In this paper, the researcher tried to confirm the agonies on diverse aspects of the plan of composition of group identity which was raised on the pretext of nation in the literary criticism during independence period, as well the form of its literary...
In this paper, the researcher tried to confirm the agonies on diverse aspects of the plan of composition of group identity which was raised on the pretext of nation in the literary criticism during independence period, as well the form of its literary expression. The literary criticism during independence period which advocated 'National Literature' as literary ideology planned nation in order to build up a nation-state and new culture of its own. Meanwhile, it tried to find a way for literary figuration amid continuity along with the plan of national composition.
First off, through close review of theories related to nation and nationalism, the researcher tried to confirm the fundamental reasons why nation was able to be used as a single shared identification code in the literary critical circle during the independence period in spite of the extreme difference in ideology. Nation is the whole of social relationships of which meaning has been secured amid the changes in history called modernity. And nationalism is secondary ideology that doesn't have self-sufficient logical structure. Hence, this shows that it shall be inappropriate to evaluate national concept by arguing that this concept is right, therefore, other concepts are not right. Approaches to nation and nationalism should be carried out in correlation with modern times, and then it has to be an attention to the changing process amidst the social dynamics, not an attempt toward essential regulations.
In case of Korea, the term such as, 'Minjok' (民族, Nation) appeared between the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century amid the crisis whether the nation could survive the risk of collapse. The national concept that showed signs of change from the reign of King Yeongjo revealed opposing and competitive relationships between the national concept as an ideology in politics of the democratic republic and the concept of nation as in a nation-state since Sino-Japanese War. 'Minjok' emerged for the first time in 1900 when the national concept had kept changing in the context of history, and, under the situation in which the concept of nation and of nation-state were in disagreeing, the concept of 'Minjok' was created having added the concept of 'nation-state' which was passed down through China to the conventional concept of nation. Getting through 1930s and 40s, on top of this early discourse of national, a logic of colonial empire was overlapped. And, having relieved from the power of the empire called Japan, the aggregation of people who had to face the issues of planning a country was the nation during the independence period. Therefore, in the term of nation that emerged again during the independence period, there were already a lot of meanings overlaid passing through adaptive processes in the interim period. Apart from differences in ideology, the nation which was the hard core shared in literary criticism was the starting point of fight for hegemony by advocating the nation, and, at the same time, it was an expression that released in terms of such a question as who were the main agents required to seek alternatives for the given task.
Passing through a series of processes, the term epitomized as nation had to be more segmented geared with the differences in perception toward the modernity upon reaching the independence period. In Chapter Ⅲ, the researcher examined the differences in critical theories during this period which was liable to be interpreted as confrontations merely between the left and the right through the aspects where the issues of planning national composition were raised in the correlations with the view of modernity. Above all, having eyes on the uppermost limit of modernity, the researcher was able to confirm the critical trends having advocated the nation in order to build a new country being in a position to overcome such a limit. This appeared largely in two types again; one was to concentrate on pure and oriental or spiritual value, and the other was to keep an eye on hierarchical struggle. In case of the former, putting the purpose on "World Renowned Literature" that intended to overcome harmful effects brought about by rationalism and scientism, and also that had "spatial universality including permanence in time", they planned 'Humanity-Nation' having made ethnicity equivalent directly to universal human nature. In case of the latter, aiming to accomplish private ownership and merchandise economy, as well as to overcome capitalist modernity which formed new hierarchy, they planned the nation as have-nots that show hierarchical propensity in order to build an ideal state, to wit, 'Avant Garde Groups Hierarchy - Nation'. Obviously there were differences in the appearance of modernity which had been established as the task to accomplish, however, they indeed tried hard to seek methods for conquering hardships beyond the limits of past and present. Suppose that the former had tried to accomplish something in literary genre having emphasized the non-historical and intrinsic group that shares a common destiny, the latter attempted to transcend the reality exposing their yearning for united strength centering around single entity by means of proletarian class theory.
