In the midst of a violent student uprising in South Korea, a young boy named Dong-ho is shockingly killed.
This story is told through six perspectives, with the writer's perspective at the very end in an epilogue. It begins with Dong-Ho and it ends with his mother, but each individual person is some how tied to Dong-Ho. The story focuses on the rise of Chun Doo-Hwan as South Korea's leader, who instated martial law and ruled as a dictator. Dong-Ho and each of the people in this story all were involved in the student demonstrations in Gwangju - it became known as the Gwangju Uprising and it led to a brutal crackdown from the military under the guise of a Communist plot sparked by North Korean spies. This led to the violent killing, torture, and wounding of Korean citizens, some who - like Dong-Ho, were merely high-schoolers.
With this book, Kang wanted to show the many layers of this uprising, from the work and dedication of innocent children to the abuse and torture suffered by others, to the mourning of parents, all of which were in violation of human rights. Kang's main focus is to showcase humanity - how each person handle's the stripping of humanity or rises above it. The book is also in memory of the young boy who's country did not allow him to grow into an adult, who took his life needlessly and brutally. It was a very sad story, but it really resonated with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment