In Adam Johnson’s The Orphan Master’s Son, one of the most critical scenes occurs towards the end of the novel. This scene is a tense exchange between the North Koreans and Americans, as the Americans come to the DPRK to take back a citizen who Kim Jong Il has kept captive, Allison Jensen, known to the Koreans as the Girl Rower. A large part of the magic of the scene is due to the tension created by contrasts. This tension begins with the gifts presented by each party: “When all were smiles, Tommy intervened and addressed the Dear Leader in Korean. ‘From the people of the United States,’ he said, ‘we offer a gift--a pen of peace.’ The Senator presented the pen to the Dear Leader, adding his hopes that a lasting accord would soon be signed with it. The Dear Leader accepted the pen with great fanfare, then clapped his hands for Commander Park. ‘We offer a gift as well,’ the Dear Leader said. ‘We, too, have a gift of peace,’ Ga translated. Commander Park advanced with a pair of rhinoceros-horn bookends and Ga understood that the Dear Leader wasn’t here to toy with the Americans today. He meant to inflict pain” (423). The contrast of the gifts of a peacemaking pen versus bookends made from an endangered species illustrate the clash between American formality and North Korean power.
The tense nature of this scene is also demonstrated by Kim Jong Il’s controlling behavior. When the Americans request their citizen, Il denies them: “‘Our nation rescued her from certain death in our waters,’ the Dear Leader said. “Your nation trespassed into our waters, illegally boarded our ship, and stole from me. I get back what you thieved before you get back what I saved.’ He waved his hand. ‘Now for entertainment.’ A troupe of child accordion stars raced forward, and with expert precision began playing ‘Our Father Is the Marshal.’ Their smiles were uniform, and the crowd knew the moments to clap and shout ‘Eternal is the Marshal’s flame’” (424). Here we see a different type of contrast. This contrast is between Il’s harsh words and the happy, patriotic accordion players and singers and creates an eerie atmosphere.
Another element that contributes to the power of this scene is its political elements, which include Kim Jong Il’s beration of America. For the majority of this book, it is easy to think that North Korea is the true “bad guy” given the terrible fate that befalls Jun Do and other citizens. Yet when the Americans come, Kim Jong Il points out that American democracy has many problems as well, when describing why he has chosen blues music to accommodate them. “‘Blues is how people lament racism and religion and the injustices of capitalism. Blues is for those who know hunger.’ ‘One in six,’ Commander Park said. ‘One in six Americans goes hungry each day,’ the Dear Leader echoed. ‘The blues is for violence, too. Commander Park, when did a citizen of Pyongyang last commit a violent crime?’ ‘Seven years ago,’ Commander Park said. ‘Seven long years,’ the Dear Leader said. ‘Yet in America’s capital, five thousand black men languish in prison due to violence. Mind you, Senator, your prison system is the envy of the world--state-of-the-art confinement, total surveillance, three million inmates strong! Yet you use it for no social good. The imprisoned citizen in no way motivates the free. And the labor of the condemned does not power the machine of national need” (427). This statement is so powerful because, although it is ironic that North Korea has those problems too, it does point out that all is not well and good in America.
The scene in which the Americans come to North Korea to reclaim the Girl Rower exhibits a masterfully created tense mood, which provides the perfect environment to describe how Jun Do helps Sun Moon and her children escape and the frustration it brings Kim Jong Il, which is later taken out on Jun Do in his interrogation. The mood is crafted through the use of various contrasts illustrating Il’s megalomaniacal tendencies, as well as ironic political description of America’s faults that also apply to North Korea, showing that neither side is entirely pure. Johnson crafts a vivid picture in this scene that helps drive thought about the true tension between the US and North Korea, as well as the story.
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