1.
The story begins with Young-sook as an old woman,
gathering algae on the beach. What secrets or clues about the past and the
present are revealed in the scenes that take place in 2008? Why do we only understand the beginning of
the novel after we have finished it?
- You don’t know that the young girl is
also HER granddaughter.
2.
On page 17, Young-sook’s mother recites a traditional
haenyeo aphorism: Every
woman who enters the sea carries a coffin on her back. But she also says
that the sea is like a mother. (Page 22.) Then, on page 71, Grandmother says,
“The ocean is better than your natal mother. The sea is forever.” How do these
contradictory ideas play out in the novel? What do they say about the dangerous
work of the haenyeo?
- The love/ hate relationship is similar between people as it is with the ocean.
3.
On page 314, Clara recites a proverb attributed
Buddha: To
understand everything is to forgive. Considering the novel as a whole, do you
think this is true? Young-sook’s mother must forgive herself for Yu-ri’s
accident, Young-sook must forgive herself for her mother’s death, Gu-sun
forgives Gu-ja for Wan-soon’s death. On a societal level, the people of Jeju
also needed to find ways to forgive each other. While not everyone on Jeju
has found forgiveness, how and why do you think those communities, neighbors,
and families have been able to forgive? Do you think anything can be forgiven
eventually? Should it? Does Young-sook take too long to forgive
given what she witnessed?
- Can you forgive someone who still has the power to inflict
pain on you? Is forgiveness about yourself or the person you are forgiving? We
spent a lot of time discussing this topic.
4.
Mi-ja carries the burden of being the daughter of a
Japanese collaborator. Is there an inevitability to her destiny just as there’s
an inevitability to Young-sook’s destiny? Another way of considering this
aspect of the story is, are we responsible for the sins of our fathers (or
mothers)? Later in the novel, Young-sook will reflect on all the times Mi-ja
showed she was the daughter of a collaborator. She also blames Yo-chan
for being Mi-ja’s son, as well as the grandson of a Japanese collaborator. Was
Young-sook being fair, or had her eyes and heart been too clouded?
- She was
definitely jaded. We aren’t responsible for our ancestors, but we do have to make
amends when we’ve benefited from what they did. We also have to think about how
others will treat us, knowing historical trauma passes on through generations.
5.
The haenyeo are respected for having a matrifocial
culture—a society focused on women. They work hard, have many responsibilities
and freedoms, and earn money for their households, but how much independence
and power within their families and their cultures do they really have? Are
there other examples from the story that illustrate the independence of women
but also their subservience?
- Mi-Ja has to be subservient to her husband,
while Young-sook has a lot of power in her family and village structure.
6.
What is life like for men married to haenyeo? Compare
Young-sook’s father, Mi-ja’s husband, and Young-sook’s husband.
- They cook and
take care of the babies and bring baby to ocean shore. Women were the
breadwinner and talked brought homr to the bacon.
7.
On page 189, there is mention of haenyo from a
different village rowing by Young-sook’s collective to share gossip. How fast
did information travel around the island and from the mainland? Was the
Five-Day Market a good source of gossip or were other places were more ideal?
On page 201, Jun-bu mentions his concern about believing information broadcast
on the radio, “… but can we trust anything we hear?” Were there specific
instances when information broadcast on the radio was misleading or false? What
impacts how people hear and interpret the news?
- Many people listen
to their friends, not the authority. Netflix is 98% right in suggesting movies.
Yelp is helpful.
8.
Confucianism has traditionally played a lesser role on
Jeju than elsewhere in Korea, while Shamanism is quite strong. What practical
applications does Shamanism have for the haenyeo? Do the traditions and rituals
help the haenyeo conquer the fear and anxieties they have about the dangerous
work they do? Does it bring comfort during illness, death, and other
tragedies? Does Young-sook ever question her beliefs, and why? It is a huge
source of strength and the goddess is important like women are important.
9.
On page 39, Young-sook’s mother recites the aphorism If you plant red beans, then
you will harvest red beans. Jun-bu repeats the phrase on page 199.
How do these two characters interpret the saying? How does this saying
play out for various characters?
- If it quakes like a duck… What you
nurture grows. If you plant bitterness, then you get bitterness.
10.
The aphorism “Deep roots remain tangled underground,” is used to
describe Young-sook’s and Mi-ja’s friendship, and it becomes especially true
when it’s revealed that their children, Joon-lee and Yo-chan, are getting
married. How else does this aphorism manifest itself on Jeju, especially in the
context of the islanders’ suffering and shared trauma? Do you think it’s true
that we cannot remove ourselves from the connections of our pasts?
- I think that’s
why we have historical trauma. Jewish people can’t remove themselves from the
experience of the holocaust and need to protect themselves from anti-Semitism.
Culture of violence stays entangled at roots and you have to remember it in
order to be safe.
11.
On page 120, Young-sook’s mother-in-law, Do-Saeng,
says “There’s modern, and then there’s tradition.” How does daily life on Jeju
change between 1938 and 2008? Discuss architecture, the arrival of the
scientists and the studies they conduct, the introduction of wet suits and
television, etc. How does Young-sook reconcile her traditional haenyeo way of life with
the encroaching modern world? Do you think it’s possible to modernize without
sacrificing important traditional values?
- No, values are based on how you do
things, so you are sacrificing.
12.
The characters have lived through Japanese
colonialism, the Sino-Japanese War, World War II, the Korea War, the 4.3
Incident, and the Vietnam War. How do these larger historic events impact the
characters and island life? Death, degradation, hunger, violence, collaborators,
and colonial powers.
- Location of island is pivotal.
13.
Mi-ja’s rubbings are critical to the novel. How do
they illustrate the friendship between Mi-ja and Young-sook? How do they
help Young-sook in her process of healing? It commemorated much of what they
shared.
- Illiteracy
has an impact of jobs you can do and communication.
