CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGICAL SCIENCES (ISSN: 2767-3758)
https://masterjournals.com/index.php/crjps
45
VOLUME:
Vol.06 Issue02 2025
10.37547/philological-crjps-06-02-08
Page: - 45-50
RESEARCH ARTICLE
The Depiction of Time and Space in The Works of Li Munyol
Nodir Karimov
Researcher, Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, Uzbekistan
Received:
16 December 2024
Accepted:
18 January 2025
Published:
20 February 2025
INTRODUCTION
Literary scholars consider Li Munyol’s short story “The
Apple and the Five Soldiers” as one of the closest examples
of his style. In this work, time and space are conveyed not
only directly but also through symbols and metaphors. The
story depicts the protagonist’s youth, his life in the army,
and his relationship with his own past. Additionally, the
narrative can be interpreted as an exploration of the
contrast between virtue and the consequences of military
life.
In this purpose-driven literary collection, the interplay
between time and space holds significant importance.
Through symbolic imagery, similarities, and contrasting
forms, the author expresses his perspective on the crucial
role of time in understanding human experience. The
depiction of space and time in literature, as well as their
influence on the protagonist’s inner emotions, form a
fundamental part of Li Munyol’s literary exploration.
In “The Apple and the Five Soldiers”, time and space
remain in constant interaction, and their harmonious
integration allows the author to illustrate transformation
and personal growth in literature.
Li Munyol witnessed three major socio-political events
that left an indelible mark on the history of the Korean
people in the 20th century: a brief period of independence,
civil war, and ideological division. During these three
periods, significant transformations took place in various
fields, including literature. The works created in these
times changed both in form and content but did not
completely sever their ties with national traditions.
Despite the military rule implemented in the country
following ideological struggles, national literature
continued to develop, most importantly reflecting the spirit
of the times. It is well known that Korean literature, with
its rich literary heritage, stands out from the literatures of
other nations. A distinctive feature of Korean literature is
the simultaneous presence of three religious-philosophical
teachings in its works.
In the 1980s, Li Munyol, who was actively engaged in
Korean storytelling, expressed his artistic intent through
various symbols, psychological dreams, traditional
imagery, and new details. “The Apple and the Five
Soldiers” is one such work, created using symbolic
representations and infused with the spirit of Buddhism.
ABSTRACT
Lee Mun-Yeol witnessed three major social and political events that left an indelible mark on the history of the Korean people in
the twentieth century: brief freedom, civil war, and ideological division. These three periods also saw fundamental changes i n
literature, and the works produced acquired new features in form and content. Lee Mun-Yeol's work effectively deepened these
changes by accurately describing the time and place of depiction, as well as artistically capturing the various issues of tha t era
and their impact on the inner world of man.
Keywords:
Apple and five soldiers, time-space, chronotope, soldiers, army, land, priest, civil war, occupation, official, garden.
CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGICAL SCIENCES (ISSN: 2767-3758)
https://masterjournals.com/index.php/crjps
46
The strong presence of Buddhist philosophy in the story is
evident from the very first lines:
“You are a Buddhist monk. Your parents are the Sky and
the Earth” [8].
Li Munyol's approach to the theme of Buddhism is unique
and is noticeable in almost all of his stories. In “The Apple
and the Five Soldiers”, the author effectively employs
supernatural situations and symbolic imagery to convey his
ideological message. At first glance, this narrative also
evokes memories of the stories of Kim Si-seup, who lived
during the classical period. The thematic essence of Li
Munyol’s story unfolds through specific details such as the
garden, the apple, and the appearance of the five soldiers’
spirits before the protagonist’s eyes.
Having grown up in a Buddhist monastery from the third
day of his life, without even knowing the identity of his
parents, the protagonist decided to return home at the age
of twenty-seven. This decision was prompted by his
conscription into the army. After serving in the military,
the protagonist, who wished to live like an ordinary person,
sought permission from the head monk to leave:
“I do not know which demon has led you astray, but I will
not stand in your way. However, the Earth (emphasizing
'mother'—our clarification, K.N.), which once rejected
you, will not welcome you with open arms now. You may
return whenever you wish. The monastery doors will
always remain open to you” [8].
