Baoyu(宝玉)'s Resistance to Feudalism: Reading Red Chamber Dream(紅樓夢) Again

윤희환 동양고전학회 2019 東洋古典硏究 Vol.0 No.74

A highly autobiographical narrative, Red Chamber Dream(紅樓夢) portrays a graphic panorama of early Qing Dynasty, detailing the domestic life of the aristocratic Jia family across three generations. It also critiques the values and ideas of old China. The author's criticism of the feudal system parallels Baoyu's own life. An intelligent, rebellious, introspective, compassionate adolescent, Baoyu questions the Confucian assumptions of nation, community and family placed before individual desires and pursuits. Baoyu's resistance runs throughout the narrative. First, he rejects Jia Zheng's command to take the civil exams, and become a bureaucrat, thus challenging patriarchal authority as well as the contemporary success-oriented approach to Confucian scholarship. Second, he resists patriarchy and gender-roles. Dwelling with girls and maids in the Grand View Garden helps him identify with them, hating his own gender. Baoyu's extreme pro-feminine views duly reflects his criticism about prejudice toward women in feudal China. Third, for family's sake, he reluctantly follows Grandma Jia and Lady Wang's scheme for him to marry Baochai. But he has strong crush on Daiyu, another rebel. Baoyu's insurrection clashes with and worries the Jia family. They can be interpreted as an attack on, or subversion of, feudal Confucianism which emphasizes filial piety to ancestors and loyalty to emperors. Baoyu rejects Confucianism, and embraces Taoism and Buddhism which stress the futility of human actions and mutability of the worldly affairs. Hence, the elegiac tone within the luxurious narrative. Cao Xueqin's formulation of such a provocative, awakening consciousness in Baoyu is Chinese literature's most outstanding feat ever.

Finishing Unfinished Sentences: Re-Examining “The Sisters”

윤희환 한국제임스조이스학회 2011 제임스조이스저널 Vol.17 No.2

“The Sisters” is a short story about the decline and death of Father Flynn. It is also a story of how such characters as the boy-narrator, Cotter and Eliza interpret the priest’s gradual breakdown. The narrative consists of the three different versions. Readers must assign meaning in their own way to what really happened in the narrative. This task proves frustrating because Cotter is reluctant to betray what he seems to know of the real cause of Father Flynn’s case. The boy-narrator provides readers invaluable hints but adroitly avoids telling all. Eliza interprets her brother’s case with good, faithful intentions. Readers therefore fumble in deciphering the scanty, unwillingly-given data. To unravel the cause and effect of Flynn’s case is not this paper’s concern. Much has been said about it. Rather, this paper concerns the task of a reader preoccupied with interpretation. We ask again and again how various guesses, imagination and reasonable doubt are justified? We also ask if a definite, final meaning of the narrative exists? This leads nowhere exactly, yet it is worth pursuing because, as we well know, that is what reading is about. Rereading “The Sisters” is no exception. Dense and opaque as its narrative surface may be, it yet provides great joy and encouragement for us willingly intrigued readers.

Lux in Tenebris: Interpreting “Grace” Again

윤희환 한국제임스조이스학회 2010 제임스조이스저널 Vol.16 No.2

The narrative surface of “Grace” is strewn with religious signifiers such as grace, retreat, conscience, and the baptismal vow. The whole narrative drives toward the climax: Father Purdon’s retreat. Mr. Kernan and his friends talk about ecclesiastical topics and show interest in changing their lives by attending the retreat. Despite the characters’ preoccupation with religions, their actual spiritual transformation, I argue, fails. Several considerations further this outcome. First, participants, mostly Dublin businessmen, want no spiritual renewal in the word’s truest sense. Second, they come to the retreat disingenuously. They confess their sins but feel no contrition. Third, Father Purdon fails to challenge but indeed supports their self-complacency through his secularized Gospel. Priests and laymen in Dublin thus cooperate to promulgate a commercial, institutionalized Christianity. The spiritual life of Dublin is all darkness. But the speck of red light, the presence of the Blessed Eucharist, yet twinkles in the Church. The Light of the World goes unrecognized in the darkness.

