<옥원재합기연>-<옥원전해> 연작 재론

Abstract

This study analyzes the 18th-century classical Korean novel Ogwonjaehapgiyeon and its sequel Ogwonjeonhae, with a focus on the character Yi Won-ui. It specifically posits that Ogwonjeonhae not merely extends and repeats the narrative world of Ogwonjaehapgiyeon, but reinterprets that world from a new perspective. The narrative of Yi Won-ui in Ogwonjaehapgiyeon ends without a conclusion, which in turn justifies its continuation in Ogwonjeonhae. A key unresolved issue from the first novel is the entangled perceptions of Yi Won-ui by acquaintances and relatives, which are fully reckoned with in the sequel. Notably, Ogwonjaehapgiyeon suggests different meanings for the surrounding characters’ doubts regarding Yi Won’s redemption, and for Yi Won himself mirroring the shameful memories he wants to hide. Ogwonjeonhae depicts Yi Won-ui’s process of redefining his dignity by appropriating and reinterpreting the painful and shameful narrative of Ogwonjaehapgiyeon in front of all the characters, ultimately constituting a performative act of public declaration. Through this, Ogwonjaehapgiyeon transcends being merely a shameful record that Yi Won-ui—as well as his descendants, such as Yi Hyeon-yoon and Yi Hyeon-young—must hide and erase. Instead, it is reinterpreted and transformed into a kind of maxim that a noble person should reflect upon throughout his life and preserve for his descendants as a conduct guide for oneself and others. This attitude of Yi Won-ui, which is evaluated by Seok Do-cheom as embodying the “beautiful will” of a noble person, serves as the catalyst for his creation of an additional record, Ogwonjeonhae. In essence, Yi Won-ui appropriates the meaning of a narrative that once drove him to self-loathing and resentment of others. As such, Ogwonjeonhae can be seen as a novel that portrays a character who exercises agency by appropriating the narrative of shame. The Ogwon duology is significant in that it fictionalizes the fundamental question of whether bad people can change, within a very specific and complex situational context involving various characters. This is not a philosophical argument or an ethical imperative, but rather a form of questioning that only fiction makes possible. Furthermore, it is important to re-emphasize its significance today in that it shows the will to change and defense of faith in the possibility of change beyond skepticism and mockery. Ogwonjeonhae is particularly notable for depicting an interesting character who appropriates the narrative of shame and uses it as his own ethical and political resource. It is also worth noting that Ogwonjeonhae encourages readers to view Ogwonjaehapgiyeon from Yi Won-ui’s perspective. In this duology, the sequel does not merely extend or expand the world of the first novel but provides a new and reflective perspective from which to view that world. This reflective view is facilitated by incorporating “the position of a character reading a novel within the novel,” a formal accomplishment that should be significantly valued in Korean literary history.