This study focuses on the problem of gender framing in literature textbooks used in Korea. In particular, this study focuses on illustrations in literature textbooks, as critical places in which such gender framing occurs. The study analyzes 132 character illustrations that appear in Literature, the leading literature textbook used in Korean high schools. Here, illustrations are described and analyzed, and significant patterns and trends related to the politics of sex and gender are explored. Through this analysis, we observed the following trends. Literature contains too few illustrations of women and too many of men. Occupations showed men leaving home, but women returning home; illustrations tended to be of young men, whereas women were cast as mothers. Regarding external or physical characteristics, the following trends were observed: hair as litmus; the Confucian principle whereby a boy and a girl should not sit together; women’s tendencies to be reduced in posture, versus men’s tendencies to expand. Regarding internal characteristics, men were shown to be the ones doing the appreciating, while women were shown being appreciated; men tended to be void of sadness, and women full of sadness; men made judgments, women were shown to be caring and obeying.