What is the main conflict in Dictee by Theresa Hak Kyung Cha?

"Dictee" is set in the world, primarily in the Eastern Hemisphere which contains Asia, during the first half of the twentieth century. This atmosphere is one which is made of oppression and violence as detailed by the subjection of women to men and the wars that cause many Koreans to be exiled from their homes due to the occupation of Japan within Korea. The violent and oppressive nature of war is highlighted by the prohibition on Koreans to speak their native tongue; they are forced to speak Japanese upon penalty of death. Many of the poems and narratives within this collection do not specify the setting in which they occur, but one can assume that they are also set primarily in the Eastern Hemisphere as are the pieces that provide detailed settings.