晩明 척독(尺牘)의 ‘문학적 재료’에서 ‘출판 미디어 상품’으로의 전환 = From Private Letters to Printed Media Commodity: The Transformation of Chidu in Late Ming Print Culture

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study examines the transformation of Chidu (epistolary writing) from private communication into a “printed media commodity” during the Late Ming Dynasty. During the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the expansion of commercial printing in the Jiangnan region altered the production and distribution of texts. In this context, Chidu emerged as a “textual resource” for repeated consumption, moving beyond its role as a record of personal social interaction.
The research employs a comparative analysis of late-Ming letter manuals, such as Shudu Xinyu and Chidu Qingxia. By tracing how the original letters of Yuan Hongdao were edited—specifically, how personal details like medical prescriptions were replaced with aesthetic rhetoric—this paper elucidates a process of "de-contextualization." This transformed private documents into impersonal, standardized templates. Furthermore, the shift from chronological arrangements to functional, situational classifications signifies a critical migration of textual authority. Through this process, individual styles were homogenized into an idealized “literati style” for mass consumption.
The “mediatization” of Chidu redefined these texts as practical “expression models” for navigating social landscapes. This phenomenon reflects an early modern transition where literary texts were reconfigured as cultural commodities within market logic. By shifting focus from author-centered history to the intervention of media and market forces, this study reveals how the material form of a text can redefine its existential mode. Ultimately, this research suggests that the commercialization of the literati lifestyle served as a precursor to modern media culture.