김열규의 한국문학 연구의 의의

Abstract

In this thesis, I discuss the significance of Kim Yeol-gyu's research on Korean literature using three books as examples. First, Kim Yeol-gyu's 『Korean Folklore and Literature Study』 is the first example of Kim Yeol-gyu's study of the source of Korean literature. In this book, Kim Yeol-gyu considers folklore as the main concept of exploring the source of Korean literature. In this book, folklore is regarded as a concept that proves the specific relationship between classical literature and modern literature in a mythological critical context. In this book, Kim Yeol-gyu redefines the concept of folklore and discusses the origin of Korean literature with precise theories. This book is meaningful in providing the Korean literary community with theories and concepts of myth criticism and mysticism, as well as major concepts of religion, anthropology, and psychoanalysis. Second, Kim Yeol-gyu's 『Korean Myth and Shamanism Research』 is a book that discusses the global universality of Korean mythology. In this book, Kim Yeol-gyu discusses the global universality of Korean mythology through Siberian shamanism. However, in Kim Yeol-gyu's book, the world is not a concept that refers to the context of Western Europe. The world is a concept meaningful to the mythical image and structure of Northeast Siberia. In this book, Kim Yeol-gyu newly identifies the value and meaning of Korean mythology and shamanism in the context of global universality. Third, Kim Yeol-gyu's 『History of Korean Literature』 is a book that announces that Kim Yeol-gyu's research on Korean literature is shifting from the work of theorizing to free prose that points to the vein of Korean art. Kim Yeol-gyu's 『History of Korean Literature』 differs from the general ‘History of Korean Literature’ which means the history of literature. Kim Yeol-gyu's 『History of Korean Literature』 is the overall hermeneutics of the source of Korean literature. Kim Yeol-gyu consistently publishes books that explore and discuss the source of Korean art before and after the publication of 『History of Korean Literature』.