「만세전」에 나타난 감시와 검열

Abstract

Yeomsangseop was put in prison, and was placed under surveillance because of his independence movement, as a writer during the Japanese colonial period. His novel Mansejeon(萬歲前; The days before the March 1st Independence Movement) includes 12 scenes of surveillance and punishment. Keeping the Japanese censorship in mind, Yeomsangseop seemed to write Mansejeon very carefully. That's because he succeeded in publishing this novel serially, rewriting his confiscated novel Myoji(墓地; The Cemetery) by censorship in 1922. Considering these contexts, this paper finds out Yeomsangseop's various strategies to circumvent japanese censorship, examining not only Mansejeon's characteristics of representative surveillance and punishment but also the relation between its description and censorship. Mansejeon's description about surveillance and punishment are mostly consistent with the reality of that era except two aspects. First, the colonial Japanese government more reinforced its surveillance and punishment, after the March 1st movement, to prevent any recurrence of other demonstrations. However, describing such severe oppression in Mansejeon, Yeomsangseop set up his novel's background as the days “before” the independence movement(Pay attention to this work's title “the days before the March 1st independence movement”). In Mansejeon, he criticized the days “after” the Manse Demonstrations, not “before”. With a camouflaged criticism of dead power(the military rule “before” the Manse Demonstrations), he could pass the living power's censorship(the cultural rule “after” the Manse Demonstrations). Second, although the Japanese Government General of Joseon(Korea) put a tail only on a person under strong suspicion(要視察者), Yeomsangseop described the main character Lee In-Hwa, who was above suspicion, was thoroughly shadowed by a Japanese detective. 7 rounds of inspection and shadow proved Lee In-Hwa clear from suspicion. Yeomsangseop's insistence on Lee In-Hwa's innocence, which is effective in circumventing the censorship, conveys the feeling of Mansejeon's legality to its censor. The second assertion on innocence needs further explanation because of its complexity. ① Lee In-hwa did not pay any attention to Japanese military police's seizure of his manuscripts as well as the first draft of his novel. This is a paradoxical assertion that his confiscated manuscripts have no rebellious ideas. ② Inspected by a Japanese military police, Lee In-Hwa shows the inverted recognition that the shadower, who knows his “not-guilty”, could be a kind of his reference. ③ Since Lee In-hwa was called “I” overwhelmingly in Mansejeon, this writing strategy produces strong identification among Lee In-hwa, “I”, and Yeomsangseop. According to this route, Lee In-hwa's legality spreads to Yeomsangseop's Mansejeon. Yeomsangseop tries to circumvent censorship in Mansejeon, telling Lee's innocent manuscript(①), showing his shadower's guarantee(②), and producing identification between Lee In-hwa and Yeomsaonseop(③). After all, by letting the inspector to stand security for Lee In-hwa, Yeomsangseop gives Mansejeon's censorship officer his reference written under the name of censor' fellow police. This can be summarized as follows. Lee In-hwa was inspected and followed by a police detective without reason in Mansejeon. Besides Lee's shadower ironically stood guarantee for him. Mansejeon produces recognition that the main character is identical to its writer. Such recognition let the inspector censoring Yeomsangseop's work lower the standard of censorship. It is thought that Mansejeon's well organized structure is the result of intentional writing strategy for passing censorship. Yeomsangseop saw the seizure of his work Myoji 2 years ago. Such experience made him grapple with the problem of censorship. After all, Yeomsangseop could find a solution to the censorship. Yeomsangseop not only selected a Japanese policeman as a character, but also let the shadower to stand guarantee for his work Mansejeon as well as him. Although the Japanese inspector censored his work in the real world, Yeomsangseop on the contrary tried writing in order to control his censor. Besides, Yeomsangseop uses two devices to circumvent censorship as follows. With a blurred montage, Yeomsangseop made the criticized object unrevealed. Also, mentioning the Japanese annexation of Korea, he expressed that time unclearly. All of them are an strategic apparatus for passing the censorship. Considering the context of censorship, reading Mansejeon needs different approaches. That's because writing Mansejeon, Yeomsangseop should be conscious of the Japanese censorship sensitively, as Lee in-hwa always moves with the recognition of Japanese surveillance. The routinized, excessive surveillance in Mansejeon not only is criticism of Japanese colonial rule as the commonly accepted view, but also is apparatus for surviving censorship. It is also gives rise to the inner division of main character Lee In-Hwa.