Open Pachinko Blog Post
A moment in Pachinko that I have been invested in so far occurs when Noa leaves Akiko, his college girlfriend, after she invites herself to a meeting between Hansu and Noa. I was struck by this scene because it leads an important realization that Noa has: that he wants to be seen for his humanity, and not for being Korean.
I though this was an interesting revelation for Noa to have because I feel that throughout the story, deep down, Noa has always wanted to be seen as Japanese, so to have this revelation seemed to be a complete change from his previous thinking. I thought his thoughts regarding Akiko's perception of him were profound too. He comes to the conclusion that, "She would always believe that he was someone else, that he wasn't himself but some fanciful idea of a foreign person; she would always feel like she was someone special because she had condescended to be with someone everyone else hated" (307) and that he would never be able to forget his Korean identity if he was with her. This moment I think highlights a significant theme in the novel, which is identity. All the characters have different relationships with their identity. For Noa, it's something that he wishes he could ignore but since he isn't able to as he is a minority, hopes to assimilate to the majority (Japanese).
Hey Catalina! I like your analysis here. I, too, was really interested by this scene. I think this scene helped show Noa's character development when he comes to his personal realization that he wants to be seen for his whole identity, not just the Korean part of it. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHey Catalina! I would agree with you and say, that many of the characters throughout this novel, struggle with their identity. I think part of Noa's realization leads to the rest of his actions throughout the novel. Before this, he seemed so ready to face the world and gain success through his hard work and being honest, but in the above scene, Noa realizes that no matter how hard he tried going being successful while trying to prove that Koreans are smart and gain some respectability and acknowledgment for it, Akiko, a Japanese, would always see the Korean part of him, just as the rest of the world did. He wouldn't just be another successful person, but a Korean. Top this thought with the reality that Hansu was his father and had ties with the yakuza, made Noa feel like his success in life (going to university) was due to this filthy money thus staining himself.
ReplyDeleteHi Catalina! I completely agree! That scene was a turning point for Noa's character and it was interesting to see him come to this realization about his identity. It's also interesting how his desire to be seen as Japanese conflicts with his relationship with his father, Hansu, who is Korean. The theme of identity is definitely a complex and important one in Pachinko!
ReplyDeleteHey Catalina! This scene really struck me too, so I'm glad you decided to write about it. I especially like the distinction you make at the end of the post, about how even though he is trying to "be Japanese" it seems that he would prefer to live in a world where national identity isn't a factor. I think these are really nice insights into Noa's character! Nice work!
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