L Y N N’s Comments (group member since Nov 10, 2018)

L Y N N’s comments from the Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge group.

Allie wrote: "Is anyone bothered by the phrase "a baby slipped right out of me"? Do you think the author chose to phrase it like that, since it brings to mind fluidity?"
Well, that never happened to me nor to anyone I've known very well! However, I did hear Seth Myers talking about his wife's experience with her first two deliveries: the first in an Uber (or other ride provider) and the second in the lobby of the NYC building! Yikes! Sounds like that might be how she would describe it? :)

Jessica wrote: "I just reached the part where Young-sook gets married.

Does anyone else find it interesting that a male heir is still preferred even though the women are the ones who make the money?"
Wow. Definitely not what I would expect.

Jessica wrote: "1. Have you read any other of Lisa See's books? If so, what was your reaction to it/them?
No I haven't."
Neither have I!

2. What expectations do you have for this book knowing that it could be used to fulfill POPSUGAR 2022 prompt #3 A book about or set in a nonpatriarchal society?
I honestly expected it to be completing based in fiction as I could not think of many nonpatriarchal societies."
Neither could I, at least not in the present day...

"3. Have you already fulfilled this prompt? Or do you have a different book selected for prompt #3?
Nope, I'm reading this one."
Ditto!

"4. Nonpatriarchal society: a society where men are not the ones holding power. Do you have any thoughts regarding the fact that there are very few such societies/cultures in our world today?
It's not surprising, but also I wish it wasn't the case. I think we have made strides towards equal societies in modern times, but we still have a long way to go."
I would agree.

"5. Do you believe societies around the world could evolve into nonpatriarchal societies? Or do you believe men will retain power, and thereby control?
I hope for more forward progress toward them, but again I wouldn't be surprised to see this progress be slow and hard fought for."
Indeed...

#16
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?

#15
The characters have lived through Japanese colonialism, the Sino-Japanese War, World War II, the Korean War, the 4.3 Incident, and the Vietnam War.

How do these larger historic events affect the characters and island life?

#14
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, and other changes.

How does Young-sook reconcile her traiditional haenyeo way of life with the encroaching modern world?

Do you think it's possible to modernize without sacrificing important traditional values?

#13
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?

#12
At first it would seem that the visit of the scientists to the island is a digression. What important consequences does the visit have for Young-sook and the other haenyeo?

#11
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 this saying?

How does it play out for various other characters?

#10
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 fears and anxieties they have about their dangerous work?

Does it bring comfort during illness, death, and other tragedies?

Does Young-sook ever question her beliefs, and why?

#9
On page 189, there is mention of haenyeo 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 there other places that were better?

On page 201, Jun-bu mentions his concern about believing any source of news. Were there specific instances when information that was being dispersed was misleading or false?

What effects how people hear and interpret the news?

#8
What is life like for men married to haenyeo?

Compare Young-sook's father, Mi-ja's husband, and Young-sook's husband.

#7
The haenyeo are respected for having a matrifocal 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?

#6
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 father (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?

#5
On page 314, Clara recites a proverb attributed to 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 Gy-ja for Wan-soon's death.

On a societal level, the people Jeju also needed to find ways to forgive each other. While not everyone on Jeju has found forgiveness, how and why do you think these 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?

#4
In many ways the novel is about blame, guilt, and forgiveness. In the first full chapter, Yu-ri has her encounter with the octopus.

What effect does this incident have on various characters moving forward: Mother, Young-sook, Mi-Ja, Do-saeng, Gu-ja, Gu-sun, and Jun-bu.

Young-sook is also involved in the tragic death of her mother. To what extent is she responsible for these sad events?

Is her sense of guilt justified?

#3
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 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?

#2
When Young-sook and Mi-Ja are 15, Young-sook's mother says to them: "You are like sisters, and I expect you to take care of each other today and every day as those tied by blood would do" (page 13)

How are these words of warning?

The friendship between Young-sook and Mi-Ja is just one of many examples of powerful female relationships in the novel. Discuss the ways in which female relationships are depicted and the important role they play on Jeju.

#1
The story begins with Young-sook as an old woman, gathering algae on the beach. What secrets or clues about the past and present are revealed in the scenes that take place in 2008?

Why do we understand the beginning of the novel only after we have finished reading it?

Okay, guys! My weekend time was again very limited, but I now have my copy in hand and will begin reading tonight!

And...finally, some questions! :)

I am going to post one question per comment. That way you can kinda pick and choose what you are interested in discussing.

These are the discussion questions at the back of the paperback edition.