새로 발굴한 『쇼져영춘전』에 대하여

Abstract

This study introduced the tale of Shojyeo and Yeongchun, a recently discovered novel written in Korean and not included in the list of Chinese novels. The study adopted a biological form to explain the features and values of the novel, and its significance in literary history. Recently discovered tale of Shojyeo and Yeongchun is a transcription volume(62pages) containing about 16,340 characters. It was written in Both Korean and Chinese. It has no title and contains little information on the author and age when it was written. However, the transcription was estimated to be written in the year of the snake(1881). Thus, it can be presumed that the novel was created between 18th and 19th century. The introduction which begins with the words 'the tale of Shojyeo and Yeongchun' indicates that the transcription is the novel that tells of Shojyeo and Yeongchun. Superficially, it can be classified as a romance novel, because Lee, Shojeo and Kim, Suja, the main characters, overcame all the obstacles and got married in the end. However, considering Yeongchun's role as Shojyeo's assistant and Shojyeo's passing the highest civil examination and consequent elevation to the status of the king's son in law, though she was disguised as a man, it seems appropriate to classify it as a female heroic novel. Three things deserve attention in regard to the features of tale of Shojyeo and Yeongchun. The first thing is a main character, Yeongchun's role as an assistant. Like other female heroic novels, the tale of Shojyeo and Yeongchun also contains a female character disguised as a man. However, it is differentiated from other female heroic novels in that Shojyeo and Yeongchun, Shojyeo's maid and assistant, got married to the same man. The second thing is the relation of Sojeo and Yeongchun. The two people are close friends and each other's assistant who maintain complementary relationship. An analysis of building fictional characters of assistant leads to the presumption that the novel was created between the Story of Lady Park and the Tale of Bang, Hanrim. The third thing is Shojyeo's disguise as a man. Shojyeo's disguise plays more of a narrative device than highlight Shojyeo's and Yeongchun's heroic aspects. This means the actions of female heroic characters in the tale of Shojyeo and Yeongchun are decided by the structure of the novel, not the original heroic roles of the characters. This is highly likely to be detected in early female heroic novels. There are three tasks to be resolved with regard to the tale of Shojyeo and Yeongchun. The first task is about the tile of the novel. Although its introduction begins with the words 'the tale of Sojeo and Yeongchun', 'the Tale of Yeogchun' is mentioned along with the History of the Three Kingdom and the Tale of Simchung at the end of the novel. It is not clear whether 'the Tale of Yeogchun' is another name of 'the tale of Sojeo and Yeongchun' or refers to a totally different novel. If it is 'the tale of Sojeo and Yeongchun', changing the title of the novel from the tale of Sojeo and Yeongchun to the tale of Yeongchun should be considered. The second task is to estimate the time when the novel was written. Although the novel was transcribed in 1881, it is not known when the work was created. If the novel is proved to be created in the first half of the 18th century, it belongs among early female heroic novels. Appropriate evidence should be provided to reach such conclusion. The third task is about realistic properties in the novel such as hierarchical matters and the view of filial piety. The realistic properties in the novel indicate that the novel was writhen by an author who belong to the hereditary class of middle people. However, whether realistic properties in the novel are the result of the transitionary period or reflects the characteristics of the hereditary class of middle people still remains to be resolved.