李鈺 小品文에 나타난漢陽 都會民의 生活과 世態

Abstract

This study analyzed the lives of city dwellers and social conditions in Hanyang based on descriptions in short compositions literatur written by Yi Ok. The writer adopted a fresh approach in terms of subject matter, theme and writing style, and among his novel attempts was the exploration of the city Hanyang. Traditionally, urban scenes have been regarded as non-literary, and writers faced many restrictions when describing Hanyang as such writings were considered a threat to national security. Yi Ok stood out among other writers by focusing on Hanyang and urban dwellers. Hanyang, as viewed by Yi Ok, was not an administrative city, but a city of commerce and consumption. He described the city as a market driven by profit, rather than social status or ethics. He looked at how commoners struggled to make a living, and pioneered a new kind of literature with his realistic depictions of middleclass desires and way of life. As one born and bred in Hanyang, Yi Ok viewed the city in the eyes of a native and resonated a sense of community. Unlike other writers, he was not critical of secular practices such as commercialization and indulgent consumption. Yi Ok is highly reputed for writing short prose pieces on Hanyang and portraying how it thrived as a city of consumption in the mid-18th century.