How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Panel)
Quote #1
Despite his death (1912-1994) [Kim Il-Sung] is still president. (1.27)
This is our first introduction to the sheer absurdity of North Korean politics. A man can be president after death? Sure, we’ll admit that most dead people we know could govern better than 90% of our politicians—but we still don’t go around electing them to office (well, most of the time, anyway).
Quote #2
Foreign admirers of the Kim regime will soon be able to watch the Dear Leader’s heroic exploits in high-definition splendor with Dolby surround sound. [...] An obvious priority for a country getting the most aid in the world! (2.14, 2.16)
Here we see where some of North Korea’s money goes: into upgrading their broadcast technology to HD. But (dare we ask): if no one has a TV, what’s the point? What does this say about North Korea’s priorities?
Quote #3
“Oh, look, a guy walking backwards.” (2.17)
Guy (upper-case G) hasn’t been in North Korea long, but he’s been there long enough that a man walking backwards seems like the most normal thing he’s seen in a while.
Quote #4
Since “Kim Il-Sung is Kim Jong-Il and Kim Jong-Il is Kim Il-Sung,” they’re made to look alike. That way nothing ever changes—it’s always the same head at the helm. (2.67-2.68)
We’re not sure what’s going on here, but it’s creepy. Do you think the North Koreans believe these two are the same person? Are they clones? We have no clue.
Quote #5
“Only 30% of the population would need to survive to reconstruct a victorious society.” (3.99)
This is a quote that Delisle attributes to Dear Leader. How can people respect a person like this? Do they respect him? Or are they just afraid? Not everyone can be the 30%, after all.
Quote #6
Richard’s guide, unable to join us, simply left. Foreigners can’t take taxis without a guide, and North Koreans can’t take taxis after 10 p.m. unless accompanied by a foreigner. (3.104)
Guy uses this to illustrate North Korea’s nonsensical, arbitrary rules, and it’s really a miniature version of the kind of nightmarish absurdity in North Korean society at large.
Quote #7
There are papers everywhere: on the cars, on the sidewalks, next door... people are snatching them out of the air and off the ground. And just when things begin to settle down... poof! It starts all over again! (4.16-4.19)
We’re not sure what is more absurd here, the fact that these people keep chasing paper all over the place... or the fact that Guy just sits in his hotel room and laughs at it.
Quote #8
The drawings hang in groups, from most to least deserving. There’s a chart here, too, but I can’t decipher it. My companion can’t either. (4.40)
Here Guy is discussing the exhibits of work by animators that are displayed in the hotel. It’s strange that he can’t figure out how merit is decided. He’s an animator, after all. It’s even stranger that his translator cannot either. He’s a Korean animator. Nothing makes sense. Is the judgment of merit as absurd as everything else?
Quote #9
Women are whitewashing the stones that decorate the base of the trees.
“They are volunteers.”
“Huh? Volunteers?”
“Yes, Volunteers.” (4.59-4.62)
The absurdity of the entire regime can be summed up in two words: Mandatory Volunteerism. Need we say more? How do you think these mandatory volunteers feel?
Quote #10
When I arrived, I saw a team of “volunteers,” hanging from ropes, paint a pretty royal blue over the rust on the bridge we crossed every day. Three fourths of the way across, the work stopped (shortage of blue?), and the workers never came back. Two weeks later, the rust began to show through the paint. This display of efficiency seemed like an apt analogy for the country and its regime. (4.76-4.79)
We were going to include this bridge in our “Symbolism” section, but Guy kind of spelled the whole thing out for us. Do you agree with his assessment?
Quote #11
To keep from wearing out their hems, the boys walk around like this: [Illustration of a guy with his pants tucked into his socks].
And when it’s hot, they also do this: [Illustration of a boy with his pants rolled up]. (9.30)
Guy also criticizes the way North Korean women dress, though his main problem seems to be that he can’t see their legs or their cleavage. He wants them to conform to his cultural norms, not the other way around. But beyond that, Guy is pointing out that the North Koreans are so poor that they can barely afford more than one pair of pants. Even if they could afford more, would there be any on the shelves for them to buy?