Week 8: Lee's Commentary on Gender

     Gender is one of the most prominent themes within Pachinko. It is very in your face at times. Yoseb's rants about masculinity and how he feels like he has to be the sole caretaker of his family are the first examples I can think of.  Lee's depiction of hyper-masculinity is something that I find to be really well done. Hyper-masculinity is not inherently bad, and Yoseb proves that not all people that believe in it are doing so out of some form of misogyny. Yoseb just wants to be able to take the brunt of the labor so he can spare his family, which I think is very commendable. However, I still think his inability to get over his pride is an issue, even if it comes from a place of genuine affection for his family. 

    The story's commentary on traditional gender roles is clear in this way. The Korea and Japan presented are divided by gender, which is unsurprising considering the time period, but the novel does not stray away from highlighting the flaws of traditional gender norms. Yoseb's dedication to them prevents his family from making the necessary money to survive. Sunja also encounters many people who look down on her simply because she is a woman. The pawn shop owner she sells her watch to, Yoseb and Kyunghee, and the people in the market in Osaka- all of them think she is incapable and less intelligent. It will be interesting to see if this shifts, since the story does span over half a century. Will the characters and their treatment of women and men change with time? 

Comments

  1. Audrey SchroederMarch 2, 2023 at 10:46 AM

    Hey Jalen, thanks for sharing. I agree about how the theme of gender is very prominent in Pachinko. I, too, wrote about Yoseb. He was a character that stood out to me with regards to this theme since he is such a stickler for traditional gender norms.

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  2. Monique Cov.March 3, 2023 at 1:15 PM

    Hey Jalen, I agree that Lee, at times, puts to the front the differing gender roles with Korean (and some Japanese) cultures and way of life. Your post did a great job at explaining hyper masculinity and the complications that can come with it. I wonder if the reason that Sunja and Kyunghee want to follow Yoseb is because they believe that they are inferior to men or because they understand where he is coming from and try to support his view?

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  3. CassiMarch 3, 2023 at 3:14 PM

    Hi Jalen! I agree-- Yoseb's need to be the caretaker was also one of the biggest displays of gender dynamics that I noticed too. I like how you brought up that the hyper-masculinity Yoseb, and many other men, experiences does not necessarily come from a place of misogyny or discrimination. For us, it is clear that he is prohibiting his household from surviving due to his stubborn viewpoint, but for him, he sees it as the "honorable" thing to do. I am also curious to see if the gender dynamics shift at all as we see Noa and Mozasu grow up, and the generation after them as well.

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  4. Griffin JonesMarch 7, 2023 at 12:31 AM

    I completely agree that gender is a prominent theme in Pachinko, and the author does a great job of highlighting the flaws of traditional gender roles. It's interesting to see how the characters navigate these roles, and I'm curious to see if their attitudes towards gender shift as the story progresses. Yoseb's dedication to hyper-masculinity, while commendable in some ways, also shows the negative effects of pride and traditional gender roles on his family.

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  5. Paulos HabtewoldMarch 8, 2023 at 12:47 AM

    I agree Jalen that gender divides people into different social classes and how people are treated. I also think there is somewhat of a ripple effect from people like Yoseb's actions causing the other people to look down on woman. Because people like Yoseb does not want woman to work at all, how can woman pick up the business knowledge to sell a watch or start a business. People in general who are new to things are looked down upon by the experienced and at a time period where woman are new to almost every type of business, of course they are going to get looked down upon.

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