가족인가 노비인가? 근대 중국의 민며느리, ‘동양식’(童養媳) (Family Member or Maidservant? Adopted Daughters-in-Law in Modern China)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 서울대학교 인문학연구원
· 수록지 정보 : 인문논총 / 81권 / 2호 / 43 ~ 78페이지
· 저자명 : 천성림

초록

동양식은 영유아기에 시가로 입양되어 성인이 되면 정식으로 결혼하는 여성이다. 동양식 혼인관습은 한반도의 동옥저에서 원형을 발견할 수 있으며, 중국에서는 송대에 처음 등장했고, 청말민국 시기에 가장 성행했다. 그것은 빈곤과 남존여비, 딸은 쓸모가 없다고 하는 관념이 결합한 것으로 대체로 하층민들 가운데에서 유행했다. 왜냐하면남자는 혼인성립에 반드시 필요한 재례를 줄일 수 있고 여자집에서는 지참금을 면제받을 수 있었기 때문이다.
이 글에서 필자는 중국 동양식의 역사와 배경을 한반도의 동옥저, 조선과 비교하면서살펴보았고 동양식이 절정을 이룬 청말민초 시기, 가내수공업과 농업생산에서 여성 노동력의 비중과 가치를 재평가했다. 조선도 중국도 점점 노동력을 무상으로 취득하기 위해 민며느리를 들이는 사례가 늘어나면서 여자가 남자보다 10살 이상 많은 경우가 많아졌다. 동양식은 대체로 가정에서의 지위가 낮았다. 시어머니의 구박을 받거나, 시아버지의 성폭행을 당하는 사례도 적지 않았다. 하지만 이런 것은 대부분 형사사건으로 인해드러난 것이다. 시어머니와 관계가 마치 모녀처럼 다정하기도 했고 아들이 먼저 죽으면며느리를 딸로 입양하거나 데릴사위를 들여 함께 사는 경우도 적지 않았다. 이처럼 동양식의 가정에서의 지위는 경험자마다 다르기 때문에 일반화하기는 어렵지만, 민국 시기문학작품이나 언론기사에 남은 동양식의 처지는 한결같이 비참한데 그 이유는 아마도동양식이라는 존재가 구중국의 상징이기 때문일 것이다.

영어초록

An adopted daughter-in-law (童養媳) refers to someone who was sent to her future in-laws’ home when she was a baby or girl and then married into the family when she became an adult. As a marriage custom, the prototype of an adopted daughter-in-law can be found in Dongokje (東 沃沮) of ancient Korea. In China, adopted daughters-in-law appeared in the Sung Dynasty and this custom flourished during the Late Qing and Republican periods of China.
This custom came about through a combination of poverty and the notion that daughters could be treated as worthless. In particular, it was popular among the lower classes, because men could reduce the betrothal gifts for the establishment of marriage and women could be exempted from having a dowry.
This article compares the history and background of adopted daughters-in-law with the marriage customs of Dongokje and Joseon, and re-evaluates the importance and value of women’s labor in domestic and agricultural production during the Late Qing and Republican periods.
In both Joseon and China, in general, adopted daughters-in-law were at least 10 years older than their husbands. This is due to the purpose of bringing in a daughter-in-law to acquire free labor. In this way, poor families that could not afford a servant could take in an adopted daughter-in-law who would work like a maidservant.
Most adopted daughters-in-law had a low status at home. There were also many cases of being mistreated by the mother-in-law or being sexually assaulted by the father-in-law. However, most of these hardships came to light through criminal cases. In some cases, on the other hand, the relationship with the mother-in-law was as close as the relationship of the birth mother and daughter, and when the son died first, there were many cases where the daughter-in-law was adopted as a daughter or a son-in-law was brought in to live with them.
It is difficult to generalize the status of adopted daughters-in-law because it varies from person to person who experienced it. However, their situation, as depicted in literary works and media articles, was inevitably miserable. The reason is likely that the daughter-in-law is a symbol of old China.

참고자료

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