元代 鬼神劇 ≪留鞋記≫의 人物形象 硏究— 주인공 郭華의 形象에 투영된 지식인의 肖像

Abstract

This study examines Liuxieji留鞋記, one of the representative Guishenju (ghost-spirit plays) of the Yuan dynasty, to explore how the aesthetic of fear embedded in the genre relates to ethnic tensions during the Mongol-Yuan period. The play reflects the autobiographical experience of its author, Zeng Rui(曾瑞). The protagonist, Guo Hua(郭華), commits suicide following the despair of examination failure and romantic disillusionment, and his corpse is later discarded without moral hesitation by a Buddhist monk. This episode not only reflects how Yuan society devalued the lives of literati, but also symbolically critiques the moral decline of religious institutions. Rather than interpreting the play as a simple romantic tragedy, this paper argues that Liuxieji functions as a work of social criticism, exposing the structural oppression and institutional contradictions faced by Han intellectuals under Mongol rule. While previous scholarship has focused mainly on plot and source origins, this study highlights the narrative representation of latent ethnic conflict, positioning Liuxieji as a political narrative that articulates the suppressed identity and ideal vision of the Han literati.