1900년대 한ㆍ중 정치소설의 환상성 연구 －몽견제갈량(1908) 및 新三國(1909)을 중심으로－

Abstract

This study compares the aspects of fantastical narratives in political novels from Korea and China in the late 1900s, examining how the political circumstances of the time were literarily represented and interpreted. The analysis focuses on Monggyeon Jegallyang, written in 1908 by Yu Won-pyo, an enlightenment thinker of colonial Korea, and Xin Sanguo, published in 1909 by the late Qing reformist intellectual Lu Shi-e. Both works reinterpret the classical Romance of the Three Kingdoms character Zhuge Liang against the backdrop of their respective countries’ political realities and the turbulent era of East Asia, constructing fantastical narratives. In particular, Xin Sanguo retains the narrative framework of the original Romance of the Three Kingdoms but unfolds a new storyline in which Zhuge Liang not only survives the Battle of Wuzhang Plains but also leads the introduction of a constitutional monarchy in Shu Han and modern reforms, ultimately establishing a unified Xin Sanguo. In contrast, Monggyeon Jegallyang adopts the traditional Mongyurok format, creating an imaginary space where a Korean intellectual, Mila-ja, meets Zhuge Liang in a dream and engages in dialogue. Through their conversation, they critically reassess the political and social policies of Korea and China, reflecting on the realities of East Asia at the time and exploring concrete reform plans. Around the 1900s, numerous works combining political discourse and fantastical narratives emerged in both Korea and China. These works, rooted in their respective literary traditions, addressed the political contradictions and ideals of the transitional modern era through literary imagination, embodying the tasks of the times. Accordingly, this study analyzes the expressive forms and characteristics of fantastical narratives in Monggyeon Jegallyang and Xin Sanguo to elucidate the literary and socio-historical significance of fantastical narratives in early political novels.