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The Royal Emissary/Emissary Kim
Kang is a master potter in the pottery village of Ch’ulp’o in 12th-century Korea. Though a less talented potter than elderly Min, Kang is more innovative: he comes up with a new technique, “inlay work,” that involves etching patterns into unfired pots and painting the incisions with colored clay. When a royal emissary, Emissary Kim, visits Ch’ulp’o to see whether any of the potters deserves a royal commission, Kim awards Kang a one-year commission in honor of his innovation—but ultimately prefers the slower, more careful, more talented work of master potter Min.
Kang Quotes in A Single Shard
The A Single Shard quotes below are all either spoken by Kang or refer to Kang. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 1
Quotes
“Work gives a man dignity; stealing takes it away,” he often said.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6
Quotes
“If a man is keeping an idea to himself, and that idea is taken by stealth or trickery—I say it is stealing. But once a man has revealed his idea to others, it is no longer his alone. It belongs to the world.”
[…]
An image floated out of the darkness into Tree-ear’s mind—that of himself with his eye pressed to the knothole of Kang’s shed.
Stealth.
He could not yet tell Min of Kang’s idea.
“The melon shape is common enough now—I see it often,” Kim said. Tree-ear could hardly breathe. Did this mean that the man did not care for the piece?
“And yet this work is unmistakable,” he continued.
Chapter 12
Quotes
“My master works slowly.”
The emissary nodded solemnly. “As well he should.”
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Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire A Single Shard LitChart as a printable PDF.
Kang Quotes in A Single Shard
The A Single Shard quotes below are all either spoken by Kang or refer to Kang. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 1
Quotes
“Work gives a man dignity; stealing takes it away,” he often said.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6
Quotes
“If a man is keeping an idea to himself, and that idea is taken by stealth or trickery—I say it is stealing. But once a man has revealed his idea to others, it is no longer his alone. It belongs to the world.”
[…]
An image floated out of the darkness into Tree-ear’s mind—that of himself with his eye pressed to the knothole of Kang’s shed.
Stealth.
He could not yet tell Min of Kang’s idea.
“The melon shape is common enough now—I see it often,” Kim said. Tree-ear could hardly breathe. Did this mean that the man did not care for the piece?
“And yet this work is unmistakable,” he continued.
Chapter 12
Quotes
“My master works slowly.”
The emissary nodded solemnly. “As well he should.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
