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Phoebe Heo
9H/Period 6
11/20/19

Comfort Women: A Battle Fought in the Shadows of World War II

By Phoebe Heo

Masses of women and girls fought their own battles amidst the infamous World War II, a silent

struggle lived everyday of their time in what were known as comfort stations. Comfort stations were

where the comfort women lived and served as prostitutes for Japanese soldiers. The term “comfort

woman” refers to girls and women subjegated into sex slavery to the Japanese military from pre-World

War II until the year after the war had ended. These comfort women were either tricked or simply

abducted into years upon years of abuse. Most of the comfort women were Korean, but that does not

mean that women and girls from other Japanese occupied countries were not included in the enslavement

that would shake the world with its controversy.

The term that belonged to more than 200,000 girls and women, was unable to shine as what it was

until decades later, the silence was broken, and the voices of the comfort women sung of their tragic

stories. Even then, the reality of the lives they had lived were denied until decades after that. Commented [1]: great diction

The comfort stations were introduced to the Japanese military the year 1932. These comfort

stations were not known to the public and were kept that way even after the stations were discontinued.

During the year 1937, two years before WWII, the Japanese military led a massacre in China. The

massacre was six weeks-long, and as many of the people of China dead, the Japanese soldiers had also

left behind living who embodied dead souls. An estimated 20,000 to 80,000 Chinese women were raped

throughout the massacre. The incident received a lot of negative international attention, and the Emperor

of Japan was concerned about how the event would reflect Japan’s image. Because of his concern, it was

made so that the number of comfort stations grew so an incident like before wouldn’t repeat itself.
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Many of the comfort women were recruited during World War II. The War held a significant role

in the enslavement of the women. The comfort stations had expanded, but WWII had created a snowball

effect on the expansion.

Although World War II had expanded the comfort stations, the end of the war in 1945 did not

discontinue them. What did result at the end of the war, however, were mass murders of the victims of the

mass sexual enslavement. Many of the comfort women were killed after the war, and those who survived

still struggled after being freed. Social rejection was big in the play of a surviving comfort woman’s

struggle. Having being a comfort woman was considered shameful in the many communities that

belonged to the Japanese-occupied countries.

The year 1946 was the year the comfort stations were at last brought to an end. After the war,

Japan had offered to set up comfort stations for the U.S. military, and after it being acknowledged as well

as approved by the U.S. occupation authorities, the system continued. The stations were not only used by

the Japanese, but were used by the U.S. military as well. The comfort stations continued for a year after

the war until Douglas MacArthur, a U.S. general, finally discontinued the system.

Although the comfort women system had ended, the controversy surrounding the topic is still

very alive to this day. Compensation and other issues have sparked from the controversy, and the history

of comfort women will remain unhidden.

Double-Feature Articles Scoring Guide

Rubric Categories Expectations Possible Scores Score

Focus Articles each have a clear, unique focus that is connected Mastery 25 22
by an overarching idea. Each article creatively introduces Skilled 22
the topic in a way that engages and orients the reader. Proficient 19
Each paragraph creatively integrates information about the Developing 16
topic in a way that appropriately informs the reader. Each Inadequate 13
article ends with a clear conclusion.

Diction/Word Choice The author’s word choice is formal and remains in the Mastery 25 22
objective tone throughout both articles. The author uses Skilled 22
specific diction to appropriately explain their topic and Proficient 19
provide details in a way that is interesting and engaging to Developing 16
the reader. Inadequate 13
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Organization Each article clearly uses a specific text structure that Mastery 25 22
makes it easy to follow the information provided. Author Skilled 22
uses various transitional phrases and/or words to signal Proficient 19
shifts in ideas, time, events, etc. Each article flows Developing 16
cohesively and in a way that is engaging for the reader. Inadequate 13

Conventions LANGUAGE: grace and economy of expression; Mastery 25 22

conscious choice of language; vivid, precise, original Skilled 22
word choice. Proficient 19
Developing 16
MECHANICS: mastery of conventions of edited Standard Inadequate 13
English.