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Min
Master potter Min’s wife is an elderly woman living in the pottery village of Ch’ulp’o in 12th-century Korea. When Min takes on adolescent orphan Tree-ear as an unpaid employee, Min’s wife not only makes sure Tree-ear gets meals but secretly refills his bowl so that he has extra food to bring back to his homeless guardian, Crane-man. As winter approaches, she also gives Tree-ear a warm jacket and trousers that she originally made for her and Min’s son Hyung-gu, who died of fever when he was about Tree-ear’s age. After Tree-ear volunteers to carry some of Min’s pottery to the royal palace in Songdo, Min’s wife asks him to call her “Ajima,” a term of endearment roughly translating to “Auntie.” Crane-man dies while Tree-ear is carrying Min’s vases to Songdo, and so when Tree-ear returns, Min’s wife asks Tree-ear to come live with her and Min. She also asks him to accept a new name, Hyung-pil, which implies that Tree-ear is a kind of younger sibling to the dead Hyung-gu. Thus, Min’s wife effectively adopts Tree-ear.
Min’s Wife/Ajima Quotes in A Single Shard
The A Single Shard quotes below are all either spoken by Min’s Wife/Ajima or refer to Min’s Wife/Ajima. 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 3
Quotes
Tree-ear glanced up at her, and their eyes met. Hers were bright and soft, set in a small face netted with fine wrinkles. He dropped his gaze at once, not wishing to be considered impolite. Like Crane-man’s eyes, he thought, and wondered why.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“Eat well, work well,” she said.
Chapter 4
Quotes
I’m not really deceiving anyone, he argued to himself. And I haven’t asked for more food—it should make no difference to her which bowl . . .
Chapter 5
Quotes
“Our son, Hyung-gu, died of fever when he was about your age,” she said. “These clothes I made for him, but they were never worn.”
Chapter 8
Quotes
Tree-ear’s eyes filled with tears. He bent to pick up another piece of laundry. Ajima meant something like “Auntie”; it was a term of great affection, reserved only for older kinswomen. Tree-ear was kin to no one, and yet Min’s wife wished for him to call her Ajima.
The potter’s voice was low, but shook with the effort of control. “The potter’s trade goes from father to son. I had a son once. My son, Hyung-gu. He is gone now. It is him I would have taught. You—”
Tree-ear saw the potter’s eyes, fierce with grief and rage. Min choked out the last words: “You are not my son.”
Chapter 9
Quotes
“Because he is proud, Tree-ear,” she said. “He does not wish to be fed out of pity.”
Tree-ear kicked a small stone at his feet. Why was it that pride and foolishness were so often close companions?
Chapter 13
Quotes
“We would like to give you a new name. Would it be agreeable to you if we were to call you Hyung-pil from now on?”
Tree-ear ducked his head quickly, recalling that the son of Min had been called Hyung-gu. A name that shared a syllable! It was an honor bestowed on siblings. No longer would Tree-ear go by the name of an orphan.
Get the entire A Single Shard LitChart as a printable PDF.
Min’s Wife/Ajima Quotes in A Single Shard
The A Single Shard quotes below are all either spoken by Min’s Wife/Ajima or refer to Min’s Wife/Ajima. 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 3
Quotes
Tree-ear glanced up at her, and their eyes met. Hers were bright and soft, set in a small face netted with fine wrinkles. He dropped his gaze at once, not wishing to be considered impolite. Like Crane-man’s eyes, he thought, and wondered why.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“Eat well, work well,” she said.
Chapter 4
Quotes
I’m not really deceiving anyone, he argued to himself. And I haven’t asked for more food—it should make no difference to her which bowl . . .
Chapter 5
Quotes
“Our son, Hyung-gu, died of fever when he was about your age,” she said. “These clothes I made for him, but they were never worn.”
Chapter 8
Quotes
Tree-ear’s eyes filled with tears. He bent to pick up another piece of laundry. Ajima meant something like “Auntie”; it was a term of great affection, reserved only for older kinswomen. Tree-ear was kin to no one, and yet Min’s wife wished for him to call her Ajima.
The potter’s voice was low, but shook with the effort of control. “The potter’s trade goes from father to son. I had a son once. My son, Hyung-gu. He is gone now. It is him I would have taught. You—”
Tree-ear saw the potter’s eyes, fierce with grief and rage. Min choked out the last words: “You are not my son.”
Chapter 9
Quotes
“Because he is proud, Tree-ear,” she said. “He does not wish to be fed out of pity.”
Tree-ear kicked a small stone at his feet. Why was it that pride and foolishness were so often close companions?
Chapter 13
Quotes
“We would like to give you a new name. Would it be agreeable to you if we were to call you Hyung-pil from now on?”
Tree-ear ducked his head quickly, recalling that the son of Min had been called Hyung-gu. A name that shared a syllable! It was an honor bestowed on siblings. No longer would Tree-ear go by the name of an orphan.
