Pachinko: Paradox 1 key example

Here, Pachinko draws an oblique, surprising comparison between the process of death and a state of animal-like freedom. In her mind, Yangjin’s thought of “leaving her body” draws an unexpected association with swift-running deer. The simile sets up a pair of stark contrasts, calling attention to the vast distances that separate her imagined and actual states. In reality, Yangjin’s muscles “have softened into jelly” and she can “hardly move at all.” But as she imagines her soul parting from her body, she runs “swiftly like a deer.” The novel’s odd pairing of bodily breakdown and freedom seemingly creates two separate impressions—it lightens the prospect of death in a way that also emphasizes the difficulties of survival. In a world filled with tragedies and hardships, this simile suggests that death may be the ultimate liberation and reprieve from life’s trials.