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Nothing to Envy

 Nothing to Envy
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TVTItem
 Nothing to Envy
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Nothing to Envy
 Nothing to Envy
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NothingToEnvy
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Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea is a 2009 novel written by Barbara Demick. The book is partly a novelization of interviews with refugees from Chongjin, North Korea. Demick interviewed more than one hundred defectors, but she chose to focus on those from Chongjin because it was more likely to be an honest representation than the capital city, Pyongyang. The interviewees are of both genders and of various ages, backgrounds and social standing.The book covers the lives of the interviewees during their time in North Korea and events that occurred in that time. Those events include the death of Kim Il-sung, the crash of the North Korean economy and the mass famine of the 1990s. The final chapters are about the various ways the refugees defected and fled the country, finally arriving in South Korea, and adjusting to the modern world.The main characters/interviewees of the book are: Mrs. Song — A pro-regime housewife. Oak-hee — Mrs. Song's eldest daughter. She is stubborn and rebellious and never fully loyal to the regime her mother adored. Mi-ran — The teenage daughter of an abducted South Korean POW. This background holds them to one of the lowest social standings. She and Jun-sang dated in secret. Jun-sang — A student born to ethnic Korean returnees from Japan. This greatly lowered the family's social standing and Jun-sang was pressured to work hard so he could move as far up and away from it as he could. He dated Mi-ran in secret. Kim Hyuck — A boy who was originally born to a well-off family but a series of misfortune lead to his father giving him and his brother to an orphanage and later ending up on the streets. Dr. Kim — A female doctor loyal to the regime. She has relatives in China.
 Nothing to Envy
fetched
2024-04-20T13:30:48Z
 Nothing to Envy
parsed
2024-04-20T13:30:48Z
 Nothing to Envy
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Nothing to Envy / int_10dcbe05
type
Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other
 Nothing to Envy / int_10dcbe05
comment
Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Mrs. Song and Oak-hee's mother/daughter relationship is this
 Nothing to Envy / int_10dcbe05
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_10dcbe05
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
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Nothing to Envy / int_10dcbe05
 Nothing to Envy / int_1237828f
type
Anyone Can Die
 Nothing to Envy / int_1237828f
comment
Anyone Can Die: During the famine, such things as rank and background no longer matter.
 Nothing to Envy / int_1237828f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_1237828f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_1237828f
 Nothing to Envy / int_17ce80aa
type
All There in the Manual
 Nothing to Envy / int_17ce80aa
comment
All There in the Manual: Not quite. But reading/learning about North Korea and South Korea's history gives a better context to the story. The book does give a brief history when it's necessary.
 Nothing to Envy / int_17ce80aa
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_17ce80aa
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_17ce80aa
 Nothing to Envy / int_21d70919
type
Crapsack World
 Nothing to Envy / int_21d70919
comment
Crapsack World: Averted at first. Life in North Korea while repressive and heavily socially stratified, was nevertheless livable and even comfortable. Most people had adequate food, housing, clothing and appliances. The gulags and prisons were a vague fear. (This is consistent with the history of North Korea where, due to both Soviet/Chinese aid and heavy industrialization, the first few decades were successes.) The fall of the Soviet Union coinciding with flooding tipped the balance.
 Nothing to Envy / int_21d70919
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-1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_21d70919
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_21d70919
 Nothing to Envy / int_230d64
type
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!
 Nothing to Envy / int_230d64
comment
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: When the famine broke down the social order, anyone with enough money can bribe officials to look the other way. Mi-ran's family, for example, bribes officials to help them cross the border to China.
 Nothing to Envy / int_230d64
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_230d64
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_230d64
 Nothing to Envy / int_269e82c1
type
Death of a Child
 Nothing to Envy / int_269e82c1
comment
Death of a Child: Given the setting...
 Nothing to Envy / int_269e82c1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_269e82c1
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_269e82c1
 Nothing to Envy / int_282579b2
type
City in a Bottle
 Nothing to Envy / int_282579b2
comment
City in a Bottle: Most grew up believing that no nation in the world was better off than North Korea and, if anything, were worse off.
