Formal Analysis
“The Space we Hold” is an interactive web story by Tiffany Hsiung, Chris Kang and Patricia Lee. It shows the testimonies of three of the many women, also known as “comfort women”, who were kidnapped and raped by the Japanese army during World War II. After 70 years, these women came forward to speak their stories. They decided they didn’t want to hide in the past. They want women to learn to not to be ashamed if they were ever in this situation. The documentary brings you through an introduction before it brings you to the first testimony. You have to hold down the space bar throughout to listen to the women. If you need to stop you simply take your finger off the space bar and it pauses where it was at.
The first testimony was Grandma Gil in South Korea. She was the age of 13 when she was kidnapped. Her and her friends were walking down the street and these soldiers told them to follow them and they did. She almost didn’t go but she didn’t want to be left alone so she followed. All of them were beaten and raped multiple times. She said they would punch them in the face if they didn’t listen to what they had to say. They were terrified and away from their families for a long time. They couldn’t run away or cry for help because they would get beaten to death. She returned home awhile later and went on with her life in silence. She was too ashamed and scared to share what had happened to her.
The second testimony was Grandma Cao in China. She was raped almost every night for a year. The soldiers came into their village and made everyone obey. They would barge into peoples homes and grab any girl they wanted and raped them. Sometimes multiple guys and they would take turns. The girls were very young. If the fathers tried to stop it they would shoot them to death. They didn’t have a choice but to let their daughters and wives get raped in their homes. They were terrified. If they cried or screamed or didn’t do what they told them, they would beat them. Grandma Cao was so beaten up that she was never able to bear children. She was too young and her body couldn’t handle it. It was something she had to live with the rest of her life and she was terrified. She didn’t tell anyone because back then it was shameful for a women to get raped. It was embarrassing and society looked down on them as if they weren’t good enough.
The third and the last testimony was Grandma Adela. She was taken when she was 13 years old. Her and her friends were walking down the street when a Jeep pulled up and grabbed them. They were taken away for over 2 years from their families. The first day when she woke up she was bleeding down her legs. She realized she was raped. Her and her friends had to let them do whatever they wanted or else they were beaten. Whenever a new soldier came in, they would take their turns on them. They were raped once, sometimes even twice a day. They returned home over two years later. She didn’t tell her father but she told her mother. Her mother told her not to tell her father or her brothers, because they would disown her. She kept it quiet all her life. She never told her husband either with the fear that he would be ashamed and leave her. She was worried to make the video knowing her children would find out. But she felt the need to have her story spoken so other women wouldn’t feel ashamed anymore and to come forward.
Reading and interacting with this story, made me sick to my stomach. I couldn’t believe what these women went through. They were so strong to share their stories. I couldn’t believe that back then rape victims weren’t cared for. They women said how their fathers and brothers and husbands would be ashamed in them. How can someone be ashamed for something that happened to them when they were forced and young? They had no control, their lives were in danger. I couldn’t imagine being that young and going through that. Then when they were finally free the only thing anyone could one is the support of their family and they couldn’t even get that because they were worried they would be disowned. The fact that the military had that much control over people during world was II in that country is unbelievable.
If you compare today’s criminal justice system, rape is taken very seriously in America. Most countries take it as a serious crime. It isn’t easy for someone to get away with something like that. These women were put through hell and didn’t receive any justice. Them speaking out is encouraging other women to come forward. This year has focused a lot on sexual assault and harassment. It was like during the Golden Globes when all the guests wore black to bring attention to the sexual defense cases against women. Women shouldn’t be afraid of what happened. They are victims that need to be heard to make right in the world. They shouldn’t be looked down on. They didn’t ask for anything like that to happen to them. It’s like someone who has a terminal illness being defined as shameful. They didn’t ask or try to get terminally ill, they couldn’t help it.
These women should be looked at as strong powerful women that put up with a lot. They stood up to their government to make their voices heard and share to the world that even some of the most difficult things in life can pass and you need to speak up.
