[서평] Approaches to Teaching Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Joseph Gibaldi, ed. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 1980. Pp. xvi + 175. $ 19.75.

최예정(Yejung Choi) 한국영미문학교육학회 2004 영미문학교육 Vol.8 No.1

신화의 해석과 전유 가르치기

최예정(Yejung Choi) 한국영미문학교육학회 2017 영미문학교육 Vol.21 No.3

This paper aims to provide a series of poems and paintings that shares the same myth as their motif or theme. They are selected to demonstrate to the students that myths have an almost endless capacity for interpretation, reinterpretation, adaption, and appropriation. Korean students, who are in lack of cultural literacy with regard to Greek mythology compared to those in the western hemisphere, tend to have difficulties in understanding the signification of the myths alluded in poems. Teaching mythology and poetry at once is a big challenge to tackle. An explanation of the meaning of a myth in a particular poem is likely to lead to a mistaken belief that the mythical figure has a unitary meaning. This study focuses on the myths of Icarus and the birth of Venus. The reason for their selection is threefold: first they are well known to the students, second they have a relatively simple narrative structure and lastly they are adapted in many poems and paintings from the classical age through renaissance to the present age. The differences of each author’s vision and thematic concern become manifest through a detailed analysis of the context of a mythic narrative, the language used in the poems and the composition of the paintings. A comparative study shows that myth is almost endlessly reinterpreted and appropriated. It also highlights the distinctive features and subtleties of each work.

인문대를 해체하면 되는 걸까 교양인문학 또는 인문학 융합교육의 가능성과 의미

최예정 ( Choi Yejung ) 영미문학연구회 2016 안과 밖 Vol.0 No.41

The purpose of this paper is to work out the practical solutions for the survival and/or the development of the humanities focusing on two alternatives: the transformation of the humanities majors into the liberal arts education and the convergence of the humanities and other majors in general education. The crisis of the humanities is not a new issue at all and many arguments have been made of this topic. The request for the CORE project, released in Dec 2015 which was supposedly to aim to promote the scholarship of the humanities, ironically, seemed to stifle the humanities in that it drove the college of humanities to be disbanded in many universities. It triggered a fervent discussion of the paths for humanities to take for its survival and/or development. Two alternatives emerged: one is the disbandment of the college of humanities and tying the humanities to the liberal arts education and the other is the convergence of the humanities with other majors as a part of general education. However, both of them have lots of challenges to be met. The history of the convergence education in Korean universities for the last decade shows that the convergence issue started from an economic interest with the ministry of education taking the lead. To meet the requirements of a series of national projects requested by the ministry of education, new school regulations have been framed with academic systems reorganized and the general education has become a main site for the convergence education. The disbandment of the college of humanities and reorganization of the curriculum of the general education centering on liberal arts is not an easy option either, for the general education has developed its own agenda independent of the humanities and the administrators in the headquarters of the university want to get a palpable output immediately which is hard to expect of the liberal arts education. This paper argues that the viable alternative is to extend the contact line on which the humanities and other majors meet and communicate together. Firstly, the practitioners of the humanities are to develop the liberal arts education which meets the needs of the masses. Secondly, it is needed to build up new humanities in line with digital culture in which the undergraduate students are immersed in. Thirdly, the humanities need to extend their interests to other majors and converge with them crossing the borderline of each discipline.

