Women in Pak Kyongni's Early Literature of the 1950s

Talk by Cristina Bahón Arnaiz, Ph.D., assistant professor, Centro de Estudios de Asia Oriental (Center for East Asian Studies), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

This session will focus on the analysis of two recurring types of female protagonists in Pak Kyongni's early literature: war widows and unmarried women, with particular emphasis on the former.

In contrast to many male writers of the period, Pak presents a more complex portrayal of women’s experiences. Drawing on a theoretical framework of archetypes and feminist criticism, the session will examine how these figures are constructed and reconfigured within the socio-cultural context of postwar Korea.