Draft:Gwontae

Gwontae (권태; 倦怠) is an essay written by the Korean author Yi Sang. The translated title is Monotony, and it was published in the newspaper Chosun Ilbo (조선일보) from May 4 to May 11, 1937. Set in a remote rural village during a summer day, the essay follows the passage of time from midday to night and is composed of seven paragraphs. It captures the feeling of ennui (or monotony) that arises from repetitive routines and a monotonous environment, conveyed through observations of the surrounding scenery and reflections of everyday life.

Inspiring and Writing

In 1933, Yi Sang was diagnosed with tuberculosis. After closing his café Jebi in 1935 due to financial difficulties, he left for Seongchoen to recuperate. Later, in 1936, he traveled to Tokyo, where he wrote Gwontae in a cold, narrow room just four months before his death.

Synopsis

1

In a monotonous rural village during summer, the narrator plays janggi (Korean chess) with Mr. Choi’s nephew and wins ten out of ten times. This leads to a feeling of overwhelming boredom, so intense that he wishes to abandon even the awareness of boredom and collapse into complete exhaustion.

2

The lush green fields of summer and the bleak fields of winter are described. The narrator calls the farmers unfortunate because they are unable to recognize boredom despite the endlessly repetitive nature of their lives.

3

A dog that has no reason to bark is described—one that doesn't even bark at a stranger, highlighting how unchanging and uneventful the village is.

4

Engulfed in extreme boredom,  the narrator wishes to think of nothing. Even washing his face provides no refreshment, and even the water feels lukewarm. Watching children imitate him, he realizes that they too are confused and overwhelmed, unsure of what to do—mirroring his own sense of boredom.

5

He observes minnows swimming in groups with purpose and direction. Watching a cow ruminate, he calls it the “greatest master of boredom on earth,” as it seems to even disdain the pleasure of eating.

6

Children who cannot play with their parents or siblings who are busy working for a living, and who cannot afford toys due to poverty, constantly seek out new games. Yet even those amusements bore them within five minutes. The narrator sees this as a misfortune.

7

Looking at the same meal every day and the stars in the sky, the narrator finds them monotonous. Seeing the village people fall asleep instantly without any reflection or awareness after a day’s labor, he likens them to corpses. He fears the arrival of yet another passionless tomorrow.