Reflections on a Mask: Two Novellas

Reflections on a Mask explores the disillusionment and search for identity of a young man in the post-Korean War era. A war veteran and writer, Min finds his life unfulfilled until he stumbles upon a mysterious organization that offers a procedure to aid in his search for his true nature. In the resultant hypnotic journey to a mythical Indian kingdom, Min pursues a warrior princess, whose "mask" he must take as his own.

Christmas Carol uses the themes of hope and salvation to examine relationships within a patriarchal Korean family, with clashes among traditional and modern values, including Western religion, as a backdrop. Three vignettes provide provocative, at times humorous, insights on the bond between father and son; two episodes explore the hollowness of religious sanctity during the post-war curfew.