Representation of Body Empathy for Pain in Korean Classical Novels : Focusing on Sukhyangjeon as a primary case

Novels are a literary genre that considers the formation of empathy as an important internal and external motivating force. This study examines the method and meaning of the representation of body empathy in Korean classical novels by paying particular attention to the phenomenon in which the pain of and empathy for characters are embodied at the physical level. The human body has not only “finitude” and “vulnerability” but also has “active agency,” and these dual attributes of the body play a role in provoking empathy between humans and maximizing its effects. The keyword “body empathy” in this study means sharing the feelings or consciousness of others through the body as a medium. Body empathy for the pain of the main character in Korean classical novels appears actively in other characters or the narrator, especially in popular novels from the late Joseon Dynasty, such as Sukhyangjeon in the late 17C. Therefore, this study examines how body empathy for a character’s pain is embodied in those novels, focusing on Sukhyangjeon and comparing it with Sohyeonseongrok and Sukyeongnangjajeon in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 of this study discusses the significance and limitations of the representation of body empathy in these novels. Through this process, this study clarifies one of the main methods by which Korean classical novels fostered empathy among readers of that time. Furthermore, it provides an opportunity to gain insight into the potential when body empathy is used in contemporary narratives and what areas we should be aware of.