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The Literary Imagery and Meaning of Nohgu-eop in the oral narrative

  • The Research of the Korean Classic
  • 2022, (58), pp.63-94
  • Publisher : The Research Of The Korean Classic
  • Research Area : Humanities > Korean Language and Literature > Korean Literature > Korean classic prose
  • Received : July 20, 2022
  • Accepted : August 8, 2022
  • Published : August 31, 2022

Kim,Kukhee 1

1부산대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

In this study, the perception and meaning of Nohgu, who appears as a helper in the relationship of the main character, was analyzed using the folktale “A short-lived man gets a wife and lives well” and “an ousted daughter-in-law and a charcoal-grilling bachelor” as texts. In the tale Nohgu arranges an undesirable relationship between men and women to help the main character overcome his fate. Nohgu in the tale “A short-lived man gets a wife and lives well” is in a position to arrange a meeting with the daughter of the Jeongseung family so that the protagonist in danger of short-lived life can survive, and in the tale “an ousted daughter-in-law and a charcoal-grilling bachelor” is in a position to mediate the relationship between the expelled baekjeong daughter-in- law and a bachelor who sells charcoal. The hardships faced by the main characters in the narrative can be divided into the results of natural fate and social contradiction. When helping to overcome the former, Nohgu is recognized as a divine being, but when helping to overcome the latter, Nohgu is recognized as a realistic and reflective person. Those who carried out Nohgu-eop in the late Joseon Dynasty were severely punished by torture hitting shins and exile to the island. From the perspective of the ruling class, strong regulation would have been needed because the Nohgu-eop was ostensibly contrary to the ethics and threatened the hierarchical order of status. However, in the story, Nohgu is a neighbor without a means of living, and is a divine being related to the faith of Grandmother. The inappropriate relationship between men and women which she arranged, was considered an interest in a class deviation. On the other hand, for the socially disadvantaged storytellers, Nohgu is not subject to punishment, but it brings social and economic empathy, which can be seen through the relationship between Nohgu and the main character in the story. Nevertheless, it is difficult to escape the discourse of control over Nohgu, so the performance of Nohgu is reduced, and the Nohgu-eop is decorated as if it were a coincidence.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.

This paper was written with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea.