Abstract

'The Symbol of Evil' as a Method of Literary Study Park Sang-Min This thesis deals with 'the Symbol of Evil' as a Method of Literary Study. The main premise of this study is that a literary works is a useful device to perceive the negative existence of evil by providing narrative and symbolic resources. In that sense, this thesis analyzes the destruction of sex-related taboo. Destroying taboo represents the 'Stain' that Paul Ricoeur saw as the first symbol of evil. His perspective is based on the belief that any stain will pay the price eventually. However, it is an unreasonable justification from examining the agony to avoid it. On the bases of this discuss, this thesis research for 'the symbol of Evil' in Park Kyung-Ni's Toji(土地). Because Toji(土地) shows a model of 'the symbol of Evil' on modern literary narrative. The main character that destroys sex-related taboo is Kim Hwan. He lured his sister-in-law and ran away, and the catastrophe of Choichampan Familly started from that incident. Kim Hwan is the center of obscene behaviors in this book, but he does not have any image of a villain. He is only a sympathetic character that struggles to overcome the pain. Even though he plays a role of diabolic incubus with his father, Kim Gae-Ju, the narrator embellishes him. The conflict between the romantic description of adultery and the tragic death is the most important symbol of evil in Toji(土地), which demolishes the erroneous justification of taboo.