<설공찬전>과 매체 변화, 그 양상과 의미

Abstract

How does the distribution of a literary work vary in relation to medium? This paper aims to address this question focusing on old Korean novel Seol-gong-chan-jeon. The first medium was Chinese letters, so the novel was distributable only in the circle of Chinese literates. The second medium was Korean letters, which is evidenced in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and, with the Chinese original published, the novel was soon copied and distributed, as well as being translated in Korean so as to be read not just in the capital but in the provincial regions as well. Any Korean literates could read it. The third medium through which the Korean version of Seol-gong-chan-jeon became known to the general public was newspapers. Understandably, their priority is in reporting the facts. Events are described in the manner of asking 5W1H. Also, they use eye-catching headlines and subtitles, in addition to photography. However, did the newspapers report the facts only? Not necessarily. The over-heated competition among the newspaper corporations is the primary reason, which makes a gap between journalism and academism. The fourth medium was magazines. Compared to the newspapers, the magazines were relatively free to use the paper space, so the original text version was enabled to be published in order to meet the needs of the wondering readers. The fifth medium was radio broadcasting. It contributed greatly to making the presence of the novel known to the public, since it is verbally transmitted and communicates the same message to any of those who listen to the broadcasting, including those who have already read the newspapers who could deepen their understanding of the work by paying attention to the dialog going on between the host and the guest, the one who has discovered the work, as well as those who have yet had no chance to learn about the work who now have the chance to know about its presence. The sixth medium through which Seol-gong-chan-jeon was dealt with was television. A few documentaries and educational shows shed light on the original work and the author, focusing on the reason why it became the first forbidden literature in the history of Joseon Kingdom. The video works categorized as TV entertainment shows used the story of spirit possession to produce fear and maximize the grotesqueness. The seventh medium relates to a theatrical play. The play Seol-gong-chan-jeon is no simple representation or adaptation of the original but a complete creative work where the author fully using imagination tries to bridge the gaps existing in the original, selecting the power game as its new theme and readjusting the roles of the characters and events. To sum up, a work of literature exists in variable forms depending on its medium of e-pression. The variation affects the range of distribution and in some cases it could even transform its theme and content.