금오신화에 형상된 죽음

Abstract

This paper investigates the aspects and meanings of the death in Kumoshinwha[金鰲新話] concatenating narrative structure and aesthetic. ‘Isolation’ and ‘loneliness’ are common existential situations for the characters of Kumosinwha, those who confront the violent, irrational reality. Mostly, these kinds of existential situations drive them into the death, but by doing so, they focus on the characters’ denial and resistance to the destiny and the world trying to overcome the nihilism. In Manboksajeopogi[萬福寺樗蒲記] and Leesaengkyujangjeon[李生窺墻傳], the death of women who are victimized in the war and the appearance of their ghost expose the distorted reality at that time, and also depict the existential struggle to fill the emptiness and the lack of existence. The author uses the war as the narrative correlative to show the fragile nature of existence of human being which must be involved with the violent, irrational reality. In Chiyububyeokjunggi[醉遊浮碧亭記], Namyeombujuji[南炎浮洲志] and Manboksajoepogi, the death does not mean ‘extinction of the being’ but ‘migration of the soul’ by rebirth of the character, and also mean ‘the path to salvation’ to purify both the soul and the body. In the case of Chiyububyeokjungki and Namyeombujuji, main characters have become immortal, divine being in transcendental world, receiving rewards for their unhappy lives.