박경리 ‘토지’에 나타난 진주지역에서의 형평사운동에 관한 소고

‘Toji’ by Park Kyongnie, a story of three generations who lived in Pyeongsa-ri, Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, is one of the best novels in the 20th Century in Korea, in which over 600 characters appeared. Since most of these characters are tenant farmers or workers in the streets of the town, and they are living in the particular historical period--the end of Joseon Dynasty and the Japanese Colonial Rule, their lives are riddled with series of resentments, agonies, and ordeals. As human dignity and values are devastated in their life, their struggles to survive on their own can be regarded as a human rights movement. One of the typical struggles to survive in Jinju, which is the place of the novel ‘Toji,’ is Hyeongpyeongsa Movement, an emancipation movement of butchers. The handling of the issue with considerable emphasis in the novel ‘Toji’ is thought to be an appropriate reaction to the Movement. Class-controlling legislation in the time of ‘Toji’ almost had been formally established. Slavery system was abolished by the Gabo Reform of 1894. Butchers, whose class is lower than slaves', were marked with the name of ‘Dohan’ by 「Census Rule」 and were officially registered in the national archives. Furthermore, their occupational status was protected by the Japanese civil laws from 1912 and partially by the Japanese Imperial Constitution as well. However, these regulations were problematic in terms of actual application, so it couldn't improve class discrimination of the butchers a lot. Accordingly, it had even brought bigger gap between the butchers and ordinary citizens, and some changes in educational environment in the nearby areas are thought to ignite Hyeongpyeongsa Movement. Hyeongpyeongsa Movement is described microscopically in the novel ‘Toji.’ Hyeongpyeongsa Movement of Song Gwansu, motivated by his compassion toward his wife, a butcher's daughter, is only told by other characters except the case of stripping the military funds for the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and Korean independent movement in Manchuria. Hyeongpyeongsa Movement based on the activities of Song Gwansu can be characterized by a social reforming campaign for enhancement of human rights as well as an independent movement or anti-imperialism movement. Also, organizing activities for laborers working at Busan port is part of labor movement. It is also shown that Hyeongpyeongsa Movement has a connection to socialist movement through the communion with socialists. Such a description matches well with the Hyeongpyeongsa Movement recorded in history, and the writer's historical consciousness can be identified through it. However, the federation of the Korean Workers Mutual Aid Society(1920) related to the development of Hyeongpyeongsa Movement and the venue of its establishment ceremony are considered far from the historical facts, and the microscopic description that Hyeongpyeongsa Movement represents the sentiment among the residents living in Jinju region appears to be distant from the reality. From the life of Song Gwansu, outlined by the saying “Changing the world, getting rid of hunger and oppression by people, these are all of his passion,” the purpose and enthusiasm of Hyeongpyeongsa Movement can be figured out. It can be judged that the passion and desperation of the activists expressed in the novel made the movement develop so far as to bring significant meaning in the history of civil-rights movement in Korea.