H Mart (Symbol)
H Mart is a symbol of Zauner's memories of her mother. H Mart is a specialty food store that carries various Korean groceries. In the beginning of the book, Zauner talks about how she often ends up crying in the aisles of the store, as different people and foods set off her recollections of her mother. H Mart becomes one of the last avenues through which she can feel close to her mother after her death. In this way, the store represents her enduring connection to her mother.
Kimchi Fermentation (Allegory)
In the book, the fermentation of cabbage into kimchi appears as an allegory for the grieving process. After discovering a cache of photographs her mother took, Zauner goes into great detail about how kimchi is made, describing how it is fermented in jars. She says while cabbage normally just decays with time, this process gives it a meaningful second life. She then says that she feels she is going to do the same thing with her memories of her mother, embracing them and not simply letting them vanish. She believes that it is her job to give these memories a second life, just like the cabbage.
Jatjuk (Symbol)
Jatjuk is a Korean porridge. Zauner learns how to cook it shortly after returning from Vietnam. When she eats it, she says she experiences a fullness that had eluded her for weeks. She says that despite all the expensive meals she ate in Vietnam and all the hearty American meals she made, this was the only thing that really satisfied her hunger. Like other foods in the book, jatjuk is symbolic of the unique comfort that Korean food provides Zauner with.
Illness (Motif)
Illness appears as a major motif throughout the book. Before Zauner's mother dies, one of her aunts and her grandmother are diagnosed with cancer and die. In both of these cases, Illness is framed as something both unexpected and inevitable, suddenly causing pain and loss without forewarning. When her mother is diagnosed, Zauner struggles to reckon with the fact that she, who has been extremely healthy for years, is suddenly faced with such a terrible situation.
Album Cover (Symbol)
When Zauner releases Psychopomp under her new band name, Japanese Breakfast, she chooses an image of her mother as the cover. The album deals with Zauner's memories of her mother as well as her grieving such a great loss. She is very moved when she sees the number of people holding the vinyl copy of the album in Seoul, as it makes her feel as though her mother is still present. In this way, the cover symbolizes the way she has preserved a part of her mother through her music.
