Questioning Minds: Short Stories by Modern Korean Women Writers

Hawai‘i Studies on Korea

by Yung-Hee Kim (Editor & Translator), Kim Myeong-sun, Na Hye-seok

Available for the first time in English, the ten short stories by modern Korean women collected here touch in one way or another on issues related to gender and kinship politics. All of the protagonists are women who face personal crises or defining moments in their lives as gender-marked beings in a Confucian, patriarchal Korean society. Their personal dreams and values have been compromised by gender expectations or their own illusions about female existence. They are compelled to ask themselves Who am I? Where am I going? What are my choices? Each story bears colorful and compelling testimony to the life of the heroine. Some of the stories celebrate the central character's breakaway from the patriarchal order; others expose sexual inequality and highlight the struggle for personal autonomy and dignity. Still others reveal the abrupt awakening to mid-life crises and the seasoned wisdom that comes with accepting the limits of old age.



The stories are arranged in chronological order, from the earliest work by Korea's first modern woman writer in 1917 to stories that appeared in 1995--approximately one from each decade. Most of the writers presented are recognized literary figures, but some are lesser-known voices. The introduction presents a historical overview of traditions of modern Korean women's fiction, situating the selected writers and their stories in the larger context of Korean literature. Each story is accompanied by a biographical note on the author and a brief critical analysis. A selected bibliography is provided for further reading and research.

Questioning Minds marks a departure from existing translations of Korean literature in terms of its objectives, content, and format. As such it will contribute to the growth of Korean studies, increasing the availability of material for teaching Korean literature in English, and stimulate readership of its writers beyond the confines of the peninsula.

Genres: Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Yung-Hee Kim is Professor of Korean literature in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

Reviews

[Hyesol Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do not read this collection of short stories if you are a reader with rigid demands for thematic diversity and or technical sophistication. These are not exposés, these stories are communicators of the historical consciousness of modern korean writers.

The chronological structure of the book provides a good sense of temporal flow + context necessary for a better understanding of achievements (and failings) by korean writers and general korean history. Also I am addicted to korean women.

Great stuff. #korea

I started this book before my trip and finished it on the plane back home…. One day I will write my own korean short autobiographical story about a liberal korean polycule☝️

[Sarah Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the brief biographies of the authors and the discussion of the stories afterward. I learned a lot.