Lisa See's Interview
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Lisa See's Interview
We had the chance to meet Lisa See, the author of The Island of the Sea Women, in a remote interview. Although her book is a work of fiction, she accurately describes the life of the haenyeo, from the time of the Japanese occupation to the present day.
We asked her a few questions about her inspirations for the novel, her writing process and her encounter with the Haenyeo...
BACK
Q: How did you write your novel? Was it just a figment of your imagination or did you use elements from reality and experience ? :
First of all, Lisa See invites us to browse her website www.lisasee.com to discover her inspirations and especially videos that have marked her work.
In the early stages of her research, the author drew heavily on scientific readings (on the health of the haenyeo, the pain they experience, their ability to hold their breath, etc.). And it was mainly at UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) that she began to find her sources. She also turned to university professors around the world to learn more. She even met a researcher who has been collecting traditional Haenyeo songs for over 40 years.
On site, the Haenyeo Museum also gave her a lot of guidance.
With the female divers, it was a bit trickier. Some of them didn't want to talk, and those who were willing to be interviewed only gave a few short minutes of their time.
But these short interviews with the women are where she gathered the most important fragments for her novel. The women talking about their pregnancies, for example, was an aspect that impressed her a lot.
Q: Before you went into the field, how did you get the idea to write about the Haenyeo ?
Ten years ago, the author was in a doctor's waiting room and on the pages of a magazine, there was a small insert about these famous women divers. This piqued Lisa See's curiosity, and she knew she had to write about them. She was amazed by their abilities and by their matriarchal organisation.
Q : Do you think that the haenyeo feel that they are reclaiming power that has been given to men for too long ?
It is obvious that the Haenyeo's profession allows them to be more in control of their lives, but it is still limited. Indeed, in the past, women could not own property and South Korea remains a very Confucian and therefore very patriarchal country.
Q : Jeju Island is known for the 1948 massacre; is the weight of this history felt within the Haenyeo community?
According to research, a whole society can be affected by post-traumatic stress. And yes, it is undeniable that the Haenyeo community, the people of Jeju and all South Korean citizens were and are affected by this event. There is this feeling all the more because the unspoken words and family secrets were omnipresent and made a whole generation suffer.
The words of a young child may well illustrate this burden : " Why do all these people have the same date of death ? "
Q : You had the chance to meet the Haenyeo, do you think their community is doomed to disappear ?
The fact that South Korean women divers are a UNESCO World Heritage Site makes us think that their tradition is doomed to disappear. In 15 years or so, they are doomed to disappear. It was this urgency that prompted me to start writing this book. Five years after this work, it is already too late to start meeting the community and writing.
There are some young women divers working today, but there are only 400 women divers left, and if there are 10 young people among those 400, it is not enough to maintain the tradition.
Today, young girls have access to education. And these girls have seen their grandmothers and mothers suffer. It is easier and almost essential to go to the city and work in offices to live decently.
Some young women are engaged as artists, but they are there more to perpetuate the memory and tradition of the Haenyeo.
Finally, with climate change, it is increasingly difficult for women divers to make a decent living as resources become scarcer.
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