규방문화로 본 최명희의 『혼불』

The male-dominating patriarchism in Korea has imprinted in our consciousness filial piety, chastity, obedience, and sacrifice as traditional femininity. This male-predominance has formed the boudoir culture in Korea in the midst of Confucianism including family system, kinship system and every kind of ceremonial customs. To keep up all the rigid ceremonial customs, women in Choson Dynasty had to take charge of all the jobs such as cooking, tailoring, visitor-attending etc. Consequently, the social status of women was subordinate, and they were expected to live a stoic life setting aside the real ego of themselves. The boudoir culture in Choson could be regarded as the outcome of noble womenfolk's life formed on a basis of these conditions. HONBOOL by Myoung-Hee Choi shows many aspects of the boudoir culture; it reveals the phase of how women in Choson accepted and overcame numerous patriarchal systems and customs. In the society with strict ranks and classes maintained through matrimony system, food culture, and rigid disciplines and regulations of the married life, it was indispensible for women in Choson to have a great deal of mental pressure from them. Pregnancy and the respiration of lunar energy, besides, deteriorated the women's status into the mere means of family continuance. And the good reputation of virtue and chastity for women is the only alternative for them to convert their routine life into something of value and meaning. The facts above made them choose to live as miserable ones struggling for the high chaste reputation. Funeral rites in a patriarchal society are the cultural product with the power to bind up the family members. The death of Madam Cheong- Ahrn, the heroine in HONBOOL binds up all family members by overcoming the conflicts between the mother-in-law and. the daughter-in-law and between the nobles and the commons. In addition, HONBOOL describes various boudoir cultures showing nobility and grace of noble womenfolk such as tailoring and attire of dress or hair. HONBOOL by Myoung-Hee Choi plays a significant role in supplying the understanding of the boudoir culture in Korea, especially in Ho-Nahm province. In spite of its excellence, however, there is too strong nostalgia for the nobility in the story. Moreover, HONBOOL reveals its limitation in that it lacks the counterplot; the escape from the patriarchism and the violence of power. The re-creation of the excellent tradition of boudoir culture should be done through the creation of vigorous women history by the women taking independent and creative actions toward the world.