반복서사의 美―소설 『西遊記』를 읽는 또 하나의 방법

Abstract

This paper presents the concept of repetitive narrative as one of the ways to read Xi You Ji. When reading Xi You Ji, one characteristic can be found, and that is the repetition of the previous scene. It is a summary of the situation that has already been described above in the form of a short story. In Xi You Ji, this repetitive narrative is mostly expressed through dialogues between characters, but in fact, it seems to be aimed at the audience who have not heard the episode well or have not thoroughly understood the story. This type of narration would be repeating in terms of a standardized novel narrative, but in terms of oral performance, it serves to increase the audience’s attention and tension. The reason why such a narrative is possible in Xi You Ji is that this work has more vivid features of oral performance and vernacular Chinese than any other novel. I will call this ‘the beauty of repetitive narrative’ because I believe that this way of narrative makes Xi You Ji more like Xi You Ji. In this paper, we list the parts that are judged to be repetitive narratives out of 100 episodes of Xi You Ji, and examine how the repetitive narratives progress by citing several representative examples. In addition, it analyzes the meaning and effect of this repetitive narrative as a story closely related to oral performance, not as a novel that has already been texted. It introduces examples in which repetitive narratives are expressed in various ways, such as letters, monologues, and reminiscence, as well as conversational forms. Novels deeply influenced by oral performance contain oral elements in themselves, and these elements can act as the author’s intended narrative device. Therefore, paying attention to these devices also could be another way to read Chinese novels.