17세기 열녀 담론과 소설적 대응

Abstract

Virtuous woman discourse during the 17th century in Joseon was about virtuous women who died with integrity. The society tried to enlighten virtuous women through 『Dong－guk－sin－soksam－gang－haeng－sil－do』, so literary works such as the biography of virtuous women as well as silgi(veritable records) often included action of virtuous women. However, fictions showed different aspects. Okyung on 『Choi－cheok－jeon』, Dongseon on 『Dong－seon－gi』 and Mrs. Lee on 『Hangang－han－jeon』 were supposed to give up their lives after their husbands’ death but they did not. Skepticism on those wives’ death of integrity in the society, where virtuous women discourse is dominant, brought sensation in each different direction. Bringing Buddhist perspective of forbidding taking lives, 『Choi－cheok－jeon』 faced an ideology of virtuous women that even death is allowed for the rules of Confucianism at that time. A main character of [Dong－seon－gi] dreams of eternal life in heavens, and the rejection of Confucian ideology that suppresses human life was expressed in the aim for Taoistic life. [Han－gang－han－jeon] described a form of women for the family rather than the form of virtuous women who died as following their husbands’ death. Death was postponed for realistic goals such as ancestral rites and having offspring but instead the form of strong and responsible women was made. Along with critical consciousness on unquestioning acceptance of rigid ideology through forms of characters of Okyung and Dongseon, the consciousness of respect for life was shown. On the other hand, the form of character of Mrs. Lee showed an image of women who followed Confucian ideology.