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UBC Theses and Dissertations
Between the gendered self and empire : rethinking collaboration in the pro-japanese literature of Ch'oe Chŏnghŭi Lin, Nicole
Abstract
This thesis attempts to situate the pro-Japanese literary activities of novelist Ch’oe Chǒnghǔi 崔貞熙 (1912–1990) within the broader socio-political and cultural landscape of colonial Korea (1910–1945). Moving beyond the nationalistic binary of traitor versus patriot, this study adopts an intersectional approach that considers the dual forces of colonialism and patriarchy. It examines how Ch’oe navigated her identities as a colonial subject, a female author, and a woman shaped by both imperial authority and gendered expectations. This is neither an attempt to absolve Ch’oe of her collaborationist past nor to pass moral judgment. Instead, this research offers an alternative understanding in which collaboration is seen as an act of mutual deception and benefit, rather than a unilateral powerplay that stripped colonial subjects like Ch’oe of their agency. It will further demonstrate that the medium of literature became a discursive space where Ch’oe mediated her own personal desires for recognition and participation in the social sphere, based on her lived reality as a woman who was expected by both imperial and patriarchal forces to be a “wise mother and good wife” (hyŏnmo yangch’ŏ). Through a combination of historical analysis, feminist theory, and a close reading of one of Ch’oe’s representative pro-Japanese works, “Yagukch’o” (Jp. Nogikushō; The Wild Chrysanthemum), this thesis aims to offer a more nuanced understanding of complicity and agency under colonial rule.
Item Metadata
Title |
Between the gendered self and empire : rethinking collaboration in the pro-japanese literature of Ch'oe Chŏnghŭi
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Creator | |
Supervisor | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
2025
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Description |
This thesis attempts to situate the pro-Japanese literary activities of novelist Ch’oe Chǒnghǔi 崔貞熙 (1912–1990) within the broader socio-political and cultural landscape of colonial Korea (1910–1945). Moving beyond the nationalistic binary of traitor versus patriot, this study adopts an intersectional approach that considers the dual forces of colonialism and patriarchy. It examines how Ch’oe navigated her identities as a colonial subject, a female author, and a woman shaped by both imperial authority and gendered expectations. This is neither an attempt to absolve Ch’oe of her collaborationist past nor to pass moral judgment. Instead, this research offers an alternative understanding in which collaboration is seen as an act of mutual deception and benefit, rather than a unilateral powerplay that stripped colonial subjects like Ch’oe of their agency. It will further demonstrate that the medium of literature became a discursive space where Ch’oe mediated her own personal desires for recognition and participation in the social sphere, based on her lived reality as a woman who was expected by both imperial and patriarchal forces to be a “wise mother and good wife” (hyŏnmo yangch’ŏ). Through a combination of historical analysis, feminist theory, and a close reading of one of Ch’oe’s representative pro-Japanese works, “Yagukch’o” (Jp. Nogikushō; The Wild Chrysanthemum), this thesis aims to offer a more nuanced understanding of complicity and agency under colonial rule.
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Genre | |
Type | |
Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2025-08-27
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0449908
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URI | |
Degree (Theses) | |
Program (Theses) | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
2025-11
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International