This was the first conversation between the protagonist and
the head monk. The monk recalled a pious woman who had
once abandoned the child at the monastery along with a
small fertile plot of land and an additional offering. From
that day on, the boy lived completely isolated from human
life, in a monastery located a hundred li away, high in the
mountains, far from the outside world.
“…In any literary work, the creation of a character is
primarily a means of expressing the writer’s attitude
toward people and life. At the same time, it is the author’s
aesthetic evaluation of life’s events” [6].
Through the protagonist's character, Li Munyol reflects on
his own childhood, drawing parallels between his
worldview, personal beliefs, and the human experience.
The protagonist spent a long time contemplating the words
of the head monk and hesitated to step into his new life.
Having lived only three days in the village where he was
born, he felt like he was not returning home but rather
entering an unfamiliar place. He wondered whether his
birth had been an accident or if some misfortune had
surrounded it. Despite these doubts, he did not change his
mind. He no longer wished to remain a monk devoted to
Buddha, Dharma (law), and Sangha (the monastic
community) . Instead, he set off for his birthplace, longing
to live as an ordinary person.
The place he sought was the estate of an “official” family,
situated at the village's edge near a river flowing along the
mountainside. The estate’s garden and house were
surrounded by thick akas shrubs, which emitted a pleasant
fragrance while their shadows carried an air of mystery.
The vividly described setting prepares the reader for the
“encounter” that the protagonist is about to experience.
As the literary scholar Mikhail Bakhtin insightfully noted:
“…In literature, the chronotope of an encounter often
serves a compositional or sometimes a plot-resolution
function. The encounter motif—various types of
meetings—is closely connected to the road chronotope
(‘the great road’). In the road chronotope, the unity of time
and space is revealed in a distinct and expressive manner”
The protagonist’s journey and the events awaiting him are
introduced through this key moment—an encounter:
“When he reached the soldiers, his legs trembled violently.
Unlike his indifferent comrades, who were chewing apples
as they passed by, one soldier fixed his sharp gaze on him.
Among the five soldiers, he was the youngest, with a calm
face, but his penetrating eyes, filled with deep
contemplation, set him apart” [1]
The author vividly portrays the encounter between the
father and son through a dynamic depiction of events. To
comprehend and interpret an incident that occurred twenty-
seven years earlier (in time), he employs a unique stylistic
approach. By illustrating the portraits of the soldiers
encountered by the protagonist, he provides an objective
evaluation of the events of that time.
At that moment, five soldiers, whose outdated uniforms
were uncharacteristic for the military, caught the
protagonist’s attention. Their appearance was striking:
helmets without camouflage covers, uniforms devoid of
CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGICAL SCIENCES (ISSN: 2767-3758)
https://masterjournals.com/index.php/crjps
47
distinguishing insignia, tattered and patched clothes, and
boots caked with dried mud. Their grease-stained,
unwashed faces and tense muscles were even more
pronounced. The depth of their pupils indicated their
hunger, revealing that they had not eaten properly for a
long time. Two of the soldiers had stuffed unripe apples
inside their coats, while the other two absentmindedly
patted their apple-filled trouser pockets. The fifth soldier,
resembling a famished man, was biting into a raw apple.
While the portrait of the five soldiers precisely captures the
human condition during the civil war, it also manifests the
author’s perception of the time. At this point, it is worth
citing M. Sultanova’s statement: “Like other artistic and
descriptive tools, the portrait has its place and function in
a literary work. The space allocated for a portrait, its
assigned role—everything must adhere to a certain logic
and artistic principle. A portrait cannot stand alone,
isolated from the work’s overall direction. The writer
determines its placement and purpose. If desired, the
author may prioritize a portrait in shaping a character, or
completely disregard it. This depends on the writer’s style
and inclination toward a particular artistic technique” [6].
The soldier’s portrait created by Li Munyol embodies the
image of individuals from the civil war era. This is a
significant discovery in military prose. The external
features of young men from this era could not have been
portrayed in a more precise manner. These young men,
victims of war, faced death in this very form.
