A Single Shard Character Analysis

In the novel A Single Shard, the reader meets Min; Min is a potter in the village of Ch’ulp’o. Ch’ulp’o is a coastal village in 12th century Korea. Min is regarded as the best potter in the region of Ch’ulp’o and even the whole country itself. Min changes from the beginning as a grumpy perfectionist into a caring father figure to Tree-ear by the end of the novel.

When the reader first meets Min, he is working on a new pot. This pot is unsatisfactory to Min making him throw the pot down in disgust. This moment first reveals to the reader that Min is very stubborn and a perfectionist. The text says on page 11,” Then, ‘Pah!’ He shook his head and in a single motion of disgust scooped up the clay and slapped it back onto the wheel, whereupon it collapsed into an oafish lump again as if ashamed.” This shows the reader that Min is a perfectionist by showing that the most perfect pots to the untrained eye, consequently the pots will not make it through Min because of how perfect he has to have his work. Min is also shown to the reader as a mean and rude man to Tree-ear. On page 25 Min scolds Tree-ear before he arrived for leaving the wood from the previous day in the wrong place. This shows he is rude to Tree-ear by stating that Tree-ear was more of a nuisance to Min than a helper.

Min changes to this figure because he breaks the news to Tree-ear about Crane-man’s death, and that Tree-ear had been working for Min for over a year. On page 142 Min has to break the news to Tree-ear about Crane-man’s death. Min shows much sympathy after this moment for Tree-ear showing his unseen sympathy for other people. Furthermore, Min also states that he is going to teach Tree-ear how to make his own