Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is a novel that follows a Korean family through four generations as it explores themes of identity, family, and power. The story begins on the small Korean island of Yeongdo in 1910, after Korea’s annexation by Japan, with Hoonie, Yangjin, and their daughter, Sunja, who run a small boarding house. The story mainly focuses on Sunja as she meets Koh Hansu, a rich fish broker who lives in Osaka, Japan, and becomes pregnant with his child. Later, Sunja finds out that Hansu has a wife and three daughters in Japan, so she refuses to marry him. She ends up marrying Baek Isak, a boarder with her family who is moving to Japan to live with his brother and his wife. Soon after, their son, Noa, is born, and five years later, they have another son, Mozasu. Throughout their upbringing, the theme of identity plays a large role in the actions they take. During this time, the many

Korean families living in Japan were seen as inferior to the Japanese and experienced racism and stereotypes daily. Noa in particular struggles with this and strives to be the perfect student so that he will not fit into the stereotypes of being lazy and aggressive that are forced upon him. The theme of power is also very prominent in the dynamics between the Japanese and Korean immigrants in Osaka. Sunja and her family live in a slum of Osaka set aside specifically for Korean families, and they struggle to earn a living with the limited jobs they are allowed to work. This recurring idea offers commentary on imperialism and the effects it has on the identities of the imperialized peoples. Today, the effects of this can still be seen today in the division between North and South Korea. Before the annexation, Korea was a united nation, but years of occupation by the Japanese caused resentment and divisions to grow, which became one of the causes of the Korean War. Another way the theme of power is presented in this novel is through Sunja and Hansu’s relationship. Although Sunja cuts contact with Hansu after marrying Isak, it is later revealed that the entire time Sunja has been living in Japan, he has been affecting her life through his influence by getting her jobs and paying for Noa’s schooling. Sunja begs Hansu to stop, but has no real power to actually make him, as he could tear apart their entire family if he wished to. Overall, one of my main takeaways from this novel is the importance of family connection and resilience through challenging times. Although Sunja’s family faced systematic racism over the course of the story, the closeness of their family helped them persevere while largely staying true to their identity. This theme can be seen across all literature and is still relevant today, as countries and communities are still actively fighting to preserve their culture and identity against those who want to erase them.