The Jealousy(The Potatoes)
Do you believe that the inner world of human being, for instance, morality, ethics, is apt to change because of surroundings or circumstances that the human has? There is one of the most famous Korean short story, "The Potatoes", which shows how a woman can be changed by her circumstances. This short story was written by Kim, Dong-In, one of the most well known modern ages writer, and he published this story on the monthly magazine, "The literary world of Chosun", January edition 1925. When the author wrote this story, his writings were classified into either a naturalism or romantic realism. This story, "The Potatoes", is a fine example of his short story based on naturalism. The strong pints of this story are well-described lower class life style of Korean in 1920's and the intensive effect of the story development. However, because the author too tried to emphasize the dark aspect of a human being who threw away her morality, he couldn't describe well about national indigence and the reason why the tragedy came from during Japanese imperialism era in Korea from 1909 to 1945. In this short story, we can see how inner world of human being can be effected by outer world of human being and the author implies that we better a
ware of the danger of bad circumstances because you also could face on the tragedy which the main character of this story had. One day she could get a job that she had to catch pine caterpillars, and she could get some small money with all day hard working. While she was working hard, she found some women who didn't work but got bigger money than she got. Soon after she found out how to make money without working, since the superintendent of the job called her to his private room. They had a deal that she could get money without working, but she gave him her body. After once she put herself into the lowest class, she became prostitute, and her life style and morality had been changed completely. She could became rich person as well as her morality became poor by selling her body to even beggars who lived in the slum area. After the winter, the spring came. Pok-nyo heard that the Chinese, Wang, would get marry to a young woman and he paid 100 won for the marriage. When she heard that first time, she tried to ignore it, but she couldn't help her jealous thinking. Finally, the night of Wang's marriage, she trespassed into his room with a sickle. During she was fighting with him, Wang snatched the sickle, and Pok-nyo was dead at Wang's hand. Three days later of the incident, Wang called Pok-nyo's husband and an herb-doctor, and Wang gave 30 won to Pok-nyo's husband, 20 won to the herb-doctor. Next morning, Pok-nyo was carried to a public cemetery with a death certificate for cerebral hemorrhage written by the doctor. This tragic ending makes us think why she had to do and what made her do that. If I were Pok-nyo, what could I do? We can see many people who did cruel crime nowadays. However, they were not cruel criminals since they came in to the world. Some peopl
Some common words found in the essay are:
North Korea, Chosun January, Chinese Wang, Unfortunately Pok-nyo's, , Kim Dong-In, short story, pok-nyo's husband, world human, aware danger bad, inner world human, danger bad circumstances, bad circumstances, aware danger, married widow, main character, lowest class, pok-nyo husband, steal potatoes,
Approximate Word count = 1212
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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