 Nothing to Envy / int_282579b2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_282579b2
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_282579b2
 Nothing to Envy / int_297ab1b9
type
Parental Abandonment
 Nothing to Envy / int_297ab1b9
comment
Parental Abandonment: Dr. Kim and Oak-hee left children behind in North Korea. Dr. Kim had previously lost custody of her son due to divorce. Kim Hyuck and his brother were left in a orphanage by their father. The book describes the kotchebi, homeless orphans whose parents abandoned them or died.
 Nothing to Envy / int_297ab1b9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_297ab1b9
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_297ab1b9
 Nothing to Envy / int_2bf993ad
type
Secret Relationship
 Nothing to Envy / int_2bf993ad
comment
Secret Relationship: Mi-ran and Jun-sang, because Mi-ran's low family rank would badly affect Jun-sang's future if it became known they were involved together. Jun-sang's parents also wanted him to focus on school, not girls.
 Nothing to Envy / int_2bf993ad
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_2bf993ad
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_2bf993ad
 Nothing to Envy / int_2f36d97
type
Older Than They Look
 Nothing to Envy / int_2f36d97
comment
Older Than They Look: Due to starvation, Kim Hyuck and Dr. Kim ended up looking younger. It is even stated that by the time of her defection, Dr. Kim, a woman in her thirties, looked as if she were just twelve years old.
 Nothing to Envy / int_2f36d97
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_2f36d97
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_2f36d97
 Nothing to Envy / int_310d40de
type
Thoughtcrime
 Nothing to Envy / int_310d40de
comment
Thoughtcrime: Mrs. Song's husband nearly got thrown into prison for making a sarcastic remark about the lack of shoes. Every defector seems to know someone sent to a camp or executed for criticizing the regime.
 Nothing to Envy / int_310d40de
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_310d40de
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_310d40de
 Nothing to Envy / int_3bc88a7f
type
Foregone Conclusion
 Nothing to Envy / int_3bc88a7f
comment
Foregone Conclusion: The fact that you know the major characters survive and are living in Seoul helps make some the the descriptions of death and starvation a bit easier.
 Nothing to Envy / int_3bc88a7f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_3bc88a7f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_3bc88a7f
 Nothing to Envy / int_407d3e6d
type
Morton's Fork
 Nothing to Envy / int_407d3e6d
comment
Morton's Fork: For many of the people in Chongjin. During the famine when food rations were stopped completely, most people turned to illegal markets and jobs or petty theft to try to survive. However, the punishment if you where caught was at best imprisonment, at worst execution.
 Nothing to Envy / int_407d3e6d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_407d3e6d
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_407d3e6d
 Nothing to Envy / int_40cc0c7e
type
Bittersweet Ending
 Nothing to Envy / int_40cc0c7e
comment
Bittersweet Ending: All interviewees safely reached South Korea, but all have suffered. Mrs. Song and Oak-hee lost their husband/father and son/brother to the famine. Oak-hee left also behind her two children of which she deeply regrets. Mi-ran's two older sisters were taken away to prison camps due their families defection and likely died there. Jun-sang left his parents behind in North Korea and may never see them again. Kim Hyuck lost his father and believes his older brother in the famine. Dr Kim's father died of starvation in his grief over Kim Il-sung's death. She also left behind a son and her mother.
 Nothing to Envy / int_40cc0c7e
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_40cc0c7e
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_40cc0c7e
 Nothing to Envy / int_4593fcda
type
Big Brother Is Employing You
 Nothing to Envy / int_4593fcda
comment
Big Brother Is Employing You
 Nothing to Envy / int_4593fcda
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_4593fcda
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_4593fcda
 Nothing to Envy / int_4db582d6
type
Defector from Commie Land
 Nothing to Envy / int_4db582d6
comment
Defector from Commie Land: All the interviewees, eventually.
 Nothing to Envy / int_4db582d6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_4db582d6
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_4db582d6
 Nothing to Envy / int_590eb583
type
Domestic Abuse
 Nothing to Envy / int_590eb583
comment
Domestic Abuse: Oak-hee was a victim of it.
