Poverty

by Baek Sin-ae, Janet Hong (Translator)

Written by one of Korea's leading female writers of the 1930s, "Poverty" primarily deals with poverty and women. In this story, an Old Woman from Maechon Place is responsible for the livelihood of her family members who, in a state of absolute poverty, have lost the ability to manage their basic lives. She engages in all kinds of manual labor in order to support her incompetent sons and their wives, while earning the scorn of those around her. But in this situation, her grandchild is born, and she cannot escape from the role of supporting her family.

13 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1934

Reviews

[Veronika · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Poverty, Baek Sinae describes the grueling conditions in which an old poor woman has to work to make a living for her family. She has to take care of herself and her two sons and their wives as they are pregnant. She not only has to suffer the indignation of poverty, she also has to make ends meet for her family. Through this story she faces ridicule and discrimination, both of her sons are complete failures and the whole family relies only on her. Baek Sinae's work is not particularly noteworthy when it comes to literary value however it still expresses very well the dire conditions of impoverished Koreans living in colonial Korea.