THE FIREKEEPER'S SON

Park, Linda Sue.  Ill. by Julie Downing.  The Firekeeper's Son.  New York:  Clarion Books, 2004.  ISBN 0-618-13337-2.


Plot Summary

Building a signal fire on top of the mountain was a honored duty passed from Sang-hee's grandfather to his father.  When his father is unable to light the nightly fire, Sang-hee must decide whether or not he will continue the tradition of lighting the fire to signal that all is well in the land.

  

Critical Analysis

Linda Sue Park explains in her notes that, although the characters in this story are fictional, the bonfire signaling system was a very complex system of communication used in Korea.  The fires were able to tell the king which of his eight provinces were in danger, the size of the enemy's forces, and how well-armed they were.  Park references the writings of a British traveler in Choson:  The Land of the Morning Calm, published in 1885, as mentioning the current use of signal fires in Korea.

Sang-hee and his family live in an "important" village in Korea, according to his father.  Sang-hee doesn't think there is anything special about his village.  They live in huts made of wood and mud with straw roofs.  Their village is nestled in a lush green valley surrounded by cloud-covered mountains on one side and the sea, lined with fishing boats, on the other.  The Firekeeper's Son takes place in early 19th century Korea.  The calm countryside is filled with the activity of people working in the fields or tending to their cows and chickens.  The only mode of transportation in the illustrations is the three boats along the shore.

The villagers are dressed in jeogoris, which are upper garments with 3/4 length sleeves.  There are no pockets, and a sash ties the garment together.  The males are dressed in bajis, which are loose-fitting pants.  The women are dressed in chimas, which are floor-length skirts.  The women's hair is completely covered with scarves tied around their heads.  The boys' hair is straight, black, and braided in the back.  Sang-hee's father wears a rice paddy hat, which covers most of his black hair, except for his braid hanging down his back.  The males appear to be wearing rain shoes but, because the women's shirts are so long, their shoes are not visible.  Park does not offer any Korean terms in her book.  The terms above were found in the following websites:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_Paddy_Hat, http://centuriespast.tumblr.com/post/18784298549/rain-shoes-19th-century-korean-art-collection, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanbok.

Sang-hee's father points out that their village sits next to the first mountain by the sea.  If the enemy tried to attack their part of Korea, Sang-hee's father would be the first one to see the enemy's ships approaching.  Although there has always been peace in the land during the time of Sang-hee's father and grandfather, the possibility of war was always on the horizon.  When Sang-hee's father lit the first signal fire each night, the signaler in the next village would see his fire and light the fire on the next mountain, the third one would do the same, and the fires would continue to be lit on every mountain so that the king would know that all was well in the land.  If, however, Sang-hee's father did not light his fire, which would signify that the enemy had been spotted, none of the other signalers would light their fires either, and the king would disperse his soldiers to come attack the enemy.  That's why Sang-hee's father said their village was very important.  Their signal fire was the first line of defense, and the lack thereof was the soldier's call to battle.

Sang-hee is pictured playing with small clay horses and soldiers, with twigs for swords.  How wonderful he thought it would be to see real soldiers, just once, so he could learn how to be a brave and strong sword-fighter like the tall soldiers he envisioned.  Julie Dowling's illustrations capture the wonder in Sang-hee's non-slanted brown eyes as he gazes into the fire and "sees" the soldiers fighting valiantly to protect his country.  The villagers are depicted having an olive complexion.  Dowling's background colors are primarily green, brown, blue, and yellow in her watercolor and pastel illustrations.  Her illustrations are simplistic, yet warm and inviting.  The most dramatic of her illustrations occur when Sang-hee is contemplating whether he should light the fire, as he knows he should, or keep the fire silent, so that he can be visited by the soldiers he longs to see.  Sang-hee's body language in Dowling's illustrations shows the inner struggle that is occurring.  His eyes convey a thousand words when he peers over the rim of the brass pot and sees the lone coal standing in limbo between a peaceful signal fire and a horde of angry, yet majestic, soldiers.

Sang-hee's decision whether to do what is best for his country or choose to fulfill his dream is one that makes the reader pause to contemplate the consequences of one's actions.  Everyone, at some point, must choose between what is best for the individual versus what is best for all.  It is not always easy to set aside personal goals and dreams to selflessly choose the betterment of all.  The Firekeeper's Son  conveys to the reader that making the right choice and letting go of personal gains can bring more pride and fulfillment than choosing one's pleasure in spite of the determent it will cause others.

Awards and Honors

 

Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, 2004-2005 Winner Illustration

     United States

Irma S. and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2004

     Honor Book United States

Parents' Choice Award, 2004 Recommended Picture Books United States

 

Review Excerpts

“This engaging fictional story set in the early 1800s is based on the bonfire signal system used in Korea until the late nineteenth century. Sang-hee's understandable desire for excitement is balanced with a welcome portrayal of heroic behavior during peaceful times." ~ Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices (CCBC), 2005 

"Even in the darkness the watercolor illustrations glow with vibrancy. The cover illustration is especially striking: Sang-hee bright-eyed at the orange-and-yellow fire flickering before him. A lovely telling that will bring readers back to read or hear this story one more time.” ~ Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 2004 

"Newbery Medalist Park (A Single Shard\n) [sic] brings an accomplished novelist's sensibility to this suspenseful picture book set in 19th-century Korea, fully developing her characters despite the abbreviated format." ~  Publisher's Weekly


Other Books Written by Linda Sue Park

When My Name was Keoko
A Single Shard
Project Mulberry:  A Novel

Visit her website for more information:  http://www.lindasuepark.com/


Book Connections

The Royal Bee by Frances Park and Ginger Park and illustrated by Christopher
     Zhong-Yuan Zhang
Keeper of the Light by Patricia Curtis Pfitsch
Land of Morning Calm:  Korean Culture Then and Now by John Stickler and
     illustrated by Soma Han

Connection Activities
 

• Discuss the following:  Sang-hee had to choose between what he wanted and what he knew to be the right thing to do.  Have you ever had to choose between something you wanted and making the right choice?  What did you do? 
• Think about what you have learned about Korea.  What was the most interesting thing to you?  Write a poem about it and illustrate it with drawings.