In the depiction of events connected to the protagonist’s
fate, time and space play a crucial role. Uzbek literary
scholar A. Ulugov, in his article “The Painter of Time and
Space”, dedicated to the study of Abdulla Qodiriy’s novel
“Days Gone By”, expresses the following thoughts: “It is
well known that ‘time’ refers to elements such as year,
month, day, and night, while ‘space’ denotes places like
houses, streets, palaces, and mansions” [7].
The setting of the story’s events is a remote village.
Through artistic imagery, the narrative portrays the social
life of the villagers, the complexities of their existence, the
Japanese occupation, and the landscape of the civil war
period. Li Munyol begins the plot of his story by depicting
the village (space) and the historical events of that time:
“The village, bathed in the golden light of August,
resembled a scene from a traditional painting. Although the
loud chirping of cicadas echoed through the tree shadows,
no other sound accompanied it, intensifying the
surrounding silence” [6].
The author’s mastery is evident in his depiction of the
village as a setting. At first glance, the village appears
peaceful, yet it has witnessed the “darkest, most tragic
days” in Korean history, absorbing the deep scars of the
civil war and concealing its impact on human fate beneath
the shadows of its trees.
After describing the village (space), the narrative shifts to
another location (a dwelling – as defined by A. Ulugov),
portraying the protagonist’s mother’s house:
“The interior of the house was slightly more spacious than
its exterior suggested. The windows were large and made
of glass, and the house was built in the Japanese style.
Although it was not an old house, the lack of maintenance
over a long period made it appear worn. The wooden pillars
and window frames had darkened, and patches of stains
could be seen on the plastered walls. The floorboards of the
veranda creaked loudly under the visitor’s every step” [3].
Through the description of his mother’s home, the author
highlights that the protagonist’s family was once among
the wealthier households in the village. During the
Japanese occupation, newly built Japanese-style houses
were rare in the village, and the owners of such homes were
highly respected. One of the protagonist’s ancestors had
even been among the eighteenth podrang [4]. As a result,
the villagers referred to the family as “officials”. They
lived a peaceful life until the sudden outbreak of the civil
war, which led to their downfall, dividing the family under
opposing ideologies.
In the story, the protagonist, Baek Manso, meets his father
on the road (space) leading to the village after twenty-
seven years, while he encounters his mother in her house
(space). At this point, the author introduces the “fruit
garden” belonging to the “officials'” estate. The meeting
between a soldier and a young girl (the protagonist’s
mother) in this fruit garden becomes a crucial link in the
chain of events in the narrative. Without understanding this
chain, it is difficult to grasp the deeper meaning behind
Manso’s journey, the five soldiers he encounters, the
mysterious akas shrubs, and the apple incident.
The repetition of key elements—the soldier’s visit to the
fruit garden, his untimely death, and the image of him
chewing an apple in front of Manso—reinforces their
CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGICAL SCIENCES (ISSN: 2767-3758)
https://masterjournals.com/index.php/crjps
48
symbolic importance. Initially skeptical of the soldiers he
met at the village entrance, Manso begins to see them
differently after his conversation with his mother. The
repetition of moments such as the intense gaze of a scarred
soldier (whose face bore a shell fragment) enhances the
reader’s engagement with the mysterious nature of the
encounter. The author masterfully depicts this enigmatic
meeting, leaving the reader with a fundamental question:
Who were these soldiers?
This question troubles the protagonist as well:
“A cold sensation enveloped his entire div, and he slowed
his steps. Overwhelmed by a sense of mystery and unease,
he wondered: were these five soldiers deserters, or worse—
criminals who had committed atrocities? The soldiers,
however, paid him no attention and continued on their way.
Two of them had stuffed unripe apples inside their coats,
while the other two absentmindedly patted their apple-
filled trouser pockets. The fifth soldier, resembling a
famished man, was biting into a raw apple” [5].
Here, Li Munyol’s connection to classical Korean prose
can be observed. For instance, in the anonymously
authored “The Tale of Hong Gil Dong”, which some
literary scholars attribute to Heo Gyun, the protagonist’s
extraordinary birth is repeated fifteen times throughout the
narrative.
