Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Pachinko, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Survival and Family
Imperialism, Resistance, and Compromise
Identity, Blood, and Contamination
Love, Motherhood, and Women’s Choices
Summary
Analysis
A week later, Sunja, Yangjin, and Isak go to visit Pastor Shin. The pastor asks Sunja how she feels about marrying Isak. Sunja says she is grateful for Isak’s “painful sacrifice” and will serve him as best she can. Isak seems troubled by this. When Pastor Shin asks Sunja if she repents of her sin and seeks forgiveness, Sunja cries, not really understanding.
Sunja feels indebted to Isak and wants Pastor Shin, an unfamiliar authority figure, to understand this. However, it seems that Isak wants Sunja to view him as a loving husband, not simply a benefactor. Sunja is also confused and intimidated by Pastor Shin’s unfamiliar religious language, not knowing what response he’s looking for.
Themes
Isak intervenes, saying that he believes Sunja will be a good wife and that the marriage will benefit him as much as it benefits Sunja. Pastor Shin relents, but he exhorts Sunja, “Be perfect, child. Every Korean must be on his best behavior over there […] One bad Korean ruins it for thousands of others.” Then he prays for Isak and Sunja and marries them within minutes.
Isak hates seeing Sunja put on the spot and instinctively tries to protect her, which again reveals his genuine and loving nature. Pastor Shin, on the other hand, wants to protect Isak from making a bad decision. Part of his concern stems from the pressures Koreans face under imperialism—in Japan, Koreans are already scorned and discriminated against, and thus Koreans must “Be perfect” as to not face even more prejudice and oppression.
Themes
