Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

History failed us but no matter.

THAT is the opening line of the book Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. I could not agree nor disagree that in history books, we seldom read about the poor people, the ordinary citizens who suffer the wages of war. The reason is that I have not read that many history books. The ones that I have read, I could not recall anymore.

Pachinko is about a family saga of Korean generations who left their homeland in search for a better life. Before reading this book, I have no knowledge of Japanese-Korean relationship during the world war II and it was a surprise that Koreans were treated harshly by the Japanese. Which is one thing I want to understand better as I only read from a Korean point of view. It makes me wonder how this book was received by the Japanese readers.

It started with Hoonie and Yangjin, a husband and wife who owned a boarding house in the village of Yeongdo in Korea. They had a child named Sunja who was later impregnated by Koh Han Su, a Korean man who was adopted by a Japanese family when he was a child.

Later on in the book, Sunja and his husband, Isaek (yes, not Koh Hansu) went to Japan to start their life. Sunja gave birth to a boy they named Noa and later on to another boy they named Mosazu. And so the family saga continued up to Mosazu’s child named Solomon.

A woman’s suffering is largely portrayed in the story.

 

For a woman, the man you marry will determine the quality of your life completely. A good man is a decent life, and a bad man is a cursed life—but not matter what, always expect suffering, and just keep working hard. No one will take care of a poor woman—just ourselves. (page 27)

But what is the definition of a good man? I wonder. Perhaps that is why the ajumma followed her sentence with “always expect suffering”. I admired Sunja for her bravery, she was given the option of a good life though living as a mistress or holding up to what was left of her virtue and she bravely chose the latter even though the future is unknown.

The book mentioned a lot of bible passages which makes me wonder if Min Jin Lee is a devoted Christian or if she just researched those lines. The book reminded me of Shusako Endo’s Silence, a book about Japanese Christianity during the war. It is similar to what happened to the Korean Christians, they were imprisoned for refusing to bow to the shrine. Isaek, Sunja’s husband was one of the Christian leaders who were imprisoned and by the time he was set free, his other foot was already in the grave. 

 

It is frustrating how the Japanese wanted Koreans to act they way they do yet they refuse to acknowledge them as one of their own.

As part of woman’s suffering, physical appearance also played a big role throughout the book. Sunja was once a child, though she did not possess contemporary beauty, her youth was enough. But throughout the years as her age declines, so does her feeling of usefulness. It was the same with the other women characters in the book. Once their beauty faded, they were left with only the things they could do (not want to do). And I feel that this speaks loudly in today’s generation. Women are being objectified, rated according to the standard of male society.

 

Korean prisoners were usually sent home just as they were about to die, so that they would not die in jail. (page 179)

To continue, Noa and Mosazu grew up to be fine men. Although Noa’s outcome was an unfortunate one. He managed to convert himself into a Japanese citizen but something about his past is so unforgivable and unacceptable to him that there was no other way to set himself free but to die.

Mozasu on the other hand, had a child named Solomon, who also turned out to be an academic like his uncle Noa. He ended up in a banking business which went well until the last episode of his life in the book where he was terminated from employment simply because he is a Korean.

As I was nearing the end of the story, I was a bit hasty for it to be finished but when I got to the last scene and when it finally ended, I cried. It is a heartbreaking scene. Sunja visiting the grave of her husband Isaek, and the groundskeeper telling her that her sons Noa and Mosazu used to visit there also by schedule. Although he wondered what happened to Noa as he had not seen him for the last 10 years. That was when my heart broke. These people just wanted to live a normal virtuous life. Why do unfortunate things happen to them one after another? Why is it that even when money is not a problem for them anymore, other people still treat them unfairly? And although this is fiction, we know how that this kind of life is the reality for the people living during the war.

It makes me think, we are all human beings, no matter what our race or history is. Why do we treat each other inhumanely?

Related Reading: My Favorite Quotes from the Pachinko by Min Jin Lee