How we cite our quotes: (Page)
Quote #4
"To row around the world," the Second Mate said. "Only a sexy woman would do that. It's so pointless and arrogant. Only sexy Americans would think the world was something to defeat." (44)
This truly comical moment makes Jun Do uncomfortable, but he really can't think of a good defense against the Second Mate. The concept of the arrogant American comes up in several places in this work, with Johnson doing his best to capture honestly the truth of some of the stereotypes. Though this is a goofy statement on the part of the Second Mate, the idea of the arrogant, sexy American taking on the world holds traction for many people who are not Americans.
Quote #5
"And what if you do make it around the world—how do you wait in line for your dormitory toilet again, knowing that you've been to America? Maybe the millet tasted better in some other country and the loudspeakers weren't so tinny. Suddenly it's your tap water that smells not so good—then what do you do?" (47)
This is a common lament of people all around the world: what if the grass really is greener on the other side? How can I continue to live my sad, sad life? The Second Mate also shows us his provincial side when he couches everything in terms of his North Korean existence: the toilets, the millet—all things that wouldn't be an issue in America to begin with. He senses that bigger, better things are out there, but he doesn't even have the language with which to dream (or despair) about them.
Quote #6
The First Mate found a pair, blue and white, and stowed them under his bunk. The Pilot was marveling over a size fifteen, over what manner of human would take that size, and the Machinist created a tall pile of shoes he intended for his wife to try. (55)
The finding of the gigantic Nike shoe is a little like finding Sasquatch's footprint in your backyard. You know such creatures must be mythical, and yet there it is: proof in footwear. For an undernourished North Korean, finding such a proof must open the eyes too far, too fast. Knowing that the world is big enough to contain you and said really big person is enough to strike fear into the heart.