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Introduction: 

A Step From Heaven is a realistic fiction of a young Korean immigrant girl, written by An Na, and published in 2001. This novel follows a young Korean immigrant family, from the perspective of a young Korean girl, Young Ju, shows their journey in America. The family is fascinated by “Mi Gook” which is a Korean word for America. When she moves, she realizes and decides that it’s not heaven, but rather “a step from Heaven”. She struggled with cultural adjustment and the language barrier. She also gets a younger brother who she gets jealous of. As she spends more time, she excels in school and becomes friends with Amanda, who Appa, a Korean word for dad, doesn’t like. When she gets caught after she gets dropped off after hanging out with Amanda, her dad beats her and Uhmma, the Korean word for mom, up. Young Ju calls the police and Appa gets arrested. He leaves the family after he is released. The book ends with Young Ju getting a scholarship and buying a house for her family. The book got an award and is known for its realistic truism of a Korean immigrant family. 

Analysis:

The symbolism for “Mi Gook” is heaven before Young Ju, the protagonist, immigrated to America. This is true since the period was in the 1980s, when Korea was still developing. For Koreans, America seemed like a far heaven that Koreans would never reach. However, when she actually went to America, she realized that it was “a step from Heaven”, saying that it is close to Heaven but it isn’t exactly Heaven. They went through numerous struggles such as cultural and environmental adjustment and language barriers. When Young Ju finally started to be fluent in English, the entire family relied on her to translate and explain what was happening. This novel also shows the abusiveness of Appa or Dad. He was getting addicted to alcohol, not to mention his ways of raising children. He shows how his presence dejects the children’s liveliness and changes their personalities to more introverted. He also shows what might be a sign of adultery in the scene where he leaves the family with another woman. This conflict was a burden and oppression for every member of the family. However, the determination of the family showed the success they eventually reached even without Appa. It also shows the courage and responsibility Young Ju has shown throughout how she handles Appa’s abuse and how she is able to call the police in time to stop him from further hurting herself and her mom. The possible themes in the story may be family, overcoming, and the aftereffects of struggle. The book shows the conflicts between the family members in a new environment and how they overcame the challenges that were laid out for them. The aftermath of struggle was their success which showed their hard work. 

Conclusion:

A Step From Heaven is a realistic fiction of a young Korean immigrant girl, written by An Na, and published in 2001. This novel follows a young Korean immigrant family, from the perspective of a young Korean girl, Young Ju, shows their journey in America. The book got an award and is known for its realistic truism of a Korean immigrant family. The book shows three themes: family, overcoming adversities, and the aftermath of struggles and challenges. The author represented each theme by portraying them in the plot of the book. The book had a happy ending, presenting success and family relationships.