“Love has taught love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.”
- Antoine De Saint Exupery
Perhaps one of the most difficult things in the universe is love. If I see through his mind earlier than now … If I took in the situation in her view… If I loved him more when we were in love…
Many regrets are left when loving each other.
Although lovers say that they know each other well, they do not know each other well even in the moment of parting. Maybe, because of this reason, they quarrel quite often. For example, he has no regard about her feelings, but she may think of his behavior as offensive, because he does not understand her mind.
Have you ever loved a person deeply? If you have loved someone deeply enough and you could not sleep at night because of love, you will be able to express sympathy after watching the play <The Woman and The Man>.
<The Woman and The Man> was started in 2003 on the radio program, Lee So-Ra’s ‘Music City’. There are a variety of features in this program. Many people waited for the time when <The Woman and The Man> flowed from the radio. <The Woman and The Man> is the love story about the way a woman and a man in same situation open their hearts. The guest played the role of the man and the DJ, the role of a woman. Energized by increasing popularity, a collection of short episodes were bound and published into one book. It was also made into a play. It was the first instance where a radio script became popular, and it encountered a wide variety of genres.
Radio
If you have listened to the radio even once, you probably know how attractive it is. It has a unique voice that only a radio can only have. It is not just hearing another’s story, but also being caught up in it and identifying with anonymous people. <The Woman and The Man> can mirror radio’s magnetism. Although we cannot find a solution to her problem, we can hear the full story in the viewpoint of characters. Of course, it is a fiction that the radio script-writer made like a real situation. B But because she wrote the script from her real experience, we can sympathize and shed tears feeling her pain.
In the book, the man’s story is on the left page and the woman’s on the right. In same situation, they are thinking outside the box from their meeting all the way to where they say goodbye. Each had situations in which they were misunderstood by the other. There is one funny episode in the book.
The Man
I borrowed a book in the library. In the book, there was a piece of paper. Her phone number, name, and the words ‘Call me if you want to meet me’ were left in a message. My heart began pounding upon reading the paper. Who wrote this message? Who? I tried to remember the situation in the library. At first, when I found the book, someone had returned this book and a part-time librarian was putting books on the shelves. Then, I picked out a book from one of the books on shelves, and I showed the book to her… Who’s message? I will call her as soon as possible. Who? Who?
The Woman
I am usually in the seat of checking out books.
I found a man that I like and wanted to let him know how I feel. He looked like a student from his appearance and bag. What is his name? What grade? Waiting until he borrowed a book, I kept a slip of paper in my hand. Finally, he borrowed one book! I scanned his student ID card with the speed of lightning and then, I inserted a prepared note into his book. Suddenly, another person brought their book and because I was in a hurry, I ended up putting the note in another person’s book. What if he really calls me? I will have to ignore him.
Play
There are four main characters in the play. A student, Young-min, who has a pure heart falls in love with Ji-won at first sight. A salary employee and Young-min’s brother, Young-hun, who wears horn-rimmed glasses also falls in love with a colleague at work. For people who have started to fall in love with each other, they may feel ashamed and may sympathize for people at a marriageable age. In other words, the reason why the play, <The Woman and The Man>, is popular is that it aims at all ages.
The original version as a book is composed in short episodes, but the play is a long story made of short stories. We can find the episodes presented in the book easily. For example, the bus stopped abruptly, nearly tipping a woman out of her seat. In the bus, there is a man that she likes. She monologues “I would rather fall down and faint”. Another example is when a woman uses blue eye shadow to look pretty, but her boy friend says, “Did you get a bruise?”
So while people who like the book are wondering how the short episodes can be made into a long story, their concern is unnecessary. Today, many movies are made from books. Many people have different thoughts as to which one is better.
People can exercise their imagination through books. We can imagine the appearance of characters and think ‘If I were a main character…’, and I can pace myself feeling like I walk with the character. However, when it is made into a play version, people can watch the situation visually. Therefore, many people say that the play cannot reach the fame of the book. Nevertheless, the play is distinctive from other forms. In all forms <The Woman and The Man> has unique points, so people cannot compare which one is better.
A reporter asked a question to the author of <The Woman and The Man> radio script. She answered, “I have a habit of standing behind someone. The role of a radio script-writer is listening to others’ words carefully. So I am unfamiliar with becoming a main character. Of course, being afraid of exposing my privacy is one of the most important factors as to why I escape interviews.”
The reason why she does not want to interview is that she does not want to expose herself in society. But, by avoiding the interview, she can make her book real and not fiction. Can this be thought to be the true intention of the author?
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“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind” –William Shakespeare
“Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Some trails are happy ones
Others are blue
It is the way you ride the trail that counts
Here’s a happy one for you”
-Dale Evans
Park Jung-hee
qkrwjdgmlwkd@gmail.com