韓･中･日 고전문학 속의 女性과 바다

Abstract

In Ancient Korea, China, and Japan, where feudal patriarchy was the foundation of society, the sea was so much the sphere of men that it was considered an area forbidden for women. Nevertheless, some women in classical literature of the three Asian countries attempted to face the sea for various reasons. Thus, the sea came to these women as various images that could not otherwise be defined as one. For them, the sea, which they faced after being expelled from the patriarchal society, was a place of separation, death, and disconnection. On the other hand, however, the sea was also a new chapter full of new opportunities and enjoyable challenges for women who took the initiative in breaking down the limitations and taboos of society. At sea, after overcoming hardships, those adventurous women experienced happy endings in their lives, and they even achieved miraculous reincarnation and salvation. From their birth, women in Ancient Korea, China, and Japan were strictly regulated and characterized under the patriarchal framework through notions of filial daughter (Hyo-nyeo), obedient and virtuous wife (Yeol-bu), and a good wife and wise mother (Hyun mo yang cheo). Eventually, despite these obstacles, for those women, the sea was not only a dynamic area with new experiences and opportunities but also the setting for the literature about their lives. In essence, the sea was where women in ancient societies could recover the colors they lost in their lives only painted in black and white.