동성애적 관점에서 본 <무정>

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The purpose of this research is to review Mu Jung from a homosexual standpoint and extract its significance out of that certain viewpoint. Lee, Gwang-su promoted free love while strongly rebelling against a patriarchic ideology, in the process of writing Mu Jung. A new rising influence, including young women, welcomed his movement, while facing opposition from most existing generations such as `Yu-Rims. The patriarchic ideology was quite entrenched. Lee deals with homosexual themes in one of his early works, Yoon Gwang Ho, regardless of the opposing social atmosphere. However his work, which expresses homosexuality between males, fails to liberate homosexuality. Instead, it compromises by expressing cruelty of the society in the subject matter. The author merely receives credit for bluntly bringing homosexual material into a strong patriarchic society. After Yoon Kwang Ho. Lee doesn`t openly expresses homosexual material in his works. The social atmosphere did not allow him to do so, along with the busy work due to his active role of an Enlightenment idealist professing Nationalism, which gained priority over expressing homosexuality. Nevertheless, homosexual motives did not totally disappear from his works. He encrypted his homosexual tendencies into his masterpieces while covering them up with intersexual relationships. Therefore, this article focuses on locating those homosexual motives that appear in his works and analysing their significance under certain social limitations. The significance of encrypted homosexual motives which appear in Mu Jung is as follows. Initially, lesbianism was discovered among female characters. The relationship between Young-Chae and Wol-Wha is such a case. Such a relationship even expands to social ties in an erotic manner. Another type of relationship exists between Young-Chae and Byung-Wook. This relationship is better explained as social ties rather than eroticism. Relationships among male characters are considered from a viewpoint of gay sensibility. The characterization of Lee Hyung-Sick, a hero of Mu Jung, fulfills woman`s role in a gay nature. His behavior towards his journalist friend Shin Woo-Sun illustrates a good example of such distinctive features. Moreover, Lee Hyung-Sick demonstrates bashfulness, negativism, easy disappointment. and frequent changes of mind-which are qualities associated with a feminine rather than masculine nature. Mu Jung is a novel that uses this point of view to encrypt Lee Hyung-Sick`s feminine characteristics. In general, Mu Jung suggests free love, but does not concretely express free love or love itself. This is because of the strong force of homosexual motives encrypted within his piece. Therefore, Lee professes intersexual love while encrypting homosexual love into his masterpiece, Mu Jung.