Confucianism or Catholicism?

Summary: “The Book of Fish” is a historical period Korean drama film, set during the 1800s, and released in 2021. It is about the persecution of Catholics in Joseon and specifically about a scholar who was exiled for teaching the “evil learning” from the Westerners. The film is based on a preface to “The Book of Fish” written by CHUN Yak-jeon.

Main Characters:

• Jeong Yak-jeon (played by Sol Kyung-gu)
• Jang Chang-dae (played by Byun Yo-han)
• Widow from Gageo (played by Lee Jung-eun)

Exiled to an Idyllic Island ~ How is That Punishment?

“The Book of Fish” begins with a scholar kneeling before the king pledging his fealty. The king says he doesn't care if the scholar is interested in Western learning as long as he is a loyal subject. The scholar, along with his two other brothers become trusted vassals of the king. As soon as that king and his son became, the first thing the court officials wanted him to do was get rid of those brothers. The young king did not want to but he was pressured by the court officials and the queen (or queen dowager). They were afraid of the influence of brothers who were proponents of “evil-learning”. They were Catholics. If they were allowed to continue on their paths they might convert the entire country to Catholicism and people would no longer follow or even want to learn and memorize Confucian teachings. The country would be filled with heretics who don't worship and honor their ancestors.

The officials immediately went out and arrested the brothers but once they were in prison, they couldn't decide what to do with them. Ultimately, they decided that one particular brother, Jeong Yak-jeon, was the greatest threat, but it would not be wise to kill him. After all, he was a trusted vassal of the late king, a scholar, and a nobleman. Killing him might reflect badly on them and create enemies because others would disapprove. Instead, they agreed to exile him. He was sent to Heuksando (Black Mountain Island). This was a punishment?

Several “wrongdoers” often lived in exile on this island. It was supposed to be punishment, but Jeong Yak-jeon was looking forward to living in exile. That gave him time to study, to meditate, to write, etc. He continued to receive communications from his brothers and even helped them by reviewing their writings on government and sharing his thoughts, ideas, criticisms, etc. Once he got off the boat, the governor of the island made arrangements for him to live with a widow named Gageo-daek. But he told her not to be nice to him because he might teach her that “evil learning”. The governor warned everyone in the island not to get close to Jeong Yak-jeon. As soon as the widow got to know him, she liked having him in her home.

Teaching a Fisherman All About Fish?

“Come and I will make you fishers of men.”

This is a well-known quote from the teachings of Jesus Christ when He called His apostles to follow Him. Jeong Yak-jeon was a devoted follower so he was familiar with this teaching. But then he met Jang Chang-dae, who was the best fisherman on the island. He heard that Jang Chang-dae knew how to read, wanted to learn, and studied often, hoping to improve himself. He was the son of a concubine but wanted his father to register him in the family book as an adopted son. That way he could become a nobleman and live a meaningful life.

Jeong Yak-jeon offered to teach him but Jang Chang-dae refused saying he didn't want to be corrupted by his “evil learning”. Jang Chang-dae did not accept his refusal because he saw that the young man was very intelligent and just needed to cultivate his mind. He also realized that he could learn a lot from this fisherman about fish.

“Only the skate knows the path of the Skate. Only the stingray knows the path of the stingray.”

When Jang Chang-dae made that statement, Jeong Yak-jeon was inspired. He decided he wanted to learn all about fish and write a book! It took some persuasion but Jang Chang-dae agreed to take the scholar with him when he went fishing and would respond to all of his questions. Although this great fisherman did not see any value in writing a book about fish! (O.o)

Jeong Yak-jeon and Jang Chang-dae spent a lot of time together exchanging their learning and understanding with each other. Jeong Yak-jeon slowly convinced Jang Chang-dae to open his mind to new teachings from anywhere and everywhere. The scholar believed that officials simply memorizing Confucian texts was what was destroying Joseon.

• They only quoted the teachings, but nobody ever applied them to real life.
• Also, they were not willing to accept that they could learn much from foreigners, instead of just dismissing their knowledge as “evil learning”.

Jeong Yak-jeon told Jang Chang-dae that while he was memorizing the Four Books and Three Classics, the Westerners were constantly discovering new things. He said Jang Chang-dae could gain profitable knowledge from both the Westerners and from Confucius. He asked Jang Chang-dae:

• “Don't you want to learn other things with that smart brain of yours?”

• Then he added: “Confucianism and Western Learning are not enemies, but companions.”

My personal rating for this movie is 9 out of 10 stars.

• My takeaway from this film? You can't live your life and you certainly run a country by just memorizing texts and spitting out the words when someone wants answers to a hard question or a solution to a difficult problem. Also, just because someone else thinks differently than you do, that doesn't automatically make them EVIL.

This movie was very educational. The two main characters Jeong Yak-jeon and Jang Chang-dae are real historical figures. The performances of the cast were excellent. Plus the scenery was very “idyllic”, although I'm not sure why it was decided to film it in black and white, instead of color. (???)

Even so, it's an award-winning film and many viewers have published positive reviews of the film.

• EXTRA FOR FOODIES! Per Wikipedia: Skate is a “Korean fish specialty dish is Hongeo-hoe (홍어회), which is a fermented skate dish that is famous for its sharp, pungent aroma and a texture that is hard to swallow due to the fish's cartilage. The dish is usually prepared and eaten raw.”

RELATED LINKS OF INTEREST:

Review: "The Book of Fish" Brings A Small Joseon-era Fishing Village to Life | Cinema Escapist

[FICTION VS. HISTORY] 'The Book of Fish' combines facts with mostly fiction | Korea JoongAng Daily

TRAILER: Korean Cultural Center Philippines. “The Book of Fish Trailer | 2023 KFF.” YouTube Video. YouTube, September 7, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKd3rBEVoSU.

Thank you for reading.

NOTE: This content first appeared on PopGeeks.com.

‌