English 100 Spring 2019 Blogs

Between analyzing these two characters, Jun Sang and Hyuck both share differences and similarities together. Starting off with some of their differences, they both share a big difference in education. Jun Sang goes to a university and shares a type of “book smart” knowledge versus Hyuck whom has a “street smart” type of knowledge and didn’t attend school. Jun Sang also comes from a privilege household than Hyuck whom lives in a more poor family and was left malnourished. Upon some of these differences, they share some similar experiences. Although both being born into different families, they both were born into good families regardless of what they were born into. Jun Sang and Hyuck both showed they were very sneaky and crafty as good characteristic. Jun Sang and Hyuck also had both access to information to and from other countries. Based on these two characters, I can analyze they are two strong characters in this book and they demonstrate amounts of good characteristics.

The condition of the country dooming from starvation has created the North Korean citizens to become independent as they only consider if thinking of themselves and their families in order to survive. The condition of where the entire country went into grief, after Kim Il-Sung’s death has also taught people to become self-reliant in order to provide for themselves and their families. They also start to overcome the brainwashing they have had, and begin to understand that they don’t need their government, as much as they are believed to.

Nokeakua Nakachi-Isaacs

English 100

3/4/19

    North Korea has a tight hold on their citizens scaring them into doing exactly what they want. Unfortunately not everyone can just sit back and lay down as commanded. People have been pushed passed the breaking point to where they are finally thinking for themselves this is due to many reasons. For example starving to death, watching others die in front of their eyes, losing your loved ones the possibilities are endless. After encountering these experiences they place doubts on the Government and decide to break laws in order to survive because they know they can’t trust anyone but themselves.

Forefathers

Chapter 9 Nothing to Envy

       People are communicating and going back to their forefathers.  Stringing nets, traps, fishing for frogs, but most of all sharing ideas.  Studying the different plants what they could eat.  What fascinates me about reading this chapter are the woman, they bring the collective together.  Woman are a must in every society.    

Jun Sang is a child of a very prominent family who has a good standing in the north Korean Government and is able to get anything he wants because he is pretty wealthy compared to other North Koreans citizens. Hyuk on the other hand was abandoned by his father at a very early age and left to fend for himself by stealing and taking risks in order to survive thus gaining a bunch of knowledge and survival techniques.

North Korean leaders, very megalomaniac and egotism. They pose a threat to not only other countries, but the people in their country as well. I would say they pose the biggest threat to the citizens in their country who establish their own goals and aspirations. With many regulations and even history re-written, it’s hard for these people to establish honest goals for themselves because the fear of being turned in could ruin their dreams and reputation. People are left suffering; don’t bother trying to be high in social ranks or being in the Workers Party. The leaders will destroy everything.

In North Korea, the citizens have become desensitized ever since they were born. Songs of praise and depictions of “We are Happy” make them believe it to be true. The North Koreans are so devout that it’s said that they have a higher pain tolerance than South Koreans. It is difficult for Americans to comprehend, as we have so much freedom. They believe whatever they are instructed, that is, until (and if) something says otherwise. One does not change overnight.It is a four-step process based on experiences that makes someone like everybody else become on the verge of escape.

Oppression is designed to make the citizen weak minded. People are more likely to follow their leaders and believe what is told to them when oppressed.

When death, destruction, public executions, starvation and homelessness are apart of your daily life, how long before you started to question everything you knew? These conditions helped free the minds of some of the most loyal North Koreans. These people were willing to take risks to survive in a country where everything around them was falling apart. They thought and felt differently than the rest, but were smart enough to keep it to themselves.

Switching to survival mode in a deathly environment is an inevitable and natural human instinct. In the condition of a famine, many people will do whatever it takes to keep themselves and their loved ones alive. Witnessing tragic deaths every single day, being physically and mentally drained, and feeling undeniably helpless will drive people to forget everything they have ever been taught or told to be true and to start thinking differently. There is a certain turning point where the people of North Korea realize that their government will not be providing for them and they are on their own.