The Evolution of John Doe: Developing an Identity in North Korea

A study of the development of identity through

multiple perspectives

@Loudspeakers: Greetings, Citizens! A very exciting announcement: The Dear Leader is now on twitter! #AlwaysWatching

Haley Hopkins

Adam Johnson

• Born in South Dakota (July 12, 1967) and raised in Arizona• Married to writer Stephanie Harrell• Associate Professor of Creative Writing at

Stanford University• Only has two other works

• Emporium (A collection of short stories)• Parasties Like Us (A novel)

The Orphan Master’s Son

• Published in 2012• Won Pulitzer Prize• Follows Jun Do, the “son of a lost mother” and “influential father

who runs a work camp for orphans”• Jun Do is taken in by the North Korean government and is forced to

“work” for them• Takes on the role of Commander Ga, rival of Kim Jong Il, in an

attempt to save his true love, Sun Moon.• Four Perspectives:

• two third-person omniscient• an anonymous interrogator• loudspeakers that spew propaganda across North Korea daily

Why I Look Like a Daffodil: AP Open Question• Prompt: (1994) In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly,

or does not appear at all, is a significant presence. Choose a novel or play of literary merit and write an essay in which you show how such a character functions in the work.

• Second Mate’s Wife• First person/woman to show Jun Do love and compassion• Head vs. Heart• The significance of yellow

• Bedsheets: “He was on a pallet on the floor…under a yellow sheet” (91).• Dress: “She kneeled beside him…when he did open his eyes, he saw she was in a

yellow dress” (111)• Yellow equates to love and caring

Research Paper

• Thesis: Johnson’s use of multiple perspectives – each with their own unique writing style and purpose – ultimately allows for the formation of Jun Do’s eventual identity to be more clearly seen and understood.• Each perspective analyzed separately because:

• Different tone• Different writing style• Specific reasons for inclusion

Literary Criticism

• Almost entirely devoted to The Orphan Master’s Son• General characteristics of his writing, as noted by critics:

• Satirical• Quick and Witty• Blackly Comic• Full of ingenuity and bravado

First Perspective: Third-Person Omniscient• First “half” of the novel• Jun Do = John Doe• Follows Jun Do as he transfers from the orphanage to the North Korean government• Melancholy diction emphasizes Jun Do’s struggle: “We’re the ones at the bottom of

the ocean” (89).• Essential to understanding why Jun Do lacks an identity

• Gives background information on his life while revealing inner thoughts• Irony of the title

• “only a true father, flesh and bone, could burn a son with the smoking end of a coal shovel” (Johnson, 8).

• Jun Do convinces himself he has a family in an attempt to separate himself from the other orphans

Second Perspective: Third-Person Omniscient• Follows Commander Ga (whose identity Jun Do has

assumed) as he stands in opposition of Kim Jong Il • Tries to escape North Korea with Sun Moon• Includes the “real” dialogue between himself and Sun Moon

as well as inner thoughts: “You are my husband. And I am your wife. That means us” (307). • Dialogue is essential because new themes are brought to light and

expanded upon• Love and belonging• Need for Intimacy

Third Perspective: Anonymous Interrogator• First-Person• Purposes

• Comic relief• Reveals conversations between government officials

• “I made a mistake” (279).• Gives detailed descriptions of Jun Do’s condition: “His busted lips

looked pitiful, and his reddened ears were filling with fluid…” (183). • Showcases Jun Do’s poetic way of speaking: “I would’ve driven off

the bridge…to make that moment last forever, such was my love for Sun Moon, a woman who was so pure, she didn’t know what starving people looked like”(186).

Fourth Perspective: The Loudspeakers

• North Korean citizens must listen to these broadcasts daily• Essentially a giant source of propaganda: “Citizens, gather ‘round your

loudspeakers…” (218)• Comic Relief: “This month’s recipe contest is upon us…the winner will be

the citizen who submits the best recipe for: Celery Root Noodles!” (218)• The Dear Leader (Kim Jong Il) is endlessly praised• Manipulation

• The Dear Leader is made to seem kind: “No, no, banish the thought” (347).• Sun Moon and Commander Ga’s relationship is dramatized: ““An army of

hummingbirds hovered above them…dazzling them with the iridescent flash of their throats” (292).”

Research Paper: Conclusion

• Each perspective serves a specific purpose• Puzzle pieces that form the story of the formation of Jun

Do’s eventual identity• Johnson is able to fully tell the story of the evolution of Jun

Do, whose name is no longer synonymous with the anonymous.

