Peter

Mahon
Dr. Ryan Shin
ART 150B2 Asian Visual Culture
24 May 2016
Lessons on Koreas History through The Calligraphers Daughter

Eugenia Kims novel The Calligraphers Daughter portrays the Japanese occupation

of Korea after the Korean emperors death in 1910. Through strict control of the
government, prohibiting the practice of five centuries of culture, conscripting men into its
military and stripping the country of its natural resources in order to maintain its war with
China, the Japanese almost destroyed the country. Korea did not gain its freedom until after
the Japanese surrendered in World War II; however, the changes on its society were
permanent.

Koreas education system saw reform during Japans occupation. Initially, the

Japanese allowed women to pursue higher degrees of education, something considered

unfathomable and prohibited under Confucianism. Eventually the Japanese replaced
Korean teachers with those from Japan, replaced traditional Korean and Chinese discourse
and grammar with their own, and eventually prohibited the teaching of Korean/Chinese
customs, courtesies, and language. In order to preserve their culture, Koreans hid their
precious materials from the Japanese soldiers who raided homes without warning and
forcibly removed anything distinctly Korean or Chinese. Items such as ceremonial clothing,
art, and language books were oftentimes buried in order to prevent its seizure.

Traditionally, Korean women were expected to be subservient to their husbands

and family. They were denied education in order to focus more on the ways of cooking,

cleaning, sewing, and self-control. As the economy collapsed during Japans war with China
and its participation in World War II, families had no choice but to allow women to break
from tradition and seek work outside of the home. Modern South Korean society continues
to resist female affluence in the work place, but it is seeing slow reform. This contrasts
American society and the roles women have in the work force, ranging from fire fighters to,
as of recently, the infantry.

Buddhism and Confucianism dictated the way men and women acted both in the

home and in public. Men, responsible for the welfare of the family, traditionally performed
the work while women tended to the home and the family. Gender roles were strictly
adhered to per Confucian customs. As the economy collapsed, the distinctions between
classes were removed. Every citizen became destitute from an economic depression.
Alongside women working, their children were allowed to marry within any class of family
in order to support their families and continue the bloodlines.

Korea is the only country in history to have Christian converts without the use of

missionaries. The religious shift occurred when scholars brought Chinese versions of the
Bible into the country and distributed translated copies. Modern and progressive Koreans
embraced Christianity, particularly the Methodist denomination, while the traditional and
typically older population held on to the old ways of Confucianism and Buddhism. This is
similar to modern American traditions being replaced by the carefree attitude of the
current generation. Weddings are a perfect example. The current generation of Americans
eschew the clothing formalities and church setting for outdoor events on farms, on the
beach, in casinos in Las Vegas, or any location they believe feels right and not what is
dictated by tradition.

In 1945, Japan was bombed by and surrendered to the United States, and its control

over Korea was removed. The US occupation, which continues today, allowed the Koreans
to renew the culture they had lost and rediscover their identity as a country. Korean
language and writing returned, art and culture flourished, and a democratic government
was established to allow the Koreans to represent and govern themselves as they saw fit.

A newspaper article declaring Japans surrender, a picture of a female wildland firefighter, a
photo from an untraditional wedding, a Bible to represent the spread of Christianity, and a
Chinese dictionary to represent its influence in Korea and serve as a symbol of the education
eventually denied to the Korean people.