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The Red Room

12 min read

Author: Lim Chulwoo

notes

  • Very detailed descriptions of sensory perception and inner monologues
  • Dual perspective
  • Red Reds in The Red Room
  • Juxtaposing violence with mundane life experiences and thoughts
    • Stark contrast creates shock
    • Reminds reader that characters are human, no matter how inhumane their actions or how intensely they are dehumanized
  • Scapegoats
    • Blaming others to rationalize the incomprehensible
    • Externalizing blame to justify violence
    • Projection of self-hatred onto others deemed enemies
    • Deterministic attitude
  • Repression leads to explosion of violence
    • Boredom
    • Hatred
    • Self-pity on both sides
      • Monotonous life
      • Poor economic situation
      • Lack of education
  • Cycle of trauma
    • Violence as therapeutic for the victimizer
      • Creates new victims
  • Subjective perception of reality
    • Monotony becomes a blessing
  • Doubt and paranoia leads to confirmation bias
  • Law = power
  • Hate is a choice — drinking poison and hoping someone else dies
  • Change in sentence structure by chapter five reflects the fragmented mental state
  • Whiteness of snow contrasts with grotesque red room
  • The irony of rationalized violence in The Red Room
    • Complaints about the mundane make both characters more similar than different, yet they see each other as animals
      • “I wonder if other men with family responsibilities feel like I do.” → “cancer on our society”
      • O Ki-sop doesn’t see him as human, either: “God only knows how many faces he has. Are any of them the face of a human being?”
    • Isn’t Tal-shik a “poor slob” that would benefit from socialism?
      • Cognitive dissonance
      • Repression leads to desires for superiority over oppressors to triumph over desire for equal treatment — vengeance mindset
    • Refuses to dehumanize his mother, whose actions border on animal-like, but readily dehumanizes O Ki-sop, who tries to speak with him like a rational adult
      • Separation of concerns
      • Skewed thinking
      • Political dogma and brainwashing

lecture 2025-04-17

thoughts

  • Exposition reminds me of Oldboy
  • Faceless authority reminds of Squid Game

highlights

　　— Page: 5, added on Wed Apr 16 18:11:05 2025

Mainly because I hate being beholden to our pain-in-the-ass of a general-affairs section chief. He’s the son of the president of the foundation that runs the school, he’s a former army captain, and he talks down to any and all.

　 　 　　— Page: 5, added on Wed Apr 16 18:16:16 2025

How did I end up like this? How much longer do I have to live like this? Here I go, carrying on again, feeling sorry for myself, the same old grievances that I repeat to myself dozens of times a day, and I’m so used to it that I can check my watch, get my legs moving, and scuttle off on my way all at the same time, and that’s what I do now.

　 　 　　— Page: 7, added on Wed Apr 16 18:33:31 2025

If you’re so keen about the rule of law, then why did you break the law? It’s people like you who are the lawless ones. You’re going to find that out for yourself in a little while.”

　 　 　　— Page: 8, added on Wed Apr 16 18:34:28 2025

And then it hits me; my heart sinks, and I feel dizzy. There he is in my mind’s eye—him and his drawn face and the black overcoat that the old men wear. He’s lived there in the deepest and darkest recesses of my consciousness ever since I was old enough to know better, a scar in my memory, his image popping out at random moments, oppressing me.

　 　 　　— Page: 10, added on Wed Apr 16 18:42:25 2025

I realize for the first time—and I have trouble believing this myself—that I have a warm affection for all these various things; I long for them.

　 　 　　— Page: 14, added on Wed Apr 16 18:47:48 2025

By nature I’m kind of dull-witted and not so sweet or attentive, but she was my blood, and that was probably why, when I was face to face with my kids, I felt like a kid myself, simple and uncomplicated, and my mood would lighten.

　 　 　　— Page: 15, added on Wed Apr 16 18:49:21 2025

A few months before he died, I’d given the kid a terrible beating. It was no big deal, what he’d done to provoke me—actually it was kind of silly—but because of it I punched him in the face—bam-bam-bam. He went down like a rag doll, and even now the sight of the vivid purple blood dribbling from his nose is fixed in my mind.

