A Comparative Study of the Romance of West Chamber in China and the Story of Chunhyang in Korea

Abstract

The Chinese Yuan Zaju novel "The Romance of the Western Wing" and the Korean Pansori novel "The Story of Chunhyang" are classic representatives of love literature in China and North Korea. Both works are set in a patriarchal society and depict a series of events such as "encounter-love-separation-challenge-reunion" between the male and female protagonists. From the characters' emotions of joy and sorrow, their pursuit of free love, and their resistance against feudal ethics, they portray the marriage and love concepts, social hierarchy, and awakening consciousness of the people in China and North Korea in ancient times. This article comprehensively compares and analyzes the storylines, backgrounds, characters, structures, and themes of the two novels, explores the root causes of the differences and the relationship between the two works, which not only helps to understand the main purpose of the works more comprehensively and profoundly, but also is an essential part of grasping the classical culture and ideology of China and North Korea.