마법, 기사도 그리고 궁정

최예정(Choi, Yejung) 한국외국어대학교 영미연구소 2018 영미연구 Vol.42 No.-

마법의 정체를 말하기는 어렵다. 그러나 중세 문헌을 살펴보면 마법에 대한 여러 신학적 염려에도 불구하고 마법의 힘을 지속적으로 믿어왔음을 보게 된다. 사실 마법은 정체와 본질을 정의하기 어려운데 이러한 애매성을 잘 활용하는 장르가 중세 로맨스라 할 수 있다. 중세 로맨스에서 마법은 가장 자주 등장하는 모티프 중 하나다. 중세 작가들은 마법의 애매성을 활용하여 당대 기사도와 궁정에 대한 자신들의 의견을 표출하고 기사 계급과 궁정의 주된 정치적, 문화적 관심사를 보여주는 계기로 삼는다. 본 논문에서는 특히 공식적인 재판에서 마법과 관련된 사건들이 자주 등장하던 14세기의 로맨스 중 『거웨인 경과 녹색 기사』 와 가우어의 『연인의 고백』 에 수록된 “플로 렌트 이야기”에 나타나는 마법의 요소들을 주로 검토한다. 두 작품에서는 서로 다른 방식으로 마법이 활용된다. 전자에서는 정치적 변동에 따라 기사들의 신분 이동이 이루어지던 당대의 역사적 상황을 암시하면서 당대 기사들의 지향점을 녹색 기사를 통 해 드러낸다. 또한 마법의 녹색 기사는 전복적 세력을 가시화하는 장치일 뿐이며 녹색 거들은 관계의 성격에 따라 새로운 의미를 갖게 된다는 의미의 유동성을 가장 잘 드러내는 장치이다. 후자에서는 리차드 2세 치하의 복잡한 정치적 변동 상황에서 기사 들이 해야 할 바가 무엇인가에 대한 가우어의 고민을 보여준다. 노파로 상징되는 마법의 타자성, 통제 불가능성은 철저하게 순치되고 기사도에서 가장 중요한 덕목은 용맹성이 아니라 순종으로 치환된다. 기사도 이념에 관해서는 두 작품 모두 전통적 이상과는 달라졌음을 암시한다. 표면적으로는 기사 계급이 계급으로서의 연대성을 지니고 있을지 모르지만 기사도 이념은 이제 당대의 정치적, 경제적 현실에 따라 새롭게 정의되고 기대되고 있음이 암시된다. 마법을 대면하여 처리하는 두 주인공 기사들의 모습은 전통적 이상과는 달라진 새롭게 정의된 기사도를 지향하는 궁정의 모습을 보여준다. This paper aims to examine the function of magic, which is one of the most distinguishing features of the romance genre. People in the Middle Ages believed in the efficacy of magic in their daily lives. Using familiar motifs of magic or supernatural elements, romance writers explore cultural and political concerns of the members of the contemporary court or the knightly class. The inscrutability, uncontrollability, unexpectedness, and otherworldliness inherent in magic give flexibility and hermeneutic freedom to romance writers. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and “The Tale of Florent” are good examples which use magical elements for different purposes. The response of the Arthurian knights to the Green Knight s entry and challenge is a good index to their valorization of the chivalrous ideal. The poet of the Sir Gawain and the Green Knight shows that chivalry in Gawain s court is a veneer and that the main concern of the knights is not honor earned in battles but title and endowment. In “The Tale of Florent” Gower incorporates the loathly lady motif in his exemplum originally intended as a work belonging to the “mirror for prince” genre. In the moment of the wish-fulfillment of the eponymous hero, magic whose embodiment is the loathly lady, for its uncontrollability, is suppressed, contained, and silenced to serve Gower s purpose. Romance is converted to an exemplum and the most important feature of a worthy knight is re-defined as obedience. These two works demonstrate that the concept of chivalry is changing in response to the concerns of the contemporary court.

동물, 그리고 믿음

최예정(Yejung Choi) 한국영미문학교육학회 2023 영미문학교육 Vol.27 No.3

This paper explores the distinctive features of Yann Martel’s novels, specifically focusing on the role of animals and the theme of belief in his works Life of Pi and The High Mountains of Portugal. The analysis delves into Martel’s unconventional views on belief, which deviate from traditional religious perspectives. The study investigates Martel’s underlying motivations for consistently employing animals as vehicles for conveying his perspectives on belief. This paper argues that Martel employs animals as potent vehicles to underscore the limitations of rationality and objectivity emphasizing the role of belief in human existence. In Life of Pi, the protagonist’s survival with a Bengal tiger in a lifeboat prompts a deeper inquiry into the essence and significance of belief. Blurring the lines between realism and fantasy, Martel proposes a new idea of faith that transcends traditional institutional frameworks of religion. In The High Mountains of Portugal, Martel appropriates Christian narratives to depict the three stages of human belief. Animals are employed as symbols of the protagonists’ spiritual states. They also serve as guides in their spiritual journey, driving the protagonists toward belief Overall, Martel’s exploration of belief employing animals illustrates human need for belief and the interconnectedness of beliefs and stories.

