For this prompt I chose to write about the constant saying said about women in Pachinko. Throughout the entire novel the saying of, "It is a women's lot is to suffer" was mentioned multiple times by different female characters such as Yangjin, Sunja, and even the Japanese women in Yangjin's favorite tv show.
"Sunja had heard this sentiment from other women, that they must suffer--- suffer as a girl, suffer as a wife, suffer as a mother--- die suffering. ... She had suffered to create a better life for Noa, and yet it was not enough. Should she have taught her son to suffer the humiliation that she'd drunk like water? In the end, he had refused to suffer the conditions of his birth. Did mothers fail by not telling their sons that suffering would come?" (pg. 414)
The entire novel, is filled with women who suffered, in one way or another. Yangjin suffered her entire life as she took care of the boarding house without her husband, spent time alone when Sunja left, and even to the very end she died painfully from stomach cancer. Yumi suffered from the beginning with parents who didn't care for her, she worked hard, and eventually died after getting hit by a taxi. Sunja is continuing to suffer throughout her life. Hana suffered after her parent's divorced and she was forced to find work and only depend on herself to the point where it seems like she was mentally unwell. These are just some examples of the different women suffering throughout the entire novel. And from the repeated sentiment, it seems like the women have just accepted suffering as part of their own lives that won't go away. I wonder if part of the reason that Lee decided to continue this sentiment throughout the novel was because of the times gender roles. Women were subordinate to the men during this time and culture and often had to listen to their husbands. Often, the women don't really get to choose what they want or do what they want, especially those women in the lower classes. All in all, I am still trying to fully decipher what Lee is trying to reveal through this thought.
You make a good point, Monique! It was tragic to see what a lot of the female characters had to suffer through, including Sunja's relationship with Hansu and losing Noa, Yangjin having to lose Sunja when she left, and the women being taken to China, among plenty of other examples. It is hard to say what Lee is trying to say about that, though. One thought I have is that the inevitable suffering communicates how women had little choice/agency during the time of the novel. Even well off women have struggles, like the one Hansu beats. It is a sad reality to accept about that time.
ReplyDeleteHey Monique! This is super interesting - I had picked up on the theme of women suffering and harmful gender dynamics but not the fact that this quote was used multiple times. That only strengthens the theme of gender that Lee is conveying throughout the novel. Thanks for sharing with us!
ReplyDeleteHey Monique! I actually did my open post on this too, and I'm so glad I was able to compare our different perspectives! When people constantly tell Sunja that "women suffer", I'm wondering if they are implying that women suffer more than men, if women suffer just like the men (acknowledging women's sacrifices and work even when it may not be as obvious) or something else.
ReplyDeleteHi Monique! I really enjoyed reading this post! I feel that women's suffering has been a large part of all of our readings, but the experiences of female characters in Pachinko really stood out to me. It seems as though everyone has been predicting Sunja's unhappiness throughout her entire life, so she ends up living the lable. I think maternal sacrifice has also been a large part of Sunja's life, so she accepts having to wear herself down for the good of her children.
ReplyDeleteHi Monique! It's interesting to see how the repeated sentiment of "It is a women's lot to suffer" affects the female characters in Pachinko. It's clear that the women in the novel have accepted suffering as a part of their lives, but the author's intentions behind this motif are not fully clear. The gender roles and cultural context of the time may have played a significant role in shaping the experiences of these women.
ReplyDeleteHey Monique, I think its a unique choice for Lee to include this repetitive sentiment of women suffering. I agree that Lee is trying to show a realistic perspective of how limited women were socially during this time. I'm also not sure why Lee chose to write about suffering throughout the novel and not provide a silver-lining.
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