The purpose of this study is to discuss the dramas of Kim Ja-rim (1926~), the first female dramatist after the liberation of the nation. Specifically, it's attempted to delve into Leeminseon, her first collection of drama, from a viewpoint of the se...
The purpose of this study is to discuss the dramas of Kim Ja-rim (1926~), the first female dramatist after the liberation of the nation. Specifically, it's attempted to delve into Leeminseon, her first collection of drama, from a viewpoint of the semiotics of drama to find out the aspects of her female characters. There were three categories of female characters in her works. The first was being overwhelmed by reinforced patriarchy and increasingly conscious of others, and another was being swayed by materialism and losing moral integrity. The third was unleashing their needs as a woman and pursuing them.
The findings of the study were as follows:
First, as for 'the realities of patriarchy and growing consciousness of others,' female characters served as a leading dramatic figure, dissenter or cooperator, and they failed to attain their goals and became insane or died at the end, being suppressed by the power of male characters in patriarchal society. Their image of 'femininity' or 'maternity' was damaged, and their lives were under the influence of others. That's the case for Gabo, Liminseon and Donggeoin, which were selected to be reviewed.
The application of the semiotics of drama made this study distinguished from other studies, and this approach made it possible to find that in Gabo, the hero wasn't actually the leading dramatic figure. In Donggeoin, Mrs. Min failed to achieve her goal though she was a cooperator like Ji Yang-ah, and the reason was that she displayed her maternity in a voluntary and selfish manner.
Second, regarding 'the exposure of materialistic values and the loss of morality,' her works that described women's concept of economy in capitalistic society were selected to be reviewed. In this sort of works, the female characters no loner sticked to conventional practices. In Yusan and Gagyageorieui Gogyossi, the female characters had materialistic values that were equal or superior to those of the male characters, though material had long been viewed as the exclusive possession of man. That made them the dissenters of the male characters, but they felt empty or got frustrated because they couldn't acquire what they pursued. In Gagyageorieui Gogyossi, a more contrastive example was provided, as a woman who fell a victim to materialism was portrayed.
Besides, there were distorted filial piety and contempt for human between the lines in those dramas, which were part of irregularities in capitalistic society.
Third, concerning 'the manifestation and realization of women's needs toward men,' the dramas that dealt with those themes looked positive, since they presented a happy ending, unlike the previous works whose female characters were at severe existential risk or failed to achieve what they pursued. Doltaebaram, The Marriage of Gods and Hwadon were selected to be reviewed regarding this category. The female characters in those novels served as a leading dramatic figure and realized their self-achievement by passively being united to the male characters, which showed the writer's moderate and conservative values. In The Marriage of Gods, she introduced a folk drama, instead of realistic one, to be in line with contemporary cultural policy of the nation to discover and preserve cultural heritage. In Hwadon, the end of the female character was tragic, since the way she attained her goal to be combined with the male character wasn't acceptable by contemporary social standard.
Earlier studies established that there was some distance of time between Dolgaebaram and Hwadon in relation to the appearance of femininity, but it's newly found in this study that The Marriage of Gods functioned as a medium that connected the 1960s and 1970s.
Thus, Kim Ja-rim was a realistic dramatist who used different realistic subject matters to keep up with the times. And her works were feminine in that she presented women who pursued self-assertion without just remaining silent in patriarchal society. But there's some limit to her works, as even the female characters who attained their goal and led a happy life were not progressive or independent enough. Instead, they pursued a unity with men in compliance with contemporary social norms or an altruistic female image for men's self-realization, not an active and independent female image through the career.