Year of Impossible Goodbyes-Theme

In the book, Year of Impossible Goodbyes, by Sook Nyul Choi, there are many themes, but in my opinion, pride in their nationality and beliefs and courage are the most important. When Japan invaded Korea, all Koreans were to throw away any Korean teaching books, or any Korean writing material. Instead they were to speak, learn, and write in Japanese. Although anyone who didn't follow this would get punished greatly, Sookan and her siblings would get taught from their grandfather secretly when the guards weren't at their house checking for valuables and Korean books. Sookans mother also always had her belief in God and always believed that the war would end with Japan losing. During the whole time when Japan and Russia took over Korea, Sookan's family always had there hearts to Korea. While Sookan attended the Japanese school, the boys were making sharp bamboo poles while the girls made sharp rocks. The president said that when the white devils come, they will attack them with those items. Then a boy says, "Stop, stop, stop! Don't you know that we will stab you b******s first! We'll help the Americans destroy you all ! You killers!" Although all the other students were gasping, Sookan started clapping for him because of her pride for Korea and the people of Korea. Sookan and her family faced many years of pain and distress, but their pride and courage to the end.

In the book, Year of Impossible Goodbyes, bye Sook Nyul Choi, the main character is Sookan. Sookan is a girl who is brave, can take care of others, and is prideful. For example, in her Japanese school, a boy told the Japanese that he and other Koreans were going to help kill them. Instead of being quiet, Sookan started to clap for the boy. Sookan was born in Kirimni, Pyongyang(North Korea) and lives with her mother, aunt, younger brother, and her grandfather who dies later in the book. To her family, she is a helpful girl who has respect for her own nationality and for her own family. Although she is nine years old, she is small for her age, and can attend school later then other nine year olds, because they think that she is less than nine years old. She hates the Japanese for taking away her father, brothers, and the sock girls. Although she hates the Japanese, she knows that she must respect them and follow their rules in order to not get punished. Then finally when the Japanese lost the war and the Russians invaded, Sookan is happy for a while, then starts to cry because the Russians took away her mother. Sookan is a girl who cares for her family members, is very brave, and extremely prideful for her country which is Korea.

Year of Impossible Goodbyes-Plot

In the book, Year of Impossible Goodbyes, by Sook Nyul Choi, the main character Sookan, her family, and her friends face hardships from Japan and Russia. In this book, there is a rising action, climax, then a resolution that looks like it has fixed all the problems, but later in the book, there is a bigger rising action, climax, and then the final resolution. First of all, the Japanese have invaded Korea. The Japanese take all of North Korea's valuables, freedom, pride, and forbids them to learn any of the Korean history and language. Instead, Japan makes Korea have Japanese names and makes them attend Japanese schools. The first climax is when Sookan's grandfather dies. After he dies, the Japanese soldiers take away the sock girls who make socks for the Japanese army, and destroyed the sock macking factory to make more weapons for the soldiers in the army. Then finally, the good news comes. It was said that they were losing and were going to surrender to the Americans. The war ends and people in Korea now have bags of rice and many other valuables things that they couldn't have during the war. Sookan and her family think that they are safe but another climax happens. Russia starts to come to Korea and Sookan hears that they were going to stay in the North side of Korea. First when Russia comes to North Korea, they act all friendly and supply Korea with happiness and tell them that they will be different from Japan. Korea believes this, but later Russia starts closing all the ways to get into South Korea except a few secret passageways that they don't know of. Then Sookan's uncle comes and tells Sookan's that after they've closed all the roads, they would take over North Korea and use it for their own good. He gives Sookan, her mother, and her brother valuable items and say that someone that he knows will take it to lead them to the other side. During the check of the passports, Sookan and her brother are seperated from her mother. The guide ditches the children and now Sookan and her brother must find their mother by themselves. During this time, they find a person that tells them that the Russian soldiers took away little kids, and their mother might already be on the other side. They trust him and follow his directions on how to get to the south. The start running on the dirt road to a barb wired fence and although they bleed because of a small hole, they try to crawl under the fence. The resolution of this story is that at the end, Sookan and her brother get reunited with his mother, father, and her brothers.

Setting for novel

The book, Year of Impossible Goodbyes, by Sook Nyul Choi, takes place in Pyongyang, North Korea in the time of spring 1945. This was the time periodwhen the Japanese took over Korea and made them look like the Japanese people and speak only the Japanese language. In the backyard of Sookan and her family, there is an old pine tree with pale green needles. The ice are melting, and you can feel the warmth of the sun but the air is heavy with the sounds of weapons in the air. This was the time of world war two when you could hear the cries of both South and North Koreans floating in the sky.

In this book, everyday Sookan's female family members and other female workers would have to make socks for the Japanese army. Later a captain would come to the factory which was right next to Sookan's house and have an inspection. He would check if they were working, and checking if they were giving the young kids education. The Year of Impossible Goodbyes is not only just a book, but a book that shows thoughts and feelings of the people who lived during world war two.