Log 6

Chapter three

    Chapter Three is narrated by In-hye, Yeong-hye's older sister, as she reflects on the chaos happening in her family due to Yeong-hye's behavior. In-hye struggles with her own depression while taking care of her son and dealing with great distress from her husband's affair with Yeong-hye. She often saw the illusion of her eye bleeding and thought of suicide when she was on the train platform, but she held the thoughts back because she still had a son.

    As for Yeong-hye, she was sent to the mental hospital, but refused to eat and expressed her belief that she was transforming into a plant. She did a handstand in the hallway for half an hour and said that her arms were roots, and branches were growing from her crotch. In-hye visited her sister occasionally and every time she saw Yeong-hye, she was getting worse and worse. She didn't even eat fruits and vegetables anymore. Seeing her like this, she struggled with feelings of guilt, helplessness, and a deep sense of connection to her behavior. She thought that what if she stopped her father that day, would Yeong-hye not end up like this? She recalled something Yeong-hye said as a child as well. When she was lost in the woods, she said "It would be better if I could stay out here." She didn't think much of it at that time, but now thinking of it, adding up the one time Yeong-hye escaped the hospital and went into the woods, it all made sense to her. She begins to question her own life choices, especially the sacrifices she has made to fulfill her role as a wife and mother in this society.
    

    In the end, when she saw her sister painfully resisting the nasogastric tube being shoved down her throat, she snapped and tried stopping the doctor and nurses. Yeong-hye was being transferred to a different hospital, in the ambulance, In-hye watched the trees outside, and they were in flames.

Reflection

    Chapter three dived into In-hye's life after the series of events. It explored how societal expectations can break a person's spirit. In-hye's reflections in the mirror revealed her inner conflicts as she struggled with her own suffering while trying to care for Yeong-hye. Her depression mirrored Yeong-hye's, but while Yeong-hye externalized her resistance to societal pressures through her physical transformation, In-hye internalized her pain, leading to emotional numbness and self-doubt.

    Yeong-hye's belief that she is becoming a plant represents a complete rejection of humanity and its oppressive systems. Her transformation symbolized a desire for freedom and purity, though it came at the cost of her physical and mental health. If she couldn't escape from this body made of meat, for her, it wasn't true freedom. Therefore, she sought a way to live like a plant. Even if it seemed absurd in normal people's eyes. For In-hye, Yeong-hye's state forced her to confront her own suppressed desires for escape and individuality. Finally, when she saw the trees in flames, it symbolized the possibility of resistance, a motivation to fight against the social norms in the Korean patriarchal society

Thoughts on this book

    When I was reading this book, all I felt was discomfort, disgust, and distress. It's written in a very soft but depressing manner. You would see the situation escalating before your eyes, but the only thing you can do is watch. All the pain and suffering of the characters clearly showed before you. The realistic description of the dreams, actions, and memories touched up the story and it's what made this novel beautiful. It's the first novel I've finished reading. The arrangement of this story pulled me deep into the swirl, the more I read, the more I want to find out what happens next. There are even parts that I went back to carefully read again because it gives a different feeling after you know the full context. Like what was the meat symbolizing here, why did Yeong-hye's dreams involve killing and cannibalism? It made me deeply reflect on the Korean society. We have heard events like Nth Room Case, and the 4B movement originated from Korea. They showed the gender inequality and the exploitation women faced. It's insane that women have fought for their rights for hundreds of years, and now in 2024, we haven't reached true gender equality. I support feminism but aim for the goal of gender equality. Being misandristic is not a way, and I hope I can see the day when women in Korea and other places can be free of violence and exploitation.