寒微한 士族의 노년기 생활상에 대한 일고찰

Abstract

In this study, later lives of ‘poor and humble scholars’, their emotions and their responses to reality are examined with the example of Mumyeongja Yun Ki.
 Yun Ki suffered from diseases including malaria due to senescence during his later life and to make matters worse, he had to endure severe pain from hearing impairment. The bridle of senescence and being from a poor and humble family was a stumbling block for him from the beginning of becoming a public official. He could not get the Cheong'yo-jik(淸要職) post and he was pained by the hard working as a lowest public official. Consequently, he was discontented. The poverty that molested his ancestors was not alleviated even after he became a public official. He expressed his emotions such as frustration, regret, resentment, grievance, self-deprecation, and moan about his later life in his poems in a straightforward way. He preserved his identity as he led a life filled with grumbles in an unjust world. Until the end of his life, he was destitute, which was also the result of his integrity and honesty.
 Yun Ki had the sense of identity that he was from the scholar family and strived to overcome the reality of being a poor and humble scholar. His integrity worked as an obstacle for his social relations. He had his principle and beliefs, which were not compatible with the world. However, he did not change his values and identity to gain worldly benefits. He was sensitive to calamity of slander, he continuously took precaution against his desire to speak out and its consequence of calamity of slander since his 50s. Furthermore, he declared to keep silence on matters after the long and careful consideration. It was the great decision to reveal his self-esteem and to preserve his family. The desire to reveal his identity was satisfied by his critical writing. His critical writing became the alternative to keeping silence, through which he faced the bitter reality and planned for the future.
 Yun Ki, expressed anguish, conflicts in his inner world, remorse, guilty conscience, anger and rebuke a lot but he assessed his life in a positive way. That is because he had self-respect that he did not meet the world halfway but preserved his integrity and identity.