A Study on Novel Writing Theory during the Liberation Period : Focusing on Jung Bi-seok’s How to Write Novels and Lee Mu-young’s How to Write Novels

This study examines the theory of novel writing during the Liberation Period by focusing on Jeong Bi-seok's How to Write Novels and Lee Mu-young's How to Write Novels published in 1949. Although published simultaneously, these theories of novel had different aims. Jeong Bi-seok's How to Write Novels published in 1949, was free from ideological conflicts. However, the How to Write Novels published in 1953 did not have this ideological freedom. The names of left-wing writers were deleted, and examples of their works were replaced with those of right-wing writers. However, the true ideology of Jeong Bi-seok's How to Write Novels was not the conflict between left and right ideologies but the internalization of the consumer capitalist system. He perceived novels as commodities traded in the market. This emphasized the aspect of goods consumed according to reader’s tastes rather than the artistic aspect based on authorship in novels. Lee Mu-young's How to Write Novels was based on lectures delivered at Seoul National University. This transformed the creative field of novel writing into an academic field. Existing novels were discussed in terms of beauty or emotion. Lee Mu-young's How to Write Novels rearranged this into the dimensions of truth and science.: In addition, it targeted college students who were working diligently on their studies with a sense of mission for their country at the time. In this respect, Lee Mu-young's How to Write Novels expressed elitism and academism owing to which it emphasized truth and science rather than fun and interest in novels. Jeong Bi-seok's How to Write Novels and Lee Mu-yeong's How to Write Novels established concepts such as novel writing as a product and from the perspective of academism. Through this process, they laid the foundation for modern Korean literature. This study reveals one of the origins of contemporary Korean literature.