김동인 소설의 현실인식 - '사실'과 '리얼'의 의미를 중심으로

Abstract

Kim Dong-in, as one of the pioneers of Korean modern literature, introduced western literature and adapted it to the Korean situation. Kim studied western literature and endeavored to experiment with literary forms. The attempts weren’t just out of curiosity. Artist and man of principle he was, he had his own distinctive themes and styles. Also, he had pride and responsibility for being one of the leaders of modern Korean literature. Fact and reality are thoroughly distinguished through Kim’s oeuvre. Reality also has distance from realism. The distinction between fact and reality is the criterion for him to distinguish modern literature from pre-modern literature. The word reality explains the feature of modern literature in its infancy. Fact is related to tales or events, while reality is a closer concept to plot, which is reorganized from tales or events. Plot reveals the genius, characteristic and imagination of the author, while they stand out less in pre-modern literature. Therefore, reality in Kim’s works proves his awareness of himself as a modernist writer. Furthermore, fact and reality extend to the area between the real world and the virtual world. Frame story becomes a magic door to enter the virtual world. Kim Dong-in enters inside the door and creates his own world. Then, he shows delusional ideas that the world he created is the real one. Thus, frame stories can be evidence of his scant perception of reality, and, moreover, the reasons for his pro-Japanese activities.