김주영 『객주』에 나타난 죽음의 의미

Abstract

『Gaekju』 includes the social aspects from 1878 to 1883 through the “Bobusang” peddlers. Considering the background and composition of the 『Gaekju』, more deaths appear. In particular, most of the deaths in the work are unnatural ones such as murder or suicide. This study is to explore the meaning of death in the 『Gaekju』. In the work, the wicked characters such as Gil Sogae, Sin Seokju, and Mae Wol commit murder or murder without any hesitation in order to achieve their goals. However, their anti-human actions are understood and saved without much punishment. The reason why the wicked are not punished because they perceive that their evils are caused by the greater problems of evil, not the individual's fault. Cheon Bongsam pays pity to those who have committed bad acts such as Gil Sogae and robbers, but Cheon Bongsang strives to capture the social order through death to those who deal with Japanese merchants, Japanese carriers, and Japanese merchants. Another specificity of death in the 『Gaekju』 can be found in the death of Choi Seondol and Shin Seokju. Their death is used to establish the social position of Cheon Bongsam. The death of Choi Seondol causes Chen Bongsam to be elected to the leader position of a bobusang peddlers in Gwangju, and to grow into a leadership position in merchant society. The death of Shin Seokju is transmitted to Cheon Bongsam through Mae Wol to prepare him for a position where he follows Shin Seokju. Cheon Bongsam is seen as an ideal leader not only inside merchants but also as an ideal of the nation as a whole by protecting merchants and people oppressed from foreign countries by using funds from their merchant group. In the 『Gaekju』, the deaths of the characters are used to show the awareness of the victims at that time. And the analysis of death is very meaningful in that the figure of the lower class named "Bobusang“ at the time grew into a huge merchant and shows the process of awakening in the social change in the late Joseon period.