신소설에 나타난 여성관 연구

Abstract

We can see that in Shin-So-Sul (namely, a new kind of novel that appeared in Korea literature during 1900 and 1910's, there appear many ideas and values opposed to those of Confucianism which ancient novels had so far. That is due to the fact that Shin-So-Sul came into being at a time of rapid progress in the development of modern society, following the break-up of the feudalistic pattern of our society, accepting modernistic ideas from abroad. Therefore, it will be worthwhile in the investigation of the historical characteristics of Shin-So-Sul to look into how the new cultures and ideas in that age were absorbed and represented through the ideas appearing in the works of Shin-So-Sul. In this sense, this thesis tries to research the characteristies and historical standpoint of Shin-So-Sul through the view of modern womanhood in the works of Lee In-Jik, Lee Hae-Jo, and Choi Chan-Shik. The first chapter (Chapter Ⅱ) of this thesis is about the conditions under which the view of modern womanhood appeared at the age of enlightenment. The main conditions this thesis discusses are as follows: 1. the efforts of domestic leaders like Yoo Kil-Joon, and Park Young-Hyo, 2. propagation of the early Christian missionaries, 3. the enlightenment movement of Tock-Lip Hyeop-Hoe (namely, the Society For Independence) with Tock-Lip Shin-Moon (namely, Independence Newspaper). Chapter Ⅲ investigates the difference in the modern and traditional views of womanhood through the analysis of some works of Shin-So-Sul. The characteristics of the view of womanhood appearing in Shin-So-Sul are: 1. people begin to realize that women's rights should be authorized and that women should be freed from men, 2. the education of women becomes popular and generalized, 3. the assertion that women as members of a nation participate in social activities are accepted affirmatively, 4. women can make the selection of their spouse for themselves, and 5. remarriage of widows. The following Chapter Ⅳ looks into the writers of Shin-So-Sul and their ideas, who wrote novels on modern women described above. The reason that they tried to write such works can be expressed in two aspects. One is the pioneer spirit. As most of the writers received modern education, they tried every means to enlighten the people, thinking that enlightenment was the only way to settle the turbulent situation of those days and to strengthen national power. The other is the commercialistic spirit. As they were mostly engaged in newspaper offices, and the Shin-So-Sul came out in newspapers, they tried to appeal to the taste of the women in society who had been oppressed so far. In spite of such great efforts to enlighten the people and especially efforts for tbe improvement of women's status and their education, the view of modernized womanhood appearing in Shin-So-Sul is only on its idealism. For example, a heroine, in one novel, who has been abroad with an ambition for the improvement of women's status comes back to her country to do practically nothing, or a woman, in another novel, who had a modern education gives tacit consent to her husband's keeping a mistress. These examples contradict the view of modern womanhood. Thereby, we can say that Shin-So-Sul writers seem to have tried to expedite the improvement of the quality of life of those days through their modernized ideals which are revealed in their works. Maybe this is due to the special condition of 'the age of enlightenment' in Korea. As such, besides the achievement of being the basis of modern literature in Korea, Shin-So-Sul contributed to the nonliterary field of the enlightenment of the nation which those times had required.;新小說은 밖으로부터 밀려 온 近代的 思想을 受容하면서 封建的인 社會規範이 解體되고, 近代的인 社會의 形成이 急激히 進行되는 時代에 생겨난 小說이기 때문에, 從來의 古代小說이 지닌 儒敎的 價値觀과는 對立的인 意識이 많이 反映되어 있다. 따라서 新小說 作品에 나타난 意識의 變貌를 通해, 그 時代의 새로운 文化와 思想을 어떻게 吸收하고 또 反映하고 있는가를 살펴보는 것은 新小說의 文學史的 性格 究明에 매우 意義 있는 일이라 생각한다. 이러한 意味에서 本硏究에서는 李仁植, 李海朝, 崔讚植의 作品에 나타난 近代的 女性觀을 通하여 新小說의 性格 및 文學史的 位置를 考察해 보고자 했다. 本論 첫章(Ⅱ章)에서는 開化期에 近代的인 女性觀이 싹트게 된 時代的 背景을 살펴보았다. 첫째, 兪吉濬, 朴泳孝 等 國內의 先覺者들에 依한 努力, 둘째, 初期 基督敎 宣敎師들에 의한 宣敎活動, 세째, 獨立新聞 等을 通한 獨立協會의 啓蒙 等이 그 重要한 背景이 되고 있다. 그리고 다음 章(Ⅲ章)에서는 作品分析을 通하여, 新小說에 나타난 女性觀이 傳統的인 女性觀과는 어떻게 다르게 描寫되어 있나를 살펴보았다. 新小說에 나타난 女性觀의 特徵은 ①女性의 人權을 認定하고 男性으로부터 解放되야 한다는 自覺이 싹트며, ②女性의 敎育이 普遍化되고, ③女性도 國民의 一員으로 社會에 參與해야 한다는 主張이 肯定的으로 받아들여졌으며, ④女性도 本人의 意思에 따라 自由롭게 配偶者를 選擇할 수 있고, ⑤未亡人의 再婚의 認定 등 크게 다섯 가지 面으로 分類 考察할 수 있었다. 그 다음 Ⅳ章에서는 이렇게 變化된 女性觀의 모습을 作品에 즐겨 登場시켰던 新小說作家들의 意識的 側面을 살펴보았다. 이것은 크게 두 가지 面으로 볼 수 있었다. 첫째는 先驅者的 意識으로서 當時 大部分의 新小說作家들은 近代的 敎育을 받은 先覺者들이었기 때문에, 混亂스런 時局을 安定시키며 國力을 强化하는 길은 開化뿐이라는 意識으로 國民啓蒙에 힘썼던 것이며, 둘째는 當時 新小說作家들이 大部分 新聞社에 從事했고, 또 新小說이 新聞을 通해 發表되었으므로, 抑壓되어 왔던 女性讀者層의 口味에 迎合하려는 商業主義的인 意識이다. 이렇게 하여 民衆啓蒙, 特히 女性의 地位向上과 敎育 等에 不斷한 情熱을 傾注하고 있음에도 不拘하고, 新小說에 나타난 近代化된 女性像이란 아직 하나의 觀念的인 모습에 머무르고 있다. '女子界를 改良하겠다'는 抱負를 안고 遊學을 떠난 女主人公이 돌아와서는 實際로 하는 일이 없다거나, 近代敎育을 받은 新女性이 男便의 蓄妾을 默認하는 등 矛盾이 內在하기도 한다. 그러고 보면 新小說은 現實이 作品 속에 反映된다는 文學의 一般的 屬性 以上으로, 作家의 開化된 觀念이 作品을 通하여 實際現實에 開化를 促求하고 있는 것이다. 이것은 韓國의 '開化期'라는 特殊한 與件으로 말미암은 것일 것이다. 이렇게 新小說은 우리 國文學史에서 近代文學의 基盤이 되었다는 功績 外에, 時代의 要請에 따른 民衆啓蒙이라는 文學外的인 큰 功績을 이룩하였다.