　 　 　　— Page: 16, added on Wed Apr 16 18:50:28 2025

she’s lost all sense of shame, and she’s senile—she’s the reason my family life is absolute hell!

　 　 　　— Page: 18, added on Wed Apr 16 18:51:30 2025

I’d give anything, just to get this damn, fucking world off my shoulders!”

　 　 　　— Page: 18, added on Wed Apr 16 18:51:56 2025

with all the ugly and horrible memories of a sickening war.

　 　 　　— Page: 19, added on Wed Apr 16 18:54:19 2025

Father changed just then; he became someone utterly different. His bloodshot eyes bore into me. He kept repeating to me that he was going to get his revenge and that I would see it with my own eyes.

　 　 　　— Page: 24, added on Wed Apr 16 18:59:20 2025

How can they lock a man up like this, with no warrant… ?

　 　 　　— Page: 26, added on Wed Apr 16 19:00:28 2025

The people would see the IDs and take them as the law. They always do; people don’t want to get involved.

　 　 　　— Page: 31, added on Thu Apr 17 15:31:17 2025

As the shattering pain spreads through me, I cling to the illusion that this is still a nightmare.

　 　 　　— Page: 31, added on Thu Apr 17 15:31:59 2025

don’t they know how disgusting, how pathetic they look? It’s ridiculous.

　 　 　　— Page: 33, added on Thu Apr 17 15:34:41 2025

The way he was kneeling on the floor, his face was right near my knees.

　 　 　　— Page: 34, added on Sun Apr 20 22:47:47 2025

Tal-shik, look. Look with your own eyes. Those Reds are your enemies—the ones who killed your grandfather and grandmother. They’re your enemies for all time.

　 　 　　— Page: 34, added on Sun Apr 20 22:48:19 2025

No, Dad, I’m scared. I tried to get away, but he held me tight and marched me toward the bodies.

Note: Cycle of trauma.

　 　 　　— Page: 35, added on Sun Apr 20 22:49:21 2025

That red color was so beautiful it made me dizzy. I had never seen such a vivid red before.

　 　 　　— Page: 35, added on Sun Apr 20 22:50:08 2025

To be honest, I couldn’t help feeling a bit of pity toward a guy when something like this happened, but I’d sloughed off my greenhorn timidness a long time ago. Cheap sentiment like that is for the new ones, the ones who miss mommy’s tit. This is a war— make no mistake about it. It’s violent, it’s bloody, and you either cheat or get cheated.

　 　 　　— Page: 36, added on Sun Apr 20 22:50:50 2025

You wouldn’t believe how many of these assholes there are, always trying to put down a guy like me, who’s never been near a college in his life.

Note: Power, desire for superiority.

　 　 　　— Page: 36, added on Sun Apr 20 22:52:02 2025

I was scared, but I didn’t cry. I couldn’t cry. I knew that when I was grown up, I shouldn’t cry, but even back then I think I was faintly aware that I just couldn’t allow myself to cry.

Note: Repression leads to violence as outlet.

　 　 　　— Page: 37, added on Sun Apr 20 22:53:10 2025

At that moment it was as if everything in my world had turned bright red. The sky, the earth, the trees, the flowers, the town office, the school—it was all turning the vivid red color of blood, right before my eyes.

　 　 　　— Page: 38, added on Sun Apr 20 22:54:28 2025

At first glance you would have thought he really didn’t know anything… . But you can’t jump to conclusions. I’d have to keep after him, no matter how many times, till I had something rock-solid.

Note: Doubt and confirmation bias.

　 　 　　— Page: 38, added on Sun Apr 20 22:55:05 2025

Well, I never expected much anyway from this one. We only brought him in on the off chance we might get lucky with him and actually learn something.

　 　 　　— Page: 40, added on Sun Apr 20 22:57:20 2025

I absolutely detested anything that looked weak and powerless.

Note: Projection?

　 　 　　— Page: 41, added on Sun Apr 20 22:59:10 2025

So what if you’ve been to college? While you were going around with full bellies and a nice school bag to show off and having fun fooling around with girls, thanks to your parents’ money, I was bitter because I couldn’t even dream of going to college, and I went around with a hangdog look.

Note: Blurring line btwn political and personal sense of inferiority.

