KJCKorea
Journal Central

This study defines the narration of <Po-eui-gyo-jip(布衣交集)> as that about 'Cho-ok(楚玉)' and investigated the process to compose it. Cho-ok is the character who tries to actively expose and achieve her desire. She has been aspiring to have ‘Po-eui-ji-gyo(布衣之交)’ with a true classical scholar and hoped that her materials of poetry will be recognized. This aspiration has been formed by the Chinese classics such as histories, Confucian scriptures, collections of poems and romance novel(傳奇小說). Her envy for female poets such - for example, Heo Nan-seol-heon(許蘭雪軒) - as well as her history as a maid of honor influenced her inner world and formed her identity. The friendship between Cho-ok and Lee-Saeng(李生) is intervened by messages and rumors of surrounding people. Through this, her materials of poetry, the characters' words and behaviors and whole story about Cho-ok are disclosed. The images of Cho-ok, who is outstanding for appearance and talent, are defined and composed by the perspectives and words of people. However, both the message and rumor include the truth and falsehood, and Lee-Saeng sometimes believes falsehoods about Cho-ok. The surrounding people incites the characters to make a selection, directly intervenes their relationship, and cause incidents. Jang Sa-Seon(張士先) plays the biggest role among them. Even though Cho-ok dates Lee-Saeng as a married woman, she rejects the courtship of Jung-Yak(仲約) and attempts to commit a suicide, resisting against her husband. The rumor about Cho-ok becomes a famous story in the Seoul. Lee-Saeng and Cho-ok meet again at the garden of the Ministry of Rites(禮曺) preparing for the wedding ceremony of Emperor Gojong(高宗) and Queen Min(閔). In spite of her status as a married woman, Lee-Saeng, whose standing is raised, saves Cho-ok, who is about to lose her chastity after being selected as a 'Yeonyeong(女伶)'. In front of many people, Cho-ok makes her position clearly related to Lee-Saeng through questions and answers with giseng(妓生)s. But in the invasion of the 'Western barbarians', namely the chaos of Byengin Yangyo(丙寅洋擾), only unproved rumors about Cho-ok circulate. This is related to the unique spatiotemporal background of Seoul between Jun. 1864 and Jun. 1866. This period is in the changes by the Western invasion as well as the interior system maintenance of Chosŏn Dynasty with the history of 500 years. The 'Cho-ok narration' in compliance with these changes reveals the crack of the values that supported Chosŏn Dynasty, and the creation of this work as a novel style of 'story about Cho-ok' corresponds to messages and rumors.

<Po-eui-gyo-jip>, Cho-ok, Po-eui-ji-gyo, Message, Rumor, 19th Century, Seoul