57 pages • 1 hour read
Miracle Creek
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The Power of Narrative
Young symbolizes the way one should explore narrative: listening to both sides, seeking confirming evidence, and only then drawing conclusions. For example, Young explores competing narratives when she attempts to discover the truth, comparing what Pak told her to the evidence she discovers on her own. She seeks out competing narratives when she asks Teresa to explain why Elizabeth said she fantasized about Henry dying. This is the process that Abe and Shannon should be following, but instead, they deliberately ignore evidence that does not agree with the narratives they have already constructed.
Part of this stems from their duties: Abe is required to present evidence that Elizabeth is guilty, and Shannon is required to present evidence that Elizabeth is not guilty. However, both deliberately ignore evidence that contrasts with these narratives, willing to act unethically rather than admit their mistakes. This is a part of human nature called confirmation bias—when we seek only to confirm rather than challenge our beliefs.
Kim is also commenting on the difficulty of ever knowing the true story. For example, much is made of the telephone call to the insurance company inquiring about Miracle Submarine’s fire insurance. When Young discovers that the caller was a young girl with no accent, she believes this is another piece of evidence that confirms Mary’s guilt. However, Janine actually made that call to reassure herself that Pak had purchased adequate insurance. Young’s beliefs about Mary’s guilt are correct, but she arrives there with incorrect evidence. In this way, Kim seems to say, it may not always be possible to know the full story.
Cultural Practices
Miracle Creek tells the story of Korean immigrants who move to the United States to improve their daughter’s future. Kim explores the cultural differences between Korea and the United States, particularly through Pak and Mary, who struggle the most in this new place. Additionally, Kim explores the differences in culture between Koreans like the Yoos, and Korean Americans like Janine, particularly in the racism that Janine has faced despite her many achievements.
Kim also explores the culture of parenting children with disabilities. Kim describes the competitiveness and desperation of this culture, also noting its strict hierarchy: At the top sits parents like Elizabeth, whose constant work improved Henry’s condition, and at the bottom parents like Teresa, whose children are living with conditions that cannot improve. There are competing cultures within this culture, as in the divide between parents like Elizabeth and Kitt, who will try even potentially dangerous treatments like HBOT to help their children, and parents like the protestors, who believe that autism is a personality type not a disorder.
This exploration of culture entwines with the concept of narrative; different cultures have different narratives: In Elizabeth’s world, she has a duty to do everything she can to “fix” Henry. In the protestors’ world, Elizabeth fails in her duty and has no right to inflict such treatment on her child. The clash of these cultures is a clash of competing narratives.
The Importance of Intentions
Kim creates characters with whom the reader empathizes despite their behavior, especially in Elizabeth and Mary. Even Matt, who is the least likable character, is admittedly deeply disturbed by his behavior and his punishments: the loss of his fingers, his impotence, and his failed marriage do evoke some sympathy on his behalf.
Kim argues that we cannot merely look at the actions of a character; we must also explore the motive behind the character’s actions. Pak lied to his wife and committed perjury, but he acted out of a desire to protect his family. He didn’t want Young to be burdened with the knowledge that Mary was responsible for such atrocities, including paralyzing her own father. He believes that his duty is to protect his family no matter what. He even wants to go so far as to take responsibility for Mary’s actions, to save Mary from suffering the consequences.
Young is heartbroken once she realizes that her daughter started the fire, killing two people and injuring others. However, she is relieved to know that Mary did not intend to hurt anybody, and her understanding of this restores Mary and Young’s relationship. When Pak insists that they remain silent about who caused the fire, that Young’s belief that Mary should confess will mean that Mary will “destroy her life for nothing,” Young replies, “[d]oing the right thing is not nothing” (340).
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