This research aims at discussing the way of accepting heroic female figure in the narrative literatures in after ages by taking a look at the meaning and process of presentation of female hero figures as a primitive female symbol in myth.
The female ...
This research aims at discussing the way of accepting heroic female figure in the narrative literatures in after ages by taking a look at the meaning and process of presentation of female hero figures as a primitive female symbol in myth.
The female image in the literature has been mainly recognized as passive and non-subjective customary one, and also among the various woman’s images, only negative aspects are exaggerated and repeated than positive ones, therefore the female hero image in the literature is far cry from the actual women.
Especially the woman image in classical narrative literature was buried in the distorted image of a so-called traditional woman figure of crucifixion and endurance concept. While women's concrete and various entities are not understood and grasped properly, this woman image has represented traditional women's identities and has effected on present women's identities. Based on these critical issues, this paper aims at studying about the presentation of female hero in classical literatures which has not been unveiled until nowadays. It would lead us to understand the concrete and various actual conditions through overcoming the distorted recognition of female presentation in classical literatures. With that, after all is said and done, it could end up with setting up balanced and harmonized recognition of female presentation.
For discussing these issues, based on Feminism theory, this study developed the notion of ‘hero.’ Considering gender difference, the ground of sexual inequality, as a liquid factor of society and culture, this study premised that the notion of male and female which is familiar to us is also cultural sexual-identity which has been changed constantly. In these contexts, this study lays a great emphasis on the effort of finding a new female identity through not only discarding established notions and viewpoints of male and female identities, but also reinterpreting female characters and their stories in the point of Feminists’ view. And understanding the notion of hero as ‘a human being who challenges to his or her own fate’, including physical and mental achievement, and considering that a hero is built up by social psychologies which demand changes and reorganizations, who gets out of the usual restrictions and also brings up new adventures and possibilities through setting the stage of new way of thinking and acting, this study aims at understanding a hero as a person who transcends sexual qualification.
Based on this premise, after classifying archetype symbols of female hero into 4 sections with Tan-gun mythology, Ju-mong mythology, which are the birth myths of a nation, and Saekyung-bonpuri, Samgong-bonpuri, Chogong-bonpuri, princess Bari, which are the shamanism mythology, this study discusses about the figurative process and its meaning. To classify female characters who unveiled capabilities of female heroes in myth into their types, this study focused on the matters of self and the world. When it comes to self analysis and discovery process, this study set a standard whether that is 'on their own volition' or not, and world matter; whether that deals with matters of actual human being and life or realized in divine nature which is already existed.
According to these standards, this study discussed the classified 4 archetypes of female heroes. To begin with, when it comes to the archetype that a deity shows divinity through a voluntary rite of passage, goddesses who create a new system or give a birth to a founder of nation are applicable. In this case, a matrilineal system is acting as a hidden meaning, and generally, could be showed as representations of the Great Mother or Earth Mother. The representative example of this case is Woong-nyo, in Tan-gun mythology.
When it comes to the archetype that a human being who acquires her divinity through a voluntary rite of passage, secondly, goddesses, who create new culture with challenges and pioneering or accomplish their task with their capabilities to transcend tradition and common ideas, are applicable. The representative examples which this study took a look at were Jachongbi in Saekyung-bonpuri and Gamunchang-agi in Samgong-bonpuri. When it comes to the archetype that a deity shows divinity through a voluntary rite of passage, by another person’s will, thirdly, goddesses who have prominent motherhood and support accompanied with female’s crucifixion are applicable. The representative example of this case is You-wha, in Ju-mong myth. When it comes to the archetype that a human being who acquires her divinity through a rite of passage by another person’s will, fourthly, goddesses who show the human salvation figure through sacrifice under the circumstance of drastic expansion of female crucifixion. And the representative examples of fourth archetype are the main character in princess Bari and Jajimengwang-agisea in Chogong-bonpuri.
In terms of carving out their fortunes voluntarily, these female hero figures in myths show the aspects of heading for independent subject hood in the process of their representations. On the other hand, when they have to take on a hard fate by another person’s will, they show a phase of heading for altruistic relationships. The female heroes who head for independent subject hoods show independent and subjective tendencies based on beliefs of female’s fundamental productivity and abundances and consciousnesses. And also, out of their societies and values, they pioneer their own fates actively based on the interest about the unknown new area and subjective self recognition. The female heroes who head for altruistic relationships can’t recognize their own female’s fundamental productivity and what it takes to be abundances until they face hardships. They, however, will show their capabilities and qualities as heroes and be beneficial to their around by performing their duties faithfully on the foundation of their society's values and ideologies.
These archetypes of female hero were accepted by narrative literatures in later ages and it reproduced variously. Creative productivity and independent identity of mythical female hero were accepted in novels. In this context, female's fundamental original characters gradually exposed as a concrete capabilities. In female heroic novels, this is represented as a social self-realization through showing external power in public fields. And in acquisition of wealth stories and love stories, it is represented as an individual self-realization through getting wealth, love and elevating social position. While being accepted in novels, motherhood and sacrifice spirit of mythical female hero were more affected by patriarchy. As a result, just like in the domestic novels and moral novels, there were many cases that female character realized the morality of filial piety and virtuousness as a person who was in charge of ethic in the family, or accomplished social rescue by self-sacrifice. It shows female hero’s aspect in the procedure of that dominant idea’s internalization, however, because self conflict and overcoming processes about the filial piety and virtuousness are described and also, female hero realize higher values which get over herself, through social rescue by sacrifice.
Study results stated above are significant in opening our eyes to varieties of lives which are presented by various female figures by finding mythical archetypes of female heroic representations which are showed variously in classical literatures, and their meanings. Moreover, by discussing the phase of acceptance in narrative literatures in after ages, this study gives far-reaching viewpoints about Korean female image in traditional society, and revised narrow-minded view about female representation.