「이화전」에 나타난 임진전쟁의 기억과 상상적 존재들의 의미:19세기 말의 시대상을 통해 본 시론적 고찰

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze literary imagination reflected on LeehwaJeon(李華傳) in relation to the memory for the Imjin war, supplementing the limit of previous research which has been only restricted on the analysis of the elements of tales. LeehwaJeon is seen as a work that embodies the social unrest caused by the memory for wars, through the narration about the appearance and eradication of a monster and also tries to address this unrest with an imaginary way. This paper focus on the Sino-Japanese war in the late 19th century as the background of the creation of the work. Joseon was enormously damaged by the war which took place in the territory of Joseon in the process of suppression of the Donghank Movement. These circumstances would provide a chance to remind people of the Imjin war. In addition, the tyranny of the Cheng dynasty also would evoke a sense of nostalgia for Myeong dynasty. Therefore, it could be concluded that the monster appearing in LeehwaJeon can be considered as a symbol for the social unrest and anxiety. In this context, the eradication of the monster by a hero would be an imaginary solution to deal with the issues. However, propensities strongly aspiring for the Middle ages, which can be seen in LeehwaJeon, would not seem to have a significance under the circumstances of the rapid social changes toward the modern era. Accordingly, it would result in little attention from the public of the day.