Chunhui

Chunhui is one of the multiple protagonists in Whale. When she is born, the first thing Chunhui sees are the twins and Jumbo. While she longs for her mother, Geumbok distances herself from Chunhui because she reminds her of Geokjeong. In her isolation, Chunhui begins communicating with Jumbo. They have nonverbal conversations about love, death, and home. When they are living in Pyeongdae, Geumbok continues to be emotionally distance and Chunhui spends her days with Jumbo. However, when the fishmonger loses control of his truck and strikes Jumbo, Chunhui’s closest friend dies. She struggles to understand that he is no longer present in her life. However, when Geumbok “stuff[s] him, and his form [is] revived, Chunhui instantly [knows] this [is not] the real Jumbo” (191). When her mother and the twins are busy planning for a wedding, Chunhui sets Jumbo’s taxidermized form on fire. The flames...