The Kite Fighters

Chapter 5 introduces the character of the king, who ends up becoming a key figure in the Lee brothers’ lives, and not just as their ruler. In an author’s note at the end of the novel, Park reveals that this character was inspired by a historical figure, King Seongjong. Both the real and fictional king assumed the throne while still children, with the Dowager Queen ruling in their place until they came of age. In Park’s fictionalized Seoul, she explores how the power of friendship affects the three boys and brings them together despite their differences. Their initial meeting on the hillside is unexpected, and the awkward ways in which the brothers try to bow to the king while flying their kites demonstrates how inconvenient honoring tradition and hierarchy can be. Park balances the seriousness of meeting the king personally with the humorous image of Kee-sup’s runaway kite, lightening the mood and reminding readers that the boys are all still children. The king’s friendly, accepting nature of the situation foreshadows the boys’ genuine friendship.

Ironically, it is in disregarding social norms that the king and the Lee brothers can forge an authentic relationship with one another. The king’s priority is to learn how to relate to them as peers, rather than as ruler and subjects, which can only be done if the boys, by conventional understanding, deeply disrespect the king. As the brothers start redefining what Honor and Tradition mean to them, they begin to understand that they can honor the king’s wish for friendship in an untraditional way without anyone feeling disrespected.

Nevertheless, they can only escape the confines of social order briefly when they are alone with the king. The request for a royal kite puts even more pressure on Kee-sup, who feels the burden of being first-born constantly. Not only does Kee-sup have to make the perfect kite, but he knows that it could increase his chances of being accepted into the royal court. The recognition the king gives Kee-sup’s kites and Young-sup’s flying validates their inherent skills, which indirectly suggests to the boys that their passions are worth pursuing, even if they are not what is expected of them.

In addition to their future careers, the boys’ interpersonal relationship is prescribed for them. Kee-sup’s capping ceremony, or rite of passage into adulthood, highlights both themes of Tradition and Family and Brotherhood. Though rituals like this serve as significant markers of important life transitions and connect younger generations to their ancestors and culture, as Young-sup realizes, they do not necessarily fundamentally change who a person is. Young-sup struggles to accept that “just a hat” can suddenly change who Kee-sup “has always been” (43), a brother he sees as an equal, rather than a superior. Over the course of a year, Young-sup and Kee-sup will navigate the inherent tensions this hierarchy brings, and learn how to best support one another, even if it means going against societal norms.