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Toji (novel)

TojiHangulHanjaRevised RomanizationT'ojiMcCune�ReischauerToji
Toji (Korean: ??), known in English as Land, is a 16-volume Korean novel written by Park Kyong-ni from 1969 to 1994. It tells the story of five generations of a wealthy Korean family from South Gyeongsang Province. The novel was very popular in South Korea, where it was made into a television series. Part I (of five) was translated into English by Agnita Tennant, as part of a UNESCO Collection of Representative Works project.

Plot
Toji is a total of five parts and sixteen volumes. It deals with the Choi's and Lee Yong's family history through the end of Joseon dynasty, Japanese occupation and independence. The novel, taking place in Pyeongsa-ri in Hadong, Yongjeong in Gando, Seoul, and Jinju, describes how the Choi family is brought to ruin and eventually rises to the challenge. The story of the family and the Korean people is recounted with the historical events of great import, such as the Donghak Peasant Revolution, the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1905, the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894, the 1909 Gando Convention, and the Japanese Invasion of Manchuria in 1931. It is a sizeable work in no fewer than 20 volumes, encompassing a period of a half century and six hundred characters.

The first part (1897�1908) centers on the fall of the Cho family, which is based on the events at Pyeongsa-li in 1894; as the family gradually declines and Jo Jun-gu, a distant relative, steals their money, Choi Seohui, the only descendant, moves to Gando with the village people. The second part (1011-1917) involves moving the background to Yongjeong in northeast China, were Choi Seo-hee and his sons take revenge on Cho Jun-gu� she marries Gilsang, a former servant, becomes rich again, and returns home.

In the third part, (1919-1929 ) the story centers around Yongjeong andinn Tokyo, Seoul, and Jinju, with Kim Hwan dead in prison. where she has recovered the family fortune. Both the second and third chapters delineate independence movements abroad during the Japanese colonization, conflict within the Koreans overseas, and hardships that intellectuals experience.

In part 4, (1930-39), Kim Gil-sang's release from prison, the completion of the altar portrait of Buddha, the death of Kihwa (Bong-sun), and the love and conflicts between Ogada Jiro and Yu In-Sil are slowly drawn, and the second generation Lee's son, Lee Hong and Choi Seo-hee along with the story of her two sons, Hwan-guk and Yun-guk growing up shows portrayals of the country's history, art, and culture.

In part 5, (1940�59) the Koreans' suffering and waiting are depicted in World War II, and the major event is the love triangle of Lee Sang-hyun, Lee Yun-guk, and Song Young-kwang. The novel ends with Lee Yang-hyun running to Choi Seo-hee after hearing about Japan's unconditional surrender on the radio.

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