이 논문은 고전소설의 쇠퇴 양상에 대한 관심의 일환으로, <양기손전>의 남성 주인공 형상화에 주목하였다. <양기손전>은 작가 및 창작 시기는 미상으로, 19세기 말에서 20세기 초에 유통되었을 것으로 추정되는 작품이다. 19세기 중반 경 창작되었을 것으로 추정되는 <게우사>와 <이춘풍전>, 그리고 19세기 말 20세기 초에 유통된 <양기손전>은 소위 한량이라고 지칭되는 인물들을 주인공으로 하고 있다. 이들 작품은 도시 유흥문화 및 사회상 등 19세기 조선 사회의 한 특징을 잘 반영하고 있어 19세기 소설사를 살피는 대상으로 적합할 것으로 판단된다.
그런데 <양기손전>의 남성 주인공 양기손은 고전소설 속 한량의 전형적 예인 무숙이나 이춘풍과도 차별화되는 지점이 있어 흥미롭다. 한량형 인물이 재현된 작품에 주목하는 까닭은 조선 후기 유흥 문화와 한량과의 관계 때문이며, 조선 후기 서울이나 평양을 중심으로 한 유흥문화는 양반이 주도하는 문화가 아니라 중인이 주도하는 문화라는 점에서 그 문화사적 의미를 찾을 수 있을 것으로 기대하기 때문이다. 이는 양반이 주도하던 조선이라는 사회에서 중인 중심의 유흥문화가 대안적 성격의 문화적 힘을 온축하거나 파생해 내면서, 쇠퇴해 가던 19세기 조선의 새로운 가능성으로 기능할 수 있는가 하는 관심사와 맞물려 있는 것이기도 하다.
조선 후기의 소비적인 기방 유흥의 한복판에 있었던 무숙이나 이춘풍은 철저한 자기반성을 통해 개과를 한다. 양기손은 이들의 바로 뒤를 잇는 한량형 인물일 수 있는데, 무숙이나 이춘풍과는 달리 양기손의 유흥 서사는 자기 자신에게 솔직해질 기회조차 마련하지 못 한다. 늘 자신의 욕망에만 충실했던 이기적인 그는 처에게도, 자식들에게도 또 첩에게도 그 어떤 책임도 지지 않는 가장인 셈이다. <양기손전>의 한량 이미지는 이렇듯 자기기만적이고 허위적인 결말로 귀결되면서 이 작품은 그 서사적 긴장을 놓치고 만다. 조선 후기에 새롭게 등장하는 인물 유형일 수 있는 남성 한량형 인물은 양기손에 이르러 그 모색의 전망이 차단되고 마는데, <양기손전>에서 보이는 무기력한 결말 양상은 시대 배경과도 관련되어 있을 것으로 보이며 동시에 고전소설 쇠퇴 요인의 하나가 되었을 것으로 추정된다.
Yangkisonjeon, remaining anonymous, is a novel which is estimated to have been distributed in the late 19th century or the early 20th century. Researchers have found five different kinds of its manuscripts.
The past research have focused on a special feature of Yangkisonjeon related to the conflict between wife and concubine, regarding it as a "family novel(家庭小說)". In a typical family novel, the main conflict arises out of the tension between wife and concubine, or stepmother and her stepson/stepdaughter. However, in Yangkisonjeon, such conflicts do not exist anywhere even though those characters all appear in this novel. Thus, the previous studies have concentrated on this strange feature; 'conflictlessness'.
Certainly, if the novel is missing a distinctive feature and the feature seems to be very probable in the genre, one needs to consider the reason of its omission. However, expecting conflicts simply according to the appearance of wife and concubine represents the current researcher's interests or attitudes. Rather, it is suspected that the author of Yangkisonjeon is not interested in any kinds of conflicts at the outset. As a result of scrutinizing Yangkisonjeon, it is proved that the work's main concern is the embodiment of the main character, Yang-Kison.
Defined as a "dissolute" person at the very first part of the novel, Yang-Kison has left his wife and children in extreme poverty giving himself up to indulgence in concubine. Characterization of Yang-Kison in this novel reminds of representative dilettante(閑良) male characters of late Chosun dynasty novel, such as characters from Kewoosa(戒友詞) or Leechunpungjeon(李春風傳). Both born rich, Kewoosa's Musuk and Leechunpungjeon's Lee-Chunpung have squandered all of family's property on the house of Gisaeng(妓房), putting aside of their wife and children. They also show similiarities that they both clean up their prodigal life with a great support of wife or concubine.
Here, we can find the proper methodology of analyzing Yangkisonjeon: not simply classifying it as a family novel, but as a novel whose main character is a dilettante. Therefore, comparing Yangkisonjeon with other novels dealing with dilettante male characters can explain the reason of 'conflictlessness' in this novel. Novels dealing with dilettante male characters tend to be without conflict caused by wife and concubine. Also, in this kinds of novels, main characters show no mercies or interests to their wives and children. In this context, Yangkisonjeon can be understood more deeply. Moreover, focusing on its own variation of such novels will expand and deepen the meaning of Yangkisonjeon.
The late Chosun entertainment culture has been developed rapidly with Seoul or Pyongyang as the center. It is monumental in the cultural history that the main agent of late Chosun entertainment culture is not a high class(兩班), but a middle class people(中人). This is also related to whether a new possibility of changing culture could arise during the late 19c Chosun dynasty, which was declining, suggesting an alternative: diversion from high class driven cultures to the middle class driven cultures.
Late Chosun novels pay attention to the dilettante male character, because a dilettante is the very person who has experienced the alternative culture. Destiny of the dilettante male character is closely related to that of late Chosun culture. The dilettante shows negative aspects, but he is at least energetic at some point because he squanders all his money and life only for his sensual pleasure. His energy, if converted, can be functioned positively, providing a new vitality. For example, Kewoosa's Musuk and Leechunpungjeon's Lee-Chunpung were in the middle of consumptive culture, the house of Gisaeng(妓房), but they finally get to the self-reflection which drives them to the total conversion in a good way. Yang-Kison succeeds Musuk and Lee-Chunpung as a dilettante character, so his final decision attracts attention, as well as how entertainment culture works in his life and the novel.
However, Yang-Kison's decision is rather disappointing. Entertainment culture does not have any influence on his life. The story ends up with his return to home, only depending on the patriarchal prestige. Different from Musuk and Lee-Chunpung, his entertainment narrative has never allowed him a chance to reflect himself. Always has been full of his own desire, he remains irresponsible and selfish after all. Yangkisonjeon loses its narrative tension as the image of the dilettante character results in self-deception. The potential power of the new character in the late Chosun, a dilettante character, has been blocked in Yangkisonjeon's era, and it is relevant to the fact that this novel is written and distributed in the declining era of the classic novel.
