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Choi Seo-Hae and Mikhail Artsybashev

  • Chunwon Research journal
  • Abbr : Chunwon Research journal
  • 2019, (15), pp.285-323
  • DOI : 10.31809/crj.2019.08.15.285
  • Publisher : Chunwon Research Society
  • Research Area : Humanities > Korean Language and Literature > Korean Literature
  • Received : June 30, 2019
  • Accepted : August 10, 2019
  • Published : August 31, 2019

YI KYUNGMIN 1

1서울대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Being excluded from Russian literature as a reactionary writer, Mikhail Artsybashev resurfaced brilliantly in Japan, China, and Korea in the 1920s. Artsybashev’s works were perceived in Japan as a new literature offering a strange coexistence with naturalism, and in China as political literature that inspired revolutionary passion. In Korea, Artsybashev’s works were first read as ‘literary’ and later as ‘political’, and this perception does not show the temporal order, but rather shows how Artsybashev was approached. In the case of Hyun Jin-Geon, the influence on him of Artsybashev is related to the technique of describing reality. Hyun ‘misunderstood’ Artsybashev as a naturalistic writer, and it is difficult to definitively conclude that the ‘miserable beauty’ Hyun thought of as Artsybashev's technique is in fact the preserve of Artsybashev. However, Hyun learned the technique of describing reality by translating and reading Artsybashev who was misunderstood as a naturalistic writer, and this perception appears to have been ‘literally’ reflected in Hyun’s works. In the case of Choi Seo-Hae, the influence of Artsybashev is related to the love. “Yongshinnan” resonates with Artsybashev’s Sanin in that it aims at ‘natural’ human beings without any interference and criticizes traditional sexuality. However, unlike Artsybashev who claimed the superiority of love over revolution, Choi depicts the regrettable defeat of love because he wanted to create a work that would contrast Artsybashev’s novel. In addition, Choi’s works show not only the influence of Artsybashev who criticized the system of marriage and argued for free love, but also the influence of Max Stirner who claimed to be free from all fixed-ideas. Yet, considering the fact that Artsybashev was a representative writer who incarnated Stirner’s ‘insurrection’, Choi may have referred to Artsybashev’s novel to transform Stirner’s idea into literary language. Choi’s “Maewol” embodies ‘insurrection’ by describing Maewol's actions against unjust sexual desires, while focusing on the pain of Park Saeng who does not attain love. “Sunrise” foregrounds a mother who forced her son to marry and, after seeing her son suffering from marriage without affection, regrets later. The mother changes from the incarnation of conventionality to the character of insurrection. Therefore, Choi’s characters suffer from delays or abandonment of love, which shows a hidden proposition. It is Artsybashev’s proposition that sexual passion is innate in humans and, therefore, must be pursued.

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