![]() Hardcover edition | |
Author | Adam Johnson |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Fiction |
Publisher | Random House |
Publication date | 2012 |
Media type | Print, e-book, audiobook |
Pages | 443 pp. |
ISBN | 978-0812992793 |
The Orphan Master's Son is a 2012 novel by the American author Adam Johnson. It deals with intertwined propaganda, identity, and state power themes in North Korea. [1] The novel was awarded the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. [2] [3]
Pak Jun Do is raised in a North Korean state orphanage, serving as leader and decision-maker to the other children but always deferring to his father, the orphanage's master. When he is fourteen, the children are conscripted into military service, often sent to fight in underground tunnels because, as orphans, they are considered low-class citizens and expendable. Jun Do becomes a proficient fighter and is eventually conscripted as a kidnapper of Japanese citizens. Despite occasional feelings of guilt, particularly when a Japanese woman accidentally dies during an abduction, Jun Do never questions his work and follows every order; as a reward, he is taught to speak and read English, greatly increasing his value as a citizen.
Following his military service, he is made a signal operator on a fishing boat, intercepting and translating radio transmissions. He grows fond of his fellow crew members and is fascinated with everything he hears, particularly two American girls attempting to row across the Pacific Ocean. However, transmissions from the International Space Station cause both him and the boat's second mate to realize that much of what their leaders have told them about the outside world is a lie. When the second mate becomes disillusioned and defects, the crew concocts a dramatic cover story, including Jun Do being bitten and nearly killed by a shark. After being brutally interrogated upon returning, Jun Do is declared a national hero for the alleged incident.
Due to his newfound fame, he is made part of a diplomatic delegation traveling to America, attempting to recover technology North Korea claims the Americans have stolen (it is later revealed the North Koreans themselves stole it from the Japanese before the Americans intercepted and confiscated it). Jun Do becomes acquainted with a Texas senator and Wanda, a government agent who appears sympathetic and provides him with a means of covertly contacting her. The negotiations break down when the senator, who assumes Jun Do is the true leader of the group masquerading as a figurehead, is angered by the subterfuge and refuses to meet any of their demands. Upon returning to North Korea, Jun Do and the other delegates are tricked into entering a prison mine as punishment for their failure; after that, they "cease to exist officially."
An unnamed interrogator for the North Korean state has been tasked with investigating national hero Commander Ga Chol Chun, who has been arrested for killing his wife – the famous actress Sun Moon – and their children. The interrogator, who compiles biographies of prisoners as a by-product of interrogation, is intrigued by Ga, who refuses to talk and is seemingly able to withstand any form of torture.
It is soon revealed that "Ga" is Jun Do, who killed the real Ga during a confrontation in the prison mine. Ga was a political rival to the Dear Leader, Kim Jong-il, who also covets Sun Moon; as such, Jun Do's assumption of Ga's identity goes largely ignored, and he is made the "replacement husband" of Sun Moon. At first, Sun Moon forces him to live in the dirt cellar under the house, but slowly accepts him as her "husband" and her children's "father." Having been enamored with the image of Sun Moon for years, Jun Do is initially disgusted by the actual woman, who is self-absorbed and disdainful of the common people. Gradually, he understands that she has resigned to a life almost completely controlled by the Dear Leader; he has sabotaged her film career in retaliation for deflecting his advances. She also lived in fear of the real Ga; the novel suggests that he was a brutal sadist who only married her to spite Kim. Jun Do often questions her acting career and loyalty to the regime; though she is devoted to acting, her faith in North Korea is less resolute, intertwined with her growing contempt for the Dear Leader. After watching Casablanca, she realizes how much of her life has been spent making propaganda with little of the artistic value she prizes, and makes "Ga" promise to help her and the children escape with him.
The Dear Leader reveals to "Commander Ga" that he has captured one of the American rower girls and plans to use her as a bargaining chip to recover the confiscated Japanese technology, with which they intend to bolster their development of nuclear power. However, he intends to humiliate the Americans by taking the technology and refusing to return the girl. Kim also plans to have "Ga" killed once the negotiations succeed to have Sun Moon for himself. Sensing an opportunity, Jun Do contacts Wanda and begins to plan.
