When authors give shout outs to other great works, people, and events, it's usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
Literary and Philosophical References
- Heraclitus, "Character is destiny," attributed to Kim Il Sung (184)
- Juche (throughout text). For an "official" definition of this philosophy (from the DPRK itself) see here. For an external definition, try here.
- Songun Policy (292)
- Scarcity and Distribution (198)
Historical References
- Daejeon Prison (440)
- The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) (9)
- Chollima campaigns (9)
- The Arduous March (9)
- Haesong Dam and the bombing of other hydroelectric plants during Korean War (440)
- The International Space Station (78-79, 143)
- General Douglas MacArthur (251)
- No Gun Ri Massacre (440)
- Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery and the 114 Grand Martyrs of the Revolution (7, 212, throughout)
Pop Culture References
- Casablanca and Ingrid Bergman (126)
- Blackwater (a.k.a. Xe and Academi) (127)
- kimilsungia and kimjongilia (291)
- Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble and "Reunification Rainbow" (381)
- Stockholm syndrome (329)