1920년대 아동문학에서의 ‘눈물’의 의미와 표출양상

Abstract

This study has investigated sentimentality and crying, which were recognized as a limitation of children’s literature during the 1920s, and attempted to reveal that these human emotion-related attributes are both unique and differentiated characteristics. In particular, ‘tears,’ or crying, is a form of personal emotional expression. With wide-spread characteristics among readers, this was a critical factor for the success of children’s literature in the 1920s. During the 1920s, children’s literature appealed readers with ‘sympathy’ and ‘benevolence.’ Sympathy, in which one person can understand another person’s position, was realized through sadness (‘tears’). Readers experienced catharsis through sympathy and shared sadness through ‘tears.’ As a result, they were able to remain a member of the group. In other words, as a powerful factor for emotional exchange, crying and tears have evolved into racial emotion which united children during the colonial period. The problem is not in the ‘tears’ themselves but is a matter of how to draw tears in the text. Schematic narration (ex: parental absence) have been repeatedly used to stimulate ‘sympathy’ in readers. Further, the author himself would sometimes appear in the story and lead readers toward his emotions or values.