근대소설의 기교, 묘사, 문체; 1920년대의 가능성과 한계들

Abstract

The 1920s was the period when modern literature in Korea began expanding in quality and quantity. Writers made relentless efforts to bring literature into professional and aesthetic realms. They, however, lacked means to “materialize” what they imagined under the Japanese colonial rule, in which intellectuals had to “pick” the modernity “planted” by trespassers. Lee Kwang-soo was rooted in the “Enlightenment”. So Lee Kwang-soo considers that writing is a tool of enlightenment. Paradoxically he longing for various aesthetic styles failed to rub off enlightenment odors from his works. On the contrary, Kim Dong-in raised questions about style and imagery from the perspective of uniqueness and aesthetics. His effort that went into the research in creative and original writing has on his style and the early modern novel movement. Also Kim Dong-in desired to achieve unification of the written and spoken language, furthermore pursue the new modern literature in his works. The literary views the two writers had were typical of contemporary intellectuals and artists. The frame in which the novelists perceived fictional representation and styles had both light and shades. Kim Gi-jin, though having joined in KAPF, emphasized ‘artistry’ and brought ‘description’ on the surface. Kim Gi-jin’s view of description is a very exceptional one in KAPF. Arguing with Gi-jin, Park Young-hee took the opposite side of the debate over contents and forms. Park Young-hee argues that writers themselves should be armed with the tight and strong group consciousness. We called it “Debate on content and form”. “Debate on content and form” was an event that gave an enormous impact on the direction of the KAPF movement. They are the very person who took the KAPF to the height of mainstream literature. But the discourse between the two also showed some opportunities and limitations. This paper assumed that the Korean Modern Novels was connected with strenuous effort of “Literary Technique-related description and style-”. “Literature of enlightenment[or propaganda]” and “art for art’s sake” in 1920s were based on the consciousness of modern language-literature. The collision between these opposing literary views during the 1920s set the stage for the discussion on and development of techniques and styles in novels.