Gender in Pachinko

 I think that Pachinko keeps a very traditional view of gender in this novel. While this view is prominently promoted by societal traditions and even certain male characters themselves, I also see a slight subversion of how women should act, particularly with the characters of Kyunghee and Sunja. First off, in regards to the traditionalism of gender seen in the novel, there is Sunja and the expectation that she must marry, especially after getting pregnant. There is this implication that if she doesn't marry, she will be an outcast within her community. However, Sunja and Kyunghee also show how women were able to maintain a certain amount of their autonomy despite the patriarchal conditions surrounding them. They go out and work during a time when mostly men were expected to provide. Sunja in a way adapts the "head of the household" figure in her own family dynamic, especially once Isak is caught. Sunja and Kyunghee are independent and show that there is power in making their own income in order to keep their autonomy.