Alien’s Looking into the American Family: Kim Yong Ik’s Focused on “They Won’t Crack It Open” and “Sheep, Jimmy and I”

Abstract

Kim Yong Ik is widely recognized as a prominent, early-generation, Korean-American novelist whose literary body of work predominantly mirrors his longing for the cherished memories from his formative years in Korea. However, two notable exceptions within his work, namely “They Won’t Crack It Open” and “The Sheep, Jimmy and I” deviate from this theme by unraveling narratives set in America, with a focus on Korean students pursuing education in the United States. This paper undertakes an in-depth analysis of “They Won’t Crack It Open” by examining the experiences of a Romanian immigrant family who grapple with destitution and subsequently develop an inferiority complex. This exploration is juxtaposed to the objectification of Romanian culture, which serves as a catalyst for familial strife. Similarly, in “The Sheep, Jimmy and I,” Kim portrays the alienation experienced by his protagonist and Jimmy within both the broader Caucasian society and the confines of the family unit. In the narrative, affluent white family members ostracize Jimmy, who appears to be contending with mental health issues, choosing exclusion over inclusion within the familial circle. Jimmy is abject in his family. This study delves into these themes as instances that dismantle the idealized image of America and its family, concurrently shedding light on the cultural marginalization experienced by Koreans as outsiders within mainstream American society. Furthermore, the research navigates the potential remedies and alternatives that Kim presents in response to these intricate challenges, providing valuable insights into the complexities of identity, belonging, and cultural assimilation in the context of Korean-American literature.