<춘향전>의 봉건적 낭만성

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to find out why Chunhyangjeon(춘향전), a love story between Lee Doryeong(이도령) and Chunhyang(춘향), could be loved by all classes. As a premise of the discussion, Chunhyangjeon was a pre-modern work, enjoyed in the social order of the time, and it was considered to contain the feudal mindset in that this work was a popular work. To prove this, the ideological orientation of the main characters in Chunhyangjeon was examined. Lee Doryeong and Byun Hakdo(변학도) appeared as opposing figures, but the difference between them was how they used feudal power, and it was the feudal order that dominated their consciousness. Chunhyang, Namwon residents(남원부민), Wolmae(월매), and Bangja(방자) also thought and acted in this feudal order. The logic used by Chunhyang to protect her was taken from the Confucian order, and the Namwon residents also waited for Lee Do-ryeong, who used the feudal order correctly to imprison the unjust Byeon Hakdo. Wolmae’s opportunistic appearance should consider her position as Chunhyang’s mother. The appearance of Bangja mocking Lee Doryeong only works when Lee Doryeong shows the appearance of a warmonger. As such, the characters in Chunhyangjeon acknowledge the feudal order and try to overcome the hardships of life caused by the unreasonable operation of feudal power. Therefore, the political nature of Chunhyangjeon does not deviate from the feudal order. Just because Chunhyangjeon does not reject the feudal system does not mean that its meaning is downgraded. The people who enjoyed Chunhyangjeon tried to overcome their difficulties in the feudal order, and it was that the feudal order worked properly. Therefore, both the yangban and the people could enjoy this work. The people wanted the feudal order to work properly to resolve the absurd life ahead of them, and yangban wanted to identify Lee Doryeong with themselves to become an ideal aristocrat. In other words, Chunhyangjeon can be defined as a popular story that romanticizes political ideals within the feudal order.