Progress is impossible without change, those who cannot change their minds cannot progress. Set in North Korea at an unknown time, The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson follows Jun Do, an orphan who rebels against the Dear Leader. Johnson strategically shines the spotlights on the relationships that Jun Do has with other characters, essentially highlighting that inquisitive minds are the precursors to freedom.
Johnson places a microscope on how Jun Do interacts with other North Korean citizens, emphasizing the importance of curiosity. When Jun Do kills a leading North Korean official and steals his identity, nobody questions that a strange imposter is serving as a prominent government official. For most of the book, Jun Do assumes Commander Ga’s identity, yet other officials and citizens blindly follow the uniform even though the man in it is not the real Commander Ga. The citizen’s unquestioning obedience to authority underscores how they can never think for himself and therefore never progress. In essence, when Jun Do begins his roads to Damascus, he not only begins his crusade against the …show more content…
The king of torture vacillates from interrogating Jun Do for hours to sympathizing with his story. The interrogator is surprised with Jun Do’s story, how he was able to assume the identity of a high-ranking official and also finding love and joy in doing so. Listening to Jun Do’s remarkable story uncovers the veil of propaganda that blinded the interrogator. Being inquisitive allows question his very existence and realizes that he is a pawn controlled the North Korean regime. The interrogator uses his newfound knowledge to cross the Rubicon into freedom where he is no longer an integrator, but a man writing his own story. The power of curiosity frees the people by helping individuals unlock their own
Johnson places a microscope on how Jun Do interacts with other North Korean citizens, emphasizing the importance of curiosity. When Jun Do kills a leading North Korean official and steals his identity, nobody questions that a strange imposter is serving as a prominent government official. For most of the book, Jun Do assumes Commander Ga’s identity, yet other officials and citizens blindly follow the uniform even though the man in it is not the real Commander Ga. The citizen’s unquestioning obedience to authority underscores how they can never think for himself and therefore never progress. In essence, when Jun Do begins his roads to Damascus, he not only begins his crusade against the …show more content…
The king of torture vacillates from interrogating Jun Do for hours to sympathizing with his story. The interrogator is surprised with Jun Do’s story, how he was able to assume the identity of a high-ranking official and also finding love and joy in doing so. Listening to Jun Do’s remarkable story uncovers the veil of propaganda that blinded the interrogator. Being inquisitive allows question his very existence and realizes that he is a pawn controlled the North Korean regime. The interrogator uses his newfound knowledge to cross the Rubicon into freedom where he is no longer an integrator, but a man writing his own story. The power of curiosity frees the people by helping individuals unlock their own