Perseverance and Endurance
Tree-ear’s character arc is one met with multiple obstacles that require strong willpower and fortitude. The perseverance and endurance displayed by the protagonist are inspiring bearing in mind the overt signs to give up on his quest. He hopes to learn from the expert potter Min, but rather than teach him first he puts him through hard labor that has nothing to do with pottery. Despite that, he does not give in to the pressure and chooses to keep going on to show his worth. He displays virtues such as gallantry and honesty despite the indifferent nature Min possesses. Eventually, he admits that he cannot actually teach him any pottery skill because customs denies it. The skills have to be passed on from father to son and Tree-ear is not his offspring.
When a commission from the emissary has a possible chance of ending up with Min, Tree-ear takes this opportunity to prove himself. The journey ahead is a treacherous one that even Min cannot tread thus Tree-ear decides to navigate it for a chance to secure the commission. He is attacked by robbers on his way and breaks all the vases that were to be delivered to the emissary. However, rather than just return back home he picks up a single shard with hope than it will be enough. And indeed manages to get the commission for Min with the piece. Tree-ear exhibits such determination and hard work that seem out of this world for a young mind like his.
Family and Sense of Belonging
Apart from pottery, the other important thing to Tree-ear is to achieve a sense of belonging among the people he admires. He is an orphan that has lacked the family he has always wanted but that does not prevent him from searching for it. His guardian, Crane-man took him in at an early age and tried his best to be a father and mentor as a physically disabled individual. While he learns a lot from Crane-man and owes his good morals to him he still feels he is lacking a sense of belonging. He sees himself in the potters around him particularly Min whom he hopes would recruit him as his apprentice. To an extent, he is searching for family and fatherly love in the form of apprenticeship.
Tree-ear yearns for Min to see him as his own and teach him pottery like a father would to his son. However, Min and his wife have known loss since their child died and become closed in with their emotions. Hence Min is initially indifferent and mean to Tree-ear and is not willing to pass on his skills and fatherly love to him. The death of Crane-man even worsens his need to have family and feel a sense of belonging. Luckily, Min eventually gives him the family he has always desired.
Creativity / Artistry
The story centers on the craft of pottery and the intricacy, precision, and craftsmanship that it requires to stand out. The few potters left in the village exhibit their unique tastes, skills, and expertise demonstrating the quest for uniqueness. Therefore such quest comes with the pressures especially when there is a royal commission on the line. As an apprentice Tree-ear desires to learn the skills quickly as possible even becoming borderline obsessive. Tree-ear picks up a trick on how to decorate the vases and attempts to replicate the skill but with unsatisfactory results. The story explores the obsession of an artist in search of perfectionism in their works. The exploration of pottery in the novel illustrates the history of Korean art and the passion that went into the art form.
