Abstract

Byeongangsoega and Dendongeomiwhajeonga are juxtaposed due to their similar narrative involving a female character who experiences the repeated loss of her husband and subsequent involvement with a new partner. This study focuses on the narratives of Ongnyeo in Byeongangsoega and Dendong-eomi in Dendongeomiwhajeonga, and compares them from a new angle, moving beyond hierarchical evaluations of them and considering more various dimensions. First, an examination of the women’s relationships with their respective communities shows that the disparities between Ongnyeo and Dendong-eomi do not stem solely from their respective “inclinations” but are closely tied to the “conditions” that contextualize them. Their conditions are intricately intertwined with the aesthetics of the text as well: the aesthetics of discomfort in Byeongangsoega and the aesthetics of harmony in Dendongeomiwhajeonga. It is because these aesthetics are closely linked to whether a female character who experiences the repeated loss of her husband and then remarries—in other words, one who deviates from the social norms of the late Joseon period—is excluded from the community or not. Building upon this analysis, this study seeks to reposition Byeongangsoega and Den dongeomiwhajeonga as significant sites for contemplating the literary representation of the boundary of the community.