Isak and Hansu

 So far in the novel, Hansu seems to be a manipulator, who is untrustworthy, as can be seen by the fact he did not tell Sunja about his marriage and other life, and by the fact his job as a fish broker has been tied to being an untrustworthy and evil person as he works with the colonial government. Also, he is over 30 years old trying to be with Sunja who is 16 years old. This also plays into my negative view of Hansu. Isak, on the other hand, seems like a kind, trustworthy person who always sticks with his morals. His goal of marrying Sunja was intended to simply help her despite all the social sacrifices he had to make in terms of social classes. For instance, Pastor Shin keeps telling Isak that marrying Sunja is a sacrifice and he essentially should not do it, but Isak sticks with it and does not even admit that he is sacrificing his social class because he believes it is the right thing to do and it is what God wants him to do. Isak, also, sticks with his religious beliefs even under the persecution of Christians in Japan. I think the main difference between the two is that Isak is a selfless person while Hansu is a selfish person. Hansu seems like someone who is fine with manipulating or lying to people to get what he wants, while Isak will help others and stick with his ideals even if he has to give something up.

Comments

  1. Andrew BautistaFebruary 27, 2023 at 11:59 PM

    Hi Paulos! I completely agree. I think Hansu cares for Sunja, but only does so to the degree she can benefit him. The fact that he abandoned her with his child after she denounces him shows that he puts himself above all else. He is also very manipulative and predatory.

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