“Such repetitions in the tale are a deliberate artistic
technique, serving two main purposes: first, to engrain the
most vivid and significant events of the protagonist’s life
in the reader’s memory; and second, to draw attention to
the hero’s origins from the lower social class” [8].
The author reinforces the reader’s anticipation of the
upcoming events by repeating lines such as, “Two of the
soldiers had stuffed unripe apples inside their coats, while
the other two absentmindedly patted their apple-filled
trouser pockets. The fifth soldier, resembling a famished
man, was biting into a raw apple”.
As K. Khamroev puts it: “Considering the first and last
sentence of a story as an artistic module and relying on
them during literary analysis is a justified approach. In the
structure of a story, the first sentence sets the foundation
for the artistic expression and ideas, while the last sentence
gathers them into a cohesive whole, reinforcing the writer’s
artistic concept and delivering it in a harmonious manner
to the reader’s consciousness” [2]
The writer links the development of events to the time
period of the civil war, thus reflecting his aesthetic
worldview regarding the issues of that era:
“I cannot deny our kinship due to your unexpected visit and
my sister’s reaction to it. However, please, let all of this
remain between us. Our family has lived here for over three
hundred years. Everyone believes my sister was a virtuous
maiden. Moreover, the events surrounding your birth—
though you are not to blame—led to the deaths of my father
and middle brother. Our family barely survived. Please
understand my feelings: out of respect for my father and
brother, I cannot accept you” [4].
Li Munyol skillfully intertwines depictions of the village,
home, and space with the historical events of the civil war
period. He does so by incorporating the memories of the
young woman (mother) and one of the village elders.
According to the mother’s recollections, the “official’s”
family could not forgive the daughter for giving birth to an
illegitimate child, as it went against their honor. The eldest
son supported North Korean policies, while the middle son
voluntarily joined the South Korean army, hoping that this
would serve as a way to atone for his brother’s
transgression. However, he was killed in action.
Meanwhile, the father endured prolonged interrogations,
ultimately
losing
his
health
and
passing
away
unexpectedly. The family blamed all of these misfortunes
on the soldier who had once entered their home and his
comrades.
In order to provide a clearer picture of the events that
unfolded during that time, the author repeatedly references
the five soldiers and the garden. Even the father’s death is
depicted symbolically, comparing him to a “rotten tree
collapsing on a cold day”. The mistress of the house took
her ill daughter to the hospital and, upon returning to the
“apple orchard” in May, passed away herself. The large
garden (space) became home to the sick daughter and her
youngest son, who had just turned fifteen, leaving them
completely alone.
As Russian literary scholar M. Bakhtin emphasized, the
artistic concept of time and space in any literary work
reflects the symbolic image of the world. Time
(chronology) is the fundamental element that shapes and
sustains artistic movement. Every moving person and
object within a given space and time carries metaphorical
and symbolic significance. Time, segmented into different
categories, serves as a literary and sensory concept through
CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGICAL SCIENCES (ISSN: 2767-3758)
https://masterjournals.com/index.php/crjps
49
which the world is perceived. The distinction between
“early” and “late”, as well as the concept of time itself, is
used to help readers grasp the world in a deeper, more
profound way [7]
The author focuses on the influence of a new space—the
mother’s home—on the protagonist’s emotional state.
When his sick mother lay bedridden, barely conscious,
Manso’s condition is described as follows:
Manso, having bathed in the river, settled among the dense
akas shrubs. He needed to think about everything, but
where should he start to unravel the mystery? The history
of his birth had become even more obscure than he had
imagined, almost resembling a tragedy. At night, his
curiosity grew stronger. He even considered escaping from
this terrifying secret, but there was no turning back.
Without fully understanding the mystery, his mental state
would not allow him to take even a single step toward a
new life [4]
Overwhelmed by heavy and incomprehensible emotions,
the protagonist wandered into the garden surrounded by
akas shrubs. There, he encountered the same soldiers again.
On one hand, this deepened his curiosity, but on the other,
a chilling fear overtook his entire div. As mentioned
earlier, the following lines are repeated:
Two of the soldiers had stuffed unripe apples inside their
coats, while the other two absentmindedly patted their
apple-filled trouser pockets. The fifth soldier, resembling a
famished man, was biting into a raw apple.
