19세기 말 여성사에 등재된 여종 기록의 의미 - 「본조여사」의 ‘婢’ 항목을 중심으로

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics and descriptive attitudes of records about female servant, focusing on bondwoman items of Bonjoyeosa, and to understand the characteristics of Kim Sang-Jib's description of female history. Kim Sang-Jib sought not only to write Bonjoyeosa but also to copy geography and compile genealogies, to lay the foundation of Korean customs, secure cultural identity, and reveal unknown history. In times when physical resistance to foreign aggression was difficult, he regarded the countermeasure as showing the solidity of ideology reaching the lower end of Joseon society by restoring the history of his home country. Bonjoyeosa is a product of this era's calling in that it is a history of hidden women's activities and a history that encompasses the status of non-mainstream positions. Anecdotes about the bondwoman honor loyalty to the owner, order of status, and emphasize the ethics needed by the authority. But in the process of focusing and describing the bondwoman as the subject of historical narrative, the words and actions of the female servants were brought to the fore, and the result of the actions was evaluated as her own performance. As a result, despite the conservative point of view, Kim Sang-Jib's narrative reveals the fierce life of a bondwoman and a dilemma they face. In addition, realistic ethical standards were applied to them. This compilation of women's histories was able to advance Kim Sang-Jib's understanding of women of various classes.