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Saturday, March 22, 2008

Theme for When My Name Was Keoko

The theme of the story: In Linda Sue Park's When My Name Was Keoko, which is about a Korean girl and a boy living in the time of Japanese occupation, going through many conflicts until they are free, the theme is that courage is something that is needed to accomplish something one wants to be done.

Bonus: Analyzing a Story's Theme
1) Does the title signify something about the story? Does it point to a truth the story reveals about life?
>> The title (When My Name Was Keoko) signifies how the main character once had to change his or her name from Korean to Japanese. It also shows how the Koreans were controlled by the Japanese.

2) Does the main character change during the course of the story? Does the main character realize something he or she did not know before?
>> Tae-Yul seemed to get more mature, thoughtful, and caring about his family, especially when he volunteered to go to the military. And then Sun-Hee learned to think more importantly of their family, and she also learned to act after thinking after the incident of Uncle. And then they both are now proud of their family (especially Uncle and Father)

3) Are any important statements about life or people made in the story, either by the narrator or characters in the story?
>> "One hand. Five fingers of thought - that is all I will give them. Not one finger more." pg. 58, stated by Mrs. Ahn.

4) Is the theme ever directly stated? If so, where is it stated?
>> NO

5) In one sentence, state the story's theme. Do you agree with the theme? Is the writer presenting a truth about life or forcing us to accept a false view?
>> The theme: In Linda Sue Park's When My Name Was Keoko, which is about a Korean girl and a boy living in the time of Japanese occupation, going through many conflicts until they are free, the theme is that courage is something that is needed to accomplish something one wants to be done. I agree with the theme, and do not think that the writer is forcing us to accept a false view.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Characters for When My Name Was Keoko

Keoko: Her full Japanese name is Kaneyama Keoko, and her full Korean name is Kim Sun-hee. She is the youngest in the family, and eavesdrop a lot to get some information on what is going on in their family and Korea.
Tae-Yul: He is three years older than Sun-hee and is the one who can get all the information fom Father and Uncle. He later goes to the army to not betray Uncle. So it shows how thoughtful he is and how much he wories about his family members.
Father: Also known as Abuji, he is the vice-principle of Sun-hee's school
Mother: Also known as Omoni.
Uncle: He is the younger brother of Father, and he is very patriotic. He works for the resistance movement, printing illegal newspaper saying things that forces Japanes to burn all of them. After Korea's independence, he planned to go back to the family, for he ran away to the North side of Korea because of Sun-hee's mistake, but because of the Communists in the north side of Korea, he wasn't able to.

Settings for When My Name Was Keoko (rewrite)

I am reading When My Name Was Keoko. The story is taken in place of Korea and the date of the first chapter is 1940. It was time before the Korean War. So Korea was one country. And it was when Korea was under the Japanese rule. Because they were ruling Korea, the Japanese treated the Koreans very unfairly, and many Koreans were in pain.This is the story narrated by two people: Sun-hee and Tae-yul. They each narrate every other chapter. Sun-hee and Tae-yul are brother and sister with Sun-hee being the younger one. Every Koreans are to change their names into Japanese. Soon Sun-hee and Tae-yul soon lose morethan their Korean names and their freedom. And there comes the war of Japan and America, too.I have never enjoyed reading historical fictions nor thought of myself enjoying reading them. But this one is different. This book is very interesting and fun to read. Perhaps it's because it's about Korea. -_-
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Affects to the Characters: There are the Japanese in Korea, taking almost everything away from them. It makes Sun-hee and Tae-yul dislike or hate Japanes, and it also made Uncle to be part of the resitance movement. Later, when Tae-yul goes to the military, it makes him mentally and physically strong.

Affects to the Plot: Because the setting is in Korea, it showws how Koreans are treated badly by the Japanese, and if the plot was taken in Japan, then the story of Uncle becoming a part of the resistance movement wouldn't have happened.

And then we can see, in this book, Japanese soliers walking in their nice clothes, or other Japanese living well, when the Koreans have to wear clothes with patches and even eat animal food! We can hear Japanes outside, but Koreans inside the house of Sun-hee and Tae-yul's family. And lastly, we can taste the millet ! Blah.