Transcending constraints: female bodily discipline and resistance in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian
Han Kang’s The Vegetarian (2015/2007) has been the subject of numerous scholarly explorations. Nevertheless, few studies have applied Michel Foucault’s theory of the body to examine the protagonist Yeong-hye’s struggle against societal norms. This paper fills this gap by analyzing how Yeong-hye’s bo...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
International Islamic University Malaysia
2025
|
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121031/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121031/1/121031.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848868277595406336 |
|---|---|
| author | Nie, Zhixing Kaur, Hardev |
| author_facet | Nie, Zhixing Kaur, Hardev |
| author_sort | Nie, Zhixing |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Han Kang’s The Vegetarian (2015/2007) has been the subject of numerous scholarly explorations. Nevertheless, few studies have applied Michel Foucault’s theory of the body to examine the protagonist Yeong-hye’s struggle against societal norms. This paper fills this gap by analyzing how Yeong-hye’s body is disciplined, constrained, and reimagined within the frameworks of patriarchy and biopolitics. Through Foucault’s concept of the body as a site of power, we argue that Yeong-hye’s refusal to conform to societal expectations, such as her rejection of meat consumption and her attempts to “become a plant,” represents both a personal rebellion and a tragic reflection of the limitations imposed by patriarchal structures. This paper explores how her body, marked by both physical and psychological violence, becomes a battleground for identity reconstruction. This interpretation contributes to ongoing discussions on the intersection of gender, power, and the body, offering a fresh perspective on the existential and symbolic dimensions of Kang’s novel. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:49:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-121031 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:49:50Z |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | International Islamic University Malaysia |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1210312025-10-23T00:02:12Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121031/ Transcending constraints: female bodily discipline and resistance in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian Nie, Zhixing Kaur, Hardev Han Kang’s The Vegetarian (2015/2007) has been the subject of numerous scholarly explorations. Nevertheless, few studies have applied Michel Foucault’s theory of the body to examine the protagonist Yeong-hye’s struggle against societal norms. This paper fills this gap by analyzing how Yeong-hye’s body is disciplined, constrained, and reimagined within the frameworks of patriarchy and biopolitics. Through Foucault’s concept of the body as a site of power, we argue that Yeong-hye’s refusal to conform to societal expectations, such as her rejection of meat consumption and her attempts to “become a plant,” represents both a personal rebellion and a tragic reflection of the limitations imposed by patriarchal structures. This paper explores how her body, marked by both physical and psychological violence, becomes a battleground for identity reconstruction. This interpretation contributes to ongoing discussions on the intersection of gender, power, and the body, offering a fresh perspective on the existential and symbolic dimensions of Kang’s novel. International Islamic University Malaysia 2025 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121031/1/121031.pdf Nie, Zhixing and Kaur, Hardev (2025) Transcending constraints: female bodily discipline and resistance in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian. Asiatic, 19 (1). pp. 48-63. ISSN 1985-3106 https://journals.iium.edu.my/asiatic/index.php/ajell/article/view/3641 10.31436/asiatic.v19i1.3641 |
| spellingShingle | Nie, Zhixing Kaur, Hardev Transcending constraints: female bodily discipline and resistance in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian |
| title | Transcending constraints: female bodily discipline and resistance in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian |
| title_full | Transcending constraints: female bodily discipline and resistance in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian |
| title_fullStr | Transcending constraints: female bodily discipline and resistance in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transcending constraints: female bodily discipline and resistance in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian |
| title_short | Transcending constraints: female bodily discipline and resistance in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian |
| title_sort | transcending constraints: female bodily discipline and resistance in han kang’s the vegetarian |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121031/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121031/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121031/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121031/1/121031.pdf |