Please Look After Mother by Kyung-sook Shin

Please Look After Mother

 This book was originally written in Korean by popular author, Kyung-sook Shin. When this book first came out, it became best-seller for a year (or even more than that) and still this book recognized as her master piece. I didn't read the Korean book yet, but I can sure that translation was good enough. Although English couldn't express certain dialect of Korean, but I think the translation is successful. (It's quiet interesting to compare original one and translated one)

1. The book is about finding missing mother in different perspective. The point of views are keep changing; first daughter to first son (older brother), husband, and finally mother herself as a bird. The interesting thing is, it is written in your view, means narrator describes the scenes and "you"(reader) became the daughter, son, husband, and mother. I like the kind of books that using the change of perspective, and it is not usual. I didn't know this book was like this, and it was so glad to meet the second chapter as in son's view.
 Different narrators show the reader various aspects or descriptions in one story. Sometimes it comes annoying or messy, but if author have ability to handle this, the story become more interesting and plentiful. And I'm sure Shin is one of the few authors who can use the change of view in perfect place for perfect time.

2. Mother. In Korea, mothers used to be very dedicated to family before because of the  patriarchal aspects. Well, not only in Korea but also in most of other cultures, mother is the one who always look for the sake of family. They feed their kids and husband, raise and teach the kids, do the house works, some of them even have their own job. I can feel mother's touch everywhere in my house, clothes, bed, or kitchen.
 However, since mother become to recognize as a word of dedication and willingness, many people forget to thank for their mother these days. People accept mum's devotion as natural thing. I, myself, forget how much mum does for me and my family sometimes. But there are no certain rule or law that makes mum the one who do all the things for you. It is never allowed to say do your favour "because you are mum". It is so simple and obvious thing, but everybody forget this.
 I guess this is what Shin wanted to point out from this book. Mum has done everything behind your back, but you never notice it. Only after she disappeared, you feel the emptiness and everything is messed up.

3. Sometimes, not only mum, but people also forget the importance of lots of things that are always with them. And we never notice it before we lost it. Humans are so stupid and selfish sometimes.

4. Readers couldn't know what happen to mother until they reach the final chapter, the mother's point of view. Because she looks down her house and daughters, so we can guess she passed away, but I didn't expect that she became the bird. After she lived where she used to be, she came back anyway and tries to look after her families.
 In many literature, bird symbolizes the freedom. Maybe mum finally became free from her burden physically, but her mind is still remaining on the surface of the earth.

5. Mum, grandmother, grand-grand mother, and so on... Every mother is daughter of their mother at the same time being their daughter's mother. There is one popular phrase in Korea, "You can only understand your parents after you become them" I wish I can look after my mum now and think about her before she leaved me and I lost my chance.

It made you think, even Mother ... You don't understand why it took you so long to realize something so obvious. To you, Mother was always Mother. It never occurred to you that she had once taken her first step, or had once been three or twelve or twenty years old. Mother was Mother. She was born as Mother. (27)

When the train was about to leave, Mother's eyes would fill with tears, and she'd say, 'I'm sorry, Hyong-chol.' (116)

He realizes that Mother has lived her entire life believing that she was the one who held him back from his dream. I'm sorry, Mother, I didn't keep my promise (123)

'I feel that I have the right to use the money.' That wasn't the kind of thing your wife would say. It sounded like something from a television drama. Your wife would have practiced that sentence by herself for a few days, into the air (126)

Where are you? If your wife would just comeback, you would make not only seaweed soup but also pancakes for her. Are you punishing me? Water pools in your eyes (140)

Then you turn to look out the window. You see me sitting on the quince tree. Your eyes meet mine. You mumble, 'I've never seen that bird before.' (192)

Don't be sad for me. I was happy so man days of my life because I had you (204)

Mother doesn't smile. She doesn't cry. Did Mother know? That I, too, needed her my entire life? (235)

So why did we think of Mother as a mother from the very beginning? She didn't have the opportunity to pursue her dreams and, all by herself, faced everything the era dealt her, poverty and sadness, and she couldn't do anything about her very bad lot in life other than suffer through it and get beyond it and live her life to the very best of her ability, giving her body and her heart to it completely. Why did I never give a though to Mother's dream? (241)