 Nothing to Envy / int_590eb583
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_590eb583
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_590eb583
 Nothing to Envy / int_5da3f522
type
Big Brother Is Watching
 Nothing to Envy / int_5da3f522
comment
Big Brother Is Watching: And sometimes Big Brother is employing you, watching you, and employing you to watch everyone else.
 Nothing to Envy / int_5da3f522
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_5da3f522
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_5da3f522
 Nothing to Envy / int_60547993
type
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy
 Nothing to Envy / int_60547993
comment
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: When he learns that Mi-ran is married after his arrival in South Korea, Jun-sang decides not to contact her.
 Nothing to Envy / int_60547993
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_60547993
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_60547993
 Nothing to Envy / int_60c90bd5
type
Orphan's Ordeal
 Nothing to Envy / int_60c90bd5
comment
Orphan's Ordeal: Kim Hyuck has one.
 Nothing to Envy / int_60c90bd5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_60c90bd5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_60c90bd5
 Nothing to Envy / int_77bc8a56
type
Unable to Support a Wife
 Nothing to Envy / int_77bc8a56
comment
Unable to Support a Wife: Most husbands and men were forced to work unpaid during the famine, so wives and daughters had to earn money in illegal markets. Mi-ran's mother and Mrs. Song started various businesses to feed their family.
 Nothing to Envy / int_77bc8a56
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_77bc8a56
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_77bc8a56
 Nothing to Envy / int_7870735b
type
From Bad to Worse
 Nothing to Envy / int_7870735b
comment
From Bad to Worse: As the Arduous March dragged on, already bad situations slowly become worse and worse. Kim Hyuck survived a life on the streets as a orphan. He starts making money smuggling only to get arrested and sent to prison. Mrs. Song loses her job and is forced to work in illegal markets that go against her beliefs. Then the famine drags on, her family gets poorer and her mother-in-law, son and husband die.
 Nothing to Envy / int_7870735b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_7870735b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_7870735b
 Nothing to Envy / int_7b3352a9
type
Heroic Safe Mode
 Nothing to Envy / int_7b3352a9
comment
Heroic Safe Mode: A common coping mechanism. Mi-ran and Dr. Kim both learned to ignore the suffering of their schoolchildren and patients to survive.
 Nothing to Envy / int_7b3352a9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_7b3352a9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_7b3352a9
 Nothing to Envy / int_80621707
type
Arranged Marriage
 Nothing to Envy / int_80621707
comment
Arranged Marriage: Still very common in North Korea.
 Nothing to Envy / int_80621707
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_80621707
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_80621707
 Nothing to Envy / int_868409c
type
Broken Pedestal
 Nothing to Envy / int_868409c
comment
Broken Pedestal: Many of the characters start out as patriots who believed in North Korea and the Kims. The famine and defecting changed that.
 Nothing to Envy / int_868409c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_868409c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_868409c
 Nothing to Envy / int_8b442f50
type
Did Not Get the Girl
 Nothing to Envy / int_8b442f50
comment
Did Not Get the Girl: Jun-sang.
 Nothing to Envy / int_8b442f50
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_8b442f50
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_8b442f50
 Nothing to Envy / int_9673d7f0
type
Orphan's Plot Trinket
 Nothing to Envy / int_9673d7f0
comment
Orphan's Plot Trinket: Though she isn't a orphan at that point, Dr. Kim is given a list of her relatives in China by her dying father in hope that she'll use it to leave.
 Nothing to Envy / int_9673d7f0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_9673d7f0
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_9673d7f0
 Nothing to Envy / int_994b9db5
type
Screw the Rules, It's the Apocalypse!
 Nothing to Envy / int_994b9db5
comment
Screw the Rules, It's the Apocalypse!: A running theme in the book is the societal and governmental breakdown during the famine. Previously illegal activities like private markets and prostitution sprung up. Criminals thrown into prison supposedly for life were often let out after a few months to accommodate a new influx of prisoners. And anyone could bribe an official to look the other way.
