Log 4

Book introduction

    Because the last book was due, I chose a different one to do log 4. The book is a contemporary novel called "The Vegetarian" by Han-Kang. I was curious about the book's name and thought this was just a book about someone becoming vegetarian because of religion or familial reasons. However, after reading through this book, I realized that this book is not about the benefits of being vegetarian like other books, it's about the reasons behind it and the reflections of why the protagonist is doing it.

    This book describes the story of a young female named Yeong-hye. She suddenly decided to become a vegetarian because of a dream, throwing all the meat and animal produce in her house. She has a husband, Mr. Cheong. He thinks her actions are incomprehensible and unreasonable, but her actions imply a deeper meaning about Korean society. 

Chapter one

    Chapter one was from Yeong-hye's husband's perspective, who described her as an ordinary and submissive woman. Their regular life took a sudden turn when Yeong-hye decided to become a vegetarian after having a series of dreams involving meat, violence, and blood. This decision infuriated her husband and caused conflict. Her husband never tried to understand her decision and called her a crazy woman.

    The situation escalated when Mr, Cheong called Yeong-hye's family, telling her parents and sister about her situation. Her family invited the couple to a family dinner. During the dinner, her mother sister, and brother tried to persuade her to obey her father, but Yeong-hye's rebellion turned the situation into a violent scene. Her father tried to force her to eat meat, then she tried to cut her own wrist to end her own life as a response. Even though she was sent to the hospital and survived, this event was a major twist in Yeong-hye's life.

    Along with the change in eating habits, she often didn't wear a bra at home, and she took off all her clothes and basked in the sun in the yard while she was hospitalized, acting like she was doing the photosynthesis process. The reason for it was because she wanted to look asexual. She didn't want to express her feminine traits. Plants looked asexual, and by taking her clothes off, she was closer to merging with nature.

    During the story, there are occasional recalls of memory further exposing the deeper struggles she faces. For example, she remembered she was bitten by a dog when she was a child. When her father found out, he forced the dog to run until it died of exhaustion, and he cooked the dog and let Yeong-hye eat it. This left a trauma in Yeong-hye's heart, she was forced to watch and eat the dog's meat, symbolizing the acceptance of her father's dominance and violence. From this event, her abnormal behavior exposed the problems with this family and led her relationship with her family and husband to fall apart.

Reflection

    Chapter one highlighted the oppression Yeong-hye faced in this patriarchal society through her struggles. Her decision to become a vegetarian was not only a personal choice but also an act of rebellion against the societal expectations added to her as a woman. This chapter emphasizes how her family, especially her father and husband, see her as someone who must conform to traditional roles of obedience and submission. When Yeong-hye refused to comply, she was met with anger and violence, showing the social norm of controlling women’s freedom.

    The chapter also reflects on how such systems of oppression are normalized. Yeong-hye’s husband saw her solely as a tool. Him shouting at her when she was acting too slow, ignored her when she cut her finger, and raped her even if she fought back. These actions indicated his lack of emotional connection or respect for her individuality. From the relationships of the family members, and how they were treated, we can see the father's dominance in the family. The mother and sister were timid and obeyed, they tried their best to persuade Yeong-hye because they had experienced violence. Her brother, Yeong-ho, also experienced beating but was less than other children because he helped with cooking. Yeong-hye was beaten the most out of them because she always stayed silent. Her silence and withdrawal suggest a deeper sense of resistance to the societal expectations she can no longer tolerate. This chapter sets the tone for the cost of challenging and rejecting societal norms in a deeply patriarchal society.