Plot Summary of Pachinko
Book One: Gohyang/Hometown (1910-1933)
Pachinko opens in the early 1900s in a small fishing village in Korea, introducing us to Hoonie, a kind-hearted man with a cleft palate and clubfoot. Despite his physical challenges, Hoonie marries Yangjin and they have a daughter, Sunja.
NoteThe novel's opening sets the stage for generations of struggle and resilience, beginning with Hoonie and Yangjin's determination to create a life together despite societal prejudices.
As Sunja grows into a young woman, she helps her widowed mother run their boardinghouse. One fateful day, she meets Koh Hansu, a wealthy and charismatic Korean man who works for the Japanese. Their encounter leads to a passionate affair, resulting in Sunja's pregnancy.
"She was no better than the women at the market who whispered about her mother's beauty, claiming that no one respected a woman who had sold herself."
When Sunja learns that Hansu is already married with children in Japan, she refuses his offer to become his kept woman. In her moment of despair, Baek Isak, a sickly but kind Christian minister staying at the boardinghouse, proposes marriage to save her from disgrace.
TipPay attention to how Min Jin Lee uses Sunja's predicament to explore themes of honor, sacrifice, and the limited choices available to women in early 20th-century Korea.
Book Two: Motherland (1939-1962)
The narrative shifts to Osaka, Japan, where Sunja and Isak begin their new life. They move in with Isak's brother Yoseb and his wife Kyunghee. Sunja gives birth to Noa, her son with Hansu, and later to Mozasu, her child with Isak.
Life in Japan is harsh for Korean immigrants:
"Living everyday in the presence of those who refuse to acknowledge your humanity takes great courage."
