Hansu vs Isak

 Hansu and Isak both have relationships with Sunja in the novel. However,  in both cases they seem to be “forced”. Maybe forced is not the right word but there is some circumstance that unfairly balances the power dynamic in both relationships. Hansu begins by eyeing Sunja from afar. She originally rejects him, which oddly compels him more (whatever happened to no means no). We sense that Sunja is flattered by his persistence, but this does not rationalize the way that we see Hansu treat Sunja. He begins by telling her to call him brother, which not only has an incestuous connotation, to also further perpetuates the power dynamic; she now seems him as superior. Hansu furthers this by talking about his life of grandeur, enchanting Sunja into thinking about a life so different from hers. She is drawn to the energy. The relationship between Sunja and Hansu is very one-sided. For the most part, they meet on his terms, where he does most of the talking. When they have sex, it seems to be all Hansu’s desperation and inability to be a gentleman. Additionally, his failure to tell Sunja about his wife was purposeful and deceitful. I have no doubt that she would have not participated if she had known there was nothing in it for her in the end. In terms of Isak, he is a much more pitiful case. Though the book talks about his kindness and generosity, I can’t help but wonder if his willingness to marry Sunja has to do with his inability to find a wife in the time-frame he desires. He so desperately wants someone to love and care for him, but when a marriage begins in a tough situation this may be difficult to develop. All in all, Isak is a much more likable character, but neither of them I feel are good for Sunja.

Comments

  1. Avery PiersonFebruary 22, 2022 at 12:20 AM

    I totally agree with this! The unbalanced power dynamics are made really clear in both of these relationships. Also, I feel like it can be considered a form of assault how Hansu kept so much information from Sunja and then slept with her. He let her be so vulnerable with him and then proceeded to lie and withhold the fact that he literally had another family.

    ReplyDelete
  2. KrisFebruary 22, 2022 at 2:11 PM

    With regards to no means no, this novel does take place close to a century ago. Of course, Hansu's actions were deplorable by any metric, but historically women were simply not factored into the equation of consent, and when it comes to powerful people in the current day it's not too different. On a separate note, I definitely agree that Isak isn't necessarily what Sunja wants or perhaps even needs, even though he is her benefactor and what seems to be a genuine individual.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Javier MartinezFebruary 22, 2022 at 2:20 PM

    I think your description of the relationships as seeming "forced" is spot on. In both situations, Sunja seems wronged in a way, whether through Hansu's manipulation, or Sunja's lack of true connection to Isak. Both are comparable in this way, but I agree with you on Isak being much more likable, simply because he appears more straightforward, honest, and of better intent.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Michelle BFebruary 22, 2022 at 6:38 PM

    As a woman, Sunja doesn't have any real agency in either relationship. Which is what makes her actions with regard to the watch pawning and her business starting so surprising.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gender in Pachinko

  In the novel, there are characters that seem to have defined gender roles, and there are some that blur the lines. For example, Kyunghee seems to portray a typical woman. She is extremely loyal to her husband, and respects him almost to a fault. She is also described as beautiful. Without the introduction of Sunja, she may have never had the courage to ask for anything. For example, she had the lovely idea of constructing a kimchi business. She is able to partially achieve this dream, but she would not have been able to do it without the encouragement from Sunja. She seems to be smart, but just enough to be a good wife. In a parallel sense, Yoseb is very ‘manly’. He has a strange addiction to tradition, and we see him slip into anger when he senses he is losing control. These are traits typically associated with a man. Then there are characters like Sunja. She is never described as pretty, in fact she is described as quite the opposite. She explores her sexuality with Hansu, but ...
Read more

Equiano Project

  The Equiano group’s project was extremely enlightening. I knew slave ships were bad, but not that bad. A 45% mortality rate is absolutely horrendous. I literally cannot imagine living in captivity so close to other people. It really makes you appreciate everything you have/ all the space you have to move around. It also seems counter-intuitive. When so many of the people you need to sell die, aren’t you losing money? It would make more sense to create habitable environments. In light of this, it seems like those who forced slaves to be in the ships were simply evil. It is also saddening, but not surprising to learn of the commonality of suicide. When faced when actual torture, it is not suprising that many people chose death. Even when healthy, the outlook of servitude was probably horrifying. What I found most interesting were the revolts. I had not thought about the idea that slaves could revolt, and it is encouraging that the enslaved people did not give up. Apparently around ...
Read more

Smasher's Character vs Blackwood's Character

  I do not think it is possible to talk about Smasher without talking about Blackwood. They are inverses of each other, and as such the story would not be complete without the two sides of the spectrum. Smasher represents the side of Will that wants the aboriginals gone. He has no mercy for them as humans, and he takes pleasure in their pain. Blackwood is the opposite. He sees the aboriginals as equals, supporting them and even learning their own language. Blackwood represents the side of Will that wants to live peacefully with them. What is shown in Will’s thoughts seems to represent the mind of the average colonizer. Neither here, nor there. However, Greenville uses the two opposing characters of Blackwood and Smasher to portray the extreme ends of the ideology. We can also see how Smasher’s perspective is more or less supported by the British government. When they send the letter with directions on how to handle the aboriginals, it states that peaceful coexistence must first be ...
Read more