李敭河 隨筆 硏究

Abstract

Present thesis takes consideration of the environment, experience, social background, ideologies and world view reflected in the literature of Lee Yang-Ha, while aiming to explicate the criticism and topics on the writer, as well as some of the modern elements of essay as a form of literature. For such purpose this study examines how Lee Yang-Ha's early works as professional essayist in the 1930s are realized in development of modern essay literature and how his writing style and individual characteristics in his works are recognized and perceived. Lee Yang-Ha's essays, which appeared before the establishment of theories on essays in modern literature, expressed his interest in the essence of life and being through new ideas and natural proceedings found in his works. Lee's idealism is that which reflects a deep love for human beings, who endure and realize dreams through transcending themselves in pursuit of humanism. Lee's works deepen his inner world, which are found in the simplicity of his past memories or in his deep thoughts on life. They have formulated his deep-rooted instincts on his ethnic and national identity. The research objects for present thesis are 『Collected essays of Lee Yang-Ha』,『The tree』,『Selected Unpublished Essays of Lee Yang-Ha』 and『Collection of Essays in memory of Professor Lee Yang-Ha』. General characteristics of his literature works, featuring emphasis on the reality and unique intellectuality as well as objectivity, are summed up as the following. First, his works show an array of different writing styles. They are beautiful and sophisticated sentences, featuring lyrical and descriptive style of informal essays, which are individualistic and subjective in terms of sensual and lively description. On the other hand, he also uses an intellectual and descriptive style of formal essays when dealing with objective and social issues. Furthermore he used diffused and nervous style of writing as well. Second, analysis of his essays reveal that, although essays as a literature genre are in general considered limited in expressing aggressive critical thoughts, his writings do not in fact show much antagonism against Japan or sorrow of national division, or any ideological conflicts. They merely brush over those issues dealing with difficult social situations and absurdity which resulted from the Korean War. They are far from expressing the 'Han' sentiment, often described as a common feeling among Korean people. Third, Lee has led a lonely life, in which he tried to carry out his love for his country, based on a deeply-rooted world view on his ethnic and national identity. His love of nature has become the motive for his pursuing the meaning of life through such a lifestyle, in which he sought to obtain happiness and comfort. Although it is true that Lee Yang-Ha possessed much affection and interest for his nation and his people, critics have pointed out that his actual works of literature seldom reflect the realism of the people in terms of the general hardships experienced by his contemporaries. Fourth, although it can not be denied that the expressive limitation in his literature has been caused by his periodical environment, there is criticism that works from his first period are escapist and private while those from his second are social essays, losing much of their value as works of literature. However, his writings, which began with his translation and introduction of foreign literature, have played an important role in the history of Korean literature. In summarizing a comprehensive research on Lee, present thesis concludes that the unique world of literature which appeared in Lee Yang-Ha's works have established essay as a genre of literature, which have appeared as a new form of literature during the threshold from modern to contemporary period.