Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities
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Pertanika · Universiti Putra Malaysia Press

Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities

Official journal of Universiti Putra Malaysia for scholarly work across the social sciences, humanities and related interdisciplinary fields.

e-ISSN 2231-8534 ISSN 0128-7702
Research article

Defying Norms and Redefining Identity: Yeong-hye’s Journey in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian

Devika Kakkat and Sulagna Mohanty

KeywordsEcological, identity, resistance, vegetarianism, violence
Article content

Abstract

Rooted in the ostensible noninterventionist South Korean society, Han Kang’s novel The Vegetarian brings forth the atypical narrative of the protagonist Yeong-hye’s resistance and redefinition of identity through embracing vegetarianism. As food functions as an instrumental tool in the outlandish account of Yeong-hye, this paper tries to inspect its impact on shaping her perceptions towards desire, pleasure, sexuality and identity. Through the lens of Vegetarian Ecofeminism, this study attempts to analyze various aspects of violence like ecological, sexual and physical. Hence, by identifying the metaphor of vegetarianism used as a means for self- reclamation and journeying through the protagonist’s uncanny transformation, the paper arrives at a profound comprehension of the protagonist’s complex psyche and an intense exploration of her existential dilemma.