창의융합인재 교양교육 강화에 대한비판적 고찰

최예정 ( Choi Yejung ) 영미문학연구회 2021 안과 밖 Vol.- No.51

The University Basic Capability Evaluation conducted nationwide in 2021 made a huge impact on the formation of university curricula. The number of institutions in Korean higher education has rapidly increased during the past four decades, which resulted in the reshuffling of college education per se. Korean universities no longer exist only for social elites; rather they have continuously expanded reaching out to the nation’s broader population. Meanwhile, academic capitalism has come to prevail over higher education in Korea as it does in the US. As the number of college applicants continues to decrease, Korean universities are facing greater pressure from the market and the government alike. In particular, the Ministry of Education looms large as the sole arbiter of their institutional reputation and national funding by evaluating universities. To meet the requirements of the University Basic Capability Evaluation, university administrators have worked hard to create a “Creativity and Convergence Competency Enhancement Curriculum” within the existing framework of liberal arts curriculum. Generally, convergence education in Korea means interdisciplinary eduction. However, many interdisciplinary courses in liberal arts divisions, created in response to the pressure of the government-led evaluation, have exposed many limitations and shortcomings primarity due to the uncertainty of the definition, goal and efficacy of those courses. One possible solution to the problems is to remove the strict division in a credit ditribution system between liberal arts courses and major courses while continuing to build a meaningful bridge between them in a more flexible manner. Another solution is to revise the current government evaluation guidelines in a way that better reflects and increases the diversity of university education.

하프와 사랑: 「아폴로니어스 오브 타이어의 이야기」에 나타나는 이상적 군주상과 존 가우어의 시학

최예정 ( Yejung Choi ) 영미문학연구회 2021 영미문학연구 Vol.40 No.-

Apollonius of Tyre is portrayed as an enactment of the virtues of an ideal king represented in Confessio Amantis. The tale has two scenes of harp performance, which play a pivotal role in the critical moments of his life. This study tries to explicate the meaning of the harp performances, relating it with the Boethian view of music which had great impact on musical theory in the Middle Ages. In the first scene, Apollonius is shown to be an excellent harper and singer. His performance as well as his criticism of the performance of the princess of Pentapolim emphasizes the importance of measure in music. In Gower’s view, measure is a quintessential quality bringing harmony and peace to the world. Measure in this work is at once a musical term reflecting Boethian view of music and a political term reflecting Aristotelian view of middle way. Gower envisions the songs of Apollonius, Arion and Gower himself uniting the commons and the lords of England in love. On the other hand, Thaise’s harp performance leads to her family reunion. It also draws Apollonius who was suffering from heavy melancholy out of a deep dark place to open light to perform a kingly role. Gower hopes Confessio Amantis will change King Richard just as Thaise’s song changes her father to become a good king.

신의 목소리, 인간의 목소리 : 『첫번째 목자극』과 『두번째 목자극』에서 들리는 두 개의 목소리 The Voices in the First and the Second Shepherds' Plays

최예정 한국중세영문학회 2001 중세영문학 Vol.9 No.2

타운리 싸이클의『첫 번째 목자극』과『두 번째 목자극』은 두개의 다른 목소리, 현실과 초월, 삶의 고통과 구원의 기쁨이라는 영원히 해결하기 어려운 두 가지 영역의 목소리를 종교극이라는 형식 속에 담아내는 독특한 극이다. 신과 인간, 교회와 자자거리가 극이라는 공간을 통해 대등한 만남을 갖고 있다. 종교 교육이라는 거룩한 대의가 일반 신도들을 통해 수행된다는 중세 싸이클 드라마의 독특한 조건이 이러한 종교극을 가능하게 했다. 성직자가 주도하여 신학적 해석만이 목소리를 내는 극도 아니고, 그렇다고 해서 성직자들의 시선으로부터 자유로워져서 개인의 삶에 대한 인문주의적 해석을 시도하는 것도 아닌, 역사적으로나 문학사적으로 애매한 전이의 지점에 타운리 싸이클의 두 개의 목자극은 자리하고 있다. 그렇기에 이 극은 그 어느 한 쪽의 목소리만을 가지고 해석하는 것은 옳지 않다.『첫 번째 목자극』과『두 번째 목자극』은 두가지 목소리의 분열과 통합이 동시에 이루어지는 현장을 보여준다는 점에서 그 의미를 찾을 수 있다. The first Shepherds' Plays and the Second Shepherds' Plays carries two different voices: divine voice and human voice. Actually the voice of reality which can be called horizontal voice does not seem to be reconcilable to that of transcendence which can be called vertical voice. And the realm of the suffering of life is far from that of the joy of salvation. But these two worlds are set together in the First Shepherds' Play and the Second Shepherds' Plays. The divine and the human, the sanctity of church and the secularity of marketplace meet each other in the space of drama. This is made possible by the seemingly paradoxical situation that religious education is conducted by lay people. These two plays provides the space in which lay people can give voice to their own concerns and interests. The meaning of the First Shepherds' Play and the Second Shepherds’ Play is found in the fact that these two plays keep the two distinctive voices alive. Vertical voice does not repress horizontal voice, and human voice does not distort divine voice. These two voices are sometimes overlapped or intertwined. At other times human voice diverges from divine voice. The coexistence of these two different voices is a distinctive characteristic of these two plays.

