Week 4 Project Action Plan: Attitudes towards Ch'un-Hyang

“From a piece of fiction (short story, section of novel, or a play) choose a female character on whom to focus, and create a project that discusses some of the following questions: “What is the author’s attitude towards her? (how can you tell?) What is your attitude towards her?  How do (at least 2) other characters view her?  How does she view herself?”

Piece of work I have chosen: “The Song of Ch’un-Hyang” (74-89)

Basic Information:

·         Pansori-storytelling in musical form, involves song

·         Author unknown

·         Date of composition unknown

·         Ch’un-Hyang means: Scent of Spring

·         Is a Complex Love Story

·         Struggle of one woman

·         Teaches a lesson

·         She contradicts values of the elite  *important*

Author’s attitude towards her:

·         It is hard to tell what the author’s attitude towards her is since we don’t know who the author is but we can tell somewhat through the way they describes Ch’un-Hyang and through the way she stays persistent on sticking by her chastity and love.

·         Maybe the author views her as a beautiful woman struggling through a time of being away from her man and struggling with society and what other people want of her.

·         The author is trying to prove a point through this stubborn, beautiful, faithful character.

My attitude towards her:

·         I see her as persistent in love

·         Faithful

·         Ex: “On heart undivided, faithful to one husband, one punishment before one year is over, but for one moment I will not change” (84)

·         Strong for sticking through the beatings

·         Knowledgeable of Confucian duties

·         In opinion, I like this character because she is very strong and I get this sense of woman femininity from her when it comes to other men wanting to obtain while she is in love. This is also because she stuck by her ideals throughout the play. She has a strong-head on her shoulders.

The governor’s view of her:

·         Thinks she is very beautiful

·         Sees her more as an object

·         Lusts after her

·         Because he was rejected, he demanded she be beaten: Pg. 83

How chief Kisaeng views her:

·         Sees her as someone who may get her in trouble/a way to get out of trouble

·         Pretty much thinks Ch’un-Hyang shoulder obey people in higher positions no matter the girls ideals

·         Ex: “Come on, Ch’un-hyang, do as you are told! I’m as constant as you are! I’m as chaste as you are! Why are you making such a fuss about being chaste and faithful? Just for the sake of your virtue, you pretty little miss, the whole yamen is in trouble and everybody is likely to lose his job” (81).

How she views herself:

·         She thinks she should stick to her faithfulness and chastity

·         She says: ‘Even a mighty man like Meng Ben could not wrest me from determination to stay a faithful wife and keep the oath...” (82). She sees herself as so in love and faithful that her heart cannot be moved by even the mightiest of men.

·         Stubborn in love

I will use this outline to form my project submission. Each section will have a paragraph of its own. This would be including basic information, but the views of 2 other characters may or may not be a combined paragraph. I may also add another characters view just to add a better perception of this female character and the many views others have on her. I plan to create an understanding of this female character purpose in the author’s ideas. Especially because the author is unknown, this may be a challenge.

"The Song of Ch’un-Hyang". The Norton Anthology World Literature, Third Edition, Vol. D. Martin Puchner. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. Pages 74-89. Fairfield Medium with the display set in Aperto.