드라마 「재벌집 막내아들」을 통해 본 귀족적 영웅서사에 대한 지향 -환몽소설과의 비교를 중심으로-

Abstract

This study sheds light on the meaning of the public’s negative reaction to the controversial ending of The Youngest Son of the Chaebol Family, a Korean drama series aired by JTBC, in comparison with how hwanmong-soseol, a sub-genre of the classical novel, unfolds. To begin with, this study analyzed the structure of The Youngest Son of the Chaebol Family. The results showed that the drama series had a well-organized narrative that effectively conveyed the theme of the protagonist Yoon Hyun-woo's repentance in a tightly set hwanmong-soseol (returning to reality from dream) structure as opposed to how it was evaluated by many critics. Next, this study analyzed the reasons behind the negative reaction to the ending of the drama series in comparison with how hwanmong-soseol unfolds. While The Cloud Dream of the Nine, one of the most well-known hwanmong-soseol works in Korea, embodies different themes depending on the version, the narrative most familiar to the public is the one in which the protagonist's ordinary life continues after waking up from a dream. From the public’s perspective, the essence of the hwanmong-soseol structure was not some sort of realization through life after waking up from a dream but the resolution of desires which could not be fulfilled in reality through the imaginary world of a dream. This hwanmong-soseol structure from the medieval period was adapted into a structure of hoebinghwan (regression, possession, and reincarnation) in today’s world, which gained enormous popularity among the public as a chaebol genre. The Youngest Son of the Chaebol Family, which highlights life after waking up from a dream, was the narrative that betrayed the public’s expectations, and the public’s negative reaction to its controversial ending suggested the aristocracy-oriented nature of the public, which was reflected in hwanmong-soseol and hoebinghwan novels. Considering that the aristocratic heroic narrative of hwanmong-soseol was an immensely popular narrative in a caste system where it was not possible to move up in social class, the current generation's pessimistic outlook on social mobility can be found in the popularity of hoebinghwan and the public’s reaction to The Youngest Son of the Chaebol Family.