Different Modes of Solipsism: Emily Grierson versus James Duffy

윤희환 한국제임스조이스학회 2009 제임스조이스저널 Vol.15 No.1

Man is a social animal and he, as such, should participate in social activities, whether he likes them or not. In literature, however, we encounter not a few eccentrics who choose a highly individual mode of existence and cut themselves away from any social ties or activities. Such persons can be categorized as “solipsists,” and Emily Grierson in “A Rose for Emily” and James Duffy in “A Painful Case” are extreme cases. Both Miss Grierson, an American spinster in the late 19th century and Mr. Duffy, an Irish bachelor in the early 20th century, share similarities as asocial beings while they show slightly different modes of behavior. While Emily’s seclusion from the society was forced more or less by her father who cherished traditional class-values, Duffy’s solipsistic existence proves to be his own. Their solipsistic existence, its aspects and consequences are vividly portrayed in relation to their love affairs. They are so pathological that they don’t even care about those they love; Emily‘s emotional cannibalism causes Homer’s untimely death while Duffy’s autistic attitude pushes Mrs. Sinico to commit an untimely suicide. To keep her autistic world intact, Emily freezes time, totally ignoring the passage of clock time while Duffy can’t give himself to the process of loving in the present tense. He observes his own behavior as well as “fossilizes” Mrs. Sinico in his mind. Their solipsistic mode of living requires extreme cost, both emotional and physical, not only of themselves but of the others around them. Emily totally excludes herself from human society, while putting Homer in eternal sleep. Duffy shudders at the prospect of his solitude to be continued for good, while driving Mrs. Sinico to alcoholism and early death. I think we readers should try to sympathize with Duffy’s existential void as well as present another rose to Emily’s passionate but one-sided love affair.

Filling the Gaps: Reading “Clay” Again

윤희환 한국제임스조이스학회 2010 제임스조이스저널 Vol.16 No.1

The narrative transparency of “Clay” is deceptive because so many uncertainties are embedded that the reader’s interpretation is frequently frustrated. Starting from textual indeterminacy, I try to fill the narrative gaps in “Clay” with attention to irony, contingency and the reader’s role, which I hope makes my reading of “Clay” creative. Most irony in “Clay” happens when the narrator reports about Maria falsely. Irony can also occur when Maria fails to understand or suspect what other characters say about her, or when Maria herself represses her desire detected by the reader. Contingency is a philosophical term employed when we try to describe the unexpected and uncontrollable situation chance brings. With contingency the overriding principle, I analyze abrupt events that happen in “Clay,” which I argue efficiently explains speeches, behaviors, and motivations of such main characters as Maria, Joe and Mrs. Donnelly. Finally, readers, in their interpretive role, should use their imaginations, consistent with the “written” text. Otherwise, a reading can be idiosyncratic or irresponsibly relative.

A Search Beneath the Surface: Analyzing Farrington’s Case Again

윤희환 한국제임스조이스학회 2013 제임스조이스저널 Vol.19 No.2

Thus far, most readings of “Counterparts” have been schematic, analyzing Farrington’s action and reaction in the three main scenes (i.e. office, public-house, and home) from the perspective of an exchange power-play of between the powerful and the powerless. Such a reading, however, does not show Farrington’s inner life. This paper plunges into Farrington’s subconscious, and detects his deep hopes, desires, anger and despair. I also put Farrington’s case in the context of working condition in modern, industrial society, as Lukács explains. Farrington’s job as a copyist vividly shows a worker alienated from his (re)production, who feels no control of his world. Meaningless, monotonous, daily copying work, I argue, suggests at least one reason why Farrington has reached mental inertia and alcoholism. Unable to cope with dreary schedule, Farrington falls far behind. His inability at work leads to his unwillingness to try. He escapes into intoxicated day-dreaming. Farrington marks time, not as a willful subject but as one controlled by false consciousness. Such a blinkered life, locked in forgetfulness, instead of facing reality, worsens his situation. His ever increasing level of negativity alienates him from his office, home and even the pubs he resorts to. He vaguely recognizes his problems but simply drifts without stirring because he envisions no escape.

A Love Affair as Regeneration: Comparing Joyce’s Duffy and Chekhov’s Gurov

윤희환 한국제임스조이스학회 2009 제임스조이스저널 Vol.15 No.2

Feelings of love come suddenly to two aging men. The manners in which their affairs develop differ from each other but the lessons they take from them are similar. When Gurov started dating Anna in Yalta, he was not serious nor did he care about Anna’s fear and hesitation. He simply took advantage of Anna’s innocence and loneliness. When Anna left for her husband, Gurov felt little regret, making sure she would soon be forgotten. She was just one of the women with whom he had had trysts, however, Gurov is surrounded by Anna’s presence and starts searching for her. Another encounter with her in Moscow raises his awareness, revealing his true self as well as Anna’s. He admits the mysteries of other people and accepts Anna with sympathy. The regenerating power of love cleanses his soul and Gurov steps confidently toward their future, no matter where it leads. Duffy, a bachelor in Dublin, meets Mrs. Sinico at a concert and they befriend each other. Surprised by Mrs. Sinico’s physical advance, Duffy halts their liaison because he fears physical contact with women. The news of Mrs. Sinico’s suicide brings Duffy a chance to confront his egotism, to feel remorse toward her, and recognize the cold reality of his solitude. At the end of each narrative, both Gurov and Duffy gain spiritual regeneration through purifying love.

돌을 듣다/마음/깊은 물속에서/하늘을 날다

윤희환,윤호 동국대학교 석림회 2011 석림 Vol.45 No.-

강남대학교 영어교육활성화 방안

윤희환 용인대학교 인문사회과학연구소 2006 인문사회논총 Vol.- No.13

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Facing the Silence of God: A Critical Analysis of Winter Light

윤희환 한국동서비교문학학회 2007 동서 비교문학저널 Vol.0 No.17