Thomas Hardy in Korea: the reception of his works and his place in the development of its literature

This is a study of how Thomas Hardy's novels were introduced to Korea, understood by the people and in what way they contributed to the development of the literature of that country. The study is in three sections. Section One deals with the historical background of the people and the influx, in the early decades of this century, of Western literature and, as a part of it, Hardy's works. It also gives a brief survey of works by Hardy, and articles about him, published mostly under Japanese rule, up to 1950. Section Two examines the nature of the appreciation and popularity of Hardy's novels, especially of Tess of the d' Urbervilles. This section consists of two chapters, of which the first deals with Tess and the second with a selection of academic papers on his work. In Section Three, an attempt is made to demonstrate an affinity between some Korean novels and those of Hardy. In the context of the literary development of the country, the works of three authors, Kim Dong-in, Pak Hwa-song and Pak Kyong-ni, are examined and compared with those of Hardy, and the conclusion is reached that Hardy has been a significant influence in the formation of modern Korean Literature.