Digital Humanities

Before this course, I had never even heard of the term 'digital humanities.' However, I am very grateful to have been exposed to these media types and the way the can creatively and interactively present information. I think in today's age with platforms like social media, there is so much competing for our attention that material has to be extremely engaging for people to actually learn from it. These digital humanities tools can drastically increase the engagingness of a project.

Part of the reason why I decided to attend school in Silicon Valley was the region's emphasis and celebration of technology. Seeing technology implemented into unexpected contexts such as digital humanities has been very cool. I much prefer creative, visual projects to writing essays, and the digital humanities projects helped me strengthen those skills.

Besides being more fun for me to develop and present, the digital humanities tools also reinforced my learning in a deeper way. For instance, actually mapping locations on geographic-based platforms like Neatline helped me better grasp how far/close locations were to each other. Also, attaching images to platforms made it easier to understand what characters in the texts were seeing, feeling, and experiencing.

Finally, the digital humanities tools impacted my learning by teaching me what is possible for future presentations. I know that if I am in another course tasked with a large project, I can rely on my new skills to create a presentation that is likely to be unique from the kind my peers create, and therefore will hopefully stand out more and be more effective.

Course Reflections

It's crazy to think that we are almost done with our time in the Literatures of the World course! This I enjoyed this course and appreciated the ways it was different from my high school English courses.

More than previous courses, this course took me across time and space. I did not expect the different time periods and locations I would learn about, especially each's historical context. In some ways, this course could be taught as a history course as well since it explores histories that are not commonly taught or talked about, at least in my experience. Developing research excursions was really helpful in this regard, as it allowed me to explore more deeply topics that I was particularly interested in.

If anything about this course changed me, it's that I have a wider perspective on current social justice concerns. Beyond the Western point of view, I have a better understanding about how issues regarding class, gender, race, religion, sexuality, etc. have varied throughout different time periods and geographical locations. This is important because these alternate experiences regarding social justice can help inform actions and beliefs in the present about those same topics.

Finally, one of my biggest surprises from this course was our 'field trips' to Archives and Special collections. I knew basically nothing about book and print history before this course, and did not realize how many resources the university library had on these subjects. Whether it was getting a tour of the basement vault or looking at different book materials under microscopes, those visits ended up being some of my favorite class periods.

"Women Suffer"

Throughout the novel, various female characters have told Sunja that women suffer. They usually make this sound like a consolation, as if Sunja is not alone in her suffering at that moment because half the world's population suffers too.

To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about this mentality. On on hand, when so much of Pachinko has to do with belonging, and when Sunja so often feels alone, it might be comforting for her to think of herself as part of a larger community who feels what she feels. The phrase also retracts the blame in any situation from the woman. It makes the suffering not seem to be her fault and in doing so may reduce self-hatred and shame.

However, the saying "women suffer" classifies this suffering as an unfortunate inevitability. I think this is dangerous because it makes it seem like a lifetime of suffering is something women just have to accept and deal with, rather than actively work to dismantle. "Women suffer" is pacifying in this way, it encourages apathy and negates social justice.

Finally, the phrase specifying that women suffer automatically calls a comparison with the suffering of men. I am not sure what the women who say this, and Min Jin Lee herself, are trying to imply. Are they insinuating that the women of Pachinko suffer more than men? Or are they trying to raise awareness that women also suffer, and even if that suffering isn't as obvious as dying on a battlefield or being the main financial provider of the family, it still exists and deserves to be recognized. I'm curious what y'all think: in Pachinko, does "women suffer" mean "women suffer more" or "women suffer too"?

Response to Yumi's Passage

Yumi uses two analogies to analyze Korea and Japan, and both shed important insights into Pachinko. When Yumi compares being Korean to an uncontrollable condition like poverty, it reinforces the novel's pervasive theme of fate. Characters in Pachinko reflect on their blood, "bad seeds", etc., that predestine their life paths and outcomes. When Yumi adds her culture and history to this category, it makes this part of her identity distant, stagnant, and no longer a prideful heritage that can grow and change.

