Abstract

This paper is intended to clarify that witness narratives on women in 1920s contribute to "otherize" women. One of the subject matters, which is frequently found in literary works written in 1920s, is that a male character shadows and steals a glance at and witness a female character. As the result of this witness, a female character becomes rated as a negative body. What a male character witnesses is a female character's loose sexual relationship or her exceptional concept of sex. But the problem is that the contents of his witness is not true but reorganized through his sexual fantasy. A male character regards the body of a female character as the body filled with sexual desire. He thinks that her sexual desire is superfluous, if that desire does not belong to him and flows to another man. If a female character continues to refuse him, he concludes that she lacks her sexual desire. By these ratings, a female character rising to be a sexual subject becomes otherized. While the former is exemplified in Mulberry Leaves by Na, Do-Hyang, the latter is exemplified in Dormitory Inspector, B, and Love Letter by Hyun, Jin-Gun. As illustrated in these two novels, the contents of witness is not a modern means of recognition based on some facts. Rather, it is a mechanism invented by a witnessing male character in order to occupy the place of subject. That is, witness is very likely to be an alibi posing as a factual recognition, which can be used in distinguishing the subject.