Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Girl with Seven Names, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Oppression, Human Rights, and North Korea
Identity and Nationality
Family
Kindness
Summary
Analysis
The placement of the new home on the river is perfect for Mother’s illicit trade and smuggling operation, and she can easily receive goods and immediately shuffle them inside, out of sight of the Bowibu. She wastes little time getting to know the neighbors, who tell her that the house is cursed. Mother is superstitious, and no matter what Hyeonseo says, she won’t give up her belief that the house really is cursed. In fact, mother’s belief is so strong that Hyeonseo begins to believe herself. Still, Mother takes to wallpapering and decorating the house as usual, and she even buys a small color television as a sign of social status.
Again, Mother goes to great lengths to ensure that her family has the best living conditions possible, which illustrates Mother’s love for her family and the importance family holds in all of their lives. This also speaks to Mother’s character—she is tough and brave, and she breaks the law right under the noses of the Bowibu just to ensure her family has a good life. Likely, if mother is caught smuggling illegal goods, she will be imprisoned for life or executed.
Themes
Korean Central Television consists of one station, which shows endless footage of the Great Leader and the Dear Leader visiting schools and factories. Watching foreign television stations is illegal and considered a serious offense. This new area in Hyesan is known to be politically “sensitive,” and as such, the Bowibu watch closely for any signs of disloyalty. In November, just as the snow begins to fall, Father returns home from one of his trips to China. He often brings back small luxuries, like toilet paper or fruit, but this time, he is carrying a huge package. Inside is a Game Boy video game for Min-ho and a doll for Hyeonseo. The doll is large and has a Western face, and even though Hyeonseo is a bit old for it, she knows it is her father’s way to reconnect with her. It is the last gift he will ever give her.
Since the doll is the last gift Father ever gives Hyeonseo, the reader can infer that something terrible is going to happen. Likely, Hyesan is considered politically “sensitive” because of its location on the river and the obvious ease with which people can move foreign goods or escape across the river into China. The Korean Central Television station provides another example of how the regime uses its power to control what its people think and experience. Just like with the censored books, television is considered another source of outside ideas and independent thought, so it is very tightly controlled.
Themes
