The Kite Fighters

Given that the novel is centered on Young-sup’s aspirations to participate in the kite fights, kites are the most significant symbol in the story. Fundamentally, kites are a symbol of Honor and Tradition, with kite fights a significant cultural element of 15th-century Korea. As a centuries-long ritual, the kite fights show the importance of maintaining cultural identity while also emphasizing the rigid codes of behavior neo-Confucian society enforced. Making and flying kites provides the Lee brothers with a chance to test the boundaries of these codes and imagine a future that is less strict.

For Young-sup, “kite magic” is a source of wonder, escape, and freedom: “The kite was like a part of him—the part that could fly” (13). Confined by the societal expectations of being “second son,” flying kites is when Young-sup feels most capable. For the first time, Young-sup has something he excels at, and has an opportunity to gain his own recognition and represent the Lee family, which is unheard of for a second son.

Young-sup is so passionate about kites that his emotions are directly affected by flying, and the movements of the kite in the sky even mirror Young-sup’s own internal emotional landscape: “[The kite] took a great swooping dive and seemed as surprised as he was” (78), when Young-sup finds out about Kee-sup’s request.