Abstract

This paper aims at revaluating the Self-Consciousness of Kisaeng in 「Chungbaekun」 an old korean novel. The Conclusion is as follows. First, life-Aspects of two kisaengs are important in 「Chungbaekun」. Three main features are mixed each other; features of Taoism, features of family-combinations and features of kisaengs. Above all, the feature of Kisaengs is important in the working world. Second, in the working world, I investigated two kisaeng's personalities. Two kisaengs' desires are Sexual desires and the wish to become a wife. Sexual desire is integrated with the wish to become a wife. the desire to become wife occupied an important seat in history of Korean old novels. Kisaengs, Such desire is connected in the desire of the characters of this work, 「Chungbaekun」 Finally, the Self-Consciousness of Kisaengs was materialized and embodied through Socio-cultural stream and flowed out of Korean old novels. Keeping distance with yangban's consciousness which was pedigree-blood- consciousness and a music-enjoyment-consciousness, the Self-consciousness of Kisaengs were formed. Although kisaeng's self-consciousness was colored by some negative description, kisaeng's living environment and actions show the patriarch-society of yangban. This kisaeng's self-consciousness catches image of the modern age.