Skip to main content

Isak vs. Issac

 I was most interested in the biblical comparison between Isak from Pachinko and Isaac from the bible. In the bible, Abraham is willing and about to sacrifice Isaac because God asked him to. And depending on your biblical interpretation, that sacrifice was supposed to 1) go beyond Abraham's own wants (to have a family and children) in deference to a greater good and greater calling by God. And 2) teach Abraham about the importance of his relationship with Isaac as well as his relationship with God. Although it was through pretty gruesome means, the sacrifice, in the end, brought everyone closer together and taught Abraham about what was most important to him—his relationship with God.

In Pachinko, Isak's sacrifice is different. Rather than being forced by someone else (Abraham), Isak makes the sacrifice of marrying Sunja and providing for a family that isn't biologically his of his own volition. Isak chooses to do it, not because God directly told him to do it, but because he believed it was the right thing to do. While Abraham acted in direct deference to God, Isak acted in indirect deference to his sense of morality, what a good person is, and the common good. And I will be interested to see in the entirety of the novel, if Isak's sacrifice will 1) bring everyone closer together, and 2) teach them lessons about themselves and their relationships. 

Comments

  1. Gema Sanchez GamezMarch 6, 2023 at 2:33 PM

    Hi Noah, I think your analysis of Isak's name is really interesting. One of the main themes in Pachinko is sacrifice, so it makes sense that Lee chose this name for Isak's character, who's entire life has revolved around being emotionally attuned to everyone around him.

    ReplyDelete
  2. John SawyerMarch 7, 2023 at 1:02 PM

    Hi Noah, I appreciate the description you provided of Isaac's representation in The Bible. I was previously not aware of this. Cool to hear about how Lee's intentional decision of sacrifice was crucial in defining Isak's character in the book. Scenes like these show how connected the author is to The Bible as it plays such a large role in not only names of the characters, but their fates as well.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Antigone vs. Home Fire

What stood out to me at the beginning of Antigone was the parallel fight between Ismene vs. Antigone and Isma vs. Aneeka. Ismene—like Isma—took the logical stance of conservative protection, opting to sacrifice a proper burial of her already dead brother for the safety of the two living sisters. Both Ismene and Isma sacrifice a level of their integrity for the larger picture, knowing they would like to fulfill their religious obligation to bury their brother as they are supposed to. But at the same time, knowing that adherence to their beliefs would be detrimental to their lives. They both choose to look towards the future and what their—and Antigone/Aneeka's—lives could hold if they do the socially expected outcome of not properly burying their brother. They choose to avoid conflict in the name of safety.  Whereas both Antigone and Aneeks cannot continue their lives if they sacrifice their integrity to abide by social pressures. Both of their lives are so dependent on faith and fa...
7 comments
Read more

Gender in Pachinko

 The female characters' intellect is more subtle and transactions: for example, bargaining at the pawnshop and market. Society does not allow women to express and pursue their education and intellect explicitly, but Lee does a good job of making it clear that—even though society disagrees—these women are incredibly intelligent and capable. Nonetheless, they are still disadvantaged by society because of their gender—Sunja gets pregnant out of wedlock and is pressured to leave her home and family in Korea in order to 1) marry someone, so she doesn't get judged, and 2) have someone to provide for her. A lot of the social pressures she faces are based on the gender expectations society has for her. She is not supposed to be/encouraged to be smart or to pursue an education, instead her social expectations are that of a mother. In contrast, men are revered for their intellect, wealth, and power. Hansu is rich and powerful, so we see him attempt to use his influence to control those a...
2 comments
Read more

Final Project Update

My research for my final project has not really officially started, although I have started doing some brainstorming on potential topics that I would like to write about. At mid-quarter, it can be challenging to envision the final project, especially when have only been in class for a short time because of the quarter system. Also, we still have a book and a half to read, which will influence my research and help me develop new ideas. And seeing how other people start/plan to start their projects will help me navigate my own.  As for questions or struggles, at this stage, I am mostly worried about figuring out the focus or direction of my project. I have not yet chosen a platform to use, however, depending on the specific topic I choose, I really liked the interface of StoryMap. I think it portrayed the text and map better than Neatline. If I have a final topic that uses geography, I will definitely consider using StoryMap. Overall, I feel a little overwhelmed and unsure at this st...
2 comments
Read more