The purpose of this thesis is to inquire into the thematic appearance method of the 1950s' Korean novels with the most remarkable event in modern Korean history, the Korean War for the background with the intention of exploring writers' internal reco...
The purpose of this thesis is to inquire into the thematic appearance method of the 1950s' Korean novels with the most remarkable event in modern Korean history, the Korean War for the background with the intention of exploring writers' internal recognition of reality through the 1950s' aspect of society. Concerning the development of an argument point, a rough inquiry, on the axis of the Korean War, has been made about pre-war conditions with the passage of time while wartime and post-war one have been made in terms of the literary frame classified by conformity literature. The reason is that the Korean War, the main topic of conversation of the 1950s' Korean literature, above all, not only ought to be contemplated in the light of the relation of cause and effect, but we also need to further understand how writers' recognition of reality has changed with the transition of time. The thematic appearance method, key element of this thesis has been explored, from five typical point of view, on a basis of the 1950s' conformity literature and these types of novels are war novels, social-conditions describing novels peasant novels, existential novels, initiation novels. these summaries are as follows.
In the second chapter, the background and formation of the 1950s' Korean novels, to begin with, have inquired into the aspect of works foreboding the Korean War after surveying the phases of the times before the war and the movement of literary circles history.
First, the phases of the times in Korean pre-war period means starting of an ideological partition of the Korean Peninsula. The established partition of the South and North Korea after the Liberation Day(August 15, 1945) have been caused by a series of events, such as split occupation of the 38th parallel by U.S and Russia, these events bringing about the Korean War. Secondly, the crucial argumentation in Korean literary history before the war was about pure literature and national literature. The right and left literature, however, got a striking difference in opinion due to their ideological inclinations and thus it can be concluded that political confrontation has been deepened into literary one. Thirdly, the aspect of works foreboding the Korean War has been inquired into from the viewpoint of gloomy and hopeless situation of liberated fatherland, the loss of the aim of life, the solidarity of the working class, the resistance against oppressing powers, the partition of the Korean Peninsula by the 38th parallel and the rising of war cloud. as a result, so many different types of novels enabled us to predict the sign of the Korean War.
In the third chapter, It can be said that 'comments on conformity literature of the 1950s' Korean novels' have established the standard of internal motivation and motive on thematic appearance methods on a basis of a variety of comments on literature prevalent in Korean society during and after the war. comments on wartime literature have been contemplated from the standpoint of Comments on War Culture, Comments on a Pursuit of Mental Value, Comments on to Wartime Writers' Obligation whereas comments on post-war literature have been inquired into from the standpoint of comments on the New Generation Writers and Juvenile Literature, Existentialism, Humanism. The summaries of comments on wartime literature run as follows.
First, It can be said that Comments on War Culture has come from writers' intentions to replace wartime anarchy like anomie with the culture of the new order while undergoing the war. Secondly, Comments on a Pursuit of Mental Value have been inquired into from the same point of war culture, so the purpose of this comments consists in seeking after a high level of spiritual culture based on human self-consciousness which crystallization of ideology and will are purified. Thirdly, Comments on Wartime Writers' Obligation is that writers themselves have to be proud of being men of culture and encourage their fellow countrymen to fight well, finding a way to literary circles out of difficulties.
In the meantime, an armistice caused comments on post-war literature shrunk by war to increase in quantity still more than Comments on pre-war literature. To sum up : First, Comments on the New Generation Writers mean an intellectual, a writer's endeavor to inspire a new spirit in hopeless and miserable Korean reality while experiencing war. Secondly, Comments on Existentialism showed itself as what clarified the concept of Existentialism, what is on a basis of the trend of literary thoughts, what made much of the interpretation of theoretical books and literary works of West Europe, what is based on the ideological background of Existentialism and these arguments tried to inquired into, depending on Sartre's comment, 'Existence precedes essence.' In addition, Humanism, aligning itself with Existentialism by Sartre, intended to inform our devastated spirit world after the war with new value and human dignity. Thirdly, Comments on Juvenile Literature grew out of interest in children's lives hided by the shade of socialization, compared to adult ones after the war.
In the fourth chapter, the thematic appearance methods of the 1950s' Korean novels have been explored in the light of comments on the 1950s' conformity literature. For instance, war novels and social conditions-describing novels on a basis of Comments on War Culture and Comments on a Pursuit of Spiritual Value, have expressed the misery of war and the devastated way of the world through wartime writers' experiences following the war. Besides, peasant novels are deeply related to Comments on Wartime Writers' Obligation that had an intention of keeping away from pornography and enlightening the public. Existential novels has been much influenced by Existentialism and Humanism, initiation novels dating from much interest in juvenile literature. If classified, they are as follows.
First, war novels have inquired into thematic appearance methods, centering around novels written by wartime writers, from the standpoint of the disclosure of ravages and misery by war, the chameleonic disguise to survive, the infusion of anticommunistic ideas like McCarthyism and patriotism.
secondly, social conditions- describing novels have explored, centering around human ideas and instinct which was in a bad condition by chaotic society reality before and after the war, thematic appearance methods from the standpoint of the destruction of residential areas, the sorrows of refugee life, the criticism of snobs' dishonesty and distorted sex morality by the inversion of view of value.
Thirdly, peasant novels have inquired into thematic appearance methods, centering around residential quarters and the awareness of peasantry reflected in the impoverished reality of rural communities by the Korean War, from the standpoint of the love for their native place, the expression of an aggressive farmer's image and the simplicity of local everyday life and an inclination for humanity.
Fourthly, existential novels have inquired into thematic appearance methods, centering around fundamental introspection and internalization on ontology that make the value of existence after the war think twice, from the standpoint of self-contemptuous absent-mindedness caused by a sense of losing a war, the exploration of a phenomenal existence that have human alienation and uneasiness, and the disorganization of rambunctious life and the tension of cohesion.
Fifthly, centering around confrontation way of immature children and the new generation's lives after the war, initiation novels have inquired into thematic appearance methods from the standpoint of mental maturity by the conquest of the physical death and injury, the afterimage of G.I culture and self-stagnation as antagonistic relationships of good and evil and the ascetic acceptance of the ego and the world by means of the love of the new generation.
As a result, the various thematic appearance methods have come into existence in the 1950s' Korean novels through the Korean War as a literary main topic of conversation and therefore it was more obviously proved to be true that literature is a mirror of human life and society. I believe that in the future, the literary study with the Korean War for setting will have to continue to be more deeply made into in relation to the conquest of the south and north partition.
In conclusion, this thesis has inquired into, with the passage of the time, diverse circumstances before and after the Korean War, but because of a large amount of the 1950s' Korean novels I don't think that I have given the entire picture and some more argument and criticism about conformity literature after the Korean War should be made in the near future and It is regrettable that history novels, if not many, have been excluded from this argument.