　 　 　　— Page: 43, added on Mon Apr 21 11:13:51 2025

And now it’s like that red’s inside me and I’m turning red all over.

　 　 　　— Page: 43, added on Mon Apr 21 11:14:04 2025

Red is the color of madness, and the objects framed by that color look bizarre, warped, distorted.

　 　 　　— Page: 44, added on Mon Apr 21 11:16:49 2025

The modest and ordinary particulars of my life, which I used to hold worthless and insignificant, have suddenly assumed such incredible meaning that I shiver because I long for them so.

　 　 　　— Page: 47, added on Mon Apr 21 11:19:21 2025

That one human could treat another with such utter hatred and violence is beyond my belief. What made them like that? An organization? The blind, savage frenzy that we call loyalty?

　 　 　　— Page: 48, added on Mon Apr 21 11:20:29 2025

This man is fabricating a fantastic plot, and he wants to implicate me with a couple of guys who don’t even exist. And he needs evidence from me so there won’t be any loose ends.

　 　 　　— Page: 49, added on Mon Apr 21 11:22:13 2025

My body deprived of that last piece of cloth, I realize that my last ounce of pride as a human being has been plundered. At that instant the fierce rage that has welled up inside me is consumed and gone. I’ve lost the will to square my shoulders, am nothing more than an animal.

　 　 　　— Page: 49, added on Mon Apr 21 11:22:29 2025

But hidden within those upsetting smiles is a kind of tedium and boredom. And hidden behind that boredom is a vicious craving for destruction, an unbearable desire to break, smash, and trample.

　 　 　　— Page: 55, added on Mon Apr 21 11:27:35 2025

You grow up in a family with an unsound ideology, and you’re bound to go off on a tangent.

　 　 　　— Page: 55, added on Mon Apr 21 14:18:14 2025

Think about it—I’m trying to get through life, and something or somebody is always holding me back—it’s a damn shame I have to live like this.

　 　 　　— Page: 55, added on Mon Apr 21 14:18:35 2025

I wonder if other men with family responsibilities feel like I do.

　 　 　　— Page: 57, added on Mon Apr 21 14:28:03 2025

The way you get equality and peace is through judgment and punishment.

　 　 　　— Page: 58, added on Mon Apr 21 14:29:16 2025

Immature college kids still running around— when were they ever going to learn? And all the money wasted on the tear gas we had to use on them—so what’s new?

　 　 　　— Page: 61, added on Mon Apr 21 14:33:47 2025

had to assign responsibility for his death.

　 　 　　— Page: 61, added on Mon Apr 21 14:34:30 2025

Don’t trust people. You can’t trust anyone in this world except your blood relations. Humans are a cunning and evil breed.

　 　 　　— Page: 62, added on Mon Apr 21 14:35:02 2025

Their blood had become one within my father, and my father’s blood in turn now coursed through me, the absolute master of my heart and blood vessels.

　 　 　　— Page: 65, added on Mon Apr 21 14:37:34 2025

God only knows how many faces he has. Are any of them the face of a human being? What is the true character of the human race anyway?

　 　 　　— Page: 67, added on Mon Apr 21 14:39:29 2025

I’m not quite sure that this human form standing in the snow and looking toward my home belongs to me. For sure I’m no longer who I was before. That me has been taken away, is lost forever. That me was shredded, body and soul, during those days and nights in the Red Room. And then those men bring home that human form, shredded with a hatred and a disgust that would sicken the world and everyone in it, dump it here, and walk away whistling, never to be seen again.

　 　 　　— Page: 68, added on Mon Apr 21 14:40:27 2025

I spat once and went inside. I buried myself in the living room sofa. Suddenly I noticed my reflection in the window. There I was, ugly face that looks much older than my age, lined forehead, gloomy eyes saturated with long years of hatred, rage, and suffering. I want to get rid of you. I don’t like you. I want to kill you. I want to tear you to pieces. I wanted to yell at that monstrous face glaring at me from the window.

　 　 　　— Page: 69, added on Mon Apr 21 14:41:36 2025

As I prayed, I felt with vivid clarity a sacred joy and benevolence envelop me with warmth, before beginning finally to fill the Red Room.

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