The novel Lost Names, by Richard E. Kim is classified as a biography, although the author himself notes at the end of the book that it is neither a work of fiction or non-fiction, but merely a blending of real people and real stories. The 40th edition of the book begins with a preface, a speech the author gave in Switzerland in 1987. In this speech, the author discussed the trials of becoming a Korean writer and the challenges of coming to terms with one’s past. The novel then unfolds with a scene on a train from Korea to Manchuria, when the narrator of the novel is just a baby, telling the story from an omniscient point of view. It is at this time we learn about the determination of the baby’s parents—how his father is a strong Korean influence politically against the Japanese, and how his mother staunchly supports the father and refuses to collapse with fear. The strength of the boy’s parents in the opening chapter sets the tone for the entire novel. The novel’s seven chapters cover seven poignant moments throughout this boy’s life and the Japanese occupation of Korea—the family’s crossing into Manchuria from Korea by crossing the frozen Tuman river, their return to Korea, the boy’s experiences attending a Japanese school in Korea, the loss of the Korean family names and the sorrow incurred as a result, the politics of collecting rubber for the Japanese war effort, and finally, Japan’s surrender to the Americans in 1945.
As a middle school teacher, I feel this novel is better suited for high school students but I think it can be successfully used in the middle school classroom with careful planning and thoughtful discussions to help the students understand the narrator’s perspective. There are several scenes in the novel that deal with death and are violent, and those will need to be dealt with sensitively at the middle school level. I would use this book in my classroom as a novel to be read and discussed by the entire Language Arts class, or, preferably, as one of the selections students could choose to read when we engage in “book clubs”. Select excerpts of the novel could also be read aloud to students and used to facilitate powerful class discussions and writing prompts. Regardless of the format in which the novel is read, there are several parts of the book that I found to be of value for analysis, discussion, and reflection both orally and in writing.
In the first chapter, on p. 20 and 21, the boy and his mother have a discussion about “crossing the river” and how it was rife with challenges. In their discussion, it becomes obvious that while the family literally crossed the river at one point, it is a metaphor for other struggles the family has endured. Students could respond to this metaphor in a Socratic seminar, address it in journal writing, or in a personal narrative. At the end of chapter two, there are two deaths that occur in different ways—one, the accidental drowning of the narrator’s classmate, and the other, the Russian murder of the narrator’s former Korean teacher. Depending on the maturity of the students, the circumstances surrounding these tragic events could be compared and contrasted, or the “why?” aspect of each situation discussed. Many of our students have lost loved ones in tragic ways and thus this topic must be broached with sensitivity.
Throughout the book, the narrator sometimes flashes forward with the information he presents. For example, he will share a memory in which he was left wondering what would happen. Before his story is finished, he will “flash forward” and tell the reader what ultimately happens. For example, in chapter three, the narrator quotes his teacher as saying, “Sometimes I don’t know what’s going on in the world.” Then, in the next paragraph, the narrator says, “A week later…” and proceeds to explain Germany’s invasion of Poland and other events going on in the world at the time--after this paragraph, the narrator goes back to his regular story telling. I’d like to use this excerpt from the text with students in their personal narrative writing. Students can think of a moment in their lives when they pondered the outcome of a situation, flash forward to the actual result, and then complete their story. This is a technique that will take practice for middle school students to master, but it blends many different writing elements, such as voice, tone, and composition into one task.
The fourth chapter, titled “Lost Names” covers the profound feelings of shame and loss the Koreans endured when giving up their Korean family names for Japanese names. The entire chapter unfolds in the midst of a huge blizzard. Students can draw literary correlations between the weather in the chapter and the situation the Koreans faced—bitterly cold, both literally and figuratively. This is a chapter all students need to read and ponder. For middle school students, the concept of losing a name may not matter so much to them, just as it doesn’t seem to concern the narrator himself as a young boy. In the chapter he is distressed due to the circumstances, but doesn’t seem to lament the loss of his name; rather he wonders why everyone is so upset when there is nothing that can be done to fix it. What could be done in a situation like this? What would have happened if the Koreans hadn’t changed their names? Why did the Koreans feel so ashamed? There are a multitude of questions that arise from this chapter to be addressed via Socratic seminar, general class discussion, or journal writing.
In chapter six, particularly on p.148, we see examples of Japanese that are serving their roles in Korea with a conscience; almost as if they knew what was happening in Korea was wrong. We also see the Japanese begin to fear the Koreans; the Japanese know that once Japan is defeated, they will be treated horribly by the Koreans and may not make it out of the country and back to Japan alive. What must that be like? Did any of these Japanese feel guilty? Did they know they were wrong and just didn’t know what to do to make it right? Again, students will have the opportunity to respond to these prompts in a variety of ways.
Finally, in chapter seven, the liberation of Korea and the defeat of Japan by America is discussed. I had very strong feelings with this last chapter—pride that the Americans were able to free the Koreans and so many others from oppression, tears of joy for the Koreans, and also sadness for the Japanese who were now in fear for their own lives. On p. 163, the narrator is so overcome with vengeance and fear about the whereabouts of his father, he is in a rage, shouting about killing the Japanese. I had to wonder—would it be worth it? Does vengeance truly satisfy? The narrator’s father certainly doesn’t think so. Students can thoughtfully discuss and write essays in response to this question.
The ending of this novel also lends itself to considering current events—to this day, there is some level of animosity between South Korea and Japan. How could this ever be healed? How does a country heal itself from 36 years of oppression? I myself am not even 36 years old, and to measure that amount of time seems foreign to me. I wonder if middle school students have the capacity to imagine what so many years of challenges and hope can be like.
Whether students read this novel in its entirety or if they read and analyze specific excerpts, the powerful message within will be received. It is difficult to digest the horrible war crimes of the past and to try and learn from them for the future. However, it would be an injustice to ignore these events or sweep them under the rug. Students learn about the Holocaust, but very little is shared in school curricula about the oppression of other groups. It is important to understand how imperialist forces and dictatorships have influenced nearly every region of the world—and to understand that even our own country, the United States, was born from imperialism. The United States was born from a revolution, but why was Korea so susceptible to control and domination? Where is the line drawn between right and wrong? Every country must bear some burden of mistakes made in its past—for example, the United States has worked to atone for the existence of slavery, Germany has worked to atone for the Holocaust. One has to wonder, what does it feel like to be on the other side? What does it feel like to heal after such destruction has been caused? On the last page of the novel, the narrator’s father says to him, “It is your world now.” It is my hope that by reading this book, future generations will learn about the mistakes of the past and use this knowledge to create a better world for all of us.

Reference

Kim, R. E. (1998). Lost names. Berkeley: University of California Press.