BETWEEN LANGUAGES & WORLDS: Literary Multilingualism & Cultural Identity in Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko (2017)

Abstract

This thesis examines how untranslated Korean culture-specific items (CSIs) are represented in the English-language novel Pachinko (2017) by Min Jin Lee, and how these terms contribute to identity formation, emotional depth, and reader engagement. The study focuses on three categories of CSIs: terms of address, interjections, and food words. Examples were selected based on frequency, contextual clarity, and narrative function. A qualitative close reading approach was applied, combining analysis of form and representation, narrative function, and reader experience, supported by literary discourse analysis (Maingueneau, 2023). The interpretation draws on the concepts of foreignization and domestication (Venuti, 2018), literary multilingualism and strangeness (Valdés, 2023; Locher, 2017), and hybridity (Bhabha, 2004). Findings show that kinship terms of address are often retained in Korean, signalling intimacy and social hierarchy, with meanings understood from context. Interjections maintain emotional tone but may lose impact when context is limited. Food terms alternate between Korean and English, shaping how readers perceive cultural details. Overall, the novel keeps Korean words visible while ensuring accessibility for a global audience.