This paper examines death in narrative literature in terms of narrative strategy. First, the boundaries between life and death were established, and the narratives beyond the boundaries, the narratives staying on the boundaries, and the narratives over the boundaries were divided into outlined narratives. Based on this, I tried to find out the meaning by examining how death functions as an narrative strategy in each narration genre.
The narration that crosses the boundary between life and death ends story with death. The dead do not return to reality and do not exercise any physical power. Because death is the end of one-time life, not only the character is finite but also the space is closed. Intentional consciousness often ends in incompleteness. This corresponds to the legendary character. Like Kimhyungam-ho, this type of works end all by the death of the hero.
The narration that stays at the boundary between life and death does not divide life and death Dichotomy, but sets an abstract space of life on the edge of life and death. This is because it is necessary to summon the dead temporarily and to be compatible with what is lacking. This type is characterized by drawing both the living and the dead. As a result, the character combines finite and infinite, the space shows enclosed and openness, and the sense of orientation also shares disconnection and continuity. Like Choichiwon while temporarily loving with ghost, this type is a work that the living accomplishes the loneliness of the reality and the dead accomplishes the bit desire.
The narration’s core that breaks down the boundary between life and death is the worldly happiness. Death is only used as a device to maximize the pleasure of reality. In this type, death is like a temporary pause. This work is made by focusing on worldly wealth and prosperity. Therefore, the character has infinite power, and the space is open to the borders of life and death. Intentional consciousness also connects reality with death. This type is to return dead people to reality and digest everyday life without interruption like Jeongeulseon-jeon.
Death is noteworthy in terms of narrative strategy. This death was used as a device to enhance narrative capability in each genre of narrative literature. If the narrative beyond the boundary is relatively dwarfed, the narrative stayed at the boundary is amplified a little, and the narrative beyond the boundary is greatly amplified. In addition, the genre of narrative literature shows differences in reality discourse. In the narrative beyond the border, the dead have no influence on the realistic discourse, and the narrative at the border is limited but intervenes in the real problem. And the narrative that breaks the boundary returns to reality and continues the fulfilled life. In addition, we can confirm the historical variation of the narrative literature. In the narrative that transcends the border between life and death, the legendary attribute is strong because death is used as a device to express awe while harvesting natural order. It is a biography that summons the dead and expands the narrative to add legend to the actual problem. And it is classical novel that calls to the dead semipermanently within a biography. As the story of death continues to accelerate, it has been transformed from legend to biography and from biography to fiction.