Sookan changes in many ways throughout the book, Year of Impossible Goodbyes, when faced with the following situations: when grandfather dies, when mother gets held back and Sookan and Inchun have to move on, and finally when Sookan and Inchun cross the border to get to the South.
After grandfather passed away, Sookan and her family became very sick and depressed. This changed Sookan because grandfather had always been her number one supporter and was her role model. Sookan stayed calm and knew that he was always there for her, she also feels better because when she held his hand, she felt a little Buddha go into her and it made her feel and calm "Slowly, a feeling of calmness came over me. I dried my tears and looked up at the evening sky.
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But sookan was scared because she didn 't want her mother to pass away as well from the depressing death of grandfather. When Sookan, mother, and Inchun leave to go South they have to get their passports checked by the Russian soldiers. Mother gets stopped and held back. Inchun then starts uncontrollably crying, but they know they have to keep going."When I finally turned to look for mother, expecting her to be close behind us, I saw that she was still standing at the guardhouse. A Korean soldier in his red-brimmed hat was looking at her passport. He handed it to the Russian soldier. I saw them pull mother out of line"(Choi 133).This changed Sookan because now that mother is gone, she has to step up and help Inchun and be his role model. This also changed her because she has to leave mother behind and can 't turn back to help her, this means that sookan has to be the responsible one and cannot let anything happen to inchun. Not only be inchun´s role model but be strong for him.Sookan and Inchun make it across the border to go see their father and brothers. They also go to have a better life and be free."I did not look back to see how close the soldiers and the dogs were. I was too afraid. I could only look forward. Inchun