이옥 열녀전의 문예적 특성과 한계

Abstract

The Yeolnyeojeon of Lee Ok was mainly based on the literary theory in human affection from the hedonic aspect, thus, it exhibits a woman who has different characteristics from the women who appeared similar works that were based on the conventional female images. A narrative description on yeolnyeo (a woman of virtue) in the Yeolnyeojeon of Lee Ok is out of the traditional frame of Yeolnyoejeon, and it also demonstrates that a driving force of becoming a yeolnyeo is not based on a sense of physical chastity but based on a so-called human affection including compassion, anger, or love, etc. In that regard, the yeolnyeo narrative description is trans-ideological, innovative, and provocative, accordingly conveying empathy to people, not a lesson. However, the discourses being spread in the postscript later are packaged with a traditional notion of yeolnyeo, which is not in line with the bright narrative descriptions. This is more like as if the discourses that should be a plentiful interpretation of the narrative description betrays its meaning. Lee Ok complimented the so-called living yeolnyeo who is living by extending the level of pains or by sacrificing herself with taking the extreme pain and fear. The narrative description of a living Yeolnyoejeon is rich and stimulating. The reason why Lee Ok complimented the living yeolnyeo lies in that the continued pains and high intensity of horrors underwent by a living yeolnyeo are incomparably more difficult far beyond dying once. However, the evaluation of discourses sticks to the patriarch-oriented values with a giant discourse in different levels such as exposing the contradictions by neutralizing the meaning embedded in the extremely difficult pains of a yeolnyeo and regarding the infinite sacrifice and serve of women as the ultimate stage. As such, the narrative description of Lee Ok seeks a driving force of becoming a yeolnyeo from the biased emotions of women rather than ideology and is interesting because it is trans-ideological, advanced, innovative, and shocking. This is the very property that is in line with the literary theory in human affection from the hedonic aspect of Lee Ok. The contradiction between discourse and narrative description, however, has been caused because of not having appropriate philosophy that is able to assign a valid interpretation and to grant significance to advanced narrative descriptions on yeolnyeo. Despite the great strengths of Lee Ok as a writer, for instance, a trans-ideology, the new and excellent imaginations, and a possession of writing skills, it is a fact that the Yeolnyeojeon of Lee Ok has a limitation that configured a female entity in the more sadistic form.