Themes Of A Single Shard

A Single Shard is a novel about a young orphan, Tree-ear, who dreams of becoming a master potter. He often watches the master potter, Min, at his work. However, when Tree-ear breaks one of Min's ceramic masterpieces, he must work for Min to pay off the debt. After the agreed time was up, Tree-ear asked to keep working for Min, in hopes of one day learning how to make pottery. During this time, Tree-ear toils to help Min achieve his dream of receiving a royal commission, and eventually gets adopted as Min’s son. One significant theme in the novel is that kindness and dedication pays off in the end. Tree-ears' kindness to Min, as well as the hard work he does for him, eventually helps Tree-ear to reach his dreams.
The theme in The Single Shard

Min’s wife especially rewards Tree-ear for his faithfulness, through food, clothing, and especially asking him, “from now on, you will call me Ajima” (91). Ajima was a title similar to that of “auntie,” and for Tree-ear, an orphan with no living family members, to be able to call his master's wife that is an incredible honor. In this way, Tree-ear was rewarded for all the hours of hard work, being able to have someone that could be a mother figure to him, a blessing to one who lacked a mother for all those years. The final blessing comes when Tree-ears deepest longing finally comes true, realized when Min says, “How are you to help me if you do not have a wheel of your own?” (146). In ancient Korea where this story takes place, only the sons of potters were allowed to continue in the trade, making both Tree-ears lifelong dream of becoming a great potter and everyone's dream of having a family come true at the same time. All of Tree-ear’s hard work for Min, as well as loving kindness, finally found him a family and a future career, fulfilling all of his wildest hopes and dreams. Tree-ears gifts from Min and his wife help prove Linda Sue Park's theme that kindness and dedication pays off in the