Key Scene

• Leila discriminating against Henry Park, and writing a mean and racist note before she travels for work.

  I'd say that this is a key scene because it really demonstrates how although Henry married an American lady like Leila, she still discriminates against him since Henry is Korean. For example, in the note, Leila calls him a "B+ student of life." This is quite discriminating and stereotypical because in Asian culture, anything worse than an A, like a B+ is considered bad, therefore Leila is just telling him that he doesn't really fit in with life. Also, although they are married, she still calls him an "illegal alien" because he hasn't really fit in with the norms of American life yet even though they have been married for a number of years. This scene also has parallels to the time period where the Asian Americans were discriminated against in the US during the 1990. Even this book is written during the 1990's during the height of the Asian American discrimination as well.

Key Scene

• Mitt, Henry's son's death

  This is a key scene because after the incident, the relationship between Henry and Leila began to change. For example, Leila cut her hair short by herself, which is unusual. Normally, she would let a woman named Molly cut her hair for her. Henry, on the other hand, found a box of tape recorders from when Mitt was a little boy. Henry learns that as he listens to the tapes, he learns that Leila really cared about Mitt, and how Leila "spoke to [Mitt] as though they had all the time in the world." At the same time, Henry learns that Mitt may have recorded some parts secretly. There was one tape where Leila says that she was short on cigarettes, and another one was Henry and Leila forgot about the tape recording and Mitt "said every bad word he knew." With regards to Henry's and Leila's relationship, it seems like ever since Mitt's death, Leila starts to blame herself and Henry for Mitt's death, and that it wasn't an accident.

Key Scene

• Henry realizing that Kwang, the guy Henry is supposed to spy on, is someone who he can relate to and is similar to.

  This is a key scene because when Henry first saw Kwang, he realizes that Kwang is very similar to his father. For example, Kwang dresses as neat as his father, with "neatly clipped black hair, silvery about the temples, with scant patches of grayness..." This look reminds Henry of his father's looks from 10 years ago.

Key Scene

• Henry forgetting about his job regarding to spying on Kwang.

  I'd say that this is one of the key scenes in the story because Henry's assignment was to go and spy on Kwang at the Korean restaurant. Instead, Henry gets caught up in conversations with Kwang, and instead of following Hoagland's constant prerogative of "[being] the scribe," he continues to eat and drink with Kwang until they both get drunk. Also, Henry stated that Kwang was "affecting [him]" with all of the talking and drinking, and even Henry mentions that a good rule of thumb as a spy is to keep yourself "twice as sober as he is," which is what Henry did not follow. The two of them even flirted with two waitresses at the restaurant as well.

  
  

Favorite Quote

• "We flirted with our two waitresses, making them stay a moment and have a drink with us. I rapped on the table when one of them downed three quick shots in a row." pg 192

  I like this quote because to me, it was pretty funny to read in an otherwise supposedly serious scene. In this scene, Henry was supposed to take notes and get as much information as Kwang as possible, but instead, he gets caught up with Kwang, drank a lot of soju with him as well as eating more and more food at the Korean restaurant. Also, I found it funny because of how Kwang and Henry flirted with the waitresses, such as inviting them to have a couple of drinks and getting drunk with them as well. To make it funnier, even Henry says that he is not supposed to drink as much and get a lot of information from Kwang, but he doesn't follow that since him and Kwang were having a good time together. This demonstrates that Henry was able to find someone he can relate to, as well as finding someone who Henry can be able to share his feelings with.

Key Scene

• The bombing at the Kwang offices

  I'd say that this is a key scene in the book because to me, it seems like it is the climax of the entire book. In this scene, Henry realizes that there was a bomb in those offices, and a janitor and a person named Eduardo passed away in the incident. Henry was also a bit concerned about Kwang about whether or not he was ok and well. like Henry is starting to doubt who Kwang really is as a person as well as how this scene demonstrates some aspects of discrimination as well. For example, after the bombing happened, the people who witnessed it started to blame some different minority groups, such as the Chinese, African and Indian communities. Also' I'd say that maybe Kwang is not the character we think he is.

Favorite Quote

• "Now I think we will both dream of fire." pg 249

  I like this quote because to me, it kind of foreshadows what will happen later on in the book. Also, I like this quote because in a way, it helps foreshadow some drama and eventual events that may happen later on in the story. I think that after this point, the story will start to make sense as well as Henry starting to get to know Kwang better and better later on in the story.

Key Scene

• The scene where after Kwang got arrested for the bombing, the people starting to hate him for what he did at the station, and the fact that they wanted to storm into his house and kick him out.

  I'd say that this is a key scene in the story because to me, it demonstrates how people may not see reality of a person. Before the bombing took place, a lot of people, even Henry, really liked Kwang, and they really wanted him to become mayor. Even during the mission, when Henry first met him, he didn't want to do anything but be friends with Kwang. When the bombing happened, it later caused Henry and the rest of the people to change their views on Kwang as they started to view him as a bad person, and Janice even called him "a fool long before any scandal rose." We also sometimes see this in modern society as well, where one bad event can really change the reputation of a person.

