KJCKorea
Journal Central

This paper investigates the attributes and the meaning of 'Madame Seok' who is a representative female character of <Sohyunsungrok>. She shows a desirable image of woman, which is similar but different from images of other women in <Sohyunsungrok> and desirable images of women in other full-length novels. She has talents such as writing poems well, is evaluated as many times prettier than others, and gives teaching sternly but warmly. She is very filial to her parents and conforms to patriarchal ideology and traditional family ethics, but she states her opinion confidently at the same time. She is also thought to the one who concretely shows how a woman should behave herself in family relationships of the time, by showing diverse sides as a wife, mother, mother-in-law, daughter-in-law and the second wife. In addition, the significance of the figuration of 'Madame Seok' is that she is not a stereotyped and submissive woman, but she confidently voices her thoughts, shows aspects of a dignified and warm adult, and remains aloof from rivalry with other wives for her husband’s love.

<Sohyunsungrok>, full-length novels, Korean classical novel, a desirable image of woman, a representative female character, family relationships