Kim
ANS Jin 301M
Reaction Paper 3
Both characters in two short stories present a vision of Korean encounters with nonKoreans in circumstances related to colonialism, separation, war, and poverty. In Chn
Kwangyongs Kapitan Ri, Dr. Yi, the main character, is portrayed as money-seeking and
selfish Korean who betrays his own country and takes sides with countries in power, Japan in its
imperial period and Russia after its reign over North Korea. The authors perspective on Dr. Yi
is a human being who abandons his nationality and race, minjok, for his own happiness and
wealth. Dr. Yi takes side with Japan during its reign over Korea, takes side with Soviet Union
when it takes over North Korea by performing a surgery on Stenkovs wen on his left cheek. He
is an opportunist who has no regard for patriotism and his race, just his own well-being.
As the for main character in Kang Sk-kyngs Days and Dreams, she was portrayed
as a prostitute in a club with few other women. They all desired to be recognized as Korean
women, not just some toys for GIs. While Sun-ja struggled to get out of Korea and Mina was
murdered, the main protagonist was living together with a GI named Overton who did not treat
her as a toy or a prostitute, but as a respectful woman. To her, it didnt matter whether others
treated her as a Korean or American, but as a woman. I think the two characters presented in
two stories are very different but yet similar. They both wanted to be recognized as a distinct
being, but Dr. Yi wanted his recognition out of greed and selfishness, while the female
protagonist wanted recognition out of desire for equality and respect, which she should be
entirely entitled to.