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Children’s Attachment Relationship in Korean Full-Length Novels: Focusing on Eomsihyomuncheongrok, Yuhyogongseonhaengrok, and Boeungiurok

  • Journal of Korean Literature
  • 2022, (45), pp.183-224
  • DOI : 10.52723/JKL.45.183
  • Publisher : The Society Of Korean Literature
  • Research Area : Humanities > Korean Language and Literature
  • Received : March 31, 2022
  • Accepted : May 10, 2022
  • Published : May 31, 2022

KO EUNIM 1

1서울시립대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study examined children’s attachment and growth process depicted in Korean full-length novels and explored its significance both inside and outside the work. With a focus on children aged under 15, the full-length novels Eomsihyomuncheongrok, Yuhyogongseonhaengrok, and Boeungiurok were studied—in these, children’s lives have been described relatively in detail and the problematic phases of growing up unfold in earnest. In Eomsihyomuncheongrok, amid a succession struggle, Eomyoung experiences serious internal and external conflicts due to his biological mother who tries to make him the heir by harming Eomchang, who is older but adopted. Eomyoung does not cooperate in his mother’s scheme and actively helps Eomchang, seeking brotherhood and peace in his family; this is because of Eomyoung’s strong attachment with Eomchang since infancy. Yuhyogongseonhaengrok and Boeungiurok depict the life of a child facing abuse at home. Yuyeon’s narrative in Yuhyogongseonhaengrok is particularly problematic—he is severely abused by his father from childhood and develops physical and mental problems; what is worse is that he ends up passing on this unstable attachment to his own son. Wiyeoncheong in Boeungiurok is also severely abused by his father. However, he overcomes his trauma and grows up into a stable and strong individual. As such, the reason that these two characters, despite suffering similar abuse, grow up to have different attitudes in life seems to be related to their different attachment experience during childhood. Wiyeoncheong who forms a stable attachment during childhood and experiences positive interactions grows up to be mentally healthy; it is his inner strength, which continues to develop, that helps him endure the abuse. The children’s narratives in these three stories show that attachment is crucial for a child to grow up healthy and mature, and that the main figure with whom a child can form a positive attachment is not limited to the parents. The Joseon Dynasty’s literature record shows that various members of upper-class families participated in childrearing—this raises a question about the traditional image of mothers and makes us reconsider the conventional wisdom that continues to overemphasize the mother and her role. Meanwhile, it is assumed that the existence of various members within the extended family played an important role in alleviating children’s vulnerability in the Joseon Dynasty’s patriarchal family structure, where the head of the family held his family’s right to life or death. The stronger the vertical order, the safer and healthier children can grow when various relationships are formed for emotional communication and building of close bonds, and this is well illustrated in Korean full-length novels.

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