韓雪野의 아동문학 연구 - 『금강선녀』를 中心으로 -

Abstract

This paper has examined political implications contained in Geum-Gang- Seon-Nyeo, a full length fairytale by Han Seol-ya, which was serialized in Juvenile Literature during the period from November edition 1960 to August edition 1961. This paper has looked into the difference from “Fairy and Woodman”, one of the most well-known traditional fables, on which Geum- Gang-Seon-Nyeo was based form an empirical perspective and has sought to find the literary implications of Geum-Gang-Seon-Nyeo within the overall context through comparative analysis with other juvenile novels of Han Seol-ya, including ‘Strange Picture’, ‘Brothers’, Growth’ and ‘Mushrooms’. Han Seol-ya set the hostile other to create the concept of ideal “we” in Geum- Gang-Seon-Nyeo. Apparently, Han Seol-ya parodied 「Fairy and Woodman」 in order to set up the other as opposed to myself called celestiality and to idealize ‘right this place at this moment’. This was also revealed in 「Strange Picture」 in his early stage of writing. The actual meaning that constitutes dichotomy is richly implied in Geum-Gang-Seon- Nyeo. This is an absolute dichotomy specified by ‘pleasure (celestiality) vs. work (earthly life)’ and ‘Gaegolmoe people vs. black thieves’, through which the ideal ‘we’ that are united as one while working hard was created. The productivism and nationalism emphasized by Han Seol-ya matches the key instructions for North Korean people upon completion of socialism in terms of production relationship. Along with bringing in the hostile other, another way of creating ‘we’ is to idealize ‘we’. Geum-Gang-Seon-Nyeo promotes ‘our’ pride through aestheticization of national territory. The following juvenile novel called ‘Mushrooms’ expresses world’s more superior nature and ethnicity of Joseon through its title ‘mushrooms’. Finally, Geum-Gang- Seon-Nyeo features a guardian spirit of mountain as a guidance of final value rules and final decision maker of actions. It is not exaggerative to say that the presence of a guardian spirit of mountain that firmly rules and governs all aspects of life is equivalent to personification of the party and the leader. This presence of a guardian spirit of mountain discloses the naked face of North Korean society where people have ended up as subjects of instructions of the party and the leader. Some people claim that North Korea endeavors to picture itself as an ‘external youth ethnicity’ vulnerable to constant persecution and contamination from external sources. Kim Il-sung back when this work was created volunteered to serve as the guardian parent who raised and protected these children. In short, Korea have required not only youth but also people of all ages to remain as youth. In light of this, it can be said that Gaegolmoe people along with those who are willing to absolutely comply with the words of the guardian spirit of mountain correspond to North Korean people who blindly follow the instructions of the leader. Han Seol-ya’s attempt to aggressively publish juvenile novels in 1960s needs to be associated with the circumstances of the time where North Korean society sought to complete the monolithic system of Kim Il-sung. If a new epoch when people of all ages, including youth in North Korean society are required to be like children who are subject to the instructions of the great leader like their parent ensued, there would be no need to differentiate between pure literature and juvenile literature. In fact, it is pretty likely that nothing is better than the juvenile literature that features youth as a leading character when it comes to expressing the ideal human relationship where people accept the ideology unilaterally delivered by the party and the leader.