The Kite Fighters

In the first few chapters of the book, Park immediately establishes the setting of 15th-century Korea. The walls of Seoul illustrate how the city is insular, dedicated to preserving its identity. Crucial to Korea’s cultural identity is its folklore and traditions, like the tok-gabi spirits and New Year birthday celebrations. As the omniscient third-person narrator explains, personal birthdays do not matter, because everyone celebrates turning a year older on the Lunar New Year. This belief introduces the themes of Identity and Honor and Tradition, by suggesting that upholding a cultural identity can sometimes come at the cost of personal identity.

Another important piece of architecture in Seoul is the royal palace, which must remain the tallest building in the city—symbolizing the superiority the king has over all his subjects. The rules of social hierarchy apply not just to royals and commoners, but within specific social classes and even within individual families. The theme of Family and Brotherhood is closely linked to the theme of Honor and Tradition, with traditional clan structure dictating how each family member must honor another. Women, for example, are hardly acknowledged, expected to run the household but remain obedient to their husbands. Young-sup’s mother is not even mentioned by name, demonstrating how her identity is condensed to being a mother and wife.

The two main characters, Kee-sup and Young-sup, also struggle with their prescribed identities as first and second sons. Young-sup especially often feels jealous of his brother, who is afforded many privileges for being the elder son. Nevertheless, the two have a very typical sibling relationship, as seen by their banter, playfulness, and impatience with one another’s differences. An overarching theme of the novel is brotherhood, as the Lee brothers try to balance the imposed hierarchy with the loyalty that they feel toward one another. Collaborating and strengthening their bond is crucial to navigating this and their teamwork is tested when making kites. Their opposite approaches to kite-making demonstrate their strengths and weaknesses, and Young-sup learns to swallow his pride and ask his brother for help. Just like the two tiger kites that Kee-sup makes, the Lee brothers are similar yet different in their unique ways.

The kites not only offer the brothers a chance to work together and learn from one another but serve as a greater symbol for Young-sup’s dreams. The language Park uses to describe Young-sup’s connection to flying is intimate: “[T]he wind was always his partner” (13), and Young-sup’s ability to understand the wind and how to maneuver his kite demonstrate an innate skill. While flying kites, Young-sup feels capable in his own right, doing something well for himself that has nothing to do with his older brother. The narrator describes the kite as “a part of him—the part that could fly” (13), soaring above his family’s and society’s expectations and constraints.