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
Hyeonseo is placed in the back of a BMW and taken to the Xita police station, where a handsome inspector introduces himself as her interrogator. He asks her about her parents, and she gives him Aunt Sang-hee and Uncle Jung-gil’s information. The inspector hands her a copy of a Chinese newspaper and orders her to read it. Then, he tells her to write several Chinese characters, which she does easily enough. He asks for her ID, and Hyeonseo claims it is at home, but she still has the number memorized from the ID Geun-soo gave her.
Hyeonseo’s quick thinking, and her father’s insistence that she learn Chinese characters, likely save her life. If Hyeonseo is sent back to North Korea, there is a possibility she will be executed. The BMW the Chinese police drive is a stark contrast to the poverty in North Korea, where there are very few cars, much less expensive luxury automobiles.
Themes
The inspector tells Hyeonseo she is free to go and apologizes for the inconvenience. They are simply following protocol, the inspector says, and must follow up on all reports, false or not. As Hyeonseo leaves, she is convinced someone has informed on her, and she silently thanks her father for insisting she learn all those Chinese characters. China clearly isn’t safe, so she finds a new apartment right next to the Xita police station. Surely, they won’t think to look for defectors so close to the station. One night, Hyeonseo returns home from a busy night at the restaurant and hears a sound in the darkness. Suddenly, she is struck on the head and blacks out.
Obviously, this part of China isn’t safe, for defectors or anyone else, since Hyeonseo’s attack in her apartment building seems quite random. Likely, Hyeonseo was reported as a North Korean by Soo-ji, and the police are following up on behalf of the Bowibu. Hyeonseo’s thankfulness for father’s insistence on learning the Chinese characters is another example of how important family proves to be throughout the book.
Themes
