[Korean Culture & Language] Confucian in Zhuāngzǐ
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A fable titled ‘장끼전’ from 장자(Zhuāngzǐ), an ancient Chinese book, was known to be written in the late Joseon Dynasty. It is literature that criticizes and satirizes the existing Confucian social image. Even though it is titled 장끼전, the main character is not 장끼 but 까투리.
‘장끼’ is a combinatin of ‘장(male)’ and ‘끼(a bird).’
‘까투리’ is a combination of ‘갓(female)’ and ‘두리(a bird).’
‘갓’ comes from the word ‘가시’ which means ‘female.’
‘두리’ comes from ‘도리(tori),’ which is a Japanese word for ‘bird.’
The male Phasianus colchicus was called 장끼, and the female Phasianus colchicus was called 까투리.
Here is how the tale goes:
장끼 and 까투리 went out to find food after a long winter. They were famished after not having enough food during the winter. And the beans that had fallen on the ground seemed so appetizing to them. 장끼 wanted to devour them immediately, while his wife 까투리 insisted on caution. 장기 disregarded 까투리 in a 가부장적인(patriarchal) manner and ate the beans. 장기 ended up dying from eating the poisoned beans. The story concludes with 카투리’s remarriage.
This story was written during the Joseon Dynasty. Remarriage was not only socially unacceptable but also illegal in the society of the period. 까투리’s behavior highlights the patriarchal issues in Confucianism.
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