An American delegation, which includes the Texas senator and Wanda, arrives to retrieve the rower girl and are given an elaborate performance by Kim and Sun Moon. While the Dear Leader is distracted by the delegation, Jun Do smuggles Sun Moon and the children aboard the American aircraft, allowing himself to be captured to ensure their escape. The Dear Leader is dumbfounded by Jun Do's betrayal and has him arrested and sentenced to death. The interrogator, determined to write a factual account of Commander Ga's life, realizes an "official" version of Ga's life has already been broadcast. Realizing the interrogation is an attempt to find Sun Moon, the interrogator attempts to brainwash "Ga" and himself at the same time using a device similar to electroshock therapy; however, Ga takes control of the machine and uses it to commit suicide. The novel ends with the "official" version of Sun Moon's escape – "Ga" dies in a fantastical attempt to save her from being kidnapped by the Americans and proclaims him a martyr to be revered forever.
Johnson said this book began as a short story called The Best North Korean Short Story of 2005. [4] The book has three narrators: a third-person account, the propaganda version of Commander Ga and Sun Moon's story, which is projected across the country by loudspeakers, and a first-person account by an interrogator seeking to write a Biography of Commander Ga.
The novel's reception was highly favorable. In The New York Times , Michiko Kakutani, called it "a daring and remarkable novel, a novel that not only opens a frightening window on the mysterious kingdom of North Korea but one that also excavates the very meaning of love and sacrifice." [5] Writing in the Wall Street Journal , [6] Sam Sacks said “stylistic panache, technical daring, moral weight and an uncanny sense of the current moment—combine in Adam Johnson's 'The Orphan Master's Son', the single best work of fiction published in 2012.”
M. Francis Wolff, in her review for The New Inquiry , [7] called the book "one of those rare works of high ambition that follow through on all of its promises... it examines both the Orwellian horrors of life in the DPRK and the voyeurism of Western media." David Ignatius’ review in The Washington Post called the novel “an audacious act of imagination.” [8] In the New York Times, Christopher R. Beha called it “an ingeniously plotted adventure that feels much shorter than its roughly 450 pages and offers the reader a tremendous amount of fun,” but complained that the “[propaganda] interludes are fine exercises in dark wit, but in the context of a novel that seeks to portray a country’s suffering, they’re unconvincing.” [9] On April 15, 2013, the novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. [2]
Kim Jong Il was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea. He led North Korea from the death of his father Kim Il Sung in 1994 until his death in 2011, when he was succeeded by his son, Kim Jong Un. Afterwards, Kim Jong Il was declared Eternal General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).
Ko Yong Hui, also spelled Ko Young-hee, was the mistress of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Il and the mother of his successor, Kim Jong Un. Within North Korea, she is only referred to by titles, such as "The Respected Mother who is the Most Faithful and Loyal 'Subject' to the Dear Leader Comrade Supreme Commander", "The Mother of Pyongyang", and "The Mother of Great Songun Korea".
Kim Jong Suk was a Korean anti-Japanese guerrilla, a Communist activist, North Korean leader Kim Il Sung's first wife, former leader Kim Jong Il's mother, and current leader Kim Jong Un's grandmother.
Reading is a popular pastime in North Korea, where literacy and books enjoy a high cultural standing, elevated by the regime's efforts to disseminate propaganda as texts. Because of this, writers are held in high prestige.
Kim Jong Un is a North Korean politician who has been supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is the third son of Kim Jong Il, who was the second supreme leader of North Korea, and a grandson of Kim Il Sung, the founder and first supreme leader of the country.
The Great King, Sejong is a 2008 South Korean historical television series depicting the life of the fourth monarch of Joseon, Sejong the Great. Considered one of the greatest kings in Korean history, Sejong created Hangul, the Korean alphabet. The series aired on KBS from January 5 to December 7, 2008, on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:30 for 86 episodes. Episodes 1 to 26 aired on KBS1, and episodes 27 to 86 aired on KBS2.
Adam Johnson is an American novelist and short story writer. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his 2012 novel, The Orphan Master's Son, and the National Book Award for his 2015 story collection Fortune Smiles. He is also a professor of English at Stanford University with a focus on creative writing.
Sungkyunkwan Scandal is a South Korean historical drama starring Park Yoo-chun, Park Min-young, Song Joong-ki, and Yoo Ah-in. Directed by Kim Won-seok and written by Kim Tae-hee, it is based on Jung Eun-gwol's bestselling 2007 novel The Lives of Sungkyunkwan Confucian Scholars. It aired on KBS2 from August 30 to November 2, 2010 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 20 episodes.
