이옥 문학의 제재 연구

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to examine the literature and its motif of Lee Ok(1760-1815), a late Joseon Dynasty writer and review the reality and meaning of Lee Ok literature, the center of an essay. In the late 18th century to the early 19th century when Lee Ok played an active part, a variety of changes appeared such as the relaxation of a Sung Confucian view of literature and phase changes of people in charge of literature. In this flow of the times, Lee Ok expressed a unique view of literature of 'writing his own poems and own composition' and pursued individual literature. In particular, his literature was characterized by a variety range of motif from daily small objects to things of or out of traditional Confucian ritualism. It can be the literary outcome of Lee Ok who defined 'a writer as an interpreter and painter of all creatures' and strived to draw the reality of all creatures graphically. Lee Ok admitted diversity of the world and took a differential view that divided the reality of object more closely and carefully. Also, by describing concrete reality of 'now-here', he cautioned the falseness of literature and raised the need of subjective awareness. Then, Lee Ok put a lot of work into discovering new human beings and shaping them. He also intactly described characters watched by human society and closely depicted the customs of streets in Joseon society. It is impossible to discuss Lee Ok literature without women. Women were pointed out as the best motif to manifest 'genuineness' he advocated. Target women included court ladies, virtuous women, gisaeng(female entertainers), poor commoners' mothers, technician/artisan class maidens abandoned by yangban(the gentry)'s sons who were the greatest victims and lived a very difficult life. He showed deep empathy to them and expressed their desires in their voices. Lee Ok had egalitarianism even to an insect that the world was the place where all sorts of insects live together and human beings also belonged to an insect. He also realized that a small or big build could not a criterion of relative superiority or value and anxiety of the earth did not originated from big things but from small things. He revealed his relative view on objects and view of literature that pursued originality through insects. A flower is the representation of beauty and provides the source of imagination. In particular, he depended much on writings based on the flower for his emotion. He sometimes revealed his sad feelings that the same flower varied with a change of time, place, and viewpoint and although a flower was beautiful, it would disappear transiently. Water that constantly changes the substance of existence and does not lose its origin symbolizes the changeable and fluid real world. Lee Ok developed his syntax that pursued trivial daily language rather than meta discourse of classics through water. Tobacco was much more daily and literary than any motif he was interested. He had a unusual barrier to tobacco and showed that tobacco, a daily taste, faithfully played a mediating role passing through life and literature through tobacco-related writings which meant a series of works. Based on the review, Lee Ok took motif from empirical reality, pursuing the manifestation of true individuality rather than being bound by a Sung Confucian idea. His literary motif was a crowd of people in the street, disadvantaged women, and daily trifling things such as insect, flower, water, or tobacco. His key to literature was resonance with alienated, small, and mean things rather than the discourse of power, principle, or admonition. Lee Ok pursued communication with the world by reversing hierarchic eyes toward the world, rejecting daily eyes, and turning over the system of value. Then, he could break up normative langue of classics and advanced to the world of new sensitivity.