Human Acts

Analyze the role of the state in Human Acts. While Kang doesn’t make any attempt to characterize the political leaders of the time, what does her portrayal of motifs like the photograph of Chun Doo-hwan and the presence of soldiers in the city say about the Korean government at the time? Furthermore, how do these motifs conflict with the citizens’ sense of nationality and belonging?

Analyze the portrayal of the Gwangju Uprising in Human Acts. How does Kang incorporate historical details to create a personal narrative? What does she leave out, and why?

What is the significance of the different perspectives in Human Acts? Why does Kang choose to connect each of the individual narratives back to Chapter 1’s Dong-ho?

Analyze how Human Acts uses the reoccurring motif of crowds to explore the most selfless and most violent sides of humanity, referencing the treatise that Eun-sook reads about the nature of crowds.

Discuss the impact of political violence on the young characters in Human Acts. How does it shape their identities as they mature?

Compare and contrast the portrayal of violence against women in Human Acts with that in Kang’s novel The Vegetarian. What similarities or differences are there between the two?

What is the significance of the novel’s title, Human Acts? How does it relate to the novel’s themes and characters?

How is Kang’s depiction of Jeong-dae informed by Korean beliefs about the soul and death?