Yumi also considers Japan to be like a beloved stepmother who refused to love her. The familial imagery is interesting here because it questions whether and how nations should care for their vulnerable citizens. Is a stepmother simply obligated to love her stepchildren? Does trust need to be established first, care and protection 'earned'? The quote also calls into question why Yumi loves a nation that degrades her dignity so often.

These relationships say that being Korean is a taint, and an inescapable one. Belonging in Korea is internal and given, but belonging in Japan is an external prize to be won. We could connect this idea to Sunja's relationship with Hansu: Hansu was guaranteed to have his wife, his Korea, whereas Sunja was the aspirational Japan: 'new' and failing to love him back after a while. Greed, loneliness, rejection, helplessness, detachment, and love are some of the emotions both in their relationship and ones that are related to colonialism.

Gender and Intelligence

One of the most striking explorations of gender in Pachinko is with its connection to intelligence. Many of the women characters have the opportunity to express intelligence, such as Sunja's clever bargaining at the pawn shop, Yangjin's leadership and management of the boardinghouse, and Kyunghee's thriftiness at the market. However, in every case these women are viewed by others as the surprise, the exception, and are still belittled and underestimated. Prime examples are the way Sunja has to battle for Yoseb to listen to her plan to work and Hansu to agree that she is capable of raising her children without his help. Society cannot accept that she and other women are smart; rather, each is smart 'for a woman' if even that.

For the men characters, on the other hand, intelligence is not noteworthy. Although people may be impressed by Isak's knowledge, Hansu's craftiness, or Noa's academic abilities, they are not surprised that each character was able to achieve them. This expectation is exhibited by women as well as men: Sunja forgets to even ask Noa if his studies are difficult for him. Also, the intelligent men characters don't need to fight for credibility and respect soley based on their gender. While they are still certainly discriminated against for racial and other reasons, they have one less barrier to be overcome than the women in order to be taken seriously.

I think Lee wants to raise attention to the fact that gender disparities such as the perception of intelligence exist across cultures, geographies, generations, and time periods. I'm interested in seeing how the expression and reception of women's intelligence continues to develop throughout the novel.

Biblical Names and Significances: Yoseb, Isak, and Noa

Many of the men in Pachinko have Biblical names. These are significant as each character demonstrates some similarities to their namesake, which Lee may want to call special attention to. There are many examples of Biblical names in the narrative, but I will be focusing on Yoseb/Joseph, Isak/Issac, and Noa/Noah here.

The name Yoseb is based on Joseph. Interestingly enough, there are two prominent Josephs in Biblical tradition. The first is the Joseph of the Old Testament who can interpret dreams and becomes his father and the pharaoh's favorite, much to the jealousy of his brothers. To be honest, I did not see many similarities between his story and Yoseb's. That Joseph is idealistic and removed from his family, where Yoseb seems more pragmatic and devoted to his family above all else. Yoseb instead reminded me much more of the New Testament Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus. Just as Joseph selflessly brought Mary and Jesus into his family, Yoseb does the same for Sunja and Noa.

Another Biblical-Pachinko name pair is Isak and Isaac. In the Old Testament, Issac is remembered for being the son that Abraham almost sacrificed at God's command. In Pachinko, Isak is also associated with sacrifice, although it is self-sacrifice rather than being imposed on him. Isak sacrifices to marry Sunja during her scandalous pregnancy, and sacrifices himself to protest 'idol worship' of the Emperor which results in his long-time imprisonment and eventual death.

Finally, although Noa is still a child, he already bears some similarity to Noah in the Old Testament. Noah was known for his obedience to God above all else, and we can see Pachinko's Noa also being consistently obedient to his parents, teachers, and duties. Biblical Noah is most of all known for building the ark and beginning life in a new land after the great flood. As we see Noa dream of attending a Japanese university and going back to Korea, perhaps he will also be the character to bring his family to live in a new location.