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?
On page 189, there is mention of haenyo from a different village rowing by Young-sook’s collective to share gossip. What is life like for men married to haenyeo? Compare Young-sook’s father, Mi-ja’s husband, and Young-sook’s husband. 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? 
The haenyeo are respected for having a matrifocial culture-a society focused on women. Was Young-sook being fair, or had her eyes and heart been too clouded? She also blames Yo-chan for being Mi-ja’s son, as well as the grandson 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. Mi-ja carries the burden of being the daughter of a Japanese collaborator. 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 anythingcan be forgiven eventually? Should it? Does Young-sook take too long to forgive given what she witnessed? 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. Later, on page 314, Clara recites a proverb attributed Buddha: To understand everything is to forgive. To what extent is she responsible for these sad events? Is her sense of guilt justified? What effect does this incident have on various characters moving forward: Mother, Young-sook, Mi-ja, Do-seang, Gu-ja, Gu-sun, and Jun-bu? Young-sook is also involved in the tragic death of her mother. The silent patient book club questions by chapter full#
In the first full chapter, Yu-ri has her encounter with the octopus.
In many ways, the novel is about blame, guilt, and forgiveness. 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? (.) Then, on page 71, Grandmother says, “The ocean is better than your natal mother. 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. Discuss the ways in which female relationships are depicted and the important role they play on Jeju. When Young-sook and Mi-ja are fifteen, 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.” () 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. 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? The story begins with Young-sook as an old woman, gathering algae on the beach. 
We hope that this guide will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book. This reading group guide for The Island of Sea Womenincludes discussion questions and ideas for enhancing your book club.
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