『Hongbagwhajeon』(Biography of Hongbagwha) is a fiction of the late Chosun written in classical Chinese, and the writer and the exact time of writing of the work are still unknown. There are about thirty texts of Chinese and Korean versions. The ex...
『Hongbagwhajeon』(Biography of Hongbagwha) is a fiction of the late Chosun written in classical Chinese, and the writer and the exact time of writing of the work are still unknown. There are about thirty texts of Chinese and Korean versions. The existence of rather various versions of the text seem to mean that『Hongbagwhajeon』was widespread and popular at that time. The story of the work is a romance that a young man and two young women got married after many turns and twists. Plot of the work is elaborate and wits of two women is very impressive in the story.
The history of old fiction is very complicated in the late seventeenth and the early, middle eighteenth century: Chuanqi had given its position to another mode of fiction and vaguely remained its own traces. And Korean fiction which was mainly read in the boudoir was emerging. Furthermore, fictions from China had a full-scale impact on the old fiction of Chosun. In spite of that literary achievement of『Hongbagwhajeon』is not outstanding, the position of this fiction in the history of old fiction could be a touchstone to map and to understand the configuration of fiction in the late Chosun.
The formative processes of『Hongbagwhajeon』are related with the historical connection with boudoir fiction, romantic chuanqi and a wit and a beauty fiction of the late Ming and early Qing. First, to make sure of close connection with boudoir fiction, I compared『Hongbagwhajeon』with『Changsun Gameuiroc』(Story of honoring good and appealing to righteousness).『Hongbagwhajeon』had affinities with『Changsun Gameuiroc』in terms of the theme of positiveness, sisterhood, didacticism and popularity. Consequently,『Hongbagwhajeon』was sure written in the tradition of boudoir fiction which was emerged from the late seventeenth century and popular in eighteenth century.
Next,『Hongbagwhajeon』also has characteristics of romantic chuanqi: main characters as a wit and a beauty, passivity of man and use of poetry in the story. And it might be an influence from romantic chuanqi that『Hongbagwhajeon』was only dealing with the theme of endearment in the length of ten chapter novella. Though romantic chuanqi was already declined when『Hongbagwhajeon was created, it was still bound to the convention of romantic chuanqi.『Hongbagwhajeon』reflects the direct repercussions from both boudoir fiction and romantic chuanqi.
Last, indirect influence coming from a wit and a beauty fiction of the late Ming and early Qing.『Changsun Gameuiroc』was already influenced from Chinese fiction and bore some resemblances with a wit and a beauty fiction. Origin of a wit and a beauty fiction was from chuanqi of Tang. And romantic chuanqi of Chosun originated from the late Silla and early Koryo, and chuanqi of the late Silla and early Koryo was rooted in romantic chuanqi of Tang. In genealogy, boudoir fiction, romantic chuanqi and a wit and a beauty fiction had common qualities of romantic chuanqi from Tang in macro level. It is hard to sort the specific, clear aspects of influences of each fiction because of tangling and overlapping of influences. My way of giving directions to the influences is based on the historicity.
It is substantial and helpful to compare『Hongbagwhajeon』with a Chinese fiction as a sample, for I could have a consequence of view to look over the background of formation of『Hongbagwhajeon』.『Wanruyue』, the Chinese a wit and a beauty fiction, was similar to『Hongbagwhajeon』in storyline, and two works shared the motif such as a man marrying two women, the girls in drag and seeking husband by testing.
Texts and transformation was another main theme. There are two categories of texts: Chinese and Korean version. As for the eighteen Chinese versions, every version of texts is almost the same except details. Exceptional is a version of national library. And it is impossible to distinguish the differences among them because they resemble even in the sentences. I dealt with the Chinese versions as a whole and used it as a measure to guess the relation between writers and readers in a wide range. A technique of monologue is a one of minor peculiarity different from the Korean versions.
In case of the nine Korean versions, no irregularity is found to change the theme or plot of fiction. Relatively, however, differences among the Korean versions are bigger than the Chinese version. It was reflected, I guess, the tastes of translators. And nine Korean versions have their own style respectively, and they cannot be systemized. But only one thing is certain that there are two sorts of Korean translation: first and second translation.
First translation means direct translation from a Chinese version and second translation is rewriting version based on the first translation. First translation was a abridged version of Chinese version but the structure of the work of Chinese version was not touched, because, in my guess, translator seemed to fully understand a Chinese. On second translation, it is highly possible that the translation was accomplished by nonscholastic Korean translator who had not known a Chinese at all. The reason is that the structure of the work of Chinese version was collapsed and modified for the people who was living in the culture of vernacular language, the Korean.
In brief,『Hongbagwhajeon』is a model work to show us the essential attribute of fiction, viz interchange and circulation of works.