Interview with William Andrews, author of Daughters of the Dragon
Daughters of the Dragon, a novel by William Andrews, of many girls who were forced into sexual slavery, sold more than 200 thousand copies in the U.S alone, spreading awareness about this atrocity. Andrews, also the author of The Essential Truth, shared his personal story of how he got involved in resolving the controversies of comfort women.
(Ewha Voice hereinafter E, Andrews hereinafter A)
E. What made you interested in the “comfort women” issue?
A. My daughter was adopted from Korea, and since it is where our daughter was born, my wife and I have a vested interest in the country. I was fascinated by the Korean story and was shocked to learn about “comfort women,” about how this issue was hidden for so long. This instigated me to the idea of telling Korea’s story through the eyes of a “comfort woman.”
E. Are there specific features of the story you would like to emphasize?
A. The book is in three parts - the brutal Japanese occupation, the communist takeover in the north, and the capitalist South. Through this structure, I wanted to imply that it wasn’t just the Japanese military that hurt these victims.
E. Are there messages you would like to send to our readers?
A. It is important that we don’t forget atrocities committed in the past and just let some people sweep it aside, whether it is from the wrongful value of the ones with the power or for political reasons. We need to learn from our past to prevent repeating our mistakes and barbarities.
Reporter: Kim Ka-young