"Unbroken Darkness” : Christian Missionary Conceptions of Blindness in Early 20th Century Korea

Abstract: This thesis aims to explore Christian missionary conceptions of blindness in early 20thcentury Korea. This period of history is characterized by drastic changes to Koreansociety due to an increase in external influences on the peninsula, changes which alsoaffected the social position and perception of blind people. Christian missionariesplayed a central role in the changes to the lives of these blind people, which is why thisthesis aims to highlight missionary conceptions of blindness in Korea. To accomplishthis, some tools from critical discourse analysis are used to examine how blindness isconceptualized within several texts from Protestant missionary publications, using adisability studies framework to analyse the texts. The analysis showcases the religiousimagery and religious conceptions of blindness present in the texts, how these interactwith medical conceptions, and distinctions in the portrayal of blind people between thedifferent texts.