본 글의 목적은 박경리 토지와 최명희 혼불의 서사에 등장하는 한국의 음식문화를 어떻게 의미화 시킬 것인가에 두었다. 두 작품에서는 음식문화와 관련된 서사가 비중 있게 등장하고 있음에도 불구하고 이에 대한주목은 거의 이루어지지 못했다. 이에 본 글에서는 두 작품의 서사를 통하여 한국의 음식문화를 의미화하고자 시도하였다. 최명희 대하장편소설 혼불 에서는 매안 이씨 핏줄 지키기를 위협하는 하층 민중들의 음식문화를 파악할 수 있으며, 하층 민중들이 상층 주체를 비난하고 몰락을 예언하는 지점에서 하층 민중들의 음식문화가 작동하고 있다. 나아가 혼불 의 상층 주체 매안 이씨들은 음식문화를 통해 구분짓기를 하고 있다. 혼불 의 서사를 통해보면, 당시 조선 상층 주체들이 보여주는 한국의 음식 문화는 죽은 조상을 추모하기보다 예의와 격식에 의해 차려진 제사상에 더 의미를 두며 이분법을 발휘하고 있는 향벽설위(向壁設位)로 의미화 되고 있다. 박경리 대하장편소설 토지의 주인물 최서희는 평사리 토지 되찾기 과업을 수행하는데 있어 자신을 도와 줄 연대를 형성한다. 바로 이 지점에서 상층 주체들의 민중관을 통하여 하층 민중들의 음식문화가 드러나고 있다. 또한 전쟁이 확대되는 토지 의 후반 서사에서는 조선의 젊은 생명을 향한 밥먹이기가 한국 고유 사상 동학(東學)의 향아설위(向我設位)로 연결되어 의미화 되고 있다. 결국, 박경리 토지 와 최명희 혼불 의 대서사를 통하여 죽은 사람을 위한 예(禮) 향벽설위와 살아있는 민중들이 음식의 주체가 되는 즉 ‘나’와 조상, ‘나’와 세계가 한 생명이 되는 항아설위가 한국의 음식문화 저층에 작동하고 있음을 파악할 수 있다.
The purpose of this study was to clarify what the identity is in food culture of Korea that is suggested through Park, Kyeung-lee``s 『Toji』 and Choi, Myeung-hyee``s Honbul , and to what its semantic mapping is pointing in each narration. A comparative research between 『Toji』 and 『Honbul』 has been discussed with the focus on Jongbu(宗婦) consciousness, traditional rite, family-history novel type, and changing femininity. The semantic mapping related to Korean food is importantly appearing in two works. Yet, the attention to this has rarely paid. Accordingly, this study developed a consideration on what the food culture of Korea is that is being embodied according to the central axis of narration in Park, Kyeung-lee``s Toji and Choi, Myeung-hyee``s 『Honbul』 and on what it activates and how it is signified. In Chapter 2, it grasped Choi, Myeung-hyee``s Honbul by having the central axis of narration as preserving blood in the head family house of the Maean Lee clan, and Park, Kyeung-lee``s 『Toji』 by having the central axis of narration as regaining land for the House of Choi Champan(崔參判宅) in Pyeongsa-ri that was lost by Jo Jun-gu. Hence, it analyzed which meaning the Korean food is deriving in the central axis of its narration. In 『Honbul』 it examined that the solidarity of blood is being festivalized through the devotion and the complexity in Korean food of appearing in a wedding scene of Gangmo and Hyowon, which is a ritual for proceeding with keeping blood of the head family. Additionally in 『Toji』 it could know that Seo Hui, who succeeded to her father Chi Su``s idea of the populace, is proceeding with forming the power of solidarity who will help herself while distributing crops in a storeroom of the House of Choi Champan. In Chapter 3, it discussed about the food culture of Korea that is positioned at the point of inflection in the central axis of the narration as saying of regaining land in Pyeongsa-ri of 『Toji』 and of preserving blood in the Maean Lee clan of 『Honbul』 In the narration of『Honbul』 , it figured out the food culture of Korea that is situated at the point of inflection to keep blood as the central axis. It was understood in a part of predicting a collapse while the main agents of the lower class criticize the main agents of the upper class, which aim to distinguish own sphere with food, through food. In 『Toji』, another solidarity is proceeding with being made while Seo Hui, who went a long way for recovering the land for the House of Choi Champan in Pyeongsa-ri, comes back to her hometown Pyeongsa-ri. The food culture of Korea is being positioned just at the point of its inflection. In regaining the land of Pyeongsa-ri, young people in Joseon are placed at the point of inflection that advances to the solidarity of the people in Joseon, which supports the young life in Joseon. In Chapter 4, it was concerned about as which meaning a situation of Korean food culture can be valued that was discussed in the narrations of 『Toji』 and 『Honbul』 This worry was led to a work of valuing the food culture of Korea through the Dong-hak thought(東學 思想), which is being newly recognized as a root of Korea``s life thought while being recently expanded an interest in environment and life. Especially in the food culture of Korea here, it paid more attention to at which context the food is situated, than food itself. Accordingly, the food culture of Kore, which was considered through the narrations of Toji and Honbul , was elicited to have been able to be divided into Hyangbyeokseolwi(向壁設位) in the main agent of differentiating in the upper class, and Hyangaseolwi(向我設位) of advancing to feeding the young life in Joseon. The aspect in the food culture of Korea, which was shown in the narrations of Toji and Honbul , could be ultimately found in Hyangbyeokseolwi(向壁設位) of distinguishing, which tries to proceed with keeping blood, and Hyangaseolwi(向我設位) of advancing to the joint life in the whole people of Joseon.