<심청전>에 나타난 가장의 표상과 역설적 실체

Abstract

This thesis is aimed to know how people think of their breadwinner, family members and family ideology through Simbongsa and his family in Simcheongjeon. We will review the way the story show how Simbongsa and his family rebuild their disbanded family to us. Simbongsa in Simcheongjeon is far from the traditional vision of a breadwinner, but he is served by his wife and child just because he is the head of the family. Simbongsa’s authority as the head of his family seems very firm because Ms. Gwak and Simcheong―his wife and his daughter―are willing to sacrifice themselves for their head and worry about him even after their death. The story is caricaturing him by showing his disability and sexual desire, which make us feel sympathy for Simbongsa rather than blame the incompetent and selfish breadwinner. Not only does the sympathy encourage Simbongsa to rebuild his family but also the story result in get him on a better social status to be an authoritative breadwinner by getting married to Ms. Ahn. Luckily, Simbongsa solves the family problem with any decising-making or efforts. It is just done by a leap in the story which represents conservative family ideology. The story shows people have in mind that the authority of their breadwinners could be revived and kept alive, who neither blame nor make any realistic counter-offer to the heads of their family―even though the incompetent breadwinner cannot stand still in the rapidly changing world teased by agitation of status system and capitalism. It also tells us that incompetent breadwinners cannot protect their family from any crises. Simcheongjeon is a story about paradox of the family system by showing that self-sacrifice of family members for their breadwinner is the only way to survival although the head of their family doensn’t deserve the authority physically and ethically.