A Western girl poses with three Korean girls within the early a part of the twentieth century. Robert Neff Assortment
By Robert Neff
In 1900, Anna Northend Benjamin, a preferred American photojournalist, declared: “We could say with out hesitation that the lot of the Korean girl is probably the most pitiable, simply because the place of her individuals is probably the most deplorable, within the Far East.” She went on so as to add, “Within the decrease courses she should work, work, work. Within the higher courses she should be entombed.”
It isn’t clear precisely when Benjamin arrived in Korea, nevertheless it was most certainly in Could 1900. Horace N. Allen, the American minister to Korea, complained in a letter to his sons about having to entertain two teams of tourists from america. One group — representatives of Commonplace Oil — he readily, if grudgingly, entertained (as a favor to his good friend) however couldn’t put them up on the American Legation, so he organized for them to remain on the Station Resort.
The second group, “headed by a dowdy feminine newspaper correspondent” made their method to the legation and “deposited their baggage and baggage and have been decided to remain proper with me [Allen] day and night time in probably the most brotherly method.” Allen refused to be imposed upon and promptly despatched them on their method.
A postcard of a Korean household within the early twentieth century / Robert Neff Assortment
In line with him, his spouse, Fannie, thought-about their departure as a “slender escape” for herself, as she didn’t really feel like entertaining anybody. Sadly, we solely have Allen’s account, and he appears to indicate Fannie (who was relatively submissive) would have been uncomfortable with the aggressive feminine newspaper correspondent’s character. Though Fannie did have a submissive character, she was no stranger to assured and domineering girls — Isabella Chook Bishop was a really assured and opinionated traveler, however she was additionally dignified and considerably posh. I think Allen’s account is tinged with greater than a bit of exaggeration.
Benjamin and her companions — Dr. Francis E. Clark, his spouse, Harriet, and their 12-year-old son, Harold — most certainly returned to Jemulpo (fashionable Incheon) by practice later that night. They possible spent their time sightseeing within the port whereas their steamship, Ise Maru, transferred cargo. The vessel departed the following day, sure for Vladivostok by way of Japan, Fusan (fashionable Busan) and Wonsan.
Benjamin was 25 years outdated when she arrived in Korea and “had [already] made a reputation in journalism as a formidable warfare correspondent, who reached Cuba earlier than the give up of Santiago and she or he entered the town the day after it capitulated. In 1899 she once more acted as warfare correspondent within the Philippine Isles, and was the one girl journalist who served in each campaigns.” As she was undoubtedly well-known, even within the Hermit Kingdom, it’s considerably stunning her identify is conspicuously lacking from the letters and diaries stored by Western residents in Seoul. Even Allen failed to say her in his e book, “Korea the Reality and Fancy,” a major supply on Westerners dwelling in or visiting the Korean Peninsula as much as 1904.
Three younger women are dressed for an outing circa 1900. Robert Neff Assortment
Regardless of Benjamin’s quick keep, she had quite a bit to say about Korean girls. Contemplating her fierce independence and perceived feminism, most of the expats — particularly conservatives like Allen — have been in all probability uncomfortable together with her presence. Maybe this explains why Benjamin’s anecdotes focus upon Fusan the place she spent 4 days with a few younger missionary girls whereas she waited for her steamer to take her to Vladivostok.
Though Benjamin claimed to have stayed with the ladies missionaries, one other supply means that she stayed with Dr. Charles H. Irvin and his household. Irvin was considerably of an outlier of the missionary group: he manufactured and offered his personal snake-oil, Man Pyung-Su, (“Remedy for Ten Thousand Illnesses”), which was primarily a painkiller that “had no healing worth.” As well as, he was allegedly keen on alcohol and ladies — however that could be a story for one more time.
