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Trackpants
In Human Acts, the trackpants that Dong-ho and Jeong-dae wear symbolize the youthful innocence that was destroyed during the Gwangju massacre. Even for middle schoolers, both Dong-ho and Jeong-dae are small for their age…
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Candles
Throughout Han Kang’s novel Human Acts, candles symbolize the souls of the dead. Early on, when he is still working at the Provincial Office, Dong-ho implores Jin-su to get candles for all the…
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Pens and Ink
In Human Acts, author Han Kang presents language as a powerful tool of protest and resistance—so it is perhaps a surprise that in the novel, pens and ink are almost always associated with violence…
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