Sonja
”The Vegetarian” is a difficult read. It doesn’t tell a pretty or comfortable story, but forces the reader to face the patriarchal society in place and as the cause of seemingly unrelated events. In the centre of the story, Yeong-hye is breaking free of the social norms and standards set by her father, husband and other males by making the innocent choice of becoming a vegetarian. As the circumstances evolve, she is eventually perceived as (or maybe actually driven to become) mentally ill, therefore left by her husband, abandoned by her parents and abused by her brother-in-law. Personally, I found that I was complicit as a reader in normalizing a patriarchal mindset because up until the third section of the book I did not fully realize myself how every female character’s life trajectory was rooted in and impacted by their male counterparts’ influence and control. I think it is a brilliant study of our society and a necessary read for everyone, just beware of the unsettling feeling it leaves you with.
”The Vegetarian” is a difficult read. It doesn’t tell a pretty or comfortable story, but forces the reader to face the patriarchal society in place and as the cause of seemingly unrelated events. In the centre of the story, Yeong-hye is breaking free of the social norms and standards set by her father, husband and other males by making the innocent choice of becoming a vegetarian. As the circumstances evolve, she is eventually perceived as (or maybe actually driven to become) mentally ill, therefore left by her husband, abandoned by her parents and abused by her brother-in-law. Personally, I found that I was complicit as a reader in normalizing a patriarchal mindset because up until the third section of the book I did not fully realize myself how every female character’s life trajectory was rooted in and impacted by their male counterparts’ influence and control. I think it is a brilliant study of our society and a necessary read for everyone, just beware of the unsettling feeling it leaves you with.