If you want to understand this drama
try to watch Mr Sunshine. So lets say Sun deok was born around the time Eugene Choi was imprisoned in America.
So, she grew inside the Japanese tyrany era to the Joseon han people.
This drama is soooo sad. The lady did her best but, she was in a wrong era. The hope that kept Mr Sunshine going was the hope in God. The impact of missionary in his life, the hope of heaven, the power of prayer, the confidence that someone is praying for you, sort of.
But for this era, it was the Japanese, and the Japanese have taken over Joseon fully, relgion was abolished since the Japanese were too brutal and don't believe in religion, so the Sun deok had no hope at all. If you listen to the lyric of the hymn, it shows futility in all things. A tired life, hopelessness and helplessness in an hapless system.
The Lady was to choose between singing as pro Japanese or her family will be killed by the Japanese. She had no option at all and ended up sacrificing herself.
Even her people whom she loved dearly betrayed her just because of a baseless rumour. Her parents put her under intense financial pressure, although they were all suffering, but, they didnt consider her at all. Joseon people killed the young lady.
On the other hand, the young master had a greedy Father was only concerned about making money when his people are suffering in abject poverty. The man killed his Son literarily he could not allow this young man to do anything, he could not love freely his heartbeat, he could not write freely, he could not do anything that bring him happiness at al. The old man even married a wife for the young man.
While Japan and korea killed Sundeok, The father of the young master killed his own child through intense frustration.
Very painful drama that you must cry. Grab tissues when watching.