Finding Junie Kim

Grandpa is characterized as kind but forceful, traits that he demonstrates in the present and in the past as Doha. Junie’s father notes that he is “the master of putting people in their place in the nicest possible manner” (26). Despite his humility and kindness, Grandpa always speaks out, recognizing silence in the face of evil as a passive form of evil, a trait he learns from his father as a boy and passes on to Junie, connecting Korean history with the American present. Because of this link, he is a character who represents both Korea and America and the past and the present. He provides the protagonist with the necessary insight into the past to embrace her Korean heritage more knowledgably. He also provides a model for the role she must take in American society in response to the racism that is a part of her everyday life as a Korean American. These elements position Grandpa as a key mentor in the life of the protagonist.

Book 2 is Doha’s story. It takes place in Seosan, South Korea, at the beginning of the Korean War. Like Junie, he is 12 at the time of the events that he narrates. Doha provides necessary context for the Korean War that ultimately leads to Junie’s family emigrating to the US. He also provides context for understanding the impact of ideological conflict upon people, highlighting the lack of empathy that such conflicts promote. His characterization as objective and supportive emphasizes the significance of humanity over ideology, acting as a mediator between his friends Gunwoo and Sunjin. Doha’s tale also provides a necessary cultural context of Korea, including descriptions of settings and events that give the protagonist insight into her heritage. This information is necessary for Junie to gain a sense of acceptance and belonging within her family as a second-generation Korean-American. Before Doha’s story, she complains when her family speaks in Korean, preferring English. After Book 2, she embraces the Korean language, even promising to learn Korean after Grandpa loses the ability to speak English.

Grandpa is a representation of the present and an assimilated Korean American identity. He shares his experiences with racism in America while reinforcing the opportunities and benefits that America affords and reassuring Junie of the overall goodness of the American people. His wisdom and example encourage her to embrace her American identity with a more positive outlook despite the impact of the bullying, hate speech, and racist graffiti have on the main character.

Grandpa’s unfailing positivity makes him a key figure in the Mental Health and Positive Attitude theme, while his death also provides one of the main obstacles that Junie must overcome to demonstrate her ability to manage the depression she faces.

Like Grandpa, Grandma is a character characterized through the narration of past and present events. She is Jinjoo, a 10-year-old girl from Incheon, South Korea, and she is Grandma, a hard-working real estate agent and a Korean American wife and mother/grandmother.

Grandma cares for Grandpa, closely monitoring his health, which makes her a symbol of nurture and family responsibility and links to the role that Jinjoo assumes within the family during the war. She also provides a parallel for Junie, who struggles with mental health issues in the novel. Grandpa’s death leads to isolation, lack of appetite, and lethargy, symptoms of depression that mirror Junie’s early behavior and symptoms in Book 1. Junie recognizes this behavior and assumes a similar role as Grandma did, taking responsibility for Grandma’s care and helping her to adjust to Grandpa’s death in a healthy manner.

Less developed than Book 2, Jinjoo’s narrative provides some additional historical context for the Korean War with Jinjoo’s experiences mirroring Doha’s somewhat. Jinjoo is more important as a symbol of the author’s personal history, though. According to the Author’s Note, Jinjoo represents Ellen Oh’s mother, Eunjoo represents the author’s Korean aunt, and Junie represents the author. The commentary between Junie and Grandma after the reunion between Jinjoo and her parents reflects the autobiographical aspect of the novel and reinforces the realism of the work.