Human Acts

Fire is a powerful motif that recurs throughout Human Acts, representing both the essence of human life and the destructive force of state violence. As Dong-ho wonders about the souls of the victims, he imagines them as a flame akin to that of candles: “There’s something bewitching about the bright orange glow at its heart, its heat evident to the eye” (18). He takes great care to place a candle at the head of each casket, which helps with the smell of the decaying bodies, but also honors the individuality of each soul.

Fire also symbolizes the powerful destructive force of the state. During the Gwangju Uprising, soldiers use flamethrowers against civilians, burning and destroying buildings as a means of control. When Eun-sook picks up a proof from the censor’s office, the pages have been so blotted with ink that at first, she thinks they’ve been burned. The burning of bodies is also a recurring image, as victims of violence are burned in mass graves. The motif of fire emphasizes the devastating, all-consuming nature of violence, both physical and emotional.

The photograph of dictator Chun Doo-Hwan is used as a motif to represent the brutal, repressive nature of the South Korean government during the Gwangju Uprising in 1980. Eun-sook sees one such photograph at the censor’s office and marvels at how his ordinary face masks the atrocities that have been committed in his name. Similarly, Dong-ho’s mother destroys a photograph of Chun Doo-Hwan after her arrest. The photograph serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed by the government and the military during the Gwangju Uprising, symbolizing the pain that the survivors of the uprising have had to endure. The photograph also represents the ongoing struggle for justice and accountability in South Korea, as many of the individuals responsible for the violence have yet to be held accountable.