Under The Black Umbrella Summary

Consistent with Japanese propaganda the nationalist leaders held belief that Japan was “the leader, protector and light of Asia”. However, this perception of liberation from colonial rule was a façade as the civilians of occupied nations experienced harsher treatment under the Japanese than they did under the colonial authorities.

1984 demonstrates a dystopian society in Oceania by presenting a relentless dictator, Big Brother, who uses his power to control the minds of his people and to ensure that his power never exhausts. Aspects of 1984 are evidently established in components of society in North Korea. With both of these society’s under a dictator’s rule, there are many similarities that are distinguished between the two. Orwell’s 1984 becomes parallel to the world of dystopia in North Korea by illustrating a nation that remains isolated under an almighty ruler.

The book Black Hearts opened my eyes to how leadership from a single Officer can have a grappling effect on such a wide range of soldiers from the lowest of ranks. One of the best takeaways from Black Hearts is to never do anything: illegal, unethical, or immoral. Although this is a easy statement to repeat, Black Hearts demonstrates the difficulties that lie behind these words. It has also painted a picture of how leadership can topple extremely quickly from a top down view. The Army is portrayed in a bad light throughout the book relentlessly. This is due to the concentration of poor leadership of the 1-502nd Regiment (Referred to as “First Strike”), a battalion of the 101st Airborne Division.

As a result of the regimes isolationist policy the people of North Korea suffered greatly in both mental and physical health. The hold the state had over the beliefs of the citizens presented in “Nothing to Envy”, varied from absolute belief to uncomfortable awareness. The reader is presented often with Mrs. Song’s dedication to the regime, and Kim Il-sung himself. A mother of four she was often gone from home, working and attending ideological training sessions. “Fridays she stayed especially late for self-criticism. In these sessions members of her work unit- the department to which she was assigned- would reveal to the group anything they had done wrong—Mrs. Song would usually say, in all sincerity, that she feared she wasn’t working hard enough” (Pg. 43).When Kim Il-sung died, she

When the Koreans are forced to change their family names to Japanese ones, their Korean identity is weakened. Going through this traumatizing experience is

In “The White Umbrella”, author Gish Jen illustrates the life of a Chinese family living in America, where they don’t fit in. The narrator, a girl who is embarrassed by the fact that her mom works, tries hard to keep it a secret and doesn’t realize how much she needs her until she might be dead. This short story teaches the lesson that you should appreciate the things that already make you happy and not get distracted by what you think will make you happy. Throughout the story, the author shows this theme by the character’s actions, repeating important symbolism, and in the turning point of the story.

Lost Names: Scenes From A Korean Boyhood by Richard E. Kim is an autobiographical fictionalization of the author’s youth in Japanese occupied Manchuria. Though not a traditional autobiography, the author tells his own story through the eyes of a nameless young man. The story takes place between 1932 and 1945. The young man grows and changes from the start of the novel to the end and meditates on the nature of war, family, duty and education among other things. However, the most important aspect of the novel is the way in which it portrays the Japanese occupation and the state of the main character’s family as a result of it.

As the civil war is considered as the second American Revolution for most history majors, it stands that there were many people who stood up for black rights and equality, however not all the efforts had immediate results. One of the civil right activist was W.E.B. Du Bois, a sociologist and co-founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), whose book, The Souls of Black Folk, was a progressive compilation of essays that reveals the problem of racial segregation in the United States after the abolition of slavery. Du Bois discusses the effects of civil right activists that fought for equality, such as Abraham Lincoln and Brooker T. Washington. Although he congratulates them on their efforts and changes that they accomplished, he condemns them for not seen the bigger picture, which leads blacks to struggle in the new system created by the emancipation proclamation. In his book, Du Bois attempts to explain the