성체축일 순환극(Corpus Christi Cycle)과 '그리스도의 몸'의 의미의 정치학

최예정 중세영문학연구회 2002 중세영문학 Vol.10 No.2

This article purports to answer a question about the relationship between religion and society through an analysis of the Corpus Christi Cycle. The main argument of this article is that the meaning of the "Body of Christ" which is the central figure in the Corpus Christ Cycle was not fixed at all but has always been changed in the course of history. The Corpus Christi Cycle is a good example of the complex and multiple signification of the Body of Christ. This article first surveys the historical origin of the Corpus Christ Feast. It examines the process of the transmutation of the meaning of the Body of Christ and reveals that the meaning of the Body of Christ was constructed as much by the practical need of the clergy as by the basic principle of Christianity. Once the Corpus Christi Feast was established as a public holiday by Rome, the Body of Christ came to have another meaning. As the clergy taught that the Body of Christ had a very special value and efficacy, the proximity to the Body of Christ during the Corpus Christi Procession became a visible sign of power and authority on the part of the lay people. In the cities where the civic oligarchy had achieved autonomy, the Body of Christ was appropriated by the civic oligarchy who desired to show off their religious leadership as well as their political and economical leadership. Through the performance of the Corpus Christi Cycle the civic government could prove that it could offer religious education to the lay people and that the city under the rule of the civic government had a good deal of religious fervor. On the other hand, as the city became the backdrop of the drama, the city itself played a role. When the play shows a scene which reminds of a royal procession in the same place where the king used to visit, the contemporary political reality is foregrounded rather than the biblical hermeneutics underlying the scene. Similarly, when the actors who are the guildsmen of the city make complaints about the hardships they suffer, the scene suggests to the audience the hardships they are experiencing in reality. Human body and the guildsmen's desire gets more attention than the Christ's Body and the message of its saving grace. In the Corpus Christi Cycle, the meaning of the Body of Christ is compromised by the politics of the three different agencies of the play: the clergy, the civic government and the guildsmen or the common citizens. And the Body of Christ comes to have a more complex and multi-layered meaning

시의 변호 : 『명성의 전당』에 나타난 초서의 문학관 Chaucer's Poetics in The House of Fame

최예정 한국중세영문학회 1998 중세영문학 Vol.6 No.-

AbstractAn Apology of Poetry: Chaucer's Poetics in The House of FameYejung ChoiThe House of Fame shows Chaucer's response to the traditional charge that poetry is nothing but fiction. Chaucer defends poetry through the reworking of familiar medieval poetic conventions and images.Chaucer's use of dream vision is a typical example. Dream vision in a traditional framework functions as an escape from the charge that poetry is a fiction. But Chaucer in the House of Fame does not classify dreams nor maintain that his dream comes from God as is normally done in medieval dream vision poetry. Chaucer acknowledges that poetic truth is relative. He shows that poetry represents truth of life, but that it cannot free itself of some fictionality. Chaucer's adaptation of the story of Aeneid and Dido makes clear the point that poetry is a poet's interpretation of life and thus the images or the fame poetry transmits is not wholly reliable unlike divine judgement. Chaucer emphasizes the unreliability of fame in the description of the House of Fame and the scene in which the goddes of Fame arbitrarily grants favor to petitioners. Chaucer reverses the traditional medieval assumption lying behind the motif of the journey toward heaven and reveals that behind the traditional believed stories are disorder and arbitrariness.Chaucer defends poetry, taking advantage of its fictionality and unreliability. Using some of the propositions of skepticism prevalent in Chaucer's England, Chaucer in this poem maintains that the relativity of truth is not a problem unique to poetry but is common to all forms of human knowledge including theology and philosophy. He does not conceal the fictionality of poetry, rather makes a claim to the legitimacy of poetry comparable to that of theology and philosophy which also have the problem of contingency of human knowledge.