Existentialism in The Martyred
===============================
Wolran Kim
February 2013
The Martyred begins with the fact that 12 out of 14 ministers had been killed by North Korean Communists in a special situation of the Korean War. The truth of the matter is that their sacrifice of death was not for testimony of the existence of God. Mr. Shin, who survived last, let them remain as martyrs through his false testimony for giving hope to people who are living in despair during wartime. Mr. Shin, who was condemned as an apostate, said, “Do not forget that a Christian, a clergyman, is also a human being.
He should be examined in the same light of human passion, and on the same scale of human frailty as any other man would be. I don’t consider myself or any other clergyman necessarily capable of not succumbing to physical and spiritual torture (p. 29).” The author, Kim, is saying that he is a true martyr, and this concept of a martyr is contradictory to the general idea of existing Christianity. It is backed by existentialism and human optimism, not faith or theology.
Mr. Shin is also the figure of man who lives with the conscience of humans and integrity to overcome the situation of suffering regardless of faith. He shares the emptiness and despair of people even though he is unjustly suspected as an apostate. His false testimony is the same as the placebo effect which is a fake drug for treating human despair. He mentioned in conversation with Captain Lee, “Men cannot endure their sufferings without hope, without the promise of justice, if not here and now—and there is none—then somewhere else, in heaven, yes, in the Kingdom of God (p. 171).”
The communist in the execution of the scene probably had vague faith toward religion, god, or believers (because human is a religious animal), and felt as if he was betrayed when the 12 ministers denied their God when confronted with physical pain. Then can we call those 12 victims or scapegoats apostates who forsook to beg their lives? It is impossible to condemn godlessness in the face of the limitations of human existence in the viewpoint of existentialists, Mr. Shin and Captain Lee. According to the belief of Existentialism, existence is prior to real nature and humans can never be explained by reason.
How do people continue their lives in a terrible situation, does every soldier become a killer in the absurdity of the world, and does nothing remain but desperation? Mr. Shin was tormented by his doubts about the existence of God in the ravages of war. He also was asking Captain Lee whether God, who is ignoring human sufferings in the hell of war, really exists. He answers this question through the Bible, Job 24:12, in the letter that spoke for the last moment of Park’s father (p. 103). Park said, “I resist it consciously. Then why did I read Job’s words? As I stood there facing the people, looking into those thousands of human eyes that have seen horror and injustice, hunger and sickness, and sudden, meaningless death, all waiting for me to utter the next word (p. 142).”
On the other hand, Mr. Shin should grant the meaning of living to people who are in pain on behalf of God. The universal love for human transcends even religious beliefs, and this point is also connected with the theory of existentialism, the quest for the meaning of existence. “Because they are men. Despair is the disease of those weary of life, life here and now full of meaningless sufferings. We must fight despair, we must destroy it and not let the sickness of despair corrupt the life of man and reduce him to a mere scarecrow (p. 160).” According to the words of Mr. Shin, humans need a placebo of hope even if it is false hope. The limitation of human existence can be treated only with this, and this hope can be justified for the existence of humans notwithstanding falsity or the denying of god.
A special situation of war is a powerful tool which changes human despair and nihilism to existentialism. The usual values that are possible to be explained with reason and religion collapsed completely during the war. The image of Mr. Shin can be a figure of Christ; he stayed in North Korea for the congregation without blame of being an apostate although he had the chance to escape, he lived in despair and suffering among others. He gave hope to people who are living in the place that God never reached. He became a real martyr without faith. People need faith, not reason and hope, which came out of Mr. Shin. It is possible to explain only with existentialism.
“There a group of refugees, gathered under the starry dome of the night sky, were humming in unison a song of homage to their homeland. And with a wondrous lightness of heart hitherto unknown to me, I joined them (p. 199).” This was the first and last scene of unfamiliar peace through this novel. Captain Lee, who identifies with the author and has suffered in a world of despair, eventually discovered the possibility of true hope that exists in the human mind.
