Defining the Characters of “Three Generations”

Sue A. Hall, SHAPS, Korean Studies

Written by Yom Sang-seop (1897–1963), the novel, “Three Generations” was originally published as a serial in Korea’s Chōsen Ilbo newspaper in 1931, and is one of the few novels from the colonial period to be translated into English in its entirety.  The novel traces the story of Jo Deok-gi and his family living in the midst of Korea’s colonial period.  While other authors from the colonial period wrote more euphemistically, Yom uses naturalism, enabling the reader to better understand the realities of life under Japanese occupation.  It is often noted that the three generations in the novel represent the late Chōsen dynasty, the modernization and the colonial periods, in addition to these three eras this paper also draws connections to the minjung movement that received its start during the colonial period but is more frequently associated with the labor struggles of Korea’s period of rapid industrialization.  The paper also exposes the nuances in trying to historically define the characters’ identity as well as the difficulties in defining history.  History is written as an interpretation of the past, but these interpretations can change throughout the course of history, given the different perspectives people have along with any new archival information that is released or uncovered.  This new information may not drastically change the way history is interpreted but it may blur the image.