Childhood Codes
This family member received preferential treatment in Kim Jiyoung's childhood.
Her brother
What barrier did Jiyoung encounter when attempting to find a job or internship?
Companies accepting only male applicants
What characters might have served as examples of motherhood to Kim Jiyoung? Bonus points for the character names...
Mom: Oh Misook
Grandmother:Koh Bonsoon
Her sister in law: Suhyun
Who is the character that represents the past generation of women, that also gave up on their dreams?
+100pts if you remember the name
Oh Misook
What kind of mental health struggles did Kim Jiyoung experience?
Depression, anxiety, and dissociative episodes
This type of public place was a site of early experience of male harassment for Kim Jiyoung.
Public transport/bus
Difficulty finding a job that fit into her schedule of taking care of her daughter, Jiwon
Domestic labor
What was the significance of the "mom-roach" comments Kim Jiyoung overheard in the park?
The "mom-roach" comments represented the dehumanization and negative perception of mothers in society.
How does the psychiatrist treat Jiyoung medically?
With regular therapym antidepressants, and sleeping pills
Describe the distribution of food in Jiyoung's family and explain its significance.
Jiyoung's dad, the brother, her grandma, her mom, Eunyoung, then Jiyoung.
It showed the preference given to sons.
What workplace incident led to Jiyoung and her first boyfriend breaking up?
She became drunk at a party with the company manager. Her boyfriend called and a male cowroker picked up.
How did the book portray the lack of support for working mothers?
Through the limited childcare options and societal judgment
What is the significance of the books title, and the year 1982?
It is a common name, and the year represents a generation of women who experienced these issues
What is the significance of Kim Jiyoung's dissociative episodes?
They represent the psychological toll of repressed anger and frustration and Jiyoung's inability to voice her true feelings.
What happened to the girls who captured the flasher?
They were suspended.
Also, they were teased and admonished regularly by teachers for the rest of the year.
They were told they brought shame on the school.
What pressures do female workers face in regards to workplace social gatherings?
Pressure to attend, and to act in ways that please male coworkers
How did Kim Jiyoung's husband's perception of his helpfulness differ from her reality?
He thought he was helping significantly, but she felt unsupported and overwhelmed.
What kind of vegetable was featured in the random-seeming dream scene in chapter five?
A radish.
How does the book show the limitations of mental health care when social issues are at the root of the problem?
That individual therapy cannot solve systemic problems
Provide a specific example from Jiyoung's early school experience that highlighted gender discrepancies.
"Invisible work" is a term used to describe the unseen or unacknowledged tasks and responsibilities involved in managing a household and family.
Explain the concept of "hidden labor" as it pertains to women in the workplace, as portrayed in the book.
Straight from the book: "made everyone in her team coffee every morning according to each member's taste, set the table every time they went out to eat, went around with a notepad and took everyone's request when they had to order in takeaways, and cleared the dishes when they were done"
Describe the loss of identity that Kim Jiyoung experienced after becoming a mother.
Her life became solely defined by motherhood, and her own needs and desires were suppressed
Explain the connection between the books statistics, and the overall narrative.
The statistics provide factual evidence that supports the fictional, lived experiences of Kim Jiyoung
How does the book portray the relationship between systemic sexism and women's mental well-being?
it shows that systemic sexism creates the environment for mental health decline in women