Key Scene

• Henry's father berating Henry for asking too many questions about how he does business in Korea

  This scene shows the drastic difference in thinking between Henry's Korean heritage and his new American social norms--Henry immigrated to the United States when he was relatively old, forcing him to reconcile drastically different viewpoints even when they have been ingrained all his life. He would also need to reconcile these differences just to blend in and avoid discrimination--something he has faced as long as he was in the United States.

Favorite Quote

• "Jack asked me yesterday. What name will I use?"

• "Whatever you like, this time. Bruce Lee, for all I care"

  When coming up with a different name for his espionage, Hoagland suggested an extremely stereotypical name for Henry to use--this serves both a comedic role, yet the audience understands the subtext of this statement. Most Americans don't understand or care about the difference between Asian Americans, and has no problem stereotyping.

Question

• Did Henry's father truly only care about Leila only as a tool for integrating in American society?

  I believe while it is implied that Henry's father is cold and arguably heartless towards those around him, I believe that he truly cares about love and the well being of his son--there are subtle but important signs to him caring, such as returning home earlier after Henry's mother passed in order for Henry to return to someone.

Themes

• There is a large contrast between the expectations placed on Henry by his family compared to the typical expectations of an American--for example, Henry was surprised that his father accepted Leila, even though she was white, implying an ingrained discrimination against those of other races within family (which still exists in reality).

Key Scene

• The fight between Henry and Lelia over Ah-juh-ma's identity

  Lelia was horrified over Henry's treatment of Ahjuhma as barely present, as if she is a ghost without a name who takes care of house chores unconditionally. While this is normal in Korean culture--to have a housemaid in the house who does not speak, Lelia looks at it through an American perspective, horrified at their treatment of a "lost girl". This marked a turning point in Henry and Lelia's relationship, realizing the fundamental difference between them in culture and starting an irreconcilable conflict between them, only glued together by Mitt, their son.

Favorite Quote

• "'She's a total alien,' my friend said. 'She's completely bizarre'" (78)

  This quote not only sums up people's (less than sympathetic) reactions to Ahjuhma and the unique circumstance Henry's family is in, it also sums up the reaction of most people to Henry's family as a whole. Lelia's reaction was more sympathetic to Ahjuhma, but is still fundamentally rooted in the differences in culture and racism. While to Henry this behavior may be normal, this interaction highlights a deeply ingrained racism that persists throughout the novel.

Question

• How did nobody in Henry's family know anything about Ahjuhma? Henry not knowing her name or origin is understandable, but what about Henry's dad as her employer?

  I believe Henry's dad does know her name and enough details about Ahjuhma to start a conversation, but I believe Henry's dad is not as "tough" or uncompassionate as he seems--he may be recovering from grief of losing his wife, causing him to be unwilling to accept any other woman in his life. This may explain his cold attitude to Ahjuhma and his unwillingness to get personally close to her in any way, resulting in the odd relationship where outsiders such as Lelia would see an incomprehensible, seemingly abusive relationship.

Themes

• Continued themes of racism and familial conflict that is irreconcilable over cultural differences

  Lelia's outburst over Henry's family situation displays how radically different Asian and American family cultures are and the difficulties of harmonizing between them, given Henry and Lelia's constant conflict and eventual separation.

Key Scene

• Henry needing to swallow his sorrows in order to build an alibi to spy on Kwang, changing small details about the worst experiences in his life to blend in more effectively.

  I liked this scene because (finally) the connection between Kwang's spy experience and the immigrant experience in general. Like many immigrants, Henry was forced to hide much of his past despite the pain just to blend into his new environment, yet many do not understand the pain of hiding much of your past, especially regarding family trauma.

Favorite Quote

• "[Luzan] eventually recommended a course of medication. But for me it was simply loose, terrible business. The kind of display my father would not have tolerated in any member of his family."

  This quote once again shows a major cultural difference between America and Korea--in the U.S, there is a larger emphasis on personal well-being regardless of how "weak" one might appear. Meanwhile, personal pride is a major component in Asian cultures, where one would rather swallow their pain yet retain their honor and pride by working through a personal issue by themselves (often, much to the detriment of the individual).

Question

• Why couldn't Henry be more honest with Lelia about his profession?

  Besides the fact that Henry's profession isn't truly something he can talk about (although personally, I do believe if Henry and Lelia's relationship is true enough, they can both be honest with each other without worries...), I believe Henry also doesn't want to corrupt Lelia with his work, as he believes she is a terrible actor that cannot hide her purity from others. He doesn't want to corrupt her with his work, where he has to blend in with others and hide his true identity--something he doesn't want Lelia to do.

Themes

• The importance of community and acceptance

  Henry has been lost throughout the story, neglecting the names of those around him and never truly gaining a sense of community around him--whether it is Lelia's reluctant acceptance of him, his own father's distance from him, and the entire spy operation against Kwang--all of which forces Henry to distance himself from the community around him. The first time he appears genuinely happy is when he realizes Kwang is someone who he can relate to and is someone who can truly understand Henry.

