A Study on Bad Men in River Novels in Comparison with Heroic Novels

This thesis conducted a study on the features of bad men in river novels in comparison with those in heroic novels. Through this study we could contemplate definitely that bad men in river novels were designed fully reflecting the tastes of readers of river novels. Firstly, while bad men in heroic novels are ‘the Middleaged Establishment' as opponent to the young lower classes, bad men in river novels are ‘'rising young power' and they have opportunities of communication with protagonists in the hidden side of opposition as the two groups have political cultural homogeneity each other. Secondly, while bad men in heroic novels are armed with military spirit, bad men in river novels are the kind of literary person and they have talents as high cultured person though they do evil deeds cleverly. Thirdly, bad men in heroic novels are 'villains in pursuit to power' so they run into a dangerous extreme as raising a rebellion, but bad men in river novels are 'villains in pursuit to lust' so they concentrate on harming the persons who disturb their love, passion, and lust. Fourthly, while bad men in heroic novels are destined to do evil deeds without sense of guilty as malefactors settled from the celestial world, bad men in river novels do evil deeds carried away by a stroke of passion and they have sense of guilty and opportunity of veniality. Fifthly, bad men in heroic novels are concluded to be executed by hero, but bad men in river nobles become a subject of criticism of protagonist and they are not criticized by people of the country so they are concluded to be forgiven by protagonist. From all these considerations, heroic novels enjoyed by the lower classes focus on evil deeds in ‘public spheres' and take theme of animosity and punishment, but river novels enjoyed by the upper classes focus on evil deeds in 'private spheres' and are based upon the theme of tolerance and solidarity in high class to forgive immature rising power.