Almond

Seon Yunjae is the protagonist and first-person narrator of Almond. His perspective on the world is heavily shaped by his alexithymia, not just because of how it affects his emotions, but also because the pressure to appear neurotypical molds his development as a person. At the novel’s beginning, he develops certain patterns of behavior because his mother demands them of him; it is only after his mother falls into a coma that he begins to develop into an individual with his own desires, interests, and goals.

Echoing the labels assigned to him by his family, Yunjae characterizes himself as an emotionless “monster,” but the narrative and his inner thoughts reveal a complex person with a unique inner life. His interactions with others show him to be loyal, honest, and stubborn, often to a fault. He is capable of an intense love for others beyond what “normal” people are capable of, as demonstrated by his willingness to die for Gon. Thus, many of Yunjae’s traits of alexithymia are misunderstood by others. Rather than making him a dull and unresponsive character, as others often perceive him, his condition leaves him unable to stop himself or regulate certain responses, like fear.