Pachinko

Pachinko

by

Min Jin Lee

Baek Isak Character Analysis

Baek Isak, born in Pyongyang and the son of the founders of a church in North Korea, arrives at Yangjin’s boardinghouse in the winter of 1932, on his way to Osaka, Japan. He has always been sickly and is ill with tuberculosis when he arrives in Yeongdo; Yangjin and Sunja nurse him back to health. As a child, he hated being seen as an invalid and now wants to see the world. A humble, idealistic man strongly influenced by his activist brother Samoel, he also wants to make a difference somehow. When he learns of Sunja’s pregnancy and vulnerable position, he proposes marriage, wanting to help her by giving his name to her and her child. They move to Osaka after Pastor Shin marries them and live with Isak’s brother Yoseb and sister-in-law Kyunghee. Isak works as an associate pastor at the Hanguk Presbyterian Church but makes very little money. After sexton Hu is arrested for saying the Lord’s Prayer during a mandatory Shinto ceremony, Isak is sent to jail, too, where he refuses to recant his faith and is brutally mistreated for three years. He is released just in time to briefly reunite with Sunja and his sons and then die at home. Subsequent generations of Korean Christians revere Isak as a martyr, and Sunja and his sons faithfully visit his grave for decades thereafter.

Baek Isak Quotes in Pachinko

The Pachinko quotes below are all either spoken by Baek Isak or refer to Baek Isak. 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:
Survival and Family Theme Icon
).
Book 1, Chapter 8 Quotes

“The widow told me about her daughter only yesterday. And last night before my evening prayers, it occurred to me that this is what I can do for them: Give the woman and child my name. What is my name to me? It’s only a matter of grace that I was born a male who could enter my descendants in a family registry. If the young woman was abandoned by a scoundrel, it’s hardly her fault, and certainly, even if the man is not a bad person, the unborn child is innocent. Why should he suffer so? He would be ostracized. […] Maybe my life can be significant—not on a grand scale like my brother, but to a few people. Maybe I can help this young woman and her child. And they will be helping me, because I will have a family of my own—a great blessing no matter how you look at it.”

Related Characters: Baek Isak (speaker), Sunja Baek, Pastor Shin
Page Number: 65
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Chapter 13 Quotes

Isak’s silence worried Yoseb.

“The military police will harass you until you give up or die,” Yoseb said. “And your health, Isak. You have to be careful not to get sick again. I’ve seen men arrested here. It’s not like back home. The judges here are Japanese. The police are Japanese. The laws aren’t clear. And you can’t always trust the Koreans in these independence groups. There are spies who work both sides. The poetry discussion groups have spies, and there are spies in churches, too. Eventually, each activist is picked off like ripe fruit from the same stupid tree. They’ll force you to sign a confession. Do you understand?”

Related Characters: Yoseb Baek (speaker), Baek Isak
Page Number: 106
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 1 Quotes

“The police arrested them this morning—when everyone went to the Shinto shrine to bow, one of the village leaders noticed Hu mouthing the words of the Lord’s Prayer when they were supposed to be pledging allegiance to the Emperor. The police officer who was supervising questioned Hu, and Hu told him that this ceremony was idol worshipping and he wouldn’t do it anymore. Pastor Yoo tried to tell the police that the boy was misinformed, and that lie didn’t mean anything by it, but Hu refused to agree with Pastor Yoo. Pastor Baek tried to explain, too, but Hu said he was willing to walk into the furnace. Just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! Do you know that story?”

Related Characters: Baek Isak, Yoseb Baek, Pastor Yoo, Hu
Page Number: 151
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 5 Quotes

“What else can we do but persevere, my child? We’re meant to increase our talents. The thing that would make your appa happy is if you do as well as you’ve been doing. Wherever you go, you represent our family, and you must be an excellent person—at school, in town, and in the world. No matter what anyone says. Or does,” Isak said, then paused to cough. He knew it must be taxing for the child to go to a Japanese school. “You must be a diligent person with a humble heart. Have compassion for everyone. Even your enemies. Do you understand that, Noa? Men may be unfair, but the Lord is fair. You’ll see. You will,” Isak said, his exhausted voice tapering off.

