I have chosen to write the blog post about something I am actually quite unknowledgeable about. This is the biblical references we've observed in Pachinko thus far. While reading the novel, I noticed that some of the names sounded similar to Western names, for example Yoseb and Joseph. However, considering I don't know much about the Bible at all, I didn't have the tools necessary to recognize that Lee was drawing connections between her characters and individuals in the Bible. So, I found it really interesting when we dove into this in class. This was a learning moment for me where I felt really out of my depth, but it was a really cool opportunity to learn from my classmates and Michelle. I enjoyed reading classmates' blog posts last week to learn more about the Biblical references. I guess this blog post isn't super analytical, but I'm taking it as a chance to share that I was introduced to a concept I was really unfamiliar with. That being said, I'm having fun drawing connections between the characters and their references in the Bible and the themes/common personality traits that my classmates shared in their blog posts!
Hey, Audrey! I think that there are plenty of biblical references that add a lot of context! Noa (Noah) has to shoulder the burden of his family and their race (in his mind, at least), much like Noah had to make the ark and carry humanity's sin. Isak (Isaac) is a lot like his biblical counterpart. Isaac's father, Abraham, was told to sacrifice his son to God. Abraham agrees, but before he does it, God sends an angel to stop him, as he was only testing Abraham. Isaac represents sacrifice, much like the selflessness Isak embodies. These references add a lot to the story!
ReplyDeleteHey Audrey! That's really cool! It's always great to learn new things, especially when it's something you weren't familiar with before. It sounds like the class discussions and blog posts were helpful in understanding the biblical references in Pachinko.
ReplyDeleteHi Audrey! I totally had a similar experience. I think when we watched the interview with Lee, and she mentioned that she read the Bible everyday, I knew that it would somehow be important in her work. However, not really understanding the references myself, the insights from Michelle and our classmates were really helpful! It makes me wonder how many other references there are to dive into that I don't even notice when I read!
ReplyDeleteHey Audrey, I never grew up reading the bible or going to church, although I have taken a few classes about the Christian religion, and I am embarrassed to say I had no idea about the connections with the names and figures in the bible until Michelle mentioned it in a blog post topic. However, like you, after doing some research and reading my classmates' posts, I have become more aware of the biblical roles and the ways that the namesake characters act with or in contrast to the biblical characters with similar names.
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