It is, no doubt, on account of this that so much of modern Korean literature touches upon the theme of separation. Indeed, the mere mention of South Korea cannot help but turn one’s thoughts to its ideological foil to the north. That said, few works of fiction have dealt with the wounds of separation as poignantly as Yun Heung-Gil’s short novel, The Rainy Spell.

Set in a small village in South Jolla Province, the story recounts the tolls of war on a family whose members have aligned themselves on opposing sides of the conflict. Although the front lines are far removed from the household in question, a battle still rages. A pair of aging matriarchs stands in unrelenting opposition with grave consequences for the rest of the family. Each of these women possesses an unshakable faith in the correctness of her son’s decision concerning which side to support. For a time they are able to co-exist, but when one of the women loses her child to the fighting, the tension in the household becomes almost unbearable.

The grieving mother is unable to contain her anti-Communist outbursts, and while at first her adversary is willing to forbear, her patience soon fails. However, a visit to the fortune-teller restores her good spirits, for there she is assured that her son will soon return from the fighting. The prophecy is ultimately fulfilled, though in a way that no one expects.

The house is tidied and a large meal is made in preparation of the homecoming. However, when the appointed hour arrives, there is no sign of the missing son. Instead a large serpent appears at the gate of the family compound – an unmistakable sign that the war has claimed yet another victim.

What happens next is truly moving. Of all of those gathered in the house, it is the woman’s sworn enemy who offers the only meaningful consolation. After months of silence between the aging matriarchs, there comes a detente that has been long-awaited by the rest of the family. Divided by war, the women are now united by the pain of losing a beloved son. 

It’s hard to pin down exactly what it is that makes The Rainy Spell stand out among similar books that deal with family conflicts brought on by the outbreak of the War. Perhaps it’s Yun’s decision to relate the story from the perspective of a naive seven-year-old rather than relying on the omniscience of a more mature, historical consciousness. Whatever it is, the result is a narrative of reconciliation that resonates beyond the context of a single family to encompass the whole of the Korean race.

            Elton LaClare