 Nothing to Envy / int_994b9db5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_994b9db5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_994b9db5
 Nothing to Envy / int_99c36bb5
type
Ironic Nursery Tune
 Nothing to Envy / int_99c36bb5
comment
Ironic Nursery Tune: We Have Nothing to Envy in the World. At one point, a starving beggar child is singing it for money.
 Nothing to Envy / int_99c36bb5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_99c36bb5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_99c36bb5
 Nothing to Envy / int_9b06e314
type
Greater-Scope Villain
 Nothing to Envy / int_9b06e314
comment
Greater-Scope Villain: The Kims. They never personally appear in the story (even if their presence is everywhere) and the main characters are more concerned with survival than any attempts at overthrowing them, but as the dictators of North Korea, every decision they make has enormous consequences.
 Nothing to Envy / int_9b06e314
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_9b06e314
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_9b06e314
 Nothing to Envy / int_9ba53911
type
Stranger in a Familiar Land
 Nothing to Envy / int_9ba53911
comment
Stranger in a Familiar Land: North Koreans are automatically citizens of South Korea, but defectors often suffer culture shock due to South Korea being so radically different. For example, although South Koreans have adopted phrases like "email" into their vernacular, North Koreans still use the same sort of speech patterns they've used since the 1950s. It would the equivalent of someone in the United States today saying, "Gee whiz, that sure is swell" without a hint of irony. Some of the defectors in the story adjust better than others. Mi-Ran with relatives in South Korea to help her had the easiest time. Jun-sang in contrast floundered as his degree was useless and he didn't have any relevant skills.
 Nothing to Envy / int_9ba53911
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_9ba53911
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_9ba53911
 Nothing to Envy / int_a3a6fdb2
type
Room 101
 Nothing to Envy / int_a3a6fdb2
comment
Room101: The North Korean prisons, re-education centers and gulags. Every single character lived in fear of getting caught for subversive thoughts and actions. We get a firsthand description of a camp when Kim Hyuck and Oak-hee gets sent to prison.
 Nothing to Envy / int_a3a6fdb2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_a3a6fdb2
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_a3a6fdb2
 Nothing to Envy / int_a4c37cbe
type
Mood Whiplash
 Nothing to Envy / int_a4c37cbe
comment
Mood Whiplash: One chapter starts with Min-ran happily working as a kindergarten teacher then goes in the declining heath and eventual disappearance of her students.
 Nothing to Envy / int_a4c37cbe
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_a4c37cbe
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_a4c37cbe
 Nothing to Envy / int_a87e94fe
type
Worthless Foreign Degree
 Nothing to Envy / int_a87e94fe
comment
Worthless Foreign Degree: The degrees of Jun-sang, Mi-ran and Dr. Kim become useless after defection.
 Nothing to Envy / int_a87e94fe
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_a87e94fe
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_a87e94fe
 Nothing to Envy / int_ab5eea65
type
Dramatic Irony
 Nothing to Envy / int_ab5eea65
comment
Dramatic Irony: Readers can see past much of the North Korean propaganda even if the characters fully believe it.
 Nothing to Envy / int_ab5eea65
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_ab5eea65
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_ab5eea65
 Nothing to Envy / int_bec0417c
type
Happily Married
 Nothing to Envy / int_bec0417c
comment
Happily Married: Mrs. Song.
 Nothing to Envy / int_bec0417c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_bec0417c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_bec0417c
 Nothing to Envy / int_c3286b8e
type
Uptown Girl
 Nothing to Envy / int_c3286b8e
comment
Uptown Girl: Inverted with Jun-sang and Mi-ran.
 Nothing to Envy / int_c3286b8e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_c3286b8e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_c3286b8e
 Nothing to Envy / int_c3accb7c
type
Double Speak
 Nothing to Envy / int_c3accb7c
comment
Double Speak: Everywhere. The Arduous March is itself a euphemism for the famine.
