Susan Choi’s 'Flashlight' is about an alternate-universe version of her own family
NPR's Book of the Day features author Susan Choi discussing her novel about a young girl named Louisa who experiences profound trauma after losing her father during a beach walk in Japan. The story follows Louisa's emotional journey from childhood into adulthood, exploring themes of isolation and grief as she actively resists help from others in processing her loss.
The novel draws from Choi's own experiences and mixed-race heritage, incorporating complex themes of ethnic and national identity through the character of Louisa's father, an ethnic Korean raised in Japan. Choi uses the metaphor of a flashlight throughout the novel to examine how people perceive and understand others, particularly in matters of love, suggesting that we often believe we fully know someone when we only see a small part of who they are.
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1-Page Summary
Louisa's Psychological Journey
The novel explores Louisa's emotional journey following a profound childhood trauma. At age 10, Louisa loses her father, Cirque, during a beach walk in Japan when he drowns. In the aftermath, she meets with a child psychiatrist but actively resists help, declaring she doesn't want friends or questions. Author Susan Choi portrays Louisa as "terribly lonely," a state that persists from childhood into her adult years.
The Family History and Ethnic/National Identity Themes
Susan Choi weaves complex themes of identity through Cirque's character, an ethnic Korean born and raised in Japan. His background reflects the broader historical tensions between Korea and Japan, particularly the challenges faced by Koreans in post-World War II Japan. Choi reveals that the story draws from her personal experience as someone of mixed-race heritage who lived in Japan as a child, describing Louisa's family as an "alternate universe" version of her own.
Author's Creative Process and Inspiration For Novel
The author approached the writing process chronologically to maintain plot coherence while managing multiple characters. The narrative draws deeply from Choi's mixed-race heritage and family experiences in Japan, lending authenticity to the storytelling.
Themes in the Novel: Love's Nature and "Flashlight" Meaning
Susan Choi presents love as a sudden surge of perceived intimacy—a sensation of expertise about someone barely known. Throughout the novel, she uses the "flashlight" motif to symbolize our limited perspective in understanding others. Just as a flashlight illuminates only a small area, Choi suggests that in love, people often believe they completely understand someone when they actually see just a fraction, emphasizing the importance of embracing the unknown in relationships.
1-Page Summary
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Actionables
- You can explore your own family history to better understand your identity by creating a visual family tree that includes not just names and dates but also personal stories, cultural backgrounds, and historical events that may have shaped your family's journey. This activity can help you connect with your heritage and recognize the complexities of your own identity, similar to how the character Cirque's background is integral to the story.
- Start a journal where you write letters to a younger version of yourself, addressing difficult experiences and offering the compassion and understanding you might have resisted at the time, much like Louisa's initial rejection of psychological help. This can be a therapeutic exercise to acknowledge past pain and articulate personal growth.
- Engage in a "flashlight exercise" with a friend or partner where you each share something unknown about yourselves, then discuss how this new information changes or enhances your understanding of each other. This mirrors the novel's motif of limited perspective and can deepen your appreciation for the complexity of those around you.
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Louisa's Psychological Journey
The novel delves into the turbulent emotional landscape of Louisa, who endures profound loss early in life, resulting in a prolonged struggle with grief and isolation.
Louisa's Struggle With Her Father's Loss and Her Distancing Efforts
Louisa's journey begins with a traumatic loss that takes place during a seemingly peaceful walk with her father at a beach in Japan. At 10 years old, her world shifts irreparably when she is found washed up by the tide, gasping for air, while her father, Cirque, has vanished after not being able to swim.
In the aftermath, Louisa confronts her grief head-on when she encounters a child psychiatrist. However, she resists his attempts to help her process her feelings. Louisa defensively declares, "I don't want friends. I don't like people asking me questions." Despite her unreceptive demeanor, she engages with the doctor, betraying her underlying longing for connection and signaling the deep loneliness she feels.
Louisa Feels Lonely and Isolated After Her Father's Death and During Adulthood
Th ...
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Louisa's Psychological Journey
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Actionables
- You can explore your own emotional complexities by journaling with prompts that encourage reflection on times you've sought out and shunned connections. Start by writing about a moment when you felt the need to connect with someone but chose not to, and explore the feelings and thoughts that led to that decision. Then, switch to a time when you sought out social interaction, and compare the emotions from both experiences.
- Create a personal ritual to honor losses or challenging experiences, such as a yearly walk or crafting a small memorial object. This can be a private way to acknowledge and process grief. For example, if you've lost someone important, you might take a walk in a place that was significant to both of you, or if you've experienced a different kind of loss, you could create a piece of art that represents what you've been through.
- Engage in role-playing exercises with a trus ...
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The Family History and Ethnic/National Identity Themes
Susan Choi weaves family history and the complexities of ethnic and national identity into her novel by drawing on the tangible tensions between Korea and Japan.
Cirque, Louisa's Father, Is a Korean Born In Japan, Highlighting the Complex Japan-Korea Relationship
The character Cirque, who is Louisa's father in Choi's novel, is an ethnic Korean who was born and raised in Japan. This background places Cirque within the historical context of Korea and Japan’s complex relationship, particularly the hardships faced by Koreans in Japan after World War II.
Korea-Japan Tensions Shaped Cirque's Identity and Belonging
Choi discusses how the longstanding Korea-Japan tensions influenced Cirque’s sense of identity and belonging. Koreans in Japan often found themselves in a second-class status under the Japanese Empire and later struggled with statelessness after its fall. These conditions deeply impacted Cirque's personal history and identity.
