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Original Works

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Printed/Published Work Korean(한국어)

엄마의 말뚝

About the Original Works

Original Title
엄마의 말뚝
Title Romanization
Eommaui malttuk
Title Sub
朴婉緖創作集
English Title (Printed)
-
Classification

KDC구분 > literature > Korean Literature > Korean Fiction > 20th century > Short Story

Author
Park Wansuh
Co-Author
-
Published Year
1982
Publisher
Hong Nayoung
ISBN
-
Main Characters
Narrator, mother, older brother
Subject/Theme
National tragedy resulting from the Korean War

About the Author

  • Park Wansuh
  • Birth : 1931 ~ 2011
  • Occupation : Novelist
  • First Name : Wansuh
  • Family Name : Park
  • Korean Name : 박완서
  • ISNI : 0000000120207103
  • Works : 100
Plot

One day, the narrator, who is the mother of five children, hears about her mother’s accident. Her mother fell on ice and injured her leg. She undergoes surgery. Staying by her mother’s bedside, the narrator sees her mother trembling in fear and thinks of her older brother. The narrator’s older brother was the pride of the family, but he was shot and killed in the Korean War. The mother is pained at the thought of the older brother, and she eventually falls asleep. When she wakes up, she asks the narrator to cremate her and scatter her remains at the sea, where the older brother’s remains had been scattered.

Descriptions(Languages 2)
  • English(English)
  • Korean(한국어)

This is a short story by Park Wansuh published in Munhak sasang (Literature and Thought) in 1979. It realistically depicts the harsh pain a family had to undergo due to the national tragedy caused by the confrontation of ideologies. This short story is considered an excellent portrayal of the national tragedy described through a middle-aged woman’s inner thoughts and feelings.

1979년 <문학사상>에 발표된 박완서의 단편소설이다. 이데올로기의 대립으로 인한 민족사적 비극으로 인해 한 가족이 겪어야 했던 고통을 처절하고 사실적으로 표현했다. 중년 여성의 내면을 통해 민족적 비극을 탁월하게 묘사했다는 평가를 받는다.

Translated Books6 See More

  • French(Français) Book Available
    Le piquet de ma mère
    Park Wansuh et al / Pak WanSo / 1993 / KDC구분 > literature > Korean Literature > Korean Fiction > 20th century > Short Story
  • Hungarian(Magyar) Book Available
    Annak az ősznek három napja
    Park Wansuh et al / PÁK VÁN-SZA / 2007 / KDC구분 > literature > Korean Literature > Korean Fiction > 20th century > Short Story
  • Dutch(Nederlands) Book Available
    Een huis in Seoel
    Park Wansuh et al / Pak WanSo / 2006 / KDC구분 > literature > Korean Literature > Korean Fiction > 20th century > Short Story
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