American citizenship
Han is an American citizen which symbolizes something about his story. It shows that he has a blended perspective, having adopted ideas from his mother that he has continually tweaked through his skeptical point of view, and his identity feels properly individualized. His attachment to business is also part of this symbolism, and the citizenship seems to suggest more Western ideas than just these.
The religious mother
In the same story, "Son," Han is contrasted with his mother, who is deeply religious in her Christian faith, and who invites him into religious conversations in a way that allows him to think for himself. He is constantly surprised in this short story with her candor and openness—he has underestimated her, but ultimately, he must become honest with her. She is like an archetype that represents his journey toward peace.
Family and individualism
There is a motif signifying the dilemma between Eastern family honor codes and Western individual ethics. In America, it is not uncommon to hustle, to scheme, to try and earn a quick buck. But in the East, honor is more family-oriented. Personal success means something different to each character in the book. Besides "Son," there are more examples, like Sansan's relationship to Tu. She represents the desire toward family, and he represents the desires of personal gain.
The symbolism of incest
In "After a Life," the question of incest is raised as a literary device, signifying the wrongful romanticization of the family by other members of the family. The first cousins try to marry and start a family, but after their first child lives and dies with serious mental handicaps and cerebral palsy, they reach different conclusions about their relationship. These characters can be viewed as the opposite of health. Instead of using the family for comfort, they should use the family for emotional support. It is a symbol of broken family dynamics.
The motif of love as a currency
When the women are rejected in "After a Life," and in "Love in the Marketplace," the idea of gender norms comes into question. It seems some characters in these stories are in the nasty habit of treating women as objects to possess. They often take individualistic, capitalistic points of view, sometimes treating family as a resource to exploit. This is especially the case in the situation with the Fong family.
