Elusive Narrators in Hwang Sun-wŏn

Hwang Sun-wŏn's elusive narrators force the reader to take an active role in shaping the meaning of his stories. The shifting viewpoint implicitly acknowledges that dogmatic interpretations are untenable. His short stories accommodate not only multiple speakers but, more important, multiple listeners. This tolerance for and interest in a variety of viewpoints is an important reason why Hwang has gained a place for himself among those Korean authors with wide appeal outside his native land.