눌재(訥齋)의 부(賦) 「몽유(夢遊)」에 나타난 현실 정치에 대한 비판의식

Abstract

Nuljae(訥齋)'s Mongyu(夢遊) is a long poem consisting of 404 lines, written in the form of paibu(俳賦), and it follows a strict formal structure . Mongyu(夢遊)The work adopts the Mongyurok(夢遊錄) composition, which has a series of plot structure of “Entering the Dream(入夢)”­“Dream(夢中世界)”­“Waking from the Dream(覺夢)”, to criticize the reality through its dream. In “Entering the Dream”, the poem reflects Nuljae’s situation during his tenure as Minister of Choong-ju(忠州牧使), where he faced criticism due to the Sinsamuok(辛巳誣獄) incident. It highlights the neglect of loyal officials in reality, thereby providing the motivation to enter the dream. In “Dream”, Nuljae expresses his experiences from ancient China to the Ming(明) Dynasty, using allegory to reflect the problems of the real world. The allegories in the “Dream” are expressed two main categories. The first presents a dynasty devoid of real-world issues, while the other presents dynasties that reflect the issues of the real world. The former corresponds to utopian settings such as the dynasties of Xia, Yin, and Zhou(夏‧殷‧周), where treacherous ministers do not exist, and the ruler listens to loyal officials, ushering in a peaceful era. This ideal world, where real-world problems are absent, is used to point out flaws and absurds in reality. The latter focuses on dynasties following the Three Dynasties(三代), where chaos and order alternate and consequently becomes distant from the ideal world. Here, the narrative illustrates the neglect of loyal officials, leading to the downfall of these dynasties. The issues such as the Gimyosahwa(己卯士禍) and the Sinsamuok(辛巳誣獄) incident, which led to the exile of Nuljae and the Sarim(士林) scholars, are projected into the dream, where the negative consequences are depicted as a critique of the real world. In “Waking from Dream”, Nuljae resolves to embrace a Chuangtzu(莊子)-like life after awakening from his dream. However, it is difficult to view him as genuinely immersed in Chuangtzu’s philosophy because of his strong sense of identity as a Sadebu(士大夫) who adopts Sugichiin(修己治人) as the guiding principles of his life. Rather, he subtly criticizes the reality that forces him to choose a path Sugi(修己). Notably, all the dynasties he chose to retreat to in “the dream” ultimately met with destruction. Thus Nuljae’s choice of retreat reflects the overlapping narratives in “Dream”, encapsulating a criticism of dynasty's neglecting loyal officials in the real world.