjin during the 16 and 17th century. Until now, the researchers of Sijo poetry could not obtain the first-edition of Haeam-jip published in 1773. They could only use a revised-edition which was published in the year 1905. This study compared the first and revised edition of Haeam-jip. The study focussed on analyzing Sijo poetry and Hansi (Chinese poetry) of the first edition and thus reviewed the literary world of the writer in a new perspective. It also reviewed the author's consciousness, and studied the writer in detail by reconstructing his life. This could be possible by not only studying Haeam-jip, but also, referring to the related collections of literary works of various writers. Kim Eung-Jung tried to confirm and realize his identity as a writer of noble birth in his birth-place and home-town, Gangjin. He lived a life devoted to Confucian ideas of so-called filial piety and had a profound interest in politics of central Joseon Dynasty. However, he spent his entire life in his living space which was a country village, after refusing to enter government service. The refusal brought him worries and conflicts as he had himself rejected a way to realize his ideal life as a nobleman participating in politics. So, he tried to resolve his worries by living in an alternative space of Nature, being close to rivers and lakes.

This study looked upon unity, closure, structure, and subject, in five text of <Ganghoguga> written by Na, Wi-so(1582∼1666). The result of this study is as follow; 1. We understood unity made by repetitive expression, closure made by repetitive expression in last part, logical structure of introduction and body, in the first text(the 1∼3 Sijo) of <Ganghoguga>. 2. We understood unity and closure made by symmetrical expression, and symmetrical structure of background time, background space and logic, in the second text(the 4∼6 Sijo) of <Ganghoguga>. 3. We understood unity made by repetitive expression, closure made by repetitive expression in last part, and logical structure of body and conclusion, in the third text(the 7∼9 Sijo) of <Ganghoguga>. 4. We understood unity made by symmetrical expression, closure made by symmetrical expression and repetitive expression in last part, and symmetrical structure of background time, background space, logical structure of introduction, development, turn, and conclusion, in the fourth text(the 1∼3, 7∼9 Sijo) of <Ganghoguga>. 5. We understood unity made by repetitive expression and symmetrical expression, closure made by symmetrical expression and repetitive expression in last part, symmetrical structure of background time, background space, and logical structure of introduction, body, and conclusion, in the fifth text(the 1∼9 Sijo) of <Ganghoguga>. According to the result above, We understood a probability of desorption type in <Ganghoguga>, because unity, closure, structure, and subject are found in five text each.

This study discovered meaning of gyemeonjo for women’s singing. Based on this research, this study also tried to search changes and compiling anthology from early 19th century to middle 19th century. Yeongun, name of this anthology, was name to show normality like other anthologies, such as Chengguyeongun. Especially, this anthology was very familiar with Gaekakbo and Chengguyeongun of Yukdang, this anthology was compiled later than Gaekakbo, earlier than Chengguyeongun of Yukdang. Yeongun of Gyujanggak was important anthology to show that women’s singing was independent, and two phenomenon to fix tones to ujo and gyemyeonjo about changes of anthologies from early 19th century to middle 19th century. Character of anthologies from early 19th century to middle 19th century was invention of doogeor, there was no doogeor in Yeongun of Gyujanggak. However, factor in anthology was existed to recognize this flow of changes, that factor was gyemyeonjo, women’s singing. This part was appeared as tone, not name of akgok, this phenomenon was also appeared in Gyemyeonjo in Donggukgasa. However, Donggukgasa didn’t have completed Pyeonga’s form, Yeongun was completed Pyeonga’s form anthology. Nevertheless, reason that flexible akgok like Gyemyeonjo was existed was high possibility to be not completed especially in part of women’s singing. Like this, Yeongun of Gyujanggak had two fixed form such as ujo, gyemyeonjo that character from early 19th century to middle 19th century, and also was completed pyeonga’s form to show independent women’s singing. However, that women’s singing was not completed, therefore, Yeongun of Gyujanggak was meaningful anthology to show form before settling women’s singing.

This study analyzes world of female travel gasa in 1930s by focusing on <Gyeonseong Itinerary Rickshaw>, a work by woman of old time. In the work, different factors such as traditional emotion and experience of unfamiliar civilization coexist. While emotional interaction between family members based on traditional relatives is emphasized, unfamiliar civilization experience characterized by scale can be found. As a result, traditional emotion in which traditional relatives and group consciousness are important coexists with admiration towards material value of unfamiliar and vast civilization. Palace represented the place where these different orders collided. While visiting the palace and witnessing the absence of the dynasty, a center of spirit, and material prosperity at the same time, writer feels ambivalent feeling. In female travel gasa of 1930s, experience of sensual and entertainment-focused modern tour and sightseeing tradition intersect. Sightseeing culture, in which historical sites were emphasized and eagerness to write was boosted based on Confucianism, starts to change into travel experience where entertaining and visual images are spent. Old Women show their viewpoint of social reality in travel gasa by emphasizing collective value based on traditional Confucian ideas. Consequently they feel confusion over coexistence of different factors such as reality of the nation’s fall and cultural prosperity.

This study intends to trace the new thinking of Yeon Am, Park Jiwon. It proves the sources of his creative thinking and writing and tells the several aspects connected with his new thinking. Firstly, Yeon Am thought that existing knowledge and letters did not contain the truth and criticized that the letters hided the reality. He insisted that literature is not just a tool to deliver past ethics and existing knowledge, but it should reveal the changeable things and reality. Things and reality are not just shadow of main body, but the best writings to show the truth. In his creative thinking, the centralization of surroundings is distinguished. Yeon Am left the center place and investigated into the invisible spaces and isolated conners. Superficially he seemed to insist looking into the both sides, in reality he urged to watch the invisible spaces, the place opposite to the common place agreed in a society. He provided surroundings toward the centeral place, sided for the value and existence isolated from the center. Finally, he wished that center and surrounding, valuable and humble things, all would have lived in a harmony. Secondly, this study explores his new understanding of light and color with his comparison of the blind. In his “NeungYangShiJeapSeo” the comparison of raven wings is not just problematic suggestion for the limitation of human sensory organ, but closely related with the theory of modern impressionist. This writing proves the high level of his creative thinking. He thought that the world is full of disorders and confusion, so nobody can see the world with superficial eyes. In his thinking, viewer deludes himself, so he should keep correct eyes to see the truth. His creative thinking overcame the paradigm and order of Middle Age and still today offers the present aspects and meaning with new critical mind. Yeon Am is to be considered as the marginal man who tried to create the true world.

The purpose of this manuscript is considering strategies of sangsomoon (上疏文) writing and search for a way to apply them to an article of argument. Argument is interactive dialogue. It's purpose is persuading others to adopt demonstrator' idea. People write article of argument so the ability of writing article of argument is necessary for communication. Sangsomoon(上疏文) has various effective means. That is the article which subject addresses a memorial to the king so he must make a detailed writing strategy to persuade the king as a reader. The subject as a writer describes the king as a leader who he is intelligent, generous and honorable. This strategy make the king accept the matters Sangsomoon(上疏文) refered. The subject, also, edscribes himself as a objective third-party onlooker, by so doing he persuades the king to accept his ideas. On the other side the subject makes use a sodially accepted idea and various real-life cases. A common idea is powerful strategy for persuade since people believe, easily agree without careful thought. Various real-lige cases appeal to sentiment so move an people. These strategies are utilized for writing article of argument. Such as cover letter to apply for companies, proposals, column, current issues review. These strategies in utilized teach students how to write an article of argument. Therefore it is necessary to critically read Sangsomoon(上疏文) in university writing classes.