The Vegetarian Book by Han Kang
Somewhere around the first quarter of The Vegetarian by Han Kang, the protagonist Yeong-hye describes her breasts as harmless, unlike the “weaponized” parts of her body: her hands, her gaze, her tongue. “Can only trust my breasts now. I like my breasts, nothing can be killed by them. Hand, foot, tongue, gaze, all weapons from which nothing is safe. But not my breasts. With my round breasts, I’m okay.” The novel opens with her decision to renounce meat which quickly spirals into a rejection of her very corporeality.
Han Kang doesn’t allow for even a single moment where Yeong-hye’s decision can be neatly explained, no clear motive or epiphany. The story forcefully pushes back against the reader’s nosiness to unravel its myriad layers. It forces us to confront the uncomfortable reality that autonomy, particularly for women in deeply patriarchal societies, might be unattainable, and the pursuit of it can lead to both personal and collective