“Yes, appa.” Hoshii-sensei had told him that he had a duty to Koreans, too; one day, he would serve his community and make Koreans good children of the benevolent Emperor.

Related Characters: Baek Isak (speaker), Noa Baek (speaker)
Page Number: 192
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 6 Quotes

“How did I know that you needed work? How did I know where Noa goes to school, that his math teacher is a Korean who pretends to be Japanese, that your husband died because he didn’t get out of prison in time, and that you’re alone in this world. How did I know how to keep my family safe? It’s my job to know what others don’t. How did you know to make kimchi and sell it on a street corner to earn money? You knew because you wanted to live. I want to live, too, and if I want to live, I have to know things others don’t. Now, I’m telling you something valuable. I’m telling you something so you can save your sons’ lives. Don’t waste this information. The world can go to hell, but you need to protect your sons.”

Related Characters: Koh Hansu (speaker), Sunja Baek, Baek Isak, Noa Baek
Page Number: 199
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 17 Quotes

Mozasu couldn’t imagine being so quiet all the time; he would miss the bustle of the pachinko parlor. He loved all the moving pieces of his large, noisy business. His Presbyterian minister father had believed in a divine design, and Mozasu believed that life was like this game where the player could adjust the dials yet also expect the uncertainty of factors he couldn’t control. He understood why his customers wanted to play something that looked fixed but which also left room for randomness and hope.

Related Characters: Baek Isak, Mozasu Baek, Yumi
Related Symbols: Pachinko
Page Number: 292
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 19 Quotes

“Yakuza are the filthiest people in Japan. They are thugs; they are common criminals. They frighten shopkeepers; they sell drugs; they control prostitution; and they hurt innocent people. All the worst Koreans are members of these gangs. I took money for my education from a yakuza, and you thought this was acceptable? I will never be able to wash this dirt from my name. You can’t be very bright,” he said. “How can you make something clean from something dirty? And now, you have made me dirty,” Noa said quietly, as if he was learning this as he was saying it to her. “All my life, I have had Japanese telling me that my blood is Korean— that Koreans are angry, violent, cunning, and deceitful criminals. All my life, I had to endure this. I tried to be as honest and humble as Baek Isak was; I never raised my voice. But this blood, my blood is Korean, and now I learn that my blood is yakuza blood. I can never change this, no matter what I do. It would have been better if I were never born. How could you have ruined my life? How could you be so imprudent? A foolish mother and a criminal father. I am cursed.”

Related Characters: Noa Baek (speaker), Sunja Baek, Koh Hansu, Baek Isak
Page Number: 311
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Pachinko LitChart as a printable PDF.
Pachinko PDF

Baek Isak Quotes in Pachinko

The Pachinko quotes below are all either spoken by Baek Isak or refer to Baek Isak. 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:
Survival and Family Theme Icon
).
Book 1, Chapter 8 Quotes

“The widow told me about her daughter only yesterday. And last night before my evening prayers, it occurred to me that this is what I can do for them: Give the woman and child my name. What is my name to me? It’s only a matter of grace that I was born a male who could enter my descendants in a family registry. If the young woman was abandoned by a scoundrel, it’s hardly her fault, and certainly, even if the man is not a bad person, the unborn child is innocent. Why should he suffer so? He would be ostracized. […] Maybe my life can be significant—not on a grand scale like my brother, but to a few people. Maybe I can help this young woman and her child. And they will be helping me, because I will have a family of my own—a great blessing no matter how you look at it.”

Related Characters: Baek Isak (speaker), Sunja Baek, Pastor Shin
Page Number: 65
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Chapter 13 Quotes

Isak’s silence worried Yoseb.

“The military police will harass you until you give up or die,” Yoseb said. “And your health, Isak. You have to be careful not to get sick again. I’ve seen men arrested here. It’s not like back home. The judges here are Japanese. The police are Japanese. The laws aren’t clear. And you can’t always trust the Koreans in these independence groups. There are spies who work both sides. The poetry discussion groups have spies, and there are spies in churches, too. Eventually, each activist is picked off like ripe fruit from the same stupid tree. They’ll force you to sign a confession. Do you understand?”