“The Unknown Citizen” by W.H. Auden(To JS/07 M 378This Marble MonumentIs Erected by the State)He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to beOne against whom there was no official complaint,And all the reports on his conduct agreeThat, in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint,For in everything he did he served the Greater Community.Except for the War till the day he retiredHe worked in a factory and never got fired,But satisfied his employers, Fudge Motors Inc.Yet he wasn’t a scab or odd in his views,For his Union reports that he paid his dues,(Our report on his Union shows it was sound)And our Social Psychology workers foundThat he was popular with his mates and liked a drink.The Press are convinced that he bought a paper every dayAnd that his reactions to advertisements were normal in every way.

Policies taken out in his name prove that he was fully insured,And his Health-card shows he was once in hospital but left it cured.Both Producers Research and High-Grade Living declareHe was fully sensible to the advantages of the Instalment PlanAnd had everything necessary to the Modern Man,A phonograph, a radio, a car and a frigidaire.Our researchers into Public Opinion are content That he held the proper opinions for the time of year;When there was peace, he was for peace: when there was war, he went.He was married and added five children to the population,Which our Eugenist says was the right number for a parent of his generation.And our teachers report that he never interfered with their education.Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd:Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard

Analysis: “The Unknown Citizen”

• Prompt: Read the following poem carefully. Write an essay in which you discuss how the choice of detail, diction, and syntax are used to reveal the speaker's attitude to the subject.

• Thesis: By choosing not to incorporate elevated diction or specific details and writing the elegy in list format, Auden allows for the bureaucrat speaker to successfully imitate the mediocrity that is the Unknown Citizen, thereby revealing that he or she likely has little respect for the man and others like him.

• Average diction: “he liked a drink” (17) and his “reactions to advertisements were normal” (19)

• No specific details: dehumanizes the man; only statistics are known about him• Form: satiric elegy, written as a list of “accomplishments” such as holding

“proper opinions” (27)• Alludes to the “Unknown Soldier” memorials

Comparison/Contrast

• Both works• Are extremely satirical• Exhibit how different forms of government result in communities

with citizens who lack identities• Lack of identity leads to unhappiness

• The difference:• Jun Do forms an eventual identity• The Unknown Citizen cannot, as he has already died

Conclusion

• Multiple perspectives allow for more depth• Lack of identity as a result of the government• Growing up without an identity does equate to growing old

without an identity

Works Cited

• Allen, John Tyler. "The Orphan Master's Son, Adam Johnson." World Literature Today. 2012: n. page. Print. <http://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2012/september/orphan-masters-son-adam-johnson>.

• DeHart, Jonathan. "Pulitzer Prize Winner "The Orphan Master's Son" Peers into North Korea's Heart." Diplomat. 18 4 2013: n. page. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. <pulitzer-winner-the-orphan-masters-son-peers-into-north-koreas-heart>.

• Ignatius, David. "Book Review: 'The Orphan Master's Son'." . The Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/book-review-the-orphan-masters-son-by-david-ignatius/2012/01/02/gIQAIZWZmP_story.html>.

• Johnson, Adam. The Orphan Master's Son. New York: Random House, 2012. Print.• Kakutani, Michico. "A North Korean Soldier Finds His 'Casablanca'." New York Times. 12 1 2012: n. page. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/books/the-orphan-masters-son-by-adam-johnson-review.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0>.• Krist, Gary. "If It's' Not One Thing, It's Another." New York Times. 24 8 2003: n. page. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/24/books/if-it-s-not-one-thing-it-s-another.html>.• Parsons, Cherilyn. "Kim Jong Un, This One's for You." . Truthdig, 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 1 Jan. 2014.

<http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/kim_jong_un_this_ones_for_you_20120203>.• Random House. "Reader's Guide: The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson." . Random House, 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 1 Jan. 2014.

<http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/rc/2013/05/20/readers-guide-the-orphan-masters-son-by-adam-johnson>.• Rogers, Joseph. "Emporium (02 Edition)." . Powells, 1 Jan. 2003. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. <http://www.powells.com/review/2003_04_05.html>.• Strassfield, Paul. "John Doe in North Korea." . Huffington Post, 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-

strassfield/john-doe-in-north-korea_b_3087913.html>.• Yoder, Anne. "Parasites Like Us by Adam Johnson." . PopMatters, 1 Jan. 2003. Web. 1 Jan. 2014.

<http://www.popmatters.com/review/parasites-like-us/>.