대하소설의 창작 방법론 -박경리의 『토지』를 중심으로-

Abstract

Most of the existing story creation theory is generally intended for short stories and full-length novels. In this essay I find ways to create stories laying stress on major features of saga. To begin with, I take note of the fact that a saga is a historical novel. In that ideas of novels are mostly based on individual experience or historical facts, a saga can be a historical novel. It means ideas for stories are mostly based on historical facts or historical figures. At this point, what counts is the attitude toward history since it affects the writer's intention and themes. Once what a writer is trying to say in a saga is decided, the writer has to think of what part of history to show and of how to represent them. In that moment, the writer's world view and the spirit of the time clash or go well. Secondly I pay attention to the fact that the format or composition of a saga is closely related to family history and chronicle. The saga like『Toji』has hundreds of characters and most of saga use novel techniques of family history and chronicle to manage all the characters effectively for the well-constructed novel. The basic unit of characters is family and events are presented in chronological order. While 'story' is presented in chronological order, 'plot' stresses on cause-and-effect relationship. Modern novels mostly use 'plot', but a saga has its own 'story' and 'plot' which is the characteristic of korean novel of family history and chronicle. A family history novel has at least two generations and shows the rise and fall of the family, ups and downs of the generation and the process of changes. At the same time it unfolds intricate, knotty problems of several generations of the family. These families are closely related with one another and sometimes live independent lives. A certain family in a family saga can play a pivotal role, and a specific generation in one family can play a leading part. Therefore a writer should describe individual characters in family history and at the same time the meeting of other members and the process of clash with another family history. Characters who link space with space are as important as characters who link generation with generation. These characters make the saga interconnected description, not closed one. These characters of a saga playing important roles beyond boundary should be well arranged to unify the separate family and different region into one as a whole. Chronicle novels which literally focus on chronological order are often far from 'plot' of modern novels which stress on causal relationship. Therefore a writer has to pay attention to well-constructed novels that have specific events and well arranged with causal connection. (A writer should make the story specific and well organized with causal connection.)