The Island of Sea Women, Lisa See

Characters
Kim Young-Sook Mother – chief of divers’ collective, died in accident Grandmother Father Siblings – younger sister and brothers Jan-bu – husband, studied in Japan, teacher Min-lee – daughter Sung-soo and Kyung-soo – sons Joon-lee – daughter born after Jan-bu killed Do-saeng – mother’s best friend, Jan-bu’s mother Yu-ri – daughter, injured by octopus during dive Baby divers: Gu-ja and Gu-sun Wan-soon (Gu-sun’s baby)	Mi-ja Aunt and uncle – raised her Sang-mun – husband, worked for Japanese Madame Lee – mother-in-law Yo-chan – son Joon-lee and Yo-chan married Ji-Young “Janet” – daughter Clara – granddaughter Shaman Kim Dr. Park - scientist
Historical Events and Organizations
August-September 1949 Country divided into Republic of Korea (south) and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (north) Northwest Young Men’s Association Bukchen Massacre Young-sook, Min-lee and Kyung-soo survived April 3rd (4.3) Incident – lasted 17 years 2008 – Jeju April 3 Peace Park
Vocabulary
Haenyeo – sea women Water breath – taken before diving Sumbisori – special sound made when breaks water surface and releases air Gal-ot – cloth dyed in unripe persimmon juice; doesn’t retain odor, water resistant, mosquito repellent

NOTE: Page numbers are from the hardback edition of the book.

1. Were you surprised to learn that the women dove through all stages of pregnancy and that it was a very pleasant experience?  If you are a female, would you consider doing that?  What do you think the current medical community would say?
2. What did you think about the complete role reversal in the haenyeo communities?  After her mother’s death, Young-sook thought, “No man was built to shoulder the full weight of feeding and caring for his family. That was why he had a wife and daughters” (page 71).
3. Who was at fault, if anyone, when the following accidents happened?
1. Yu-ri did not listen to mother and went back for the octopus.  Her mother had told Young-sook to stay with Yo-ri but had also called the divers back to the boat.  What should Young-sook have done?  Was it her fault Yu-ri was injured?
2. Young-sook felt guilty about her mother’s death.    Was this feeling justified?
4. When Do-saeng retired, she thought that Young-sook would replace her as head of the collective and thought it was pre-arranged.  However, Gu-ja was the only one nominated.  Why did no one nominate Young-sook after she had been groomed for the job?
5. When Dr. Park and the other scientists came to study the haenyeos, were you surprised that they were not more sensitive to the women’s culture and feelings? Why did the women so readily agree to be studied?
6. When Wan-soon drowned, it was Gu-ja’s responsibility because she was head of the collective and had made a poor choice of where to dive (page 298).  Young-sook though it partly was a result of Dr. Park’s study because “[h]is presence – and that of the other scientists – had rippled out, changing us and how we saw each other” (page 299).  What did she mean?
7. At the Bukchen Massacre, Young-sook asked Mi-ja to save one of her children but she would not.  Young-sook blamed her for what happened to her family (page 234) for the rest of her life.  Was this fair?  Should Young-sook have been more perceptive and understanding of the abusiveness in Mi-ja’s life?  Should she have forgiven as the years passed and Joon-lee married Yo-chan?
8. How did Young-sook’s inability to forgive influence the rest of her life?  Was it possible for her to forgive?   Did you think it was realistic that she would carry it so far that she would not go to Joon-lee’s wedding and did not read the letters from America to know that her daughter had died?   
9. Were you surprised that every girl Joon-lee’s age on the island had been given a copy of Heidi?  The girls read the book to their mothers and sisters and everyone talked about it. Why was that book chosen?  What did the girls and women take away from the book?
10. What did you think about the ending of the story at the opening of the Jeju April 3 Peace Park?  
11. When did you figure out that Clara was Joon-lee’s granddaughter?
12. What emotions did you experience while reading?  Did knowing that Young-sook was alive in 2008 influence how you felt?
13. Did you like the organization of the book – four days in 2008 interspersed throughout the story taking place from 1938 to 1975?

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First Semester Success, 2nd edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available as an eBook and hardcopy from amazon.com and a hardcopy from wordassociation.com.