고전소설의 환상성, 그 연구사적 전망

Abstract

This study examines the past scholarly achievements and still controversial issues for the fantastic of classical novels. Also, this thesis aims to discuss further prospects toward this field of study. First, this study goes through how studies on the fantastic has been evolved and developed as a field of literary study. This is due to the interest in the fantasy literature has been increased and the introduction of western theories since 1980’s. The fantastic relevant studies started from the field of classical novels, then further soughtin the contemporary literature. Now, this theme is the most occurring scholarly themes in literary field. After that, the classical novels are introduced and discussed since they receive the most profound and wide scholarly interests. The term classical novels are for literary works such as the early epic series liked『Samkuk-yusa』, biography novels and other Korean novels after 17thcenturies. Not just the time ranges, but also the genres are various in the definition of the classical novels. Also, there were many academic endeavors to examine the genuine fantastic features of classical novels of Korea. This is due to the previously discussed limit ondirectly applying western theories to Korean classical novels. There have been many academic achievements, but at the same time, controversies were also evolved in this field of study. First of all, past studies were centered to emphasize the fantastic relevant features of the novels even when the novel has only auxiliary or partial fantastic quality in the whole narrative. In other words, the innate and substantial nature of a novel was disregarded and only fantastic relevant features were repeatedly accentuated. Also, there was no coherent measurement to define the fantastic in individual literary works. In this way, it is hard to clearly define and estimate the degrees of the fantastic in the novels. This in turn brought the questions on the definition of the fantastic in a scholarly study methodology. Facing this limit in this field of study, the scholars have to establish certain image and definition of genuine and original fantastic features of Korean classical literatures. For this, one needs to consider Korean novels’ distinctive fantastic features at the extension of and comparative studies with other East-Asian literary works that exhibitfantastic relevant features. For this, close scrutinyon the early epic literatures is highly necessary. In this regard, this study suggests the different image and features of the fantastic in Korean literatures that are different from Chinese literatures, during and after the creation of 『Samkuk-yusa』. Furthermore, this study discusses the social and philosophical thoughts of temporary world of when those fantastic literatures were created to further demonstrate the concrete layers of classical epic literatures. Lastly, this thesis suggests that the fantasy literature relevant studies will have to be the dialectic outcome of or the collaboration with the realism studies. In this way, the classical novels will overcome the dichotomy relationship with the contemporary literature. Only afterthis, the classical novels will receive more profound researches and will have much more bright future prospect. In this respect, the classical novels would console and guide the contemporaries so we can redefine our identities even with the surging of digital culture and neo-liberalism.