Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi

Race to Freedom

In the novel Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi, the main character Sookan is telling her experience during the time Korea split into North and South Korea. Sookan is also telling her experience when she flees to South Korea during the expansion of communism. Sookan and her family struggle to survive, and stay motivated in degrading and dangerous events ("Sook Nyul Choi." Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults). The setting of the novel takes place during 1945 to 1946, during the time of the Japanese occupation and the introduction to communism. In August 1945, Japan lost to the Allies (Clark 18). When they lost to the Allies, they also lost their empire on the Asian mainland (Clark 18). The United States and Soviet Red Army have control over the split of Korea and the formation of a new government for them. The border that separates North and South Korea is the 38th parallel (Clark 19). Many people living in North Korea made attempts of fleeing to South Korea, which the United States had control over and did not participate in communism.

The novel starts of in P’yŏngyang, Korea during the Japanese occupation, which is near the end of World War II. The main character, Sookan, is ten years old living under the cruel treatment during the Japanese occupation ("Sook Nyul Choi." Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults). After the Japanese occupation, she also dealt with the Russian takeover of northern Korea. Sookan expresses the trials and tribulation she deals with in her life, with herself and her family ("Sook Nyul Choi." Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults). Captain Narita is the antagonist in the novel. He is cruel and insensitive...

... middle of paper ...

...communism from Russia's takeover; and her escape to South Korea. During this period, it was about deciding where one wanted to be, North or South Korea (Clark 19). Like Sookan and her family, many wanted to flee to South Korea. It became a race to freedom.

Works Cited

Choi, Sook Nyul. Year of Impossible Goodbyes. Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company,

1991. Print.

Clark, Donald N. "1. The Story of the Korean People." Culture and Customs of Korea. Santa

Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2000. ABC-CLIO eBook Collection. Web. 19 Apr 2014.

"Sook Nyul Choi." Authors and Artists for Young Adults. Vol. 38. Detroit: Gale, 2001.

Biography in Context. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

"Sook Nyul Choi." Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults. Detroit: Gale,

2002. Biography in Context. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

“Religion.” Religion. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.