Based on the reading from chapters one and two from the book “Nothing To Envy” by Barbara Demick, I’ve noticed that this was a hardship time of era that depended highly on social classes of an individual, based on their family’s line of history and current lifestyle. In a time like this, your social class and family’s line of history completely depended on your own chance for survival. One of the main characters (Mi-Ran) was born into a poor class with her family due to the backstory of her father’s origins. Having her father born from enemy territory, they were forced to be in silent due to the serious consequences that could come about the family. The only way to show forgiveness for the family is if the male showed high recognition in his exceeds for greatness. Which is another reason why Jung-Sang came into play, because he was a prime example of how good grades and an acceptance to further his schooling in Pyongyang would give all forgiveness for his family’s past (like the verse stated below).
“The family’s hopes rested on Jun-sang. If only he could get himself to university of Pyongyang, perhaps he would be eventually be permitted to join the Workers Party and then the family might be forgiven their bourgeois Japanese past. “
(35 Demick, Barbara)
This left no time for puberty or love for Jung-sang and I assure for everyone else. In such a time were reputation is highly expected, there could really be no time for “love” because people were just trying to make it through each day.
They were so accustomed to laws of social classes and gender separation, it resulted in social disconnections and not being able to survive the next day. I believe that if you are not of middle class and came from a “disappointing” family line it would be impossible to survive. I feel like I would not even be able to survive in such a heartfelt era like this.
