문화의 만남, 나의 체험적 ‘여행자 문학론’

Encounter with Culture, 'Traveller Literature Theory' According to My Own Experiences

이 글은 문화의 접촉을 주제로 한 여행자 문학론으로, 조선 시대에 중국을 오간 연행사(燕行使)의 여행기 가운데 3대 작품으로 평가되는 김창업(金昌業)의 ｢노가재연행록(老稼齋燕行錄)｣과 홍대용(洪大容)의 ｢을병연행록(乙丙燕行錄)｣. 박지원(朴趾源)의 ｢열하일기(熱河日記)｣를 비교하여 여행자의관심과 교양, 문화접촉의 양상을 논했다. 특히 문인화가로 그림에 열중한 김창업과 자연과학과 음악에 뛰어났던 홍대용과 문학에 뛰어난 박지원의 이문화 접촉과 이해를 비교하며, 조선 18세기의 북학파(北學派)의 여행자 문학론을 시도했다. 이처럼 다른 문화의 경험들에 대해서 여행가들이 쓴 여행기록, 일기 등을 문화의 접촉이란 관점으로 비교 해석한 업적들은 최근 비교학문이 이룩한 가장 중요한 발전으로 중시되고 있다. 수백년 동안 북경(北京)을 오간 연행의 오랜 역사 가운데서 18세기에 나온 이 세 여행가의 여행일기는 각각 ‘편년체(編年體)ㆍ기사체(記事體)ㆍ전기체(傳記体)라는 독특한 문체로 평가되고, 이문화이해의 미학적, 통합 과학적, 문명 비판적 관심과 글쓰기로 높이 평가를 받았다. 이것은 홍대용(洪大容,173183)의 철학소설, 의산문답(毉山問答)에 보이는 ’인물균(人物均) 사상‘(만물평등사상)’ 우주무한론(宇宙無限論)‘(무한우주론) ’역외춘추론(域外春秋論)‘(역사문명론)을 한 보기로 들더라도 조선 18세기 학문의 동아시아적 수준임을 확인할 수 있다.

This paper is a traveller literature theory with cultural contacts as its subject. And it discussed the aspects of the travellers' interests, refinement and cultural contacts by comparing with one another ｢Nogajae's Record of Diplomatic Visit to Beijing｣ by Kim, Changup, ｢The Record of Diplomatic Visit from 1765 to 1766 to Beijing｣ by Hong, Daeyong and ｢Rehe Journal｣ by Bak, Jiwon, which are evaluated to be the three major works among the travel records of the Korean diplomatic missions that visited China during the Choseon dynasty. We tried to establish the traveller literature theory of Bukhak school in the 18th century during the Choseon dynasty by comparing the cultural contacts and understandings of Kim, Changup who was enthusiastic about drawing as a writerpainter, Hong, Daeyong who was excellent in natural science and music and Bak, Jiwon who was distinguished in literature. Such accomplishments to compare and interpret the travel records and journals on the intercultural experiences from the viewpoint of cultural contacts are being valued as the most crucial development which the comparative literature achieved recently. The travel journals of these three travellers, which were written in the 18th century in the long history of the diplomatic visits to Beijing for several hundred years, are well known for their unique styles of respectively being in chronological style, in descriptive style and biographical style, and they are also highly evaluated for their interests of aestheticism, unified scientific approach and criticism on civilization as well as their writing abilities in understanding other cultures. We can use as an example the philosophical novel, ｢Questions and Answers on Mountain Ishan｣ by Hong, Daeyong(178183), which contains the 'idea that all humans are equal' (the idea that everything is equal), the theory that the universe is limitless' (the theory of the universe being limitless) and 'Yeokoi Chunchu Theory', which argues for the idea that every nation is equal (theory of history and civilization), and it confirms the fact that the level of the scholarship of Choseon in the 18th century was as high as that of any other country in East Asia.