최남선의 수신(修身)담론과 근대 위인전기의 탄생

Abstract

Choi Namsun"s biographical narratives in Sonyun(『少年』) and Cheongchun(『靑春』) show us the continuous transition from the premodern "hero narratives" to the modern "great men narratives", unlike the established hypothesis that the former extinguished in the late 1900"s and was succeeded to by the historical novel"s 1930"s. Confronting the loss of the national power of the Daehan Empire, Choi couldn"t expect any more the appearance of national heroes who would rescue the country, which dissolved the form of the hero narratives in Sonyun(『少年』). Instead, Choi counted on the discourse of moral training of "the Youth Association(靑年學友會)" to subjectify "the People"(國民) without the country and focused on the virtue of "endeavour"(務實力行 or 堅忍力作 or 努力). "Endeavour" was first considered the only way to the object, "the independence" of the country but the value of the virtue was later elevated to the foundational principle of the civilization, the universe and even "life"(生命) itself. In this course, "national heroes" of the premodern narratives changed "great men" of modern biographical narratives which could examplify the value of endeavour. However, "endeavour" which had been cut off from the object, the independence of the country, could easily used as the instrument for the training the diligently-working colonized or for the success of any ego-centric individuals in the 1920"s.