A Book Review on Han Kang’s The Vegetarian

Through exploring the complexity of desires and individualism in the South Korean society, Han Kang questions human nature through a story about a woman who becomes a vegetarian.

If we reduce our desire, a medium for power and satisfaction, will we be able to avoid being controlled by it to the extent where we could harm others so that we could live a blameless life?

This is the question proposed by the South Korean author Han Kang in her novel, The Vegetarian. The story follows the life of Yeong-hye, a part-time graphic artist and housewife who wakes up one day and decides to stop eating meat after having nightmares about animals slaughter and human cruelty. This sudden change of lifestyle affects her relationships with the people in her life. Han Kang uses the action of quitting meat to question the concept of violence and if it is possible to put an end to human brutality. Instead of giving absolute answers, she tends to give the readers the space to decide for themselves.

The novel consists of three parts; “The Vegetarian”, “Mongolian Mark”, and “Flaming Trees”. Each part deals with Yeong-hye’s unsteady relationships with one of her family members. Han Kang purposely makes the three parts narrated by anyone but Yeong-hye herself even though it’s her own life we’re reading about. This storytelling method reinforces the lack of humans’ ability to have an objective perception regarding the people in their lives. We’re often caught up with ideas of other people that were created by our subconscious, fueled by our desires. Although desire makes us move forward and helps us find our direction and meaning for our lives, the paradoxical nature of desire isn’t something to overlook. It can make us ego-centric while attempting to satisfy it, as we can see while reading The Vegetarian.

Another topic questioned in the novel is individualism. Individualism is a complex dilemma within the South Korean society. Becoming a vegetarian is perceived as a disturbance of the harmony, rather than freedom of choice, in a society where meat plays an important role in its cuisine, and sharing meals nourishes intimate relationships. This is emphasized in the changes that occur to the relationship dynamics between Yeong-hye and her family members, especially her father, who resembles a traditional South Korean figure whose anger is triggered by his daughter’s individualistic decision.

Thus, individualism is usually threatened in a society like the South Korean, where the group’s welfare is highly prioritized. Such commitment to collectivism can force the person to hide their identity; otherwise, they’ll be subjected to criticism or violence, because their individualistic characteristics are deemed as an act of rejection of traditions and unity. According to the Korean Vegetarian Union, the number of vegetarians is estimated to be 1.5 million, which takes up about only 3% of the Korean population, making them a minority. Lee Won-bok, the head of the organization, said that he’d seen people quit their jobs or end their relationships since their decision to become a vegetarian makes them feel abandoned within the society[i][ii].

Having won the Man Booker International Prize in 2016 for The Vegetarian, Han Kang made a name for herself internationally despite having released the novel back in 2007, partly thanks to her English translator Deborah Smith.

References:

[i] https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2010/08/11/features/The-challenges-and-rewards-of-being-vegetarian-in-Korea/2924525.html

[ii] http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170616000617#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWith%20the%20advent%20of%20the,of%20the%20Korea%20Vegetarian%20Union