「계축일기」의 종결 연구

Abstract

In this study, the Conclusions of Gyechuk-Ilgi(「계축일기」) are analyzed across three domains: the narrative, the questioning, and the text. We say that reading is ‘concluded’ when we have sufficiently resolved major conflicts or issues, found answers to ques-tions that may arise during the text reading, and ensured that the material text has come to a close. Conclusions in each area function as elements of meaning that individually or interactively constitute the holistic significance derived by the reader from the text. The conclusion of Seogung-Ilgi, another edition of Gyechuk-Ilgi, contains additional content compared to the original version. The tangible conclusions of these two editions can influence the interpretation of conflicts, resulting in differences in the narrative outcomes of the texts. This, in turn, may transform the reader’s holistic judgment on the thematic junctures. The conclusions of Gyechuk-Ilgis can be categorized into (1)a conclusion that desires the text to escape from adversity and seeks acknowledgment of injustice, and (2)a conclusion that imposes specific punishments on the villains within the text. The reader’s understanding of the characteristics of the text, such as genre, can contribute to the derivation of conclusions. Perceiving the differences in the conclusions of Gyechuk-Ilgi and Seogung-Ilgi as additions or deletions reflects a perspective that considers the choice of conclusion based on the editor’s intent. To choose a conclusion means that the reader, engaged in reading the text, determines the conclusion. Conclusions serve as elements that constitute the meaning of the text, either individually or in mutually cooperative relationships. Specific conclusions by certain readers are the products of the semantic interactions among the constituent elements of the text.