As Abdulla Ulugov noted:“…A person’s imagination is set
into motion by the time and space embedded in their
memory. Every event is ‘imprinted’ in a person’s memory
through a specific time and place. When someone revisits
that place, past events, buried deep in their subconscious,
suddenly resurface and appear before their eyes. In that
moment, the person compares their past to their present,
questions themselves, and re-evaluates their life” [7]
In his artistic depiction of the civil war era, the writer
employs spatial imagery to realistically convey historical
events. One such significant location is the Nakdong River.
Historically, the Nakdong River has been a fertile water
source, crucial for agriculture, particularly rice cultivation,
and a key area for fishing. It has long been regarded as the
"provider" of the people. However, during the Japanese
occupation, control over the river was lost, and Japanese
authorities established dominance around it. Folk songs
and literary works have been dedicated to the Nakdong
River, highlighting its historical and cultural significance.
A notable example is Cho Myunghui’s short story
“Nakdonggang”, which made a significant contribution to
Korean prose in the 1920s. The writer begins his depiction
of historical events through the story of the river,
emphasizing its profound importance to the Korean people.
In front of the fruit garden surrounded by akas shrubs, the
young soldiers sentenced to death were accused of
abandoning the front line near the Nakdong River, stealing
apples from a civilian orchard, and causing material
damage. However, an elder also recalls that after the
Nakdong River fell into the hands of the South Koreans,
these young soldiers were actually executed by Northern
officers dressed in South Korean military uniforms. Yet,
since the elder had personally witnessed all these events,
he expresses skepticism about the second account.
The story “The Apple and the Five Soldiers” is deeply
rooted in historical facts. Because of this, the narrative
frequently references events from the civil war era. The
author’s intent is to encourage the people not to draw one-
sided conclusions from the tragic war events. This is
illustrated through the elder’s recollections, particularly his
account of the five young soldiers who, despite being
someone's children, lost their lives at such a tender age.
Additionally, in shaping the characters of that war era, the
story incorporates references to historical figures such as
Li Gwonmu, the battle for the Nakdong River, and the
severe measures taken against soldiers, all of which vividly
depict the horrors of war.
Biographical information about the author reveals that his
own family was torn apart due to this very war. Unlike
many of his contemporaries, Li Munyol fearlessly presents
the reality of the civil war, without attempting to soften its
brutality. This sets him apart from other writers of his time,
as he demonstrates remarkable courage in his portrayal.
Many writers before him also explored the theme of the
civil war, each portraying the psychological state of their
characters in different ways. In some works, the
transformation of war-era characters is consistently
depicted, while in others, it is presented in a more complex
manner. In Li Munyol’s story, the driving force behind the
protagonist’s actions and the development of the entire
narrative structure is the civil war itself.
CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGICAL SCIENCES (ISSN: 2767-3758)
https://masterjournals.com/index.php/crjps
50
REFERENCES
Bakhtin, M. (1975). Questions of literature and aesthetics.
Moscow: Khudozhestvennaya Literatura, pp. 248-249.
Bakhtin, M. (2015). Forms of time and chronotope in the
novel
(Uzokh
Zhorakulovich,
Trans.).
Tashkent:
Akademnashr.
Hamroev, K. (2018). The poetics of composition in
contemporary Uzbek storytelling (Doctoral dissertation,
Tashkent), p. 20.
Saidazimova, U. T. (2011). "The Tale of Hong Gil Dong"
as a sample of medieval Korean prose (typology, genre
characteristics, and epic motifs) (PhD dissertation,
Tashkent).
Sultanova, M. (1973). On the writer's style (Based on the
prose of Oybek, A. Qodiriy, A. Qahhor, and S. Ahmad).
Tashkent: Uzbekistan SSR “Fan” Publishing House, p. 5.
Solijonov, Y. (2020). The Boulevard of Literature: Articles
and Interviews. Fergana, p. 32.
Ulugov, A. (2015). The artist of time and space. Sharq
Yulduzi, (2), pp. 189, 193.
Lee, M. (2021). Geumsijo [The Golden Phoenix]. Seoul:
RH Korea, pp. 18, 21, 23, 26-27, 27, 29.
