Priyamvada answers “What is the connection between the entire...”

Aphro Shenachena asked this question about Pachinko:

What is the connection between the entire novel and pachinko?

Priyamvada Because somehow the game of Pachinko and the story of Sunja are correlated. The idea may not occur while reading the book, but once you have finished …moreBecause somehow the game of Pachinko and the story of Sunja are correlated. The idea may not occur while reading the book, but once you have finished it, you'd realise how similar the blueprint of Sunja's life had been to that of the game. Now, Pachinko, as a rule, is not entirely a game of chance - it requires technique and observation (Ofc, that matters only when you've got some luck in your pocket). Sunja's trysts with Hansu were a result of her chance encounter with the bullys. Osaka had been a dream to her, which eventually became the birthplace of her nightmares. Her survival during the war, the changes in the life of her sons, and her relations could all be attributed to chance, yet not entirely - exactly like Pachinko.
Moreover, as a game banned during the world war II, Pachinko thrived and flourished in Japan after it's nadir. But it was largely associated to the rise of Yakuza or Japanese mafia. Since the game was never considered equivalent to gambling, the parlors became a mecca for criminal activities, prostitution and unpaid taxes. All in all, it could hardly be considered a decent job during the time. However, it could put more than food on people's palates, and was the only field where the Koreans could associate with the Japanese on an equal footing. Undoubtedly, such parlors became a haven for the war-torn Koreans, who had lost seemingly everything. And as long as one had riches, what did it matter if the job weren't decent? But the then Japan held many prejudices against those parlors and the Koreans. Lee has brought out the fact that all of them weren't bees of the same hive sticking to criminal activities. Had it not been for Pachinko, Sunja's sons would have never survived. Even the righteous Noa was compelled to take it up as his means of livelihood. And as the author has related, "history had failed them" so they had to detach themselves from history's favoritisms. In the end, Sunja and the people related to her couldn't be called fortunate though they did turn out to be so more than most of the Koreans. What do you call such a life with huge losses that can neither outshine your gains nor underwhelm their importance? Gambling. Perhaps, Pachinko.
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