Flashlight

The novel posits that familial alienation and feelings of otherness begin in childhood. Serk registers his loneliness as the only member of his family of origin who enjoys the state of his life during the war. Because he is still a child, he has no frame of reference for his Communist-leaning parents’ discontent with the Japanese government or for their growing desire to return to their homeland. When they express their intent to migrate to North Korea, Serk makes an impassioned plea for them to remain in a country that offers opportunities despite facing poor treatment as second-class citizens. His choice to stay in Japan even when his parents depart represents both his alienation from his parents and his hope for their return. Similarly, Louisa inherits her parents’ loneliness by being the only witness to their secrets, as Serk introduces Louisa to his sister and Anne to her first son, each without explaining that these are Louisa’s relatives. Louisa’s lifelong feelings of fear, and her desire to assimilate and not be noticed, stem from the emotional instability of this kind of childhood.

The novel does not portray marriage as necessarily a salvation from loneliness. Anne and Serk begin as kindred spirits because she has also experienced loneliness growing up neglected in a large family.