Road No. 1 is a 2010 South Korean television series, starring So Ji-sub, Kim Ha-neul and Yoon Kye-sang. The story revolves around two young soldiers, the woman they both love, and the Korean war that tears all their lives apart. The drama's title, Road No. 1, refers to the route connecting Seoul to Pyongyang, the soldiers' long and brutal road of sacrifice and survival. It aired on MBC from July 23 to August 26, 2010 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 20 episodes.
Moon Embracing the Sun is a 2012 South Korean television drama series, starring Kim Soo-hyun, Han Ga-in, Jung Il-woo, and Kim Min-seo. It aired on MBC from January 4 to March 15, 2012, on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 20 episodes.
The National Reunification Prize is an award of North Korea, bestowed by the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly upon people who have contributed to the reunification of Korea. The award was instituted in 1990.
The North Korean cult of personality surrounding the Kim family has existed in North Korea for decades and can be found in many examples of North Korean culture. Although not acknowledged by the North Korean government, many defectors and Western visitors state there are often stiff penalties for those who criticize or do not show "proper" respect for the former leaders of the country, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, officially referred to as "eternal leaders of Korea". The personality cult began soon after Kim Il Sung took power in 1948, and was greatly expanded after his death in 1994.
New Tales of Gisaeng is a 2011 South Korean television series starring Im Soo-hyang, Sung Hoon, and Han Hye-rin. Written by Im Sung-han and directed by Son Moon-kwon, it aired on SBS from January 23 to July 17, 2011, on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:45 for 52 episodes. It is based on Lee Hyun-su's novel of the same name.
Jang Jin-sung is the pseudonym of a North Korean poet and government official who defected to South Korea. He had worked as a psychological warfare officer within the United Front Department of the Korean Workers' Party. Jang specifically worked within the United Front Department Section 5 (Literature), Division 19 (Poetry) of Office 101. Office 101 created propaganda intended to encourage South Korean sympathy for North Korea. One of Jang's job duties was to create poetry under a South Korean pseudonym Kim Kyong-min and in a South Korean style. His poetry was intended for distribution within South Korea. A South Korean court has sentenced him to six months in prison, after finding him guilty of a sexual crime against a former female coworker.
The Kim family, also known as the Kim dynasty or the Mount Paektu bloodline in the ideological discourse of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), is a three-generation lineage of North Korean leadership, descending from the country's founder and first leader, Kim Il Sung. The patriarch came to rule the north in 1948, after the end of Japanese rule split the region in 1945. He began the Korean War in 1950, in a failed attempt to reunify the Korean Peninsula. In the 1980s, Kim Il Sung developed a cult of personality closely tied to the North Korean state philosophy of Juche. Following his death in 1994, Kim Il Sung's role as supreme leader was passed on to his son Kim Jong Il, and then to his grandson Kim Jong Un. All three men have served as leaders of the WPK and have exercised absolute control over North Korea since the state's establishment in 1948.
Eyes of Dawn is a South Korean television series starring Chae Shi-ra, Park Sang-won and Choi Jae-sung. Directed by Kim Jong-hak and written by Song Ji-na based on the 10-volume novel of the same name by Kim Seong-jong, the story spans the years from the Japanese colonial period to World War II, Korea's liberation and the Korean War.
Michael Krechmer, better known as Michael Malice, is a Ukrainian-American anarchist, author, and podcaster. He is the host of "YOUR WELCOME" with Michael Malice, a video podcast which airs on Podcast One. He has also been a ghostwriter and a Fox News commentator.
God of War, also known by the alternative title, Warrior K, is a 2012 South Korean television series starring Kim Joo-hyuk as the real-life historical figure Kim Jun who was written about in the Goryeosa. It aired on MBC from February 11 to September 15, 2012, on Saturdays and Sundays at 20:40 for 56 episodes.
Fortune Smiles is a 2015 collection of short stories by American author and novelist Adam Johnson. It is Johnson's second published short story collection, after his 2002 book Emporium and his first book after winning the Pulitzer Prize for The Orphan Master's Son. The collection includes six stories, several of which have won awards.
To My Beloved is a 2012 South Korean television series starring Kim Min-jun, Park Sol-mi, Hong Jong-hyun and Choi Yeo-jin. Based on the Japanese novel Dear You by Hisashi Nozawa, it aired on JTBC from June 27 to August 16, 2012.