Analysis of "The Song of Chunhyang"
One of Korea's most popular and beloved folktales is The Song of Chunhyang. The majority of Koreans regard it as a remarkable love tale with a plot about a devoted wife to her husband. The manifestation of love that is seen in this fabled tale takes the shape of a song. This formal response essay will analyze some of the song's most crucial elements with a primary emphasis on the story of Chunhyang.
Chunhyang's Background
A young woman named Chunhyang resides in Namwom village in the Joseon country. Her mother felt like a pauper before she was born because it took her so long to get pregnant. The fact that she could not bear a child made her go to the mountains to pray for a child after her husband permitted her for that. After prayers, she received a dream revealing to her that she will bear a daughter (Yi 8).
Meeting Mong Yong
In the story, there is also a character called Mong Yong who comes from a wealthy family, he is the son of a governor. He is respectful and very confident and based on these qualities he has his father's deep love and passion. He lives in the same village with Chunhyang. During the Tano festival, the two meet for the first time and fell in love at first sight. He sends Valet, his servant, to seek the girl and ask her to pay him a visit. After some failed attempts, he tells Valet to figure out the girl's home. Finally, the two met, and Mong Yong got the opportunity to express his love and devotion to the lady. The relationship was later openly approved by Chunhyang's mother. The approval happened after she was convinced that their status difference would not bring any gap (Yi 11). Chunhyang also honors the request and finally falls in love with Mong. She is pledged to be married after Mong passes his exams and comes back from the state. She sticks to this plan to the extent of going to prison because of the promise. Later Yong Mong returned with a title just as he had promised he married her.
Themes of Loyalty and Respect
Considering the nature of the story in this song, one of the most important themes is loyalty. Loyalty is an attitude that has got its wings all over the village starting from these two lovers. Chunhyang remains very dedicated to Yong Mong despite the challenges she underwent while he was away. The girl is also devoted to her mom because she does what her mom requests her to do and displays deep respect for her. Yong Mong is also loyal to his father, as he seeks his permission to go to the festival to seek the inspiration for his poetry. Yong Mong shows dedication to his lover, Chunhyang, by coming back to fulfill his promise that he had made earlier. Valet displays loyalty when he immediately goes to the Chunhyang to summon her presence to Yong Mong (Yi 13).
Faithfulness and Authority
A lot of respect is also notable in the development of this storyline. It is quite vivid that Yong Mong has respect for his father (Yi 8). For instance, one can notice it seeing how he gets humble presenting himself to his father. Apart from that, there is also the aspect of Faithfulness which brings in lots of sweetness in this story. It's this attitude that we realize the love that bonds Mong and Chunhyang in the Korean tale. A lot of faithfulness is demonstrated in the love shared by the two couples.
The actions in this song can be seen through lots of aspects of vivid description. One of the instances is when Yong Mong seeks permission from Wolmae to allow him to court her daughter. The symbol of authority and power can also be seen in this story in very many instances especially where Yong Mong orders around Valet (Yi 9). One of the instances is when he tells him to prepare his donkey. The other instance is when Valet is ordered to seek the presence of Chunhyang.
Conclusion
In conclusion, considering the nature of this story, one evident fact that can be concluded from this analysis is that loyalty is a significant theme in the story. It is seen as a bond that ties this storyline by relating it to the characters, Yong Mong and Chunhyang. There are also other essential themes in the story which includes love, faithfulness, power, and authority. Like any other piece of literature, this story reflects real situations and their place in the Korean society. Two most important things that the author focused on are the social standings in the society bringing the differences that exist between the rich and the poor people in the community. Apart from that, the author also focused on protecting the integrity and dignity of women through the character Chunhyang as a portrayal of the customary Korean conservative morals.
Work cited
Yi, Hyangsoon. "Kazoku Cinema, Chunhyang and Postmodern Korean Cinema." Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective 5:2 (2011): 8-15.