During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy’s “human resources were stretched thin,” forcing the Japanese government officials to turn towards Korea for extra manpower. In 1942, the government-general of Korea (GGK) announced that twenty-year-old Korean men would be conscripted into the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy. To promote Korean acceptance of conscription, the Japanese encouraged assimilation of Koreans into Japanese culture and society. This included learning Japanese and taking on a Japanese name. The attempts at assimilation and the draft left Koreans wondering whether they would become full citizens or “remain second rate subjects” after the war. Even Korean soldiers, who were supposedly equal to Japanese soldiers, were left wondering about their position in Japanese society. Through an analysis of Kasayama Yoshikichi’s recount of “The Korean Guard,” this paper argues that Kasayama reveals the nature of Korean conscription in the Japanese Army. In doing so, this paper shows how Korean soldiers were forced to comply to Japanese official orders, otherwise they would be punished; although, some Korean soldiers resisted towards the end of the war.

This passage from “My Innocent Uncle” written by Chae Manshik reveals to readers how the author viewed Japanese colonialism in Korea. First of all, “I” keeps using the word “scotchalism” through the story while his uncle always uses the word “socialism.” The author tells readers that “I” is half-educated unlike his well-educated uncle. “I” thinks that his uncle ought to make money and “scotchalism” is his worst enemy. However, according to “I,” scotchalism not only affects his uncle, but also "every Yi, Kim, and Pak of ‘en.” The author uses Japanese names in the story repeatedly, yet readers can find Korean names only in this passage. He even avoids the character “I”'s name intentionally. This would imply that Japan made Koreans abandon their

Jun-sang was one of the interviewed defectors and was the son of two relatively wealthy Japanese parents, which leads to an issue of equality in terms of class. In an attempt for North Korea to be the “true” Korea, they tried to remove any foreign influence. As a result, there was a lot of hatred against Japanese collaborators. Japanese Koreans that were prominent in society were purged, which perhaps meant being sent to the gulag (Demick 35). As a result, Jun-sang’s family is already at a disadvantage socially as they are forced to remain in the lower class to

In his work “Right to Kill, Right to Make Live” Takashi Fujitani compares and contrasts the Japanese treatment of colonialized Koreans leading up to World War II with the American treatment of the Japanese residents following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This work highlights how both the Japanese and the Americans treated the Koreans and Japanese Americans, respectively, and offers several different viewpoints. Thus, this work is exceptionally important and provides incredible insight into both cultures and the harsh reality of wartime. Additionally, Fujitani also explains how the Korean and Japanese populations are still influenced today.

In the year 1716, the United States of America approved the Declaration of Independence, and officially announced the separation of 13 colonies from the absolute tyranny of the King of Great Britain. About a decade and a half later, in 1919, Korea presented the world with its Declaration of Independence, to announce its separation from the occupation of the Japanese Empire. Though both are articles designated to promulgate a nation’s decision to free itself from its oppressors, the two Declarations differ from each other in a surprising number of ways. These contrasts -- which include the focus of each declaration, the scope of the two articles, and the very style and form of the texts --

The novel, Darkness at Noon, clearly references Stalin’s purges and the show trials that occurred during the late 1930s. Although not explicitly mentioned, it is clear that this is what the novel is truly about. By reading the book, one can gain a further understanding of the time period. The novel, Darkness at Noon, can contribute to a further understanding of the 30s in the Soviet Union through its themes of old vs. new and the use of historical fiction.

In spite of Korea's rich history of ancient and traditional martial arts, Korean martial arts faded into obscurity during the Joseon Dynasty. Korean society became highly centralized under Korean Confucianism and martial arts were poorly regarded in a society whose ideals were epitomized by its scholar-kings.[5] Formal practices of traditional martial arts such as subak and taekkyeon were reserved for sanctioned military uses. Civilian practice of taekkyeon, however, persisted into the 20th century.[4]During the Japanese occupation of Korea, all facets of Korean identity, including folk culture, language and history, were banned in an attempt to eradicate Korean culture and identity.[6] Koreans were forced to adopt Japanese names and worship at Shinto shrines; Korean-language newspapers and magazines were banned; and during the war, hundreds of thousands of Koreans were forced into service to support Japanese war efforts.[7] The Japanese efforts ranged from damaging alterations to monuments of Korean conquests/achievements to