===============================
Wolran Kim
February 2013
The Martyred begins with the fact that 12 out of 14 ministers had been killed by North Korean Communists in a special situation of the Korean War. The truth of the matter is that their sacrifice of death was not for testimony of the existence of God. Mr. Shin, who survived last, let them remain as martyrs through his false testimony for giving hope to people who are living in despair during wartime. Mr. Shin, who was condemned as an apostate, said, “Do not forget that a Christian, a clergyman, is also a human being.
He should be examined in the same light of human passion, and on the same scale of human frailty as any other man would be. I don’t consider myself or any other clergyman necessarily capable of not succumbing to physical and spiritual torture (p. 29).” The author, Kim, is saying that he is a true martyr, and this concept of a martyr is contradictory to the general idea of existing Christianity. It is backed by existentialism and human optimism, not faith or theology.
Mr. Shin is also the figure of man who lives with the conscience of humans and integrity to overcome the situation of suffering regardless of faith. He shares the emptiness and despair of people even though he is unjustly suspected as an apostate. His false testimony is the same as the placebo effect which is a fake drug for treating human despair. He mentioned in conversation with Captain Lee, “Men cannot endure their sufferings without hope, without the promise of justice, if not here and now—and there is none—then somewhere else, in heaven, yes, in the Kingdom of God (p. 171).”
The communist in the execution of the scene probably had vague faith toward religion, god, or believers (because human is a religious animal), and felt as if he was betrayed when the 12 ministers denied their God when confronted with physical pain. Then can we call those 12 victims or scapegoats apostates who forsook to beg their lives? It is impossible to condemn godlessness in the face of the limitations of human existence in the viewpoint of existentialists, Mr. Shin and Captain Lee. According to the belief of Existentialism, existence is prior to real nature and humans can never be explained by reason.
How do people continue their lives in a terrible situation, does every soldier become a killer in the absurdity of the world, and does nothing remain but desperation? Mr. Shin was tormented by his doubts about the existence of God in the ravages of war. He also was asking Captain Lee whether God, who is ignoring human sufferings in the hell of war, really exists. He answers this question through the Bible, Job 24:12, in the letter that spoke for the last moment of Park’s father (p. 103). Park said, “I resist it consciously. Then why did I read Job’s words? As I stood there facing the people, looking into those thousands of human eyes that have seen horror and injustice, hunger and sickness, and sudden, meaningless death, all waiting for me to utter the next word (p. 142).”
On the other hand, Mr. Shin should grant the meaning of living to people who are in pain on behalf of God. The universal love for human transcends even religious beliefs, and this point is also connected with the theory of existentialism, the quest for the meaning of existence. “Because they are men. Despair is the disease of those weary of life, life here and now full of meaningless sufferings. We must fight despair, we must destroy it and not let the sickness of despair corrupt the life of man and reduce him to a mere scarecrow (p. 160).” According to the words of Mr. Shin, humans need a placebo of hope even if it is false hope. The limitation of human existence can be treated only with this, and this hope can be justified for the existence of humans notwithstanding falsity or the denying of god.
A special situation of war is a powerful tool which changes human despair and nihilism to existentialism. The usual values that are possible to be explained with reason and religion collapsed completely during the war. The image of Mr. Shin can be a figure of Christ; he stayed in North Korea for the congregation without blame of being an apostate although he had the chance to escape, he lived in despair and suffering among others. He gave hope to people who are living in the place that God never reached. He became a real martyr without faith. People need faith, not reason and hope, which came out of Mr. Shin. It is possible to explain only with existentialism.
“There a group of refugees, gathered under the starry dome of the night sky, were humming in unison a song of homage to their homeland. And with a wondrous lightness of heart hitherto unknown to me, I joined them (p. 199).” This was the first and last scene of unfamiliar peace through this novel. Captain Lee, who identifies with the author and has suffered in a world of despair, eventually discovered the possibility of true hope that exists in the human mind.