An Analytical Psychology Approach to Modern Korean and Japanese Novels —A Comparative Study of Endo Shusaku’s Scandal and Park Bum-shin’s Eungyo —

This study comparatively examines Endo Shusaku’s Scandal and Park Bum-shin’s Eungyo from the perspective of C. G. Jung’s analytical psychology. Both novels depict elderly writers confronting aging and desire through encounters with young women; however, their protagonists recognize the Shadow and proceed through individuation in distinct ways. The study first analyzes the relationships between the elderly protagonists and younger male characters as manifestations of the Shadow. It then examines the young female characters as Anima figures who awaken the protagonists’ lost vitality and lead them toward the unconscious. Finally, it compares the symbolic meanings of records, spaces, and endings to reveal how the two novels represent aging, desire, and death. Yi Jeok-yo ultimately fails to integrate his Shadow, exposing the possibility of failed individuation, while his death suggests a symbolic transition toward the integration of the ego and the Self. In contrast, Suguro accepts the Shadow as part of himself and continues the unfinished process of individuation. Although the two novels present different outcomes, both construct a psychological narrative that moves from the ego, through the Shadow and Anima, toward the Self.

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Publication Details

Journal
Center for Japanese Studies Chung-ang University
Published
2026-08-19
DOI
https://doi.org/10.20404/jscau.2026.08.65.121
Primary Topic
Japanese History and Culture
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

An Analytical Psychology Approach to Modern Korean and Japanese Novels —A Comparative Study of Endo Shusaku’s Scandal and Park Bum-shin’s Eungyo —

Eun-young Kim
Center for Japanese Studies Chung-ang University
Japanese History and Culture
article

An Analytical Psychology Approach to Modern Korean and Japanese Novels —A Comparative Study of Endo Shusaku’s Scandal and Park Bum-shin’s Eungyo —

Eun-young Kim
article en

Abstract

This study comparatively examines Endo Shusaku’s Scandal and Park Bum-shin’s Eungyo from the perspective of C. G. Jung’s analytical psychology. Both novels depict elderly writers confronting aging and desire through encounters with young women; however, their protagonists recognize the Shadow and proceed through individuation in distinct ways. The study first analyzes the relationships between the elderly protagonists and younger male characters as manifestations of the Shadow. It then examines the young female characters as Anima figures who awaken the protagonists’ lost vitality and lead them toward the unconscious. Finally, it compares the symbolic meanings of records, spaces, and endings to reveal how the two novels represent aging, desire, and death. Yi Jeok-yo ultimately fails to integrate his Shadow, exposing the possibility of failed individuation, while his death suggests a symbolic transition toward the integration of the ego and the Self. In contrast, Suguro accepts the Shadow as part of himself and continues the unfinished process of individuation. Although the two novels present different outcomes, both construct a psychological narrative that moves from the ego, through the Shadow and Anima, toward the Self.

Center for Japanese Studies Chung-ang UniversityVol. 65
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Japanese History and Culture
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