<계모형 설화>에 나타난 죽음의 형상화 방식과 특질

Abstract

‘Stepmother’ exists in the monogamy society, regardless of East or West. ‘Stepmother’ is a product of a family system in the feudal age reflecting the image of the times as well as a mythical or fictional character. ‘Stepmother Tale’ attempted to confirm a position stepmother who is a character in a tale within the family relationship and establish her identity in conformity to that position, touching conflicts with children of a previous mother as its main contents. However, it presents a uncommon, unordinary and abnormal method. A stepmother cannot become a family member because she is not fairly treated as a wife and mother, and thus the story exposes a problem of the family having a stepmother by refusing to accepting such position and becoming angry. An attempt by a stepmother represented in ‘Stepmother Tale’ ends up failure to the end. Readers fixed stereotype toward a stepmother by accepting a death of the stepmother presented in the story as a punishment of a bad woman, not murder within a family, due to their stereotype toward a stepmother. ‘Stepmother Tale’ presented an extreme situation where a stepmother, children of a previous mother or her own children lose their life due to the simple conflicts between the stepmother and children of a previous mother. The result of a tragedy was the collapse of a family that cannot be recovered due to the death of family members. In order to prevent such result, a father should mediate conflicts that may occur between a stepmother and children, and the children of a previous mother should re-consider a negative point of view that a stepmother takes position of their blood mother. In addition, a stepmother should understand the position of the children of a previous mother and keep in mind that they need to make efforts in establishing a friendly relationship with their stepmother.