earticle

영어

In this article, I focused on analyzing cultural codes expressed in Kim Nam-chun's full-length novel . Especially, I considered the meaning of the social transformation which is caused by customs and by inflow of the foreign-made goods and the foreign ideas in this novel that began to make a rush for this country after opening the port to the foreign. In so far as 'custom' is not simply a representation of the cross section of society but a embodiment of the total apparatus of society, it also implies the historical meaning. Moreover, this is because the inflow of new civilization does not imply simple change of life but imply social transformation with conversion of consciousness.
Among various customs expressed in , the factors which are the key to understand this novel are 'the custom of marriage', 'the Dano festival-Big sports day'. 'the foreign-made goods' and 'the christian idea.' Through analyzing the meaning of these factors, I found the fact that there is not simple inclination to be intended to 'the new' but critical reception of 'the new' with attachment to 'the old' in this novel. In addition, I found that transitional phases disordered is sufficiently reflected on the transformation of custom, which is expanded into the problem of national identity beyond the simple change of custom.
Finally, the fact that in this novel the new culture and the new civilization with popular curiosity on them, which could not healthily take root in the traditional system of values, is described as 'frivolity', 'flighty' and 'secularized popularity' can be conceived of reflecting the consciousness of the author that tried to regard the national intention laid on the crossroad for choice in the era of enlightenment as not uncritical inclination to 'the new civilization' but critical reception of it under the traditional context.