The Vegetarian is a novel written by Han Kang, a South Korean writer and published in 2007. Its English translation was made available only from 2015, after which it has managed to make a big impact among English speaking readers. Kang wrote the novel in three parts, and the entire novel is based on a short story she had written back in 1997 called “The Fruit of My Woman”. The novel follows the story of a part-time graphic artist and home-maker Yeong-hye, whose life takes a drastic as well as a dramatic turn after a bloody nightmare leads her to become a vegetarian.
The novel is in three parts, “The Vegetarian”, “Mongolian Mark” and “Flaming Trees”. The first part “The Vegetarian” is narrated by Yeong-hye’s husband Mr. Choeng. In the very first line of the novel, Mr. Choeng describes his wife as being “completely unremarkable in every
way” and after reading a few pages, it’s evident that he wants Yeong-hye to be a submissive housewife who will tend to his needs no matter what. And for a while, this is exactly what happens. But one day, this thin sheet of a seemingly ordinary life comes crashing down as Young-hye decides to rid their entire house of meat and turn into a vegetarian (more accurate term would be vegan- as she doesn’t eat dairy or use leather either). This, of course, doesn’t sit well with Mr. Choeng who was used to having his say in the house. Even after repeated rebukes, Yeong-hye is adamant in remaining vegetarian and you can see the frustration in Mr. Choeng’s thoughts.
This, I think was a direct but perhaps a little dramatic reflection of the patriarchy still embedded in Asian culture where women, rather than being unique individuals- are expected to exist only in relation to their husbands or men around them. When Yeong-hye refuses to eat meat in a special meeting when dining with Mr. Choeng’s boss, we hear him victimizing himself- disgusted by how Yeong-hye brought shame to him by not eating food offered by his superiors as well as not keeping up the facade of being “extra” grateful and social.
At this point, as a reader, one is rooting for Yeong-hye in her quest to do something for herself, even though it is directed by a nightmarish dream of raw flesh and blood. This simple act of choosing to not eat meat turns Yeong-hye’s life and those around her into this violent, brutal mess- especially when her father tries to force a piece of pork into her mouth, and in revolt, she cuts herself.
The second act of the story is narrated by Yeong-hye’s brother-in-law whose name remains unstated throughout the novel. One thing to note is that all three parts of the novel are narrated by people around her- all clouded by their own prejudices and motives- thus, we never truly know what is actually going on in Yeong-hye’s head. As the story progresses, she speaks even less and less and we have to make conclusions through her actions described by others which are confusing yet fascinating at the same time.
During the first half, we see Yeong-hye as a woman who finally decides to do something for herself, refusing to conform to the restrictions put on her. However, by the second act, Yeong-hye has grown anorexic and pale (eating even less and less) and has become secluded and vulnerable.
Yeong-hye’s brother-in-law, on the other hand, has become obsessed with Yeong-hye when he learns that she has a Mongolian mark and wants to turn her into one of his artistic endeavors. He manages to convince Yoeng-hye and in the process, decorates Yeing-hye’s body with flowers. At this point, we see Yeong-hye refusing to get rid of the flowers in her body, telling her brother-in-law that they stopped the nightmares. We also come to know that Yoeng-hye loves to sit naked, facing the sun as if she were photosynthesizing like a plant.
Yeong-hye’s delusion escalates even more during the final act of the novel which is narrated by her sister In-hye. Yoeng-hye she has stopped eating altogether, stands upside down pretending to be a tree and once, is found standing in a forest “soaked with rain as if she herself were one of the glistening trees”.
We realize that Yeong-hye wants to give up being a human all together and I wouldn’t blame her. We leech off of the earth, are abusing and brutal towards each other and are as a whole, are selfish beings. Yeong-hye was abused by her father as a child, was constantly refused a sense of individuality as a wife and several times in the novel was cheated out of an active choice she made of turning in a vegetarian. Nearing the end of the novel, Yeong-hye whispers to her sister “I’m not an animal anymore”.
The book can be interpreted in so many ways and I think each’s interpretation differs in relation to his/her personal experiences in life. For some, it may be about a woman’s struggle for a choice or perhaps a satire at the still existent patriarchy. However, for me, I think the book has more to it that just the ideas of choice or social issues. The book questions the very foundation of humanity itself as we see in the end, Yeong-hye rejects the very idea of humanity, actively choosing to live as a plant.
The book is a phenomenal read. It’s gripping all through its entirety- bordering between intimidation and fascination. Kang’s descriptions are vivid, for example, her descriptions of Yeong-hye’s silence manages to thunder in one’s mind. The Vegetarian is one book that will be hard to beat, especially when you decide to look for another book to finish over the weekend.
Urza Acharya 