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Pam
- We don't know what happened to Noa's body, so in a way, this was her burying her son with her husband.
- Korean shamanism, though Sunja wasn't a big practitioner, she goes to the cemetery somewhat sheepishly as she is talking to the dead. She reflects on how Isak taught her that what is buried there is no longer the person, but old Korean traditions were something she still kept. Part of talking to the dead in Korean Shamanism discusses appeasing ghosts, too, so symbolically, by burying Noa's picture here she was trying to appease the ghost of her dead son that was haunting her. The text says she changed after his death; she was obsessed with it, etc. So we could read into this thinking that she was finally letting go over her pain.
- Remember, this whole story was because of Noa's conception. So Lee has created a circular ending to the story with her protagonist saying goodbye to her son.
- Korean shamanism, though Sunja wasn't a big practitioner, she goes to the cemetery somewhat sheepishly as she is talking to the dead. She reflects on how Isak taught her that what is buried there is no longer the person, but old Korean traditions were something she still kept. Part of talking to the dead in Korean Shamanism discusses appeasing ghosts, too, so symbolically, by burying Noa's picture here she was trying to appease the ghost of her dead son that was haunting her. The text says she changed after his death; she was obsessed with it, etc. So we could read into this thinking that she was finally letting go over her pain.
- Remember, this whole story was because of Noa's conception. So Lee has created a circular ending to the story with her protagonist saying goodbye to her son.
Diane
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Sandi Dickenson
I think it was placed at the end to represent hope. I think Pachinko might represent a turning point and brought him comfort and security. It represents the thing we fall back on when we can't deal with the complexity around us.
We see the characters trying to escape survival mode through education. Trusting that something else will bring more fulfillment or satisfaction. Then our choice fails us. We are disillusioned and lose ourself in the familiar. Some may heal and seek to change again. Others will remain and accept their fate.
By ending with Panchiko it represents the gamble in life. What lies ahead is partially fate/fortune and partially our contribution of understanding, skill and effort.
We see the characters trying to escape survival mode through education. Trusting that something else will bring more fulfillment or satisfaction. Then our choice fails us. We are disillusioned and lose ourself in the familiar. Some may heal and seek to change again. Others will remain and accept their fate.
By ending with Panchiko it represents the gamble in life. What lies ahead is partially fate/fortune and partially our contribution of understanding, skill and effort.
Amrita Poptani
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Kit
I think this was symbolic of Sunja finally coming to accept the death of her son. After she learned from the groundskeeper that Noa continued to visit Isak's grave even after he left Waseda and tried to "erase his past" and also that he encouraged the groundskeeper to read, Sunja felt her son always remained good to everyone. I think for Sunja, she finally felt reconnected to Noa because he had been visiting Isak's grave every month up until his death and by extension sort of visiting Sunja? I don't know if that 100% makes sense lol I would imagine Sunja felt both sad and angry with Noa disappearing from the family and then ultimately taking his own life but after speaking to the groundskeeper, she felt she could bury this and move on. And maybe this also gives her a place to talk to/visit Noa's grave too and know that he is safely with his father Isak.
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