The Grief Process of the Kkaturi in Jangkkijeon : Focusing on the “Dual Process Model”

This study aims to analyze the grief process of Kkaturi, who loses her husband in Jangkkijeon, using the “Dual Process Model,” to explore the significance of her grief. The Dual Process Model is a methodological framework that captures the complexity and dynamic changes within the mourner, seeing grief as a process of coping with various stresses arising from bereavement. This model addresses not only the stress caused by bereavement itself but also the difficulties encountered in the process of recovery and rebuilding one’s life after bereavement. The Dual Process Model does not view grief as a linear progression from bereavement to restoration or simply a return to reality, but as a dynamic process involving coping with stress related to both bereavement and restoration. This process manifests as an oscillation between the two dimensions, allowing for a deeper understanding of the mourner's complex internal psychological state. Jangkkijeon is a work centered on the bereavement of a spouse and Kkaturi begins her grief from the moment her mate, Jangkki is caught in a trap. Initially, she falls into grief and despair, responding to the bereavement with by focusing on the bereavement itself. However, as she shifts to a restoration-oriented approach, she gradually begins to concentrate more on her remaining life rather than on her husband's death. The resilience she gains through this grief process plays a crucial role in helping her overcome sorrow and restore her daily life. Resilience helps Kkaturi navigate the crises and adapt to change, allowing her to return to her routine life. While the household is disrupted by Jangkki’s death, Kkaturi acquires resilience through the grief process, enabling her to overcome grief. Additionally, presence of suitors reminds her that she still possesses productive abilities and sexual desires. Through her interactions with them, she begins to change her self-awareness. Her rejection of the suitors' proposals demonstrates the confidence she gains from resilience, showing that she can choose the life she desires. This highlights how resilience has become a force that allows her to take control of her life. By choosing to remarry a widowed Jangkki, Kkaturi embraces a new life and fully restores her daily life. From the perspective of the grief process, her decision to remarry can be seen as resulting from resilience, a choice that reflects the direction she wishes to take in her life.