From Subservience to Autonomy: Kim Wŏnju's "Awakening"
Kim Wŏnju ( 1896-1971 ), better known by her pen name, Iryŏp (One Leaf), was one of the most outspoken and controversial feminist writers of modern Korea. This study presents a brief biography of Kim up to the time she became a Buddhist nun in the early 1930s, situating her life in the ideological, literary, cultural, and even political settings of her time. It then critically analyzes the structure, narrative strategies, and ideological implications of Kim's short story "Chagak" (Awakening, 1926), attempting to ascertain the story's place in the context of the time and in the author's development as a feminist writer.
A History of Korean Literature: Chosŏn poetry in Chinese
In the Chosŏn dynasty the members of the scholar–official class continued to occupy the dominant ruling position they had held during the Koryŏ period. Based on their Confucian knowledge and refinement, these literati enjoyed cultural superiority. As the civil service examinations emphasized literary talents, they led to a development of literature and produced excellent poets who wrote in literary Chinese. A member of the scholar–official class was a government functionary when in office and a writer when out of service. This lifestyle led to two distinct characteristics in their literary works: one was a courtier literature comprising, for example, diplomatic documents; the other was a literature of retired gentlemen who sang of leisure and joy in nature. THE POETIC WORLD OF EARLY CHOSŎN The representative literary figures of early Chosŏn are Chŏng Tojŏn (d. 1398) and Sŏ Kŏjŏng (1420–1488). Chŏng Tojŏn was an influential official who helped Yi Sŏnggye (1392–1398) found the Chosŏn dynasty and was directly involved in formulating its institutions and policies. Chŏng's poetry shows both a critical consciousness of social problems and the determination of a scholar–official who entered the political stage in late Koryŏ with a mission to reform society. We note especially his works that concern the Confucian kingship, the ideology of the scholar–officials, and the solidarity of his Confucian colleagues. The vigorous and progressive spirit of Chŏng's poems derives from his sense of mission.
Frank Must Marry Money: Men, Women, and Property in Trollope's Novels
There is a continuing debate about the extent to which women in the 19th century were involved in economic life. The paper uses a reading of a number of novels by the English author Anthony Trollop...