16-17세기 生辰祭 文學 독해법 초탐: 非禮와 人情의 길항

초록

This study analyzes the literature of Saengsinje(birthday memorial rites) from the 16th to 17th centuries, viewing it as a unique literary phenomenon arising from the conflict between the norm of Birye(ritual impropriety) and the emotion of Injeong(human sentiment). By categorizing the literary strategies of writers who confronted the tension between norms and emotions, this study aimed to present an analytical method for interpreting this body of work. From this perspective, the literary responses employed by contemporary writers could be categorized into three main patterns. First, the strategy of justification secured the legitimacy of Saengsinje through a philosophical logic that defended Injeong as a form of moral righteousness(Uiri). Next, the strategy of evasion showed a response that avoided criticism by shifting the time and space of the rite’s performance to the author’s own birthday, a non-controversial occasion. Finally, the strategy of transcendence foregrounded the absolute nature of sorrow, which rendered the ritual debate itself meaningless. The discovery of these three strategies makes it clear that the literature of Saengsinje is not a mere record of custom. This study sought to argue that the very process of writers seeking solutions through literature without succumbing to norms, amidst the antagonism between norms and emotions, is what formed the unique literary genre of Saengsinje literature.

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