The Dead Eye and the Deep Blue Sea: A Graphic Memoir of Modern Slavery
by Vannak Anan Prum
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Description
"Too poor to pay his pregnant wife's hospital bill, Vannak Anan Prum left his village in Cambodia to seek work in Thailand. Men who appeared to be employers on a fishing vessel promised to return him home after a few months at sea, but instead Vannak was hostaged on the vessel for four years of hard labor. Amid violence and cruelty, including frequent beheadings, Vannak survived in large part by honing his ability to tattoo his shipmates--a skill he possessed despite never having been show more trained in art or having had access to art supplies while growing up. As a means of escape, Vannak and a friend jumped into the water and, hugging empty fish-sauce containers because they could not swim, reached Malaysia in the dark of night. At the harbor, they were taken into a police station . . . then sold by their rescuers to work on a plantation. Vannak was kept as a laborer for over a year before an NGO could secure his return to Cambodia. After five years away, Vannak was finally reunited with his family. Vannak documented his ordeal in raw, colorful, detailed illustrations, first created because he believed that without them no one would believe his story. Indeed, very little is known about what happens to the men and boys who end up working on fishing boats in Asia, and these images are some of the first records. In regional Cambodia, many families still wait for men who have disappeared across the Thai border, and out to sea. The Dead Eye and the Deep Blue Sea is a testament to the lives of these many fishermen who are trapped on boats in the Indian Ocean."--Provided by publisher. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
A fascinating firsthand account of a Cambodian man who was victim to human trafficking and forced labor. A self-taught artist, Prum has produced a grown-up picture book, with each page featuring one or two large, color images and a block of type-set text recounting his misery aboard fishing vessels where human life has far less value than the cargo iced down in the hold.
There is some occasional awkwardness in the art, writing, and coordination of the two, but that is overridden by the truth being told, the corruption being exposed, and the suffering revealed.
There is some occasional awkwardness in the art, writing, and coordination of the two, but that is overridden by the truth being told, the corruption being exposed, and the suffering revealed.
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Graphic Memoirs by Women
175 works; 6 members
Author Information
1 Work 36 Members
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2018-06-26
- People/Characters
- Vannak Anan Prum; Sokun; Rus; K'nack; Chaya; Theara (show all 9); Manfred Hornung; Prak Socheat; Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Important places
- Cambodia; Malaysia; Angkor Wat, Cambodia; Siem Reap, Cambodia; Battambang, Cambodia; Malai, Cambodia (show all 11); Thailand; Indonesia; Balingian, Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- First words
- A stranger enters the village.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)This is my true story.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 36
- Popularity
- 801,601
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (4.38)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 2
