이 논문은 <李生窺墻傳>이 만남과 이별이 세 차례 지속된다는 점에 착안하여 그 중층성이 갖는 문학적 의미에 대해 탐구했다.
첫째, ‘만남이별’의 단계적 변화와 그 의미에 대해 살폈다. 먼저, 제1차 만남이별에서는 그 만남이 등장인물의 기질에 따라 비대칭성을 이루며 진행되었다. 소심한 남자와 대범한 여자, 열정에 그친 남자와 거기에 더하여 결심/헌신으로 나아가는 여자가 만나, 서로의 간극을 좁히는 데는 실패하고 마는 대목이다. 다음으로, 두 번째 만남과 이별에서는 개인의 기질을 넘어 그들의 생장 환경에 따라 만들어진 성격이 문제가 되는데, 특히 가문과 가문의 문제가 드러나면서, 富貴榮華를 누려온 최랑 집안과 한미한 이생 집안이 지향점을 달리하면서 긴장이 조성되었다. 마침내 전란을 만나 국가간의 문제로 확대되면서 파국을 맞는데, 이생이 절의를 위해 목숨을 버림으로써 종적을 감춘 이생과의 어긋남이 더욱 극심해졌다. 끝으로, 세 번째 만남과 이별은 앞의 두 차례 만남과 이별에서 보여준 등장인물의 행보가 뒤바뀌는 양상이다. 혼령으로 다시 나타난 최랑이 이별을 고하자 이생이 막고 나서는 형국이 되어 그간의 비대칭성을 깨고 대칭적인 사랑을 일구어낸다.
둘째, 중층성과 소설에서의 긴장에 대해 살폈다. <李生窺墻傳>에서 ‘만남이별’은 다양한 층위에서 만남과 이별이 이루어지면서 맨 아래층부터 위층으로 차곡차곡 포개나감으로써 독특한 서사 구조물이 완성되어나갔다. 또, 소설에서 한 사건이 서로 다른 방향을 지향하면서 서로 맞설 때 긴장이 이루어지는데, 중층성과 어우러져 소설적 응집력과 완결성이 커졌다. 이를 통해 볼 때, <李生窺墻傳>은 최랑의 입장에서나 이생의 입장에서 사랑의 성취라는 공동목표를 향해 나아가는 과정으로서 자리매김할 수 있게 되는 것이다.
This paper did research on literary meaning of the quality of the multi-layer by observing that in <Leesaenggyujangjeon>, meeting and parting continue three times.
First, this paper looked into the phased change of 'Meeting-Parting' and its meaning. First, the first meeting-parting was in progress while forming asymmetry according to the disposition and the line of love pursued by character. The story is that a timid man and a free-hearted woman-a man who just ended up in passion and on top of that a woman, who pushes herself with determination/dedication, meet, and for some period of time, the man and woman get together as they have passion in common, but they fail to bridge the gap between the man and woman after all. In addition, both of them come to be exposed to a situation where 'Meeting-Parting' begins from an individual and their meeting is linked to family problems.
Next, in the second 'Meeting-Parting', a problem was their personality which was made according to their growth environment beyond an individual disposition. In addition, as the problem of family is uncovered, tension was created when Choi Rang family, which has enjoyed wealth and honor, and Lee, Saeng family, which is poor with low social standing, differed from each other in their directing point. At last, as the war broke out, their problem was enlarged to the problem between countries, causing both to face debacle which was impossible to go over through the strength of an individual or family; Choi Rang's mismatch with Lee Saeng, who disappeared by throwing away his life to the cause of fidelity, got extreme.
Lastly, in the third 'Meeing-Parting' the move shown by the two characters in previous two-time 'Meeting-Parting' was reversed. Choi Rang who re-appeared in spirit of the dead said good-bye to Lee, Saeng, Lee Saeng flatly blocked her intention. Consequently, the man and woman broke their asymmetry all this while and managed to achieve symmetric love. In addition, with the appearance of the surrealistic world, their relations are enlarged up to even a problem of destiny.
Second, this paper looked into the quality of the multi-layer and tension in the novel. 'Meeting-Parting' in <Leesaenggyujangjeon> assumes the quality of the multi-layer means that a unique narrative structure is completed by stacking 'Meeting-Parting' from the bottom floor to the uppermost floor neatly while 'meeting & parting' take place on various layers. In addition, when an event is facing each other aiming for mutually different direction in a novel, there forms a tension, which is mingled with the quality of multi-layer, causing fictitious cohesiveness and completion to run high.
Like this, <Leesaenggyujangjeon>is worth understanding the process of the two main characters' going toward the joint goal of achievement of love; through this paradoxically, this work comes to get established as a tragic, but romantic love story with the message that meeting can be achieved through parting.