RESOURCES ESSAYS
Colonial Period : The Radical Leftist Nationalistic Voice The leftist or Marxist-Leninist ideology also dominated short fiction produced during the colonial period . Bruce Fulton notes , “ Proletarian literature [ literature describing the lives and struggles of the working class ] was tolerated by the Japanese colonial authorities from the mid-1920s to 1935 . 6 One of the most influential leftist writers was Yi Ki-yong . Yi Ki-yong was born in Chungchong Province in 1896 and , like Yom Song-sop , was also educated in Korea and Japan . Yi helped form the Korean Artist Proletariat Federation ( KAPF ), a group devoted to “ writing about socioeconomic inequities , the downtrodden proletariat and peasantry , and the class struggle .” 7 Yi Ki-yong ’ s proletarian fable , “ A Tale of Rats ,” portrays the leftist ’ s view , rounding out readers ’ understanding of the Korean experience during Japanese colonial rule . 8 Yi ’ s disdain for money , skepticism of capitalism , and competitiveness are at the center of his short story . Yi ’ s fable presents his vision of a Korea free of class conflict — an aspiration shared by leftist nationalistic writers ( see Table 2 ).
Evaluating both Yi and Yom ’ s stories jointly will emphasize the conflicting views among the Korean groups during this uncertain time of foreign rule . Although both camps agreed in a unified Korea , independent of foreign rule , they disagreed over what an independent Korea would look like . Working with the multiple perspectives presented in both stories will serve to establish a foundation for students ’ understanding of the convoluted social and political environment of colonial Korea , as well as the eventual division of the country .
South Korean Literature from the Post Liberation Period Impact of Division After liberation from Japan in 1945 , Korea tried to rebuild a strong , independent nation . Diverging internal as well as external political ideologies , specifically the actions of the USSR and the USA , resulted in Korea ’ s division . Then , communist North Korea invaded South Korea , thus launching the Korean War ( 1950 – 1953 ). Postwar literature deals with the struggles and pains of the people once again trying to make sense of the uncertainty in their lives .
Hwang Sun-won , born in 1915 in Taedong , modern-day North Korea , is a well-known novelist , poet , and short fiction writer . Just after settling in South Korea in 1953 , his short story , “ Cranes ,” which humanizes the ideological and political division between the Koreas , was published . 9 Hwang ’ s poetic short story evokes childhood memory and hopes to rekindle a bond between two long-lost friends now residing on separate sides of the DMZ . Readers cannot escape the symbolical significance of Hwang ’ s title recognizing the division between the north and south as unnatural , because the cranes can fly back and forth unrestricted , yet these two friends cannot . The powerful theme presented in Hwang ’ s piece will deepen readers ’ understanding of the Korean experience during this tumultuous time .
The division of Korea was arbitrarily imposed and divided families a well as a nation ; postwar literature focuses on the ramifications of division . The website Asia for Educators presents an excellent lesson by Gordon A . Monaghan , titled “ Comparing War Monuments in North and South
Historical fact Summarize or directly quote from primary or secondary source . Textual quote Direct quote from the story that parallels historical fact .
Explain in terms of plot Literally explain how this historical fact was presented in the story .
Effect of the historical fact on reader , on story ’ s conflict , on author ’ s theme .
Below : Student Sample Response
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AsianInfo . org ( 2000 ) reports that the 1920 Japanese governmentgeneral controlled the release of all information in Korea and made sure that “ enforcement of strict censorship was practiced on every word and phrase .” ___________________ Yi Ki-yong ( 1926 ) begins his fable by saying , “ This is the time when rats everywhere are masters of the world .”
Table 2 .
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The main character of this story is a rat . He is strong , sneaky , wise , and able to out-think and out-maneuver the greedy human landlord . Reminiscent of Robin Hood , the Korean rat steals from the rich to help the poor . Papa Rat is a character to emulate — masterful in his ability to circumvent class conflicts . |
Mimicking the cunning wit of his main character , Yi Ki-yong crafted “ A Tale of Rats ” as a fable to get around the Japanese censors . Writing a powerful story about a sneaky Korean overpowering a greedy Japanese landlord would have never been published — however , it ’ s quite obvious the masterful rat is symbolic of the Korean leftist faction . |
• What features do the monuments share ?
• What archetypes , if any , are shown in the monuments ?
• What emotions do the figures in the monument show ?
• What is the message of each of the monuments ?
Below : Student Sample Response
Both memorials present strong , brave men who have been victorious in battle . The soldiers seem proud of their victory and confident of their dominance . Both monuments present their side as a clear winner ; this view creates a divide between the two sides .
Textual quote from “ Cranes ” that echoes the reactions to monuments .
Overall , what is being said about the Korean War and the postwar era ?
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Table Three Photo Credits Left image : Korean War Memorial , Seoul , South Korea
Right image : Victorious Fatherland Reunification War Monument , Pyongyang , North Korea
Source for both images : Lesson Plan by Gordon A . Monaghan , “ Comparing War Monuments in North and South Korea ,” The Korea Society through Asia for Educators , http :// bit . ly / QVAwSx .
Hwang writes : “ But the crane could hardly walk , probably because it had been tied up for so long ” ( 5 ).
Table 3 .
Somehow both sides are going to have to concede , so the division can come to an end . Koreans must remember their past and break free of what is preventing them from achieving peace .
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