방정환, 다시 문제는 필명이다(1) —「방정환의 필명 쌍S 재론」을 재론함

Abstract

This study critically examined the “Ssang S” debate, which is a pen name, which is controversial recently. “Ssang S” has been accepted as the pen name of Bang Jeonghwan beyond doubt. However, “Ssang S” appeared even after the death of Bang Jeonghwan and the main materials and anecdotes of “Tiger Dung and Bean Sprouts”, which is a representative work of “Ssang S”, largely overlapped with the writings of Cha Sangchan as well as those of Bang Jeonghwan. Therefore, it has become a study topic to be closely examined. The study argued that Ssang is the pen name of Cha Sangchan indicated that Ssang S and Cha Sangchan wrote on similar materials and used similar expression methods. However, she overlooked the differences in expression methods and narration attitudes. For example, they used different words to describe specific situations. Moreover, when they referred to the behavior of the same subject, Cha Sangchan describes it as he observed and experienced it, while Ssang S depicted it as he conveyed something he heard. Additionally, this study confirmed that Ssang S was Bang Jeonghwan on the fact that “Tiger Dung and Bean Sprouts”, a representative work of Ssang S, was an unfinished work, and the description regarding the snack types of female students in “Male and Female School Trivial Matter Competition” written by Ssang S was identical to the narrative of Bang Jeonghwan in a round-table talk. Furthermore, the compulsory topknots prohibition, which was experienced by Ssang S while attending Boseong Elementary School, does not match the life of Cha Sangchan. It rather agrees with the life of Bang Jeonghwan, as it was written in Bang Jeonghwan’s essay. These are empirical decisive evidences that prove that Ssang S is Ban Jeonghwan, not Cha Sangchan. Considering that “Eunpari”, the confirmed pen name of Bang Jeonghwan, appeared in a magazine published by Gaebyeoksa Publisher after the death of Bang Jeonghwan, the appearance of Ssang S after the death of Bang Jeonghwan should be regarded that it was borrowed by another reporter of Gaebyeoksa Publisher. Studying a pen name is a way to strengthen the foundation of author research. It should be approached as if putting different shapes and sizes of puzzle pieces together. Moreover, even if a confident belief is gained, it can only be confirmed by securing objectives evidences. It is impossible to determine the pen names of authors unless the life of an author is empirically studied, the texts are closely examined, and the publications of contemporary writers, who were based on the same ideological basis and published using various pen names to the same magazine, are thoroughly understood. It is still an important task of researchers to find the hidden real authors behind pen names based on well collected and organized data and information and deepened and expanded studies on the modern Korean literature.