There were arguers who showed their view of modernity as a historical process of transition that continues dismantling and recycling without interruption carrying ambiguity, while the previous arguers pursued conquering hardships with their singular view of modernity. First of all, amid self-awareness as an individual, there were discussions in which arguers agonized over building a state, and, in some discussions, people argued that nation is aggregation of people. The former paid attention to individuals who feature unique characteristics that will constitute a nation raising questions about the fight for hegemony having advocated the term, such as nation. They recognized the contradictions in reality, however, they, above all, revealed behaviors being anxious to explore more about 'Now and Here' instead of suggesting hasty and half-baked alternatives for the issues. The latter planned 'People-Nation' that included intellectuals as well as most of the bourgeois, while putting focus on laborers and farmers, having set an aim of construction of new culture by clearing off pro-Japanese vestiges, and breaking down feudalism and chauvinism. When considering the importance of organic integration of riskiness and diversity shown in uniform homogeneity, it can be said that loss of partisanship which was once pointed out critically would be rather an advantage carried by their discussions.
In Chapter Ⅳ, the researcher reviewed the literary figuration of the plan of national composition. In the position of arguing that although humans accept society and reality in which they live, humans have an ability to go over it, the researcher believes that universal literature will be feasible through this very lofty human spirit in setting the spiritual domain into another domain which is superior to the reality domain. These people who planned the nation as universal humans advocated "Pure Literature of True-bred upholding Fundamental Doctrine" having pursued protection of humanity ultimately. Different from such standpoint, in the position of stressing the importance of the former between reality and literature, to accomplish an ideal future was regarded as priority rather than agonizing over literary completedness and language. In this case, literature becomes closer to the "Literature as a Tool" from the point that literature should render services for an ideal future. These people who planned the nation as avant-garde groups hierarchy aiming to get rid of capitalistic modernity showed its extreme tendency through reinforcement of revolutionary romanticism or noble realism. These discussions indeed suggested a refusal of or conquering modernity, meanwhile, this reveals modern view of arts that separates arts and reality.
A series of streams of agonizing over the nation amid developments of individual self-awareness showed a position that emphasized exploration of reality reflected in the writer's eyes, rather than expression of the political position through literature as an attempt to avoid extreme confrontation. Together with this, these individuals too who responded to the task of the contemporary reality with 'People-Nation', different from the logic of partisanship, revealed the aspects in which aesthetic autonomy and politics of literatures were mixed. The great premise dubbed progressive realism and revolutionary romanticism put so called leftist party as a whole together, however, understanding thereof and the points being emphasized revealed a subtle difference. These individuals who planned the nation as universal people and agonized over criteria thereof showed doubts and ruptures between what they pursued as objectives and its realistic methods concerned with the issues of creative writing.
In Chapter Ⅴ, the researcher tried to investigate what can be gained from the discourse of national appeared in literary criticism during the independence period and what the thresholds are. The critics during the independence period all together spoke of new culture and the nation as principal agent of the culture having faced such unprecedented events as in the nonexistent state and sovereignty. Even though they advocated same identification code, their position was conspicuously different. This was not only caused by external theory but also it was based on different logics one another in relation to modernity and literature therein and its role fundamentally. Diverse discourses of national they showed are a starting point toward the problems we are now facing in today's world. However, in the relationships between literature and reality, the given time under the rapid changing political situation was too short to inquire into such problems in a deeper and more intensive manner. Discussions about nation appeared in literary criticism during the independence period can be epitomized as group identity, that is to say, planning entity of sovereignty. In this time, groups are different from one another, and the members of these groups will build a state leading the critical discourses. This will incline to pursue the entity of sovereignty which will be converged into a single body, that is, individual sovereignty, rather than seeking for itself in a realistic sense amid such emergent situation. In fact the literature during the independence period is like "a state of thing where many a literary meaning have been submerged while missing the shape of genuine literature, but having revealed the thickly grown shoots that should have been represented in literary terms, rather not standing as by a literary work already completed." Nevertheless, in this time of changing world when creation of new structure has become desperate under the universal terms that everyone is alone, their discussions that showed fierce agony in order to build a new state and culture have great implications for us. Because those critical minds that discovered in the arguments raised in those days will not only be connected with major agenda in the history of literature in future but also their expectations for acceptance of modernity and overcoming thereof, including their agonies over commonality can be confirmed through their attempts to seek the main agent for building a new state and culture which had been carried out in the name of nation, as well as through ruptures or impairments, etc. occurred in such processes.