說에 나타난 동물에 대한 인식과 문학적 형상

The Animals Awareness and Literary Imagery of the Seol(說)

The Seol explains the subject through various subject matters. Therefore, examining the awareness and literary imagery of subject matters in the work reveals the purpose and literary value of the Seol. In this paper, in 122 works, we examined the types of animals and aspects of the works in the Seol. As a result, three aspects were revealed. First, animals are given social roles. Second, it is the case that the animal sets the example of morality. Third, empathy for animals is emphasized. The Seol has the following characteristics. The Seol has taken livestock, worms, and insects as subject matters, which are common in the real world. Only 3% of all Seols were made with imaginary animals as subject matters. The Seol is about realizing the truth of life using everyday materials. Thus, there is no need to stimulate our imagination or to use mysterious animals as subject matters. In addition, in the Seol, animals are set as literary symbols, but in some cases, the author’s experiences and insights about animals are revealed.