Religion vs Upbringing in Japan/Korea
Religion really stood out to me in this section, especially in Isak's storyline, but also in Noa's.
A quote that I especially wanted to talk about was on page 176 when Lee writes, "The big secret that [Noa] kept from his mother, aunt, and even his beloved uncle was that Noa did not believe in God anymore" (Lee 176).
I think there is a lot to consider here, but with specific reference to the blog post, I wonder if being raised in Japan has anything to do with Noa's difference in faith. In Korea, Sunja was not raised to believe in God, but did not seem to be against it, and had little difficulty "converting" or at least convincing everyone that she wanted to be a part of the church. Being raised in a very religious family on his dad's side, with Isak and Yoseb both being active members of the Christian faith, it would be assumed that Noa would also be Christian. However, there are many factors in his life outside of being raised in his Korean household.
It was discussed briefly in class, but Japan at the time required praising of the Emperor I believe. I wonder if this, in part, contributed to Noa's lack of faith. If he is being told different things from all different directions, it is interesting to see which way he will lean.
Another interesting thing to add to this discussion is how later, I believe it is when Isak (or maybe Yoseb?) is very sick, he prays for their recovery. Despite saying earlier that he no longer believes in God, does he pray to Him since it is what his family values? What the person in suffering values? Did Noa have a change of heart?
I think there is a lot of discussion to be had about Noa and his faith, and I am interested to see what you guys think!
Hey Cassi, thanks for sharing. I think that the quote you included is super powerful and it's interesting to consider how Noa's upbringing may have caused this. Also, I remember mentions of praising the Emperor, so I, too, wonder how that has contributed to Noa's decision to not believe in God.
ReplyDeleteHey Cassi! I think you bring up an important distinction between acting Christian and actually believing in God. I wonder if the same dynamic applies to the Emperor-worship at the time, and am curious about what percentage of the worshippers and its enforcers actually believed that the Emperor was a deity and what percentage was just acting to save their own skin. In Noa's case, it almost seems like he exchanges the Christian God for 'worshipping' other 'gods' like Japanese culture, Yoseb, and his studies.
ReplyDeleteHey Cassi! That is an interesting observation and question. I would agree that those in Japan do not really embrace Christianity as much as the Koreans did. I personally think that part of the reason he doesn't believe in God anymore is because he doesn't think that it has helped him in any way. When he decides to pray for his father to be better, I think it might be because, the main reason he didn't believe in God anymore was because Isak had gone to prison and not come back no matter how hard he prayed. I believe that he might have hoped that maybe God could save Isak.
ReplyDeleteI also found Noa's name interesting because in the bible, Noah was the one who made the ark because God told him too. He was the one who saved his family and essentially was asked to start a new world. I wonder if Noa in Pachinko will have any resemblance to the biblical version or if perhaps he will go in the opposite direction?
Hi Cassi! Your reflection and observations are really insightful. I, too, noticed how Noa seemed to have a change in heart. Noa looks up to his father so much, as he is so well spoken and educated. I think that when Isak talked to him, Noa was encouraged to continue his studies in school, although the atmosphere was so terrible, considering the other children were so mean. I think seeing Isak's continued positivity and ability to care so deeply for others gave Noa more faith. Through this faith, I think he may have began to believe that maybe God was real.
ReplyDeleteI really like the quote you gave because Noa is almost opposite of Noah in the bible. Noah has incredible faith in God—while it did waiver at times, in the end he was willing to build an ark and be the foundation of a new generation of humanity. Noa in the other hand, is questioning god to the extent that there is no longer belief. I wonder to what extent he will come back to god, as Noah always did even when he questioned God.
ReplyDeleteHi Cassi, I also found Noa's faith really interesting. Even though he does so much to make his dad proud, he can't make himself originally trusting in a presence that seems to have abandoned him. I think it's important that Lee decided to put all of her characters on a religious spectrum so the reader can see how diasporas impact people's faith.
ReplyDeleteHey Cassi, it's fascinating to see how Noa's upbringing in Japan and the cultural influences surrounding him have affected his beliefs and values. It also raises interesting questions about the intersection of culture and religion and how they can shape an individual's worldview. It's also interesting to see how Noa's lack of faith may be seen as a deviation from his family's religious beliefs, and how this may impact his relationship with them.
ReplyDelete