Comment on theme

Storytelling is a motif woven throughout this novel. Keller treats storytelling not only as a tool through which she expresses meaning to the reader, but also as a tool through which Lily and Halmoni – her characters – express meaning to each other. Thus, the reader begins to understand that storytelling is, besides being a tool used by the author to impart meaning, also a central pillar of Korean culture and the way in which culture and identity are passed on in the Reeves family.