도술담에 대한 아동독자의 재미 연구 - <전우치전>을 중심으로

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine why fantasy stories performing Taoist magic in Korean classical literature evoke pleasure. I conducted a content analysis of the responses of 102 child-readers of Jeonwoochijeon and open-ended interviews of 16 child-readers on the topic of fantasy stories performing Taoist magicThe results showed that the child-readers were interested in stories with unforeseen actions and plot twists. The components of Jeonwoochijeon that evoked pleasure are as follows: ① characters’ conversations and actions, ② absurd and mysterious events, ③ funny illustrations and verbal expressions, ④ themes such as morality and enlightenment. The child-readers were sympathetic toward Jeon woo-chi performing Taoist magic. They were highly delighted when Jeon woo-chi angered superior characters and punished bullies. They felt a sense of satisfaction when Jeon woo-chi defended the weak. These areas of interest in Jeonwoochijeon are connected to the problems and desires of child-readers’ lives. The child-readers make full use of their imagination when reading about activities such as riding clouds, metamorphosing, teleporting, and entering a picture. They satisfy their desires to escape their real-life problems through their imagination. The results provide information about methods and content for teaching fantasy stories performing Taoist magic in Korean classical literature. In order to teach the meanings of the texts, we need a basic understanding of why child-readers are engaged by them.