This paper aims to explore issues of ‘individual poverty’ of the 1910s. The 1910s were a time that ‘individual’ as social subject instead of ‘nation’ significantly mentioned in Enlightenment discourse was often emphasized. And there was growing recognition that poverty restricts individual life. This social environment made writers of novel to pay attention to poverty. This paper defined poverty as the lack of economical capital and cultural capital, and then reconstructed aspects of poverty described in the texts such as some short stories in the Maeilsinbo and some of Sinsoseol. First off, the overseas students in early Sinsoseol works encountered lack of cultural capital in most cases. Their purpose of studying abroad was getting of western knowledge and degree, after their return they wanted to do patriotic enlightenment activities. On the other hand, only since 1910s individual poverty was starting to mean lack of economical capital. It was natural that the poverty was also accompanied by lack of cultural capital. In the short stories in the Maeilsinbo of the early 1910s, economic privation of poor individuals was painted fractionally, and then in Sinsoseol Hyeongwol written in 1915 issues of poor individuals was magnified wholly. The novel begins with exploring the cause and realities of the farming town’s poverty, and as the narrative progressed confrontation against poverty is described more importantly. Taken together, poverty described in novels of the 1920s is to ruin and threat of individual life and morals, and it means endless downswing of life. However it can be said that poverty often means starting condition for ascending life in novels of the 1910s.