Essay Questions

How does cultural influence manifest itself in the novel “Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee?

It is evident that from 'Pachinko', marriages are arranged between the parents. When a daughter comes of age, the father looks for negotiators to look for a groom. Similarly, when the groom becomes of age, parents send the matchmakers to locate grooms for them. The Widower from the Island has four daughters and he is looking forward to marrying them off. The matchmaker approaches Hoonie's mother to discuss the possible marriage between Hoonie and Yangjin. When all these arrangements are being made, both Hoonie and Yangjin are not aware. Hoonie is twenty-eight years but he has not asked his parents to help him get a bride. When going to the market he meets several girls from whom he can choose a bride by himself. On the other hand, Yangjin is just fifteen years and she has not asked his father to look for a broom for her. However, they are married off to each other immediately the negotiations by the parents are completed. This is a full proof that this ancient society values arranged marriages and it is the responsibility of parents to arrange the weddings.

What makes the Red-Eyed Matchmaker one of the best ancient pride price negotiators? Support your argument.

When the Matchmaker visits Hoonie’s mother, she takes her time to gauge whether Yangjin will be comfortable in this boarding house. She conducts an assessment by looking around and realizes that there are radishes, polack, three black pigs, a goat seven chicken, and a roaster. The author writes:

“In the kitchen garden, ponytail radishes, grown fat and heavy from the early spring rain, were ready to be pulled from the brown earth. Pollack and squid strung neatly across a long dothesline dried in the lacy spring sun. Beside the outhouse, three black pigs were kept in a clean pen built from local stone and mortar. The matchmaker counted seven chickens and a rooster in the backyard. Their prosperity was more evident inside the house.

Therefore, the first factor that makes the Matchmaker the best negotiator is that she conducts a financial assessment of the groom's family before setting the pride price. Secondly, she is keen on what she says not annoy the groom’s parents. She selects her words appropriately to ensure that she only speaks nice words. The author writes:

“The matchmaker's funny little face was puffy and pink; black flinty eyes darted intelligently, and she was careful to say only nice things”

Give an illustration from “Pachinko” to show how Min Jin Lee uses the literary devices simile and metaphor.

The author uses the beating organ and the pine table to demonstrate his proficiency in using literary devices. The beating organ is metaphorically used to show the love of the aging fisherman and his wife towards their son called Hoonie. The author says that if it were possible for a man and a wife to share one heart, Hoonie could have been the beating organ. The author writes:

“The fisherman and his wife raised their surviving son, the neighborhood cripple, to be clever and diligent because they did not know who would care for him after they died. If it were possible for a man and his wife to share one heart, Hoonie was this steady, beating organ."

Secondly, the simile manifests itself when the Matchmaker realizes that Hoonie's mother is unmoving after a long talk to her. She is concerned about what she is cutting. The author writes:

“While the matchmaker talked, Hoonie 's mother's mouth remained unmoving and steady, much like the heavy pine table she was cutting her radishes on.”