Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile vehicles were at one time the ultimate luxury car in the country. They were luxury cars as status symbol of attaining certain levels of economic well-being. But for Uhmma, it is merely physical being of the Olds which is symbolic. Oldsmobile vehicles are also notable for their grandness in design and in comparison to the relative flimsiness of Japanese imports, they seem like tanks capable of protecting against almost every kind of accident possible. Thus, Oldsmobiles represent protection and security.
Mi Gook
The defining symbol of the novel is “Mi Gook.” This is the Korean word that is used to describe America. And America, in Young Ju’s understanding, is literally heaven. This literal misinterpretation is understood to be symbolic to the rest of the family. It is through mythic tales and legendary stories heard about America that the country is understood symbolically as being close to heaven
Hair
The difference between straight hair and curly hair is defined as the symbolic divergence between Asia and America. Young Ju is driven nearly to tears by the process of styling her hair so that it is no longer straight, but full of body. When she first sees herself in the mirror sporting the results, she barely recognizes the girl with the big poofy hair. This is symbolic foreshadowing of the effects of assimilation into American culture.
Ocean Waves
The story opens with the imagery of Young Ju being taught to overcome fear of the ocean water with an unidentified adult holding onto her and teaching how to rise up and down with the waves. Only much later in the book is it revealed that the adult was her father. This allows the opening scene to situate learning how to navigate the onrushing waves as not just a symbol of overcoming fear, but also a symbol of paternal protection.
The Balloon
The balloon is one major element in a microcosmic chapter near the middle of the book. A trip to the fair nets two prizes for two children: the older Young Ju gets a stuffed elephant she doesn’t really want and her baby brother gets a balloon she desperately wants. In the car on the way home she uses every trick in the book to just to get her hand briefly on the balloon, including coercion beyond her philosophical intent: “What good is a balloon if you never let it go?” Small-time tragedy ensues when the balloon is lost not to the wind, but a pop; her brother now holds nothing but a “string with a broken egg yolk on the end.” Devious she may have been, but ultimately Young Ju is proven right: full enjoyment of the balloon is obstructed because the brother held on too long rather than letting it go. The symbolism is understated, but profound and applicable to all manner of things which is represents that people hold onto for too long rather than being appreciated and enjoyed as intended.