Benjamin described the restrictive lives endured by Korean girls, even these of the higher class. The younger missionary girls managed to persuade an upper-class man to provide permission to his spouse to make a brief go to to the Japanese settlement which was a few kilometer distance from their dwelling. Benjamin denounced the upper-class man’s home as a “jail” and claimed that the quick tour was an eye-opening expertise for the Korean girl who claimed that “for a few years she had seen nothing greater than the roof of her husband’s home. Now she had one thing to think about till she died.”
Christianity and Western concepts have been seen by many Koreans as a risk to their customs and lifestyle — particularly in regard to social and familial norms. A Western male missionary and his Korean protégé, whereas itinerating within the close by countryside, have been made all too conscious of this mistrust after they despatched for his or her wives to hitch them for a few days.
A Korean household of the higher class circa early 1900s / Robert Neff Assortment
In line with Benjamin, the Korean man “had fallen in love along with his little spouse — a really uncommon factor — and, in his therapy of her, wished to emulate the instance of his international good friend.”
Nevertheless, as soon as the Korean girl’s father-in-law discovered about their plans, he instantly put a cease to it claiming her presence could be thought-about scandalous. He was involved that it will humiliate his son, leaving him open to derision from his friends.
Later, the husband despatched his spouse a letter — via his father — however the poor girl by no means obtained it. The outdated man thought-about his son’s apparent devotion and love for his spouse to be “a violation of all Korean customs.”
Benjamin denounced the final relationship between Korean women and men. Ladies are nothing extra “than a chattel” to males “a Korean woman has no identify. She is named So-and-So’s sister, or So-and-So’s mom, when she turns into married and has a son. Her husband calls her by her son’s identify.” Husbands have been “entitled to a divorce on the bottom of his spouse’s incompatibility together with her mother-in-law.”
A younger couple within the early 1900s / Robert Neff Assortment
This inequality started at delivery. “So poor is the estimate of womankind in Korea that the thought of giving a lady any type of training past stitching and family duties isn’t considered, although an experiment made by some missionaries within the educating of ladies has been solely profitable, and has proved that they’re as able to studying because the boys.”
In line with the American correspondent, the one method for a Korean girl to flee “her bondage” was to change into a sorceress, Buddhist nun or dancing woman. However even this didn’t assure freedom from males:
“There are ‘play-houses in each metropolis and villages. These encompass a sequence of buildings which seem like a temple, and sometimes they’re partly so, for a bit of the ‘play-house’ is usually reserved for an ancestral pill, although that is at all times positioned in a component solely separate. On the entrance of the place there’s a excessive wall, and a gate which is stored locked, and the important thing entrusted to a caretaker who lives in a tiny hut simply inside. The lads collect in these locations to smoke, drink, play video games and discuss. Generally dancing women are employed to carry out there. Apart from them, the ladies haven’t any half within the ‘play-house,’ for which it will by no means happen to the lads to make any provision for the pleasure of the feminine portion of the group.”
A staged picture of two girls doing laundry, circa late nineteenth century / Robert Neff Assortment
Nevertheless, Benjamin conceded that though Korean girls have been usually sad, they have been “clever sufficient to understand the distress of their place.” In contrast to their sisters in Japan and China, Korean girls when “deeply incensed” had “suits of uncontrolled anger” during which they forgot “the teachings of Confucius, and [their] centuries of subjection,” and violently lashed out. “At such a time the [Korean] husband could use a lot haste and tact in getting out of the way in which, or he could retaliate by some efficient blows, or later by a divorce.”
Like a lot of her articles about Japan and the Philippines, Benjamin urged the ladies to claim themselves and alter their society.
“We have now it in us to want that each one Korean womankind would stand up in simultaneous frenzy and trample the outdated order of issues to loss of life beneath foot. I can think about the entire military of Korean males scrambling swiftly to cowl!”
Evidently, Horace Allen and Anna Benjamin didn’t share the identical opinion.
I want to specific my appreciation to Diane Nars for her invaluable help.
Robert Neff has authored and co-authored a number of books, together with Letters from Joseon, Korea By means of Western Eyes and Temporary Encounters.
