KJCKorea
Journal Central

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.

travel gasa, 1930s, Old women, GyeonseongItineraryRickshaw, modern tour, sightseeing culture