The Year Of Impossible Goodbyes Character Analysis

In the memoir The Year of Impossible Goodbyes, Sookan changes from being dependent, frightened, and treated horrible, to being brave, independent, and strong. We see this when she is required to go to school for the Japanese, when the Americans don't come and the Russians invade, and when she and Inchun have to go to the South by themselves. At the beginning of the memoir when the Japanese have taken over Korea, Sookan manages to stay out of school for the first times they ask. Due to her tiny size she looks younger than she actually is. The Japanese soon require Sookan to go to school and this time she has no choice. She is extremely nervous and frightened of what things she'll have to do. Once Sookan knows Narita Sensei will be her teacher, she is even more terrified. She reacts by, "My eyes opened wide with
The choice was difficult, but in the end Sookan decides she and Inchun need to continue going to the South. "We walked, hand in hand, silently down the hill toward the rising sun. On so peaceful a morning, we were hopeful that something good would happen" (139). This quote shows how Sookan has become more independent and brave throughout the book and shows it when she's faced with tough decisions. Her strength has also grown because she physically and mentally was being pushed down, but she overcame it. An important part of The Year of Impossible Goodbyes memoir is how Sookan changes throughout the story. At the beginning she is treated terribly, intimidated, and reliant on others. She changes consequently of the war to becoming strong, courageous, and individualistic. We can experience these changes when Sookan attends Japanese school, the Russians invade, and when Sookan and Inchun adventure to the South. Sookan's life was affected by the war, but it caused her to change herself in a positive