Louisa's Family Represents an "Alternate Universe" for the Author, Who Is Mixed-Race and Lived In Japan As a Child
Further linking the novel to personal themes, Choi talks about her own family’s time in Japan w ...
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The Family History and Ethnic/National Identity Themes
Additional Materials
Actionables
- Explore your own family's historical context by creating a visual timeline that includes major historical events alongside personal family milestones. This can help you understand how larger societal issues may have shaped your family's identity and dynamics, similar to how the Korea-Japan tensions influenced the characters in Choi's novel. For example, if your grandparents immigrated during a significant political event, plot this on the timeline and research how this event might have impacted their experiences and, subsequently, your own upbringing.
- Write a short story or personal essay that reimagines a chapter of your family history in a different cultural or historical setting. This exercise can give you insight into the role of "alternate universes" in understanding one's identity, as Choi did by contrasting her characters' experiences with her own. If your family has a tradition that seems mundane, try to envision how this tradition would change if your family were from a different background or lived in a different era.
- Start a conversation with relatives or community ...
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Author's Creative Process and Inspiration For Novel
The author details their creative journey while crafting the novel, reflecting on the challenges faced and the personal influences that shaped the narrative.
Novel Expanded As Story Developed
As the story unfolded, the author faced the challenge of tracking characters and ensuring the plot's coherence. To overcome this, they adopted a chronological approach to the events within the narrative, aiding the cohesion and flow of the novel.
Inspired by the Author’s Heritage and Family Experiences
Drawing from a well of personal history, the author's mixed-race heritage and family experiences, particularly th ...
Here’s what you’ll find in our full summary
Author's Creative Process and Inspiration For Novel
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Counterarguments
- While a chronological approach can aid in coherence, it may not always be the most effective structure for every story; some narratives benefit from non-linear storytelling to build suspense or develop themes.
- Drawing from personal heritage and experiences can enrich a story, but it also runs the risk of limiting the diversity of perspectives if not supplemented with broader research and understanding.
- Authenticity in storytelling is crucial, but an author's close connection to their material can sometimes lead to a lack of objectivity or difficulty in editing personal but unnecessary details.
- The influence of the author's time in Japan may provide depth, but it's important to ensure that cultural elements ar ...
Actionables
- You can create a visual timeline of your personal projects to keep track of progress and maintain coherence. For instance, if you're working on a complex task like renovating your home or planning a big event, use a wall chart or digital timeline tool to plot out each step chronologically. This helps you see the big picture and ensures you don't miss any critical steps along the way.
- Explore your family history to gain insights and inspiration for your creative endeavors. Start by interviewing relatives or exploring genealogy websites to uncover stories and experiences from your heritage. Use these findings to add depth and authenticity to your writing, art, or any project that benefits from a personal touch.
- Immerse yourself in a different culture to ...
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Themes in the Novel: Love's Nature and "Flashlight" Meaning
Susan Choi addresses the intricate dynamics of love and understanding in human connections within her novel, framing love as a sudden surge of perceived intimacy and expertise with someone barely known.
Novel Describes Love As "the Sensation of Expertise That Erupts Out Of Nowhere"
Choi describes love in her novel as a striking occurrence—an instinctive burst of expertise about another person that emerges without warning. It is portrayed as an immediate and powerful feeling that grips individuals when they form connections.
Falling In Love Means Instantly Knowing a Stranger Deeply
Choi delves into the mystifying experience of falling in love, encapsulating it as a phenomenon where one believes to possess a profound knowledge of another individual who is, in fact, still a stranger. This potent belief in instantaneous deep understanding is a central theme, painting the surreal nature of developing romantic relationships.
"Flashlight" Motif: Symbolizes Our Limited Insight Into Others, Highlighting the Importance Of Embracing the Unknown in Relationships
The "flashlight" mo ...
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Themes in the Novel: Love's Nature and "Flashlight" Meaning
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Counterarguments
- Love as a sudden surge of intimacy may oversimplify the complexity of developing deep connections, which often require time and shared experiences.
- The notion of love as an instinctive burst of expertise can be challenged by the idea that true understanding of another person grows gradually and cannot be immediate.
- The powerful feeling of love gripping individuals instantly may not account for the cautious or gradual development of affection that many people experience.
- The belief in instantly knowing a stranger deeply when falling in love might be an idealized or romanticized view that does not consider the gradual process of learning about another person's character and history.
- The central theme of instantaneous deep understanding in romantic relationships may not resonate with those who believe that understanding is built over time and through mutual effort.
- The "flashlight" motif, while illustrative of limited perspective, might not acknowledge the cognitive and emotional tools people use to infer and understand the larger context of a person's life and experiences.
- The idea that people in love feel they completely understand someone but actually see only a small ...
Actionables
- You can start a "Flashlight Journal" where you write down your initial impressions of someone you've met and then revisit and update these entries over time. This practice helps you track how your understanding of a person evolves, highlighting the contrast between your first 'flashlight' view and the richer picture that develops with time.
- Create a "Stranger's Vignette" by writing a short, fictional story about someone you see in public, focusing on the details you can observe. Later, imagine their life beyond what you've seen, and write a continuation that explores the unknown aspects of their character. This exercise encourages you to acknowledge the vastness of what you don't know about others, even when you feel a strong connection.
- Engage ...
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