Voice against Social Taboos: Re-reading The Descendants of Cain (1954) and Sunlight, Moonlight (1964) from the Perspective of World Literature

Abstract

This paper examines The Descendants of Cain (1954) and Sunlight, Moonlight (1964) by Hwang Sunwŏn (1915-2000) from the perspective of world literature. He intertextualized and rewrote his Japanese predecessor’s fiction works with the same title, “Descendants of Cain” by Arishima Takeo (1878-1923) and The Broken Commandment by Shimazaki Tōson (1872-1943), by addressing the issue of land reform in prewar North Korea and social discrimination in industrialized South Korea in 1960s, respectively. The theme of his novel, breaking taboos and obtaining freedom, distinguishes Hwang from his predecessors in the field of world literature studies. The term “influence” can be supplanted by the concept of “intertextuality” for transnational and transcultural comparative research. This study attempts to apply the term ‘intertextuality’ in order to prevent any misinterpretations of the concept of influence, particularly in relation to the potential hierarchy between influencing and influenced. By analyzing the texts of Hwang Sunwŏn, Arishima Takeo, and Shimazaki Tōson employing both close reading and distant reading techniques, we can gain insight into Hwang’s emphasis on taboo-breaking themes and his contribution to world literature studies. This article also emphasizes the importance of considering the format that Franco Moretti discusses in “Conjectures on World Literature.” Moretti suggests that modern novel is comprised of a triangle: “foreign plot; local characters; and then, local narrative voice” (65). “Local narrative voice” can be explained by Hwang Sunwŏn’s interest in the taboo motif. He continues to break the taboos and thematizes the issue of freedom versus ideology, and he further interrogates the problems of the legacy of Confucianism and newly adapted capitalism. His works are an example for the study of world literature of how the motif of violating taboos can function as a narrative tradition, demonstrating the boundless will of human freedom.