Han Kang's The Vegetarian: A Book That Gnaws At Readers' Conscience

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 17 October 2024 I must admit that the name and works of the South Korean writer Han Kang, didn't appeal to me greatly before she got the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2024. The only book by Han Kang that I read was her novel, The Vegetarian. It became the first Korean language novel to win the International Booker Prize for fiction in 2016. The Vegetarian by Han Kang is a powerful literary work that illuminates the depth of human desires, societal pressures, and the destructive consequences of repression. The story revolves around Yeong-hye, a seemingly ordinary woman living in modern-day Seoul. However, her life takes a drastic turn when she decides to stop eating meat after a series of recurring and visceral nightmares. This seemingly innocuous decision sets off a chain of events that unveils the deeply ingrained societal norms, personal desires, and familial bonds that dictate her existence and ultimately lead her down a path of self-destruction. Being a lifelong vegetarian, I could empathise with the protagonist's sense of guilt, confusion and dilemma. One line in the book that stayed with me was: "I can't bear to look at bones, even chicken bones." It can stir readers' conscience regardless of their food preferences and also their dietary aesthetics. The very sight of bones and meat can unnerve a sensitive person. The quote by The Vegetarian, "I can't bear to look at bones, even chicken bones," speaks to a deep conviction towards their vegetarian lifestyle. Through these words, The Vegetarian vividly expresses their aversion towards animal consumption, even on the visual level. The quote encapsulates a profound empathy for all living beings, extended even to the remnants of what once sustained them. It demonstrates a refusal to engage with the violent nature of meat consumption, choosing instead to detach from the sight of bones altogether. This quote serves as a powerful reminder of the individual's unwavering commitment to creating a world that aligns with their values of compassion and nonviolence. Though gastronomic proclivities are extremely subjective, a question remains: Is eating meat a necessity? Recent studies suggest that our hunter-gatherer ancestors did much more gathering veggies than hunting meat. In a significant departure from the widely accepted view of early human societies as hunter-gatherers who were primarily meat-dependent, recent research seems to prove otherwise. Spearheaded by University of Wyoming's Assistant Professor Randy Haas, a new study reveals strikingly different dietary habits of early humans. Contrary to the long-held belief that early human diets were predominantly meat-based, the study discovered that the diets in the Andean Mountains were composed of approximately 80 percent plant matter and only 20 percent meat. That said, I've always believed that killing an animal for one's palate must be a disturbing thought that stirs the conscience of even a diehard non-vegetarian. Don't the animals have a fundamental right to live? Well, this is a never-ending debate. I don't want to sermonise or sound preachy on this site. You had better read the book The Vegetarian by the Nobel laureate. ------ A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/han-kang-vegetarian-readers-conscience--/d/133460 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism