연암문학의 민속학적 연구

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A Study on Folkloristics Method in Yeonam's Literature

Kim, Su-hyun Advisor : Prof. Kim Su-jung, Ph.D. Department of Korean Language and Literature Graduate School of Chosun University

Yeonam Park Ji-won is a literary person who mainly dealt with the life of the public although he was a high official. Being aware of the age when the people are in the middle of history, he expressed his interest in folk life through various kinds of writing including novels. Therefore, it is important in approaching to its nature to analyse his literature in the perspective of folklore. However, there have been only a few studies that analysed his literature through folklore because the study of folklore was formed by western society later than the age of Yeonam, and it was perceived that his pragmatic efforts were differentiated from the subjects for research on folk. Therefore, this study accepted the suggestion on practical science of the last Joseon worked for birth of Korean folklore and connected folklore development of western society with that of Japan to overcome the problems in the perspective that pursuit of pragmatism for the public reflected ethnicity. Specifically, the analyses of Yeonam's literature in the perspective of folklore are divided into three parts: manners and customs, folk art and food, clothing and shelter. For manners and customs, Yeonam tried to understand the meaning through acceptance and criticism of folk rather than he just introduced customs. Customs and manners are social habits and a kind of public morals to emphasize the meaning of changes rather than folk. Yeonam recorded our peculiar customs leaning to Chinese culture and successfully poured literary efforts to promote customs of Joseon. His attitude to folklore was active in saying, narratives and folk songs. The most remarkable thing is that he used a number of proverbs in his initial novels and in 󰡔Yeolhailgi󰡕, a travel sketch, he used proverbs in Chinese characters for parodic effect. Being aware of the importance of folk narratives, he used long poetry to narratives to emphasize the nature of folk. In travel sketches, he collected narratives of the country, arranged them properly, and even borrowed stories on foundation of temples. Such attempt has an experimental meaning in that it was written in the period when changes in narratives were active as Pansori was formed. Yeonam recognized the value of performance art and recorded activities of Jeonkisoo of Joseon and Seolseoin of China very impressively. Even, he imposed social values to them by identifying conjuring tricks which were considered as cheating as a performance art. Meanwhile, he configurated landscape of the country in folk painting to imply the consciousness of the public. It was also artistic work based on folk. Most of his Chinese poetry represented sceneries of simple rural houses vividly like a painting and is reminiscent of folk painting which was active at that time. His prose is characterized by the painting technique of oriental painting, which indicates that his literature maintains the nature of painting. The life of food, clothing and shelter is represented everywhere in Yeonam's literature. In respect to clothing life, he presented the conditions of attire system and how to improve it. He compared Korean clothing life to Chinese, emphasizing that clothing life should be practical. Although the clothing of the masses was not described specifically in his writings, it directly showed that it was very poor and the masses were nearly barefoot. He was active in presenting problems and how to overcome them. It was recorded that he tried to distribute dyed cotton instead of silk. He considered hot pepper paste, soy paste, soy sauce and jerky as important and showed interests in favorite food such as cigarette and liquor. However, he never praised them unconditionally and was very sensible. He was actively engaged in developing medicines and recommended them. It is his literary characteristics and humanism shown in food life. His pragmatic spirit was reflected in real life through improved shelter life. He suggested that bricks and roof tiles should be used with confidence in their practical nature, and described Ondol, a Korean heating system, specifically. Yeonam observed Kang, a heating system of China, closely and judged that it is better than Ondol. Instead of advocating Chinese methods unconditionally, he presented specific premises that the method of installing a Korean underfloor heating system should be changed for better heating system, and possibilities to overcome problems of Ondol through use of bricks. His pioneering attitude towards improved shelter life was represented in his literature based on his pragmatic spirit. To examine Yeonam's literature based on the results above, there is a certain limit along with positive meaning in it. The biggest meaning is that folk base is spread in his entire literature and he did not forgive an idle attitude that the past was considered as extant cultural phenomenon. He presented appropriate criticism or directions of changes while faithfully reflecting future-oriented meaning of folk. However, there are the limits in his attitude in that his perspective was one-sided, he dealt with customs while reflecting his high position and mentioned life and culture of the public only with Chinese, not knowing Korean, characters of the masses. As a result of analysing his literature in the perspective of folklore, it was discovered that his literature pursued for practical modernity and was connected with folklore to be created later. Yeonam was a noble with consciousness of learned man, but recognized the value of folk melted in the life of the masses and tried to accept it in his literary world.