Critical Analysis of Dragon Pearl
The story is about Min, a fox spirit that can change to different forms such as humans and other objects. Min is aged 13 years and lives with her mother, who insists that none of their family members should use their powers as such as charm. The mother believes that keeping human form always is essential to keeping the family safe and prevent trouble with other alien creatures in their midst (Yoon 3). Min believes that she is overwhelmed with house duties and is waiting to turn fifteen such that she could join her bother Jun, in the Space Force. However, an investigator arrived in the home stating the Jun had deserted duty in search of a ‘Dragon Pearl,’ an object that has immense power. However, Min believes that her brother cannot leave his post as joining the Space Force was one of his dreams. The occurrence makes Min believe that there is a problem with Jun, and he has to clear the name of his brother.
As per the story, the Dragon Council, the officials of the Thousand Worlds, had the powers in the book. Yoon states that all the residents of Jinju answered to these authorities, and this aspect illustrates the immense power that these leaders possessed (Yoon 12). The foxes had the powers but feared using them as they believe that they were risking extinction, given that they were a threat to other powers such as the Goblins (Yoon 4). The Residents of Jinju in which Min’s family belonged were voiceless, and the Dragon council considered them voiceless, thereby leading to a neglect of their planet. The humans were also another voiceless species as they were unable to react to the discrimination that was happening. Humans were also unable to notice problems that were happening in their surroundings.
The fights between the investigator and Min’s family indicate the aspect of gender. Min’s mother is failing to react as she believes that the investigator was strong and could use his connection with the council to destroy her family. The explicit message that the author tries to deliver is the need to defend one’s family irrespective of the consequences. However, the implicit message is the visualized struggle of Min to clear her brother’s name. The author wants the reader to believe that self-confidence is essential; however, Yoon is assuming that people possess unique powers to achieve their objectives.