Identity In Lost Names

Lost Names portrays Japanese colonial rule in Korea from 1933 to 1945. It illustrates the harsh experiences that many Koreans faced under Japanese rule and occupation. Each chapter tells a different story. It begins with the narrator retelling his experience of crossing into Manchuria at one year old. It then follows the narrator’s life experiences until their liberation in 1945. Throughout the novel, Japanese suppression leads to the loss of cultural identity for the occupied Koreans. Koreans come to question what it means to be Korean. The loss of cultural identity is illustrated through the title of the book, Lost Names. Also, the family is forced to adopt Japanese names. As subjects to the great Japanese Emperor, Koreans are forced to

A great example of the Japanese making an active attempt to subdue the Korean culture and instate their own Japanese culture can be found in the boy’s schooling experience. On his first day, he is forced to follow several rituals that pay tribute and allegiance to the Japanese Emperor. For example, the children bowed their heads towards the direction of his Imperial Palace at the start of the school day. The Emperor is seen as semi-divine by the Japanese people, and the ritual is instilling the same belief into the Korean children. Also, the children were forced to recite Japanese slogans, such as “Long Live the Sacred Emperor,” “Long Live the Invincible Imperial Forces,” “Long Live the Conquest of China by the Invincible Imperial Forces” (Kim, 1988, p. 32). Being forced to recite these Japanese slogans on a daily basis will instill the belief of Japanese superiority into their mentality. The children are being indoctrinated by the Japanese to believe in the superiority of the Emperor, and the Japanese people. This will create a division between those from Korea, and those from Japan. It will create an “us vs. them” mentality in the country. This will indoctrinate some Korean children with the belief of inferiority. A prime example of this can be found when the Koreans tell the boy, “You must try to be smarter than those Japanese boys” (Kim, 1988, p. 25). The boy

The chapter where the students are assigned the task of acquiring rubber balls from the town is a great example of their unyielding resistance. Firstly, the students were assigned the task of collecting rubber balls. The boy, with some advice from his grandmother, decides to stab the balls to release their air. This will allow for easier transportation of the rubber. He obeys his orders to collect rubber balls, however, he did it in an unorthodox manner. This infuriates the Teacher of the Day. No matter how miniscule the disobedience was, it still gave the Koreans a sense of pride. Another example of resisting Japanese authority can be found when the boy disobeys orders to apologize to the Teacher of the Day. The boy is informed he will receive a reduction in punishment if he apologizes, however, he decides he would rather keep his pride than submit to Japanese authority. And lastly, when the boy blatantly ruins the play is an attempt to reject Japanese authority and culture. The boy’s school teacher assigned him the role as a form of humiliation. When people in the town receive word of his involvement in the play they are disgusted with him. The boy is ashamed of his role and attempts to remove himself from the play. He tells his mother he could pretend he is sick or even move to Pyongyang. His mother tries to calm his nerves and tells him no one will hold it against him.