Lee Gwang-soo’s Biographical Writing and Strategies of Self-Narration : Focusing on Dosan Ahn Chang-ho & My Confession

In Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, written after liberation at the request of the Heungsadan, Lee Kwang-su not only records the life and thoughts of Dosan but also seeks a vision for his autobiographical writing through this work. By attempting to “identify” with Ahn Changho through the intersections or similarities with his own life, or by embellishing Ahn’s thoughts from a subjective perspective, Lee overlaps his own narrative onto Dosan’s story. This paper focuses on Lee Kwang-su's self-narration in Dosan Ahn Changho, examining how he uses another person's life as material for his autobiographical writing. It will also discuss how Lee inscribes himself into the biography of Ahn Changho and what kind of self-portrait he ultimately aimed to depict through Ahn’s life, comparing this with his own autobiographical works.