Lee Ju-hong has been absorbed in the creation of juvenile literature for the 60 years since he entered the literary world. This thesis has initiated with the fact that a literary world changes along with the ages of different social realities. Accordi...
Lee Ju-hong has been absorbed in the creation of juvenile literature for the 60 years since he entered the literary world. This thesis has initiated with the fact that a literary world changes along with the ages of different social realities. Accordingly, it has presented Lee Ju-hong’s texts chronologically and examined the general modality of his literary works by which the characteristics of his juvenile literature has been analyzed.
In this process, Lee Ju-hong’s works were divided by three periods and the result of the study is as follows: His works under the rule of Japanese imperialism deal with the configuration of class consciousness and the colonial reality through their realistic description. His intention of overcoming the reality is remarkably shown in his way of awakening people to the typical nature of Japanese imperialism of which misfortunes are not only for the generation of forefathers, but also for the younger generations. The presentation of class contradictions and conflicts produced by the reality also intends for the nation to overcome the reality.
The Works after National Liberation and the Korean War inquire into internal consciousness of human beings, which is consistent with the pure mind of children, yearning, historical imagination, and national awareness. His yearning is toward a hometown left and families far away. However, on a closer look, rather than a place where he was born and grown, his hometown is an extended conception of homeland. The yearning is placed on the same line of national and historical consciousness. In order to settle the sharp conflict of ideology derived from internal strife during the war and appease injuries, he pays attention to the pure mind of children. In addition to this, by mobilizing historical imagination, he tries to instill a guide of life into the children who wander about in the political, economical, and psychological confusion.
Works in the period of industrialization address such themes as the negative aspects of industrialization, the confusion of traditional values, mammonism, the diffusion of selfishness, and the loss of humanity. Lee Ju-hong on one hand criticizes all the social problems through his unique satire and humor, and on the other hand gropes after a solution in sympathy with life. This effort can seen as an objective and elaborate approach to the reality by taking a step backward.
As above, though Lee Ju-hong’s literary world has changed corresponding to the different social realities, it has a commonality. First, its approach to the reality is unique. He approaches the harsh reality by graphically delivering the voice of reality and delving into it, describing the irrational and corrupt world with satire and humor, or contemplating it by taking a step backward. However, the core is in the realism. Second, there is the consciousness of common people.
They have a warm and pure love of human beings, a tough and insurmountable spirit, and an original strength that is handed down to the present in this progress of history. Third, there is the actuality acquired by the realism and the consciousness of common people through certain directivity. The mobilization of a variety of creative techniques, on the basis of the actuality - a basic concept of realism - in order to attract child readers’ interests, differentiates him from other contemporary writers.
Like this, the significance of Lee Ju-hong’s juvenile literature is that he sets a direction in which today’s juvenile literature has to proceed.