Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee
For those of us basically unaware of the painful history between Korea and Japan, this thoughtful, well-constructed novel is a shocking and necessary entry point. It's a generational saga, the tale of one Korean woman and her family from birth to old age. Sunja is born to hardworking parents who run a boardinghouse in their rented home; her father is a kind cripple who raises her with adoring love until his death, when her mother takes over the business. At sixteen, Sunja is secretly courted by a wealthy man twice her age, and becomes pregnant. Upon learning he is married with three other children, she rejects his offer to make her a permanent mistress and, in an extremely lucky turn of events for her - unwed and pregnant in 1930's Korea is not an ideal situation - marries a young Christian and moves with him to his brother's house in Osaka, Japan.
I was vaguely aware of Japan's colonization of the Korean peninsula, and remember from high school history classes how the Japanese imperial attitude lined up with Germany's own racial views. Lee's deft handling of the topic on a much more personal level, following this one Korean family's life in Japan over several decades, is an uncomfortable reminder of remaining existing racist attitudes in our own country and all over the world. Despite having been born in Japan, and his father having been born in Japan, Sunja's grandson Solomon is still considered an alien, forced at 14 to get a South Korean passport. Her children endure systematic, state-sanctioned racism at the hands of their classmates, teachers, and employers. Despite their best efforts to make an honest living, Sunja's family at every turn is thwarted by bad luck and ill-will.
As they struggle through this undercurrent of racial hatred, the members of Sunja's family live out their lives with the same pleasures and difficulties faced by all. School, work, keeping a roof over their head, maintaining good relationships with each other - these everyday troubles are magnified by their extraordinary situation. Trying to find good work is hard when Japanese don't hire Koreans, and the job in Nagasaki that seems like a boon turns sour with the dropping of the bomb. Success in school is hard enough in this society, and made even worse when everyone tells you how stupid and lazy your people are. Sunja's lucky marriage must weather discrimination against Christians in Japan, and her love for her children is complicated by the yakuza father of her first child. There's so much to unpack in this simply told, yet complex novel. And there's a story here that desperately needs to be told; I'm glad Min Jin Lee has written it.
Shop local!
I was vaguely aware of Japan's colonization of the Korean peninsula, and remember from high school history classes how the Japanese imperial attitude lined up with Germany's own racial views. Lee's deft handling of the topic on a much more personal level, following this one Korean family's life in Japan over several decades, is an uncomfortable reminder of remaining existing racist attitudes in our own country and all over the world. Despite having been born in Japan, and his father having been born in Japan, Sunja's grandson Solomon is still considered an alien, forced at 14 to get a South Korean passport. Her children endure systematic, state-sanctioned racism at the hands of their classmates, teachers, and employers. Despite their best efforts to make an honest living, Sunja's family at every turn is thwarted by bad luck and ill-will.
As they struggle through this undercurrent of racial hatred, the members of Sunja's family live out their lives with the same pleasures and difficulties faced by all. School, work, keeping a roof over their head, maintaining good relationships with each other - these everyday troubles are magnified by their extraordinary situation. Trying to find good work is hard when Japanese don't hire Koreans, and the job in Nagasaki that seems like a boon turns sour with the dropping of the bomb. Success in school is hard enough in this society, and made even worse when everyone tells you how stupid and lazy your people are. Sunja's lucky marriage must weather discrimination against Christians in Japan, and her love for her children is complicated by the yakuza father of her first child. There's so much to unpack in this simply told, yet complex novel. And there's a story here that desperately needs to be told; I'm glad Min Jin Lee has written it.
Shop local!
Comments
Post a Comment