 Nothing to Envy / int_c3accb7c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_c3accb7c
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_c3accb7c
 Nothing to Envy / int_c3c18143
type
Hope Spot
 Nothing to Envy / int_c3c18143
comment
Kim Hyuck survived a life on the streets as a orphan. He starts making money smuggling only to get arrested and sent to prison.
 Nothing to Envy / int_c3c18143
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_c3c18143
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_c3c18143
 Nothing to Envy / int_c57293d6
type
Chastity Couple
 Nothing to Envy / int_c57293d6
comment
Chastity Couple: Mi-ran and Jun-sang never went beyond holding hands and kissing (occurring only after dating a few years).
 Nothing to Envy / int_c57293d6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_c57293d6
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1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_c57293d6
 Nothing to Envy / int_d5949a2
type
High-School Sweethearts
 Nothing to Envy / int_d5949a2
comment
Highschool Sweethearts: Jun-sang and Mi-ran in secret.
 Nothing to Envy / int_d5949a2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_d5949a2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_d5949a2
 Nothing to Envy / int_da12bcfb
type
You Can't Go Home Again
 Nothing to Envy / int_da12bcfb
comment
You Can't Go Home Again: After leaving North Korea, the refugees can't return for fear of death.
 Nothing to Envy / int_da12bcfb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_da12bcfb
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_da12bcfb
 Nothing to Envy / int_dc0ca62a
type
Public Execution
 Nothing to Envy / int_dc0ca62a
comment
Public Execution: Jun-sang witnesses the execution of a man arrested for stealing.
 Nothing to Envy / int_dc0ca62a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_dc0ca62a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_dc0ca62a
 Nothing to Envy / int_e596f27b
type
Star-Crossed Lovers
 Nothing to Envy / int_e596f27b
comment
Star-Crossed Lovers: Jun-sang and Mi-ran.
 Nothing to Envy / int_e596f27b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_e596f27b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_e596f27b
 Nothing to Envy / int_eb8e4fa8
type
Jerkass
 Nothing to Envy / int_eb8e4fa8
comment
Jerkass: Oak-hee's husband.
 Nothing to Envy / int_eb8e4fa8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_eb8e4fa8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_eb8e4fa8
 Nothing to Envy / int_edcc813f
type
Fantastic Caste System
 Nothing to Envy / int_edcc813f
comment
Fantastic Caste System: The songbun system which organizes the population into classes based on how "loyal" a family is to the Korean Workers’ Party. Party members, family members of those who fought in the revolution are the core class, the middle class are ordinary North Koreans and the lower classes South Korean, Japanese, and Chinese, those with family members outside North Korea, etc. Songbun affects everything from the jobs you can hold, where you can live, the rations you get, the punishments you get for breaking a law and the prospects for you and your children. It is near impossible to move up a caste and in the book only Jun-sang (as the son of returnees from Japan who came close to joining the Party) was able to. One theme in the book is how the caste structure fractured during the Arduous March. Mi-ran was able to attend college and become a school teacher because of the lack of willing educated people with good songbun. On a less happy note, songbun did not help Mrs. Song and her family during the famine.
 Nothing to Envy / int_edcc813f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Nothing to Envy / int_edcc813f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nothing to Envy
hasFeature
Nothing to Envy / int_edcc813f
 Nothing to Envy / int_ee7a60e9
type
One-Steve Limit
 Nothing to Envy / int_ee7a60e9
comment
One-Steve Limit: There are two Kims, and to prevent confusion they are always addressed as Dr. Kim and Kim Hyuck (or just Hyuck).
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Too Good for This Sinful Earth
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Too Good for This Sinful Earth: It's noted that some of the people who died first in the famine were the honest principled ones who could not lie or steal or resort to illegal activities to survive.
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Titled After the Song
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Titled After the Song: The book is titled after a propaganda song about how great life in North Korea is because of Kim Il-sung.
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Dark and Troubled Past
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Dark and Troubled Past: Mi-ran's father. He was a South Korean soldier captured and never allowed to return. His past, as per Korean practice, also affected his daughter's social prospects and made his family a target for surveillance.
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Underground Railroad / int_ea2e8f87