Related Characters: Yoseb Baek (speaker), Baek Isak
Page Number: 106
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 1 Quotes

“The police arrested them this morning—when everyone went to the Shinto shrine to bow, one of the village leaders noticed Hu mouthing the words of the Lord’s Prayer when they were supposed to be pledging allegiance to the Emperor. The police officer who was supervising questioned Hu, and Hu told him that this ceremony was idol worshipping and he wouldn’t do it anymore. Pastor Yoo tried to tell the police that the boy was misinformed, and that lie didn’t mean anything by it, but Hu refused to agree with Pastor Yoo. Pastor Baek tried to explain, too, but Hu said he was willing to walk into the furnace. Just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! Do you know that story?”

Related Characters: Baek Isak, Yoseb Baek, Pastor Yoo, Hu
Page Number: 151
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 5 Quotes

“What else can we do but persevere, my child? We’re meant to increase our talents. The thing that would make your appa happy is if you do as well as you’ve been doing. Wherever you go, you represent our family, and you must be an excellent person—at school, in town, and in the world. No matter what anyone says. Or does,” Isak said, then paused to cough. He knew it must be taxing for the child to go to a Japanese school. “You must be a diligent person with a humble heart. Have compassion for everyone. Even your enemies. Do you understand that, Noa? Men may be unfair, but the Lord is fair. You’ll see. You will,” Isak said, his exhausted voice tapering off.

“Yes, appa.” Hoshii-sensei had told him that he had a duty to Koreans, too; one day, he would serve his community and make Koreans good children of the benevolent Emperor.

Related Characters: Baek Isak (speaker), Noa Baek (speaker)
Page Number: 192
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 6 Quotes

“How did I know that you needed work? How did I know where Noa goes to school, that his math teacher is a Korean who pretends to be Japanese, that your husband died because he didn’t get out of prison in time, and that you’re alone in this world. How did I know how to keep my family safe? It’s my job to know what others don’t. How did you know to make kimchi and sell it on a street corner to earn money? You knew because you wanted to live. I want to live, too, and if I want to live, I have to know things others don’t. Now, I’m telling you something valuable. I’m telling you something so you can save your sons’ lives. Don’t waste this information. The world can go to hell, but you need to protect your sons.”

Related Characters: Koh Hansu (speaker), Sunja Baek, Baek Isak, Noa Baek
Page Number: 199
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 17 Quotes

Mozasu couldn’t imagine being so quiet all the time; he would miss the bustle of the pachinko parlor. He loved all the moving pieces of his large, noisy business. His Presbyterian minister father had believed in a divine design, and Mozasu believed that life was like this game where the player could adjust the dials yet also expect the uncertainty of factors he couldn’t control. He understood why his customers wanted to play something that looked fixed but which also left room for randomness and hope.

Related Characters: Baek Isak, Mozasu Baek, Yumi
Related Symbols: Pachinko
Page Number: 292
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 19 Quotes

“Yakuza are the filthiest people in Japan. They are thugs; they are common criminals. They frighten shopkeepers; they sell drugs; they control prostitution; and they hurt innocent people. All the worst Koreans are members of these gangs. I took money for my education from a yakuza, and you thought this was acceptable? I will never be able to wash this dirt from my name. You can’t be very bright,” he said. “How can you make something clean from something dirty? And now, you have made me dirty,” Noa said quietly, as if he was learning this as he was saying it to her. “All my life, I have had Japanese telling me that my blood is Korean— that Koreans are angry, violent, cunning, and deceitful criminals. All my life, I had to endure this. I tried to be as honest and humble as Baek Isak was; I never raised my voice. But this blood, my blood is Korean, and now I learn that my blood is yakuza blood. I can never change this, no matter what I do. It would have been better if I were never born. How could you have ruined my life? How could you be so imprudent? A foolish mother and a criminal father. I am cursed.”

Related Characters: Noa Baek (speaker), Sunja Baek, Koh Hansu, Baek Isak
Page Number: 311
Explanation and Analysis: