대한제국기 아동 독물의 탄생과 아동관의 다변화 양상

Abstract

This study conducts a comprehensive examination into the aspects of changing viewpoints of children exhibited by children's books during the Korean Empire period. In the late Joseon Dynasty when Silhak(practical science) slowly began spreading, it was dominated by Confucian viewpoints of children where it was taught to reach adulthood by learning ‘Cheon(天)’ and ‘Dao(道).’ And this study points out that proliferation of Hangul and children’s tendency favoring books written in Korean were the pivotal elements for the formation of the viewpoints of children. Modern children’s literature in Korea is very close to ‘Korean Literature Awareness(國文意識).’ Especially, this study highly valued the Korean Empire period when the establishment of modern school was legislated including the ‘Royal Doctrine for Building State by Education(敎育立國詔書)’ by King Gojong. And many children's textbooks published during the time were also closely looked into. At the time, Confucian viewpoints of children still remained, which led children's book under ‘Elementary Learning’ to be the basic literature; and the concepts of ‘State(國家)’ such as‘Gaeguk(開國)’ and ‘Independent State(獨立國)’ were enhanced. After sovereignty was taken away, the viewpoints of children also went through radical changes; and the children in the State without sovereignty emerged as a principal subject of enlightenment replacing the ‘State(國).’ It means that the declaration, “Let the young generation to be the State of Daehan,” turned feasible. And individual characteristics of children were also emphasized. During the Korean Empire period, a variety of books to read began to be developed; and while Confucian viewpoints of children still prolonged, the ‘children’ as principal subjects of modernity became more important.