고소설 낭독의 문화사회사적 실제와 그 의미 -수직적 낭독과 수평적 낭독의 이해-

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the cultural and social historical significance of the reading culture with regard to old novels that appeared in the late Joseon Dynasty. In comparison to the oral story performance, reading novels aloud is a type of story performance in which texts are read directly or memorized to perform. Since the 17th century, the records indicate that there’s an enjoyment regarding reading novels aloud. As the circulation of old novels and the opportunity to enjoy Korean novels increased, so did the opportunities for reading aloud. Both upper and lower classes read novels in the form of texts aloud. Reading aloud to upper-class audiences was done either individually or in small groups in the room, whereas, reading aloud among ordinary readers was done collectively and in public places. Both upper-class men and women enjoyed reading the Hangeul novels aloud. While the men from the upper-classes generally affirmed to “ganseo” (看書, reading quietly with the eyes), they were also wary of it due to the fact that they had negative perspectives on both “songdok” (誦讀, reading aloud by memorizing texts) and “nangdok” (朗讀, reading aloud with the eyes). However, if the subject was a popular novel, the upper-class recognized “ganseo” as a reading to be wary of and refrained from reading it. The cultural and social historical meaning of the culture pertaining to reading aloud was investigated using the concepts of “vertical reading aloud” and “horizontal reading aloud” for the characteristics and developmental aspects of the reading aloud culture. In a state where the hierarchical order between the reader and the listener was relatively clear, a culture of vertical reading aloud was developed early on, with the characteristics of “cultural mediation” or “cultural transmission” being included. However, with horizontal reading aloud, which shared the same reading tastes, it eventually became the mainstream activity of the reading aloud culture. A good example of this is the increase in reading the popular Korean novels aloud. The reading of novels aloud was relatively free in terms of the contents of the written text due to the reader’s oral psychodynamics. It is necessary to remember the fact that the development of a culture that horizontally reads aloud is at the base of expansion regarding the readability of the Hangeul novels and the active enjoyment of reading such novels.