은유 표현을 통해 본 신여성의 사회적 위치

Social position of 'New Women' －The using with the concept of cognitive linguistic metaphor－

The objective of this study is to find metaphorical expressions related to New Women in Sinyeoseong and to examine how New Women were perceived in those days. As a result of change in society system, women in the early 20th century were different from those in the previous ages. That is, with the transition from the feudal system to modern society in Korea, many changes have occurred in the traditional position, role and status of women. The role of women as a power group who can save the country from crises was emphasized and, as a result, women freed themselves from the boundary of their home, which had been the traditional space of their life. While women were educated and awakened repeatedly and looked for new ways of achieving freedom and liberation, the society made efforts to return women to their traditional womanly image. In the middle of this conflict, women who tried to get freedom and social position could not help experiencing frustration. This study proved the reality through metaphors. Sinyeoseong advocated women's liberation, free marriage, and the import of new trends of thoughts through its editorials, but it was only an ideal and women in realities were still “Old Women" confined in the boundary of traditional home. Women's position as such was not different from the metaphor of gisaengs from whom new women themselves drew a line, and the metaphor proves that new women were not a principal axis of modernization but remained in the position as an object of commercial trade and under slavery. Accordingly, in the social order in the middle of transition from feudal society to modern society, women's role was not changed from their traditional position as a wise and charm attendant for men, but served men merely in a new way fit for the new social order.