Grass

Keum Suk Gendry-Kim's Grass stands as a powerful graphic memoir that chronicles the harrowing experiences of Lee Ok-sun, a survivor of the Japanese military's comfort women system during World War II. Published in South Korea in 2017 and translated into English in 2019, this work combines oral testimony with stark visual storytelling to illuminate one of history's most devastating instances of systematic sexual violence against women.

The narrative unfolds through extended conversations between the author and Lee Ok-sun, who was forcibly taken from her home in Korea at age fifteen and subjected to sexual slavery in Japanese military brothels across China. Gendry-Kim employs a documentary approach, allowing Lee's voice to guide the reader through her childhood in Japanese-occupied Korea, the traumatic years of enslavement, and the long decades of silence that followed liberation. The graphic memoir format proves particularly effective in conveying both the intimate details of personal suffering and the broader historical context of imperial Japan's exploitation of Korean women.

Gendry-Kim's artistic style employs simple black and white illustrations that eschew excessive detail in favor of emotional clarity. The sparse linework and minimalist backgrounds serve to focus attention on the faces and gestures of the characters, particularly Lee Ok-sun herself. This aesthetic choice reflects the difficulty of depicting such traumatic material while maintaining respect for the survivor's dignity. The visual restraint allows the horror of the events to emerge through suggestion rather than explicit representation, making the work accessible to a broad readership while never diminishing the gravity of the subject matter.

The structure of Grass moves fluidly between past and present, interweaving scenes from Lee's experiences during the war with moments from the author's interviews with her. This temporal layering demonstrates how trauma persists across decades, shaping the survivor's entire life. The narrative reveals not only the violence Lee endured during her years of captivity but also the profound isolation and shame she experienced upon returning to Korea, where social stigma prevented many survivors from speaking openly about their ordeals. The book documents Lee's eventual decision to join other survivors in publicly testifying about their experiences, a movement that gained momentum in the 1990s as elderly women began breaking decades of silence.

One of the work's most significant contributions lies in its contextualization of individual suffering within broader patterns of colonial violence and gender-based oppression. Gendry-Kim incorporates historical background about Korea's colonization by Japan, the development of the comfort women system, and the postwar erasure of these crimes from official narratives. The book addresses the ongoing political tensions surrounding this history, including disputes over reparations and recognition, though it remains firmly centered on Lee Ok-sun's personal testimony rather than political argumentation.

The graphic memoir also explores themes of memory, testimony, and bearing witness. Gendry-Kim portrays herself within the narrative as an active listener, occasionally interjecting with questions or reflections on the interview process. This meta-narrative element acknowledges the constructed nature of documentary storytelling while reinforcing the authenticity of Lee's testimony. The relationship between interviewer and subject becomes part of the story itself, highlighting the importance of creating space for survivors to share their experiences on their own terms.

Grass demonstrates the unique capabilities of the graphic memoir format to address historical trauma. The combination of visual and textual elements allows for multiple modes of understanding, as readers process both the words of testimony and the emotional weight conveyed through imagery. The medium proves particularly effective in depicting the passage of time, the fragmentation of traumatic memory, and the embodied nature of suffering. Sequential art enables Gendry-Kim to show rather than simply tell, creating moments of quiet devastation that resonate long after reading.

The work stands as both an important historical document and a deeply human portrait of resilience and survival. Lee Ok-sun emerges as a fully realized individual whose life cannot be reduced to her victimization, even as the book refuses to minimize the magnitude of the injustices she endured. Her participation in activist movements and her willingness to share her story represent acts of courage that continue to influence contemporary discussions about wartime sexual violence and the treatment of survivors.

Grass contributes to a growing body of literature that seeks to preserve the testimonies of comfort women survivors before their generation passes away. As a work of memorial and documentation, it serves an essential function in ensuring these histories remain accessible to future generations. The book's translation into multiple languages has helped bring international attention to this chapter of World War II history, challenging narratives that have marginalized or erased the experiences of Asian women during the conflict.