@article{ART003175437},
author={Seo Eunhye},
title={Discourses on Chastity and Gender Consciousness in Lee Tae-jun’s Novels},
journal={Journal of Humanities},
issn={1598-8457},
year={2025},
number={96},
pages={099-135}
TY - JOUR
AU - Seo Eunhye
TI - Discourses on Chastity and Gender Consciousness in Lee Tae-jun’s Novels
JO - Journal of Humanities
PY - 2025
VL - null
IS - 96
PB - Institute for Humanities
SP - 099
EP - 135
SN - 1598-8457
AB - This article examines the aspects of changes in modern sexuality during the 1930s, based on the discourses of free love, as depicted in Lee Tae-jun’s novels. It explores how Lee understands the reality of modern sexuality, which was experienced in gender-specific ways, within a broader spectrum of discourses on chastity—discourses intertwined with medicine, law, and morality—beyond the traditional meaning of virtue.
From the early to late 1930s, in novels such as The Image of Salvation (Guwonui yeosang), The Holy Mother (Seongmo), and Three Daughters (Ddal samhyeongje), Lee consistently portrays love triangles and conflicts arising from the breaches of trust. In these works, he illustrates the tragedies and self-justifications that arise when promises lose their binding force in an era when the practice of free love became more common.
Furthermore, in novels published from the mid-1930s to the early 1940s, such as Overflowing Youth (Cheongchun musang) and Three Daughters (Ddal amhyeongje), Lee demonstrates a critical distance from materialized chastity discourses. These discourses paralleled the decline in credibility of anatomical and medical discussions about chastity imported from Japan in the early 1930s. In these works, he also criticizes the discriminatory laws of the time, aligning with contemporary debates about Japan's proposed revisions to its criminal code in the mid-1930s and around 1940. Through these narratives, Lee Tae-jun’s novels reveal a meticulous and critical awareness of how modern sexuality in the 1930s intersected with legal and medical discourses, shaping and constraining individual destinies.
In conclusion, Lee Tae-jun’s novels show a detailed and critical awareness of the shifting dynamics of modern sexuality during the 1930s and how these changes, when intertwined with legal and medical discourses, shaped individual destinies.
KW - Lee Tae-jun;Novels;Chastity;Free Love;Gender Consciousness;Law
DO -
UR -
ER -
Seo Eunhye. (2025). Discourses on Chastity and Gender Consciousness in Lee Tae-jun’s Novels. Journal of Humanities, 96, 099-135.
Seo Eunhye. 2025, "Discourses on Chastity and Gender Consciousness in Lee Tae-jun’s Novels", Journal of Humanities, no.96, pp.099-135.
Seo Eunhye "Discourses on Chastity and Gender Consciousness in Lee Tae-jun’s Novels" Journal of Humanities 96 pp.099-135 (2025) : 099.
Seo Eunhye. Discourses on Chastity and Gender Consciousness in Lee Tae-jun’s Novels. 2025; 96 : 099-135.
Seo Eunhye. "Discourses on Chastity and Gender Consciousness in Lee Tae-jun’s Novels" Journal of Humanities no.96(2025) : 099-135.
Seo Eunhye. Discourses on Chastity and Gender Consciousness in Lee Tae-jun’s Novels. Journal of Humanities, 96, 099-135.
Seo Eunhye. Discourses on Chastity and Gender Consciousness in Lee Tae-jun’s Novels. Journal of Humanities. 2025; 96 099-135.
Seo Eunhye. Discourses on Chastity and Gender Consciousness in Lee Tae-jun’s Novels. 2025; 96 : 099-135.
Seo Eunhye. "Discourses on Chastity and Gender Consciousness in Lee Tae-jun’s Novels" Journal of Humanities no.96(2025) : 099-135.
