<김영철전>에 나타난 김영철의 내적 갈등과 귀환의 아이러니

Abstract

Popular interpretations of Kim Young Chul Jeon(金英哲傳) focus on how the protagonist is taken prisoner and on the hardships of being captive. However, I believe that the essence of this narrative lies on the protagonist’s will to return home and on the events he experiences by attempting to do so. Therefore, in this paper, I treat Kim Young Chul Jeon as a homecoming narrative; Unlike in most prisoner narratives, the protagonist in this story is provided with an autonomous choice and decides to return home only after deeply pondering over his options. Additionally, Young Chul’s motivations as the protagonist of a homecoming narrative are shaped by a series of internal conflicts, which cannot be explained by a simple manifestation of nostalgia or by a heroic will to return home. Young Chul breaks the mold of a stereotypical character determined to go back to his birthplace no matter what challenges he must face. On the other hand, the protagonist is also not so content with his new life that he would not consider escaping. The central pillar of his will to return home is continuously shaken between an inclination to settle where he is taken captive and a desire to return to the land of his parents. Young Chul is therefore depicted as a round character who agonizes over his choices and who sometimes even tells lies, rather than a flat one filled with consistent resolution. The above features of Young Chul Kim are most evidently depicted in the Korean novel. In Hong Se Tae(洪世泰)’s version, the protagonist is isolated and his family is presented only as a background that does not influence the narrative. The novel version, especially the Korean edition, on the other hand, puts relatively more emphasis on family connections, particularly the conjugal relation, by portraying Young Chul as a complex character whose incentives are driven by his ties to his family.