Key Scene

• The Scene where Henry gains a conscience about his spying work on Kwang, deciding to quit and telling Luzan about his plan to move away from New York. More importantly, the next scene reveals that Henry isn't entirely innocent in his relationship with Lelia, showing his infidelity and that Lelia's paranoia isn't entirely unwarranted--all of which just for a job. Henry reveals that his work has not only erased his identity, but also destroyed the relationships he did have. This scene greatly blurs the line between the "good" and "bad" of the story, where the reader would initially be antagonistic (and understandably so) towards Lelia. However ultimately, Henry took advantage of another woman just to get closer to one of his spying targets, bringing question to his morality and his innocence.

Favorite Quote

• "How do you write of one who tells you more stories than you need to know?"

  This quote marks the true breaking point of Henry's morality, where he can no longer hide his fondness for Kwang's story and how much he truly relates to Kwang--he could not find himself doing his job in reporting on the wrongdoings of Hwang, he couldn't find any at all. Rather than ruin lives, Henry shifted to do the opposite, promoting Hwang's political career and trying to get him to even greater success with his story. It is an impactful quote about always knowing the full story, never settling for the easy route in telling others' stories and ensuring that people are always portrayed as who they are, rather than what the consumer wants to hear.

Question

• What compelled Henry to do what he did to an abused wife just to gain information on her husband?

  Henry is normally portrayed as a generally compassionate, if not slightly ignorant person when it comes to relationships. He initially believed he had no hope of reaching his intended target, which compelled him to do what he did just to get a lead on his target. Of course, that didn't work out, and another path opened instead, but Henry's pure desperation to start his career scarred him for life, leaving him with a permanent sin that he could not escape.

Themes

• The importance of belonging and truth

  Henry's dinner with Hwang truly warmed Henry and was the final straw to bring him out of the business of espionage. He finally realized that Hwang's dinner with Henry was a sign of personal trust, mainly rooted in the Korean culture that he is familiar with.

Key Scene

The Scene where the people are blaming differing races for the bombing of the Kwang offices. This scene showed a truly major division between races in the United States and how, when it truly comes down to it, people often turn to race as the first differing factor to alienate others. This divide shatters the resolution between cultures that has been built over the past 15 chapters, highlighting the swiftness of destroying bonds compared to the years it takes to build bonds.

Favorite Quote

"They offer each other the spectrum of notions; the bombers are North korean terrorists, or the growing white-separatist cell based on eastern Long Island..."

This quote truly represents the ease of which bonds can be broken, and how fear can drive people against each other, even when they were once united in support of one person. This is a showcase of the power of fear, how it is able to turn neighbors against each other with ease.

Question

What would motivate someone to bomb Kwang's office?

While the answer is almost certainly political, I believe it was to specifically sow distrust within Kwang's supporters, breaking apart Kwang's voters as they accuse each other of the crime. However, as Kwang is the most likely suspect given his specific suspicions against Eduardo, this does beg the question of why he would be willing to break apart his own voter base, even if it is to kill an informant.

Themes

Cultural connections are exceedingly difficult to form and to maintain, yet they are extremely easy to break in tougher times.

In earlier parts of the novel, Kwang's reputation as a mediator between the diverse cultures of New York was said to be built up over years of work as a politician. Furthermore, Henry and his coworkers spend countless hours simply to preserve this reputation, despite the dispute between Korean employers and their Peruvian workers, and other racial conflicts. Despite this, the bombing of the Kwang offices immediately shifted this harmony into finger pointing and racial tension, mirroring similar racial conflicts in reality during more trying times.

Key Scene

The scene after his car accident with a "hospitality girl", where Henry and his co-workers all quickly turned against Hwang, yet realized they no longer have a place to belong. I believe this scene is key to tying the spy story to Henry's Korean American identity, identifying the flaw of many immigrants who cling to a figurehead to represent their culture rather than take the step to individually express their culture and prove others incorrect. One slip up by someone like Hwang (who wasn't a good person to begin with) can tarnish the reputation of an entire culture--this is what causes racial conflicts such as the LA race riots in 1992, which was infamous for the damage caused to Koreatown.

Favorite Quote

"We were done. The whole thing, literally out of my hands. And yet, on seeing his face, his spelled-out name, I immediately began getting ready to go." (322-323)

This is where Henry got his crisis of belief and realized he can no longer rely solely on Hwang to represent himself. This is the moment of realization where Henry is determined to open his own path and move on from his muddled past.

Question

How much of the story was grounded in real events?

I believe the parallels drawn to the Koreatown riots near the end were apparent and really attempts to ground the story of Henry (which initially appears outlandish and unrealistic) to reality. I believe it was an intentional decision to ground the story in reality once again, making Henry's

Themes

Having to find your own identity and having to individually express a culture in its absolute best.

Hwang's downfall and the hate it brought towards the Korean American community almost directly mirrors the hate towards the Korean American community during the 1992 LA Riots, where the action of one Korean American spiraled into massive hate for the entire community.