Jahodova 1

Nicolle Jahodova

Mrs. Stewart

English Pre-AP, Period 2

20 September 2018

Friendship and War

In the short story “Cranes,” by Hwang Sunwon, the author expresses his message

that war should never divide two friends that have a substantial bond. Tokchae tells

Songsam about his family life and Songsam “had difficulty swallowing a laugh that he

was about to let burst forth in spite of himself” (36). Tokchae and Songsam find a

moment to share a laugh, showing they still enjoyed each other's presence. Tokchae was

talking about his family life showing they still had a strong bond and could talk about

anything despite the war. Songsam had to choose between escorting his friend to another

station or freeing him so he “untied Tokchae’s hands and was already crawling through

the weeds” (37). Songsam did not let any conflicts of the war obstruct their friendship,

and let Tokchae free instead of taking him to prison for an unlawful reason. Songsam

showed his love for Tokchae as he had to decide between following orders or keeping a

strong friendship. Tokchae does not understand what is happening at first but “only then

did Tokchae understand” and he started to run for his freedom as a “pair of Tanjong

cranes soared high into the clear blue autumn sky, flapping their huge wings” (37).
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Tokchae had realized that Songsam knew that their friendship was more relevant than

any orders made by war. He also realized that he gained freedom, which means that if

any officials found out, Songsam would get sent to jail. Songsam choose Tokchae's life

over his own. Overall, even though war has an impact on individuals, if two friends have

a loyal bond then they will be able to overcome any struggles together.