Symbols and Functions of Four Kinds of Violence in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian

Abstract

Han Kang’s The Vegetarian, acclaimed for its poignant and poetic narrative that delves into historical traumas and the delicacy of human existence, profoundly resonates with the literary community and reshapes readers understanding of societal and humanistic concerns. The novel employs the metaphorical imagery of ‘meat’, ‘knife’, ‘dream’, and ‘breast’ to deconstruct the violent underpinnings of a patriarchal, carnivorous society. This paper examines the plight of women within such a framework through the character of Yeong-hye, leveraging Lakoff and Johnson’s metaphorical analysis to elucidate the nexus between four dimen-sions of violence, namely corporeal, psychological, symbolic, and sexual vio-lence, and Yeong-hyes existential crises and self-imposed incarceration.The cumulative effects of physical and psychological violence engender a pervasive sense of entrapment,catalyzing her retreat into solitude and a quest for identity. Yeong-hye’s metamorphosis into a tree symbolizes a critique of patriarchal con-straints, juxtaposing the arboreal emblem of natural liberty against the oppres-sive structures of patriarchy, thereby articulating a yearning for liberation from such dominance. The narratives rich connotations and aesthetic merits serve as a catalyst for introspection on gender subjugation within patriarchal constructs and the spectrum of resistance strategies available to women.