농촌계몽가 혹은 농민지도자 - 이광수의 『흙』과 심훈의 『상록수』의 영웅주의

Abstract

The heroism that erupted during the Korean Empire period was fundamentally called the "National hero" in terms of national construction. After the annexation of Korea and Japan, heroes are demoted and transformed into bandits, terrorists, state criminals, robbers, and vagrant, but various superhero characters appear constantly in popular history. The colonial heroics are an imaginary solution to social contradiction and an expression of popular resistance. In this paper, I analyzed the hero figures and political unconsciousness reflected in Lee Kwang-soo's Soil and Sim Hun's Evergreen Tree rural enlightenment. Lee Kwang-soo and Sim Hun's works depict equally heroic rural activists, but their political unconsciousness is different. Soil depicts an ethical hero, which is closely related to Lee Kwang-soo's hero worship idea, genius theory, and Cultural Education Enlightenment Movement. The two story lines, Love Narrative and Rural Enlightenment Narrative, have the same structure in depth. Heo Sung shows a noble love devoted to Jeong-son who broke her marriage vows, which is the expiation for his emotional solidarity with other women, and the securing of superiority in the recognition struggle with his wife. In addition, the Martyr's Hero, presented in the Rural Enlightenment story, is both a expiation for Lee Kwang-soo's pro-Japanese and a expiation for anti-Japanese. In the end, even though it is a crime of morality, not a crime of taking legal responsibility, willing to respond to the punishment means such double punishment. However, the excessive emotion between the two extremes is nothing short of Chun-won's ego-heroism. Sim Hun, who enjoyed drawing popular heroes in poetry and novels, portrayed a fighting rural activist as a hero in Evergreen tree. The love between Park Dong-hyuk and Chae Young-sin has the characteristics of a comradeship alliance that competes and supports each other. Young-sin, who eventually died while concentrating on rural projects, symbolizes the Christian spirit of love and sacrifice. However, Young-sin's passion and martyrdom acquire sublime through ‘fighting’ to immortalize death. Dong-hyuk also strengthens his will to practice and fight without despair despite the death of his lover and the frustration of the rural project in his hometown. Evergreen tree's heroism is a fighting heroism that seeks to inspire the resistance of the colonial Joseon people through two characters devoted to their love for the community, not heroes with extraordinary talent and is an anti-Japanese novel.