When My Name Was Keoko

Unlike Sun-hee (often constrained by being the youngest and a daughter), Tae-yul’s place in the family as the eldest and a son offers a different perspective. He is boldly expressive and given more responsibility in family business, often sitting with Uncle and Abuji at the table when discussing important matters. However, Tae-yul struggles to accept his father, Abuji, whom he views as weak and powerless. Instead, he follows in the footsteps of Uncle, who is involved in the underground Korean resistance. Tae-yul’s admiration for Uncle leads him to join the Japanese Imperial Army, a risky decision that he hopes will yield glory and additional supplies for his family. This decision highlights how tactical and decisive Tae-yul is; he sees himself as a leader who needs to act for his family. Though a teenager, he sees himself as capable of being the man of the house, especially once Uncle flees for his safety. However, Park uses dramatic irony at the story’s end to reveal how narrow-minded Tae-yul actually was, as he learns about his father’s involvement in the Korean resistance as a covert writer. Tae-yul, therefore, represents a cautionary tale about learning how to perceive the strength of others not only for their traditional and obvious contributions, but for their subtle characteristics as well.

In many ways the heroic archetype, Uncle is inspiring, a model of Korean pride and resistance, and joyfully passionate. His happiness and vigor for life represent the highest version of a Korean man during Japanese occupation. Though he is powerless against the Japanese Empire, he does not allow their tyranny to crush his spirit or his national ambition. Instead, he continues to find alternatives to express his people’s culture and needs, running a print shop at night for the Korean resistance newspaper. The stories and experiences he shares with the two young narrators lay a groundwork for their subversive and prudent decision-making to aid the family. When Uncle flees, it represents a turning point in the novel, a milestone that marks the rising conflict for the family. His absence leaves a gaping hole that Tae-yul desperately tries to fill when he joins the army. Though the resolution does not clarify what becomes of Uncle—i.e. he never returns—readers remain in awe of his selflessness and bravery, and his resilient spirit endures through the children, and even through Abuji.

Abuji represents the calm, collected, and academic father. He is level-headed, steady in demeanor, and analytically astute in his approach to his nation’s crisis. As a local scholar and principal, he is a noble member of the community. However, he is also part of the Japanese system of oppression, since his school indoctrinates students into learning Japanese customs, history, and language. Though he is impotent against this, he doesn’t seem to overtly challenge his people’s oppression like Uncle. On the contrary, he watches while his son gets his bike taken by soldiers, and while soldiers burn his daughter’s journal in front of everyone—never indicating any hint of resistance or anger. Tae-yul questions his father’s character, and their relationship begins to deteriorate when Abuji cannot uphold the traditional strength of a man as his son believes he should. Tae-yul’s explosive anger climaxes when he asks his father, “What right do you have to speak of courage?” (214) after the war. What Tae-yul fails to see, however, is that Abuji’s hid his form of academic and patient resistance against the Japanese Empire in his subtle actions and community leadership, indicating that the strength of a person appears in various shapes and sizes—not always necessarily through force or battle.